THERE IS A DRAGON I WANT TO KILL.
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO,
THE DRAGONS VANISHED INTO THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME.
EVEN SO, THE BLESSING THE GUARDIAN DRAGON BESTOWED ON EACH NATION REMAINED INTACT.
FOR AS LONG AS THE DRAGON LIVED, THE BLESSING WAS IMMORTAL.
MY HOMELAND, XENOMES, WAS BLESSED WITH A HERO WHO WOULD APPEAR IN TIMES OF NEED.
AS IF TO PROVE IT,
WHEN XENOMES WAS LOCKED IN A BITTER WAR WITH NEIGHBORING NATIONS—
I ENTERED THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME AND SUCCEEDED IN SLAYING THE ENEMY'S DRAGON.
THUS, THE 'HERO' OF XENOMES AROSE UNDER THE BLESSING OF THE DRAGON.
THE SAME MUST HOLD TRUE FOR ADELHEID.
SHE IS THE LAST ROYALTY OF HENBURG.
THE BLESSING BESTOWED UPON HENBURG
WAS THAT THE LINE OF DESCENDANTS CARRYING NOBLE BLOOD WOULD NEVER END.
HERE, 'NOBLE BLOOD' MUST MEAN ROYALTY.
WHICH MEANS-
THE BLOOD OF THE HENBURG ROYAL LINE WILL ENDURE FOREVER.
THOUGH NOT EVERY RECIPIENT OF THE BLESSING SUCCEEDED IN SLAYING A DRAGON,
ADELHEID CARRIES THE BLESSING OF AN UNBROKEN LINE.
SO EVEN IF SHE WENT TO THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME, SHE WOULD NOT DIE.
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A KNIGHT TO ENTER THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME.
IF YOU WISH TO GO, YOU MAY GO RIGHT NOW.
I CAN'T GO.
NOT WITH MY CURRENT STATUS.
INDEED, SHE HAS NO REASON TO ABANDON THIS LIFE OF COMFORT
AND ENDURE SUCH HARDSHIPS.
...I SEE.
...SAY, CAPTAIN. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO KILL ANOTHER DRAGON?
I DON'T.
WHY?
WHY DO YOU ASK?
I'VE TOLD YOU EARLIER THAT THERE'S A DRAGON I WANT DEAD.
SINCE I CAN'T GO, I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU TO KILL IT FOR ME.
I HAVE NO INTENTION OF SLAYING ANY MORE DRAGONS.
THE ONLY REASON I KILLED THE DRAGON OF THE NINE HEAVENS
WAS BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY ANSWER TO THE WAR.
HAD THERE BEEN ANOTHER WAY, I WOULDN'T HAVE KILLED THE DRAGON.
WHY WOULDN’T YOU KILL IT IF THERE WAS ANOTHER WAY?
BECAUSE A BLESSING IS A SACRED THING.
A SACRED THING...
SO YOU TRULY HAVE NO INTENTION OF ENTERING THE MOUNTAIN OF TIME AGAIN?
NEVER AGAIN?
THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT SCAR... DID YOU GET IT IN THE WAR?
MOST LIKELY.
IT HAS QUITE A UNIQUE SHAPE.
...I HATE PAIN.
DON'T YOU?
A FEW DAYS LATER,
YOUR MAJESTY!
THE KING HAS VISITED MOND PALACE.
ANTON, KING OF XENOPES
YOUR MAJESTY, MY KING. WHY HAVEN'T YOU VISITED ALL THIS TIME?
I WAS BUSY DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE WAR.
I THOUGHT YOU HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME.
I WOULD NEVER.
I WAITED FOR YOU. EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THOUGH IT IS MERE FLATTERY,
FOR SOME REASON, IT SOUNDS DESPERATE.
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN, CAPTAIN?
WELL, YOUR MAJESTY.
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE HERE?
YES, SIRE.
IT IS QUIET AND LOVELY. YOU'VE WORKED HARD, SO TAKE SOME TIME TO REST.
YOUR MAJESTY.
DID I INTERRUPT YOUR THOUGHTS?
NOT AT ALL.
AT EASE. THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SO STIFF.
HOW ARE YOU GETTING ALONG WITH ADEL?
...SHE IS EASY TO GUARD.
NOT THAT THERE'S MUCH TO GUARD HER FROM... BUT SHE TRULY IS AN AMUSING WOMAN.
A WOMAN WITHOUT A SHRED OF PRIDE.
PRECISELY THE KIND OF PERSON YOU DESPISE, ISN'T SHE?
WHY? DOES THAT SOUND TOO HARSH FOR A CONCUBINE WHO HOLDS MY FAVOR?
WELL, NO...
YOU ARE MY CHERISHED KNIGHT, SO I'LL LET YOU IN ON A LITTLE SECRET.
PEOPLE CLAIM THAT I BROUGHT ADELHEID HERE BECAUSE I WAS CAPTIVATED BY HER BEAUTY, BUT...
THAT'S NOT TRUE.
AFTER SLAUGHTERING NEARLY EVERYONE LIVING IN THE HENBURG PALACE,
ONLY ADELHEID REMAINED AT THE END.
WHEN I ASKED WHAT SHE WOULD DO IF I SPARED HER LIFE, SHE SAID SHE WOULD DO ANYTHING.
SO I ASKED IF SHE COULD KILL HER DEAD BROTHER WITH HER OWN HANDS.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT? SHE ACTUALLY DID.
JUST AS SHE CLAIMED, SHE DID WHATEVER SHE WAS TOLD.
I WAS BORED AND THOUGHT IT'D BE AMUSING, SO I TOOK HER IN.
AND SHE KNOWS QUITE WELL HOW TO PLEASE ME...
I AM ADELHEID.
I HAD CAST ASIDE MY FAMILY NAME LONG AGO.
EVEN SEDUCING HER GUARDS IS JUST TO GET MY ATTENTION.
ISN'T THAT ADORABLE?
FOR THE SAKE OF MY DIGNITY, I SHOW NO MERCY TO THE MEN WHO FALL FOR IT,
BUT I CAN OVERLOOK THE LITTLE ANTICS OF MY CONCUBINE IN FAVOR.
IN ANY CASE, THE WAR IS OVER, SO YOU MAY REST, CAPTAIN.
UNTIL I SUMMON YOU AGAIN, THAT IS...
THERE IS A SCENE THAT STILL FLICKERS BEFORE MY EYES.
A CHILDHOOD THAT FEELS SO DISTANT NOW,
LEAVING ME FEELING LOST IN THE PAST.
...IT WAS JUST A DREAM.
HOW MANY DAYS HAS IT BEEN SINCE THE KING LEFT?
EVERYTHING'S THE SAME, SO I CAN'T TELL WHEN THIS IS.
IT'S JUST LIKE MY PAST LIFE.
I DEFINITELY APPROACHED DOMINIC... YET NOTHING CHANGED.
BESIDES, HIS DISLIKE FOR ME WAS PLAIN TO SEE.
I HAVEN'T EVEN DONE ANYTHING YET...
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?
I DON'T REMEMBER HOW TO TREAT ANYONE OTHER THAN ANTON.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME I HAD A REAL CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE?
THE CAPTAIN? AFTER DUTY, HE USUALLY...
SEEMED TO HEAD TO THE STUDY.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
In this chapter, the dragons, the Mountain of Time, and the blessings bestowed by the guardian dragon upon the nations are explained. As the hero of Xenomes recalls killing the enemy dragon, it is said that Adelheid, the last blood of Henburg, will not die on the Mountain of Time because she carries the unbroken lineage blessing. Adelheid asks him to kill a dragon, but he refuses on the grounds of the blessing's sanctity. Then King Anton visits Mond Palace and reveals his cruel secret about Adelheid.
