The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 128

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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128.

“Isn’t this abusing your power a bit too much?”

-…Do you not like it?

At my question, the small lizard drooped its tail dejectedly.

Its wings, which had been flapping excitedly, also stuck flat against its back like horns.

“If you ask me that, I do like it…”

Since the lair byproduct distribution business, which would have lasted only 20-30 years at most, could now be designated as a special long-term business for the Clupea Border Barony.

Unlike simply occupying the Dragon Lair, adamant ore was being collected in quite large quantities, so it wouldn’t only contribute to strengthening a specific nation’s power.

‘Even now, the production is already higher than what Seolkuk or the Empire expected.’

Also, it didn’t bring the terrible military power balance that Empress Trisha had worried about, like what Seolkuk had perpetrated in the past.

This was because the wicked group called mages had already created and released various weapons.

So I too was able to decide on the distribution of adamant ore after examining it from multiple angles.

Of course, for that decision, Casian and the Winter Palace Knights had to spar more than twice their usual amount.

Even after that was over, far from finding me terrifying, they were busy praising me instead.

‘Thanks to such thorough verification, we feel protected, Advisor!’

‘Originally, the distribution of new weapons should be decided after such thorough confirmation!’

‘We know very well that physical strength alone is not true strength.’

There was also some strange appeal mixed in.

Anyway, so in the lair byproduct distribution, what brought greater profit than adamant ore were actually magic stones and treasures.

-Hmm, so the key’s owner prefers that side.

Meanwhile, the lizard, having read my thoughts, made a straining gesture for a moment, then quickly regained its energy and flapped its wings.

At the same time, I realized that a considerable amount of the dragon’s energy that had been concentrated on the adamant ore had moved to the side with the magic stones, and clicked my tongue.

‘It feels strangely like cheating.’

-You’re being conscientious, which feels strange.

“…What exactly did you hear from Paul?”

-I heard various stories. He’s a good servant, so I hope you’ll keep him as a worker here.

The lizard flapped its cute wings and twitched its nose proudly.

As expected, my childhood friend Paul Terodima seemed to be a talented worker regardless of the field.

*

While discussing the lair byproducts, we entered the innermost part of the lair that others couldn’t perceive at all.

Unlike Gaia’s space, which had felt cozy and leisurely, this place felt modern to the point of being cold.

Despite being named Flare Dragon.

It was like, how should I put it…

‘The feeling that you’d only be allowed to drink expensive bottled water…’

The moment I thought that, the Flare Dragon, who had changed from a lizard to a large-bodied man, cleared his throat.

-I am not such a cold and excessively obsessive dragon.

“Mm, yes.”

One must respect preferences, after all.

The Flare Dragon grumbled slightly at my thoughts but sat on the black sofa in an arrogant posture.

-So now you have something you want to ask.

“I didn’t know you were enjoying life with humans so boldly.”

If this was the case, you could have at least replied remotely to the message I sent.

I asked you to open a Q&A session.

The Flare Dragon looked displeased at my thoughts.

-Unfortunately, we don’t have a remote response function.

“But Gaia did it.”

-Even Gaia could only communicate within Gaia’s domain.

Looking at this opponent who rarely abandoned dragon speech patterns, I pondered for a moment and then nodded.

The places where she had answered were only two: her lair and Riarden’s Vault.

-I’m really glad you understand.

“But can you continue to stay here even if I ask you questions and use your power privately like this?”

-Yes. I woke up earlier than expected and was able to discard the shell quickly.

“You mean your original dragon form?”

-Correct, that’s large and takes energy to maintain. Very inefficient.

“So you created a new shell?”

I realized that this room in the innermost lair was similar to the place where we had met something like Gaia’s Essence.

Actually, it was also a place I had been dragged to once before.

-Correct, without any shell at all, I cannot continue to stay here.

The Flare Dragon shrugged once and continued his story.

-However, the purification ability is better on that side.

“Purification…”

When I looked puzzled at words that seemed like they’d come from the temple, the man snorted arrogantly.

-Originally, that’s our job. Um, so to put it in terms you can easily understand.

The dragon went “um, um” and nodded his head several times, then opened his mouth as if he had found the right word.

-It’s like an air conditioning system. For this world.

It was an explanation that made perfect sense.

“Why do dragons do that?”

-Because we were made that way.

When I crossed my arms and leaned forward at his non-answer, the dragon opened his mouth again.

-Divine will is originally like that, isn’t it.

“So gods do exist?”

-Of course they do.

The dragon laughed as if I was trying to confirm something obvious.

It’s just annoying that despite existing, they didn’t grant my wish.

Even at my candid inner thoughts, the Flare Dragon showed no sign of displeasure.

Seeing this, dragons were definitely on a different path from the temple.

The dragon found my mental contents quite amusing and continued his explanation.

-As you know now, there isn’t just one world.

“I know.”

-Beyond what you’ve experienced, the god had to manage many worlds.

“So you’re saying management was delegated? To dragons?”

-Correct.

“And going berserk happens because the maintenance period is over?”

-Something like that.

After talking this far, I asked Casian if there was anything he didn’t understand.

“I’m used to Rose using strange words, so I roughly understood.”

Of course, I explained to him what an air conditioning system meant.

Though he was slightly puzzled about why air needed to be purified, he seemed to accept that it would be good to have.

“But can you tell me why the berserk episodes came faster this time?”

-I think you’re already guessing that.

At the dragon’s words, I clenched my fists.

It was something I had no choice but to know when the worlds suddenly mixed.

“Is it because this world was split in two?”

The dragon’s lips curved upward.

It meant that was the correct answer.

‘In other words, purifying both worlds caused the berserk timing to be moved up…’

That being the case, another puzzling point arose.

“Then shouldn’t it have been even faster?”

-That answer is also with you.

His speech had returned to excellent dragon rhetoric once again.

Still, there were parts of this that could be inferred.

‘This is related to that thing with the ambiguous pronunciation, #@, right?’

When I looked at the dragon without speaking, he gave me an answer by not denying it.

I’d probably find out what that referred to as I solved the trials.

Even if I pressed him, he wouldn’t answer, and it would probably just sound like garbled pronunciation to my ears anyway, so asking now wouldn’t mean much.

Rather, what I should be asking was.

“Do you know what the late Archduke Riedern, Lady Maribel, did?”

-Of course.

The Flare Dragon’s eyes curved gently.

-That’s why you’re in that position.

“What?”

-Maribel Reardon was also an excellent mage.

At his words, my thoughts came to a sudden halt.

‘Right, thinking about it, that makes more sense…?’

The reason she was incompatible with divine power was because she had magical power in the first place.

I had thought she only possessed magical power without a vessel, but that was a mistaken assumption.

‘Casian himself is an aura user.’

What the Criminal Mages had grumbled about before came to mind.

‘Our Master and we are essentially the same in nature, even though he’s an aura user.’

‘The Temple turns a blind eye to aura but hates only us.’

‘There’s a reason people who achieve things through magic are called Masters.’

Of course, the methods of use seemed quite different.

Anyway, it seemed Maribel Reardon had not only a large vessel for containing magical power, but also possessed considerable magical power itself.

“Wait, that’s not an answer to my question.”

I quickly redirected my attention from the shocking revelation and questioned the dragon again.

“Lady Maribel risked her life to do something. I want to know what that something was and why she had to do it.”

At my words, the Flare Dragon scratched his cheek with an expression that said he knew I wouldn’t let it slide.

But when I didn’t back down and kept staring at him, he sighed softly and opened his mouth.

-Even if you don’t know, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to solve the matter, should it?

“I think I could solve it better if I knew.”

-There are things in this world that are better left unknown.

The dragon straightened his posture and spoke carefully.

-Now you must understand. The princesses of Riedern are actually the same as Saints.

We quietly nodded at the dragon’s words.

It was a keyword that had appeared quite openly in the unreleased scroll.

How she, who possessed magical power, could become a Saint wasn’t the important issue right now.

-So Maribel Reardon realized it. That this world was losing its form.

“…What?”

-But she also learned that since the deity had already saved this world once, by natural law, he couldn’t interfere a second time.

The moment the dragon gestured, the scroll wrapped around my wrist unfurled with a rustle.

It wasn’t the Lair scroll, but the communication scroll with the Mages that informed about the trials.

-That’s why Riedern’s Saint made her decision. She would find a way to save this world herself.

I blinked quietly.

Amid the chaotic confusion in my head, what Gaia had told me came clearly to mind.

“…So you’re saying Lady Maribel is the one who sent this mail—I mean, scroll?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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