Chapter: 640
The role and duties of the Special Service Agency can’t really be summed up neatly.
Unlike other government departments like the Imperial Household that handles palace matters, the Ministry of Finance that deals with budgeting, or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that manages diplomacy—where you can tell their jobs just from the names—the Special Service Agency is a whole different ball game.
What can be said clearly is that the Special Service Agency acts as the Emperor’s hands, eyes, and ears. It’s a shadowy department that operates not based on bureaucratic judgment but according to the Emperor’s will, swooping in wherever military might is needed.
One of its tasks involves overseeing the dragons scattered throughout the empire.
“Overseeing? More like just making sure they’re not causing trouble.”
These dragons helped the Great Emperor Amanca during the founding of the empire. If any of them felt uncomfortable living in the empire, it could be seen as them disrespecting the Great Emperor’s intentions and the Dragon Lord of the royal family.
Thus, the Special Service Agency built small lodges near the caves or mountains where the dragons resided, keeping agents stationed there 24/7. That way, they could respond immediately if a dragon wanted to chat.
Fortunately, from the founding of the empire until now, dragons have never complained. They’re generally satisfied as long as humans don’t bother them much, and if they occasionally need something, they just ask.
“Never thought the Lord would suddenly want to chat.”
But now, it wasn’t just any ordinary dragon asking for a conversation—it was the Dragon Lord.
Even in the moment of the dire fall of the Livnoman royal family, when the specter of national ruin loomed before the empire, this being had maintained his silence but now rose to speak.
“What’s going on?”
I felt a slight unease. The Lord, being the child of the Great Emperor, surely had deep affection for the Livnoman royal family and the Kefellofen Empire. Yet this dragon had quietly refrained from meddling in human affairs.
Now he was breaking that silence to ask for a conversation? No matter how positively I looked at it, this can’t be a light matter. I mean, he wouldn’t just say, “I’m kind of bored, let’s chat.”
“…I’ll go right away. Prepare.”
But I couldn’t hesitate any longer with the Lord calling for me. I couldn’t keep him waiting so I had to go confirm things right away.
After all, no matter how much I racked my brain, I could never grasp a dragon’s thoughts.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The head of the Special Service Agency bowed his head and quickly exited.
Please, let it not be something negative.
After positioning the guards outside and entering the cave alone, I greeted the Lord.
“Greetings, child of the Great Emperor!”
“Come in, come in. Sorry to call you out of the blue.”
“It’s no trouble at all. It’s an honor to see you, my Lord.”
The Lord chuckled softly at my words.
“Thank you for saying so.”
He then gently lowered his immensely tall head to meet my gaze, though from my perspective, he still seemed monumental.
“The reason I called you here urgently is that I have something serious to discuss. It’s quite a heavy matter indeed.”
‘A heavy matter.’
Involuntarily, I swallowed hard at his next words.
I had anticipated something significant, but for the Lord to personally mention a weighty issue made my nervousness spike. If it was already stated to be serious, then it must definitely be enormous—like summoning the Emperor himself for a huge deal.
“Child.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“One of my friends wishes to enter eternal rest.”
“…Excuse me?”
My mind froze for a moment.
The information my ears relayed didn’t connect with my brain.
“Eternal rest, you say?”
“Yes. A friend who assisted in founding the empire alongside my father and mother recently expressed a desire for eternal rest to me.”
I double-checked to confirm I heard him correctly, but regrettably, the Lord’s words remained unchanged.
“That friend intends to entrust their body to humans before entering eternal rest, but… I wish for you to dissuade them from doing so.”
That was an unexpected request, leaving me speechless for a moment.
A dragon’s eternal rest, especially one who helped establish the empire. I’d be the first emperor since the founding of the empire to hear such news.
“If they contributed to the founding, they are as good as a friend of the Great Emperor himself. As His Greatness’s representative, I will do my utmost to persuade them.”
“Thank you. However, my friend can be quite stubborn, so it’s not necessary to push too hard.”
Finally pulling myself together, I bowed my head, and the Lord spoke to me in a softer tone.
“Of course, you don’t need to go yourself. Just send one of the children you saw last time in your place.”
“Yes, I will do that.”
The elder’s suggestion to send one of my in-laws or a minister would be wise.
I’d have to send a minister without a doubt. I couldn’t burden my busy father-in-law with a seemingly endless task of persuading a dragon.
“It’s regrettable.”
I hadn’t intended to throw the minister into the mix, but since the elder of the royal family suggested it, what could I do?
I believe the minister would understand.
—
I sure hope a bolt of lightning strikes the Emperor’s residence.
Well, specifically just the Sun Palace where the Emperor stays.
‘That bastard.’
A weak one who hears “I hate you, Dad!” from his own daughter. The Emperor takes his frustrations out on me for hurting the Crown Princess.
Yet he throws these unavoidable burdens on me, like a brutal and cruel taskmaster…
‘It’s ridiculous having to meet the dragons.’
I’d been to see the Dragon Lord before, mostly because it was an unusual case when the new Emperor ascended. Normally, I wouldn’t have any business with dragons for the rest of my life.
So the next time I’d have to meet a dragon again, I thought it would be when the Crown Princess ascended. Who would’ve thought, before I even turned thirty, I’d be meeting another dragon?
– I heard there’s a dragon wishing for eternal rest. The Lord was worried about that story spreading, so he hopes you, me, or one of your in-laws can persuade that dragon.
Honestly, I never imagined I would meet another dragon not just before the Crown Princess’s reign but even before I hit thirty!
– Well, among the three of us, the minister might have more free time. He helped your father found the empire, so please handle it well.
“…Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost to persuade our benefactor.”
Remembering the Emperor’s informal message, I let out a small sigh.
‘Eternal rest for a dragon.’
Dragons are beings that should theoretically live forever. Unless they face physical extinction or decide to end their own lives, they could continue living alongside the continent’s history.
Yet, the dragon I’m about to meet has chosen death, despite dodging Apels’s horrific dragon extermination. While packaged under the term “eternal rest,” it’s essentially a desire to give up living.
It’s quite a troublesome problem. The empire has heavily relied on dragons’ help throughout its founding, and the lineage of the Great Emperor has maintained deep ties with the previous Dragon Lord. If a dragon gives up living, it’s bound to provoke a strong reaction.
‘If they’re mentioning eternal rest, their mind must already be made up.’
But the dragon surely knows that if they mention eternal rest, the Dragon Lord and the empire will react immediately.
Yet, the dragon still brought up the topic. They’ve effectively made their mind firm.
‘But I still have to persuade them.’
Scratching my head, I stepped into the cave.
Regardless of their resoluteness, this dragon is a founding hero. Furthermore, there was also the Dragon Lord’s request to turn their friend’s heart around.
I had to at least make an attempt to recommend living longer, both as a person and as a responsible official of the empire.
—
As I entered the cave, a massive black figure welcomed me.
“Human child. You’ve arrived sooner than I expected.”
The black dragon sprawled on the ground spoke with a voice full of indifference.
It rumbled through the entire cave, perhaps due to its size.
“Well… it’s good to have you here quickly. Let’s finish this so I can close my eyes.”
The blinking dragon rose lazily, its claws poised near its mouth.
“W-wait, Elder! Please hold on a moment!”
Seeing the dragon about to bite its own claws made me rush to stop it. I had come to deter its eternal rest, and I definitely didn’t want to witness dragon self-harm on arrival.
“Why, what’s wrong? It’s better to prepare for the shock before I magically shed them off.”
The dragon, stopping after my interruption, lowered its hand again.
Thank goodness. I was worried it might just bite into its claws saying, ‘I won’t listen to a lesser being.’
“I didn’t come here to take your physical body.”
“What?”
At that, the dragon frowned and then gradually nodded.
“Surely it would be hard for one person to take my claws and scales. You must be here for something else.”
“Yes. Excuse me, but I wish to have a discussion with you.”
The dragon, who had been looking down at me for a while, settled its body down.
“I will let the Lord know how many days you’ve attempted to persuade me. So just leave.”
Then it mentioned the reason I knocked on the door while casting a teleportation spell.
For a brief moment, I genuinely considered leaving, but I held back. If I left now, this dragon would undoubtedly opt for eternal rest.
“My Elder, both the empire and the royal family owe you immense gratitude. It would be a tragic loss if you departed without even having paid back a fraction of that debt.”
“The battles I fought alongside Livnoman were not to receive any debts back, but to fulfill my desires. Thus, there is no need for you to be sad.”
“Regardless of the process, the end result is unchanged. What’s more, you have never made a request for anything from the empire or the royal family, so your departure would be all the more heartbreaking.”
In reality, this dragon has lived more like a ghost since the founding of the empire. Occasionally, when the Special Service Agency checked in, it would willingly bleed, and if a wild beast wandered into its cave, it would return it or care for it like a pet.
Right now, several wild rabbits were frolicking around the dragon. At this point, you might as well call them cave rabbits.
“Human child.”
“Yes, Elder.”
Nevertheless, as I pressed on, the dragon opened its mouth once more, still harboring a tone of indifference.
“My lack of requests stems from the fact that I no longer need anything.”
After saying that, the dragon briefly closed its eyes and then continued in a somber voice, a shift from before.
“…What meaning does it hold for a being stripped of their wife and child to keep living? The pillars that once sustained my life have crumbled; my once-blazing spirit has cooled long ago.”
A hollow gaze washed over me, as if enveloping me entirely.
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