Lord of Disease (JP-GL) 140

140: The Dragon Mother

Crado-san led me to a cave near the fortress.

A dark hole, gaping in the white, snow-covered mountainside.

According to our conversation on the way here, the cave had been widened and deepened from its original, smaller state.

By Lital-sama herself, with her claws and scales.

And now, it was primarily used as a resting place for the dragon race.

I was accompanied only by Liz.

“Please wait here with me, Lizlit-san.” In a depression, sheltered from the wind and snow, a small hut had been built. A resting place for non-dragons, also serving as a shelter.

“Yes. …Master, take care.”

“Yes, I will.”

The light from the entrance was already faint. I took the lantern-type magic lamp Liz had been carrying for me.

It wasn’t a high-end model, so the mana crystal wasn’t polished, but I didn’t dislike the rough, spiky appearance, like a raw quartz crystal. The iron lantern was dented in places and had some rust, but that was also a sign of its use.

The pale green light, swaying slightly as I moved, illuminated the cave.

Unlike a torch, a magic lamp was wind-resistant, didn’t produce soot, didn’t consume oxygen, and was safe. While it didn’t provide warmth and couldn’t be used as a weapon, those were minor drawbacks compared to its advantages.

Since this was a formal occasion, I had my staff and my mask. The mask also had a night-vision function.

The gem on my staff, a byproduct of the defensive magic it contained, also glowed blue, serving as a backup light source.

“It’s a straight path. The ground is stable, but it is a cave, so please watch your step.”

I gave a final wave to Crado-san and Liz and started walking.

Alone, in the darkness of the cave. I’d thought it would be a little scarier, but I seemed to be the type who wasn’t particularly afraid of physical things.

Liz was behind me, and ahead was Lital-sama—the apex of the dragon race, the strongest race in this world.

After walking for a while, I heard a voice.

“Who are you…?”

A quiet, calm voice.

It had a metallic resonance, like steel scraping against steel, unlike a human voice, but it was strangely pleasant. A gentle voice, like the feeling of stroking smooth, worn brass.

“Lital-sama? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am the Lord of Disease. Crado-san invited me.”

I announced my arrival politely, in my formal voice.

“—Welcome. Come closer, let me see you.”

“Yes.”

After a few more steps, the dazzling reflection of the lantern and staff’s light on her scales pierced my dark-adjusted eyes. Without the mask’s light-adjusting function, I would have been blinded.

There, before me, was undoubtedly the apex of the dragon race.

Beautiful, glacier-blue scales, a translucent white with a hint of pale blue, as if carved from a glacier itself.

She was lying on the cave floor, her slender body curled, her long neck bent to look down at me.

Her tail, nearly as long as her neck, was stretched out behind her, and her folded wings slowly unfurled.

Our eyes met.

Golden eyes, common to all dragons.

A deep, amber-like gold, like the honey of Litalside, with a melting depth.

“I am Lital. They call me the Dragon Mother.”

It was the first time I had seen a dragon up close.

I knew that the color of their scales varied by individual. While most were in the warm color range, from red to gold, the only dragon with white scales was her, the Dragon Mother.

As a long-lived race, they didn’t really keep track of their age, and hers was officially unknown, but she was probably the oldest living being in this world.

A supreme commander of the Demon King’s army, who had supported this nation for over four hundred years, since its founding, the leader of the First Army, the dragon race.

Many dragons were said to be her descendants, and she currently commanded a force of nearly one hundred dragons, responsible for border defense and domestic patrols.

As the emblem of the Listrea Demon Kingdom, the “dragon with a serpent’s tongue,” suggested, she was an irreplaceable being, perhaps even more important than His Majesty.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am called the Lord of Disease. It is an honor to meet you, Lital-sama.”

As a sign of respect, I removed my mask and bowed.

It was also a gesture of respect, and my words were sincere. She had contributed to this nation for far longer, and far more, than I had. And besides, to see such a beautiful dragon up close was a feast for the eyes.

“…You really are human.”

“Yes. There are no racial restrictions for the rank of supreme commander.”

Though by convention, there were.

The First Army was the dragons.

The Second Army, the Dark Knights, was the dark elves.

The Third Army, the Beastman Army, was the beastmen.

The Fourth Army, the Undead Army, was the undead.

The Fifth Army, the Demon Army, was the demons.

And His Majesty the Demon King commanded them all.

That was the structure of the Listrea Demon Kingdom’s army.

The Sixth Army—had not existed.

And I, the current supreme commander of the Sixth Army, was officially of unknown race. But within the army, it was already known, through ‘gossip,’ that I was human.

Especially the beastmen at the Dark Forest and the troops stationed at Fort Litalside, who had seen my face directly, so the news would spread.

“Lord of Disease. I have wanted to speak with you for some time. You, a human, and a supreme commander…”

“Yes, please.”

Lital-sama spoke, her voice grave.

“How long will this war continue?”