Chapter 483: The Scent of Flowers
I came to the Island Tower to decorate the collection shelf with a Fang Flower.
I shifted the Dragon’s Outer Shell a bit further back and placed two black, metallic fangs, one Magic Stone, and one flower in the same designated space on the shelf.
As I looked at the flower carved by the Earth Folk, I wondered if the blackened fangs were white on the inside. Not everything was consumed by the Black Spirit; perhaps some of the original color remained?
Even though it’s called a black dragon, the first one I saw that wasn’t possessed by the Black Spirit had white claws and fangs. Maybe it varies by individual? The orange ones had a hint of color on their claws and fangs.
Yeah. It turned out pretty well.
While I admired the shelf, I remembered it was an outer shell. I wondered if this shell would become a slightly translucent black, just like the intricate carvings made by the Earth Folk, once polished. Would it be pitch black? The outer shell looks cool as it is, so I’ll leave it like this for now.
Among the Magic Stones, there were some beautiful ones, a few ancient gold coins I received from Karn’s treasure vault, a piece of rope given by the Earth Folk, and a cross-section of a branch from a Dogu. I also had a nice staff—there’s still plenty of space on the shelf, but I hope it fills up one day.
As I was lost in thought, I heard a commotion outside. No, it was more like a loud voice.
What’s going on?
This room barely lets any outside noise in. The tower has thick stone walls, and to protect the collection, there’s only one window in this room. I turned to look at the workbench by the window.
“Uh…”
A pair of vertically slit pupils, golden eyes, were staring at me.
Déjà vu. This is just like that moment before the dragons engaged in Mutual Annihilation, when I saw something at the cliff’s crevice. Why is it so close?
“I smell something. Human, I smell something.”
I heard words coming from the dragon’s mouth.
Upon closer inspection, it sounded like a low version of air leaking from a balloon, but it seems the Language Spirit is in top form today.
“What scent?”
I was incredibly nervous, but I should be fine.
The dragon is bound by a contract with the Wind Spirit and can only attack humans who have harmed dragons in its territory—the southern edge of the Dragon Continent.
So this place is safe. In fact, it’s the dragon that’s talking to me… wait.
“Wait? You have thoughts similar to a human?”
The dragon I saw during my visit seemed more like a wild animal.
“I have lived long. I have lived long.”
“Is that so?”
A long-lived dragon might have developed reason over instinct or learned human speech out of boredom—classic fantasy tropes. It’s also common for them to speak from the start.
“The Wind Spirit, the Wind Spirit that is with me. The Sound Spirit, I who am possessed by the Sound Spirit can adapt to human speech.”
So, the Wind Spirit coexisting with it is of the Sound Spirit lineage, allowing it to transform into human voices? That’s unfortunate; it seems it can’t actually speak.
“I understand the language of dragons too…”
I was at a loss for how to express this. Should I clearly convey that I can’t speak?
“I see. Then I shall ask, I will inquire.”
“Uh? What is it?”
Alright, alright.
I’m getting a bit more accustomed to the dragon, huh? It’s not that its presence is scary; it’s just that it’s so massive. I think it’s cool, but at the same time, it’s intimidatingly huge.
Wait. Given the size of those eyes, is it peering in while submerged in the sea? No, its body must be above, stretching its neck to look in.
Hold on. This dragon must be able to see me from Naruadeid!
“My child. I smell the blood of my child. Why is that?”
…What!? No way! The black dragon couldn’t fly. If this dragon is peering in, it must have flown here. It must be the orange one! I’m glad I didn’t get eaten!
Wait, is the scent leaking from [Storage]? No, that’s not it.
“This?”
I took a fang from the shelf and moved toward the window.
One black fang and a fang sculpted into a flower.
“That’s it. Perhaps due to the shape of the flower, the scent carried by the Wind Spirit is strong. That’s it.”
Did the spirit associate the scent with the flower? That’s troublesome. I’m glad I didn’t go to the Earth Folk. But maybe it’s because this place is close to the dragon’s territory?
“Uh, the owner of this fang had turned into a Demon Beast…”
“I understand. Young ones may kill their own kind, but dragons, both old and young, actively hunt their kin who have become Demon Beasts.”
That’s rather alarming.
“So, the orange dragon engaged in Mutual Annihilation, and both of them perished…”
“The sunset burns. If the scales burn like the sunset, then they are my children. Where is the Dragon Jewel?”
“Dragon Jewel?”
The one that dragon was holding? Does this dragon have one too? I don’t remember picking one up, so it must be lying around where they fought.
“Inside the heart. The jewel born from the heart.”
The heart, huh.
I’ve got the whole body with me!