TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 20

The massive demon dragon coiled within the cavern, its pristine white scales gleaming with a frosty sheen. Flowing behind its neck was a mane of white, which upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be dreadful white flames, not harmless fur.

The dragon’s wings were furled, and its long, muscular tail, more powerful than a python, bore black spines that stood menacingly along its length. Its head rested on two sharp foreclaws, and with each breath, it exuded an aura of death and destruction. As though disturbed from slumber, a deep, guttural growl rumbled in its throat. Crimson abyssal eyes opened, locking onto the visitor.

The terrifying growl abruptly ceased when the demon dragon fixed its gaze on the white-haired boy standing before it.

Albin was utterly captivated by the immense creature, his feet rooted to the ground, his mind forgetting any thought of escape.

His face flushed from illness, beads of sweat clung to his forehead, his lips were pale, and warm breaths escaped his mouth in visible puffs. Though his body shivered from the cold, his expression grew increasingly animated. His ruby-like eyes widened, brimming with light, and the flush on his cheeks seemed more a product of exhilaration than fever.

“A dragon…” he murmured breathlessly, his voice trembling with excitement. “A real dragon!”

Like many children, Albin had grown up fascinated by dragons, creatures both powerful and mysterious. To him, it didn’t matter what type of dragon it was—dragons were inherently magnificent.

Albin was no exception to this enchantment.

Just as no one could resist the allure of magic, who could refuse the awe of a dragon?

In his past life, he had lived in a world of advanced technology, where dragon-themed parks featured props so lifelike they rivaled reality. From realistic settings with special effects to animatronics that moved with startling precision, he had dragged his older brother to visit those attractions countless times.

Yet now, faced with a true demon dragon, the sheer visual impact and physical presence rendered those models lifeless and their simulated roars utterly inadequate.

“This is amazing!” Albin’s eyes sparkled as he gazed at the dragon, barely restraining himself from running forward.

The dragon was staring right at him! In its eyes, he could see his own reflection.

How cool!

But the baby in his arms stirred awake and began to wail, jolting Albin back to his senses. He cautiously stepped back and gently soothed the infant.

The baby grasped his finger and quickly quieted down.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem hungry.

Albin let out a sigh of relief.

The demon dragon, apparently indifferent to the small intruder, closed its eyes and rested its head on its claws again.

Albin glanced around.

This wasn’t the rendezvous point he had arranged—it looked more like a spot deep within the forest.

It seemed he had lost his way.

He tried recalling the map in his mind, but it was rudimentary, almost like a child’s sketch. Without a way to confirm his location, he felt uncertain.

This was bad. The temperature here was far too low; if they wandered too long, the baby wouldn’t survive.

Albin felt dizzy, unsure how much longer he could last, but he knew he had to find a way out soon.

If only there were someone he could ask for directions.

But this was noble territory—no commoners would venture here. Seeking help from servants would mean exposing himself.

As he deliberated, his gaze landed on the demon dragon before him.

Did it have to be a person?

After all, he spoke the language of magical creatures!

That had to be the most practical foreign language in this world.

With newfound determination, Albin cautiously approached the dragon.

“Excuse me, Mr. Dragon? Or Ms. Dragon? Hello.”

The dragon didn’t lift its head, merely cracking open an eye to glance at him.

Up close, the dragon’s eyes were even more profound and stunning, like a volcano brimming with molten lava, with crimson ripples flowing like blood.

Albin held his breath, his feverish mind spinning, as though he were being swallowed by the volcano’s gaze.

“Keep your distance.”

The dragon’s low growl carried the weight of authority. Its voice was deep and resonant, laced with an icy edge, like a blizzard roaring down from a snow-capped mountain. Even without understanding its meaning, the dragon’s intent to drive him away was unmistakable.

“I—I just need to ask for directions,” Albin stammered like a fan before an idol. “Mr. Dragon, I’m lost. Do you know how to leave here? There should be a path near the forest. I’m trying to reach it.”

His voice was faint and weak.

The dragon stared at him for a moment, then raised a claw and pointed in a direction before closing its eyes again.

Albin’s drowsy gaze lit up with joy.

The dragon looked fearsome, but it was actually quite kind!

All the magical creatures he had encountered so far weren’t as dangerous as his father had warned.

The dragon’s amiable attitude bolstered his confidence. He edged closer and asked, “By the way, Mr. Dragon, since you live here, have you seen my father? He’s a white-haired, red-eyed man with long hair. I really want to see him.”

He fought to stay conscious, his voice filled with hope.

The dragon opened its eyes and stared at him but remained silent.

Albin’s spirits sank.

“So you haven’t seen him either. The forest is so big—where could my father have gone?”

His limbs felt weak, and he struggled to hold the baby in his arms, quickly adjusting his grip.

“Well, I’ll be going now, Mr. Dragon. Thank you for your help today!” He turned to leave but couldn’t resist looking back wistfully.

Dragons were so cool.

“Mr. Dragon, I’ll definitely come to visit you again if I get the chance! You’re amazing! I like you so much…”

Leaving the demon dragon behind, Albin stumbled toward the cave’s exit, each step feeling like he was treading on clouds. His breaths grew shallow.

The moment he stepped into the sunlight outside the cave, he collapsed to the ground.

His consciousness wavered, but he instinctively shielded the baby in his arms.

The sudden noise of his fall, coupled with the baby’s cries, caught the dragon’s attention.

Seeing the boy curled up on the ground in pain, struggling to breathe, the dragon instinctively extended his clawed hand.

The shadow of the dragon’s claw enveloped Albin, though the boy was barely aware of it.

The dragon gently touched him, finding him burning with fever, his brow furrowed, his body trembling—he looked just like a newborn cub, wet and shivering.

The dragon stood abruptly, lifting Albin and placing him near himself. He also brought the swaddled baby closer to shield it from the cold wind outside.

The dragon’s tail curled up, using its smooth, spike-free underside to wrap around Albin, while his wings arched overhead like a roof.

But seeing the boy still suffering, and realizing the cave’s chill might still be too much for a child, the dragon grew restless.

Rising again, he flew out of the cave, uprooting several trees and crushing them before unleashing his breath of dragonfire on the wood.

Boom—

The black flames instantly reduced the wood to ash, leaving no embers behind.

Gazing at the charred remains, the dragon frowned deeply.

He repeated the process with more trees, carefully controlling his flames this time.

After several attempts, he finally returned to the cave with a small fire. Settling back down, he surrounded Albin again.

The crackling fire gradually drove away the chill in the cave.

But Albin still looked uncomfortable, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. He couldn’t perceive the outside world, yet he couldn’t rest peacefully either.

He felt as though he was being roasted in a frozen wasteland, tossing and turning in agony.

“Dad… Brother…”

The dragon softened his white flames, lowering his head as if to gently nuzzle Albin’s hair in a comforting gesture.

The boy, feverish and burning, reached out and clung to the dragon’s icy, scaly tail.

The dragon, though corrupted and barely maintaining his sanity, lowered his gaze to the white-haired boy clinging to the fluffy white tip of his tail.

The tail, covered mostly in scales, had a soft, furred tip—the only plush part of the dragon’s otherwise armored body.

Albin hugged it as both pillow and blanket. Despite his fever, he instinctively covered his stomach to stay warm.

Occasionally, he would regain a sliver of consciousness, his hazy red eyes cracking open just enough to glimpse the long, white fur. He mumbled, “Dad…” with childlike delight, rubbing his flushed cheek against the tail and hugging it tighter.

“Don’t leave, Dad…”

The dragon, Zeman, watched him, a whirlwind of emotions surging in his heart.

He had only been gone half a day, yet this child had fallen ill, inadequately dressed for the cold, sick enough to wander the freezing forest carrying a baby from who-knows-where.

And despite Zeman’s warnings about the dangers of monsters, this boy had eagerly approached a dragon—a creature clearly marked by the ominous starburst sigil of corruption—without a shred of fear.

This kid… really is a fool.

It left Zeman feeling deeply unsettled.

After some time, Albin’s fevered red eyes fluttered open, his gaze moving past the tail to the massive dragon head before him.

He froze, staring blankly.

Just as Zeman thought he might be frightened, Albin broke into a silly grin.

“Dragon! A dragon—!”

He stayed where he was, pulling the “blanket” over his face as though it might hide him. Only his two wide, crimson eyes peeked out, sparkling with awe. He whispered random exclamations, muttering incomprehensibly as if narrating something, before drifting back to sleep. Whatever he dreamed of seemed to bring him joy, softening his discomfort.

To Zeman, his corrupted form was undoubtedly terrifying.

The consequences of his transformation extended beyond physical mutation and the loss of magic. Once a saint of the Sun Temple, he had chosen to slay the Sun God he worshipped for twenty years. From that moment, he had fallen, becoming a monster.

No one could ever accept him in this form. People feared the black dragon and sought to destroy him.

The Zeman that others revered had died long ago.

What remained was a vessel of divine malice, despised by humanity, destined to destroy his homeland, and devoid of purpose.

If he had any reason to live, it was merely to await death.

Consumed by self-loathing, Zeman couldn’t understand Albin’s enthusiasm at seeing him as a dragon.

Yet the Zeman that Albin knew wasn’t the radiant hero of old, but this broken being.

Even faced with the worst version of him, this child had never shown fear, always looking at him with those bright, trusting eyes.

He regretted not meeting Albin earlier. Now, he couldn’t be a father to the boy for long. Once their promise was fulfilled, his final mission would also be complete.

And yet, he was grateful.

Grateful that, amidst the sea of violent corruption, the storms of pain he had endured alone, he could still feel the gentle warmth this child brought him.

It was like… a parting gift.

This child was a miracle—a reckless, fragile miracle.

The dragon rested his head close to the white-haired boy, his breathing soft and careful.

Though Albin clung tightly to him, his condition remained dire.

Zeman’s mind raced, searching for a way to heal him.

For fevers like this, bloodletting was a common remedy. Ordinary villagers didn’t even need a doctor—any barber could provide the service.

But Zeman didn’t trust such methods. Even capturing a doctor wouldn’t help.

He needed healing magic, yet most divine healing could only mend external wounds. Only priests of the Healing Temple could cure illnesses.

Among the twelve gods, one was the God of Healing.

While many worshipped the Healing God, few could become priests. The temple lacked leadership, with both its high priest and saint absent, leaving its clergy overwhelmed by the throngs of seekers.

Some desperate families even went bankrupt traveling to the temple in search of treatment.

Finding a nearby priest was out of the question.

But Zeman remembered that the Healing Temple had once shared knowledge of medicinal herbs, some of which were recorded in the Sun Temple archives.

He needed to gather those herbs.

His gaze fixed on a magic-infused creature outside the cave.

—

In the forest.

The fox trailed closely behind Albin, fully prepared to walk into a trap. However, to his surprise, he didn’t see a single human but instead encountered a terrifying demon dragon.

Since when was there such a powerful creature?

Given that Emerald had only mentioned matters related to Albin, the fox couldn’t recognize the origin of this massive dragon before him.

He felt his fur bristle under the pressure of the dragon’s aura.

Forget the idea of traps—this child might end up as dragon food himself!

The fox was forced to admit that the kid truly might not have intended to capture him.

Watching the demon dragon ignite flames, seemingly preparing to roast the boy, the fox hesitated, debating whether to save this human.

He despised humans and had no desire to save one.

But if he didn’t, Emerald would be devastated if he found out later.

The fox glanced at the bright red scarf still hanging around his neck, a nuisance and an eyesore.

The vivid, pure, glaring red reminded him of Albin’s crimson eyes.

Ever since meeting Albin, the fox’s heart had been churning with an unusual jealousy.

He was jealous of the current version of himself on behalf of the past version of himself.

Both had been treated as prey in noble hunting expeditions, yet they encountered two boys with entirely different intentions.

The fox was a petty, jealous creature by nature.

He envied Emerald’s foolish innocence.

He envied humans for being free of divine curses, despised their insatiable greed, and wished for their demise.

He was even jealous of his present self, scheming to make his current self fall into the same misery as his past self. He wanted Albin to betray him to prove that he wasn’t the only unlucky one—that it was humans who were inherently vile.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if this peculiar human boy just died.

If the boy died, humans would remain irredeemable in his eyes.

While he wrestled with these thoughts, the demon dragon’s blood-red eyes suddenly locked onto him.

“Come here.”

The demon world was far more ruthless than the human world. Obeying the strong was an instinct developed for survival.

The fox didn’t see himself as weak. Like Emerald, he was unafraid of death and was a high-level demon with a humanoid form. However, he wasn’t the type to flaunt his abilities, and his talents weren’t suited for direct combat. He had no intention of defying the dragon now.

Gracefully, like a butler before an earl, he stepped forward and bowed.

“Dragon Lord, how may I assist you?”

Zeman’s cold gaze swept over him.

This fox wasn’t unintelligent—a mid-level demon, at least.

“I need you to find several herbs for me.”

The dragon described the names and appearances of the herbs in detail.

Still unable to shift into human form, Zeman’s massive body was ill-suited for such tasks. Moreover, with unknown creatures lurking nearby, leaving Albin alone here would be like delivering a lamb to a wolf’s den.

Zeman hadn’t forgotten that Albin’s unique blood attracted many demons. By now, the news had likely spread far and wide.

In theory, Zeman should have already cleared out the surrounding demons. Where did this fox come from?

Hearing the dragon’s request, a flicker of surprise crossed the fox’s eyes, quickly replaced by understanding.

“Of course. I’ll complete your task as soon as possible.”

The fox sped off.

His pink form darted through the forest, effortlessly evading human attempts to capture him.

Recalling the dragon’s request, the fox, who often mingled among nobles, recognized it as a recipe to treat fever. He mused inwardly.

So, the dragon wasn’t planning to eat the boy immediately. Perhaps, as Emerald suggested, it intended to raise him as a blood slave.

The fox felt no pity for humans, even though he had experienced being hunted for his own flesh and fur. He held a secret malice instead.

What he had endured, humans could endure too.

He snuck back to the earl’s estate, resuming his human guise as the butler, Padma.

As a butler, it was easy to gather the herbs stored at the estate. Before leaving, he hesitated, then removed the red scarf from around his neck and placed it on a pillow.

Returning to the dragon’s cave deep in the forest, the fox presented the dried herbs, then received another task: preparing the medicine.

Seeing Albin in visible pain, the fox wasn’t confident about leaving such a task to the dragon.

The dragon used its dense magical energy to pulverize the herbs, while the fox brewed the powder into a potion. After letting it cool slightly, he carried the wooden bowl to Albin.

The boy, feverish and parched, instinctively licked at the liquid on his lips—then immediately burst into tears.

“So bitter…” He stubbornly turned his head away, mumbling incoherently, “Daddy… Big Brother, no medicine, bitter…”

His voice was whiny, his lips pouting in protest, his entire demeanor full of resistance.

The dragon’s blood-red eyes showed a hint of helplessness.

The fox, however, bluntly said, “Your daddy abandoned you.”

To the fox, who viewed the boy’s human father as a scumbag, leaving the child alone in the dead of winter was unforgivable. Such a man didn’t deserve the child’s devotion.

This betrayal by the boy’s father had led to his capture by demons and imminent fate as a blood slave. Their experiences were painfully similar.

But the fox’s words triggered an overwhelming surge of killing intent.

Crushed by the dragon’s suffocating aura, the fox could barely breathe. Just then, Albin, half-delirious, turned his head urgently to protest. Before he could speak, the fox seized the moment to pour the medicine into his mouth.

Albin’s face twisted as he cried bitterly, tears streaming down his cheeks.

The fox was a sneak, cunning and vile!

The fox was bad!

But determined to refute the fox’s claim, Albin gritted his teeth and gulped down the nasty medicine just to speak up.

With the last sip gone, he hurriedly shouted, “That’s not true! Daddy promised me! He’d never abandon me!”

Then, ignoring the lingering bitterness in his mouth, he gasped for air like a puppy, trying to rid himself of the taste.

Perhaps because of the warm liquid, he felt a little better. Bolstered by his indignation, he turned to the dragon with tearful eyes, seeking justice.

“Mr. Dragon, Mr. Fox is so bad. He actually said that Daddy doesn’t want me anymore!”

Although his mind had been blurry earlier, Albin vaguely felt that the dragon seemed to be taking care of him.

The dragon’s pupils contracted.

【Can you understand what he’s saying?】

“Yes,” Albin proudly raised his head. “I can understand Monster Language!”

The dragon gazed at him, his dragon face showing no emotion.

【Hmm, fox, bad.】He glanced at the fox, then looked back at Albin. 【Your father… did not abandon you.】

“Mr. Dragon is so nice!”

With someone backing him up, Albin felt more confident and snorted at the fox.

He then muttered, “But thank you, Mr. Fox, for the medicine.”

He really didn’t like bitter medicine, but he knew that only by taking it would his illness get better.

The fox’s face also showed no expression, though his mouth seemed to always be smiling.

Hearing Albin’s thanks, he elegantly pulled out a small cloth pouch. Albin opened it and found it contained some white dried cheese.

He tried a piece and, besides the rich milk scent, it also had a slight sweetness, which perfectly masked the bitter taste in his mouth.

“Thank you, Mr. Fox!” he said much more loudly this time.

The bitterness in his mouth subsided, and Albin felt a little better.

He looked around and asked, “What about the baby? I need to hurry and take him away.”

He had no idea how much time had passed.

The dragon lifted the other wing, revealing the baby, who was sleeping.

He used his claws to lift the swaddling, and the baby, feeling the movement, woke up and immediately began crying.

Albin hurriedly took the baby, played with him for a while, but realized the baby was still crying.

“Is he hungry…?” He looked at the remaining dried cheese. “Though it’s made from milk, it’s a bit hard, so it doesn’t seem suitable for him.”

“I’ll just hurry and take him to the carriage.” He slowly got up, intending to leave the dragon’s lair.

The dragon blocked his way with his tail, giving him a disapproving look: “You’re still sick.”

If he went out like this, Albin would probably collapse again soon, and it might happen in a place the dragon couldn’t see.

Albin said, “But I’ve already told the uncles to meet me and take the baby to the Temple of Love.”

The fox spoke up: “I’ll take you out of the forest.”

The dragon immediately gave him a warning look, a chill emanating from him.

How could he let Albin stay with this fox who had ulterior motives?

He coldly said: 【I’ll take them out.】

The fox sensed the dragon’s pressure and was even more convinced that the dragon planned to keep Albin as a blood slave.

“Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Dragon…” The fox suddenly thought, “But I’m sick right now, and it might not be suitable to stay in a closed carriage with the baby. It would be bad if I infect him.”

He thought for a moment.

Actually, he could sit outside the carriage with the coachman uncles.

He nodded, deciding what to do, but the dragon seemed to know what he was thinking and spoke first: 【You can stay here temporarily, and wait for someone to come take you.】

Albin paused for a moment, then, after thinking for a while, nodded happily.

“Mr. Dragon is so nice!”

They discussed how to send the baby over. Albin wasn’t fit to endure cold winds right now, and he couldn’t carry the baby on the dragon. A single dragon would be too large and could scare the coachman away, potentially drawing the attention of the count and others.

They finally decided that the fox would take the baby.

Albin was very disappointed; he had missed the opportunity to ride a dragon!

Riding a dragon! A dragon rider!

How cool would that be!

“But Mr. Fox’s size isn’t really suitable, is it?” Albin asked, eyeing him curiously.

The fox was slender, and carrying small things was fine, but carrying a baby seemed a bit difficult.

【This will work.】 The fox said, and suddenly a strange black magic circle appeared beneath him, inscribed with mysterious symbols that slowly rotated around him.

Then, the magic circle suddenly emitted a brilliant light. In the center of the magic circle, the fox’s fur faded, and his figure gradually became more upright. Finally, a tall, elegant man knelt down in the position where the fox had been.

He had the same pink hair as the fox, which fell over his shoulders, and he was wearing a well-fitted tailcoat with white gloves.

“Mr. Padma?” Albin gasped.

The fox had directly transformed into a human form before him, and this person was actually Mr. Padma?

But the count had said he wanted to catch the pink-haired fox, and Mr. Padma had said he would cook for him… Was he cooking for himself? He must have been brushing off the count. The fox certainly wasn’t that stupid.

And Mr. Padma was the fox transformed into a human… Could it be that this was… a fox spirit?

How did he change clothes? The transformation effect and the magic circle were just like a magical girl!

Albin’s already dizzy brain suddenly went into overdrive.

“Mr. Padma is the fox?”

Padma smiled and answered, “Some higher-level monsters can take human form.”

Albin suddenly remembered something: “Wasn’t Mr. Fox injured before?”

He nervously looked at Padma’s arm.

Padma smirked and lightly picked up the baby, saying, “I’m fully recovered.”

“Wait a minute, Mr. Padma.” Albin approached, observing the baby’s appearance. He realized he couldn’t imagine what the baby would look like when grown up. He took off a thin leather string from his clothes and tied it around the baby’s ankle.

“If his parents are good people, please tell them that their son is still alive and has been sent to the Temple of Love.”

“I understand.” Padma nodded. “But his parents probably won’t take him back. This would bring disgrace to the nobility.”

At the moment the count took the child away, the child was doomed to die, and the slaves were well aware of it.

“It’s okay, but when they grow up, they can still meet. If the parents think their child is dead, how sad would that be?”

Padma thought to himself that it might not be that simple. The parents might even envy that their son didn’t have to wear a collar and be branded as a slave.

He never hesitated to use malice to guess the thoughts of humans.

However, he didn’t say this out loud. He just smiled and nodded, then bowed slightly to the dragon.

“Well then, Your Majesty the Dragon, I will take my leave.”

He left directly.

Albin turned to look at the dragon, his eyes full of curiosity.

“Mr. Dragon can also turn into a human?”

The dragon turned his head away, lying back down and closing his eyes, using his tail to curl around Albin, signaling him to sleep, but didn’t reply.

Albin hugged the tip of his tail and lay back down, whispering, “It’s okay, even if you can’t turn into a human, you’re still great!”

Dragons are perfect!

After lying down, Albin, who was already in a poor condition, immediately fell into a drowsy state.

He adjusted his sleeping position and, half-asleep, murmured, “Mr. Dragon feels like a father… so reliable, like a father…”

They’re all good people!

Albin fell asleep, but the dragon suddenly opened his eyes, his blood-red gaze staring at him for a long time.

Meanwhile, Padma had handed the baby over to two coachmen, explaining Albin’s illness to them, asking them to take the baby first and come back to pick up Albin later.

Afterward, he transformed back into a fox, deliberately entering the hunting circle, where the count found and captured him.

The count, with a beaming face, immediately sent his attendants to bring him back.

He said, “Quick, have Padma cook this fox into a delicious dish. If I’m not satisfied, I will not let him off easily.”

The fox was placed in a small room as per Padma’s instructions, and no one was allowed to enter.

In his fox form, he severed his limbs, and not long after, they regrew.

This was his ability: [Regeneration]

Here’s the English translation:

He cut off his own limbs in the form of a fox. Soon after, new limbs grew back.

This is his ability—[Regeneration].

Returning to human form, Padma continued to cook his own flesh without changing his expression, turning it into delicious dishes laced with deadly poison.

Before the banquet began, he hummed a tune as he served the dishes mixed with the blood of monsters to the priest hired to neutralize the poison.

When the priest, greedy and complicit, succumbed to the poison and died without being able to neutralize the toxins, Padma smiled and closed the priest’s door.

—

The grand banquet had begun.

The guests enjoyed the fresh monster meat, discussing how using a slave child could capture such fine delicacies. They shared their experiences and praised Padma.

As they finished their meal, one of the guests suddenly grew long hair on his face, his eyes rolled back, and he became as violent as a bull, charging toward the dining table.

The other guests laughed, recognizing it as the onset of the poison from the monster meat.

They paid no mind because they knew the priest would neutralize the poison, and instead, they found the appearance of monstrous features and the risky act of eating poisonous food thrilling.

“Go get the priest,” the count said to Padma.

Padma left the dining hall for a moment. When he returned, three more guests had mutated.

He walked over to the count, who looked at him with hope, and bowed, regretfully saying, “Lord Count, I’m sorry, but the priest ate the monster meat by mistake, and has died from the poison.”

The count’s expression instantly turned to one of fear, but his throat could no longer produce human sounds.

Before his consciousness faded entirely, Padma silently asked, “Are you satisfied with my dishes?”

The count’s eyes betrayed a mix of realization and endless hatred.

The other guests, who were mutating more slowly, stopped laughing when they heard the priest had died. The restaurant was soon filled with desperate screams and angry curses.

But before long, only a group of non-human monsters remained, and the sounds of attacks, destruction, and scuffles filled the air.

After that, all was silent.

Padma left, satisfied.

—

That night, in a strange dream, he realized that it felt unusually vivid, as if it had a different texture. Immediately, he thought of the description of the emerald.

In the dream, he seemed to have committed too many crimes, and the forces of the temples had caught on. They were now hunting him down from all sides. Despite his regeneration ability, his blood would still flow, and his white fox had turned into a bloodied, mangy fox.

Padma had anticipated this and wasn’t surprised.

In the dream, he had already prepared, hiding in a semi-abandoned castle. He had long created a false identity and prepared a safe house for himself.

The [fox]’s keen sense of smell noticed the scent of magic and humans as soon as he entered the safe house.

The [fox] looked at the unexpected guests, and one of them was his friend [Emerald Green Snake].

He shot a glance at the [white-haired boy] beside him, his eyes full of irritation, “You brought a human here?”

“He’s not a human… at least, not entirely.” [Emerald Green Snake] quickly explained the situation.

Despite this, the [fox] remained suspicious and called him a fool.

The [white-haired boy], seeing the blood-soaked fur and healing wounds on him, crouched down and asked carefully, “Can I help you with your wounds?”

The [fox] didn’t have much affection for humans and scoffed, “Can’t you see I have regeneration? This little injury will heal soon.”

“Even with regeneration, it must still hurt, right?”

After repeated reassurances from [Emerald Green Snake], the [fox] reluctantly allowed the boy to get closer.

The [white-haired boy] gathered water elements, then used fire elements to heat it to the right temperature before gently cleaning the fox’s wounds with small water orbs.

“I’m sorry,” he said, embarrassed, “I haven’t learned magic, so I can’t use healing magic. This is the best I can do.”

The [fox] eyed him curiously, “I’ve never seen a human use magic like this. They usually chant for a long time.”

“This is something I researched myself when I was bored.”

After cleaning one area, he used a combination of fire and wind to dry the fox’s wet fur, carefully grooming it.

Before he knew it, the [fox] had comfortably curled up on the boy’s lap.

Not long later, the [fox] had transformed into a clean, beautiful, fluffy pink fox, having listened to [Emerald Green Snake]’s lengthy explanation.

Corruption!

Padma, outside the dream, mocked himself without mercy, feeling a subtle sense of jealousy.

However, compared to the strongly subjective recounting by the emerald, Padma, seeing the dream for himself, noticed something.

The [white-haired boy] clearly knew a lot about the curse of monsters and understood that it was all caused by the gods.

Obviously, some monster must have told him.

But therein lay the problem—every monster had been cursed by the gods, unable to tell the truth to humans in any form. So, how did this human know?

Either another human knew and conveyed this information to him, or the dream was fabricated by some monster, and that’s where the flaw arose. Or perhaps… this boy wasn’t human at all.

Unlike the emerald, who quickly assumed anyone who could speak the language of monsters was one, Padma suspected that the [white-haired boy] might not be human.

The [fox] in the dream seemed to have come to the same conclusion, always gazing at the boy with a thoughtful expression.

Having let his thoughts drift, the [fox] snapped out of it and noticed the [white-haired boy] had already flipped him over, now cleaning his paw pads and stomach fur.

When the boy gently petted his belly, the [fox] immediately fluffed up and jumped away.

The [white-haired boy] looked confused.

“That’s enough.” The [fox] casually changed the subject, glancing at the boy’s arm scars, and asked the question Padma had also wondered.

“You don’t hate monsters, do you?”

“You were imprisoned by monsters, treated as a blood slave, never seeing the light of day. They harmed your body, took your blood. Don’t you despise monsters?”

The [white-haired boy] looked down at the scars on his arm.

“My father said he did it for my sake, and for everyone’s sake. Also, isn’t bloodletting a common treatment among humans? I’ve read about it in books at the manor.”

The [fox] exposed his thinking.

“Bloodletting is only used when you’re sick. Since you’re not sick, yet you’re bled over and over again for monsters to drink, don’t you hate them?”

On his arm, aside from the bloodletting marks, there were also teeth marks from some unknown monster, probably from a rushed blood drinking, as monsters didn’t care about their blood slaves’ opinions.

Or perhaps it was from a violent, uncontrollable monster that had intended to devour him, biting him in its frenzy.

Under his clothes, the weak body was likely covered in even more such scars.

Facing the fear of death, the [fox] didn’t believe he remained unmoved.

Even if it was self-deception, it was based on knowing the truth and avoiding reality.

At least, a [fox] who had been eyed for his flesh couldn’t show real tenderness toward humans. Even if he smiled, his heart was full of disgust, wishing for the human to die.

Only when humans died full of resentment and fear did his smile feel genuine.

As he projected his feelings onto others, he didn’t believe the [white-haired boy] had shown him true kindness.

“I…” The [white-haired boy] slowly began, “I’m really afraid of pain, and I don’t trust bloodletting. I also fear violent monsters, so at first, I thought, ‘Why me?’”

“But when I was hurt many times, and when I saw that my blood could calm them down, I started changing my thoughts.”

“I thought, it’s a good thing it’s me.”

“Because I did this, there won’t be another child locked away to face monsters. Because I have blood that can calm monsters, I can indirectly save more lives. I just need to give a little blood, endure a little pain from small wounds, and save so many people. I can help humans and some monsters live in peace, and earn my father’s love. Isn’t that a great deal?”

He tilted his head and smiled, his crimson eyes filled with sincerity.

“My father also said that these scars are my accomplishments. If you need my blood, don’t hesitate to tell me. This is the only thing I’m useful for, and I’m happy to be liked by everyone.”

The [fox] fluffed up in response to his words.

This boy really had no hatred for monsters.

This crazy idea was hard to comprehend.

Was he a little mad?

Outside the dream, Padma finally understood why this child could even be scolded as a fool by the emerald.

In the dream, the [fox] shared similar thoughts.

Although he couldn’t understand the boy’s thinking, he didn’t feel as wary of him anymore.

After all, there was no need to be cautious around a fool.

After hearing the plans from the boy and the snake, the [Fox] transformed into a human and led them to the castle’s study.

This castle had originally belonged to a noble scholar, and it housed a considerable collection of books. The study was practically a library.

The [White-haired Boy] excitedly thanked him and eagerly dove into the sea of books.

The [Emerald Snake] tried flipping through a book but found he couldn’t understand the text, eventually dozing off.

They had been living in the castle for a while when, one day, the [Fox] brought in some tea and snacks. He casually flipped open a book, looking for something for them. Noticing the [White-haired Boy] was showing excitement, he asked, “Did you find any clues?”

“Mm!” The [White-haired Boy] nodded vigorously, pointing to the bard’s miscellany in his hands. “This bard was a priest at the Temple of Love. His poems mention a story about the gods forging a god-slaying spear to murder the God of Love, but I’ve never seen a similar story in records from other faiths.”

“Perhaps it’s only recorded by the victims, but I’m not sure if it’s true.” He paused, confused. “It’s strange that the story doesn’t mention why the gods wanted to kill the God of Love.”

“The gods are all quite solitary, and in past stories of godly disputes, it was usually one-on-one. This is the first time I’ve heard of a conspiracy among the gods against a single deity. Many of them were lovers of the God of Love, so if it’s not fabricated, there must be something hidden.”

“Also, the story doesn’t mention how the God of Love survived the god-slaying spear.”

The [Fox] asked, “So, you plan to search in that direction next?”

The [White-haired Boy] nodded, “This is the only lead I’ve found related to god-slaying. I want to visit the Temple of Love and investigate it personally. Besides that, there are two other things.”

The [Emerald Snake] asked, “What else?”

The [White-haired Boy] said, “First, I want to investigate the disappearance of the Holy Son of the Sun Temple, Zeman, six years ago. Almost at the same time he went missing, the old pope died. This is very unusual. Since Zeman was the strongest human, how could he just disappear like that? The Son and the pope—both of them have unique identities, closely connected to the gods. There must be something wrong here.”

“On the way to the Temple of Love, we’ll pass through Thorn City, so I plan to investigate it along the way.”

The [Emerald Snake] asked, “Wasn’t it said that the World-Destroying Dragon did it?”

“That’s my second goal. If the Dragon could kill the strongest human and the old pope, then it must be very powerful. If we really want to slay a god, we’ll probably need its help.”

The [White-haired Boy] closed the book, his eyes filled with anticipation.

“I want to meet it and ask it to be our companion.”

[The fox] asked, “How do you plan to convince it? I’ve heard of several demons trying to recruit it, but they were all annihilated. It’s not a being with a good temper. Even if demons dislike the gods, it might not believe you or follow your goals.”

[The white-haired youth] smiled.

“Don’t I have something that demons like? It’s always been solitary, and I think it doesn’t actually want to harm humans.”

“I can give it all my blood.”

He also had another reason for wanting to meet the dragon, a small personal desire.

—He liked dragons.

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