#522 The New Dragon Emperor Castle

Ardheg, the Geyser Dragon, is a friend of mine who has visited us several times before.

He’s also good friends with Arowana, the Mermaid King and the man who brought Ardheg to the farm and introduced him to me.

“Oh! I didn’t know you’d come to visit too, Lord Saint! I’m ever so glad to see you drop by!”

What is Ardheg doing here, I wonder?

“As I thought, this is where the Dragon Emperor’s Castle used to be,” says Alexander, self-convinced.

“The Dragon Emperor’s Castle?”

“It’s the dungeon where the Geyser Dragon, the ruler of all dragons, dwells.”

I see. That explains Alexander’s mumbling earlier as if he had been trying to remember something important. 

“It was hard for me to ascertain. The last time I came here was when my father ruled it.”

“So, it’s no longer the same?”

If I recall, the succession for the title of Geyser Dragon occurred “not too long ago.”

This would be a year or two ago in human years.

“With Father’s defeat against Ardheg, the Geyser Dragon also passed from the loser to the winner. The defeat of the ruler also meant the castle’s disappearance.” 

Is that why this place is so barren?

“The Dragon Emperor Castle’s construction does not fall under any dungeon category. It’s not a deposit of naturally circulating mana but a very special dungeon materialized by the mana released by the Geyser Dragon itself. Therefore, as soon as the master disappears, so does the dungeon.”

“Only a dragon could do that, though! A single lifeform can create an entire dungeon that is supposed to be a natural phenomenon! This proves how amazing dragons are!” boasts Veil.

You make it sound like you’re the one who can create it...

“Brother Alexander! You’re here too? What’s with two significant figures in the world doing here? Is there an emergency?”

Ardheg is alarmed by my and Alexander’s visit.

Me aside, if Alexander, the most powerful dragon in the world, arrives at your doorstep without prior notice, the average person would definitely think something’s going on.

“Do you not come here often, Alexander?”

“No, I’m afraid I do not... I’ve been staying away from the Dragon Emperor’s Castle since my father disowned me.”

No wonder why he made such a troubled face earlier.

It’s been so long that the scenery has changed so much since he last came here.

“Father’s dungeon was an impenetrable fortress that covered the entire island during his time, but it has become such a bleak place...”

“Whenever I had business with my brother, I would visit his place, not the other way around.”

Now that Ardheg mentions it, sometimes, who visits the other is fixed even among friends, huh?

“I mean, I can’t invite him to a depressing place like this! Ahahahaha...!!!”

“Is this where I’m supposed to laugh?”

I feel something dry in Ardheg’s laughter.

But then...

“Veil and Alexander?! What are you two doing here?!” 

A new character enters the scene.

It’s a gorgeous woman in a jet-black dress!

“Oh, Bloody Mary.”

She’s a dragon whom I’ve only seen once before.

Why is she here?

“You’re still clinging to Ardheg, Mary? Don’t you need to go back to your dungeon?”

“Oh, shut up! I did go recently!”

“And you followed Ardheg here again?”

Don’t tease her too much, Alexander.

It’s just something maidens in love tend to do.

“Are Father and Seidour here too? I remember you were all together when you came to visit me.”

“They’re playing over there,” Mary says, pointing at two small figures playing with each other.

It’s Al-gor and Seidour.

“Here I come, Father.”

“Bring it on!”

“Receive!”

“Toss!”

“Spike.”

“Attack!”

“Corkscrew.”

“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

They look like they’re having fun.

“Looks like the new Geyser Dragon’s cronies are fixed.”

“I’d rather you not lump me with those two! Anyway! What do you need so bad that you had to come here personally?”

The conversation had gone on several tangents, but she pulled it back on the right track.

Thanks, Mary.

You’d do great as the Geyser Dragon’s assistant.

“Oh, yes, yes, we do have business here. I’m beginning to see what you’re up to, Veil.”

“Way to go, Alexander! You have a great ability to sense things even before the other party opens their mouth.”

Huh?

What do you mean?

I’m not very perceptive, so I won’t understand a thing unless someone puts it into words.

“We are looking for a dungeon that no one has ever ventured into to make a certain competition fair.”

“And here we have the Dragon Emperor’s Castle, built by the newly crowned Geyser Dragon, Ardheg!”

I see.

If it’s a brand-new dungeon, no one has been in it yet.

The Dragon Emperor Castle made by Ardheg, the new Geyser Dragon, would indeed make the ideal place that suits our needs!

“So, Ardheg! Let us use your dungeon! For the future of mankind!”

“Whaaa?! What’s going on?!”

Ardheg is a little intimidated by the request of the most powerful dragon.

“I-I’m not sure what’s going on, but if Brother Alexander asks me to do something, I can’t refuse. Both from a sympathetic and a merit standpoint...”

“Allllright!”

The way Ardheg said that sounded hesitant to me.

“I’d be more than happy to cooperate if I could be of benefit to mankind. My recent experience has led me to believe that the dragons of the future should be more merciful to them...!”

“I admire that mindset! The world of dragons will be even better off with you as the new Geyser Dragon! Isn’t that right, Father?”

“Huuuuuuh?! What do you mean?”

The eldest dragon and his father are still at odds with each other.

Ardheg’s willingness seems to have finally solved the dungeon problem, but...

“Wait a minute. We still have a problem,” says Veil.

But weren’t you the one who brought us here?

“I only realized this now that we’ve actually come here. Look around—it’s just a vast empty lot!”

Hmm?

Come to think of it, this is where the Dragon Emperor’s Castle is supposed to be, right?

But all there is is a barren flatland.

“Uh, Ardheg? Haven’t you finished your castle yet?”

“...”

No reply from Ardheg.

He’s just sweating bullets.

“You’ve been dungeon-hopping everywhere, saying you would use them as a reference. I thought you had accumulated enough ideas to materialize your ideal dungeon, and we’d see the new Dragon Emperor Castle!”

“Wait! Cut him some slack!” pleads Mary on Ardheg’s behalf. “You know how sometimes you can’t move forward because you have too many ideas? That’s how it is! Being overloaded with ideas isn’t good at times!”

“So, what was the point of all that going around, then?!”

At any rate, the fact that there’s no Dragon Emperor’s Castle here means that there is no dungeon for the contenders, right?

Just when we think we’ve solved the problem, we’re back to square one!

“Fine! In that case, it’s up to the older sister to pitch in and help for the sake of her dawdling little brother!” says Veil, rolling up her sleeves. “Ardheg, focus on releasing mana that will be the dungeon’s foundation. Leave the rest to Master Veil, the iron woman of dungeon design!”

“Sis?!”

“Allow me to help. I’m the one who appealed this matter to you. It’d be audacious of me not to take part in this.”

“Brother Alexander?!”

Without the owner’s permission, Veil and Alexander start constructing the Dragon Emperor’s Castle! 

Both of them are refined dragons who’ve poured their hearts and souls into building their dungeons. They don’t cut corners.

“What do you think you two are doing?”

Bloody Mary reprimands the other two dragons.

“The master of the Dragon Emperor’s Castle is Ardheg! It would be disrespectful to tamper with his castle without his permission!”

“Sis Mary!”

“I’ve been holding myself back all this time because of that. Don’t think I’ll let you get a head start on this! I also want to design a beautiful Dragon Emperor’s Castle!!!”

“Sisssssssssss?!”

Thus, the construction of the Dragon Emperor’s Castle, which had progressed slowly due to the owner’s lack of imagination, was completed in no time flat by the hands of others.

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sorry for the lack of updates this week. i actually leave the UK tomorrow and have been swamped with academic work the past few days. ill translate more chapters around sunday when im back in my home country. 

ill also keep working on V3 PDF sometime around sept-end once my midterms are out of the way