#444 The New Emperor’s Growth Part 8: The Dragon’s Field Trip

And so, we make our way to the Mountain of the Sacred White Maiden, my brother Alexander, the Grauglintz Dragon’s dungeon.

***

“The young Geyser Dragon has come to pay visit?”

At the deepest part of the dungeon... or should I say the topmost part?

Anyway, Brother Alexander is here in his human form.

It seems he, who shows an unusual compassion for humankind, normally stays in this form.

He is a superb dragon that far surpasses even the Dragon Emperor.

Perhaps it’s easier for him to suppress his powers as a human.

We follow the dungeon guardian’s lead and transform into our respective human forms.

“You want to study my dungeon? I admire that hardworking spirit of yours.”

“You’re the most powerful dragon, so I thought your dungeon would make a great reference for the creation of a new Dragon Emperor’s Castle!”

Alexander is also known as the Crown Prince Dragon, the first candidate to succeed the Geyser Dragon.

Of course, in order to be awarded this title, one has to be incredibly strong.

Brother Alexander should’ve been the rightful successor, but he wasn’t interested in the title, so it has been handed to me.

Otherwise, there was no way a fledgling like me could become the new Geyser Dragon.

However, he promised to cooperate with me to the best of his ability. Hence, I’ve come to turn to him for help today.

“I hear your dungeon is exceedingly popular among humankind! Please share with us the key to this success!”

“Hahaha. You’ve become a man of flattery now that you’ve become emperor.”

That’s rare. Brother is visibly cheerful.

“Making this dungeon is my life’s work. While destruction and struggle may make one’s heart race with excitement, they are no more meaningful than creation and cultivation. If you have power, you can destroy anything in sight, but that is never the case with creating.”

“Wonderful! That was some wonderful insight, Brother!”

As I thought, Brother Alexander was a cut above the rest.

Not only is he the most powerful dragon, but he also knows the ways of a ruler.

He possesses the qualities of both a hero and a king.

“But to have your eyes on my dungeon, my brother, means that you are aware. Aware of how my dungeon, the Mountain of the Sacred White Maiden, has been humankind’s favorite for hundreds of years now. After all, this space is a necessity for them. The more valuable and abundant the materials, the more people appreciate the dungeon. The steeper and more difficult, the more challenging it is for adventurers. In other words, humankind puts value on dungeons. This is important. Without the validation of others, having a dungeon is only a matter of self-satisfaction. In this regard, my dungeon has received six stars in the humans’ rating system! How incredible is that! Dungeons are only rated on a scale of one to five stars, but I’ve surpassed that and earned six! I’ve never felt so rewarded for my efforts! If you’re going to build a dungeon, keep in mind that humankind wants to challenge it. If you create something enjoyable, they will respond to it! That’s the whole point of creating! The real thrill! You’ll see how fun it is once you try it yourself!”

“Tch. Once you make him talk about dungeons, he’ll never stop,” says Father.

“That’s not good, Father. Clicking your tongue is bad manners, irrespective of the occasion.”

“Shut up! Alexander acts like a know-it-all for his age! Creating, my arse! You should just make a dungeon according to the format!”

He’s still not on good terms with Brother Alexander, it seems.

“Speaking of which, Ardheg, I’ve been wondering about something for a while now...” interrupts my brother. “You’ve got quite the group with you today.”

“Well, they all insisted on following me, so I...”

“Then why do they all look so... grumpy?”

I know.

The dragons who visited Brother Alexander’s dungeon with me are all in a bad mood for some reason.

I can still understand Father, who had been at odds with Brother Alexander from the start, but Sis Bloody Mary...

“Why, of all dungeons, does it have to be Alexander’s?! Isn’t mine much more worth studying?!”

Next is Sis Veil.

“My dungeon is better than Alexander’s. It may be smaller, but I’m confident it has more unique features! All of those modifications were done by Master, though!”

And then, Seidour.

“Gyaaa! The strongest dragon, Brother Alexander! Just standing in front of him is making my knees... give way...!”

Well, she’s simply scared of Brother Alexander’s presence.

But as for the other two...

“Why are you here, Sis Veil? Didn’t you go back to the farm?”

“Mary invited me, okay? Said to join her in nitpicking Alexander’s dungeon.”

Why all this spiteful energy, Sis Mary?

I understand her hostility toward Brother Alexander since she once wanted the Geyser Dragon’s throne, but still...

“What’s this?

Sis Mary slides her finger across the floor and...

“Look how dusty it is! This dungeon is not very clean, is it?”

“No, Sis Mary! You’re already acting like an in-law even before your marriage!”

What did they come here for, I wonder?

It’s as expected the floor would be dirty.

“My sincerest apologies. I am responsible for not cleansing my great master’s throne.”

Who was that?

I noticed there’s someone by Brother Alexander’s side.

“They’re humanoid, but they have no flesh—just bones. I could tell at a glance they were undead.”

“And you are?”

“A Lifeless King serving Master Alexander, sir.”

What?

“You’re being served by a Lifeless King, brother?!”

That’s amazing!

No other dragon has that privilege!

“E-Even I could get myself a Lifeless King as my servant if I wanted to!”

“I have my own pseudo-corpse just loitering around my area!”

Sis Mary and Veil’s competitive spirits are ablaze!

And wasn’t Sis Veil referring to Sensei?! Isn’t he more like her guardian?

“Not at all. Unlike the other immortal kings, I am but an insignificant undead. I’m nowhere comparable to the Three Wise and One Fool.”

Something about his modesty feels eerie.

And yet, my sisters take his words at face value and are being arrogant about it.

“R-Right? A Lifeless King who is nothing more than a follower is not that powerful!”

“We are dragons! Beings worthy of respect!”

The Lifeless King reverently bows his head, but that’s him being hospitable to his guests, right?

I wonder how he acts when he’s not dealing with guests.  

“Please grant their wishes and show them around my dungeon to their heart’s content.”

“As the master wishes.”

The immortal king obeys my brother’s command.

“Oh, you won’t be the one showing us around? Don’t you have respect for the Dragon Emperor Geyser Dragon?” says Sis Mary in a provoking tone.

Please stop! In terms of ability, Brother Alexander is far superior to all of us!

“You make a good point. It pains me to say this, but I cannot leave this place. I hope you’ll let my butler guide you on my behalf.”

“And why is that?”

“A group of adventurers are almost at the top of the mountain. Wouldn’t it be a shame if they had reached the goal, but the guardian is nowhere to be found?”

How thoughtful of him!

“Are you referring to Momoko’s party, my liege? They’re on the tenth level now, but judging from how exhausted they appear, we may have to retire soon. In addition, Songokufon lurks about on the eleventh level.”

“I will stand by my decision nonetheless. I believe in humankind’s potential, and so I will sit here and wait. I’ll leave it to you to take care of my siblings.”

“Understood.”

My brother is so cool...!

He trusts the humans who challenge him and fulfills his duty by taking them on.

“Tch. A goody two-shoes through and through. Disgusting.”

“Dragons should be more vicious.”

“I can do better than that!”

The other dragons don’t approve of Brother’s behavior.

We’re an irredeemable race, aren’t we?

“This way, please.”

“Right. Thank you...!”

We begin our tour of the finest dungeon, guided by the Lifeless King butler.