Chapter 32: It Never Disappears (3)

“Would you consider forming a marriage alliance with the Dragonkin?”

While Sarah was clutching her head in pain, oblivious to what was happening, visitors came to the Hero early in the morning.

Like Laura, they were members of the Dragonkin, beings with large and small horns adorning their heads.

The Dragonkin were said to be the finest masterpiece created by the gods, their bodies carrying the blood of dragons.

Each one of them was born with powerful mana, and it was said their eyes could see the flow of mana.

“No.”

The Hero had no time to spare.

His body required him to either eliminate or control the demonic energy within him as soon as possible.

In pursuit of a solution, he had gathered all the information he could, yet not even the smallest clue had emerged, leaving him increasingly anxious.

And now, the Dragonkin had come to visit him.

Since they were the same race as Laura, the Hero had allowed them into his mansion, but upon hearing the words of the elderly Dragonkin man, the Hero firmly refused.

No matter what they were thinking, he couldn’t afford to waste time on something like this.

Especially not on something as foreign as the concept of marriage.

While it was true that he had formed a relationship with Laura, it was due to the inescapable effects of hypnotic suggestions.

To form a marriage under such circumstances would only leave scars for both parties.

The Hero glanced at Laura, seated nearby, easily guessing who was behind this marriage proposition.

It was always like this.

Because of his unwanted, uncontrollable hypnotic abilities, the girls around him ended up spiraling out of control.

“Laura?”

Lost in thought, the Hero looked at her and noticed something unusual.

She wasn’t smiling seductively as she usually did, nor did she seem pleased about the marriage proposal.

Instead, her eyes burned with fierce dissatisfaction at the entire situation.

“You know this can’t be helped, don’t you?”

“This isn’t your concern, Louis.”

“And do you have a way to suppress the blood of dragons?”

“Shut up. If you say anything more, I’ll blow you away right here and now.”

“When magic is used, which side is more dangerous? I don’t think I need to explain that.”

Laura bared her fangs at the elderly Dragonkin, Louis, threatening him.

However, Louis remained unfazed and continued speaking to the Hero.

“Hero, you’re aware that our race carries the blood of dragons, correct?”

Dragons—the greatest and most revered beings in history.

Though their forms could no longer be seen, no one doubted the presence of dragon blood in the Dragonkin.

Their horns, reptilian eyes, sharp fangs, and mastery over mana—all of it set them apart from ordinary humans.

“Others might call it a blessing, but we don’t see it that way.

The stronger the dragon blood, the closer it becomes to a curse.

We call it Ancestral Regression.”

Ancestral Regression.

When the powerful blood of dragons overtakes the human body, the host transforms into a dragon.

During the process of Ancestral Regression, one gains immense power and knowledge.

However, the cost is their sanity, as their mind is consumed by the dragon blood.

They live in torment, forgetting who they are and why they were born, until they eventually become nothing more than a beast driven by instinct.

For something hailed as the gods’ greatest masterpiece, its end was pitifully tragic.

The frail human body couldn’t bear the overwhelming power of dragon blood.

Louis explained this as he looked between the Hero and Laura.

“Typically, it requires extensive management to suppress the blood of dragons.

However, Lady Laura has deliberately unleashed it upon herself.

I trust you understand the implications of this?”

On that day, with the blessing of the gods temporarily sealed, Laura had chosen to let her dragon blood rampage, accepting Ancestral Regression.

Thanks to her exceptional abilities, she barely managed to retain her sanity, but her body was changing rapidly.

At this rate, no one could predict when she might succumb and become a beast.

Laura Annalise Frostfell.

She was a mage destined to stand alongside the Hero and prevent the rise of the Demon King, blessed by the gods themselves.

She had likely prepared herself for death, but now was not the time.

“There is only one way to halt Ancestral Regression—to share blood with a chosen human.

You are her only salvation.”

As he spoke, Louis drew a dagger from his sleeve and cut his wrist, allowing blood to drip onto the desk.

The Hero recognized the meaning of the gesture and the silent gaze Louis directed at him.

“But I…”

“Yes, I know.

You must save the Saint.”

Before the Hero could finish, Louis interrupted, channeling mana into his flowing blood.

“What is this…?”

“Memories.

The memories of the Hero and the Five Champions from 300 years ago.”

As Louis cast his spell, the scenery in the room began to blur.

It was as though someone had splashed water on an unfinished painting.

The walls adorned with various pictures disappeared, and the Hero suddenly found himself standing amidst the ruins of a destroyed city.

The constructed walls had mostly crumbled, leaving no trace of their former glory.

The buildings in the city were either burned down or entirely blackened, their shapes unrecognizable.

Even worse was the land contaminated by demonic energy.

In the midst of the blackened, lifeless ground, the Hero and the Five Champions were barely catching their breath.

“Three hundred years ago, the Hero summoned from another world and the Five Champions blessed by the gods succeeded in sealing the Demon King.”

“But this…?”

“Yes, while the Demon King was sealed, the damage was unimaginable.”

Though they succeeded in sealing the Demon King, the joy was fleeting.

The land corrupted by the Demon King’s influence could not recover for a long time, and worse, the Hero and the Five Champions were drenched in demonic energy as a result of the Demon King’s final desperate act.

The Saint, the Thief, and the Knight, who were human, did not survive for long.

However, the Dragonkin Mage and the Elf Archer are still alive to this day.”

The Saint returned to the Holy Kingdom and dedicated her life to aiding those tormented by demonic energy.

The Thief vanished, claiming he had made a bad deal, and was never seen again.

The Knight returned to her empire, but soon after, her nation fell, leaving behind barely any records.

As a result, the stories of the Five Champions became little more than tales passed down by bards, with no one knowing the full details.

“Among the Five Champions tainted by demonic energy, wouldn’t you like to meet Selene, the great Mage and Queen of the Dragonkin?”

It was then that the Hero realized he had been offered a deal he could not refuse.

Selene, one of the Five Champions tainted by demonic energy.

If she was still alive, it meant she had found a way to control or overcome the demonic energy.

“… Is this a deal?”

Louis’s expression was relaxed, as though the idea of refusal hadn’t even crossed his mind.

The Hero could save Laura from Ancestral Regression, and in return, the Dragonkin would reveal how to save the Saint.

From the beginning, this was never a plea—it was a transaction.

A transaction the Hero could not afford to decline.

“It’s a deal where no one loses.”

The Hero remained silent, forcing a bitter smile.

“You are truly a peculiar person, Hero.”

“… In what way?”

“The ritual of blood-sharing through marriage is far from an ordinary ceremony.

But in the end, it’s a contract for mutual benefit.

There’s nothing binding you, Hero.

Once Lady Laura’s condition improves, you’ll have your freedom to do as you please.

So, what reason do you have to hesitate?”

Even though it was a marriage, it was merely a tool to achieve their respective goals.

To save both Laura and Sarah, why would he hesitate to agree to the deal?

The Hero himself found it strange that his chest felt heavy with unease.

Why was he so reluctant about this marriage contract?

No matter how much he thought about it, there was no answer.

Only Sarah’s pained face came to mind.

“Then, I’ll assume the Hero accepts.

We will begin preparations for the ceremony.

I’ll send someone when the time comes, so please be ready.”

“Ah…”

Silence was as good as agreement.

Louis interpreted the Hero’s silent deliberation as consent, rising to his feet and stating that preparations for the marriage ceremony would commence.

Once Louis left, there would be no turning back.

Even as the Hero thought this, no alternative solution came to mind, leaving him with no choice but to watch Louis depart the mansion.

“Laura, are you okay with this?”

Left alone with Laura in the room, the Hero turned to her.

Her horns and fangs had grown significantly, and her crimson eyes reflected his image.

The Hero worried about whether his longtime companion, who had journeyed with him for so long, was truly okay with this marriage.

But Laura simply bowed her head in silence.

“… I don’t care about the marriage itself, but I will no longer exploit your emotions, Hero.”

Did she dislike the marriage that much?

If so, why?

Had the effects of the hypnotic suggestion worn off?

No matter how much he tried to understand the situation, he couldn’t make sense of Laura’s parting words.

To be continued in the next chapter.