Chapter 1222: Ancestor and Descendant (No Mistake)

Modir stood up, his curiosity deepening as he studied the distinguished woman before him. In her pale blue eyes and snow-white hair, he thought he glimpsed a reflection of himself. Yet, try as he might, he couldn’t recall his own surname, his youth, whether he’d ever had a family or descendants, or even where he had lived and wandered all these years. He could only guess at the identity of this “Victoria” before him, and cautiously asked, “How long have you been searching for me?”

“…Six centuries,” Duchess Victoria answered after barely a moment’s hesitation, finally steeling herself to speak the truth.

Modir’s expression froze as if he’d just heard a fairy tale. After a long pause, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he stared wide-eyed at this “descendant” before him. “Did you say how long?!”

“Strictly speaking, five hundred seventy-two years. Not quite six centuries, but close enough,” Victoria exhaled softly. She knew how unbelievable this must sound to someone who had lost all memory of their past. But she had come today to unravel the mysteries surrounding their family’s ancestor. Aside from the taboo of the “surname,” it was best not to hide too much. “Ancestor, I’m afraid you don’t even realize how long you’ve been wandering this world.”

“How is that possible?!” Modir suddenly raised his voice in shock, pointing at himself. “Six centuries, six… I—”

He stopped mid-sentence, his expression shifting rapidly. Victoria’s concern grew, but before she could speak, the old man furrowed his brow, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Then again… six hundred years… I’ve been through all sorts of strange things. Maybe it’s not impossible after all.”

Victoria was speechless.

The old ancestor’s capacity to accept this news was far stronger than she’d expected.

Modir’s attention returned to Victoria, his brow still furrowed, weighed down by heavy thoughts. “I still find it hard to believe. By your account, I’ve become some kind of immortal freak… Though, honestly, I’ve been living quite happily… Ha, but that’s not the point. The point is, I don’t really understand what’s happened to me. I don’t know if the dragons told you everything, but my memories are all jumbled now—even everyday events get mixed up. Lately, it’s been especially bad. In fact, I didn’t even know I had descendants… Sorry, miss, does that sound irresponsible?”

“Not at all,” Victoria replied immediately. “Before coming, the dragon emissaries briefed me thoroughly. I was prepared. I’m here to confirm your situation and help as much as I can—I have many questions for you.”

“Oh, of course, of course,” Modir said eagerly. Then, glancing at the curious crowd gathering on the street and at the modest “adventurer’s hut” where he was staying, a smile spread across his face. “Shall we go inside? This busy street isn’t exactly the best place for a conversation.”

“Certainly,” Victoria nodded at once, then turned to Maggie. “Maggie, you—”

“I won’t come in,” Maggie interrupted with a shake of her head and a smile. “This kind of occasion isn’t suitable for an ‘outsider’ like me to meddle. Coretta and I will go explore nearby. It’s rare to be in the dragons’ homeland—I want to see the place and learn about its history.”

Victoria said nothing more, only giving Maggie a deep, grateful look. Then she nodded and followed Modir toward the little hut.

Watching Victoria’s retreating figure, Maggie lingered for a long moment before turning back. She seemed to be speaking to herself—or perhaps to the black dragon girl beside her. “Looks like the beginning went pretty well.”

Coretta, the black dragon girl, glanced at this “distant relative” from afar. She was clearly curious about Maggie, a “dragonborn.” Although many dragonborn had come to Tal’Rond for “reconstruction,” most stayed in the southeastern coastal counties. In New Agondor, dragonborn were a rare sight.

After a few seconds’ hesitation, Coretta finally asked, “Are you… friends with Lady Victoria? Is it easy for dragons and humans to be friends on the continent of Loren?”

Maggie looked at the pureblood dragon she’d only recently met. Since Coretta was also a black dragon, they shared a distant branch of the same lineage, which gave Maggie a small sense of familiarity in this strange land. She was happy to answer. “Well… in most parts of Loren, dragons are still extremely rare—whether pureblood or dragonborn. They mostly stay in the northern kingdoms. As for relationships with humans, only the Cecile Empire and some northern regions near Typhon have dragons and humans who know each other well.

“Of course, things are changing. Humans are very adaptable. As more dragons appear in the world, the relationship between dragons and humans is growing closer.

“As for Victoria and me… our situation is special. We met many years ago, back when not only pureblood dragons but even dragonborn were still kept secret from the outside world…”

She spoke casually about her relationship with Victoria, sprinkling in small details about life on Loren—mostly trivial things. Coretta listened with great interest, firing off several questions before Maggie took back the lead. “I’ve said enough—how about you tell me about this place?”

Coretta looked up at the rugged adventurer’s town, then at the towering walls of Agondor in the distance. Not exactly a “scenic” view, but she smiled nonetheless. “Let’s go outside the city. The safe zone has expanded to the Crystal Rock Hills. We can visit the old factory district and the slag pools—those places have a lot of history.”

As she spoke, she took Maggie’s hand and headed toward the town’s edge and the landing field. “Come on, we can fly there directly!”

…

Victoria scanned the small bedroom. Everything was simple and clear—a modest bed with a small cabinet at its foot, a single-person desk, a chair, and a wall-mounted shelf. That was all.

She knew that for an adventurer in Tal’Rond’s wasteland, these conditions were quite comfortable. Still, a strange feeling stirred in her heart, and she glanced at the old man beside her. “Do you usually live like this? If you want, I could—”

“The dragon leader said something similar to me,” Modir waved her off before she could finish. “But I think this is fine—maybe even a bit too good. No sleeping rough, no setting up magical traps against monsters. The whole camp is well supplied. This isn’t adventuring anymore; it’s more like a vacation.”

He wasn’t just being polite; Victoria could tell this was his genuine feeling. She didn’t press further. Modir sat on the bed, then gestured to the chair by the desk and nodded at Victoria. “Have a seat.”

Victoria sat down, the chair creaking softly. Silence fell over the hut. She looked at the old man, pondering how to steer the conversation, while names like Hetty and Rebecca flickered through her mind. Now she understood how complicated and strange it must feel to face an ancestor from centuries ago—someone theoretically kin but practically a stranger. No matter how she started, it felt like she’d never say the right thing…

How had Hetty and Rebecca broken the ice when they met their resurrected ancestor? How had they eased the awkwardness?

Suddenly, Victoria regretted not consulting Lady Hetty more carefully before setting out. Hetty had been busy, and Victoria had only managed a brief chat with Rebecca over the magic network. But the princess’s words had only confused her more—something about “acting before the brain catches up,” “being quick to chicken out,” and “best to be tough enough to take a beating.” She just didn’t get it.

Victoria’s mind raced with countless thoughts, but her face remained as impassive as ever, frozen in that usual icy mask. Modir looked at this serious “descendant” and suddenly felt a headache coming on. He hadn’t expected such a stern woman to appear before him—so unlike his own easygoing nature. How had someone with such a difficult personality been raised?

But then again, he had no right to judge—after all, according to Victoria, he was her ancestor from six hundred years ago. When it came to educating descendants… he really couldn’t say much.

Fortunately, the old mage finally broke the silence. “Victoria, right? What’s your surname?”

Victoria was silent.

Modir waited.

“Same as yours, but…” Victoria’s voice trembled slightly, as if her mental defenses were about to be pierced. She barely kept her expression neutral. “I was instructed not to reveal anything about the surname to you—it might trigger your ‘memory gaps.’”

“Oh, right, that’s it,” Modir slapped his forehead, a bit embarrassed. “I remember Heragor warning me about that. He said there’s a ‘gap’ in my memory system, and touching certain key information causes my consciousness to shut down and reset. My bad.”

He laughed, and the awkward tension eased. “Well then, let me ask something else… What do you do? The family… that should be my family now, right? What’s the situation?”

“I… mainly manage, um, a lot of land. Many people depend on it for their livelihood,” Victoria said awkwardly. She’d never thought to describe her life and those around her this way before. “Your descendants in this generation are quite promising. Besides me, some have joined the military or run their own businesses. Most of the young are still studying. The most gifted is my nephew—he’s studying in the imperial capital…”

Modir’s eyes widened. All this felt so distant, unreal. He muttered to himself, “How did I, an old adventurer wandering everywhere, suddenly end up with such impressive descendants?”

Victoria seemed not to hear clearly. “Pardon?” she asked.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Modir quickly waved his hand, then looked at Victoria with a hint of curiosity. “Sounds like it’s no small matter—having both estates and land. But honestly, I’m more confused now. What exactly do you do day to day? Sounds like farming, but maybe something a bit more… impressive?”

“Uh, yeah, it’s a bit more than that,” Victoria said with some difficulty. She wasn’t good at explaining things this way, but right now she had to quickly figure out how to describe her situation to her ancestor without letting him think of the massive northern Velde family. “I don’t personally run the land. I manage large tracts of land—and all the industries on top of that land.”

Modir listened intently, but then suddenly furrowed his brow. The serious look on his face startled Victoria, and she immediately stopped talking. “Ancestor, is something wrong?”

“You mustn’t break the law,” Modir said abruptly, without any warning. “This isn’t a game.”

Victoria was completely baffled. “Huh?”

“Though I wander around a lot, I do understand the laws the Empire issues and the policies the Administration Office enforces,” Modir continued, his expression grave. For a moment, he really looked like an elder worried about his descendants going astray. “Child, embezzling land or monopolizing business—that’s illegal!”

Victoria: “…?”

She was stunned for a couple of seconds before finally realizing what he meant. Embarrassed—though she kept a straight face—she hurried to explain, “No, you’ve got it wrong. I only manage those— the land belongs to the state, and the industries belong to others. I just oversee them. Of course, our family has some businesses too, but that’s nowhere near embezzlement or monopoly—all strictly legal…”

The Duchess who ruled the entire North was unusually at a loss for words. But Modir’s frown gradually eased, and the old mage finally nodded in understanding. “Hearing it that way, I’m relieved… Ah, I get it now. So you work at the Administration Office?”

“Uh…” Victoria hesitated, then quickly accepted this new line of thought, nodding repeatedly. “Yes, I work at the Administration Office—I have to show up there almost every day, and sometimes I even bring documents home to handle…”

“That sounds like hard work,” Modir finally smiled again, a trace of relief in his expression. “But it’s good for young people to work hard—it builds a foundation for the future… By the way, from what you’re saying, you’re an official at the Administration Office?”

“Well… I guess so,” Victoria said stiffly, nodding. “Just a… um, ordinary administrative staff member…”

(End of chapter)