Chapter 822
Episode 206: The Return of the Black Dragon Murakan
The Black Dragon Murakan.
He had left his comrades to act as Misha’s proxy back in April of the year 1800, right after the Sword Emperor War ended.
At the time, everyone believed Murakan would return soon—probably even before Jin finished his training in Laprarosa, and certainly before Misha herself returned to Tikan.
But the seals were the problem.
The Eyes of Elona, Ziphl, and Zito.
Those two troublesome seals had bound Talaris and Misha all this time. For the past three and a half years, Misha and Talaris had been trapped in internal injury—Talaris, in particular, had barely recovered from wounds sustained during the Sword Emperor War before being attacked again by Rosa, leaving him unconscious until recently—and yet they maintained the seals.
“You’ve worked hard all this time, Lady Misha.”
“You’ve done well too, Talaris. Being a dragon, I didn’t feel the time spent maintaining the seals as long… but you’ll still have to keep an eye on Zito’s Eye for a while longer. It’s unfortunate.”
“Compared to the burden you bear, Lady Misha, it’s nothing. I’m honored that the Bow Palace has received your help, even if it’s a bit presumptuous of me to say so.”
“I appreciate that. It seems my younger brother managed my duties fairly well, but I’m sure there’s a lot left untidy. Once things settle, I’ll visit Inse for a drink. We’ll take it easy then.”
Jin and the others urged Misha to rest for a few days before returning, but she refused, too anxious to do so. Now that Elona had awakened, she thought it far better for Murakan to be present in case any problems arose.
“Don’t worry about Inse. Including Elona Ziphl, I’ll handle everything and wait patiently.”
“Good. That’s reassuring, Jin. But be careful—never face Elona one-on-one. Always meet with Murakan by your side.”
“Understood.”
[From Solderet comes the Black Dragon, Misha. Though brief, it was a welcome reunion.]
Ameris patted Misha’s shoulder. Despite not knowing each other long, Ameris, Misha, and Talaris shared a deep kinship—they all carried the mission of protecting the world’s order.
“Ameris, if my brother makes a mistake, just beat him up. He’s probably close to his prime now, so don’t hesitate to hit him as hard as you want.”
[Heh, I will.]
“Lady Misha, it’s ready.”
Gilly came running, carrying two baskets piled high with pies. Misha’s only request before leaving had been to eat Gilly’s strawberry pie.
Crunch!
Misha took a big bite of the strawberry pie and nodded in satisfaction.
“Yes, this is the taste… all my fatigue just vanished.”
She devoured one basket in no time and then looked at the other.
“Is this one for that guy?”
“Ah, yes, Lady Misha.”
“Hand it over. He can eat it every day now anyway. Hmm, this one tastes even better… Wait, why is it better? Are you favoring him over me?”
“Of course not! Absolutely not, Lady Misha!”
“Then how do you explain the difference? The strawberries on top seem to be arranged in a heart shape.”
“I—I made both with the exact same ingredients and arranged them identically.”
“I think it’s because this one has a little extra love added, Lady Misha. If everything else is the same, that’s the only explanation.”
Talaris spoke, and Misha sighed.
“Gilly, I warned you from the start to be careful… but you’re way too fond of that guy. How did someone like you end up attached to a scoundrel like him?”
“I’m just someone who serves the young master and Lord Murakan.”
“Hmph, I see. Well, since our handsome Black Dragon brother has no mate, I guess I’ll have to claim him.”
Gilly forced a smile, and the others stifled their laughter. Misha thought the teasing was just right and finished off the remaining strawberry pie.
“Thanks for the delicious pie, Gilly. I really must be going now.”
The others came outside to see Misha off. As she transformed into her true form and released her spiritual energy, the entire Bow Palace area darkened.
Whoooooosh…
Spiritual energy gathered rapidly, forming a massive dragon-shaped vortex. Riding the flow, Misha slowly ascended into the sky. It wasn’t just flight—it looked like a kind of ascension, radiating a sublime aura.
[Let’s all meet again soon.]
As Misha looked back and spoke, a black dragon broke through the clouds above.
[Hahaha!]
Murakan’s booming laughter echoed across the sky.
[At last! I have returned!]
“Could you please shut up and come down quietly?”
As Murakan drew near, Misha swung her wing like a fist and smacked him on the head. Murakan didn’t dodge and just scoffed.
[Heh heh, do you think a hit like that would hurt me?]
“Yeah, keep acting up. If you want to be sealed in the spiritual realm again, go ahead.”
“Tch! Fine, fine. So I just have to stop laughing until you leave, right? Whatever, I’ll do it. Take care, you demon. You know, I saw how much you struggled. Serves you right!”
Misha tried to pass by, but then spun around and drove her sharp hind claws into Murakan’s back like a dagger.
Then she mercilessly struck the back of his head with her forepaw. If he were an ordinary dragon, that blow alone would have snapped his neck.
[You’re crazy, absolutely crazy. When will you ever come to your senses?]
Each syllable landed with precise strikes.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“What? ‘Ow’? You wanna die for real?”
“Ah! Enough already, I have some pride too.”
The once sacred atmosphere in the sky vanished, replaced only by the bickering and blows exchanged between the black dragon siblings.
After about fifty hits, Misha finally left for the spiritual realm. Murakan cleared his throat awkwardly and looked down at his comrades.
The first to catch his eye wasn’t the thousand-year contract holder who had braved countless hardships without a guardian dragon for the past three years.
It was the woman standing beside him, her eyes red-rimmed.
Gilly.
[Strawberry pie!]
Murakan dove down like a falcon. Transforming smoothly into human form while scattering spiritual particles, he soon had Gilly cradled in his arms.
“You’ve worked so hard, my strawberry pie… Now that I’m back, everything will be fine. Anyone who bothers you, I’ll turn to dust.”
“I’ve been doing very well, Lord Murakan. Of course, none of my comrades have ever troubled me…”
“Then why are you crying?”
“Maybe you should put me down before you ask.”
“Strawberry pie, have you come to dislike me? Even if so, I won’t let you go.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“From now on, I, Murakan, will always be by your side.”
Thanks to their good looks, the scene was quite beautiful. Though she had never openly shown it, everyone knew how much Gilly had missed him.
Still, the others felt a bit queasy.
“Ugh, that’s so cheesy. And kind of awkward. Can you stop already?”
“Kid! Even you can’t separate me from my strawberry pie. The joy of reunion can’t be stopped either.”
“Gilly’s uncomfortable, and watching this is painful for us too.”
Especially for Jin, since Murakan and Gilly were practically like parents to him. Not many children can watch their parents’ affection with pure fondness.
“…Looks like Mother’s plan to claim Murakan has zero chance of success.”
“I was joking, but even if I wasn’t, it wouldn’t have worked. Hmph, I’m kind of annoyed, daughter. Comfort me.”
“No thanks, don’t cling to me.”
Gilly naturally slipped out of Murakan’s arms, cleared her throat, and straightened her expression and clothes. Murakan, however, was oblivious to embarrassment, laughing heartily as he looked at the others.
“Feeling better now. Good job, Murakan.”
“That brat’s even stronger than the last time I saw him. Heh, we’ve got a lot to catch up on. Some faces I’m seeing for the first time.”
[You’re even dumber than I heard, Murakan. I am Ameris.]
“On the way to Inse, I caught a glimpse of Solderet’s insight and got a rough idea of who you are. Seems you’re an ancient being guarding some boundary of the world. Nice to meet you, Murakan here.”
[…Speaking informally?]
“Ah, don’t be petty about my tone.”
Ameris said nothing, simply staring at Murakan. Though he could probably beat her in a fight, Murakan felt a pang of conscience and quickly looked away. He also had a hunch she might suddenly start hitting him like Misha.
“Ugh, I even speak informally with Solderet. Fine, fine. That demon seems to be the only one I treat with extreme caution, so from now on I’ll use polite speech properly. Happy now?”
[You better. By the way, Solderet always addressed me respectfully.]
“Got it. Tess, you’re just like that guy.”
[You speak as if you despise your sister, but in truth, you hold her in deep respect. Or is it even beyond that—admiration?]
“Spare me the creepy talk.”
Though he’d just returned after a long absence, Murakan blended effortlessly with the others, as if he’d never left. Even after exchanging only a few words, the group already felt a warm, lively buzz of excitement.
“The times aren’t great, that’s true. But since you’re here, we should at least have a small welcome. Let’s head to Tikan—everyone’s waiting. Especially Yuria and the kids; they’ve been going crazy wanting to see you.”
“I’ve heard the gist. Elona and Ziphl have awakened, right? I remember now—they’re supposed to be incredibly powerful. It’s strange I forgot about that until now.”
“Oh? Sounds like you’re doubting yourself. What’s going on? Has the great Murakan finally gotten scared?”
“Scared? Kid, I’ve never once felt fear in my life.”
Jin studied Murakan for a moment. Indeed, an immense, almost unfathomable energy radiated from him—so vast even Jin found it hard to gauge.
“Fair enough.”
“Now that I’m not too weak to protect you like before, you can always fight without worry.”
“Count on you from now on, Murakan.”
“Got it.”
Jin and Murakan exchanged grins.
“Meow.”
Without warning, Murakan transformed into a cat and curled up in Gilly’s arms. But the moment he experienced the Red Owl’s spatial leap, he promptly started retching uncontrollably.
Jin couldn’t help but laugh, recalling the first time Murakan had thrown up at the teleport gate when they left Stormwind. Gilly, just like back then, gently patted his back.