Chapter 57: In the City Forsaken by the Gods (3)
A sharp snap rang in Drake's head the moment his patience broke—followed instantly by his fist slamming into Monkyspanner's face.
"Die, you damned monkey!"
"Wha—?! Hey, wait—!"
"You skipped your report, had me worried sick, then just waltz in here with a 'Hey, I'm back'? You little—let's die together!"
His fist gleamed with power. [Dragonic Aura: IV] crackled around him, the dragon-kin's exclusive skill surging with buffed force. The fact he'd stopped at Stage IV—instead of unleashing the full Maximize tier—was the only proof Drake hadn't lost his sanity completely.
Still, that was enough. His blow tore through Monkyspanner's defense, crushing his face like a dented tin can.
The monkey-man flipped backward, face caved in, only for it to snap back to normal mid-air—just in time for another punch to warp it all over again.
"Hold on—I said I had a reaso—GAH!"
"Reason? My fist is the only reason you need! Take it!"
Wham! Wham! Crack! Smash!
"AAAAAGHHHH!"
For a while, Monkyspanner's pained screams echoed through the office. Luckily—or unluckily—the chamber had been soundproofed to withstand Drake's frequent fits of hysteria. No one outside ever heard the carnage.
Eventually, Drake's rage cooled. Sighing, he brewed tea.
The dragon-engraved porcelain set, the carefully measured steeping, the graceful pour—this was no ordinary tea break. It was a full tea ceremony, practiced to perfection.
"Sit. Have some tea first. We'll talk after."
Monkyspanner, face still sore and twitching, grumbled.
"…After you've beaten me half-dead, now you offer tea? …Fine."
Despite his complaints, he sipped carefully, savoring the fragrance with surprising delicacy for his hulking frame.
Drake's skill in tea was well-known among the priests. Over 150 years of practice had elevated his craft to the level of a master. The flavor was exquisite, calming even his own fury.
It was ironic. On the outside he looked like a mighty dragon—horned, scaled, and fierce. But instead of a warrior's brutality, his true release lay in the quiet ritual of tea.
Two centuries ago, when he was first brought into this world as one of Dragon King Varan's creations, Drake had lived only for battle. Strength, honor, and glory on the battlefield had been everything. He and his armies had roared across the land at Varan's side.
But when Shinshi fell into this world, and the role of Chief High Priest fell onto him by accident, everything changed. His days of wielding blades ended; now he wrestled with mountains of paperwork.
Ea had once ruled Shinshi flawlessly, her AI-like iron control absolute. But once she withdrew, inefficiency took root, and bureaucracy returned. For Drake, that meant endless drudgery.
At least Shinshi's advanced systems spared him from drowning in literal paper, or else he might have collapsed ages ago. In the midst of that suffocating burden, tea became his escape—his lifeline.
And so, while others trained or adventured, Drake perfected the art of brewing tea. After a century and a half, his skill surpassed that of any mortal master. Even other priests often visited him just for a cup during breaks.
For a brief moment, Drake's office felt like a quiet tea pavilion, filled with the gentle fragrance of tea. Monkyspanner's irritation faded, his mind calming as if soothed by the aroma. Truly, Drake's tea—honed through a century and a half of practice—had reached mastery.
Yet, as he watched Drake tend carefully to a potted plant in the corner, a strange melancholy radiated from the dragon's broad back. Monkyspanner broke into a nervous sweat.
"What are you staring at?"
"Ah—nothing, nothing at all."
He had thought Drake simply invited him here to rest. But rest, to Drake, meant brewing tea and watering flowers? The once-proud warrior who had sworn never to return until every runaway was hunted down—where had that Drake gone?
Now he wore suits instead of armor, wielded teapots instead of weapons, and spent his days fighting paperwork rather than foes.
Monkyspanner thought he'd changed a lot over the past two hundred years—but maybe it was Drake who had changed the most.
"Better not mess with him again…"
The melancholy on Drake's back was far more terrifying than his fists. Monkyspanner resolved then and there: he'd stop talking back and start obeying Drake's words without complaint.
Soon, Drake returned, finished with his plants, and sat across from him. Taking a sip from his cooled cup, the dragon's slit-pupil eyes narrowed sharply at the sweating monkey.
"So. What happened? Everything. From the beginning. Leave nothing out."
"Uh, well… first off—I should probably say I died once."
"…What?"
CRACK!
The teacup shattered in Drake's hand. The unconscious release of Dragonic Aura reduced porcelain to dust, tea dripping between his scaled fingers.
"H-Hey, Drake, calm down!"
"…I am calm. …Hhhhhh… Fine. You're not joking. Go on."
"I can't remember everything… but I think I died and was resurrected today. My memories only go back four, maybe five days."
"Why? In Yggdrasil there were no such side effects."
"I don't know! I'm the first one to die and come back in this world, aren't I?"
"…I see."
Drake nodded grimly, then his eyes sharpened, glinting like blades. Monkyspanner flinched under the piercing glare.
"So… who resurrected you?"
"Th-That would be… Her."
"Her who? Speak plainly!"
"…The Priestess. She brought me back."
Resurrection. Yes—she had resurrected him. Out of the void, from the fragments of his broken self, she had drawn him back into existence. He remembered the vast eyes of crimson and gold burning in the darkness. He understood at once and bowed in reverence. He'd been given orders: explain, then wait. And so he obeyed, until Ea, the priestess, commanded him to leave the Throne Hall.
He recalled asking her a single question:
"Priestess, did my death serve the God? Did it serve Shinshi?"
"Yes. It did."
"Ha! Then that's enough for me."
That had been enough. His life was given by the God; if his death had served Shinshi, he had no regrets.
"I see… So it was her…"
Drake's words cut short. In a sudden movement, he overturned the table and chairs, claws bared. Before Monkyspanner could react, Drake had him by the throat.
"As if I'd believe that at face value, you damned monkey! Tell me the truth! For us—created beings—resurrection costs gold. Five hundred million for one of our kind! If that much gold had vanished from Shinshi's treasury, I'd have been notified instantly. So where did the gold come from? Hm?"
"Answer me, Monkyspanner! Who—no, what—brought you back?"
Drake's blazing eyes bored into Monkyspanner's trembling ones. The silence stretched, and just as Monkyspanner opened his mouth in defeat—
A voice cut through the air.
「Enough. That's far enough.」
"Priestess…?"
"Lady Ea."
Between them shimmered a translucent projection: the serene image of a white-winged angel, eyes closed, the Holy Priestess of Shinshi.
Monkyspanner gaped in shock at her sudden appearance—while Drake, after a pause, lowered his head in acknowledgment.
"Priestess, why…?"
「Because the conditions were met.」
Monkyspanner's bewildered question was met with a mechanical reply, devoid of emotion.
The command she had received from her God, her Master, was simple: "Do not tell the other High Priests." In other words, if they found out on their own, that was outside the command's scope. And so, when Monkyspanner stood silently in the Throne Hall awaiting his Lord's return, she released him using her Sub-Master authority, ordering him to claim that she had performed the resurrection.
「You must never let it be discovered. Understood?」
"Don't worry! When it comes to deception, this Monkyspanner is a master!"
「Very well. I'll trust you.」
Of course, it was a lie. She didn't trust him in the slightest. The only one she trusted, revered, and loved with all her being was her Lord. That was enough. That was everything. Which was why she gave him strict instructions before sending him out.
She already knew he would run straight to Drake. She knew his flimsy excuse would crumble instantly. And that was precisely why the "condition" would be satisfied: she herself hadn't spoken a word.
Thus, Ea had not technically revealed anything to Drake.
....
"Then… the reason you've appeared now… is it because He has awakened?"
「Correct. At least you live up to the title of High Priest.」
"I see… Then what must we do?"
「Nothing.」
The exchange between the two carried layers unspoken, hints of truths omitted. Monkyspanner couldn't follow it; his confused gaze darted between them. Yet neither Ea nor Drake paid him the slightest attention anymore.
Though only a holographic projection, Ea's voice was clear, her closed eyes and unchanging smile radiating something cold and mechanical.
「For the time being, nothing will change. Continue as you have until now.」
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