Chapter 190: The Adolescent Dark Dragon (3) Swoooosh.
Crash, crash.
As the sun sank beyond the horizon, the sea turned crimson beneath the glow of the sunset.
At Orte Harbor, the sunset—visible only twice a day, at dawn and dusk—was one of the sights tourists never missed.
Yet today, the pier, usually packed with visitors, held only a single figure.
Long black hair, nearly brushing the ground, swayed in the wind. As it shifted, her hidden left eye was revealed.
Her entire left eye—iris and sclera alike—was pitch-black, as though containing an unfathomable abyss.
"..."
The girl stared blankly at the sun disappearing beneath the horizon.
Without moving, she watched the light retreat and darkness take its place.
When the sun vanished completely, she stepped down from the pier and walked slowly across the sand.
Her destination was the small hut the harbor's fishermen once built for Charlotte.
"I can feel… Unnie's presence."
Standing before the hut, Evelyn reached out and traced her fingers along the firmly shut door.
Swoooosh. Crash.
Listening to the waves behind her, she closed her eyes.
A faint parting of her lips accompanied the resurfacing memory—of the seaside trip she took with Charlotte and her companions before she was sealed into deep slumber.
As a young dragon, she splashed at the water's edge while Charlotte sat beside her, arm around her shoulders, smiling brightly.
Not only Charlotte—everyone in that memory was smiling at her.
By dragon standards, she was still young. Charlotte's companions found her adorable, even when her face remained expressionless.
But she never returned their smiles.
Even now, when all but Charlotte had long since returned to dust, she could not.
She merely replayed the remnants of those memories, longing for those she would never see again.
"Tch, today's business is completely ruined."
"Hey! Is that what matters right now? The entire harbor could've been wiped out! Don't talk nonsense! It's a dragon—we don't know if she can hear us!"
"I-is that so?"
When Evelyn appeared, tourists fled Orte Harbor in haste. The fishermen hid behind buildings, watching her cautiously.
They were strong enough to fight a kraken barehanded—but a dragon was another matter entirely.
After urgently notifying Falstead Castle, they could do nothing but observe from afar.
"But is she really a dragon? She matches Lady Charlotte's description, but that girl? The Dark Dragon Evelyn who once turned the Francia Continent upside down? It's hard to believe."
"I feel the same, but better safe than sorry."
Though afraid, they could not shake their doubt.
She wore a black dress and carried an air of mystery, but aside from that, she looked like a girl wandering the shore searching for someone.
"Well, Lady Charlotte doesn't look like a dragon in human form either."
"True, but even in human form she exudes an authority you can't defy. That girl, though…"
"Huh? Did you see that? She vanished! Like melting snow—she slipped into the shadows!"
"You're right! So she really was a dragon? Or… maybe just a mage?"
"So we can stop hiding now, right?"
The moment Evelyn stepped into the long shadow cast beside the hut, she disappeared completely.
As rumors of the Dark Dragon Evelyn's awakening spread, the Francia Continent descended into chaos.
Humans trembled in fear, praying she would not appear where they lived.
Despite those prayers, Evelyn manifested across the continent—including within the Doren Kingdom—plunging many into terror.
Fortunately, no cities were destroyed by breath nor swallowed by darkness.
Like at Orte Harbor, she appeared silently, stared blankly at something unseen, then vanished as if nothing happened.
Yet no one could ignore a ticking time bomb wandering the continent.
To discuss countermeasures, the rulers of the Francia Continent gathered at Falstead Castle.
Even choosing a meeting place posed difficulty—until it was unexpectedly resolved.
"You lot need to consult me anyway, right? I'm too lazy to travel far. Just come to Falstead Castle."
After reading the opening line of a letter personally written by Charlotte, the rulers hurried to Falstead Castle.
And the place chosen for their daily meetings was none other than—
Slurp.
"Hmmm, NeoXri Ramen never gets old. Those thick noodles truly have a texture distinct from other ramens. Once this crisis ends, I must purchase several boxes. Now then, regarding troop deployment, our Arden Kingdom—"
Crunch, crunch.
"I was told fried food needs no sauce, only salt. After repeated tasting, I must agree. The crispness shines through, and the salt cuts the greasiness perfectly. Speaking of which, our Eiloy Kingdom's cavalry requests expanded stables. When might that be addressed?"
"Are you disregarding Tteokbokki sauce—the supreme dipping sauce? Fried food, Sundae, Gimbap—nothing pairs better with that red sauce! Ah, and about the hardtack distributed last week—could Gurta Kingdom's soldiers receive it three times a week? They complain it gets stuck in their teeth, yet still ask for more."
Munch, smack.
"Oh dear, I've finished three tuna-mayo Gimbap already. Jinseo, two more rolls—any kind will do! And extra udon broth."
"Yes, right away."
"Now then, returning to the earlier topic—the large-scale teleportation magic circle nearing completion. Our Meras Kingdom's mages are heavily involved—"
The rulers of every kingdom on the Francia Continent sat around a massive round table.
Behind them, food trucks continuously served bunsik.
"This warm, savory fish cake broth… it soothes the soul."
"Ten days at Falstead Castle, and I still haven't tasted everything. This is the highlight of my day."
Though Jinseo's bunsik had spread widely, many kings had never personally tasted it.
After the first meeting, Jinseo served them himself.
The reaction was explosive.
At the rulers' request, meetings shifted to coincide with lunch. Naturally, lunch meant bunsik.
The scent of street food filled the hall of global destiny, yet somehow the kings conducted their discussions while eating.
"Still, I'm not certain it's appropriate to sit comfortably eating bunsik under these circumstances."
At Philip III of the Doren Kingdom's sharp remark, hands reaching for freshly fried tonkatsu slowly withdrew.
All but one.
"Philip, if food's served, you eat it. Refusing won't seal Evelyn for us. And perhaps put down the fork before lecturing?"
At the words of his friend, Lanster II of the Girvante Kingdom, Philip III reluctantly ate the tonkatsu.
Fear of Evelyn lingered—but Jinseo's bunsik was too enticing to ignore.
"Kids, is the meeting going well?"
Charlotte approached, chewing PoX Chips.
All the kings sprang to their feet.
"Sit, sit. And finish eating."
"N-no, we're quite full!"
"Don't pretend. I can see right through you."
Charlotte emptied her chip bag and dropped into a seat near the counter.
"There's an old saying from Jinseo's homeland of Korea: no matter the offense, never disturb someone while they're eating."
"Oho! That matches the dining etiquette of Girvante exactly. As expected of the homeland of bunsik!"
"See? You get it."
Grinning, Charlotte turned her gaze to another table.
There, representatives of other races sat eating.
"You lot… I appreciate the help, but you didn't have to get involved."
Dragons could not cross continents due to the constraints that accompanied their power. Other races could have remained untouched.
Yet they stepped forward for a simple reason.
"If the food truck and bunsik disappear, my greatest joy vanishes with them! That must never happen!"
Wigenburg, representative of the dwarves, chewed his hot dog fiercely.
"Jinseo introduced curry to us centaurs. Falstead Castle is where he began. To repay him, we will defend this continent at any cost."
"As Guardian of the World Tree and Founder of Bunsik, Jinseo calls this his second home. We elves will not stand aside."
Lloyd V of the centaurs and Elder Keras of the elves pledged support.
United by a common goal—to protect bunsik—they smiled warmly at Jinseo.
They love bunsik too much. I want this resolved too… but I worry too many are getting involved.
"Y-Your Majesties! Lady Charlotte! It's urgent!"
Oswald Hamilton rushed toward the food truck. The kings stood again.
Simultaneously, the large TV mounted on the truck switched on automatically. A golden circle flashed intensely at the top left of the screen.
"What? Did she appear nearby? Where?"
"K-Kaysus Cathedral!"
"Damn it! Why there? She must've mistaken the Heirem Order for the Verfalt Order and caused trouble!"
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