Chapter 153

Unlike the usual dark and noisy inner world, the scene of a quiet winter sea with snowflakes swirling from the cloudy sky made Sima Mantian frown and look around.

“Where is this…?”

Well, it’s obvious, but it must be a dream world.

It seems I naturally fell asleep while patting Guhae’s back.

“…Is this the usual kind of dream?”

If it follows the usual pattern, something should appear around here, so I looked around.

As expected, something appeared.

No, to be precise, it was there from the beginning. It’s a bit strange to say, but it was there from the moment I opened my eyes in this dream world.

Snow-white skin that blends with the swirling snowflakes.

An icy appearance, with lonely blue eyes reminiscent of the dark depths of the sea.

I stared blankly at the black-haired man dressed in a black dragon robe.

This wasn’t my dream.

It was the space of that ‘person’… no, that ‘being’ in front of me.

Moreover, it’s clearly a face I’ve never seen before.

But there’s something about the atmosphere, the feeling, that’s slightly…

Our eyes meet. I can’t look away from those endless deep blue eyes.

Guhae comes to mind.

Yes, it’s accurate to say they resemble each other.

‘Could it be… Masaka!’

A thought flashes through my mind.

And then.

As the man in the black dragon robe opens his mouth.

“That child… Guhae was affected by my energy and went berserk. I’m sorry.”

Sharp teeth were visible.

I blurted out the thought that came to mind.

“Guhae… Father?”

At my question, the man in the black dragon robe.

Guhae’s father.

The Dragon King of the North Sea, Ao Shun, lowered his gaze and looked at the water’s surface for a moment.

“…You could say that.”

He answered with a gloomy expression.

“Though I don’t deserve to be called her parent.”

A strange silence hangs in the air.

Completely unexpected, I have no idea what to say.

I never dreamed I’d meet a Dragon King in my life.

…Even if it’s in a dream.

Well, in a martial arts world where there are martial arts, cute sharks with sharp teeth, and ego swords with self-awareness.

I guess it’s possible for them to appear in dreams like this.

But putting all that aside.

The relationship between me and the Dragon King of the North Sea, that is, Guhae’s father, was quite ambiguous.

For some reason, I don’t know why.

A father who left his born daughter with her human relatives, and I, the lover of that daughter.

I don’t know what to say.

The silence between us grows longer.

‘This is awkward… so awkward…!’

Why did this guy come to my dream instead of Guhae’s?

Shrinking~.

Anyway, keeping my mouth shut like this didn’t suit my personality, so I opened my mouth to break the silence.

“Um…”

“I-.”

By coincidence, Ao Shun, my father-in-law, also started speaking at the same time.

“Ah, you first-.”

“You…”

We both stopped speaking at the same time, our pupils shaking as we shrunk back.

‘Damn… is this a shoujo manga?’

Fortunately, the silence didn’t last much longer. After a brief pause, Ao Shun spoke again.

“I couldn’t love Guhae, that child.”

A calm, even desolate voice spread through the winter sea, carried by the snowflakes.

“…So-Wol was born with a weak body.”

Jiegal So-Wol, Guhae’s mother.

The current acting head of the Jiegal Family, Jiegal So-Bong, who is in seclusion due to illness, was the most cherished treasure of Jiegal Gyu-geun, the head of the Jiegal Family.

She was the one who died after giving birth to Guhae, her body weakened.

“And Guhae inherited my blood too strongly. It was an energy that So-Wol couldn’t handle even while she was pregnant.”

Ao Shun’s eyes darken as he recalls the death of So-Wol, whom he loved.

And without realizing it, I took a step forward and asked in a firm voice.

“Don’t tell me you think So-Wol… mother died because of Guhae?”

Ao Shun sighed and shook his head.

“It’s not that child’s fault. So-Wol would have thought the same. She was that kind of woman.”

So-Wol knew everything.

That she would die giving birth to Guhae, who inherited the strong energy of the Dragon King, due to her weak body.

But, even so.

Unlike her usual naive and pure appearance, she smiled gently with a determined look.

‘I will give birth.’

She stroked her pregnant belly.

While looking at me, who tried to erase the child in her belly under the pretext of protecting So-Wol.

Ao Shun loved So-Wol.

So-Wol loved Ao Shun as much as she loved their child.

Ao Shun eventually sent So-Wol back to the surface, to the land.

“I… lacked confidence.”

He couldn’t bear to watch So-Wol die, and he didn’t have the confidence to love Guhae, who was born that way.

And most of all-

“So-Wol’s death is not Guhae’s fault. It’s my fault.”

Every time he saw Guhae, he was afraid he would realize that So-Wol died because of him.

“If I hadn’t loved So-Wol, she wouldn’t have died.”

When he found her drowning, he should have sent her back to the shore from the beginning.

When she regained consciousness in the Dragon Palace, he shouldn’t have been captivated by her pure eyes and shown her around the palace.

He shouldn’t have felt the warmth of her hand when he accidentally held it.

“……….”

Ao Shun closed his mouth with a desolate expression.

I wasn’t sure what to say about Guhae’s complicated family situation.

Words of comfort? Or blame? A lecture that while understandable, it was still wrong?

I don’t know.

But there was one thing I definitely wanted to say.

“If that were the case, Guhae wouldn’t have been born.”

Because I love Guhae.

My words, resolutely piercing through the swirling snowflakes, made Ao Shun’s eyes widen for a moment before he looked away.

“…That’s true. That would have been the case.”

Ao Shun didn’t say much, but the dark winter sea-like blue eyes seemed to brighten a little.

It must be my imagination, but the intensity of the snowflakes seemed to lessen, making it feel a bit warmer.

The atmosphere eased, and I brought up the main point.

“So, what exactly is the reason you came to see me?”

…And the reason the Dragon King of the North Sea came to see me was really simple.

“I just wanted to talk to you.”

“Huh?”

“Ultimately… I ended up talking more about myself.”

Ao Shun looked at Sima Mantian.

“You are a strong human. You won’t make that child sad, will you?”

He smiled bitterly with a self-deprecating smile.

“…I don’t have the right to say this, though.”

And at that moment, the sky began to crack and the space started to split.

“It’s time. I’ve kept you too long.”

It was time to wake up from the dream.

“Call me when you need help.”

“…Huh?”

And just before I was kicked out of the dream.

Ao Shun, with a demeanor completely different from the despondent attitude he had shown so far in stories related to Guhae, exuded the majesty of a king.

“Once, just once, when you need help-.”

As one of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, he made a vow to Sima Mantian.

“In the name of Ao Shun, the Black Dragon King of the North Sea, I will help you.”

The world shatters. I wake up from the dream.

‧

‧

‧

In a room filled with sunlight.

I blink my eyes awake on the bed.

‘…I think I had a dream.’

I think I had a strange but important dream, but I can’t remember it well.

But strangely.

“Are you awake?”

At the voice calling me, I look down. Guhae, with her face resting on my chest, looks at me with sparkling blue eyes reminiscent of the morning sea.

“Yeah, I’m awake.”

I can’t remember what the dream was about, but I remember it was related to Guhae.

I stretch out my arms and hug Guhae’s soft and squishy body, pulling her closer. I meet her blue eyes staring at me.

It might seem strange to say this right after waking up, but I want to say it.

In a tender voice, I say.

“Guhae, thank you for being born.”

“……….”

At the unexpected words, Guhae’s mouth closes and her face turns red. Guhae buries her face in my chest without a word.

“…Mantian, you’re bad. You’re a coward.”

And then a cute grumbling voice echoes.

“So, do you hate it?”

At my playful question, Guhae.

“…I like it.”

She lifts her head slightly, showing her sharp shark teeth, and smiles brightly.

“I like you.”

I feel the warmth of Mantian’s touch.

While expressing affection with Guhae like this, I noticed one thing.

“Uh… Guhae? Did your internal energy increase?”

Guhae, who had always overwhelmed me with her internal energy, felt even stronger now.

After yesterday’s martial arts battle and facing the ‘Black Snake’ and the dragon’s energy in the inner world, her internal energy had risen even further.

In terms of internal energy alone, Guhae’s level was now beyond the peak, approaching the transcendent.

“Huh? Maybe?”

Guhae nodded nonchalantly.

“Anyway, hug me more.”

She burrows into Mantian’s embrace and rubs her face against him.

The blue-eyed dragon, now even more grown, climbs on top of Mantian and acts spoiled.

…Are dragons the Saiyans of the martial arts world? Why does she get stronger after every fight?

A sigh escapes me.

Of course, I’m not unhappy that Guhae has gotten stronger… but I thought I had gotten stronger too. The gap has widened again.

Well, what can I do… if Guhae has gotten stronger, I’ll just have to get stronger too.

‘I’ll have to grab Master Wang Miaoyang’s leg and train in martial arts when I get home.’

Dedede! The master watches the student’s martial arts with a serious face!

Anyway, for now-.

I smile softly and indulge Guhae’s spoiled behavior.

I wanted to play with Guhae a little more.

Guhae and I spent our time together on the bed until Jiegal Yeon knocked on the door to tell us to come eat breakfast.