Chapter 26: The Legend of the Dragon (Part 2)
“What you see in the painting is the most detailed record of the Red Dragon in the Apocalypse; we call it the ‘Apocalypse Red Dragon’ in later times. According to the records, this dragon was the king among dragons and was a key figure in nearly causing the extinction of humanity. It led countless powerful dragons to stir up conflicts, plundering human cities and villages and burning down countless homes, all while glorifying its actions as ‘justice.’ If it weren’t for the grace of our magnificent deity, perhaps there would be no humanity left in this world since the Divine Era.”
“Oh, here we go again… This old man clearly isn’t a church member.” Beiyard mumbled from the side.
I frowned but ignored him.
“Now, let’s set aside the enmity between races and look at this ferocious beast from a life sciences perspective… Yes, you’ve noticed that it doesn’t have four claws and wings like those legends say. This dragon’s body is a fiery red, possessing seven heads and ten horns, each adorned with crowns. Rather than a dragon, it resembles a wild giant snake. However, in many artworks from later eras, the Apocalypse Red Dragon usually has bat-like wings…”
“I don’t know when it happened, but in the imaginations of people from later generations, the image of dragons has gradually shifted from diverse forms to a unified one, where all are envisioned as having four limbs on the ground, giant horns on their heads, long, thick necks, sharp teeth, long tails, bat-like wings, and scales covering their entire bodies, capable of spewing flames or venom… Though there are minor differences in various works, generally speaking, the legendary dragons in people’s minds conform to this fixed image.”
“People living in the Holy City wouldn’t think that way…”
Beiyard grumbled again, and even a cream puff couldn’t silence him.
I stared ahead, but slyly reached out under the table, my palm open and facing up. After a moment, a cream puff was placed in my hand.
The old man had just walked past us.
He continued slowly, “One significant reason behind this is that the creators of those works lacked imagination and tended to borrow from each other, leading to a stagnation in people’s understanding. Of course, this happened largely because the surviving books in the contemporary world rarely provide detailed descriptions of dragons, resulting in most people having very limited knowledge about them.”
“The truth is, not all dragons look like that. The so-called dragons with four limbs and bat-like wings are actually of a lower class among dragonkind; on the battlefield, they are among the easiest to slay by humans. True strong dragons usually have much larger bodies, more fearsome appearances, often possessing multiple heads, capable of breathing fire, frost, lightning, poison, or even extraordinary powers beyond our understanding. They might not have wings but can soar freely in the sky…”
“Teacher! How big are such dragons?”
A student raised their hand to ask, and the old man answered promptly.
“That’s actually what I’m about to discuss next. Those lower-class dragons, like fire dragons, red dragons, and white dragons, typically grow to a size ranging from fifteen to forty meters upon reaching adulthood. Their forms resemble those depicted in stories quite closely, while some even more powerful beings, at twenty or thirty meters, are merely juveniles. When fully grown, they usually reach over a hundred meters in length, and some can even exceed five hundred meters…”
Five hundred meters…
Juvenile…
I immediately thought of Big White.
If what the old man said is correct, it was clear that Big White did not resemble those ‘lower-class dragons.’ But if it is among the kings of dragons, then why did it seem… If I remember correctly, Big White looked around twenty meters tall when standing, barely reaching thirty.
Juvenile…
So, is Big White actually a baby dragon?
With this thought, I gently tapped Beiyard sitting next to me: “Hey, have you been to the Holy City?”
Beiyard, who was sneakily munching on something under the table, hurriedly swallowed when he heard my question.
“Holy City? I’ve been in the Holy City since I was a child… The Williams family is really strict with kids; when I was young, I always wanted to go outside, but Cardinal Saint George… Oh, my grandpa wouldn’t let me, my mother was no help, and the clerics watched me like prison guards, forcing me to memorize all the boring stuff, like doctrines and dogmas, which is why I…”
“Stop.” I interrupted him impatiently.
This guy is too chatty… Who asked you so much?
“Have you seen the bones of Saint George’s Dragon?”
I frowned in inquiry, and Beiyard nodded.
“Yes.”
“How big is it?”
“Very big.”
My frown deepened: “Very big, how big?”
“About the size of half a church. Let me tell you, the first time I saw it as a kid, I cried! I was—”
“How many meters?”
“…If I remember correctly, about three hundred fifty-two meters.”
“Oh.”
Three hundred fifty-two meters…
If Big White were an adult, how big would it be?
It could turn out to be a legit white-haired Godzilla.
“…The idea that all dragons are covered in a layer of tough scales is also incorrect. While most dragons indeed fit this description, there are exceptions. For instance, over a hundred years ago, the Church discovered an ancient fragment near the Holy Wall that vaguely described an extremely powerful dragon from the Divine Era.”
“Before the Abyss appeared, that area was once the wealthiest gathering place for humans, lush mountains and clear waters of Cartelgarin, home to countless prosperous cities. But one day, disaster struck when they encountered an exceptionally rare and powerful dragon. According to the fragment, its body was like a mountain, its head overshadowing the sun, and each step it took caused landslides. Its forelimbs were short, with goat-like horns twisted atop its head, allowing it to walk upright and glide through the clouds as if playing in the water. Its entire body was covered in white fur that could store lightning, and its mouth was capable of unleashing world-destroying white light, swiftly annihilating one city after another…”
…!!!
I was shocked, unable to keep my eyes from widening.
The image the old man described might not be very vivid, but I knew it all too well.
That was Big White! There was no doubt about it!
The thought suddenly surfaced in my mind, only to be swiftly denied.
No, it can’t be…
That was a thousand years ago… If Big White is a juvenile… then that dragon would at least be a relative of Big White!
It might even be its father!
But…
Why destroy cities…
“What’s wrong?”
Beiyard seemed to sense something and turned to me.
I shook my head, choosing not to speak, suppressing the turmoil in my heart as I continued to listen to the old man speak.
“…We can’t begin to imagine how many such extraordinary beings there were. It’s hard to fathom how humans back then managed to survive in such difficult circumstances. Without the punitive miracles and the Power of Order, what kind of courage did our ancestors need to face such terrifying creatures in mortal combat… Luckily, no matter how powerful the dragons were back then or how invincible they seemed, they are all no longer in this world now…”
“Teacher.”
A student interrupted him: “Does the Land of Dragons really exist?”
The old man hesitated for a moment at this.
“…Regarding the Land of Dragons, it isn’t the topic I planned to discuss today, nor does it fall under the realm of life sciences. But since someone has asked, I’ll briefly share my personal thoughts… In truth, I don’t know much, so just consider it a story to listen to.”
The old man strolled around the classroom before standing on the stone platform, lowering his head in thought, as if weighing his words. Finally, he said, “According to rumors… just rumors. Last year, in the Woodward Forest of Silgaya, someone claimed to have seen a dragon… Um, a white dragon. And many of the local villagers reportedly worship it as the Dragon God… Because of this, some say that the Land of Dragons is actually in Silgaya. This may be the only clue we currently know about the Land of Dragons. Of course, such clues shouldn’t be taken seriously.”
Ah…
He actually heard about these things…
“Whoa—”
As soon as the old man finished, the classroom exploded with buzz.
“Really? Does the Land of Dragons really exist?”
“Teacher, aren’t dragons evil? Why would they be worshipped as gods?”
“Won’t that blaspheme the deity?”
“I saw in some books that those evil dragons were called ‘sacred dragons’…”
Students chimed in with questions, their hands shooting up everywhere. The old man smiled at their enthusiasm, raising his hand to signal for silence.
“Though it’s not entirely appropriate to say so, the definition of good and evil… is merely from a human perspective, right? However, I’m a bachelor in life sciences, and what I aim to teach you today are the principles of life. And life… well, there’s really no concept of good or evil, only the natural laws of survival of the fittest…”
As he spoke, the students below began to murmur even more, the noise rising as many whispered to each other. Clearly, not everyone accepted his views, but the old man didn’t force the issue.
He continued, “As for the ‘sacred dragons,’ according to the Apocalypse records, it’s actually a term used by the ancient tribes. In some old documents, there’s mention of disputes during the Divine Era, where humans captured many members of other tribes. Some… out-of-place content was also reportedly heard from those captured, which someone wrote down…”
The old man’s face began to show hesitation.
But he still pushed forward with his words.
“Many years ago, it’s said that the dragons were honored as ‘Guardians of the World.’ They were once the messengers of the gods, children of the earth, and had their own clans. There are even legends of a dragon language… this all happened before humanity was born, long, long ago, and thus we cannot discern its truth. I shouldn’t be saying this, and you should treat it as idle chatter… I’ve only seen a small part of those records, and most are just fabricated nonsense, not worth taking seriously… Academia demands rigor…”
“Just like I heard someone say that when Miss Silvya fought with the Endless Abyss, that dragon worshipped by the villagers as the Dragon God even came to help… This absurd rumor, you all must learn to distinguish when you go out. Remember my words, as scholars, know what to believe in and what not to, and don’t blindly follow others… All right, let’s move on to the next topic…”
“Peilo.” Beiyard lightly nudged my arm, “Is what he said true?”
I turned my head: “What now?”
“When you were in Silgaya, did a dragon come to help you?”
“…No.”
“But your eyes tell me you’re lying.”
“Seriously, no.”
“What does the dragon look like?”
“I don’t know.”
“Tsk…”
Beiyard clicked his tongue slightly and stopped asking.
Indeed, this guy knows my identity.
A few days ago at dusk, after class, Beiyard and I were walking along the Narrow Path to the cafeteria. He suddenly brought up the great battle before we arrived at the Royal City, and I wasn’t keen on continuing the conversation, so I was half-heartedly responding when he suddenly asked, “Weren’t you going toe-to-toe with Nero back then?”
Since that moment, I realized he knew absolutely everything.
…………
Soon, the class concluded.
It was time to enjoy lunch.
