I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 886

Chapter 99: The Hope of the Future

The dark golden remnants of a soul stood facing the red-haired monarch, the atmosphere becoming subtly heavy.

Rob took a sip of hot tea, letting it brew for a moment before responding with a sigh.

“Your Majesty, the Dragon King, I admire you personally and am grateful for your involvement in this battle for the kingdom.”

“Not just for a race, but to fight for all living beings and the world as a whole; I fall short compared to such a vision. However, I hope you understand that not everyone possesses the wisdom, lifespan, or power to maintain this perspective.”

Meeting the gaze across from him, Rob didn’t hide his rejection: “I am the king; safeguarding my people’s interests is my top priority.”

“I’ll be blunt, your dragon race is too dangerous, and we bear deep-seated grudges. Even if Nidhogg’s taint has vanished, our two races can’t coexist peacefully.”

Given Rob’s character, that was already a rather diplomatic way of saying it.

Bahamut understood, his ancient eyes dimming in realization.

On one side was the dragon king, desperate to protect his innocent descendants, and on the other was the king needing to heed the will of the people.

Even without the pollution from dragons, their immense power was a latent threat. Not to mention, two wars in just nineteen years had left indelible scars on the hearts of the Lionheart Kingdom’s citizens.

When it came to dragons, the people’s reaction was pure fear and hatred.

In this context, reverting to the era of the First Epoch—when Bahamut governed both humans and dragons hand-in-hand—was utterly impossible.

The dragon king couldn’t possibly be oblivious to this, so Bahamut felt a profound disappointment wash over him.

Meanwhile, Rob, stroking his beard, was also feeling the weight of the moment.

From a personal perspective, he understood the dragon king’s good intentions and even thought that the warfare couldn’t solely be blamed on them. However, even as a king, he couldn’t settle everything; no matter how fiercely he pushed for peace between humans and dragons, his knights might not follow suit.

It was a matter concerning the future of two races, casting a shadow so dark that both monarchs fell silent.

But just then, Roy broke the silence.

“Lord Bahamut, is it too early to give up?”

Bahamut’s eyes flickered, but he managed a bitter smile: “Youngster… no need for further words; I understand your majesty’s predicament. At this point, the dragon race’s unacceptability to humans is unavoidable.”

“So you’re just going to abandon peace between our races?”

Bahamut paused, taken aback.

Looking at both monarchs, Roy smiled softly: “Peaceful coexistence of our races is challenging, but even if our generation fails to see it, we can still take the first step towards such a future.”

Pure fear and hesitation wouldn’t change anything; only moving forward could uncover a glimmer of hope.

Never give up until the very end.

Perhaps it was historical lessons from a past life or the fate of this life shifting course; to Roy, even if satisfactory results elude them now, the future isn’t impossible.

Little by little, through constant effort, they could carve a path forward.

“Uncle Rob, Lord Bahamut, why not shift perspectives? Instead of concentrating on what we cannot do, let’s focus on what we can accomplish?”

His sincere words rekindled hope in Bahamut’s eyes and relaxed Rob’s furrowed brow.

A ruler at the helm couldn’t be a foolish or incompetent individual; they were merely momentarily daunted by the immense difficulties, akin to a traveler hesitating in the dark.

Roy’s words undoubtedly illuminated their path, guiding them forward.

After briefly contemplating, Rob spoke first.

“Lord Dragon King, your hatchlings won’t be hatching any time soon, right?”

“That depends, but we won’t see a large number of hatchlings for three to five years.”

Rob nodded slightly: “In that case, I can arrange for trusted subordinates to temporarily house your dragon eggs, ensuring their safety, along with preventing any accidental harm to my people.”

“However, this is merely a stopgap measure. The hatred of my citizens won’t vanish in three to five years, so you should take this time to find a new place for them to reside.”

Roy looked at Bahamut: “What do you think?”

“Of course, I will assist in finding a new homeland.”

Not everyone in the world despised the dragons. Veszyra had nurtured countless races, and surely there must be a sanctuary for dragons today.

Roy recalled the vast unclaimed lands present in both the Verdant Assembly and the Kingdom of Sands; either might accommodate the dragon race.

“Absolutely! Certainly!” The old man’s remnant soul flickered, seemingly solidifying a bit in the light.

Since ancient times, there have been many examples of emperors sweeping away millions in wrath. Rob had lost a number of close friends and kin in war, and not taking this opportunity to eradicate the dragon race was already a display of mercy.

Rob added: “Naturally, this requires the dragons to no longer threaten my people, and I will do my utmost to alleviate my citizens’ resentment towards you all during these years.”

“I naturally understand. As you see, this old man can’t promise too much right now, but if anyone from either race attempts to reignite the flames of war, let this little fellow…”

Looking at Roy, the dragon king’s smile softened: “No, let this dragon slayer extinguish the seeds of conflict instead.”

Rob chuckled, patting Roy’s shoulder: “Haha, did you hear that? The Dragon King seems quite interested in you!”

From this discussion onward, the two monarchs finally revealed genuine smiles.

Oh boy, it seems I’ve stumbled into quite the sticky situation!

On one hand, I have the responsibilities of the kingdom’s knight, and on the other, I’m burdened with the dragon king’s entrustment. Roy suddenly felt overwhelmed.

However, given all the riches and nobility the kingdom had afforded him, and the bloodline power gifted by the dragon king, returning a favor seemed reasonable.

As the conference wrapped up, the three of them exited the meeting room together.

Upon opening the door, they saw the red-haired princess waiting outside with her arms crossed.

Upon spotting the dragon king’s remnants, Charlotte, who had already heard Roy introduce the royal family, elegantly bowed before swiftly stepping beside Roy, shielding him, and glaring at her old father.

Rob just stood there, dumbfounded.

Seriously? You’re still pretending around the dragon king, but your old man gets the worst treatment?!

“Ugh… cough cough, Father, you didn’t make things difficult for Roy, did you?”

“Impossible, do you think I’m the kind of unreasonable person?!”

“Hahaha, the Lionheart King’s daughter and Roy’s relationship is still as deep as ever, just like the past Siegfried and that princess,” Bahamut said, nostalgia washing over him as he remembered a few old friends.

“This kid Roy is remarkable, and the blood of the False King won’t disgrace your royal lineage. Your Majesty, you could support them a bit more.”

Rob’s mouth twitched at that.

What’s with this back-and-forth help for that brat?!