Before The Start (1)

“Master, are you……. really alright?”

Ian told Riley that he was going to leave for a moment but, even then Ian’s anxious facial expression was questioned as to whether he was concerned with something.

“Have you heard the explanation? It is going to be a long time for you but…… for the people in this world this it is going to be as short as if going to the bathroom.”

They couldn’t read the expression on Ian’s face. Ianril, who could feel the Ian’s concernby the sound of his voice, stretched out her hand.

“Ian.”

Stuttering, Ian carefully caught the hand that was floating in the air.

“Yes.”

Ashe held Inaril’s hand, Ian’s expression turned sour.

“I’m not the person who is worried, you are. I might be the one saying this but, you’re quite old youself…….. please act while thinking about your present state.”

There was no answer from Ian, Ianril touched his hand covered his palm and added,

“There is a story about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Therein lies your answer, rather than asking someone else for a favor.”

“……. Yes.”

“Since you decided to go along with Iril, Iril too please……… please try to do your best.”

Inaril was wondering why Riley wanted to take both Ian and Iril together with him. after giving Ian serious advice, Inaril turned to face Iril.

“Iril.”

“Yes, Grandma.”

Iril also before leaving. Iril was standing behind Ian to greet Inaril before leaving.

“Though you’re good with the sword , don’t go around swinging your sword everywhere and make sure to listen toIan and Mr. Riley. I hope it helps and that there won’t be any casualties.”

Iril looked at the Inaril’s blank face and understood what she meant, and she nodded her head and asked

“Aren’t I still a kid?”

“No, you are an adult.”

“Ugh, I get it.”

Iril knew that she couldn’t win against Inaril through words so she just sighed as if she lost.

“Then, I’ll leave first.”

To give Ian and Ianril some alone time, Iril walked to the side where Riley and his companions were waiting. Ian took a huge breath and opened his mouth.

“Okay….. Me too.”

The hand that he wanted to hold even if it was chilly… Ian eventually put it down, took a step back and bowed his head.

“….I will be back.”

“I thought about it constantly. There isn’t any need for you to be so formal. Besides, if you will come back soon…..”

“No.”

Ian lifted his head after bowing to her and answered her that it was not definite.

“For Iril and me, this could be a long trip.”

Upon hearing Ian’s reply, Inaril thought that the first part of it could be wrong and she tried to put up a small smile.

“Is that so.”

“Yes.”

Before leaving, Ian was touched the sword that was hanging down from his waist and started to walk away, hiding his expression which said it was really the time to go.

“I will be back soon.”

Ian started to follow Iril and reached to the place where Riley and his companions were waiting. Inaril stood there till they started to disappear from her line of sight and released a huge sigh.

“Haaa……….”

“……are you alright?”

A young man approached Inaril from behind. Ryan took off the hood he was wearing and asked.

“What…… are you talking about?”

She didn’t seem to know. So with a bitter expression on his face, Ryan asked her once again in a detailed manner.

“Listen, that guy Riley originally thought of taking six members with him…. so couldn’t he have chosen to leave Ian behind?”

Ian could’ve been left behind. Ryan asked his teacher if that was what she wanted but he didn’t hear an answer and only saw a face with a question mark on it.

“Teacher?”

“………..”

Instead of hearing a reply, there was only silence. Ryan looked at the hollow expression on the face of his teacher.

“………..”

Chak.

Chak.

And sometimes it was just a soft sound coming from the neighborhood. The silence continued for a while and Ryan looked the still figure of his teacher and spoke in a careful tone.

“Teacher…..?”

“……….”

Only the reflected suns.h.i.+ne in her eyes. As since there was no reply for a long while, coupled with blank expression, Ryan’s lips parted, trying to shed away the well of sadness hehad opened.

“………..ah!”

After a long silence, Inaril who was standing in the sun with her chin down, lifted her head.

“Te, teacher?”

Ryan, who had waited in silence along with Inaril, couldn’t hid his surprise and said,

“Teacher just now……….”

Anywhere, Ryan had a blurry reminiscent of the lady, the appearance of her was that of one who had traveled much farther than either Ian or Iril had.

“………. it was spring?”

Inaril opened her lips with a blank expression and suddenly smiled a little and mumbled, seeing this Ryan’s had a questioning look on his face.

“What?”

“It’s been quite a while, I was asleep for a while.”

Just a while before, Inaril didn’t provide an answer to the question that Ryan asked and simply turned her face to the direction where Ian and Iril walked away.

‘Again……….’

Inaril knew the gift that someone had left and stayed quiet, she thanked under her breath to the boy who left her this present.

*              *                *

“Then……. Except for one are all together?”

Riley who had left something behind for ‘that woman’ as she let go of Ian and Iril turned his head and looked at the six members that were gathered in one place.

“Yes.”

Of the six people who stood side by side, Nainiae who was standing on the left as the representative bowed her head and answered.

“Young Master the selected six people, are all present.”

Nainiae.

Sera.

Nara.

Priesia.

Ian.

Iril

“Nice.”

Riley looked at the faces that showed different expressions and Riley nodded his head as he liked this He then ordered Nainiae,

“The remaining one piece of the puzzle, the picture, must be gathered in order to be completed….. so let’s go there. I see that everyone is curious.”

They were curious about the one person who was upon decided at the beginning but not collected until now. Nainiae and the five others expressions seemed like they were waiting. She asked,

“Who is it? Are you really hiding that person?”

“I noticed that even Naniae knows it.”

“Ah, I’m curious…. The gender comes first!”

The five members were still conversing while Riley shook his head after he was reminded of Andal who was left behind in Ansyrium.

‘Come to think of it, did the dragon have a gender?’

It used the appearance of a human male when it needed to play the role of a human, Riley who didn’t know if the dragons had a gender or they were genderless looked at Iril after hearing her voice.

“Me!”

“……….?”

“I’m curious about the last person! Um, It would be nice if that person is younger than me!”

“If that friend is younger than Iril it’s a little…….”

At the Iril’s words, Riley wondered about the Andal’s real age and to get rid of his thoughts he shook his head and opened his lips.

“Well, You’ll know once you meet that person.”

As per Riley’s command, Nainiae created a portal and stood beside it.

“Ah, note it.”

“…….?”

Riley, who was the first to walk into the portal created by Nainiae, turned around and glanced at Iril. He added,

“He’s older than you.”

*               *               *

Ansyrium – Lakeside

“This is a warning. One more time, If someone calls me a ‘lizard’ one more time I will  evaporate the lake. I don’t need to r fish.”

His irritation reached its limit, the words that were coming out had anger in them.

“Hum…….. if not lizard, then what am I supposed to call you?”

“You can call me a dragon!”

“Dragon? Dragon kid…….”

“Kid? This idiot dares to call me a kid?”

The figure of the boy who was in a relaxed posture with his arms crossed was a matter of concern. A little while back Andal who was called as a ‘lizard’ by a boy furrowed his eyebrows and asked,

“What is it Abyss? Let’s see, I seem to know something about someone………. what the h.e.l.l does the guy do? There seems to be something going on between you and Riley.”

At the question from Andal, Abyss remained in an relaxed posture without answering and started to make a sound by tapping his arm with his finger. ‘Tik tik.’

“What is my relations.h.i.+p with this guy……..? It’s a complicated question.”

Abyss, who was concerned about the answers he could provide, decided something and spoke.

“Riley is a long time friend.”

Andal’s  eyes frowned.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“Wasn’t this the answer that you were looking for?”

“If that Riley guy is a ‘normal human friend’…….. then why don’t you let me look into your memory? How does that sound?”

“Haha.”

In fact, from a while back the ‘memory extraction’ magic they were going to try on Abyss has been failingand for some reason Endal was feeling nervous.

“Riley has gathered companions, he is definitely going through with it. This feeling…… isn’t much different from when I first met that guy.”

The feeling that I’m getting from this guy, the ‘the sense of difference’ is because I met Riley.

In comparison with Riley, my anger is a huge advantage.

“I will not allowyou to look into my memories. You want to know the relations.h.i.+pbetween me and Riley so won’t it be fine if I explain? Will that be alright?”

The explanation that Abyss wanted to give will take a long time. Endal answered that it doesn’t matter.

“What, it doesn’t matter to me even if it is going to take a few thousand years.”

“Haha, a few thousand years…….”

“What? Is it really going to take a few thousand years?”

Andal thought that it was the truth and frowned. Abyss laughed again and shook his head.

“No, if it was my story, then it could take that much time.”

“What?”

“Enough of my jokes, let me start from the beginning.”

Abyss, whose head was tilted back to get relief from his stiff neck,started to talk about the first encounter between Riley and him, and about Riley’s past life.

“This is a story about the things that do not exist in this world. It’s going to be an interesting one for a dragon kid.”

Like an adult who was reading a fairy tale book to a child who had a lot of curiosity, after gathering his thoughts, Abyss opened his small eyes and began to tell the story.

“In simple terms, in another world that is different from this one…… in a previous life with Riley and I, devils and human beings misunderstood each other for a long time.”

The ‘past life’ and ‘devil’ that Abyss was talking about was hard for Andal to understand. He scrunched up his face, butdid not ask for clarification.

“I was a devil.”

“……..”

Andalpersonally hated to break the flow of the story by interrupting with a question.He thought that he would remember the things that he was curious about and ask them once the story ended, and Abyss who introduced himself as the devil spoke while looking down.

“If the one who stands above all the devils is the demon king, then the one who stands above all the humans is……… the devil.”

As Abyss spoke, a strangeenergy started to flow around him. Andal started to tremble and watched Abyss warily.

“This me, this body of the Demon King of the devils, was controlled by a ‘human youth’ with a sword. He was born blessed by the saints.hat poor friend was carrying the hope of all of the humans on his sore shoulders………. He finally succeeded in taking  me down.”

Endal guessed who it was.

“By any chance, was that ‘human youth’………..”

Abyss nodded his head at Endal’s mumbling, and said the name of the human youth.

“Riley.”

“……..”

In Riley’s past life, Riley had a rough approximation of the number of humans and devils that he killed by swinging his sword. Abyss, who was telling him about what Riley was going to do from now on, took a while to speak again.

“In my past life…….. I didn’t even know how the time went by.”

Abyss looked at Andal’s face after telling the story and turned his head, staring blankly.

Chik.

Chik chik.

A small lightning sound seemed to have been heard. At the s.p.a.ce, he stared at, Abyss saw a portal appear.

“……. He has come?”

Beyond the portal, Abyss saw that Riley had arrived and lifted himself from the chair and stood up.

“I guess he has come.”

From the portal along with Riley, six other humans were coming through. Upon seeing those people, Abyss looked at Andal and spoke.

“That is how it was. You must use some power.”

Abyss backed up quickly and said,

“Dragon kid, You were his first.”