Chapter 12
History of Drango Continent and the ServantHistory of Drango Continent and the Servant
1.
Drango Continent's Valkyrie Island.
A natural fortress and a cradle for hatchlings.
This place was an educational institution established by all dragon clans to prepare for any potential threats to the continent. It was meant to prevent the recurrence of catastrophic nightmares.
I've been attending this academy for over 300 years now. In 100 years, I'll finally graduate, a dream come true.
Yes, just a short century more, and I'll shed the name of hatchling and finally become an adult dragon.
Flip!
Pages turned under my fingers, and the contents of the book formed in my mind. The mana imbued in the dragon language resonated with me, creating voices and images before my eyes.
Think of it as a multimedia experience. Just by reading, information about what I wanted to understand absorbed into my mind...
‘It's been a while since I picked up a book. Should I read from the beginning?’
[…The Valkyrie Island Academy is a school island for hatchlings, a transcendental educational institution unprecedented on the continent…]
That’s because we are the first class of students. No hatchling has graduated yet. The academy's history is still short.
If it weren't for 'that incident,' there wouldn't have been a gathering of all clan offspring in one place.
The book acknowledged the incident as a crisis for the continent but also as the moment when the clans unified for the first time.
Dragons originally had strong pride and little interest outside their territories. They rarely cooperated or communicated with other clans.
But long ago, the Great War of Dragons broke out across the Drango Continent.
It wasn't a conflict among dragon clans or a war started by humans. It was a battle against a threat to all life on the continent.
Ironically, the cause of the war was a dragon.
The identity of the threat was Detronos, an ancient dragon and one of the first dragons.
According to historical records, Detronos, born from darkness, sought to engulf the world in shadows. His goal was to turn all the land into his lair.
Reading about "Ancient Dragon, Detronos," I visualized a massive dragon covered in obsidian-like scales.
A colossal being that inspired awe just by being looked at. The mere image in my mind sent shivers down my spine.
Detronos's ambition led to a conflict with the ancestral dragons.
This was the First Great War of Dragons.
The war lasted for a very long time.
Eventually, after a prolonged struggle, the ancestral dragons managed to subdue him. Unfortunately, they were too weakened from the extended conflict.
They couldn’t completely destroy him.
Instead, they sealed him.
Atop the mountain in the center of the Drango Continent,
Mount Desperino.
After sealing Detronos in Mount Desperino, the ancestors could only hope for a future hero capable of eradicating him.
To prevent the same war from repeating.
All the male dragons of every clan gathered at Mount Desperino, leaving their families and lairs behind to guard it.
Despite their efforts,
unfortunately, he eventually revived.
About 500 years ago, the seal broke.
No one knew whether it was due to the seal's age or negligence.
When Detronos awakened, the dragons guarding Mount Desperino perished.
‘My father was among those who fought till the end…’
Fortunately, Detronos has remained hidden in darkness and shadows since his escape, never showing himself.
The book suggested he was biding his time to regain his lost magical power.
With his awakening, the Drango Continent faced a new threat.
The long war had already severely reduced the number of male dragons, and the broken seal nearly wiped out the rest.
Finding a male dragon now was rare.
Thus, 400 years ago, the Academy on Valkyrie Island was established, albeit belatedly, to prepare for future threats.
Thankfully, peace had been maintained until now, barring minor incidents.
“Hmm…”
Sophia sighed, becoming more engrossed in the book.
---
2.
“Excuse me, Lady Sophia? If it’s not too much trouble, may I know what you’re reading?”
“Huh? Breeder?”
Sophia, enjoying coffee and biscuits while reading a history book, looked up at the silver-haired man addressing her.
Rustle!
He was holding a small paper bag.
“Oh, I hope I’m not disturbing your reading. Please forgive my intrusion.”
Breeder offered the paper bag while bowing deeply, worried he might have offended Sophia.
“What?”
“I was just curious about the book because it seemed like a history book.”
“Pfft…”
Sophia smiled slightly. His politeness and concern were endearing.
“It’s alright. I’m just revisiting the material. You can raise your head.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Lady Sophia.”
Breeder, the servant, was peculiar. His silver hair and dark eyes were unusual, but his demeanor towards dragons was noteworthy.
His speech and actions were polite yet subtly cheeky. And above all…
“How did you know it was a history book?”
“Huh? It says ‘History of the Drango Continent’ on the cover.”
“……?!”
Sophia’s face froze at his matter-of-fact response.
She was startled because the history book was written in Dragon Language, a language exclusive to dragons.
“Oh, and please take this.”
Rustle…!
Before Sophia could question his knowledge of Dragon Language, Breeder offered the paper bag. It seemed he was trying to divert the conversation.
“This is…?”
Inside were coffee biscuits he had made. He had set aside extras just for her.
‘I must win Sophia’s favor. If quality isn’t enough, I’ll go for quantity.’
Breeder had a clear goal: winning over SSR-tier dragons. He had succeeded with other dragons, but Sophia remained elusive.
This challenge stirred a sense of competition in him. He wanted to win her over at all costs. Even if he failed now, he wanted to increase her favorability.
He had another motive as well.
‘History of the Drango Continent.’
Breeder’s eyes focused on the history book Sophia was reading.
Falling into this world with no prior knowledge was frustrating, especially with his status as a servant. He needed basic information about this world.
He had ignored the game’s story, focusing solely on gacha, leaving his knowledge lacking.
With the new semester starting, the bits of information from the staff were insufficient.
He planned to use the biscuits to gain favor and borrow the book.
“What’s this about?”
“They’re biscuits.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?”
“I made extra, and before the others took them all, I set some aside for you.”
Breeder’s explanation surprised Sophia again.
“For me?”
“The other ladies kept asking for more coffee and cookies, but you were engrossed in reading. So I thought you might need more.”
His approach was impressive for a newcomer. It didn’t seem insincere, just a bit cheeky, but with genuine intent.
The clock struck six, signaling the end of the day and dinner time for the dragons.
“Ah, time flew by…”
Sophia finally noticed the empty break room.
She enjoyed reading with tea and snacks after class, losing track of time, especially today, with the entrance ceremony.
“I hope you’ll accept this as a small token of my appreciation.”
“Thank you. I will.”
“Oh, and Lady Sophia? May I borrow that book?”
“……?”
Sophia looked at him, puzzled.
“Please? I’m very interested in the history of the Drango Continent.”
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. I need to know more about the place I’ll be serving.”
“No, I meant, can you read Dragon Language?”
“……?!”
Breeder hesitated at her question, realizing the book was in Dragon Language.
‘It’s written in Dragon Language…?’
He hadn’t even noticed. All the characters looked the same to him, and Dragon Language sounded translated to his ears.
“…Ahem! Yes, I can read a little.”
Seeing no point in denying it, Breeder nodded.
Sophia, intrigued, smiled.
“It’s rare for a human to understand even a little Dragon Language. Fine, you can borrow the book.”
“Thank you so much!”
“But…”
“Yes?”
“Can you make me a different kind of dessert?”
“A different kind of dessert?”
Breeder asked, puzzled.
“Could you make something with mint? The cookies were good, but I’d like to try something with mint next time.”
Sophia’s face lit up with expectation, her eyes sparkling with genuine interest in mint.
“Mint…?”
“Yes. With your skills, I’m sure it’s possible.”
Breeder’s eyes filled with confusion.
‘Mint? Seriously, mint?’
---
3.
“Such an interesting human…”
Sophia left the break room with a faint smile.
‘It’s amazing he can read Dragon Language and even communicate in it.’
When asking for the mint dessert, Sophia had switched to Dragon Language.
It’s one thing to learn the script, but speaking it is another matter, usually impossible without mana.
But Breeder spoke Dragon Language fluently, almost like a dragon in disguise.
And he didn’t even realize he was doing it.
“This semester will be interesting.”
Sophia mused, glancing back at the break room as she left.