Dragon Maken War

Chapter 171 - Advent of Confusion (3)

Reshoo let out an embarrassed laughter.

“I learned that from Azell too.  I wasn’t a good teacher, and I wasn’t a good student either.  From the moment I set foot on this world, I was strong.  I could do whatever I wanted.  This might be why I hated studying subjects that had anything to do with logic.  Of course, I was terrible at explaining what I knew to others.”

When Reshoo thought back on the words he had spoken out loud, he had a hard time deciphering what he had been trying to say.

If a bird with wings asked a flightless being to teach one how to fly, what would the answer sound like?

He regurgitated concepts when Azell had no basis for understanding it.  Of course, his explanation had sounded nonsensical.  Still, Azell was like a person sifting through trash to find treasures.  Azell had gathered pieces of what he had said to create meaningful words.

“I knew everything at an instinctual, but when someone else…..  No, I couldn’t even explain what I knew, yet this man was coming up with precise explanations.  Even I couldn’t help but marvel at it.”

“Basically, he made a brute into a person?”

“That’s right.  To be precise, he made me want to become a person.”

At the time, Reshoo had been satisfied by what he was.  He had been born as a powerful being, and he could easily acquire whatever he wanted.

However, at the time, he had met Azell.  Azell had been born weak, yet he had exceeded those that were born into power.  Azell had reached a higher state than him.  Reshoo was able to realize his shortcomings, and the desire to become a better existence appeared.  

“My desire for wanting to become stronger started when I was defeated by Atein.  However, I wanted to become a better person when….  It was thanks to Azell.”

Azell had taught Reshoo many things, and he left behind a present that would become guide his life.

“Understand the humans.  Leticia, I met you, because I had heard those words.”

“You followed my words for the past 200 years, and you lived amongst the humans?”

“At first, that was my motive….  However, you can say it is my way of life now.  It is a long time even for me, but the time passed by so quickly.”

It didn’t seem like a lot of time to him, but babies born not too long ago started to crawl.  Then the children grew to walk, talk, cry and laugh.  They quickly grew up.

“I couldn’t help, but marvel at the process.  I saw it countless times, and I should have been tired of watching it.  Maybe, it was because I wasn’t born under the protection of parents.  I didn’t grow up under such an environment.”

“…no, it isn’t normal for one to be self aware at birth.  This is true for when one is a baby..”

“Still, one’s first experience becomes stamped into one’s basic instincts.  Even if one can’t remember it, it is imprinted somewhere in one’s soul.  I don’t have what the humans had…..   To be precise, I would also include other Dragon Demons and Dragon Majins into the same group.  I wonder if that is what separates us.”

“I’m sure this is an experience unique to the 1st generation Dragon Demons.”

“Ah.  I’m speaking about this as if it is common knowledge.  Have you heard about this, Azell?”

“I heard about it.  Azell said you possessed the most Dragon Demon magic amongst the 1st generation Dragon Demons…..   In many ways, I feel duped.”

“I wasn’t really trying to be deceptive towards you.”

“It doesn’t matter.  In the past, I knew you didn’t tell me every minute detail of your past.  It doesn’t matter who you are.  I learned many things from you.  The fact that I owe you a lot remains unchanged.”

“When you put it that way, I am thankful and embarrassed…..”

Reshoo let out an embarrassed laughter.  He scratched his cheeks.

As she observed him, Leticia asked Reshoo a questioni..

“It seems there are infinite variety even amongst the 1st generation Dragon Demons.  This was true about Reygus and Almarick, but.…….”

“Ah, you did say you met those two.  How was it?”

“Reygus was a completely crazy and idiotic battle fiend.  Almarick was….  Mmm.  He was like a mountain hermit that lived a full life, but he was horrifyingly strong.  After Azell keeled over, the four of us tried to attack him.  We lost without being able to do anything.”

“Mmm?  Could you give me a more detailed account?”

When Reshoo wondered about it, Leticia went over what she had experienced.  After hearing everything, Reshoo tilted his head in puzzlement.

“From what I heard about Almarick from Azell, he didn’t have such a personality…...”

“Azell also said that his personality had become markedly different.”

“I’m not well acquainted with them.  If Azell says it is so, he’s probably right.”

“I heard you fought with Atein, yet you aren’t acquainted with Reygus and Almarick?”

“When I fought Atein, it occurred within this forest…..  At the time, he only brought Aunsaurus.  When I left this forest to roam the world, the Dragon Demon war had ended.  This was why I never became acquainted with them.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Atein was…  He was quite the entertaining fellow.”

“Mmm?”

Leticia furrowed her brows.  Reshoo continued to speak.

“His way of thinking was a bit outrageous.”

“Outrageous?”

“Normally, when one encounters a problem, one usually chooses between two choices.  It is to either solve the problem or avoid the problem.”

“That’s right.”

“However, Atein wasn’t like that.  After he solved the problem with his ability, it didn’t end there…   He would sit in front of the problem to come up with other ways he could use to solve the problem, then he would come up with methods that could be used by others to solve the same problem.”

“The former sounds reasonable, but the latter… It does sound strange.”

“It doesn’t end there. Afterwards, he investigates the problem itself.  Why did the problem arise?  Is there some way that would ensure that this problem never arises….  He would methodically analyze the problem, and at each stage of the analysis, he would come up with various methods he and the others could use to stop the problem from arising.  He would continuously find subjects that he would become engrossed in.”

“Mmm…….”

It was clear that Atein was an eccentric figure.

Leticia asked a question.

“It seems 1st generation Dragon Demons are powerful.  I experienced their might when we came across Reygus and Almarick.  They were really strong.  Was it the same for the Dragon Demon king Atein?”

“Mmmm? It is impossible to compare Atein to the two of them.”

“He was that strong?”

“No, I misspoke.  I meant Atein wasn’t strong only because he was a 1st generation Dragon Demon.  In truth, this might also be true of Reygus and Almarick.”

“What do you mean?”

“After the 1st generation Dragon Demons started appearing in this world, they all possessed massive amount of power.  However, there are only few instances where a 1st generation Dragon Demon was able to transcend one’s lifespan like Atein and the Dragon Demon generals.”

“They transcended their lifespan? Those words…  Are you saying that not all 1st generation Dragon Demons live so long?”

“Yes.  Unless one gets murdered, Dragon Demons live longer than the Dragon Majins.  However, not all of them are able to live as long as Atein and the Dragon Demon generals.  There’s also the fact that they were the first, so there is a difference.  Then there is the the temperament of the Dragons…..  They are similar to the Dragons before they go through the Dragon Slayer’s Ritual in that they are aggressive.  This is why they die early on.”

“Still, 1st generation Dragon Demons are overwhelmingly powerful, so why would they die so easily?”

“You can’t see Reygus and Almarick as the standard.  Your party can handle normal 1st generation Dragon Demons as if they are kids.”

“Is that really true?”

Leticia eyes widened. This was completely different from what she had perceived to be true.

Reshoo let out a bitter laugh.

“It is true that the 1st generation Dragon Demons are born with much more potential.  There aren’t any beings in this world that are born with as much Dragon Demon magic as them.  However, let’s us say a 1st generation Dragon Demon was born with twice the Dragon Demon magic you have right now, Leticia.”

“Even that much sounds amazing…….”

Leticia was a Dragon Majin, but she had been a test subject born to become the heir to Almarick.  Her potential was excellent.  Moreover, she experienced a unification with a Demon, so her Dragon Demon magic was better than most Dragon Majins.  That is why twice the amount of her Dragon Demon magic was an incredible amount.

“However, what if the 1st generation Dragon Demon knew no Dragon Arts?  How strong would he be?”

“…I see.  So that is what you meant.”

Of course, it would be difficult to find an adversary in nature that would be able to rival them.  They could rip apart humans with their bare hands, and their physical capabilities were so overwhelming that beasts couldn’t track their movements.

However, one had to go through a learning process to fully utilize one’s Dragon Demon magic.

Even if they didn’t have techniques that maximized their power through magic techniques or Dragon Arts, the Dragon Demons had the natural ability to cause fire or wind to manifest.  Still, one had to establish how to best use these powers through experience.

Beasts grew up to be crafty hunters, but many died in the maturation process.  Even after they are fully grown, a single mistake could cause the beast’s death.

The life of a 1st generation was like that.

“They are strong, but they are much weaker than a Dragon.  Moreover, Dragons are protected by their parents until they mature.  If we take that point into consideration, it is harder for the 1st generation Dragon Demons to survive.  On top of that, 1st generation Dragon Demons rarely form groups.  They work alone, and that also decreases their chances of survival.”

Even if they possessed strength and intelligence, they were like beasts trying to survive in nature.  They had to live the life of an independent adult beast.  This was why many died in territorial battles.  They often succumbed to starvation and fatigue.

“Of course, the speed at which they improve their abilities is incredibly fast.  Still, the upper limits of their natural ability is clear compared to those that learned the Dragon Arts or magic.”

“If that is true…….”

Leticia furrowed her brows.

“From what Azell had said, he said you were incredibly powerful from the very first time he met you.  Were you just lucky?  Or were you somehow special?”

“It is both.”

Reshoo let out a bitter laugh.

“According to Atein, I was probably born with the largest amount of power amongst the 1st generation Dragon Demons.  This was why I had no natural enemies, and even before I learned techniques from Azell, I was able to win fights against Dragons for territories.”

Basically, he had been stronger than a Dragon when he hadn’t learned magic or the Dragon Arts.  He really was someone that possessed a ridiculous amount of potential.  

“However, it isn’t as if all 1st generation Dragon Demons are powerful.  You should look at the 1st generation Dragon Demons that were born in this forest.  The only that is special is probably Hanerosa.”

“Hanerosa….  I’ve heard that name earlier.”

“He is in charge of the eastern edge of the forest.  He came into being around 120 years ago.  He is powerful, yet he is an introvert.  This was why it was easy to rope him to our side…..”

“Somehow, it feels as if the image I held of the 1st generation Dragon Demons are being smashed into pieces.”

“It'll be destroyed further in the future.  You’ll have the chance to meet other 1st generation Dragon Demons in this forest.”

“I see.  Let me ask you one question.”

When he nodded his head, Leticia’s face hardened into a serious expression.  Reshoo nodded his head.

“Speak.”

“If I learn the Dragon Soul from you, will I be able to go toe to toe with Reygus and Almarick?”

“Mmmm…….”

Reshoo furrowed his brows.  Then he tilted his head.

“From your explanation, I can get a rough idea of their battle capabilities…  It’ll be impossible in the short term.”

“…I see.”

“I’m talking about the immediate future.  It is impossible for you to go toe to toe with them in terms of strength.  If all of you had the highest ranked Dragon weapon like the Vitan’s Chalice, it would still be a tall task.  However, the story might change depending on what type of abilities you guys can earn through the Dragon Soul.”