Overgeared

Chapter 1887

‘Grid didn’t intend to provoke Bunhelier?’

Kraugel had a sudden realization. It was because he noticed that Grid’s hypothesis was plausible.

‘If the beginning of the myth really isn’t the beginning.’

If this fact could be proven, Grid’s hypothesis carried a tremendous amount of power. It meant it was possible for Bunhelier to be of mixed race.

The reason why Bunhelier’s front feet were abnormally small and why Bunhelier was particularly weak among the Old Dragons could be explained all at once. Bunhelier also seemed to be aware of it as well. His eyes that were soaring into the sky started to rapidly sink and the black pupils started shaking.

He was clearly agitated. Of course, there was a close to zero percent chance that the timing of the beginning was misrepresented. In the first place, Bunhelier was someone who had existed since the beginning of time.

However, humans always had some doubts. They always questioned facts and phenomena that had been taken for granted. They researched them and developed the discipline of science. For beings with superior intelligence like humans, the act of questioning was much more familiar to them.

“By the way, you... how did you come up with that idea?”

Bunhelier looked back at the ‘memories of the beginning’ with a serious face and questioned Grid. The idea that the beginning wasn’t actually the beginning—it was hard to think of it normally. There had to be something tremendous that happened.

Bunhelier became curious about the inside story. He wondered if Grid had been in contact with Rebecca.

Kraugel, Hayate, and Biban were on the same page—they judged that Grid went through another great thing alone.

It happened as tension filled the air...

“I heard Basara mention her dream of forthcoming conception.”

“Dream of forthcoming conception...?”

“She said that a dragon of the east appeared. The small feet holding the yeouiju reminded her of you.”

“Shut up for a moment. Dream of forthcoming conception... dream of forthcoming conception? A dream that tells you the omen that you are going to have a child?”

Bunhelier’s knowledge was vast. He could immediately recall the dictionary meaning of the unfamiliar words used by humans. He soon frowned. “You doubted the beginning because of this?”

Bunhelier felt a variety of emotions at once. It was unpleasantness, irritation, futility, and anger.

Hayate and Biban laughed.

“A dream of forthcoming conception with a dragon appearing... it is very precious.”

“It is especially positive that it is a dragon of the east.”

The dragons of the east had completely different concepts from dragons. It was a race that took the Blue Dragon as their ancestor out of the four gods born from the aspirations of humanity, and they were classified as divine creatures. They might be greatly inferior in strength and majesty compared to dragons, but they were considered auspicious.

A dream of forthcoming conception with the appearance of an eastern dragon could only be auspicious. It would’ve been a bad omen if a dragon had appeared in a dream of forthcoming conception. Dragons were treated as beings close to evil by the public due to their reign of terror.

“Shut up.”

Bunhelier couldn’t see anything else.

First, he spoke rudely to Grid. Now he was the same to Hayate and Biban. He had lost his composure and Kraugel gave him a hint. The way he raised his finger and placed it to his lips seemed to be telling Bunhelier to shut up.

Of course, it was a misunderstanding. The reason why Kraugel warned Bunhelier not to cross the line was purely for the safety of the tower. If there was a disturbance here, the tower members might have to move again.

“This guy...?”

Kraugel was a perfect target for Bunhelier, who was feeling uncomfortable. The present day Sword Saint—he was the most easygoing one among them and was a good target for venting Bunhelier’s anger.

That’s right—despite losing his cool, Bunhelier made a proper distinction between the strong and the weak. It was an ability he had acquired by experiencing all types of humiliations over the years.

Finally, Hayate raised his killing intent and warned Bunhelier, “Don’t act rashly.”

“...I was too agitated for a moment. Please understand.”

“Lord Hayate is fully aware of your position. That is why it is just a warning.”

“Sir Biban, stop.”

“Yes.”

“......”

After all, was it better to take the Dragon Slayer route?

It happened as Kraugel was feeling troubled while watching the situation...

“The yeouiju. You can think of it as a dragon’s heart that has been taken out. It is like a dragon’s life. It is realistically impossible to obtain the yeouiju unless you are determined to kill the owner of the yeouiju,” Grid explained.

It was unexpectedly an area of expertise for him due to his deep connection with the Blue Dragon.

“But if my hypothesis is correct, there must be a yeouiju without a master somewhere in the world.”

The hypothesis that Bunhelier was a hybrid of a dragon and an eastern dragon. If that was true, the yeouiju that originally belonged to Bunhelier would be floating around somewhere in the world. In other words—

“If that yeouiju really exists.”

“The timing of the beginning will be different from what is known to the world.”

“Or maybe Bunhelier’s memories are partially distorted.”

“It could be both.”

“But who can manipulate the memory of an Old Dragon?”

“Wouldn’t it be relatively easy if Bunhelier is a mixed race?”

“When I saw him a few days ago, Nevartan definitely recognized Sir Bunhelier as an Old Dragon. It is too unrealistic to manipulate the memories of other Old Dragons.”

“They don’t know he is mixed race?”

“...Don’t keep going on about mixed race, mixed race. It hasn’t yet been confirmed that I am...”

The probability was infinitely close to zero. Everyone present knew it. It was just too early to deny it.

The East Continent—it was also part of Grid and the Overgeared World. The Blue Dragon favored Grid. The environment meant there was ample room for investigating the truth.

“Let’s go to the east for now. It is enough to deny it afterward,” Grid suggested.

“Umm...” Bunhelier hesitated. It was natural. It was a battle for his pride, even if Grid’s hypothesis was proven wrong. If Grid’s hypothesis was correct, then it would be a huge loss.

Oh my god. A mixed race claimed to be an Old Dragon? It was a great event that would make the world laugh. There was no reason to try and uncover the unpleasant truth. action

Grid read his mind and slowly persuaded him. “Bunhelier, you have a dragon heart, don’t you?”

“You keep repeating the rumors.”

A dragon heart was literally the heart. Of course, Bunhelier had a heart.

Grid smiled at him as he was frowning. “So what if you have mixed blood? Then you will have a dragon heart and a yeouiju. Won’t you be the strongest in the world?”

“......”

Being the strongest—this was something Bunhelier had been obsessed with all his life.

It wasn’t for any purpose. It was just because he was an Old Dragon. He had to be the strongest. But he was far off. He lacked too much natural strength to aim for the strongest. In the end, nothing changed no matter what means and methods were used.

He became frustrated a few times. This was especially the case more recently. Looking back on his own situation of being defeated by demons and gods, not even the Old Dragons who were the same kind, Bunhelier was on the verge of giving up on his goal of becoming the strongest.

Then at this moment—

Grid came up with a hypothesis using a mere dream of forthcoming conception as an excuse. It was absurd. It was a level where it wouldn’t be strange to point at Grid and call him a lunatic.

However, Grid continued to make the argument without any fear. At the end of it, he reminded Bunhelier of the goal he had abandoned.

“You... don’t tell me...?”

From the beginning, for me...

Were you prepared to point fingers at me to save me from falling into the depths of despair...?

“What?”

“Kukuk... No, I’ve fully understood your meaning. You don’t have to say it.”

“......?”

Bunhelier rose from his chair. The wonderful formal clothes, completed by referring to Grid’s usual attire, fluttered in the air. The handsome man swept away his long, flowing black hair and made up his mind.

“Okay. Looking at your sincerity, I will join you in this futile endeavor.“

“It is a good choice.”

Grid responded with a smile. Then he asked Kraugel for a favor.

“I’m going to meet the Blue Dragon right away. Kraugel, can you contact the Chivalrous Robbers? Based on their intelligence network, they might’ve heard about an ownerless yeouiju at least once.”

“Yes.”

Two men nodded and turned their attention to Bunhelier.

They waited for his transformation.

A dragon was a perfect vehicle.

“Squeak.”

“...No, why did you transform into a mouse again?”

Grid frowned as he witnessed this absurd result after waiting for Bunhelier to turn into a dragon. From Bunhelier’s perspective, Grid’s response was even more absurd.

“The East Continent has been incorporated into the Overgeared World, but the eyes of the Hwan Kingdom will still be there, right? Can you handle it if I act openly and provoke Chiyou? Squeak.”

“...That is true.”

In any case, they could travel to the East Continent using the warp gate. Grid was convinced and pulled out the skin mask to use it.

Wriggle.

Grid’s face and body changed in real time. It was like he was being kneaded. At the end of the bizarre scene, what was completed was the appearance of a blonde-haired woman with a beautiful smile on her face.

“Is it Queen Basara...?” Kraugel read Grid’s intentions and smiled softly. It was a smile that would soon disappear.

“Kraugel, you should crossdress as well.”

“Crossdress...? Why should I?”

“There is nothing good about spreading rumors that my wife is going around with a man, right?”

“People will just think you have an escort warrior. In the first place, won’t we be acting separately after arriving on the East Continent? My role is to go to the Chivalrous Robbers.”

“There is the process of moving and you will have to join me again later. Kraugel, you’ve been playing solo for so long that you don’t have any consideration...”

“That’s right. Sword Saint, do you feel nothing when you see Grid working so hard for me? Squeak.”

“...Do you have an extra skin mask?”

“There is, but it isn’t as perfect as mine. Wouldn’t it be better for you to put on makeup?”

“......”

Maintaining a poker face and showing a smile once in a while—this was one of the symbols of Kraugel. He was so loved by the public that he was nicknamed ‘sky above the sky.’ He was the idol of countless people. He always thoroughly managed himself.

But putting on makeup and crossdressing?

In an occurrence that simply could be described as rare, Kraugel’s face turned white.

***

“Your behavior is strange.”

At the headquarters of the Chivalrous Robbers, the East Continent…

Hwang Gildong gave a big smile as he sat facing the black-haired beauty.

“Dressing up as a woman... It is a bit nasty to be the hobby of a swordsman, but it strangely suits you when looking at your fair skin... Wearing gloves is a godsend.”

“......”

“Hehe, you have fierce eyes when looking at me. Okay, let’s get down to business. A yeouiju. A yeouiju without a master.”

Hwang Gildong leaned back deeply in his chair and pondered on it for a long time. He revisited past memories. He was a transcendent who had fought against half-gods for many years for the sake of the people of the East Continent. His memories were the basis of the enormous amount of information that the Chivalrous Robbers was proud of.

“Unfortunately, I’ve never heard of an ownerless yeouiju.”

“Is that so...?”

There was no clue to prove Grid’s hypothesis.

...No, it was still too early to judge.

Kraugel stood up, thinking he should search on his own, when Hwang Gildong sat him down again.

“However, I’ve heard of an imoogi with two yeouijus.”

“Imoogi?”

“A large snake that lives in water. It is widely believed that the eastern dragons originated from the Blue Dragon, but there is another legend passed down orally among the people. There is an oral tradition that if an imoogi trains for a thousand years, it will obtain a yeouiju and become a dragon. But some imoogis are very greedy. This one didn’t become a dragon despite obtaining a yeouiju. It trained for one thousand more years and gained more one yeouiju.”

It was a folktale. However, sometimes stories were based on real events.

“The imoogi got two yeouijus and believed it would become a dragon. Then what happened? The strength of the two yeouijus was so powerful that it lost its reason and became a monster instead of a dragon.”

Hwang Gildong, who was talking in an exaggerated manner as if in a play, suddenly became indifferent. His cold eyes were filled with excitement. “Isn’t that funny? How can a monster weak enough to lose its sense of reason because it can’t handle the power of two yeouiju endure training for 2,000 years?”

“......”

Kraugel agreed. He stood up and asked politely, “Tell me where this imoogi is.”