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Chapter 353: Observers (3)

“…….”

Glance, glance.

Oscar stole sideways looks at Edna.

It was to figure out whether what she had said was a joke or the truth.

If that had been a joke, he felt like he should at least react with something like, ‘Gasp! The moon was actually made by dragons? My god!’

“I’m not joking.”

Their eyes met in midair, and Edna spoke with a cold, cooled gaze.

“Then… it’s real?”

“It’s real. I swear it on my heart.”

“So it’s real!”

If a dragon was willing to stake its own heart on it, then it had to be true.

Startled, Oscar looked at the moon once more.

So that thing… was an artificial celestial body created by dragons?

“But the moon appears in ancient legends and myths too….”

“Phew.”

Like a teacher facing a student who couldn’t even grasp simple addition, Edna let out a faint sigh.

“The myths and legends possessed by present-day humanity have a history of less than two thousand years at most. As for materials regarding the super-ancient civilizations that existed before that, they have already been lost. On the other hand, dragons are beings that have existed since the birth of this planet. In other words, they must have existed for at least 4.2 billion years, so that moon would be of a similar age.”

“4.2 billion years….”

A number so large you’d likely lose track of the zeros even if you wrote it down on paper.

Faced with the weight of that number, Oscar swallowed hard.

“Then the Dragon Lord told you to go to that moon… memory what?”

“Memory of Origin Node.”

“Right, anyway, since he told you to go find that, does that mean we just go to the moon?”

“It’s impossible.”

Edna shook her head, putting the brakes on the smoothly flowing conversation.

“What? Why?”

“To be precise, even if we go to the moon, it would be useless. There is nothing I can read.”

“I don’t fully understand yet, but in the end, isn’t the moon basically a giant data storage?”

“That is correct.”

“Then why can’t you read it?”

“Because I do not have authorization.”

“That’s….”

Oscar faltered and trailed off.

When all dragons left this planet, Edna alone remained behind to help humanity.

Perhaps because of that, having been excluded from dragonkind, she might not have authorization.

“That is not the case.”

Edna, having read his expression, spoke up.

“I know what you’re thinking, but that isn’t it. Not all dragons possess authorization to begin with.”

“Then is it only possible for elders and above?”

“Half correct, half incorrect. Basically, access authorization to the moon belongs solely to the Dragon Lord. However, elder-class dragons are granted permission to view documents that the Lord has authorized.”

A fairly systematic structure.

Well, it had been maintained for tens of billions of years already, so it wasn’t something humans could judge one way or another.

Even if there had been fatal flaws, they would have been resolved long ago.

“Then I understand it even less. Why would the Lord tell you—who doesn’t even have authorization—to go to the moon?”

“……The Lord is extremely rigid and strict, sometimes to the point of being frustrating, but he does not say things without reason.”

Though they had long since parted ways, her evaluation was quite favorable.

That must mean the Dragon Lord was not a bad being in terms of character.

“There are two possibilities. Seiro, has the Dragon Lord recently been showing symptoms of dementia, senility, or delirium?”

“……No?”

Seiro answered with a horrified expression, as if wondering what kind of terrible thing she was saying.

Confirming that reaction, Edna gave a short nod.

“I see. Then there is only one answer.”

“What is it?”

“I’ve been promoted.”

Edna straightened her neck proudly and puffed out her chest.

“I believe I have become a Dragon Elder.”

* * *

Edna immediately began preparing to depart for the moon.

In truth, there wasn’t much to prepare.

“We need a location. Preferably somewhere without a large city within a 20 km radius.”

“And why is that—… ah.”

Oscar nodded, as if he understood the reason.

“You’re planning to return to your main body?”

“Yes. It is more convenient that way to break through the atmosphere.”

“A place like that in Sirin… ah, we can use this mountain range.”

The place Oscar pointed to on the map was an area with many peaks and no large cities nearby.

Of course, there was a small village of about thirty people in the vicinity, but that didn’t matter.

Even if they spread rumors about seeing a dragon, people would just think they had collectively eaten hallucinogenic mushrooms.

“Yes, that will do.”

They immediately opened a portal and arrived at the location, where dense trees greeted them.

After finding a suitable clearing nearby and stepping back a few paces, Edna’s body flashed with light.

What then filled the clearing was a green dragon boasting beautiful scales like melted jade.

-It feels a bit awkward. It has been a long time since I returned to this form.

“Nothing uncomfortable about your body or anything?”

-No. I maintain my weight through diet and exercise, so I’m fine.

So dragons live just like everyone else.

Nodding, Oscar waved his hand.

“Have a safe trip. If it feels even a little dangerous, run immediately. Take care.”

-…….

The dragon’s yellow eyes stared intently at him.

Wondering if he had forgotten something, he thought for a moment before speaking.

“Uh… a souvenir when you come back?”

-I think you are misunderstanding something. We are going together.

“Hmm?”

Did he mishear?

Tilting his head, Oscar asked again.

“Going together? Don’t tell me—to the moon?”

-Yes.

“Uh… why me?”

-First of all, it is my first time, so I am uneasy. And I have heard that a terrifying rabbit sage lives there. I read it in human books.

“…….”

With a sinking feeling, Oscar asked,

“You’re not actually scared, are you?”

-Ha. Ha. Ha.

Edna laughed mechanically before adding,

-I am not scared; I am simply cautious. If it is true that a terrifying rabbit sage lives there, there is a possibility of being ambushed while accessing the records.

So you are scared.

Oscar let out a dry laugh.

A dragon as big as a house—one who was thousands of years older than him, no less—and she was afraid of something like that?

“I don’t mind going together, but is it even possible?”

-It is possible. I will protect you while we break through the atmosphere, and once we arrive, you only need to stand guard.

“Didn’t you say only elder dragons and above can access it?”

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-Since I am there, it should be possible for you to view it from beside me. If not, then so be it.

That’s really reckless.

But seeing how she was planted firmly on the ground, if things stayed like this, it was obvious she wouldn’t leave because she was scared.

Sighing softly, Oscar nodded.

“Alright, let’s go. Then do I ride on your back? Or your head?”

-The back or head would be dangerous. There is a possibility of being incinerated during the process of breaking through the atmosphere.

“Hmm….”

Just imagining it was horrifying.

That meant he could end up nicely seared on the outside and tender on the inside by the time they arrived.

Shuddering, Oscar asked,

“Then where am I supposed to ride?”

-Would you like to come in here?

With those words, Edna opened her mouth wide.

Oscar blinked as he stared at her.

“Hey, Edna. If you’re just hungry, I can buy you a steak or something—could you maybe say it instead?”

-It may seem unpleasant at first glance, but this is the most comfortable for riding, the most efficient for storage, and the safest.

“If you accidentally swallow, I die.”

-I will try my best to refrain.

This is seriously nerve-wracking.

It didn’t even feel this nerve-wracking when he faced the Demon Emperor.

“Is there really no other way?”

-This is the most hygienic method available.

“…Okay, I’ll get in.”

If this was the hygienic method, he didn’t even want to hear about the unhygienic ones.

The experience of entering the wide-open mouth of a dragon was not particularly pleasant.

“It feels like I’m entering some kind of cave….”

Feat. somewhat high humidity.

It felt like stepping into a tropical rainforest on a sweltering summer day.

On top of that, what he was stepping on was a tongue, so rather than being soft, it kept squirming.

Leaning against a massive fang that rose like a boulder, Oscar shouted,

“I’m in!”

Thud! At those words, the mouth closed, and darkness enveloped everything.

Oscar illuminated his surroundings with a simple light spell and shouted,

“Don’t swallow!”

-I will try.

“…….”

Trying isn’t enough!

With trembling nerves, Oscar squeezed his eyes shut.

* * *

Craack!

The mouth split open, but not a single bit of cool air came in.

-We’ve arrived.

Oscar, whose entire body was wrapped in mana, frowned the moment he stepped outside.

He couldn’t breathe.

Seeing that, Edna hurriedly spoke.

-It seems the moon does not have oxygen at a level humans can breathe.

‘In that case….’

Oscar moved both hands quickly, drawing a magic circle in the air.

First, he formed a spherical, sealed layer of wind around his head, maintained internal pressure, and filled the inside with fresh air.

“Whew.”

Only then able to breathe, Oscar finally looked around.

“So this is the moon….”

The moon was a silent, ash-gray world.

If one had to compare it, it felt similar to the surroundings of the fortress where the Demon Emperor had been.

However, the ground there hadn’t been this bright.

Moreover, the ground reflecting the sunlight was even hot.

“Alright. Then where is the data storage?”

“Follow me.”

Edna, who had already returned to human form, took the lead.

Following her across the uneven surface of the moon for a while, a structure resembling the entrance of an ancient temple came into view.

“…….”

Staring at it, Edna spoke.

“According to a mana scan, there are no lifeforms detected nearby.”

“Same here.”

“Then it is likely that the terrifying rabbit sage is either asleep or on the opposite side.”

Edna, Edna… there’s no such thing.

Oscar lightly played along.

“Yeah, that must be it. You’re a total genius, a genius.”

“……I have been widely known as intelligent since my hatchling days. Let’s go.”

Puffing up with pride, Edna stepped into the temple.

The interior, which was instantly swallowed by darkness, had luminous pearls embedded at regular intervals.

After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at a vast chamber, and at the front was a machine about waist height.

“It seems this is what we operate.”

“How do you use it?”

“I do not know. It is my first time.”

As Edna fiddled with the device and casually placed her hand on it, an unfamiliar screen appeared.

[Checking access authorization.]

[Loading…….]

[Elder Edna Sol Laplace, identity confirmed.]

[Access authorization granted.]

Immediately afterward, an enormous number of screens appeared throughout the entire vast chamber.

The two looked around as though gazing upon a world of stars.

“All of this… is information?”

“History would be a better way to put it.”

As befitted an observer, Edna grew excited as she looked upon that vast amount of information.

“If we utilize this well, we may be able to uncover every secret and history we have ever wondered about. For example, why the super-ancient civilization—of which only traces remain—collapsed. Whether unicorns truly exist. Or perhaps….”

Just as the thoroughly excited Edna was about to begin viewing all the information,

one by one, the countless screens flickered off and soon vanished without a trace.

Flustered, Edna hurriedly turned to Oscar.

“Oscar, did you touch something wrong?”

“I-I didn’t do anything!”

“Then why did all that information suddenly disappear!”

Just as Oscar was thinking that Edna could raise her voice this loudly,

Flash!

Suddenly, a single screen appeared before the two of them.

-……Edna. If you are seeing this recording, it must mean that one of the elders has died.

And on that screen appeared the face of the Dragon Lord they both remembered.

Looking toward Edna beyond the screen, he spoke.

-From now on, what you see and hear is a record of why our kind had no choice but to leave the stars. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

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