The Dragon Lord's Aide Wants to Quit [BL] Chapter 393: Nothing Left to Save

Riley believed that his retribution wouldn’t feel complete unless he dealt with the man’s intended legacy.

Yes, his legacy.

It wasn't that someone like him deserved to leave anything behind, but Riley certainly wanted to ensure that whatever remained would be under his control.

This individual, brimming with pride, malice, and delusion, cared so intensely about how he was perceived that he had weaponized influence more than his actual magical prowess.

Riley’s jaw clenched as these thoughts consumed him.

How many children had he falsely accused of running away?

In the same manner, how many dragon clans had he ostracized, telling distraught families their offspring had absconded when nothing could be further from the truth?

If Riley hadn’t encountered Orien when he did, what fate would have befallen that little duckling?

Would that entry on that infernal ledger have read something far more grim than “Relocated”?

The black dragon pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on concluding this ordeal so he could tend to the distressed children.

Furthermore, if he continued to utilize blood magic for an extended period, Kael might just resolve the issue on his own.

And so, Riley decided to make a statement.

He leaned slightly towards Kael, pitching his voice just loud enough to reach the bewildered onlookers.

"Honey, I truly don't get it..."

His tone conveyed confusion, mixed with a touch of curiosity.

"Why does he look like that? I’ve encountered dragons before, but never one that appears so... unnatural."

He gestured somewhat aimlessly towards the subdued red dragon held captive nearby. "Even comparing him to that one, the eyes alone seem strikingly different."

"...Is that genuinely how a dragon is meant to appear?"

Malrik could barely discern the words amidst the roaring in his ears.

He was experiencing an internal frenzy, desperately trying to convince himself he was alright and that Riley was merely spewing nonsense.

Those words were just meaningless sounds.

That individual was just saying anything and everything to provoke him.

Hadn’t he employed a similar tactic himself in the past? Therefore, this was of no consequence. A mere minor obstacle on his predestined path.

But as the seconds crawled by, a sense of unease began to creep in.

He attempted to access the seal he had temporarily applied to himself to prevent his draconic nature from surfacing, but a wave of panic started to wash over him.

There was no response.

He tried again, a growing desperation propelling him as he struggled against the bonds restraining him, unaware that by this point, those very restraints had already begun to loosen.

Malrik’s breath hitched as he once again received no feedback.

His breathing grew shallow and erratic, his chest tightening. He was on the precipice of hyperventilating—no matter how forcefully he channeled his mana, the seal remained unyielding.

Strangely, he then felt the intangible bonds holding him prisoner dissolve. After all, it was inevitable when he lost all sense of stability.

With his legs severely injured and his strength depleted by whatever vile deed that monstrous human had inflicted, Malrik collapsed into a pathetic heap within the confines of the protective bubble.

His hands shot to his throat, clawing at it as he attempted to scream.

Nothing emerged.

His eyes bulged, his fingers frantically scratching at his own chest as if he could physically rip away the seal Riley had placed upon him.

He couldn't accept this reality.

Ironically, for someone who had successfully sealed a red dragon within a human form, he bizarrely couldn't comprehend the possibility that someone else could do the same to him.

Riley had to be a demon.

A warlock.

An undead creature.

Anything but a dragon.

He simply couldn't be a dragon, especially as Malrik found himself utterly incapable of transforming into one. At this juncture, he no longer cared about the repercussions; he just desperately wanted to validate his true nature.

Then, he heard the human gasp, a sudden realization dawning. "All this time... Has the Chancellor been deceiving dragonkind?"

"!"

That declaration finally captured Malrik’s attention.

He looked down to witness the smiling aide, whose expression had morphed into one of profound contemplation. Malrik’s gaze fixed on Kael, wanting to scream at him to pay heed, but what he observed on the dragon lord’s face was more than just anger.

It was pure disgust.

Malrik recoiled, stunned by the sheer intensity of that loathing.

"You," Kael stated, his voice carefully controlled yet thrumming with palpable rage. "If you wish to offer an explanation, you had better transform into a dragon this very instant."

Malrik felt the weight of every single gaze upon him.

All those critical, inferior eyes peering down at him!

He was a dragon, for crying out loud!

He was an actual dragon!

How incredibly dare they—

He spiraled into internal madness.

His fury ignited.

His mana surged violently.

Malrik continued to exert pressure against the seal with renewed desperation, attempting to force the transformation.

Striving to prove that he was indeed the magnificent dragon he proclaimed himself to be.

Yet, unbeknownst to him, a transformation was indeed occurring. He failed to notice his own changing size, the way his scales were turning slick and green, or how his nose was flattening into the very visage he desperately sought to evade.

With each surge of his fury, he was becoming more and more like a hydra.

Amidst it all, his thoughts remained consumed by his indignation.

How dared these insignificant beings question him?

How could they lend credence to the words of a demon like Riley?

Even if Malrik were to decapitate every one of them, what consequence would that hold?

Dragons were destined to reign over Eryndra, and Kael should not be punishing them for the sake of beings who ought not to occupy the same realm.

He threw his mana against the seal repeatedly, yearning to reveal his true form and silence all dissent.

In a manner of speaking, he succeeded.

For shortly thereafter, Kael, seemingly utterly bored by the situation, casually remarked, "So, a hydra all this time."

"I am a dragon! Kael! A dragon!"

The shriek finally tore from a throat that, to his own surprise, functioned. Malrik astounded himself, his voice echoing through the public square.

But just as he was about to savor this achievement, he made the error of glancing at Riley.

A smug, triumphant grin stretched across the human's face.

"...!"