Chapter 49: Fallen Mask
[Ding!]
[>Stigma of Chaos (Caution)< has been removed due to sudden extreme emotional change]
[Stigma control is reducing from current 100% state]
[93%]
[57%]
[36%]
[>Stigma of Chaos (Caution)< has been reduced to 25%]
Kyriaki glared at Euclid, who appeared in front of her after two weeks of separation. But instead of being happy, her heart turned cold.
It seemed that the sudden clash of multiple complicated emotions had granted her the chance to finally regain her usual self, as her Stigma was activated 100% for quite a while now. The usual 25% that influenced her could be controlled somewhat, but 100% was beyond her control, making it so that she was unapproachable for many.
The moment she saw Euclid, the Stigma crashed down and she regained full control. Turning her burning caution and anger into something much colder.
"Team leader!" Meanwhile, Euclid called out the moment he spotted her. The way those empty blue eyes regained life was remarkably fast.
Kyriaki thought those eyes were beautiful. But that beauty wasn't enough to melt her frozen heart. She had been restless for a week now. Her mind was chaotic. She couldn't afford to lose herself now, she knew it. But she couldn't prevent herself from leaking some of her dragon aura.
"Team leader? What's wrong?" Euclid tilted his head like an innocent puppy, noticing her leaking aura.
That was all it took for Kyriaki to snap. For the first time in her dragon life, she felt angry enough to take impulsive actions. She rushed at Euclid, gritting her teeth to barely hold back the urge to punch him.
Instead, she grabbed him by the collar of his new blue cloak.
"What the hell did you do?!" She yelled so loud, forgetting they were using Drakonic in their conversation so far.
"What do you mean?" Euclid asked back. His innocent smile, as if trying to charm her, made Kyriaki's composer fly away into the distance.
"You—" That's why she trembled in anger and tried to devour him with cold resentment.
"But before that, do you really want to make a scene in front of them?"
Euclid's playful gesture and unwavering blue eyes poured cold water over her igniting mind. Kyriaki forgot how rude he was to cut her words like that as she paused briefly.
Her sudden holt was because she bluntly realized where she was and what role she was playing for the past two weeks. She looked back in slow motion. The annoyance and displeasure she felt from meeting Euclid was so great that she didn't care what others thought of her at the moment.
However, she also realized that nothing would change even if she lost her calm. Things had gone awry from the start anyway. All of her plans were flawed. So much so that she didn't know what to do anymore.
That blunt realization brought tranquility to her cold heart. With a sigh, she released Euclid's collar and calmly dusted off imaginary dust from her own clothes. Pretending nothing happened was as easy as manipulating Mana to her after all.
"This is one of my teammates." She switched to Common Language like changing hats and introduced the troublemaker to the people she had been with all this time.
Euclid bowed with flawless manners, placing his hand on his chest and bending his waist slightly. His smile and fluent Common Language looked perfect.
"Pleasure to meet you, My name is Euclid."
According to Article 01, Section 67 of The Dragon Laws, A Dragon shouldn't reveal their full name or their identity to strangers on brief encounters. By strangers and a brief encounter, it was stated that the Dragon in question is allowed to judge the situation and proceed.
And according to Article 02, Section 33B of The Dragon Minor Laws, A minor is strictly forbidden from revealing their identity to anyone except for emergencies.
It seemed that Euclid had judged that this encounter was brief and not an emergency, making him act accordingly, just like Kyriaki did.
But there was already someone who knew about their identity. Kyriaki pulled Euclid by his wrist and looked at that person.
"I need to talk to him alone. Is that okay?" She asked from the Wolf King with earnest eyes.
"Yes. Please catch up with your teammate. You must have a lot to talk about." Fortunately, he nodded in agreement.
"Thank you." A faint smile appeared on her lips unknowingly, and Kyriaki dragged Euclid away in an instant as if she was a seagull stealing food from tourists.
Her walk was fast. Euclid surprisingly followed her without much fuss. Finally out of others' sight, Kyriaki stopped near a massive boulder and looked back at the boy with breathtaking blue eyes that resembled the blue ocean.
"What did you do to Ethan?"
The question, without any filter, blurted out of her plumply lips.
"What do you mean, Ria?" Euclid, as always, feigned ignorance. He tilted his head to the side, making an illusion of a harmless and charming boy.
But Kyriaki knew better.
In the original timeline, Euclid had a holier than thou attitude toward everyone.
It didn't happen from the beginning. At the beginning, he always acted like this. In Original Kyrios' memories, Euclid's hatchling days were filled with pretentious life. Pretending to be kind, playful and innocent…to the point of being naive sometimes.
It made his parents sad. But Euclid's true heart was cold enough to ignore their genuine worries. From what she observed, he just didn't want to be different, which he actually was.
In the end, it was an action born out of a child's worry for his beloved people. His conclusion to his dangerous and different personality was; if he caused trouble just by existing, it'd only grant him unwanted attention and fear. Because "Cold & indifferent" from birth was not a good sign for a dragon.
Like Kyriaki already knew, Dragons were different from others.
From the moment they were born, they were blessed with high intelligence, physical and magical powers. This makes them aware of their own values and shortcomings.
And so, a newborn hatchling tends to be a bit arrogant and troublesome until they face their first growth pace. And after the growth pace ends, they develop their own personalities. Shedding their typical hatchling persona was part of that process.
This time period was very essential to all dragons. The personality they develop will become part of them for the rest of their lives after all. That life includes a 20,000 year average lifespan.
And Euclid, who was born with psychopathic tendencies, which was as dangerous as having >Stigma of Chaos<, became aware of his own shortcomings at the tender age of 100.
That was the reason he tried to mimic others, putting on different masks. He still hated troublesome people, but forced himself to interact with them in the name of greater good. He hid his urges carefully and selected things people would like in a child, creating a mask and choosing the whole world as a stage play.
In a sense, Kyriaki sometimes thought Euclid and her were a bit similar.
In the original timeline, Euclid abandoned his mask after his Mother died by the hand of a trickster Demon. Following her wishes for him to be free from the world's expectations, he started to act the way he wanted.
This incident gave him the title of "Mad Dragon" in the early stages of the War.
Kyriaki glanced at the boy who'd be called the Mad Dragon in the future and sighed.
She wasn't even angry anymore. She was just tired and wanted to end this conversation quickly. Like a modern society slave working on instant coffee and hopes full of bones and promotion.
"Don't you dare lie to my face." She sneered. The mental exhaustion was evident on her face. "A week after we entered Void Plane, You met Ethan. And not long after, his tracks suddenly disappeared. Do you think that's possible unless he was dead? Don't even try to deny it, you know everything is being recorded, right?"
While Kyriaki explained her thoughts in a short summary, all Euclid did was stare intently at her as if he knew she'd react that way.
"You are treating me like a murderer."
"I am."
"...now you aren't even trying to deny it?" His blue eyes rippled like waves after Kyriaki replied without hesitation.
"Why should I?" Kyriaki shrugged her shoulders, throwing a question as an answer.
"...Why?" Euclid lowered his eyelids as he mumbled. His long eyelashes trembled pitifully.
Was he asking why she didn't try to deny it?
Or was he asking why she doubted him?
And was this real him in the first place?
Kyriaki was unable to understand whether it was another act or his true feelings. Thus she chose to ignore it completely.
"The Ancient Dragon Council won't leave this matter in the dark even if I am the Crown Princess. Ethan was from House of Benowitz. You and I, both of us know how prestigious Benowitzs are among Dark High Elves. They might try to dig deeper. So, Lord Euclid Zale Agyris, tell me what happened honestly."
A heavy silence hung between them after Kyriaki's long speech.
Instead of pushing him, Kyriaki crossed her arms and stared at Euclid as if she was waiting for him to talk.
Euclid on the other hand, wiped his playful smile and innocent demeanor completely as if he was ordered to do so by some divine order. The air turned chilly as if calm before the storm. The emotion behind his eyes…hidden deeper…
Was it disappointment?
Or dissatisfaction?
Kyriaki failed to understand once again.
And after what felt like an hour, he sighed.
"...I knew this would happen." He muttered slowly and moved his blue cloak. Then he unzipped his track suits.
"What are you doing?!" Kyriaki, startled, took a step back, uncrossing her arms like an X with arched eyebrows.
"Calm down." Euclid rolled his eyes and pulled out a necklace.
"What's that?" Kyriaki frowned.
"Check it out yourself." At Euclid's provocative challenge, her eyes narrowed unknowingly.
Dragons have the authority to access information through the System unlike others as a privilege. Euclid is telling her to use it.
But Kyriaki's system was far better than Mitherr-ge's system, making her unable to contain her laughter inside as she activated the information function.
'What is he plotting?' She had her suspicions. 'But either way, since I always get more than what I need, it's not a bad proposal. System, do the thing.'
[...]
'System?"
[Ding!]
[Command unsuccessful. Please try again]
'Hey, do the thing, I'm too tired to explain.'
[Please give me a clear explanation, Host. I am your Authority, not your nanny]
'Who said anything about a nanny? Just do the thing.'
[Error]
[A proper explanation of "The thing" is needed]
'Sigh…hey, listen. I won't say it again. When I say 'Do the thing' it means I want to see the status window of the object, monsters or the person in front of me. Record this data so that you won't make any errors later.'
[...the Host's taste and mental—]
'Just do the thing'
[....]
[Ding!]
[Nuwan
Category: Artifact
Type: Lost Divine
Rank: SSS+
Effects: +100% Illusion resistance, Non-breakable, Infinite audio and video record storage, Mana signature locks to recorded documents, 100% security from unauthorized access.
Description: Said to have been made from the right eye of Mahir, The principality of Diligence from the Golden Age. Upon failing to fulfil a mission, Mahir had to sacrifice his right eye to the God of records, a minor god who lived in Mitherr-ge before the God's War. He created "Nuwan" from the Principality's eye. This necklace has the power to see through falsehood and record events in the wearer's point of view. The recorded events cannot be changed in any means.]
Kyriaki was impressed by the high ranking item. Just as his robe, which Kyriaki immediately noticed as an artifact, it seems he was carrying around many more artifacts for various purposes.
"As you can see, it's not just a normal recorder like a drone, which could be easily trampled with. Nuwan only shows what it sees."
True. If it was made by a God. Even if that god was no longer alive, it could be trustworthy. Besides, her authority wouldn't lie to her. She examined the necklace once more with interest.
The thin chain was made of Divine Diamonds, the strongest metal. No wonder it said it was non-breakable. And the small pendant, shaped to resemble an eye, had a Royal blue stone placed in the middle. In appearance, it looked almost ordinary.
Perhaps knowing her thoughts, Euclid pressed the blue stone like a button. And then, a scene began to play in vivid images.
Kyriaki calmly watched until the end. Her expression was devoid of any emotions. At the end of the play, Kyriaki tucked the necklace under his tracksuit with a cold expression.
"That's what happened."
"It seems so."
"And you still want him to live?" Euclid looked at Kyriaki with disapproval, one of his pearl colored eyebrows rising up like a bow string.
"Of course not. He was trash from the beginning."
"Then?" This time, he slightly frowned, erasing his disapproval and replacing it with an expression of inability to understand.
"Even trash is a tool for playing various roles and parts in meticulous plans."
When Kyriaki nonchalantly replied, Euclid's eyebrows shot up as if he finally realized something. His eyes, which were sinking deeper and deeper, seemed to have regained their glow.
"You weren't scolding me because you truly want him alive for his sake?"
"Now you realize it? He seemed useful in this unpredictable land. For example, like bait? We are supposed to navigate through a monster den, it's better to have sacrifices. But oh well, I don't have the power to bring back death." She shrugged with the same expression she maintained so far.
It was a lie that she couldn't bring back death. Any dragon could. But it was another story for another time.
"Hah!," Euclid stared at her for a second, and burst out laughing. "Hahaha!!!" His charming laughter, like the melody of a Siren, pleasantly settled inside Kyriaki's heart. It made her feel good for some reason.
Kyriaki stared at him, listening to his pretty laughter. Then she abruptly turned around without any expression. Her business was done. He could laugh all he wanted and Kyriaki had no desire to engage in any form of conversation with a person who let go of a useful tool in this world they called a play.
"Wait!" Yes, she would have gone away, if not for Euclid who grabbed her wrist.
"May I ask a question?"
At his pleading voice and dropped eyebrows, Kyriaki half turned around with an expression that said: You better make it worth my time.
Euclid giggled. Yet his eyes were already sinking deep. However this time, there was no disappointment or dissatisfaction. Instead, a hint of melancholic gloom took over those eyes.
"Why did you…think I killed him?" He asked slowly. As if it was very important to him.
Kyriaki quietly observed his eyes. And her gaze landed on his tightly pressed lips, then on his slightly trembling hands.
'I thought he was a psychopath, but perhaps I judged too early?'
Psychopaths feel no emotions. But Euclid seemed to have some. She was knowledgeable enough to distinguish between fake and real when the emotions were too strong, and she had already felt his sincere emotions from time to time, albeit very rarely.
"Because I can't read you. That makes you a variable, leading to my plans being imperfect. It's really troublesome especially because you hide too many things I can't read."
"You can't read me?" Euclid asked back, bewildered. He seemed to be confirming something unbelievable.
"Yes." Kyriaki honestly admitted.
"Why? How?" More questions followed, making her annoyed. That made her bluntly blurted out;
"You are wearing a mask, a thick yet cracked one."
Euclid stopped talking as Kyriaki became an object of observation for him. Kyriaki faced his gaze head on, turning completely to face him. Euclid was still holding her wrist. His blue eyes were immersed in deep darkness, like the bottom of the sea.
And finally, he slowly opened his mouth;
"You too."
"No I'm not. Being polite doesn't necessarily mean someone is morally good and kind hearted. I do not act kind, I do not show mercy, I do not follow the principles of good like a shield. I just use my emotions the way I want so that I can learn more about them. I just act the way I want so that there won't be any regrets later. Even though I am indeed indifferent and distant towards most and yet sometimes show gentleness, it doesn't mean all those were lies. They were all the result of me not hiding my emotions. My attitude has never been a lie."
Kyriaki confidently looked into those deep ocean eyes. They trembled considerably before calming down. Satisfied, Kyriaki took a deep breath before continuing her speech;
"Unlike you, Eucee…I am trying to learn. I want to live a life without a mask. That way, people who like the real me will stay, and people who don't will leave. My way of living is also a test for those around me. In the end, I am only interested in those who stay. So the memories I make with them are without any lies. Without any pretending. Without any regrets."
The two pairs of eyes peeked into each other's depth without hiding anything.
Kyriaki again thought his blue eyes were just like the deep ocean, painted on glass. Very captivating, but nothing beyond them.
It was a refreshing feeling for her, who has so many secrets, to show everything. However she felt if she did it now, this moment could change something. She was uncertain what that something was, but she chose to obey her instincts.
She didn't know how many minutes passed. Because the silence between them, which felt chilly before, now felt comfortable.
The first to speak to break the silence was surprisingly Euclid.
He brushed his side bangs and glanced at Kyriaki, chuckling.
Kyriaki immediately noticed it wasn't him pretending. However there was an undeniable curiosity and playfulness in his voice as he casually said;
"You were the first one to notice," He chuckled again as if he found it amusing. " My mask, I mean." He didn't forget to add.
"Don't give me that buxxshxt," For some reason, Kyriaki found his amused tone unbearable. She recoiled as if she encountered something dirty. "You think you're living inside a third rated romance novel?" She coldly attacked him verbally, like her grandfather used to do.
But instead, Euclid tilted his head and covered his mouth with the back of his free hand. His eyes curved to thin crescent moons as he giggled with the charm of a God of Beauty.
"Your parents were the first to notice." Kyriaki had to firmly inform him of the truth, fearing this turning into some cringy romance novel moment.
"No way."
"You're perspective, you should've already noticed if it wasn't for your indifference towards your parents."
"Oh!" When Kyriaki pointed out his cracks exactly, Euclid made a rich expression of realization. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth formed an O shape.
Now those expressions didn't feel forceful or fake. His mask had truly fallen.
"Pay more attention to them, just like you do to others."
"I should've gathered more information about them." Euclid seemed to agree with her statement as he nodded thoughtfully.
"Obviously." Kyriaki nodded along with him.
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