Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 290: The Last Emperor & The Last KGB Officer (5)

Dragon Raja 3

“You skimmed through invaluable Dragon Raja documents just because you were lazy?”

“Yes, and when I retired, I burned most of the documents.”

“That sounds like saying you visited the imperial harem, where a concubine was beckoning to you from the bed, but you were too lazy to bother, so you simply waved from afar and left the palace. Oh, and before leaving, you set the palace on fire and burned the concubine too.”

“Isn’t that just human nature? When you possess something, you never truly cherish it.” Koeru sighed. “At the time, those silk-bound books filled with ancient Japanese text were no different from the AV discs on my shelf. You could watch them if you wanted, or not, because you always had time, and they weren’t going anywhere. Now, it’s like trying to download an AV, and the download isn’t finished yet, so you’re getting anxious…”

“Alright, let’s stop using weird examples. Why do I keep meeting Pompeii types? Am I some sort of magnet for degenerates? Why do I attract you guys?”

“The old shrine’s documents are from two thousand years ago, passed down through texts and murals. The murals resemble the ones from Dunhuang, and the texts are written in poetry, recounting that ancient, long-lost history. Together, they’re called The Chronicles of the Emperors, meaning the emperors’ accounts of ancient history they had heard. The poems begin with a primordial war—the Black Emperor defeated the White Empress, bound her to a towering bronze pillar, and cast her into the depths of the icy sea. The Black Emperor ordered the ocean currents from both poles to converge upon that sea, turning it into the coldest sea in the world—an execution ground for the White Empress.”

Anjou slowly sat upright, his expression solemn. The reverence he displayed wasn’t directed at Uesugi Koeru but at the emperors of the mythological era. Even though they were long gone, their names, when mentioned again after millennia, still burned like blazing torches, shining with unparalleled glory.

“That sea was frozen for six epochs. The Black Emperor carved two 100-kilometer-long cracks into the ice, forming a massive cross. The domain of the execution site was surrounded by fear, and all living creatures stayed far away. Even migrating fish had to change their routes. During those six epochs, when the royal families of Europe gazed north, they would see the towering bronze pillar rising from the icy sea. Above the execution site, black clouds always loomed, and violent snowstorms continually reinforced the icy prison. The Black Emperor used this to show all of his kind what happens to traitors before utterly destroying her.”

“The Black Emperor refers to Nidhogg, and the White Emperor to the White Empress. The royals refer to the Dragon Raja, correct?” Anjou asked.

“I’m not sure. These are just my guesses. At the time, I only thought of them as entertaining stories.”

“You refer to the White Empress as ‘her,’ so she was female?”

“Not necessarily. Listen further, and you’ll understand.” Koeru paused. “After six epochs of being frozen, the White Emperor’s power finally waned. The Black Emperor then submerged both the White Emperor and the bronze pillar into an underwater volcano, turning her into ashes, which he then consumed, reclaiming the power he had once bestowed upon her. The Black Emperor believed that he had completely erased the White Emperor and her bloodline. However, during those six epochs, a human ventured into the execution site. We no longer know how that human reached the forbidden zone, but he succeeded and made a pact with the frozen White Emperor, obtaining the ‘Holy Infant.’”

“The ‘Holy Infant’?”

“The Holy Infant doesn’t refer to a baby. It’s a code for the White Emperor’s ‘bone and blood.’”

“Bone and blood? Are you referring to the White Empress’ genes? That human obtained the White Empress’ genetic material?”

“Yes, that human was the progenitor of the Yamata no Orochi family, and the White Empress was like the mother of the clan. That’s why we refer to the White Empress as ‘her,’ though she may not have actually been female. She contaminated humanity with dragon blood. Later, the term ‘emperor’ was introduced from China, and people thought the character, with ‘white’ on top and ‘king’ on the bottom, could represent our lineage. So, the family’s hybrids with superior bloodlines were honored with the title of ‘Emperor.’ This is why the patriarch is sometimes called the ‘Shadow Emperor,’ or simply the ‘Emperor.’ However, that title is often misunderstood. It merely signifies a superior bloodline.”

“So, your bloodline directly descends from the ancient dragons?” Anjou asked.

“Yes. You, the descendants of the Black Emperor from Europe, stole your dragon bloodline. In the dark ages, humans offered virgins as sacrifices, forcing them to mate with male dragons and produce offspring, selecting the children with stable bloodlines to pass down through generations. Our dragon blood, on the other hand, was a gift from the White Empress, so in theory, we are more advanced than you.”

“But not all of your people possess a superior bloodline.”

“The Chronicles of the Emperors states that, in ancient times, every descendant of the White Empress was an emperor. However, after a great calamity, our bloodline degenerated, and super hybrids only appeared sporadically. But when they did, they were the strongest among all hybrids. In theory, no descendant of the Black Emperor could match an emperor, as your kind cannot break through the critical blood limit. But theory is one thing—reality is that you, an aberration, can still rival an emperor.”

“Please, spare me the passive-aggressive jabs. Let’s stick to the main topic. What exactly is the god buried in the abyss?”

“The Holy Infant is divided into two parts: the Holy Grail and the Holy Relic. The Holy Grail refers to the blood of the White Empress, and the Holy Relic refers to the bones she gave to humanity. While the Holy Grail spread through the Yamata no Orochi family’s lineage, the Holy Relic remained preserved as the White Empress’ remains. The so-called ‘god’ refers to the Holy Relic. It’s not the full skeleton of the White Empress, just a piece of bone. In the murals, the priests depicted it as an arm bone or a skull, but I think they were just guessing, never having seen it themselves. Still, the Holy Relic being a bone is undoubtedly true.”

“The White Empress left behind a piece of her bone, which contains her genes… Was it intended for her resurrection?”

“Possibly. In our view, the Holy Relic is both a sacred and cursed object. Legends say it can complete the hybrid’s deficiencies, allowing the descendants of the White Empress to evolve into pure-blooded dragons. But who knows what exactly would awaken? Perhaps the cost of this evolution is that your soul is devoured by the White Empress, and your body serves as a vessel for her revival. The Holy Relic has always been sealed in the ‘Well of the Sacred Bone,’ though no one knows where that well is—no one is even sure it’s actually a well. In any case, it’s an extremely secret location. You can think of it as a tomb, a place where the Holy Relic is sealed. Our ancestors worshiped it, but only madmen would wish for its resurrection. You’ve studied Japanese mythology, right? In the myth, the father of all gods is Izanagi, and the mother of the gods is Izanami. Izanami is a god who hates humanity and lives in Yomi, the underworld, as a corpse-like deity.”

Koeru continued, “Izanami is the name of the Holy Relic. She appears as a decayed corpse in the myths because she is dead.”

“You think the Holy Relic has awakened?” Anjou asked.

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