480-478 New Emperor's Development Story 11 Black Hobby




 It's the continued Ardheg of the Geyser Dragon.

 We have arrived.
 To the Black Widow's Mountain, a dungeon ruled by Sister Marie.

'Ho, this is another magnificent.

 First of all, we get a bird's eye view of the whole thing from above.
 The mountain-type dungeon in Anegami was made up of several mountains that formed a magnificent landscape.

As the name 'mountain range' is given to it, it seems to be formed by multiple peaks.
 This alone made it far more magnificent than any other mountain dungeon, but what was also overwhelming was the fact that the entire mountain was covered in jet black.

 A true 'Black Widow'.

 What kind of mechanism did that blackness use to cover the mountain?
 At first I thought it was a row of trees with darker foliage, but it looks different.

 The black has a slight sheen to it.
 I don't think such a shiny black color could be produced by the plants, no matter how much they are darkened.

 As I got closer, I realized.

''That's a crystal........?

 Large black crystals were growing out of the mountainside in countless numbers.
 That's exactly how the trees grew.

 What is this?

''Are you surprised? This is the phenomenon I'm causing with my magic.

 Sister Marie said proudly.

''It's the home of the most powerful dragons. It has to be a magnificent structure to match. The crystal tree that feeds off of my dragon magic has been specially bred to be exclusively black crystal. How's that working out for you? Isn't the black all over the mountain stunning?''

 Is it a crystal that grows like a tree, feeding off the magic of the dragon and growing like a tree?
 When I descended and landed, the scenery was even more fantastic.

My favorite color is black. Black is a noble color, it represents the dignity of a strong man. Black is the color of nobility. It represents the dignity of a strong man and the nobility of a noble species. This is me, Bloody Mary, the dragon of Graugrinzel, a lady's dragon wrapped in jet black.
"I knew your sister liked black, but...

 I didn't know you were so thorough.
 It's an all-black house.

"I think there is a limit to everything.
It's depressing to see all the black in any direction. It's a funeral for all those nincompoops.

 Seadr and father followed suit, muttering their favorite thoughts as they followed.

 Putting aside the pros and cons of total blackness, one could only admire Sister Marie's magical power that could achieve such a thing.

 How much more dragon magic power would be needed to make the black crystal grow over such a large area?
 Needless to say, for a crystal to grow so thickly was a magical phenomenon that went against the laws of nature.
 To be able to keep it growing on such a countless scale and still maintain it is impossible for even an ordinary person, even for a dragon.

 It's not just the older sister, Marie, who once stood at the top of the battle to determine the successor to the emperor's dragon.

''You won't be found out if you break just this one crystal and take it home, right?''
"Sweet, Seedl. I'm going home with at least ten of them.

 Seadr and his father are discussing something unimportant.

'It's no use being surprised by standing on the outside edge. Now let me show you the inside. The inside is the body of a dungeon.

 You're leading us into the dungeon, sister Marie.

 She has been in a good mood since a while ago.

 When we were in your brother Alexander's dungeon, he was irritable all the time, but has something changed?
 After all, doesn't Sister Marie feel good about her brother Alexander, the ultimate strongest dragon?

"Come on, this is the inside! Let's transform into human form, shall we?!

 Huh?
 Is that the rule?

I'm being asked to transform myself as if to say, "Let's take off our shoes here.
 There's no reason to refuse, so I'm going to obey.

I'm trying to make the dungeon a human-sized version of myself. I've tried many different ways to make it look the best. What do you think? Isn't the sea of black crystal trees seen from the ground also magical?
Are you sure...?

 By the way, Seadr and your father are bent on bashing the crystal tree any time they want to. Shouldn't we be worried about this?

''Crystal trees are things that grow one after another in response to my magic. It's not worth worrying about if it's plucked out a little bit.
Is that so...?
''In fact, some of the nigens at the foot of the mountain go into the mountains to get the black crystal, but they don't care and leave it there, right? It's called pruning? I've heard that trees look more beautiful when they're thinned out and shaped a bit, rather than left to their own devices.

 Well, yes.
 And even on the farm, the saintly lord was chopping up the trees in the garden into small pieces.

As for me, I'm happy to let them off the hook for pruning the trees. The mighty ones don't pay any attention to the actions of the little buggers.

 It was a line that could be considered arrogant, but it was also a line that could only be said because it was Marie's sister.
 Although she was not as impressive as Alexander Brother and Veerle Sister, she is also without a doubt one of the strongest class dragons.

''Oh, really? Then let's bring home a lot more!
I'll cut down 10,000 trees.

 And father and Seadr were even more excited.

''Guorah! Who said it was okay to go that far?

 And as expected, Marie snapped.
 There is a limit to everything.

 And then, after advancing through the fantastic black crystal forest....

You'll be able to find out more about this. This is the deepest part of my dungeon, the Black Widow's Mountain Range........

 There was a palace there.

 The building was so large and majestically built that one could look up at it.
 This palace also seemed to be made of black crystal, and everything from the walls, to the roof, to each and every pillar, was shining jet black.

''It's called the Xuan Long Palace! It's also where I usually sleep! I'm sure I'm the only one who has built such a beautiful palace among the many dragons out there!

 In terms of opulence alone, Sister Marie's palace must exceed all the buildings created by the ningen.

 The saint's house is also more comfortable to live in than it is luxurious.
 ...............................
 .........What's the comfort of living in the Black Crystal Palace?

Sister, I think I got a crucial clue about building the Dragon King's Castle from this palace.
'I know, I know! You'll have to take a page out of my book and build a gorgeous palace to the best of your ability!

 That the most important thing in housing is comfort.

'So let's move on to the next one, crunchy! I'll give you a tour of the palace! You should learn my decorating sense, too!
I'd like to learn.

 Then we went further into the palace.
 As soon as I stepped in, I immediately noticed.

''Sister? Is that a sign...?
That's a good sign. You're not a geyser dragon if you don't have that level of intuition, are you?

 This palace.....
 There's a dragon inside, isn't there?

 .... or 'You're a dragon too, aren't you?' If you're asking me to do this, then you're right.

 That's not true.
 I've just stepped into the palace, and I, sister Marie, Seadr and father.

 And then there's the dragon's breathing response.
 And more than one.

 There are definitely more than a dozen of them in the back.

"Not all dragons are as brave and bold as you. They are insignificant and weak, but if I bundle their numbers together and take them with me, they can serve as an accessory to my strength. That's why I'm keeping them around.

 The other dragons living in Sister Marie's palace are her cronies.

 They were the ones who had once participated in the battle to determine the successor to the emperor's dragon while trying to follow the potential winner, Sister Marie, to keep them safe.

 I had seen them before, so I was relatively free of confusion.
 These were the same dragons that had barged in with Sister Marie during my Geyser Dragon inauguration, right?

 The knowledgeable Saints' Hall used to call such things "foxes that borrow from tigers" and "whale sharks", but what would the dragons, which are supposed to be the most powerful race, do with the authority of the same dragons?

 We went to the back of the palace to meet the dragons who were actually surrounding the palace.
 Because we are indoors, they have changed their appearance into ningens and remain silent, paying attention to me.

"What are you standing there like a blur? It's disrespectful!'

 It was scolded by Sister Marie, who was originally the master of this place.

''This is the new Geyser Dragon, Ardheg! The Dragon Emperor! Get on your knees and swear your allegiance! To our new ruler!

 Sister Marie took the lead.
 Surprising. I thought she was the one who was most unhappy with me being a Geyser Dragon.

 It brings tears to my eyes to think that she actually approved of it.

 On the other hand, the dragons who had taken up with her........

''.............................We refuse.
What?
''Master Marie, no, Bloody Mary. You who have succumbed to such a fake emperor dragon are no longer worthy of a flirtation. This dungeon is ours too. Losers can turn tail and walk away.