Chapter 3: A Core Problem

The Elder’s tone shifted the room into silence. Gone was the sharp impatience about me licking walls; her voice dropped low, like stone grinding against stone.

“The monster frenzy has worsened,” she said. “The Forest of Calm is no longer calm. More and more creatures are losing control. The bright side is we have found the reason why.”

I blinked. My stomach twisted. Wait a second…

So all those monsters I’d been beating up this past week… that wasn’t normal? I thought the forest just had a higher-than-average spawn rate. And Yoruha, she probably got attacked while investigating that exact phenomenon.

“…Poor thing,” I muttered under my breath, glancing at her.

That’s when my father’s words came back. The last thing he said to me before sending me on my way: Protect the Forest.

I hate responsibility. Always have. I’d rather do literally anything else than carry some great duty. But a parent’s request… that’s a whole different matter.

I raised my head. “When did the monsters start going wild?”

The Elder folded her arms. “Three weeks ago. We’ve been fending them off while investigating the cause.”

Dravel, standing tall and grim, asked the obvious follow-up. “And what did the investigation reveal, Elder? You claimed to already know the reason.”

The Elder’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It is because the Dragon Core of Ashryn-sama disappeared from his cave three weeks ago.”

I choked on my spit. Coughed. Hacked. Nearly died on the spot.

“Are you alright?” Yoruha asked, concerned.

“Fine! Totally fine! Please continue!” I wheezed, pounding my chest.

The Elder’s gaze sharpened. “The Core served as proof of his continued existence. Even in slumber, it reminded monsters that Ashryn’s wrath could return at any time. Without it, they no longer fear consequences. Without it, chaos spreads.”

Sweat poured down my face. I knew exactly where that Dragon Core had gone. In fact, I was wearing it in a sense.

The Elder’s eyes narrowed at me. “And yet… Tengen-san sweats like a thief caught in the act.”

Her glare pinned me like a bug on display. And she addressed me as -san, I knew I was cooked.

All three of them, Elder Liraeth, Dravel and Yoruha leaned forward simultaneously, their voices dropping cold and heavy:

“…Speak.”

I panicked. “I—uh—listen, I can explain! Or maybe not explain! Or maybe… you see, it’s funny, because, uh—what had happened was”

“Stop,” Yoruha cut me off flatly, looking at me with pitty. “You’re awful at lying. Please don’t embarrass yourself further.”

I winced. She wasn’t wrong.

Dravel moved closer. Too close. His nose nearly touched mine, his eyes drilling into me.

I instinctively leaned back. He leaned forward.

So I leaned forward.

Now we were practically breathing the same air.

“…What are you doing?” Dravel asked, baffled.

“…I don’t know,” I whispered back. Maybe the tense atmosphere made me think I could...

Then, unexpectedly, he softened. His tone dropped to something noble, supportive, almost brotherly. “Don’t worry Tengen-kun. No matter what you have to say… I’ll support you.”

A single tear slid down my cheek. What a hard-boiled man, I thought, touched beyond reason.

With a sigh, I admitted the truth. “I… I have the Dragon Factor.”

Silence.

Dead silence.

Three pairs of eyes drilled into me like I’d just said I invented gravity.

The Elder blinked slowly. “…What the hell is this boy talking about?”

“I took the Core,” I confessed, “out of the dungeon.”

The Elder shot to her feet, magic flaring. Raw destructive energy built at her fingertips, nuke-level, I swear. “You dare?!”

“WAITWAITWAITWAIT!” I screamed, waving my hands. “I can explain! There’s a perfect explanation, just, don’t erase me yet!”

Yoruha and Dravel grabbed her arms, desperately holding her back. If she set that magic off she would destroy the village.

At last, everyone sat down again, glaring at me like judges at a trial.

The Elder’s voice was razor-thin. “Explain. And make sure it makes sense.”

I straightened, swallowed my fear, and said the truth. “Ashryn gave it to me. He’s… my father.”

Dead silence again.

Then laughter. The Elder threw her head back, laughing sadistically, her fingers twitching with more nuke-magic. “Ha! You truly do wish to die!”

But this time, I didn’t flinch. I just met her gaze head-on. “I only found out three weeks ago. My whole life, I thought I had no father. I’m not lying.”

The laughter stopped.

The Elder’s eyes bored into mine. “Do you realize what you are claiming? To us, Ashryn is a god. To claim kinship with him is blasphemy, punishable by death if you lie.”

“I’m not lying.”

So I told them everything. The summoning. Meeting Ashryn. His words. His request.

The Elder studied me closely, her gaze tracing my jaw, my frame. “…You do resemble him. But resemblance is not proof. We need something concrete.”

“…And where exactly was I supposed to find proof?” I muttered. “He dropped this bomb on me three weeks ago.”

“There is a way,” she said at last. “If you bear the mark of Azul on your back.”

“…Azul?” The man I'm the reincarnation of.

“The First Dragon. The progenitor. All his kin manifest his crest.”

My stomach dropped. If I didn’t have this mark, I was done. My brain scrambled for an excuse. Nothing came.

“Hold him,” the Elder orders Yoruha and Dravel. And they comply

Yoruha and Dravel moved instantly. The Elder placed her hands against my back, tracing with cool, precise fingers.

“…You know,” I thought bitterly, “if she said was doing something like this to a fifteen-year-old back in Japan, she’d be behind bars already. Isekai sure is something.”

And then, she froze.

Her breath hitched. “Impossible…”

“What? What happened?” I asked, twisting.

The Elder dropped to her knees. Bowed so low her forehead hit the floor.

“I have disrespected Tengen-sama,” she cried. “Allow me to take my life as payment for my rudeness!” As she pulls out a knife a puts it next to her throat

“What the hell are you talking about?!” I yelped, scrambling. "Don't do anything stupid!"

“No, Elder, stop!” Yoruha cried.

“You don’t deserve to die over something like this!” Dravel shouted.

"But I have shown so much disrespect to the son of my God, forgiveness is something I can not hope for" She cries out.

Wanting her to stop this sanity i tell her "It's fine really, I forgive you okay, there's no need for you to try and kill yourself".

But the Elder only screamed louder, lunging at me, hugging me, tears streaming down her face. “Tengen-sama! What mercy! What forgiveness! Truly you are worthy of my devotion!”

Devotion my foot I thought to myself. I didn't like where this was heading, I had to put an end to it right away.

I tried to peel her off me. “Nope! Nope! No ‘-sama!’ Stop calling me that! I’m just Tengen, okay?!”

"Denied" She screamed. "To call my lord by name with no honorifics, who would commit such barbaric behavior. Anyone who addresses Tengen-sama with no honorifics will get executed" She declared. 

Why, this women tried nuking me two times and she changed her attitude because of a tiny tattoe. I had to get Dravel and Yoruha to talk her out of this. With me alone it would be impossible, but if I had those two I could manage. 

But it was too late.

When I turned to them, they both were on their knees, heads lowered. I aged right in that instance. What the hell were these two doing.

Yoruha’s eyes softened. “…Tengen-sama. What a nice sound. After all, I was the one who brought you here first.” She said beating her chest about it with a huge smile.

Dravel was already crying like a maiden. “Tengen-sama, I’m so ashamed… and I was plotting to kill you this whole time!”

“…Why would you admit that out loud?!” I shouted. “How am I supposed to trust you now?!”

And then he flicked his hair, smiling through tears.

I couldn’t believe this. Everyone had gone insane.

The Elder suddenly darted outside. Her voice rose over the village. “Prepare a banquet! The King has returned! Tengen-sama is home!”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

I stood frozen, face pale.

I’ve never been comfortable around people. Crowds, expectations, titles, all of it makes my skin crawl.

So what’s about to become of me now…?