Chapter 42: Change Of Scenery

Chapter 42:

"___" - Speech

(___) - Thoughts

(___) - Internal Voice(s)

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"Despite it being my second time here, this place still hasn't become any less intimidating." Jin basked in the sight of a seemingly endless valley, riddled with charcoal colored soil and sediment as far as the eye could see. Even with his exceptional perception, he couldn't spot so much as a morsel of fauna around. 

He continued to survey the scenery for some time before returning his attention to the small reptilian creature in his arms. 

"What's wrong?" He asked somewhat knowingly, able to sense the clear apprehension in the hatchling's face. Furthered by the fact that Raon's usual overly hyper mood was nowhere in sight. 

"Nothing." Jin breathed a slight groan, softly patting his head as the child made no attempt to resist his gesture. 

"We need his permission in order to go through with this, you know that." 

"Of course I do." He huffed. 

Jin's frown deepened, a sense of guilt welling up within him as he felt as if he were forcing the hatchling into a corner, even though what he was doing was objectively the right move. 

For both of them. 

"You don't have to talk to him now if you don't want to, I can call Oron to take you for a bit if you'd like?" His assistant was probably one of, if not the only person he trusted to hold onto Raon for any set of time. 

"No, I'll stay. He promised to give me answers." If it weren't for the evident resolve leaking out of Raon's words, Jin would've turned around that instant. 

"He did, but it's not as if he gave you a deadline on when you could redeem them. Are you su—" 

"I said I'm staying." He repeated, causing Jin to reluctantly drop the subject. 

"Alright." 

It wasn't long before the bone chattering sound of behemoth-sized wings started to resound throughout the atmosphere, a strong gust of wind picking up as Jin's hair flowed backwards. 

(Imposing as ever.) Jin mused, shifting the weight of his body forwards so as not to be blown away. 

Two gargantuan feet covered in violet scales planted themselves on a large clearing in front of Jin, a series of tremors running through his foothold as the enormous creature balanced itself. 

"We meet again, Tannin." Jin performed a slight bow of respect, the Dragon part of him demanding he show respect to someone who once bore the title of King, furthered by his overbearing presence.

"No need for the pleasantries Silver, Azazel's already filled me in." Tannin's sclera fell onto Raon, causing the younger Dragon to flinch ever so slightly. "Don't worry, I remember my promise, but first I ought to sort the two of you out." 

"I hope our request isn't too bothersome." 

"Not at all, on the contrary I was hoping you'd make it sooner. I understand the decision must have been difficult, but if you want what's best for the little one you've made the right choice." He commended. 

Raising Raon in the human world wasn't impossible in theory, but it would come with a near endless list of complications on top of it being an already extremely uncomfortable place for a Dragon to grow up in. 

Especially one of Raon's age. 

Therefore, Jin had made the bold decision to leave his home behind and make the Underworld his permanent residence from here on out. 

The shop would go to Kyouko, and though she obviously wouldn't live in it Jin felt better knowing that it was in the hands of someone who would at least be able to take care of it every now and then. 

Naturally, he didn't expect the business itself to continue, and honestly didn't mind it all that much. He had honored what his father had left behind for long enough, and now that he had a child of his own it was time to move on. 

Furthermore, as of today he would no longer be a student at Kuoh Academy. Which was fine by him considering he already had a place of employment. 

Why waste seven hours a day if it would amount to nothing in the end? That time was far better spent training anyways, and a human school couldn't even begin to compare to the level of education Grigori could provide. 

In hindsight, he was leaving behind far less than he thought, but parting with a place you've spent your entire life in would always come with some sense of attachment. 

"I've already found an area in the Snowcliff Mountain Ridge that I believe would be suitable for the two of you, as a matter of fact I believe the Governor has already completed construction on your lodgings." 

(Hopefully he understood what I meant by "nothing complex".) 

Tannin's territory was known as the "Dragon Mountain", one of if not the only place where a special kind of fruit known as Dragon Apples could be found. Something that a few of the Dragons under Tannin's care relied on in order to survive. 

The territory was something he had been granted following his promotion to Ultimate-Class, allowing him to create a place for his kin to thrive in. 

"But, you do understand that you won't be alone there, right?" He queried. 

"I'm aware, the Blizzard Dragons, correct?" Blizzard Dragons were another species known for their prowess in commanding the element of ice, though they weren't nearly as elusive a species as Silver Dragons. 

"Indeed, remember that they were there first, and you are obligated to respect that." Jin replied with a firm nod of approval as Tannin continued his explanation. "With that said, they aren't an especially violent species, so they would never go out of their way to try to harm you or anything. However, there are a few things you need to keep in mind." 

A loud thud resounded as Tannin sat cross-legged in front of Jin. 

"First, they are aware of the fact that you are going to be present in their region, and know the location of your lodgings. I have told them that you are a Silver Dragon, but they have never met one of your kind before. So if a few particularly curious one's come over to you, just humor them will you?" 

"If it's just curiosity then I don't see a problem with it." 

"Good, next you should know that they are an extremely protective species, namely of their young. Don't, and I can't stress this enough, approach their children under any circumstances. It doesn't matter if they want to play or interact with you, just leave them alone. Unless you have their permission of course." 

Since Jin could strongly relate to them on that front, he didn't mind in the slightest. 

"Got it." 

"And finally, and arguably most importantly, you have to be aware of Miirym." It was pretty clear by his tone that he was putting a lot of emphasis on the figure.

(Recognize the name?) 

(Nope.) 

"Who?" 

"She is the oldest, and also the strongest Blizzard Dragon there. Pretty much every single other Blizzard Dragon around shares her blood to some extent. She won't try to attack you in any way, especially since I've directly told her not too. But she can be unpredictable at times, at the very least expect a visit of some capacity." 

"I see, but let's say hypothetically something did happen with this Miirym. How worried should I be?" If Raon's safety was in even a minuscule amount of danger, Jin had to know everything. 

"I already brought this up with Azazel, and according to him he believes that you would be able to hold your own." Jin tilted his head as he noticed the apprehension in Tannin's voice. 

"But?" 

"Call me arrogant, but I don't trust his assessment fully. I am aware of his renowned intelligence, but Dragons cannot be judged so easily. I believe this to be especially true for her, she is a lot more than raw power. She has a vast pool of experience, techniques, and knowledge of concepts even I can't fully wrap my head around. Don't take her lightly, as a matter of fact, if you feel the need to call me if some sort of altercation goes down between the two of you, don't hesitate." 

Had it come from everyone else Jin would've been somewhat skeptical, but no matter how smart his boss was there's no way his judgment could be superior to Tannin's in this regard. Whoever this Miirym was, she was to be taken seriously. 

"Can she be reasoned with?" 

"If she likes you, yes. If she doesn't, no chance." 

"Noted, is there anything else I need to know?" 

Tannin took a moment to scratch the underside of his maw before turning back towards Jin. 

"Actually yes, Azazel gave you a map of the area already, right?" 

"He did." 

"In that case I doubt you failed to notice the sizable river spanning throughout the region?" Jin's expression affirmed the question. "It's not a problem if you decide to visit it, actually it's a pretty good hunting spot if you ask me so I somewhat encourage it. However, just be mindful if the others are using a certain spot, they won't take kindly to you intruding on one of their hunting sessions if you get what I mean." 

"Fair enough." 

"The upper course is generally where they take their young to train their survival skills so proceed with caution if you decide to go there, and honestly speaking the only reason you should be there is to train the little one. The middle course on the other hand is where the older ones go to train their skills against some of the beasts lurking there." 

"And the lower course?" 

"That's for Dragons of Mirrym's caliber, until the middle course becomes a cakewalk for you ignore it. You'd just be walking, or should I say swimming into a meaningless death." 

"Alright." 

Seeing that Jin clearly was taking his words to heart, the Dragon King let out a hum of approval before breathing a deep groan. 

"Now with that out of the way, it's time to make good on my promise." 

— 

AN: I am aware that the existence of wildlife in the Underworld was never stated, but I believe it would enrich this story so I've decided to add them. 

Also Dragon Apples are way too limited a resource for every single Dragon to consume them nonstop, so naturally they have to be eating something else, and I think it's reasonable to assume that they are carnivorous.