Yarra's Adventure Notes-Chapter 1414 - 200 The Price of Guarding

"Fortunately, the energy explosion caused by the surging Divine Power, though it tore apart the Guardian Barrier, the barrier still managed to block most of the rampant energy," said the Bone Dragon, recounting its own death with a calmness as if narrating an insignificant matter unrelated to itself, and casually spoke, "The remaining small portion was absorbed by our bodies, the Guardians, so the battle didn’t have much impact on the world. It only caused slight damage before our arrival, a level of destruction the world can automatically repair in a short time. That’s what I’m most thankful for. Unfortunately, the war did not end thereafter. I heard from that lord, the Yarran World eventually collapsed after all. Such a pity."

"May I ask you a question?" As the Bone Dragon narrated, Catherine unconsciously switched to a respectful address, "The Guardians who participated in this operation..."

"The three of us, combat-oriented Drakes, stood at the forefront, bearing the brunt of the ferocious energy, so not one of us survived," said the Bone Dragon, stretching lazily as if waking from a slumber, its joints producing a series of clashing sounds, a resonance unique to the Undead that, while typically chilling, in that moment only brought a wave of sadness. However, the Bone Dragon itself seemed indifferent, flicking its tail and speaking languidly, "As for the condition of other members of our race, how could I possibly know that clearly, having died ahead of time? But I think a portion of our kin must have survived; after all, thanks to the efforts of the three of us, the remaining energy wasn’t too overwhelming. I figure it wasn’t enough to kill all the kin present at the scene, so I believe some must have made it through just fine, maybe around ten?"

Everyone fell silent. The presence of this Bone Dragon, who bore the title of king of the Undead, shattered their hearts with its matter-of-fact tone. Especially for the girls, who during previous encounters, had come to see the Drakes as a race of powerful yet indolent beings, preferring solitary lives in remote places with scarcely tangible existences—even when acting alongside Mina and Bast, this impression had not changed. Furthermore, aloofness was another significant impression the girls held of the Drakes; in legends, Drakes often appeared indifferent due to their laziness, and in reality, the girls felt this same indifference, which was not born of laziness but other reasons, especially when Mina firmly declared that she could only offer minor assistance on an individual basis. Even knowing it was wrong to think so, they couldn’t help but resent the Drakes’ reluctance to intervene, a faint grudge arising in their hearts. Of course, this resentment was a temporary emotional reaction, quickly diluted by rational thought, but the impression of the Drakes’ coldness had taken root in the girls’ subconscious, difficult to change.

Yet, this steadfast image in their hearts was ruthlessly dismantled by the Bone Dragon’s recounting of its memories. As the recollection drew to a close, every word expelled by the Bone Dragon struck the girls’ hearts like a Warhammer. These beings, whom the girls subconsciously deemed indifferent and heartless, were ready to sacrifice their long lives and immense strength without hesitation for the safety of the entire world, all without complaint and viewing it as their duty. They acquired no benefits, received no rewards; their sole reason was the sense of duty to guard the world. No wonder they were given the title of Guardians; just as the Genesis Epic praised, for the sake of guardianship, they were willing to forsake life and face death head-on.

Catherine exhaled softly, and in a moment, the girl pondered many things. She only now fully realized that perhaps what she had seen before were mere appearances, and her previous impressions might have been misunderstandings. Just like the Bone Dragon had emphasized earlier, the Guardians’ race must maintain neutrality. Even in the face of death, they couldn’t join any side in a conflict of interests, even if it were to resolve a war. Therefore, their seclusion in the deep mountains and their isolation from all intelligent beings seemed to stem from more than just laziness and the arrogance of being the most powerful race in the world. Of course, that was certainly part of the reason, but a more significant reason was that they absolutely must not develop too deep an affection for any race or power, lest they lose their neutrality. Likewise, their frequent refusals to aid others were because they would only fight to protect the world. Thus, they viewed everything from the perspective of the world. What some individuals or even the majority of intellectual creatures considered extremely important might be, in their eyes, just the natural progression of life from prosperity to decline. They would simply stand by, never interfering to change anything.

"Why make such a face, as if you’ve seen someone die before you? Oh, that’s right, the one who died was me." The Bone Dragon, seeing the girls’ solemnity and guilt, straightened its neck and, tilting its head in confusion, said, "However, our deaths were very worthwhile. We averted a crisis that could have destroyed the already damaged world, and the only cost was our lives. We died satisfied, so why do you bear such a heavy expression?"

"Don’t mind their expressions." Pannis actually understood the girls’ thoughts quite well. In fact, he was fully aware of the girls’ subconscious impressions of the Drakes, but he had never corrected them. After all, others could correct you a thousand times, but it’s useless unless you see and understand for yourself and confirm your own mistakes. So Pannis just shrugged at the Bone Dragon, saying, "They’re just feeling ashamed and guilty for some of their previous thoughts. The more you explain to them, the worse their guilt becomes, so you might as well pretend you didn’t see it."

"Alright then." The Bone Dragon was even more puzzled but complied with Pannis’ request nonetheless and didn’t press any further. Instead, it looked down at Pannis and said, "That’s everything that happened before my death. As for what happened after I died until I woke up, all of it was told to me by that great one."

"I understand, thank you. To be strict, I too should feel guilty. Although I also knew of your hearts of guardianship, I resented you because last time, the Drakes had only sent Mina to deal with the crisis of death, and I developed resentment towards you, though I never showed it. I kept thinking that if only you had deployed more members, perhaps she wouldn’t have died. But your story now gives me a better understanding of your way of thinking, and I must apologize to you for my past resentment." Pannis removed his cap with a solemn face, placing it over his chest as he gave the Bone Dragon a deep bow to show respect and regret, his voice low, saying, "Let’s reintroduce ourselves. The one who was once called Kyle, now named Pannis, responding to your invite and coming to meet you."