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Chapter 22: Side Story: A Series of Thoughts on the Man Named Yuki

“How come Yuki’s okay even though he just fell out of the sky?” Evidently, the child situated by my side felt the same. She too was questioning the sanity of his actions.

“An excellent question, young one…” I paused for a moment to consider the most optimal way to answer her question. It would be best for me not to disrupt the girl’s understanding of normalcy. “The cause is a magical pendant he retains on his person. It negates the impact of the fall.”

I momentarily directed my gaze towards the child, the dungeon’s newest resident, only to immediately turn it upon the Demon Lord once more.

Bearing witness to his wild antics once again reminded me of the tales that he had told. I was impressed. His plots were so well spun that they lead my heart to pound with excitement in a manner unbefitting my age. I felt like a child before the unheard tales that he presented us, one after another.

His stories were not the only new experiences he presented. The items he produced and the knowledge he demonstrated fell into the realm of the unknown on many an occasion. I was only a hair’s breadth away from thinking him wise. I was stopped, however, by his complete and utter lack of common sense. He would often know not what even I found obvious. His wealth of knowledge appears discontinuous, incongruent, and mismatched.

And that was precisely the reason for which I thought him mysterious. At first, I suspected that the fault lay with his origin. He was only recently born into this world as a Demon Lord. However, I soon came to understand that there was fault in my suspicions. His status as the master of a dungeon could not possibly have reflected his oddities. He acts in a manner distinct from any other Demon Lord I had ever encountered.

There was no simple way for me to put the concept into words. However, I was able to conclude that the differences lay with his aura. Yuki bears a presence that brings with it great comfort, and it is for that reason that he holds the ability to draw other individuals to his side.

I was certain that the young girl by my side had felt the same, that she was drawn towards him because she intuitively understood that he held the ability to calm the hearts of those in his vicinity. I daresay that his ability to render those around him at ease is akin to a magic spell.

While I had not any definite answer, I suspected that the key lay with his personality. Yuki is unrestrained. He does not hide his emotions, and he speaks with a frankness that is almost innocent in its expression. It is odd. He both does and does not give the impression that he is capable of managing his affairs and taking charge of his own well being. Truly, I fail to understand him. But alas, even this sort of elaborate description fails to capture the entire essence of the man known as Yuki. I can only conclude that he differs from any other.

I had spent many of the past centuries enduring a wave of boredom. There had been nothing for me to do. The same could not be said for the preceding era. The world had been filled with conflict and unrest. Many senseless imbeciles had attempted to challenge my might. I found that engaging them in combat served as the perfect way to kill time, and so, I fought. I fought, fought, and continued to fight until one day, I found myself dubbed the Supreme Dragon. And that was when the embers of conflict burned their last. All those that confronted me were filled with naught but fear of my title. The challengers began to wither away. Even my fellow dragons prostrated before me despite being born into this world as its most powerful race.

I became an avatar of terror.

Yuki was different. At first, he too had been overwhelmed by the difference in our strengths. However, he soon lowered his guard and began acting in a manner I could only describe as brazen. It did not take long for him to begin refuting my will. I was shocked. He was the first with which I had ever engaged a verbal quarrel. And to this day, I know not whether he knows no fear or if he has simply overcome it.

Yuki was the first to see me not as the Supreme Dragon, but as an individual. As Leficios. I cannot deny that I find it both fresh and pleasant.

He was the first and only to have ever provided me comfort with his mere presence. I know not when my time with him will end… but I very much wish to continue immersing myself in the comfort he brings me. At least for just a little longer.

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