I Married the Dragon I Killed

Chapter 6. Still Alive, After All

“Well, that’s… surprising.”

Ruri muttered those words as she entered the room to prepare breakfast, her gaze fixed on Ferda.

As Baldrova’s only servant and a Dragon Spawn, her keen eyes rarely missed anything.

“Did you actually manage to break through a circuit?”

In just one night?

Ferda nodded.

“Yeah.”

“For a normal human, breaking through in a single day should be impossible.”

“It’s because I’m not normal, isn’t it? But more importantly, I’d like an answer.”

“To what?”

“Have I proven myself worthy of being her partner?”

“…”

Instead of answering, Ruri clenched her lips and looked up at Ferda.

By her standards, he had passed.

‘No… he’s far exceeded my expectations.’

Just two weeks ago, when she had made him the offer, she had thought this:
*If he manages to squeeze out even a single drop by the last day of the fourth week, it would already be a miracle.*

But in just two weeks, Ferda had not only met the conditions but had done so with ease.

‘Actually, it wasn’t even two weeks.’

There hadn’t been any prior signs of progress. He had achieved it all in just one night.

‘And the reason for this awakening… it has to be because of the master’s battle.’

What else could have caused such a shift?

For an ordinary human, the only things to feel in such a situation were fear and awe.

She had been the one to carry Ferda to bed when his body broke down afterward, so she knew exactly what state he had been in.

But now, seeing him act so composed and nonchalant, as if this were all natural, annoyed her.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“…It’s fine.”

“What is?”

“The standard.”

Ruri cleared her throat and quickly changed the topic.

“You’ve met the requirements, so you can relax until the engagement ceremony. You’ve done well.”

“Resting sounds nice, but I still have a long way to go, don’t I?”

After finishing his breakfast, Ferda wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up from his seat.

“By the way, is there a place where I can train?”

“What kind of training are you planning to do?”

“Magic.”

At this, Ruri shook her head.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have any supplies meant for mages. I can have some brought in, but it would take about three days.”

“It won’t take that long. I don’t need that kind of thing.”

The training Ferda planned didn’t require expensive or sophisticated tools.

“A few targets will do just fine.”

“Targets?”

“Just set up some scarecrows for me.”

Ruri looked puzzled.

A novice who had only just stepped into the first circle—what kind of training could he possibly do with scarecrows?

But for Ferda, those would be the best and most effective tools he could use.

The kind of training he was planning required a level of precision that no equipment could measure or correct.

And Ferda was already capable of managing that level of precision on his own.

—

The place Ruri led Ferda to was the same open clearing she had flown him to when they climbed to the mountaintop.

That clearing was now a training ground.

It wasn’t set up for mages but for ordinary soldiers.

There were straw scarecrows, distance markers, obstacles, and other tools.

‘I can see why she’s able to manage this enormous castle all by herself.’

In just 30 minutes, she had transformed the clearing into a proper training ground.

With skills and speed like that, what *couldn’t* she do?

Ferda looked at Ruri, who stood quietly by his side.

“Thanks for setting this up.”

“What exactly are you planning to practice?”

“Controlling mana.”

Ruri tilted her head.

“Why do you need to control it?”

“To use magic more efficiently. If you overuse mana, you waste it. If you underuse it, the spell fails. Happens a lot.”

She tilted her head the other way, clearly still confused.

“Does that really happen?”

“Don’t dragons have similar problems? I heard all dragons can use at least some magic.”

Ruri nodded.

“That’s true. The type of magic we can use depends on the ruler’s bloodline we inherit, but nearly all Dragon Spawns can use magic.”

“Then why can’t you understand what I mean?”

“Well, to put it simply, what you’re saying sounds as strange as worrying about whether or not you’ll be able to breathe. If other Dragon Spawns heard you, they’d call it ‘primitive.’”

Ferda looked at Ruri steadily.

“So, does what I’m doing look primitive to you?”

“I *am* a Dragon Spawn.”

In other words, yes, it did look primitive to her.

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

How could it be helped? Arrogance was practically a fundamental trait of her kind.

Dragon Spawns could naturally wield magic, while humans had to struggle through effort and understanding to do the same.

It was only natural that those born with talent and those who achieved it through hard work would never fully understand each other.

Ferda turned his gaze toward the scarecrows.

“Mind if you watch me train?”

“If watching someone practice breathing sounds entertaining to you, sure.”

“Then I’ll stay.”

Ruri stepped back, giving him space, but kept her eyes on him.

Ferda closed his eyes.

To control mana, you first had to find a sense of calm and approach the flow gently.

That was the standard method for controlling mana.

‘But that only applies to Blue Circles.’

Most of the established methods for magic control were designed for Blue Circles.

Ferda, however, used a Red Circle.

The Red Circle, formed through emotional turbulence, couldn’t be controlled using Blue Circle methods.

Even if you forced control using those techniques, it would drastically reduce effectiveness, essentially crippling the user.

‘You have to control something that can’t be controlled.’

The Red Circle was full of contradictions and defied common sense. But if you could find the trick to mastering it, you could gain complete control over its power.

And Ferda was someone who had achieved that mastery.

He let his awareness sink deep, like falling to the bottom of a lake, until it reached his core.

The circular Red Circle spun sharply within him, so vivid that he could see it clearly even with his eyes closed.

Ferda simply observed it.

The fast-flowing mana was like a raging torrent during monsoon season.

If he approached carelessly, he’d be swept away.

Ferda reached toward it cautiously.

What he was about to do was akin to sculpting clay.

He gently touched the edge of the spinning circle, maintaining its form while carefully drawing mana out of it.

*Drawing out mana.*

This process, even for the slower-moving Blue Circle, required over a year of training to master.

For the Red Circle, it would take several times that amount of effort.

‘I remember how much blood, sweat, and tears I poured into this.’

That sensation was still fresh in Ferda’s memory.

He focused entirely on the circle, bringing his fingers closer.

As his fingers lightly touched the rushing mana, it began to flow through them, forming a new stream that trickled outward.

‘I can feel it.’

The mana that had been in his core was now flowing through his veins.

From his veins, it traveled to his heart, and from there, through his arteries.

‘This process usually takes a year.’

But Ferda skillfully guided it, completing the path in just one minute.

One year’s work, done in a minute.

With the mana successfully drawn out, he moved on to the next step: *forming a sphere.*

*Wooong—*

The mana gathered at the tip of his index finger and radiated outward, dispersing into the air.

He could feel the threads of blue mana spreading out from his fingertip.

‘Condense.’

The scattered mana gathered again, forming a dense, concentrated mass just above his finger.

The condensed and compressed mana glowed brightly.

When mana becomes so concentrated that even someone without magical knowledge can see it clearly, the process is considered complete.

Ferda’s sphere was smooth and solid, a perfectly formed orb.

Most mages, unable to fully control the process, usually end up wasting mana, which escapes as blue vapor.

But Ferda’s sphere had no such waste.

‘It takes another year to get to this point.’

The entire process, which had originally taken him two years to master, was completed in just two minutes.

But Ferda didn’t celebrate.

As Ruri had said earlier, this was as natural to him as breathing.

Just as no one celebrates figuring out how to breathe, Ferda didn’t see this as anything special—it was simply something he was supposed to do.

‘Now for the final step.’

This was the step that took most mages six years to master.

Even for Ferda, who had exceptional talent, it had taken three years of effort to achieve.

Ferda glanced down at the lump of mana floating above his finger.

It was a pure, raw essence, capable of being transformed into anything depending on the user’s will.

The first and most basic thing to do with it was to throw it—a simple *mana shot.*

At its core, it was nothing more than launching a lump of mana.

But this step was also how one determined whether a mage was ready to function properly in combat.

‘It’s all about cohesion, speed, and accuracy.’

Those were the three requirements.

This stage was known as the “Wall of Wailing” because so many mages failed to overcome it, even after reaching the third circle.

Ferda himself had only managed to pass this stage after reaching the second circle.

Ferda looked at the lump of mana in his hand, then raised his head.

Fifty meters away, he saw a scarecrow and a sign indicating the distance.

“Hmmm…”

He squinted slightly, clicking his tongue.

“This won’t do.”

Muttering to himself, he refocused his attention on his hand.

In an instant, three mana spheres floated above his fingertips.

Looking at them, Ferda nodded to himself.

“This is better.”

Now this felt right—something worth doing.

Ferda swung his fingers in a wide arc, and the three spheres flew off in parabolic trajectories, all heading toward the same point.

The exact center of the scarecrow’s forehead.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The high-density mana bullets exploded on impact.

The scarecrow’s head completely disintegrated, leaving nothing behind.

Ferda observed the results and murmured quietly,

“Still alive, after all.”

Though firing three shots at the first circle had used up half his mana reserves, he didn’t mind.

Mana naturally increased with each circle, after all.

Having completed this practical test, Ferda no longer doubted his abilities.

With that, his practice was done.

The entire session, from start to finish, had taken only ten minutes.

—

That night, Ruri descended into the lair.

In her hands, she carried a neatly organized stack of documents.

“I’m here to deliver the weekly report.”

-Go ahead.

Though Baldrova had been in seclusion, she still needed to stay informed about the state of the world.

It was Ruri’s job to provide those updates, and she willingly fulfilled that role.

Baldrova listened silently as Ruri summarized the key points.

After a 30-minute briefing, Ruri closed the file.

“That concludes the report.”

You’ve worked hard.

“It’s hardly work at all. Do you have any questions?”

None. You may go.

That was the usual response Ruri expected to hear.

But this time, her ears picked up something different.

Baldrova scratched her chin with one of her claws, a small but noticeable gesture.

Having served Baldrova for a long time, Ruri could tell right away—her master was curious about something.

‘Could it be… she’s finally interested in the outside world?’

Ruri’s eyes lit up for a brief moment.

Baldrova’s lips twitched as if to speak, but then she shook her head.

-No, it’s nothing.

“Please tell me. What are you curious about? Your servant, Ruri, is prepared to answer any question you may have.”

Ruri’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

Baldrova hesitated but eventually spoke reluctantly.

-The one destined to be my partner… how is he doing?

“Ah.”

Ruri felt a sharp pang of betrayal in her chest.

It was as if her dreams had been shattered.

The *only* thing Baldrova was curious about was the status of *that man*.

Still, she had pressed for an answer, so it was only proper to give one.

“Your fiancé is doing well.”

-Is there anything troubling him?

“No, nothing. Though we initially expected him to struggle without a dedicated attendant, he has adjusted surprisingly well. He’s very different from the so-called nobles of today.”

-I see.

“…And…”

Ruri hesitated. She hadn’t planned on saying anything more, but her lips moved on their own.

She wondered briefly if she should say it, then decided to speak.

“And I can’t figure him out.”

-Can’t figure him out? Do you mean he’s underwhelming?

Ruri shook her head.

“No. He’s exceptional—far more so than I expected, and that’s the problem.”

-It’s rare for you to praise a human.

Baldrova sounded surprised.

She was well aware of how deeply Ruri despised humans.

-So, is there an issue? Is he unstable?

“No. He’s… too perfect.”

-Isn’t that a good thing?

“Perfection is good, yes. But not for a human.”

Ruri recalled her observations of Ferda.

What had struck her most wasn’t just his skill but the sense of danger she felt from him during his training.

“Humans are creatures that learn through mistakes. It’s impossible for them to be perfect from the beginning.”

But Ferda had never failed.

Not just today—every moment she had observed him over the past few days had been the same.

Even Ruri, who hated humans, couldn’t help but acknowledge him.

He had surpassed her disdain and left her feeling something entirely different.

“And that’s why I can’t help but think he’s dangerous.”

A sense of awe had taken root in her chest.

It felt as though she had missed something critical about him.

Like he was hiding something she couldn’t understand.

As a loyal servant, she couldn’t allow such a person to stand beside her master.

-For you to think that way, he must truly be remarkable.

“Though I hate to admit it… yes, he is.”

Baldrova pondered her words for a moment.

-Still, it’s fine. You said he came here with pure intentions, didn’t you?

“…”

-Then I’ll trust him.

It was an optimistic remark, to say the least.

Ruri, who was deeply uneasy, couldn’t help but feel frustrated by Baldrova’s calm attitude.

‘This is my master, after all.’

She knew this about Baldrova and had already factored it into her plans.

‘That’s why I need to do everything I can.’

Even if she couldn’t expose Ferda’s true nature, she needed a way to gauge it.

‘Maybe… it’s not a bad idea to set the stage myself.’

Ruri resolved to create an opportunity.

Even if Ferda didn’t reveal his true self, she would at least get a glimpse of what lay beneath the surface.

As she solidified her plans, one word echoed in her mind.

“Something… extraordinary.”

Ruri repeated that word in her head, and then a memory surfaced.

Ferda’s face, smiling in admiration even while in pain during training.

Her expression twisted in disgust, as though she had stepped in something filthy.

“Master… if I may ask… ”

-What is it?

“Could it be that… never mind.”

Her words trailed off, and she shook her head.

“…It’s nothing.”