A Failed Hero's Voyage Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Final Feast

Read chapter 3 of A Failed Hero's Voyage by churro on NovelPedia.

Atherius stood beside the large stone table for a long moment, staring silently at the Dragon Emperor. His dark eyes settled on the dragon-like man across from him, narrowing slightly as he studied him. The Emperor stood calmly on the other side of the table, as though the presence of the most dangerous man in the world meant nothing at all. After a while, Atherius let out a quiet sigh. He reached for one of the chairs carved from solid stone and pulled it back with a low scraping sound before sitting down opposite the emperor. The Emperor tilted his head slightly, watching him with a faintly amused expression. “Is something wrong?” he asked lightly. “You aren’t scared… are you?” Atherius’s eyes widened just a little at the question. His mind remained as empty and still as ever, yet the words left his mouth before he had fully considered them. “I am not,” he said slowly. “…But it is strange.” His gaze never left the Emperor. He observed every detail of the dragon emperor’s form, the horns that spiraled around his head, the subtle scales beneath his skin, the quiet confidence in his posture. “You aren’t like the others… are you, Emperor?” The Emperor blinked once, then calmly lifted a golden cup from the table and took a slow sip. “Please,” he said after swallowing, “call me Mordor. You are someone worthy of knowing my name.” Atherius tilted his head slightly, studying him with an unusual expression. The Dragon Emperor had ruled dragonkind for centuries. Yet not a single human had ever been granted his true name. And now he offered it so casually. “Why tell me?” Atherius asked. “You know I came here to kill you. Yet you grant me such a privilege?” Mordor set his cup down upon the stone table. The quiet clang of metal against stone echoed through the massive chamber. His crimson eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Atherius. “You killing me will not change anything,” he said calmly. “However… if you believe some payment is owed for my name, then grant me a simple request.” Atherius blinked once. He rested one hand on the cold surface of the table, his fingers drifting slowly across the rough stone. “A request?” he repeated, narrowing his dark eyes. Mordor returned his gaze with a wide grin, his crimson eyes glinting faintly in the torchlight. “Indeed. A very simple one.” He casually tore a piece from a strange cut of roasted meat resting on the table and took a bite before continuing. “You see… I merely ask that you refrain from hunting any non-human species.” He paused briefly. “Until you have reached the Devil of Velmoria, our goddess.” Atherius’s eyes widened slightly. For the first time during their conversation, surprise clearly appeared on his face. His fists tightened unconsciously. But there was an obvious problem. “As much as I might wish to honor that request,” Atherius said slowly, “the location of this ‘Devil’ is unknown. It has remained unknown since the beginning of this so-called holy war.” Mordor straightened slightly in his seat and let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, you need not concern yourself with such trivial matters, child.” With a casual flick of his fingers, he tossed something across the table. Atherius caught it instinctively. It was a coin. Strange and unfamiliar. The metal was silver, yet it bore no symbol, no engraving, no mark of any kind. Atherius’s eyes narrowed as he focused on the faint aura of mana emanating from it. Then suddenly they widened. “Is this…?” He failed to finish the question. But Mordor chuckled again, answering it anyway. “Yes,” he said lightly. “It is exactly what you think.” “It is a map leading to our goddess.” Atherius looked up slowly. His white hair shifted slightly as he lifted his head, confusion visible for the first time in his usually indifferent expression. Mordor simply smiled. He watched Atherius in silence for several moments before speaking again. “You wondered why I seem different from the others.” “The answer is quite simple.” He leaned forward slightly. “I possess