Was putting that in a slip-up? Or…could he possibly have done it on purpose?
A country’s leader was the representative for the country’s interests, and Lazlo was no one to be trifled with, being capable of staying relaxed while giving a response like that to a dragon glaring directly at him. Not to mention the fact that, despite being unaccustomed to speaking in Draconic, he made good use of the fact that he couldn’t hide anything to instead shake his opponent up with unreserved openness. Such is the man who leads an entire country.
Lushera noticed the nobles behind Lazlo shifting in odd ways. They must be using magic items or more mundane means to send him signals of some sort.
Kaphal waited in silence for a moment. Lushera could feel heat coiling almost like a slithering snake.
“…Fine,” she finally said. “But I will not xxxx your soldiers destroying my garden. Keep them in check. Your soldiers’ actions are your actions.”
“Of course.”
“And human xxxx has no power on my mountain. Any who enter the mountain will abide by my xxxx. If I say they leave, they leave. If I say they die, they die.”
“But…” Lazlo’s expression turned sharp and tense.
The scribe was taken aback for a moment but recovered himself quickly. He wrote down what was said, then, a moment later, the nobles behind Lazlo looked shocked. They must really have been getting the content of what was said secretly relayed to them and were unable to hide their reaction.
It was almost funny how obviously the nobles squirmed. They must be telling the King they couldn’t accept what was said.
Kaphal’s statement was that she would respond with force if humans used their wiles to pull cheap tricks on her. Depending on the situation, you could interpret this as a threat or an attempt to keep the other person in check, but not even Lazlo could agree to something like that.
“I must ask that you xxxx life and death to xxxx. Even if there is a xxxx reason, my soldiers will not respond well to others being killed.”
“Did I say something odd? If my mountain is taken from me, I cannot live. That is no different from my death. If my life is xxxx, then what is wrong in asking the lives of your people to xxx?”
“That is not what I mean. There has to be a process for xxxx. I understand what you say about xxxx, but please understand our human situation.” His voice was almost pleading. “A king cannot change what his people feel with an order. Even if there is someone who xxxx a crime, the people will xxxx angry if there is no xxxx trial. If that happens, the kingdom will xxxx, and we will be unable to defend the mountain. Some may even target you because of it.”
Crimes must be met with appropriate punishments. That was what human society claimed. It was also one piece of humanity’s wisdom that was necessary for creating and growing a society that could be considered the barest minimum of fairness.
Kaphal was saying she would destroy that with violence. That seemed somewhat extreme as a counter to their attempt to sort out the issue regarding the claim on the mountain.
But Kaphal remained unfazed. “If xxxx come for me, I will strike down all xxxx with my own claws until I am unable to xxxx. Even if that results in xxxx for your human kingdom, it is of no xxxx of mine.”
Even Lushera was shocked by that. The nobles went beyond merely shaken, to being struck dumbfounded.
Lushera wouldn’t be surprised if anyone took Kaphal’s statement as an implication that she had no intention of negotiating. They might wonder if this was an attempt to push the other side off guard, or just simple stupidity. It was neither, though.
“Humanoids and dragons… We live for different times, and we must hold on to different things…” It didn’t take much for a human to die, or their kingdoms to fall, but dragons had power and long lives, and the will and confidence to continue living. That was why dragons were focused on a point far in the future. “If you intend to take advantage of my weakness, king of humans, then let me warn you. I am here. And I am also on Mount Kugus. It is as simple as that. There is no difference between the humans on the other side of the mountain, and the humans on this side. If any xxxx mishandle the xxxx of flame, they will be burned. That is all there is to it. They may suffer more than just burns in my case, but…I will be lenient to those who xxx me.”
She spoke quietly, yet clearly.
Her stance was so firm nothing could be done to change it, but the words she spoke in Draconic were filled with the will of a loving and protective mother. Protecting the place where she lived with Lushera…was the same as protecting Lushera.
Lushera felt the heat of a raging fire, and a jolt like lightning ran down her spine.
A firmness, refusing to be swayed by immediate gain. Bravery, no fear of death. The knowledge that this is what she is, and the supreme will to carry it through. All of those overwhelming intentions were layered into her words.
Lushera glanced at the scribe and noticed even he looked extremely moved, his mouth hanging open as he listened to Kaphal. It showed a reverence towards a way of being humans could never be, a feeling that struck like a bolt of lightning or a great wave.
Humans built walls to fend off the wind, but they could never stop the gale.
Humans built waterwheels to harness water, but they could never reason with the tide.
Humans sometimes defeated a dragon, but they could never make the dragon submit to their whims.
This…this is a dragon!
She was sometimes mischievous, sometimes a little ditzy. Sometimes she didn’t act as smart as usual when it came to Lushera, but Kaphal was still a dragon. Lushera was forced to face the fact that you could not underestimate her. She didn’t need to step in for Kaphal. Negotiation tricks and knowledge of humanity wouldn’t accomplish anything here.
At that moment, Lushera saw what a dragon truly was.