I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 246

This time, Ian could clearly discern Archeas’s gender. The dwarves Ian had encountered before, regardless of age, were always covered in thick beards. In contrast, Archeas's face was smooth and round, with delicate features. The wavy black hair reached just below its nape, adding to the youthful appearance. Ian didn’t mistake it for a young girl only because its features were strikingly sharp for its height, with a body proportioned accordingly.

Archeas gazed up at Ian for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Shrunk a bit? You are making me laugh the moment we met! Shrunk, you say...!"

The liquid inside the glass bottle Archeas was holding sloshed around.

What's so funny?

Ian scratched his cheek and added, "I remember you saying that your form and magic are tied to your memories, making it uncomfortable to take on a different shape."

"Yes, I did. My agent has a remarkable memory," Archeas nodded, the smile never leaving its face. Then, glancing at the others, it continued, "Before we continue, would you introduce your companions? They seem a bit uncomfortable."

Ah, right.

Ian turned to look at his group. They were still kneeling, heads bowed.

"These are my comrades. In order: Mev, Philip, Charlotte, Thesaya... and Nasser."

Though that one is a bit of a stretch, Ian thought to himself as Archeas shuffled closer to him.

Looking at the group, Archeas spoke again. "Please, all of you, rise."

Starting with Thesaya, the others stood up one by one. Thesaya was the only one who openly gazed at Archeas; the rest kept their heads slightly bowed or glanced cautiously, filled with reverence. It didn’t seem to matter that Archeas now appeared as a dwarven girl.

"Greetings. I am Archeas, a saint of the Lu Solar order, the guardian of secrets and treasures, and sometimes called the Faded Gold." Archeas smiled as it introduced itself, a wide, cheerful smile that made its round cheeks lift, giving a refreshing impression.

It didn’t seem to expect a response, quickly continuing, "I'm sure you’ve helped my agent in many ways. Thank you. You’ve all worked hard."

Mev stammered, looking flustered, "Y-you're too kind... It was our duty... Great one...."

The others wore similar expressions, except for Thesaya, who nodded slightly as if she deserved the praise. Archeas’s eyes softened even more.

"I am also Ian's comrade, so his friends are mine as well. There’s no need to feel intimidated."

... As if that will make them feel at ease.

Ian thought as he gestured toward the jar Archeas was holding.

"What have you brought? I assume that's not the reward you prepared."

"Indeed not. You mentioned before that we should share a drink next time." Archeas turned to Ian, holding up the glass bottle. "So, I’ve brought a fine drink as promised."

Ah, that promise.

Ian chuckled softly.

"So, you've appeared in the form of a dwarf to share a drink?" Ian asked.

"Not quite. This body isn't really mine."

Archeas shrugged its small shoulders. "I'm currently resting in my lair. As I mentioned before, I need time to recover. So, I'm borrowing my child's body for now."

"Your child...?"

Archeas smiled gently. "A child of my heart, my youngest daughter. Don’t worry, she's just asleep. I didn’t forcefully take over her body."

"A Dragon's Child...!" Philip's exclamation burst out beside Ian.

Realizing he'd interrupted, Philip quickly bowed his head. "I'm sorry for speaking out of turn. I was just so surprised... I thought that was only a legend."

"No need to apologize," Archeas reassured him gently. "And to answer your unspoken question, it's not just a legend. Long ago, I took in many children with whom I had a special bond. Perhaps you wanted to become one of the Dragon's Children yourself?"

Philip hesitated for a moment before answering quietly, "... Yes."

Archeas's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I would have liked to take in many more, but that’s no longer possible."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Platinum Dragon... Thanks to you, I didn't stray down the wrong path. I'm just... glad to know the stories were true." Philip's words were earnest, accompanied by a shy smile.

Looking at Philip, Archeas's smile grew even warmer. "Indeed, you've grown into a fine young man, even without my help."

Philip's mouth fell open slightly before he bowed his head deeply, his face flushed with emotion. Archeas turned its gaze back to Ian.

"A very good-hearted young man. He's certainly a fitting companion for you."

"He's a decent fellow. Just a bit too timid and not the sharpest," Ian responded, making Philip look at him with surprise.

Ian continued without even glancing back at Philip. "So, you are sort of... remote-controlling this body?"

Archeas chuckled. "Remote control...? That is an amusing way to put it. It's not entirely wrong, but it's not quite right either. I am here right now. The only thing that's impossible at the moment is returning to my original form. So there’s no need for concern. But more importantly, this place...." Archeas trailed off, looking around the expansive sanctuary.

"... Yes, Racliffe. You’ve come a long way, Ian."

"As I was carrying out your request."

"Indeed. Well then, let’s sit down and talk. We have much to discuss, and standing won’t do." Archeas handed the bottle to Ian. "And we should have that drink."

"I should let you know. I’m not just here to report. I have some requests and questions as well."

"Don't worry. I’m the same. The night has only just begun, so let's take our time and address everything one by one," Archeas replied with a smile before turning and walking away, clearly familiar with the church’s layout.

You have another request...?

Thinking, Ian gestured to his companions with his chin and followed him.

As they climbed the stairs, Archeas glanced back at the group. "Once we reach the top, would you mind waiting for a moment? There’s something I need to discuss privately with my agent."

"Of course, great one," Mev answered immediately, with Nasser nodding vigorously in agreement.

Yeah, you definitely weren’t a pure devotee.

Ian mused with a smirk as they stepped onto the second floor.

The hallway was empty, lit only by flickering candles that cast eerie shadows along the walls. Archeas led them through, pausing as it reached a moldy dining room, where chairs and a table were strewn haphazardly.

"Wait here. I apologize for making you stay in such a disordered place."

"No need to apologize. Please, don’t worry about us."

Mev and Philip shook their heads and quickly stepped inside.

"If it's alright, could you look for some cups? So that everyone can drink together. I seem to have forgotten to bring any," Archeas softly added.

"Of course. Leave it to me," Philip responded immediately.

This dragon sure knows how to get people to work for him naturally.

Ian almost chuckled silently, and Archeas, who was looking up at him, gestured ahead.

"Let’s go a bit further inside."

Ian nodded and handed the bottle of liquor to Thesaya, who was standing behind him.

"Stay here. And don’t eavesdrop. If you’re curious, I’ll tell you everything later."

"I wasn’t planning on it. Don’t worry, I’ll wait quietly." Thesaya quickly smiled as she took the bottle and turned away.

Yeah, sure you weren’t planning on it.

Ian snorted and followed Archeas. They turned a corner and came to a wooden door. Ian opened it to reveal an empty office with chairs arranged around a desk. Archeas snapped its fingers, and the lamp on the desk lit up.

Pulling a chair out from behind the desk, Archeas gestured with its head. "Have a seat. Let’s sit across from each other."

"Let’s do that." Ian pulled a chair to the side and sat down, watching as Archeas climbed onto the chair across from him.

The atmosphere felt different compared to their last meeting. Even though it was only the second time they’d met, Ian felt as comfortable as when he was with his companions.

... Maybe it’s because of its appearance.

"Adorable, isn’t she? She would have grown up just fine, even without my help. Don’t be fooled by her appearance. She’s much older than she looks," Archeas said, stroking its short arm.

Archeas said, stroking its short arms.

Seems like someone is a doting parent.

Ian chuckled slightly before speaking.

"If she's your youngest daughter, then you must have quite a few children."

"Indeed. But we can talk about her story later. Right now, you are my priority," Archeas replied, gazing at Ian with a warm smile.

"I must admit, I’m quite surprised. I was confident you’d complete the task, but I didn’t expect you to do it so quickly. It hasn’t even been a full year yet."

Ian shrugged. "As you probably guessed, I’m not one to drag things out. Would you like to hear about your request first?"

"Certainly. It seems like it’s going to be a long story. If you don’t mind, why don’t you just show me?"

"Show you...?" Ian’s expression tightened slightly, memories of someone trying to pry open his mind flashing through his thoughts.

With a calm smile, Archeas extended its hand. "Yes, if you permit it."

"... And I just need to hold your hand?"

"Of course."

Well, it’s not like this one would try to open my head.

Despite the thoughts running through his mind, Ian stared at the small, golden-glowing hand for a moment.

"Don’t worry, I won’t read your thoughts. We’ll just revisit what you saw and heard. Only as much as you allow. You’ll be in control the entire time," Archeas explained softly.

It seemed that Archeas thought Ian was worried about his thoughts being read. However, Ian’s actual concern was something entirely different: he wondered if Archeas would be able to see his status window while peering into his memories. If that were the case, Ian was curious about how the dragon would react.

"Can I choose the starting point?"

"Of course. We’ll begin from the moment we last parted."

In that case.

Nodding, Ian grasped Archeas's hand. A golden light flickered in Archeas's eyes.

"Accept my power. And my consciousness."

At the same time, the Archeas’s power surged through Ian’s grip. It was the dragon's magic, a sensation he had felt before. As the fragment of chaos gave a brief resonance, the dragon's power filled Ian's entire being. A golden hue shimmered at the edges of his vision.

It was then that Archeas, who had already closed its eyes, spoke. "What is this...? Could you help a little more? This isn’t easy."

Ian didn't need to ask what was difficult. The quest window had appeared before him.

[Voyage of Memories.]

He accepted the quest, and in that instant, his vision was flooded with gold, and all his senses blurred.

In a flash, the scene changed. They were in the North, in Travelga, just after Ian had parted ways with Archeas. Everything around him sped by like a fast-forwarded video. As Ian focused his thoughts, everything moved even faster.

This is pretty interesting, thought Ian.

He soon found the moment he had been waiting for. Glumir, at the Vampire Empress’s mansion. The surroundings slowed down?. The weeping Empress, and the visions she showed him in her final moments, passed by one after another.

Next, he focused on the moment when he encountered the dark knight who had been the Apostle of Heaven Defier. The powerful aura that appeared after the knight's death, shimmering like a mirage, also played out before him.

He couldn’t tell how Archeas was interpreting all of this, but Ian pressed on, showing only the moments he deemed necessary. By now, he had grown used to navigating his memories and could adjust the pace at will.

Before entering the Empire, the shadow that flickered beyond the storm clouds, the ritual in Drenorov, the Defiled Tree, and the purifier who had followed him. And, of course, the final confrontation with Duke Kralen—the words Kralen had spoken, the moment he was beheaded by Mev, and then... the present.

Woosh—

As the golden light once again filled his vision, Ian felt the dragon's magic receding, pulling his consciousness along as if it were stretched like taffy. Simultaneously, fleeting images passed before his eyes like a panorama.

A plain covered with the bodies of countless dragons and humans, a roar filled with sorrow, a constricting ring of light that bound like shackles, a pair of blood-red eyes glowing in the darkness, another war, more deaths, and a vast, endless surge of darkness.

"...!"

Ian's consciousness snapped back as if he had been ejected. As his senses returned to sharp clarity, the quest completion window appeared before him. He closed it and looked at Archeas, who was sitting opposite him.

It seemed that what he had just seen was the dragon's memories.

Archeas, wearing a subtle smile, spoke first. "... I'm sorry if I startled you. That wasn't my intention."

So, you really were caught off guard, Ian thought silently, before replying.

"Do dragons make mistakes with their spells?"

"When an entirely unforeseen variable arises... occasionally."

With its golden eyes staring intently at Ian, Archeas leaned in slightly.

"Something is enveloping your soul. Something unknown, even my magic couldn't penetrate it."