A Dragon's Curiosity

“After the warrior trip, I have a good amount of contribution points and materials saved up. Yet I also wonder about my other contracted beast and can use them to strengthen my contracted beast, you have seen it in the past. Accalia contributed to the journey this time and served as an important part of my fighting strength, but the life and death elemental does not do anything at all.

Since I have no idea what it is in the first place, I thought to invite you two, since it shares an element with you and me and maybe you can give me advice on how to proceed.”

Nisha did not beat around the bush and went for her most immediate concern.

Her little Lia showed her worth and proved herself in the outing this time and the dragon appreciated having a competent hunter at her side. Ever since leaving the [Dragon’s Den] the elf had not experienced such close-knit teamwork, only the other three dragons had managed to keep up with her pace.

Now the wolf also managed to cooperate well with her, mainly due to the mental bond they shared thanks to the contract.

If one contracted beast already had such a great worth, then her other beast should also have a similar function or ability. It was only that the dragon had yet to figure out the correct way to use the little spirit and called for the more experienced and wise goddesses to point her in the right direction.

As two old foxes, Gabriel and Bael understood the intention of the little girl very well.

The green-haired beauty smiled and rolled her eyes at the elf in mock anger.

“You only know how to take advantage of your aunts, when did you start to become so naughty? But alright, this is just a small manner. I reckon you could also go to most stores run by the guild to ask for an appraisal or ask in the church for guidance, however, I reckon you do not even know where to start.

Call your small spirit out and let me take a look. I often deal with spirits when casting spells.”

After getting a promise from Bael, Nisha happily twisted the space in her [Inner Space] and reached out for the grey spirit wandering around her treasure trove.

Usually, the spirit had the most interest in the secret surprise left behind by the two goddesses floating at the side of the brook. At other times it would follow its master when Nisha was around and working in the vicinity of her treasures or meditating.

Since her control improved and spread over the entire space the dragon could also leave a shred of her attention spread over the treasure cove. Although she had never heard about anyone being able to steal an object out of another’s [Inner Space], Nisha herself had the power to open a portal without the consent of the owner, which went against this belief.

To be safe, a small portion of her will remained dispersed over the cave with the elemental springs and crystals—where she meditated and cultivated— as well as the forest strip where all her treasures accentuated the small brook with their glory.

Since the armored floating spirit only followed its master when she moved between these two locations, a simple grab sufficed to pull the little thing through space and make it appear on the table before Gabriel and Bael.

It seemed to be quite dizzy as it went from basking in the ambient mana as it aimlessly floated about the concealed secret gift to the current location of fierce heat and toxic air.

While the spirit did not actually breathe and hence did not fear common toxins for that same reason, the spirit still struggled momentarily in the elf’s hand.

It was unsure where it reappeared and panicked before the familiar mana connected to its body and filled it in on the presence of its master.

It looked at the scene arranged in front of it, obviously intrigued by the newcomers.

Bael grabbed into empty air and locked the space around the spirit.

With a simple gesture, the wildly struggling armor floated in front of her.

“Don’t forget the rules. You can not break them, even here. They will find out.”

The green haired lady poked the spirit several times and rolled her eyes at her sister.

“Nagging is not a nice thing to do. Don’t worry, I understand.”

From the depths of her dress, a flourishing bundle of twigs, leaves, and flowers emerged. The display of magic quickly changed and fused into floating runes, soaked with a desolate and ancient air. Each of the magical characters took a predestined spot around the frightened spirit, as it urged its master to save it through their mental bond.

“What rules are you talking about? Can you not wield your power as you wish? Who can rein in a goddess, much less powerful ones like you two.”

At this point, the dragon was truly puzzled. Gabriel and Bael took important spots as two unshakeable pillars in her life.

Who could pressure them to follow some rules?

“It’s the rule of equivalent exchange. A rather famous principle in most places and professions. It makes a lot of sense as well.”

The last sentence was aimed at her more fickle sister. Gabriel made no move herself or cast any magic. She did inspect the spirit though, without commenting on it.

“It’s a stupid rule meant to ensure that no one can have any fun or play any games.

Through the joint agreement of the old goat, his ex-wife and a few others working under them, the interference in the mortal world was inhibited with the exception of either a great fate between two parties or an agreement of equivalent exchange.”

New runes formed in the air and weaved into a magic contract seal. Nisha had no idea what exactly the contents were, yet the meaning itself was clear.

The affairs of mortals were left to mortals, while the immortal goddesses and gods had to take extra precautions and limit their powers, lest they destroy the land and drive monsters and humans to extinction alike.

No punishment was mentioned or the exact terms, but the agreement itself held the texture of space itself, the breath of the land and an energy of incomparable solemnity.

Whatever would happen to an offender might not be especially painful during the moment they broke the rule, yet the fate that befell those sinners, later on, would only be more painful.

“Put that away, you cannot show off the original covenant. Others could feel the power it gives off.”

“See that, little one? No fun allowed, never. Not even the tiniest bit.

Anyway, this isn’t even mine. Whoever has enough power to read the inherent law of the land can call it out.”

The ancient covenant faded as fast as it formed. Interestingly enough some of the shifted forces failed to vanish and merged into Nisha’s [Inner Space].

Neither Gabriel nor Bael seemed to notice, only the elf had her heart miss a beat for a fleeting instance between two moments. It felt like an eternity to her, though.

When her mind settled back in her elven body, another more pressing issue alerted her.

“When you say equivalent exchange, doesn’t that mean you can’t help me?

I need you to give me at least a direction where I can search then.”

Nisha did not mind if they could not help her after seeing the contract, the deterrence effect just by seeing it already dissolved any intentions of figuring out a loophole or break any rules.

“Not so hasty, darling. Equivalent exchange means you have to provide remuneration big enough to pay for the favor you ask.

Let me make an example.”

Gabriel apparently had a rebuke ready, yet she restrained herself and waited for the example to make her retorts.

“Let’s say you have an enemy. A powerful one. Backed by an army of powerful sorcerers and warriors.

You encounter one of the many powerful beings living in seclusion and stumble upon a chance to voice a request.

Now, for any of those old bones, or a young flower like me, overturning any mortal army is not much more than a flip of a hand.

I don’t want to boast, from the perspective of a dragon, the antics of a small animal is pretty much entertainment at best, and never worthy of concern.

You should know.”

This time it was Nisha that had to roll her eyes at the green-haired miss. She never aimed to cause unnecessary cruelty when hunting down prey. Small animals were beneath her notice anyway, a mouthful of meat never made her feel satiated.

How many of those would the dragon have to hunt to feel full?

Really not worth the trouble.

“Anyway, to get back on topic, for the more powerful forces, this simple gesture is just that - simple!

For a mortal kingdom, on the other hand, the death of a king or the ruin of the entire palace is a calamity equal to a heavenly disaster.

Depending on how serious the powerhouse acting is, there’s a risk that even the entire kingdom might be burned into ashes, swept away by a flood or devastated by a plague. So to prevent the different countries from completely collapsing whenever a random old dude feels bored enough to actually lend a helping hand, there has to be a price that forces them to either clean up the mess or stay their hand.

What is the worth of a life? How does it compare to a large stretch of land? Will the accumulated karma from all the innocent souls that perish in a great disaster get retribution and who will repair the collapsed land?

Hence the equivalent exchange is enforced by the law of the plane itself. Most planes actually …”

“Stop it, Bael. Ignore the last part, Nisha. You can think your part, but we can’t answer any questions about that. Get back on track, sister.”

A simple sentence already released giant waves in Nisha’s head, which inevitably aroused her curiosity, a burning desire to know more.

Except for the slight traces from the warning and the implication already gave her a good direction to learn more by herself. After all, Gabriel only said she was not allowed to give her more information, not that it was forbidden knowledge.

“Geez, this worrywart. Okay, back again, back again.

The price needs to be paid for each interaction. A service rendered means a debt to be paid.

Hence, to know more about your little armor here, there should be a cost you give to us.

Not that I do not want to give you a discount or do it entirely as a favor, but you know, the very land itself is overlooking all of us.

Sadly it’s also difficult to find terms that satisfy both parties. After a certain boundary in cultivation most common resources lose their appeal, no matter the quantity.

While these strong cultivators still need gold and silver to pay for commodities or certain materials to create items, they mostly have a piled up treasury ready to burst with each and every kind of resource scattered through the different cultivation stages they passed.

Just take a look at yourself, you are still in the first cultivation realm, the foundation, and still amassed great quantities of iron, gold and jade deposits everywhere in your [Inner Space].”

Bael accentuated her speech with a display of strong magic control. A good amount of iron levitated out of the volcano mouth, glowing orange and red from the heat. Under her spell, the mixed metals formed into a towering tree in the air ready to reach for the heavens, with each leaf and branch carved to a life-like replica.

Gusts ruffled the leaves and the gently swaying tree had a strong sense of vitality. If Nisha did not see the goddess create it out of a flight of fancy, she would readily agree that this metallic life form grew out of a sapling through countless years until it reached this state.

A snap of the same fingers that created it also let the tree wither again.

Losing the magic that kept the tree together, the metal wilted and dropped back into the burning sea.

Such a casual scene of creation and destruction deeply fascinated the dragon as it contained a faint trace regarding the deep mysteries contained in the life and death element.

Gabriel and Bael often associated themselves with plants, their withering and ensuing blooming cycle, but the fantastical scene where the green haired woman controlled the metal to follow her will touched upon the true essence encompassing the mystical element.

“What is the currency used for transactions between the powerful masters and us common people then?”

The dragon had a good measure of confidence that the two goddesses would help her out and give her the knowledge she sought after.

She also recalled the price she paid in the past to save Eldrin’s life. The difference now was that she no longer felt incredibly sad and heartbroken every time Nisha thought back to her grandfather or their time together.

It still hurt, sure, but it no longer felt like a searing iron gouging out her heart, therefore was at a manageable level.

“Let’s see. What should I demand from you?”

Bael’s devious grin made the elf nervous.