A deeply nostalgic dream.

“Gahahaha! Take this, you snow-white girl!!”

A foolish version of my younger self. Laughing smugly after playing a prank on a girl my age, one with beautiful silver hair. The pranked girl’s face darkens with sadness, and she turns away as if averting her gaze from something she doesn’t want to see.

“Hey, you there, get out of the way! How dare you block the path of Claym Bradley-sama?!”

A self-centered brat drunk on his own arrogance. Relying on natural-born talent without any effort, living in complacency, arrogance, and laziness—a fool.

“I love you, Claym-sama…”

“Yeah, I love you too, Levia…”

Unaware that I was being deceived, I dirtied my hands with wrongdoing. How many people had I troubled? How many had I made miserable? At the time, I didn’t care. All that mattered was indulging in the pleasures right before me—a wretched scum.

“Don’t be ridiculous! What the hell did I do?!”

In the end, even the one woman I trusted betClayed me, and I was publicly exposed as a traitor before the masses.

“I don’t care who! Somebody, help me!!”

Even so, clinging to life, I desperately begged for help from mere acquaintances—people I had burdened, people I had no bonds of trust with. But, of course, no one would extend a helping hand. My foolish self could do nothing but despair.

“Do it.”

“Ah—”

At the very end, my head was mercilessly severed. There wasn’t even time to writhe in pain or struggle. It happened in an instant. Just as my vision spun around, everything went black—thus ending the first life of Claym Bradley.

Why am I seeing this dream now, of all times? I had a vague idea.

—So, it’s over, huh…

I was dead. That wretched lizard was slain, and I, the pathetic dragonkin who failed to resist the dragon’s power—Claym Bradley—was struck down by the blade of the Hero of Light. Weiss had faithfully fulfilled our final promise.

—I ended up making a selfish final request…

And yet, why am I still able to have this monologue?

—If I’m dead, I should just disappear quietly…

Everything before me was pitch black. Was this the so-called “afterlife”? Even at the very end, I clung to life with a disgusting tenacity. Even now, reduced to this state, my consciousness desperately clung to existence. I could only laugh at myself.

As these thoughts ran through my mind, a faint light began to shine. The sensation was familiar—the warmth of sunlight filtering through closed eyelids, a déjà vu of sorts—

“…Huh?”

It felt exactly like waking from a deep sleep. I opened my eyes and came to consciousness.

A familiar ceiling. A familiar surrounding. This was my room—where I had spent countless days in both my first and second lives. Yet, I was certain that back then, Weiss had delivered the fatal strike. So why…?

—Could it be that the Time Dragon has once again used its power to send me back…?!

It felt just like that time—just like when my first life ended. I hastily checked my own body… but the reflection in the mirror showed a young man, heavily wrapped in bandages, battered and bruised beyond recognition.

“Thank goodness…”

I let out a breath of relief. It seemed the worst-case scenario—being forced to restart a third life—had not occurred.

“That damned second-rate lizard did say he wouldn’t be able to use his power for a while, so I guess it makes sense…”

Still groggy from waking up, my thoughts were slow to piece things together. Only after recalling what the Time Dragon had previously said did I sink back into bed.

As my mind cleared, I fully grasped just how badly off I was. My entire body screamed in agony, my wounds still in the process of closing itched unbearably, and above all, my magic and blood flow felt unnatural—like forcing oil and water to mix inside a sealed container. The discomfort was unbearable.

And then, realization struck.

“So… I didn’t die, huh—”

I was truly alive.

The logic behind it was beyond me. After what I had done—losing myself completely, turning into a full-fledged monster—why was I still here, seemingly unharmed?

I turned my focus inward, tracing the flow of my blood. Strangely, the dragon blood coursing through me was calm, showing no signs of rampage. The bloodlust that once tormented me was entirely gone. Even the corruption of my mind had vanished.

“…What the hell is going on???”

I wanted someone to explain this baffling situation, but unfortunately, I was alone in the room.

There were faint signs of people nearby. If I called out, surely someone would come—but before I could act—

“Clay!!”

“You’re awake, Brother!!”

The door quietly creaked open, and two familiar voices called out as two girls—Freesia and Alice—entered. Seeing me awake, their eyes widened in shock before they rushed to my side. Without hesitation, they threw themselves onto me, bursting into tears.

“Whoa—!!”

“Thank goodness! I’m so glad you woke up!!”

“I thought you’d never wake up again…!!”

“H-Hey, calm down, you two! My wounds—! If they open up again, it’s going to be a mess!?”

A joyful reunion. Seeing Alice, who appeared before me as if it were the most natural thing, and knowing that Freesia had survived filled me with happiness. But right on top of that, waves of pain washed over my entire body, making it a complete mess of emotions.

I wanted to ask them what had happened, but they clung to me desperately, sobbing uncontrollably. It was nice that they were crying tears of relief, but could they not use my sleepwear as a tissue? That’s disgusting, you know???

As the confusion only deepened, I sat there in shock—when suddenly, another person entered the room.

“This time, you sure took your sweet time waking up, Clay!”

“…Hey, help me out, old man.”

“Why should I?”

It only took the voice for me to know who it was—this damn geezer. I called for his help, but he just kept grinning like an annoying bastard, clearly having no intention of lending me a hand.

“At least give me an explanation. What happened with the Dragon Slayer War?”

Getting angry wouldn’t solve anything, so instead, I asked for an explanation. The old man in front of me waved his right arm nonchalantly and continued speaking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“As you can see, it’s all over. You successfully killed the Shadow Dragon and lifted the cursed blessing on Alice and me.”

“Then why am I like this?”

“That one’s simple. Clay, you were out cold for an entire month.”

“────What?”

That revelation left me stunned beyond words.

The old man proceeded to recount everything that had happened.

The dragon had been slain, and the war had come to an end. Though a handful of fanatics devoted to the Shadow Dragon kept the fires of battle burning in the Zaram Plains and the imperial capital, the old soldier before me personally snuffed out those embers, bringing a true and definitive conclusion to the war.

────The moment his cursed blessing was lifted, he bolted straight to the battlefield. This old man really is insane.

Apparently, the unexpected appearance of the geezer threw both armies into confusion… I can only imagine the chaos.

As for the aftermath, the empire had lost its ruler completely. A high-ranking noble, chosen as a temporary leader, surrendered unconditionally to the kingdom. To make amends for the war, the empire paid reparations and agreed to become a vassal state, settling the matter.

The imperial family had already been wiped out by the dragon, and with the Shadow Dragon—the dictator who had ruled over them—erased from existence, becoming a vassal state was likely the best option for the empire’s survival. The kingdom, in turn, accepted this outcome with benevolence.

────Well, in a way, everyone was a victim of the dragon.

While I lay unconscious, these negotiations took place, and now, the kingdom had finally finished handling the post-war process. The capital and surrounding towns had been left untouched by war, to the point where it was hard to believe that a war had even happened. I felt bad for the empire, but at least the conflict hadn't spread further.

Next was my own body.

Though I had been certain of my death, I was alive thanks to Alice. The power of the "Blood Princess" running through her veins suppressed the dragon’s energy and the vampiric urges of the abyss within me, keeping me from succumbing to death. The foreign forces within me hadn’t completely vanished, but for now, Alice’s power was keeping them in check.

────She’s saved me more times than I can count…

And lastly, the cursed blessings on Alice and the old man.

The moment I woke up and saw them, I had already sensed it—both of them were free. Alice’s eyesight had returned, and the old man’s arm and magic were back to normal. That alone was a massive relief.

The glistening crimson of Alice’s tear-filled eyes shone brilliantly, proof of the life returning to them. The old man’s once-lifeless arm moved freely again, almost too energetically. Just seeing them like this lifted the weight of regret, exhaustion, and pain from my chest. Everything—every drop of blood I’d spilled—felt like it had been worth it.

“It’s really… all over, huh?”

“Yeah.”

After hearing the full account, I let out a deep sigh.

“Brother! Alice, Alice…!!”

“Ah, geez, how long are you going to keep crying? Look at me—well, maybe not at my best, but I’m alive, and Alice can see again. If you keep crying like that, you’re going to ruin your pretty face.”

“Hic… Brother!!”

As Alice continued sobbing against my chest, I gently patted her head to comfort her. Meanwhile, right beside me, the duke’s daughter silently demanded the same treatment with a stare so intense it was practically a command. So, I patted her head as well.

“Fufun────!!”

She let out a satisfied little giggle, her face melting into a foolishly happy smile. Seeing her like this reminded me of how much I must have worried her, filling me with guilt. Realizing that the last lingering problem had been myself made me feel even worse.

As he watched the two girls finally beginning to calm down, the old man spoke one last time.

“For now, just rest. Once the doctors check on you and confirm that you’re fine, things are going to get busy.”

“Busy? Why?”

I tilted my head in confusion. By the time I had woken up, everything was already over. There was no reason for me to be pulled into anything anymore. What could possibly keep me busy?

“Oh, come on. Do you really think the hero of this war would wake up and not cause a stir? The entire kingdom wants to celebrate your achievements—by the decree of His Majesty the King himself.”

“…You’re joking.”

“Dead serious.”

The old man’s words left me speechless.

It wasn’t like I’d done anything praiseworthy—

────Well, I suppose I had.

Still, my reason for slaying the dragon had been entirely personal. The fact that it also resulted in saving the kingdom was just an unintended consequence. Besides, I hadn’t won this battle alone. If anything, the idea of being the only one celebrated felt incredibly wrong.

“I get what you’re thinking, Clay, but you need to realize the weight of what you’ve done. Considering your accomplishments, there’s no doubt you’re the star of this event. No one would disagree.”

“…”

The old man, as if reading my mind, left me with those words before exiting the room.

Left alone, I continued gently stroking the heads of the two still-sniffling girls. For now, I chose to abandon all thoughts—

Or rather, to postpone the problem for later.