The Cursed Forest Where I Was Exiled Had Somehow Been Designated As A Sanctuary. - Awakened to the Purification skill, I, Surrounded By Divine Dragons And Great Spirits, Become The King of A Nation - Episode 7

I was flying in the sky.

The eternal blue sky stretches endlessly. Below, white clouds float, as if to indicate the separation from the ground.

And in front of her, there were multiple dragons.

Ruler of the skies. The oldest creature in the world. The strongest being reigning at the pinnacle of the natural world since the age of the gods.

However, even they had families, friends, and groups to which they belonged.

She was being persecuted within that group.

Since birth, unable to use “Dragon’s Breath” and flying slower than the others in the flock.

The dragon society is free, but it is also harsh.

There is no awareness of adapting to the weak and cooperating.

Until the flock stops after a day’s journey, she desperately continues to fly in the sky.

In the harsh and lonely days――at last, the curse left by the old god manifested.

My consciousness is stained black. The sky looks gray. A strange force and impulse for destruction wells up.

The group of dragons, noticing her unusual behavior, unleashed their “Dragon’s Breath” towards her.

Piercing through the white clouds and falling to the ground, she looked up at the flock of dragons flying away—she lost her sense of self.

Even within her obliterated self, she unconsciously fears the sky, and instead, she flits about the vast forest that stretches endlessly.

If I opened my jaw driven by the impulse of destruction, the “Dragon’s Breath,” which I had been unable to use until now, was unleashed.

It was comfortable. There were no enemies on the ground.

No allies, no companions, no friends.

Because there is nothing, I cannot be hurt.

If I keep giving in to this impulse, I don’t have to think about anything.

Even so, I’m lonely.

When her faintly lingering heart was seeking help.

I found him.

At the foot of the densely overgrown trees. A boy of the human race, bound clumsily by his hands and feet, utterly powerless.

To survive in this wilderness, she was far too insignificant. However, seeing her happily using her skills while rolling on the ground, her heart was strongly drawn to her.

And then, the destructive impulse, suppressed by divine curses, bares its fangs against her very self.

The wings flap strongly, and it begins to descend towards the boy from above.

She landed in front of the boy trying to escape and opened her mouth to unleash the “Dragon’s Breath”—.

I met the boy’s black eyes, which shone with innocent brightness.

“Cleansing”

Just when I thought the boy had used his skill, my mouth suddenly felt refreshed.

More than being surprised by that, the impulse to control her was filled with fear…

The pitch-black impulse takes off from the ground, as if fleeing from the boy.

With his black hair blowing in the wind raging across the ground from the impact, he stared up at her intently.

And then, that moment arrives.

A beautiful and pleasant light envelops my entire body, and the impulses that had tormented me are blown away with a cry of agony.

Regaining consciousness and self, the sky appears blue, and the body feels light.

At the same time, she became aware.

The fact that I am a [Divine Dragon] and possess many skills.

With a feeling as if I had been reborn, I looked at the boy on the ground who had saved me, and he slowly collapsed to the ground.

After a while, he woke up, unaware of how much she had worried.

However, he accepted her sudden attack without a second thought.

Thus, she who was given the name Haku came to know the vastness of the earth and forgot her loneliness.

He doesn’t know.

How grateful she is. How much happiness she feels in this moment.

While gazing at the boy’s carefree sleeping face beside the large tree, she gently draped her wings over his body.

◆　◆　◆

“……You had a tough time too, huh?”

Under the trunk of the great tree that stretches like a roof to shield from the rain and wind.

Zess, who spent the night outdoors, rubs his sleepy eyes and reflects on the content of his dream.

It was a dream of flying through the sky as a dragon.

Persecuted by my own kind and cast down from the heavens, my dream came to an end.

Now that I have woken up, for some reason, I easily accepted that it was Haku’s memory.

Placing one wing on Zess’s body, I gaze at Haku lying around him and murmur softly.

Then, as if responding to that murmur, Haku’s eyelids slowly lifted, revealing his golden eyes.

“Good morning, Haku. Let’s work hard on building our base starting today.”

“Growl”

Haku let out a cheerful sound and rubbed his nose against Zess.

The morning of the first day of settling down.

After giving everyone a “cleaning,” the day began.

After finishing a simple breakfast, Haku quickly takes off somewhere.

According to Ygshil, “I’m going to go get some food!”

For that reason, Zess and Yggdrasil began their stroll around the Great Tree together.

“Seems like they’re having fun.”

When I called out to Yggdrasil, who was flying around in circles, she replied with a huff, “Mufuu.”

“Of course. I am the spirit residing in the great tree. That’s why I couldn’t walk around the surroundings like this, so it’s really fun.”

“Are you not residing in the Great Tree now? Yesterday, you said something about the Great Tree being like your own body.”

“That’s partly true, but partly not. Since I’m contracted with Zess now, I can move around as long as I’m near Zess.”

“…By the way, I haven’t heard anything about that contract.”

When I looked up with a sidelong glance, Ygshil answered with a slightly embarrassed tone.

“I have nothing to demand from Zess. The contract is a token of affection for the spirit. There is giving, but no taking.”

“…Oh, I see. Thank you somehow.”

“Hehe, you’re welcome.”

Feeling embarrassed by the straightforward expression of affection, Zess observes the surroundings with the “Spirit’s Eye.”

Looking ahead, the plan is to find crops that can be planted in the field during this opportunity.

“This is poison… this has almost no nutrients, and this is difficult to grow…”

While being surprised by the information coming into my brain through the “Spirit’s Eye,” I gather things like potatoes and wild vegetables that seem suitable for farming.

When I cradled the crops that filled both my hands with the hem of my white shirt pocket, the shirt got dirty with soil.

Zess gives a fearless smile at the stain.

“Hahaha, what does that even mean? ‘Cleansing’!”

Wrapped in a bubbly light, the white shirt regains its original luster.

“…Zess, even if we clean it now, I think it will get dirty again soon anyway.”

“That’s not a reason to not clean the dirt. Besides, the more you use your skills, the higher your level will be, right?”

“That’s true, but I don’t think Zess needs to level up right now.”

“Huh? What does that mean—”

It was at that moment that I asked about the meaning of Yggdrasil’s murmur.

Suddenly, Yggdrasil turned its back to Zess and stared ahead.

“Is something wrong?”

“…there’s someone.”