Evil Dragon Chapter 74: Special Side Story [END]

Chapter 74: Special Side Story [END}

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Aika

 

A long, long time ago, in a place far, far away, there was a country by the sea called the “Land of Mountains.” In this land lived a young prince named Linnuo. Linnuo had ebony-black hair, eyes as dark as obsidian, fair and bright complexion, and a charming smile that could make the birds in the mountains sing. The king, queen, and residents of the Land of Mountains all adored him.

Under the careful guidance of the king and queen, Linnuo learned to ride horses, shoot arrows, master swordsmanship, and even acquired a bit of magic. there was one thing Linnuo just couldn’t seem to learn – swimming.

The king enlisted the help of the finest frog spirit – no, correction, a plump and round water spirit – to teach Linnuo how to swim. But every attempt ended with Linnuo sinking like a stone.

Next, the king brought in the most skillful dog spirit to teach Linnuo the doggy paddle. Linnuo, while flailing his arms in a small river, ended up gulping down water.

Finally, the king sought the expertise of the most stable duck spirit to teach Linnuo how to tread water. Nevertheless, Linnuo almost turned upside down in the pond, with only his feet desperately paddling on the water’s surface.

In short, no matter what they tried, Linnuo simply couldn’t learn how to swim.

“How can this be? The Land of Mountains is right next to the Land of the Sea. What if there’s a tsunami?” the king worriedly exclaimed.

“If I can’t swim, what if I fall into the water?” the queen added.

The king and queen were deeply troubled.

Linnuo, chuckled and said, “If there’s a tsunami, I can run to the mountaintop. My stamina is excellent, you know! And if I fall into the water, I can transform into a dragon and fly away!”

Oh, did I forget to mention? Linnuo wasn’t just an ordinary prince. He was a descendant of the dragon race, a little prince who could transform into a small winged dragon capable of breathing fire.

In any case, Linnuo adamantly refused to learn swimming anymore.

The king and queen shook their heads, sighed, but were helpless.

* 

One day, young prince Linnuo had to accompany the king on a diplomatic visit to the Land of Sand on the other side of the sea. The king, Linnuo, along with attendants and soldiers, boarded a ship carrying the “Treasure Mushrooms” and “Exotic Pinecones” of the Land of Mountains, and set sail with grandeur.

The journey proceeded smoothly, but it was Linnuo’s first time on a ship, and he experienced a bit of seasickness.

“So, as I said, even if you can’t swim, it doesn’t matter,” Linnuo said somewhat proudly.

On the return journey, the fleet encountered a fierce storm. In the hurricane, Martin, the little assistant who had been with Linnuo since childhood and was a pigeon spirit, accidentally fell into the water.

The wind was too strong, and the rain was too heavy. Martin couldn’t open his delicate pigeon wings and could only desperately spin in the whirlpool.

Linnuo didn’t hesitate. He transformed into a dragon, flew into the wind, rescued Martin from the water, and tossed him back onto the ship.

But as Linnuo attempted to return to the ship, the sudden change in the wind direction sent his small dragon body flying.

Struggling against the violent gusts, he couldn’t overcome the intense wind, and eventually, he plunged into the sea.

Dragons, as it turns out, don’t know how to swim either.

Frantically switching back to his human form, Linnuo kicked his legs, paddled his hands, and craned his neck to breathe, but he still got hit by a few waves and swallowed seawater.

The sea was so dark and cold.

Fading away, Linnuo lost his strength.

He sank slowly.

“Is this… the end?”

“I should have learned to swim earlier…”

As everything on the surface gradually faded away, something gently supported Linnuo and lifted him towards the water’s surface.

In the hazy daze, Linnuo saw the moon after the storm, a soft golden glow, warm, and bright.

The sea had calmed down, perhaps unnoticed, under the moonlight, gently undulating, no longer the turbulent appearance of a storm.

Linnuo heard an elusive singing, ethereal and veiled, like mist on the surface of the midnight sea.

This song smoothed away Linnuo’s panic, and the strength that the waves had taken away gradually returned.

What a beautiful voice…

Linnuo thought.

“Do you like my singing?” a voice asked him.

This must be the one singing?

The tone was as clear as melted snow in the mountains, yet as tranquil as a lake nestled among trees.

Moving his lips, Linnuo said, “I like…”

“Then, shall I sing for you every day from now on?” the voice asked again.

“Okay…” Linnuo responded drowsily.

The moon sank.

The sea breeze lightened.

In the arms that held him, it was gentle.

Linnuo fell asleep.

A pair of arms, shimmering with sparkling scales, placed the sleeping little prince on the beach.

*

Title: Unexpected Engagement

“Your Highness, you’re awake, sob, sob!” Martin, the chubby pigeon who had been by his side all along, had a face of both sorrow and joy. Flapping his wings, he burst into tears, “Your Highness, you, you’re going to suffer… I’m so sorry for what happened…”

Linnuo, perplexed, asked hurriedly, “What’s going on? Did something happen to my parents?”

Wiping away tears, Martin explained, “The king is well, the queen too, and everyone has safely returned home. But… the evil merfolk threatened the king, and the young prince had to marry a mermaid!”

Marry…?

I, a prince of the Land of Mountains, marry a fish from the sea?!

Watching the shocked little prince, Martin sniffled and recounted the events of that day in detail:

The storm that night was terrifying, and many people fell into the water. afterwards, dozens of mermaids leaped from the dark sea under the light of the full moon. Facing the raging storm, they returned everyone who had fallen into the water back to the ship and used their strength to push the ship out of the storm.

Everyone was safe, except… except for the young prince who fell into the water first.

When the king was on the verge of despair, a mermaid with a silvery tail slowly rose from the water under the moonlight.

The other mermaids saluted him.

Standing on the water’s surface, the mermaid spoke with a cold tone, “Your young prince is now safe.”

The king deeply bowed in gratitude, thanking the Land of the Sea for their generous help, and inquired, “Where is our young prince?”

The mermaid replied, “The prince has agreed to my proposal.”

“I can send him back to you, and after I formally propose, we can return to the Land of the Sea for the wedding.”

The king was shocked, “Could it be that this is the price for the Sea Kingdom’s intervention?”

The mermaid, smiling under the moonlight, said, “If you want to interpret it that way, it’s not wrong.”

The king agreed, “Since that’s the case, the Land of Mountains will abide by the agreement. Please let Linnuo return to us first, and we can proceed with the wedding after you propose formally.”

Martin, speaking through tears, said, “Your Highness, listen to this. Isn’t this mermaid too cunning?”

“They forced the king to agree to your marriage!”

After hearing Martin’s account, Linnuo was stunned, “Wait a minute, when did I agree to marry a fish?!”

Martin cried even louder, “Not only that, that fish has already arrived at the palace!”

“In these few days, that fish has been flirting with several attendants and palace maids! A fish with such scandalous behavior, how can it be worthy of becoming the spouse of Prince Linnuo!”

… Several attendants and palace maids? Flirting?!

This person, or rather, this fish’s behavior is unexpectedly indecent?

If this is true, then I must inform my parents immediately. I cannot go through with this absurd engagement!

Linnuo decided to see it with his own eyes.

Of course, clever Linnuo wouldn’t just rush in.

He secretly transformed into a flying little dragon and quietly flew to the side palace where the mermaid prince resided.

Even before he reached the palace, Linnuo could already smell the scent of seawater. Ah, that’s right. It’s said that to make the mermaid prince comfortable, the king had the palace pond filled with seawater for his rest.

Tsk tsk, such a pretentious fish, Linnuo thought.

Just as he arrived at the entrance of the side palace, Linnuo could already hear the laughter and playful sounds of men and women, the splashing of water.

Humming to himself, Linnuo carefully and inconspicuously flew towards a quiet corner, unnoticed by anyone.

Title: The Enchanting Mermaid Prince

The scene inside the palace truly astonished Linnuo:

There was a young man with pointed ears, hair like golden threads, and scales scattered on his chin and arms. From the waist up, he wore nothing but a few shimmering scales. He was leisurely soaking in a pond, elbows propped on the intricately carved marble edge.

A transparent, fin-like tail peeked out of the water, occasionally splashing it playfully. Around him, several coolly dressed young men and women were frolicking.

All of them addressed this young man as “Your Highness.”

Surely, this man must be the mermaid prince!

And this mermaid prince, with an intoxicated smile, was unabashedly staring at a handsome young man, oozing affection.

Tsk tsk. Indeed, he seemed to be quite the romantic character.

With a clear understanding of the situation, Linnuo prepared to inform the King about the whole affair and eagerly flew towards the palace entrance.

To avoid drawing attention, he hugged the wall, flying close to the ground.

With a “thud,” just as he exited the palace gate, he collided with someone’s chest. His wings trembled, almost causing him to fall.

Luckily, the person caught him.

With stars in his eyes, Linnuo, still rubbing his eyes, looked at the one who caught him:

Oh…

Those pointed, fin-like ears, deep-sea eyes, and the shimmering scales on the jaw. Is this… a mermaid?

This mermaid was so handsome…

Thinking of the legends he heard before – that mermaids were bewitching and extremely beautiful creatures – Linnuo found himself almost drooling.

He recalled the legends: mermaids had the power to captivate hearts and were incredibly charming beings.

Well, considering this, he truly lived up to their reputation.

Held in the hands of the mermaid, his eyes locked with Linnuo’s, a faint smile playing on his lips, “Prince Linnuo, why the rush?”

Linnuo was shocked, “Do you know me?”

The mermaid’s eyes softened, “The little prince who can transform into a dragon, who wouldn’t know?”

Scratching his face with tiny claws, Linnuo said, “Uh… my apologies. I am indeed in a hurry.”

In theory, this was their first meeting, and they should be complete strangers. For some reason, as soon as Linnuo locked eyes with the mermaid, it felt like he was enchanted, wanting to share everything with him:

“I heard the mermaid prince and I have an engagement, and he claimed I agreed to his proposal?”

“But I have no recollection of this event.”

“I also heard that this mermaid prince is flirtatious, wandering everywhere – and today, seeing it with my own eyes, it seems to be true!”

“Such shameless behavior. How could I agree to his proposal?”

“This must be a deception by the mermaid to fool my parents!”

“I am about to inform my parents that we cannot be deceived by this bad fish!”

The mermaid looked slightly surprised, “… A flirtatious mermaid prince?”

Linnuo pointed with his small claw to the side palace, “There, the blond mermaid prince, is currently flirting with others. Isn’t that being flirtatious?”

The mermaid realized, “Oh… I see. Well, that one does, indeed, find it hard to resist expressing affection towards others.”

Linnuo, indignant, said, “See, even your own kind acknowledges it. It’s evident how poor the reputation of this prince is. Oh, I’m sorry. You wouldn’t happen to be his… subordinate?”

As a companion to the mermaid prince, this person might be by his side, perhaps even a trusted aide.

Speaking ill of the prince to this person might put him in an awkward position.

The mermaid’s lips curled slightly, “No, I am not his subordinate. Just an acquaintance.”

Linnuo felt relieved, “That’s good.”

Title: A Dance with the Sea

Linnuo levitated slightly, circling the black-haired merman. “You do look like a fine catch.”

The merman chuckled, “Really? I’m honored.”

Linnuo then gazed at the merman’s elegant legs—straight and clad in well-fitted black pants, adorned with a pair of polished boots.

Curious, Linnuo asked, “If you’re a merman… What about your tail?”

The merman explained, “I can control the transformation of my tail. In the water, it becomes a fishtail, but on land, to facilitate walking, it turns into human-like legs.”

Linnuo exclaimed, “Wow, that’s impressive!”

The merman responded modestly, “Not really. Prince Linnuo can transform into a dragon and breathe fire. That’s impressive.”

Hearing this, Linnuo felt a mix of embarrassment and pride, saying, “Well, I can do a lot more than that!”

As they conversed, time slipped away, and Linnuo found himself divulging many details to the merman, from the side palace to the garden and eventually to Linnuo’s own palace.

Linnuo revealed that the merman’s name was “Lei,” a martial officer from the Sea Kingdom accompanying the prince during his visit.

Linnuo also noted how Lei’s words felt like feathers brushing lightly over his heart, and even Lei’s mere presence emitted an intoxicating fragrance, akin to wild roses.

As evening approached, Linnuo declared, “I must go and explain to my parents. I want to annul the engagement with the mermaid prince.”

Lei, in deep thought, remarked, “Although that mermaid prince is indeed flirtatious, disrupting an interkingdom alliance might not be so simple.”

Now back in his human form, sitting beside a fountain, Linnuo sighed, “You have a point…”

Lei smiled, “Unless the Prince can make the King see your determination.”

Linnuo rested his head on his hand, puzzled, “Oh? How can I show my determination to my father?”

Lei gently touched Linnuo’s head with his cool hand, creating a comforting sensation. “Prince, think about something your father has always wanted you to do but found impossible. If you achieve that for the sake of canceling the engagement, King will surely see your resolve.”

Reflecting on Lei’s advice, Linnuo soon remembered: swimming.

The skill he struggled to master, something that had been a constant source of frustration for his parents.

Excitedly, Linnuo held Lei’s hand, saying, “Please help me with this!”

As predicted, when Linnuo proposed to King, “In order to avoid marrying the mermaid prince, I am willing to learn swimming within a month,” the King agreed surprisingly quickly.

And so, Linnuo embarked on his swimming lessons.

He assumed it would be in a pond or a small river, like before. To his surprise, Lei brought him to the seaside.

Watching the rolling white waves, Linnuo’s anxiety began to resurface.

The memory of his last ocean mishap, struggling to breathe, emerged in his mind. There was also a faint recollection of someone saving him.

Who was it?

He vaguely remembered a song sung by Lei.

Yet, his attention was soon captivated by Lei’s movements.

Lei, with ease, stepped into the sea, walking on the pebbles as if it were second nature.

In an instant, his straight legs transformed into a shimmering, pearly fish tail as he waded into the ocean. The tail fin emitted a dazzling light, and the scales on his upper body covered his arms like delicate armor.

Linnuo’s eyes widened, forgetting all fear. As if enchanted, he focused solely on Lei, stepping onto the sandy shore.

Lei extended his hand, “Come.”

Linnuo, mesmerized by Lei’s voice and movements, forgot his fears. Holding Lei’s hand, he took a step into the sea.

Title: A Dance with the Sea – Part 2

The merman suggested, “Fly, just like you do in the mountains.”

So, Lin Nuo found himself soaring above the water, just as effortlessly as he floated among the mountains. His previous concerns about breathing, kicking legs, and arm movements were non-issues now. For the first time, he felt that being in the water was not much different from being in the air.

The sea embraced him tenderly, and as they ventured further, dolphins circled around them, a giant sea turtle emerged, and flying fish leaped from wave to wave. The spectacle rivaled the harmonious symphony of a mountain valley.

Mesmerized, Lin Nuo lay on the water’s surface, half-closing his eyes. The days of learning to swim became blissful, and within half a month, Lin Nuo could swim freely for kilometers.

He sometimes wondered if he could transform not only into a fire-breathing little dragon but also into a water-spouting water dragon.

One day, while frolicking with turtles and dolphins, the merman asked, “Would you like to visit the underwater realm? It holds colors unimaginable, enchanting hues that no brush can capture.”

“Underwater?” Lin Nuo hesitated. “I can’t breathe there. I need air…”

The merman swam closer, his black eyes glittering like stars. “I can help you breathe.”

Lin Nuo looked at him, feeling a jumble of thoughts. “You can help me breathe? How?”

It turned out to be exactly what Lin Nuo had in mind.

The merman passed air to Lin Nuo through his lips, allowing him to breathe underwater. The merman suggested repeating this process every half hour, which Lin Nuo found insufficient.

He constantly felt lightheaded and flushed. It must be a lack of air. He needed more, maybe a few more breaths.

Reluctantly, the merman assisted Lin Nuo with more breaths. Since then, Lin Nuo developed a special fondness for the underwater world.

He expressed his love for the peculiar coral formations, the occasional appearance of sharks, and the giant clams that dwarfed humans.

His absolute favorite was the act of underwater breathing.

One day, when he requested the merman’s assistance again, he noticed that the merman’s tail had transformed into legs in the underwater realm.

The merman, with his melodious voice, said, “Perhaps, in this form, it’s more suitable for the first time.”

Lin Nuo, without any resistance, found himself feeling more than a little discontent…

Title: A Dance with the Sea – Part 3 (Final)

“Why did I wait for so long…”

Perhaps to express his displeasure, Lin Nuo tightly clung to the merman’s neck. His heels pressed against the merman’s tail, occasionally exerting pressure.

Vaguely, Lin Nuo thought that the merman might be lying. The colors he saw were indeed beyond the capture of any brush.

A month passed. The little prince had learned to swim and confidently arrived at the audience hall. On his hand, he wore the ring gifted by the merman—a simple yet beautiful ring resembling a teardrop from a mermaid’s eye.

He was determined to break off the engagement with the charming prince and persuade his father to let him marry the enchanting merman.

Perhaps his father would disapprove, given that the merman was just a warrior, not as noble as a prince. But that didn’t matter.

Unfortunately, the golden-haired, blue-eyed sea prince was also in the audience hall. Lin Nuo was undeterred. He bravely informed the king that he had learned to swim and requested the cancellation of his engagement with the prince.

Unexpectedly, the king looked puzzled. “This prince? His Excellency Roy is not the prince; he is a prince of the Sea Kingdom, here to discuss the details of the wedding.”

What?

Lin Nuo paled and took a few steps back. But it didn’t matter! Whoever he was, it was the same.

Lin Nuo took a deep breath and declared, “In any case, I have someone else in my heart. I won’t marry the prince of the Sea Kingdom…”

Before Lin Nuo finished speaking, the doors to the audience hall opened again.

Rennes, dressed in princely attire with a sash, entered and respectfully paid his respects.

The king turned to Lin Nuo, “Lin Nuo, this is Prince Rennes Clement of the Sea Kingdom. He told me yesterday that you accepted his proposal a month ago. Two days ago, you accepted his engagement ring. What is going on with you asking for a divorce?”

Lin Nuo touched the teardrop ring on his hand, looked at Rennes, or Roy, his lips trembling.

“You, you, you’ve been lying to me?!”

“I never agreed to your proposal!”

Rennes took a few steps forward, his voice as enchanting as ever.

“Prince, Lin Nuo, I never deceived you. A month ago, I asked if you’d be willing to listen to my songs every day, which, for us, is equivalent to a marriage proposal. Later, I, along with Roy and other attendants, formally proposed.”

“Unexpectedly, you mistook Roy for me, and then you wanted a divorce… leading to all the subsequent events.”

As Rennes spoke, the events of that stormy night slowly unfolded in Lin Nuo’s mind—the melodious singing, the gentle embrace.

So, it was this merman after all?!

This guy, knowing I mistook him for someone else, deliberately played along!

Unforgivable!

Thinking about it, Lin Nuo’s face turned red with anger. Yes, he was so angry he wanted to breathe fire.

So, he truly turned into a little dragon and boldly attempted to fly away.

Just as he flew out of the audience hall, Rennes intercepted him mid-air.

The cunning merman, relying on his melodious voice, said countless sweet words.

Finally, when Rennes said, “Don’t be angry. I’ll transform into a merman on the ground tonight. You can touch my tail as you please. How about that?” Lin Nuo felt his anger dissipate by half.

Well, if that’s the case, then I’ll reluctantly not be angry for now.

However…

That night.

When Rennes turned him over and pressed him down, Lin Nuo panicked again. “You lied! You lied again! You clearly said I could do whatever I wanted!”

Rennes kissed his ear, whispering, “Yes, I said you could touch my tail just now. I never said I wouldn’t transform into a human afterward and do other things…”

What! Could it be interpreted like that!

Well, it seems that the little prince needs to learn not only swimming from the sea prince but also logic?

…

A long, long time ago, in a distant land, there was a kingdom called the “Mountain Kingdom,” adjacent to the “Sea Kingdom.”

Later on, the little dragon prince of the Mountain Kingdom married the merman prince of the Sea Kingdom.

The couple lived happily together and merged the “Mountain Kingdom” and the “Sea Kingdom” into the “Mountain and Sea Kingdom,” becoming a wonderful legend.

End of the story!

Author’s Note:

The story is complete!

Thank you, little angels, for accompanying me for the past two months. I hope the tale of Nuo Nuo and the knight brought some joy during this hot summer.

So, until the next book, (*╯3╰)mua

 

 

 

 

 

 

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