Evil Dragon: The young dragon I picked up keeps planning on becoming an empress

Not in hell?

Where else could she go if not in hell?

Eighty percent of humans end up in hell after death, the remaining humans go to heaven, Valhalla, become wandering souls and wild ghosts, turn into inhuman creatures, or low-level vampires.

Some don't even get the chance to be spirits; they are processed by wild necromancers.

A tiny fraction of exceptional and powerful humans, at the peak of their strength...they head to the Divine Realm to become lesser deities or divine soldiers.

The clergy, knights, and monks of the various temples extremely despise wild necromancers. Catching one means purifying one.

Because wild necromancers cause chaos and harm everywhere, even those necromancers who collaborate with hell are unwelcome in the Human World and even despised.

The attitude of the major temples is also problematic; they're prejudiced against necromancers. Even knowing that some have ties with hell, the temples' clergy don't regard them favorably.

A matter of faith.

It's good enough that they don't come to blows, coexisting peacefully is impossible.

"Where else could she go if not in hell? She couldn't have faked her death to escape, or been rescued by a passing powerful mage, could she?

She owes me 132 Gold Coins, it's needless to go to such lengths. Even if she faked her death to evade her debts back then, after two thousand years, she should have reported to hell by now."

"Based on what you said, I don't think this sister is that kind of person. She was willing to release a forbidden spell beyond her means to protect the townspeople, showing her good nature.

When I said she's not in hell, I meant... could this beautiful sister have gone to heaven?"

"Heaven?"

"Yes," Lucia nodded. "Think about it, this beautiful sister protected hundreds...of humans in the town with her life during the beast tide. Whether or not she ultimately saved that town, the fact remains that she died protecting it.

For such a human, after death...being led to heaven by an angel is also a possibility, right?"

Lance fell silent.

That possibility... wasn't nonexistent...

Angels favor kind and powerful humans who have redeeming qualities.

Sophia, who could cast forbidden spells beyond her class, could have been taken to heaven by an angel, to become an angel herself, or to be reincarnated into a wealthy family.

Such a fortunate fate after death?

No choice, he had no connections in heaven for the time being, no channels through which to seek information about Sophia.

The 132 Gold Coins were uncollectible.

"I wish you well, whether you've stayed in heaven as a novice angel, or have been reincarnated into a wealthy family in the Human World, I hope you're not as poor or as miserable as when I met you.

Also, my willingness to lend you money doesn't mean I liked you. Beyond love, there's another kind of feeling in this world called [Friendship]."

Lance raised his Dragon Claw and took down the portrait of Sophia hanging on the wall—if she wasn't in hell, then it meant they would never meet again.

Burn it, lest seeing it reminds him that she was a short-lived ghost who didn't repay her debts.

"Lance, are you... are you planning to burn this sister's portrait?"

Lucia saw a small flame appear in the Dragon's Claw of the Evil Dragon.

He clearly intended to burn the portrait he held in his Dragon Claw.

"Hmm, otherwise, keeping her hanging in my study will only remind me that she was a short-lived ghost who never paid back her debt."

"......"

How could he describe his once close friend in such terms?

"Wouldn't burning it be somehow wrong? Keep it. In the future, looking at it might remind you of the times you transformed into a human and played in the Human World.

What's most important to remember is that I've heard humans who go to heaven, if they reincarnate, the deities let them be born into wealthy families.

Evil...Lance...you're a Giant Dragon, capable of living for a very, very long time. Maybe next time you turn into a human and go play in the Human World...whether in some kingdom, some town, or in some bustling imperial capital, you might just meet someone who looks exactly like this sister..."

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"That person might just be the reincarnated sister, and then you might still have a chance to claim back your money."

The flame at the tip of Evil Dragon Lance's Dragon Claw extinguished, as he thought the Young Dragon made sense.

In the future, he would have to take the Young Dragon to the Human World, to let her experience the prosperity of the Human World, and the treacherous human hearts.

Staying on Black Dragon Island all the time was of no benefit to the growth of the Young Dragon.

A proper exposure to the Human World would be beneficial for her future.

Even if she was to become an Evil Dragon, she would have to be a refined one.

As for Sophia, if she was lucky, she might really encounter her reincarnation.

Let's keep it then.

Lance hung the portrait back on the wall.

"Lance, with so many portraits on the wall... Is there one with you in it?"

"None of them include me."

"You've never taken a photo with your friends from the past?"

"No, because I was the one painting their portraits. Every time I made a group of friends, I would paint a portrait of them. Over time, it became a habit."

"Then... are the people, or non-human beings in these portraits still alive?"

"Human friends... are definitely dead. Dwarf friends, friends from the Orc Tribe, and even Elves... I guess they're mostly dead too."

"......."

Lucia glanced at the portraits hanging on the wall and suddenly thought to herself that she must never let Evil Dragon paint her portrait!

Humans, Dwarfs, Orcs, Elves, and even other non-human beings who had their portraits painted by Evil Dragon... all died.

How ominous.

The portraits done by Evil Dragon were filled with an ominous presence.

"Speaking of portraits... I just had an idea... Young Dragon, would you like to have a portrait of yourself as a youngster to keep for the future? If you do, I'll paint one for you tomorrow. I have the perfect background in mind.

Tomorrow, at sunset, you'll lean on Turtle, with the ocean and the remnants of the sunset as a backdrop. Just imagining it, I think it could become a [World Famous Painting]."

"!!!"

What you fear the most comes true?

She had just thought about it, and the Evil Dragon was already contemplating painting her portrait. If she really was a Young Dragon, then it wouldn't matter.

But she was human, and if the portraits done by Evil Dragon really held an ominous power, she might die a sudden death before even returning to the Imperial Capital...

Just look at the handsome sister in the portrait, who encountered a beast tide... and was gone, just like that.

"No, no, no... No... I don't want to leave a portrait of myself from my childhood for the future. I think... to become an outstanding Evil Dragon... one must first maintain a sense of mystery.

Right, maintaining mystery, so I don't want to leave any portraits for myself, just like you, Lance, who has never left a portrait in the Human World."

"Is that so... That's a bit of a pity."

Lance thought that using the sea and the remnants of the sunset as a background would have been great.

If the Young Dragon he had found didn't want to be painted, he shouldn't force her.

For an Evil Dragon, maintaining mystery was indeed advantageous.

Maybe... he should paint a portrait for Turtle tomorrow?

Come to think of it, even though he'd had Turtle for so long, he had never painted a portrait of it.

"Lance, are you looking at your old friends' portraits tonight just to collect debts?"

"I also want to summon past adversaries, to give them a good scare."

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