WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ My Girlfriend Returned as a Dragon ◈

Chapter 69: The City of Exiles

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I silently stared at Bellium's statue.

Usually, when people saw a colossal statue like this, they would be awed by its beauty or feel a sense of reverence. But this time, I felt something a little different.

Familiarity, and comfort.

The closer I got to the statue, the more wildly my heart began to pound.

Yet paradoxically, from the moment I stood before it, I felt an inexplicable sense of peace.

What exactly was this statue that made me feel such conflicting emotions?

And what secret was hidden within me?

“Minjun?”

“...”

“Um, Minjun?”

“Ah, yes.”

I must have been too lost in thought to hear Estelle calling me.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

“Yes. It’s... complicated to explain.”

How was I supposed to explain it?

The feeling was too complicated for me to put into a single sentence.

“Estelle, could you tell me what kind of person the owner of this statue was?”

“Of course.”

Estelle began her explanation.

Eighty thousand years ago, or perhaps even longer than that, a dragon named Bellium had settled here with his child.

Many records about him had been lost, so nobody knew exactly why he had first settled here and tried to build a village.

But one fact had been uncovered.

The reason Bellium had settled here was his child.

Several historians had tried to uncover the secret surrounding Bellium's child, but while a few records of Bellium remained, there was not a single record of the child.

It was as if someone had deliberately erased every record connected to them.

Anyway, Bellium had stayed here with his child and built a small village for exiles with nowhere else to go.

He dreamed of a warm community where people in similar circumstances could support one another and heal each other's wounds.

Unless they had committed a serious crime, Bellium unconditionally embraced those cast out by their groups.

Rumors of the dragon's village for exiles gradually spread far and wide.

As more people who heard those rumors began arriving, the village steadily grew.

Several tens of thousands of years had passed since Bellium's death.

There had even been several major crises when the village nearly disappeared.

But thanks to the legacy he left behind, the villagers had overcome those crises and preserved the village for all that time.

“What exactly was Bellium's legacy?”

“I heard he left behind gold and treasures, as well as several artifacts that could protect the residents from outside invasions. They say the wealth he left in this village was beyond anything an ordinary person could imagine.

“Some of the artifacts Lord Bellium left behind are apparently still in use even now, after tens of thousands of years.”

“Really?”

Since it was a village he had personally founded, Bellium was said to have been deeply attached to it.

How could something made tens of thousands of years ago still work without breaking down?

“Of course, they no longer display the power they had when they were first made. The technicians regularly repair the artifacts he left behind, but there are limits to their skills.”

Estelle added that because of this, monster invasions and the resulting damage had become more frequent over time.

“I see. Thank you for telling me.”

It was a very interesting story, but I had not found any clue about my connection to that statue.

Still, maybe I could learn something if I heard a more detailed account.

As I quietly organized my thoughts, Estelle met my eyes and spoke.

“Then, could you tell me about yourself as well, Minjun? I’m curious about what the world you lived in was like, and how you came all the way here.”

“Yes, of course.”

Maybe Estelle would find a clue for returning to Earth in my story.

Just as I was about to begin.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Heavy bell chimes suddenly rang throughout the city.

“Oh no.”

As I wondered what they meant, the residents began shouting in alarm and moving in perfect order.

Those who looked like children, elderly people, or the infirm hurried into their homes, while everyone else began grabbing weapons one by one.

“What’s happening?”

“A monster... attack. The bell rings a different number of times depending on the level of danger. Usually, it only rings once or twice.”

Estelle's expression turned grim.

“But three rings means the situation is more serious than usual.”

Judging by the faces of the residents heading for the city walls, this was clearly no ordinary matter.

“I’ll help too.”

“You will, Minjun?”

Estelle asked in surprise.

“Yes. I’m a Hunter, no, a warrior, after all. If there’s anything I can do, I should help.”

Maybe it was the instinct of a Hunter who rushed in whenever monsters appeared.

I had no idea how terrifying the monsters would be, but I should at least draw my sword.

And it was not like I was going to die, right?

The powerful artifacts Sia had given me were safely stored in my pocket dimension, so I had nothing to fear.

“Thank you. Then please follow me.”

I began running after Estelle. With the help of a mage who joined us along the way, we quickly made it to the top of the city gate.

I wondered just how many monsters had gathered for everyone to be so alarmed.

But the moment I saw the view beyond the walls, I understood Estelle's reaction.

“What the...”

I thought I had become fairly used to seeing monsters while clearing Gates, but this was the first time I had seen so many gathered in one place.

The sky was covered by flocks of wyverns, large and small.

They were slamming their bodies threateningly against the transparent barrier surrounding the city, trying to break it.

And below, beyond the wyvern army, countless monsters swarmed across the ground.

There were not only countless monsters, but a vast variety of them as well. From slimes, classified as the weakest kind of monster, to minotaurs, classified as A-rank monsters, every kind of monster surrounded the city walls.

Could this really be called a monster invasion rather than a disaster?

I did not know how strong the armed residents here were, but judging by the atmosphere, even they seemed to find this attack overwhelming.

“Estelle, just how serious is this...?”

“I’ve lived in this village for nearly fifty years. But even so, this is the first time... I’ve seen so many monsters appear at once.”

As if to prove her words, Estelle's hand trembled as she gripped her bow, likely nervous from facing something she had never experienced before.

The others were the same.

Their races, ages, and genders all varied, but every one of them looked up at the sky with grim expressions.

“What’s this, Estelle? I’ve never seen the man beside you before.”

A dwarf working on a catapult pointed at me.

“He’s the adventurer who was found collapsed in front of the village yesterday. When he heard about the monster invasion, he said he would lend us his strength.”

“Is that so? What a fine lad. Hey, adventurer. I wish we had time for a leisurely introduction, but it’s a shame we don’t.”

“I feel the same way.”

Perhaps he found it admirable that an outsider was joining the battle, but the dwarf laughed heartily, said everything would be fine, and returned to the catapult to prepare for combat.

Then I should start preparing too.

I pulled every artifact that could be of any use in battle from my pocket dimension.

Starting with the all-important Dragon Bone Sword, I took out and equipped the artifacts with protection magic cast on them.

There were wyverns, after all.

I needed to prepare for aerial combat.

But as a swordsman, I was naturally at a disadvantage in the air.

To make up for that, Sia had packed a flying artifact for me.

I took it out and put it on, and Estelle, who had been tending to her arrows to calm herself, along with the other soldiers, stared at me in shock.

“Adventurer, what are all these artifacts...?”

A young soldier who had been watching me closely for a while approached and asked.

That opened the floodgates, and everyone nearby began taking an interest in me.

“My girlfriend gave them to me.”

“...Good heavens.”

“Could your girlfriend possibly be a princess of the Imperial Kingdom? How did she even get all of these...?”

This was probably not a moment to relax, but the soldiers were so astonished by the sheer number of artifacts that they gathered in small groups and began firing questions at me.

“I’ll explain later.”

After equipping every artifact, I tested the flying artifact by taking off.

“Ooh.”

A young-looking soldier right beside me let out a quiet exclamation.

I had used it briefly once before, but this would be my first time using it in actual combat.

It was not like I had ever had an opportunity to use it before.

Meanwhile, the wyverns continued throwing themselves against the barrier more fiercely than before, trying to break it.

“I don’t think it can hold much longer!”

“Captain! We’re ready!”

“We’ve received word that the residents of the danger zones have all evacuated!”

The soldiers shouted that their preparations were complete, and a muscular man who appeared to be their captain yelled into a crystal ball.

“Protective barrier, open stage one!”

Rumble.

The moment he finished speaking, the transparent wall began to glow faintly, then steadily shrank.

“The enemies are coming. Why are you opening it?”

“Partial damage is manageable, but if it is completely destroyed, it takes a long time to restore. In the long run, we have no choice.”

Estelle answered my question.

They had first bought time for the children, elderly people, and infirm to evacuate. Once all preparations were complete, they planned to partially withdraw the protective barrier and confront the monsters.

But that was not what mattered right now.

What mattered was that I had to fight all those monsters.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say I was not scared at all.

But running away now would make me look pathetic.

The instant the barrier was withdrawn, the battle began amid thunderous cheers.

I powerfully flapped the artificial wings on my back and kicked off from the ground.

* * *

Just before the battle began, Estelle nervously fidgeted with her bow, her hands drenched in sweat.

‘Will Minjun be all right?’

He had been living peacefully in another dimension before being unwillingly dropped into this world. He had only recently regained consciousness, and above all, she still did not know how strong he was.

He was a guest from another world, so she had wanted to treat him with the utmost hospitality, have a pleasant conversation, and hear about his world.

But something like this had suddenly happened.

Since Minjun was not in perfect condition, she thought it might be better for him to evacuate with the children, elderly people, and infirm.

Yet without a moment's hesitation, Minjun had decided to join the fight to protect this village alongside complete strangers.

Was he not afraid?

Or did seeing those wyverns make him want to run away, even now?

No matter how strong their forces were, they had no choice but to throw themselves into battle, prepared to die to protect the place where they lived.

But Minjun was an outsider with no connection to this place.

‘Then why did he make that decision without hesitation...?’

Was it because he was confident in his abilities?

Or did he make that choice because that was simply the kind of person he was, even knowing how difficult it would be?

She would likely learn the answer before long.

The moment the barrier was withdrawn, Minjun flew toward the wyverns without hesitation.

Traces of gray aura scattered from his sword, gleaming in the air.

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