Whether You Call Me a Guardian Dragon or Not, I’m Going to Sleep

Chapter 53: Life and Death (3)

[Deceased souls...]

"It might take some time since it's still in preparation, but it's necessary for this world."

The afterlife is important, whether it's religious or spiritual.

Just the knowledge that there's a heaven and hell after death, or the fact that one can be reborn through reincarnation, would reduce the evil deeds committed by humans!

Even the vague concept of its existence can reduce the wrongdoings committed by humans!

Of course, those who don't believe in such an afterlife would not care and continue to commit evil deeds. But such sinners wouldn't stop their wrongdoings no matter what.

For those types, judgment in life might come sooner than judgment after death.

Well, what those sinners face after death can only be described as their karma!

Hmm... Maybe there should also be sacred texts to teach humans, like a moral code.

Now that language and writing have been passed down, it's time for knowledge and wisdom to start accumulating... Hmm... After the creation of the afterlife, I should do some research.

If there's any strange knowledge going around... that wouldn't be good!

I can't just watch the humans I've carefully nurtured get corrupted by strange knowledge!

Ah, the elves and dwarves will be managed by Yggdrasil and Sagarmatha, so I don't need to worry about them. The lizardmen are under my direct management, so they should be fine.

The real problem is with humans. And the beastmen as well.

[Hmm... I appreciate the offer, but may I take some time to think about it?]

"Of course. I'm not in a rush to get you started on the job. And since it involves dealing with the dead, being able to use the death aura within you might come in handy."

[That... might be a bit interesting.]

"Just remember, the job involves managing the world itself, so be prepared for a long commitment."

In the worst-case scenario, it might last until the end of the world.

Looking at it this way, it really is a black job. A real black company, the afterlife. Hmm...

For now, there's nothing I can do, but once we have more employees... Speaking of which, it really does feel like a company. Like Death Company Inc.

Anyway, once I have more employees, I'll ensure they have enough rest by rotating shifts. It would be sad to work for a black company that doesn't even allow proper rest.

And as the company grows, I'll need a leader to manage the employees. A head. A managerial position. Like the president of a company.

Honestly... Erebus would have been perfect for that role, but that fool betrayed me and ran off into the ground without leaving a trace.

If he hadn't escaped through the crack created by the shock of splitting my scale, I might have just confiscated his scale, scolded him a bit, and after some time, handed over the position of the god of death.

But what's the use of thinking about a runaway now? It would be faster for him to run away than for me to search the ground for him.

I don't know what he did, but he doesn't appear even when I summon him... It's really troublesome.

Maybe I should use the power of creation to... make something that can capture him?

If that child is causing trouble somewhere in this world... that wouldn't be good. Hmm.

Let's think about this later. The Erebus capture plan.

But if I can capture him... could I forgive him?

If I can forgive him, what kind of punishment should I give?

Why am I even thinking about rehabilitating someone who committed such acts and ran away?!

But let's not forget. Before washing machines were invented, laundry was beaten with a washboard to remove stubborn stains.

No, since Erebus is entirely black, that might not be enough. I'll have to beat him until he's ragged, slightly heal him, and then beat him again until all the stubborn stains are gone and he turns completely white.

I don't often get angry, but Erebus should remember that when I do, it's terrifying. To commit such a mistake and then run away.

Still, as a parent-like figure, I won't completely annihilate that child. Since there are sins committed, I plan to beat him until his ego is half shattered! I intend to beat him so he won't ever think of causing mischief again!

After that, I plan to burden him with the position of the god of death for the rest of his life, buried under a mountain of work. Of course, there will be no such thing as a vacation for this guy. That should wash away some of his sins!

Hmm... Why do I feel like even that might not be enough? How much must I punish Erebus before I can forgive him? It's my own heart, but it's a bit hard to guess.

My head tells me to punish him moderately and then forgive him, but my heart screams not to forgive him... It's really troublesome. Really.

Well, I haven't even found a trace of Erebus yet, so it's all just speculation.

Lost in thought, Seres said in a small voice.

["I'll think about it. I'm not sure if I'll end up working or not."]

["Even if I say this, when there's a chance to work, dragons are eager to volunteer. Most dragons live a life of idleness and hibernation in their caves, not wanting to anger the Creator Dragon God... If there's a chance to go outside, they all volunteer."]

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Hmm. Have they been forced into a corner because they're wary of me?

On the last day of the era of dragons, I said that if they don't commit the same sins, they won't have to do the same work.

That's a bit regrettable.

["This child too. I gave him work because I felt sorry for him crouching in a corner of the cave... But then he caused this trouble. It's really troublesome."]

"Well, it's not like this child wanted to cause trouble. Besides, he suffered because of it..."

["It hurt so much! I thought I was going to die!"]

"Actually, he almost died and came back to life."

At my words, the Dragon Lord could only give a bitter smile.

"If the dragons have become reluctant to leave their caves because of me, tell them they don't have to do so anymore. I only warned them because I was worried they might repeat the same mistakes as those before them."

At my words, both the Dragon Lord and Seres looked slightly surprised.

["Is that so? But we remember seeing the Creator Dragon God transform other dragons..."]

["That was really scary at the time. Seeing other adults being pulled out of their bodies and turning into spirits..."]

Hmm, from the perspective of young dragons and hatchlings, it must have been a terrifying sight.

"As long as you don't commit the same mistakes, it's fine. Anyway, pass that message along."

["Understood. The other dragons will be pleased."]

["But somehow... Even if we pass along that message, why do I feel like everyone will still huddle in their caves and not move properly?"]

Hmm. I'm not sure why. Maybe because dragons seem like they would be lazy?

Well, I've said it! They're free to live as they please!

["By the way, what do you plan to do about the place where the evil energy was spewing out?"]

"Let's see. I think I need to investigate a bit and then decide on the follow-up actions..."

Since that evil energy is vulnerable to vital energy, sprinkling a lot of vital energy might temporarily purify it...

But then again, that means more work for me. Hmm...

It's bothersome. Should I just dig up the corpses buried in the ground and annihilate them all?

Dragon corpses are annoyingly durable to get rid of. Hmm...

["If it's okay, can we handle it on our side?"]

"On your side?"

["Yes. We plan to give the dragons a reason to go outside. If we teach them how to increase their own vital energy and have them sprinkle it around that place... Wouldn't that neutralize the evil energy rising from the ground to some extent?"]

"That makes sense."

Since dragon vital energy is stronger than that of other creatures, if they're taught properly, they should be able to do it.

["It would also serve as an excuse to get the other dragons moving around."]

At the Dragon Lord's words, I nodded slightly. Indeed, it sounds like a good plan to solve the problem of the evil energy while getting the dragons to move around.

"Go ahead with that plan. It sounds good."

["Thank you, Creator Dragon God."]

"But, since it's a dangerous land to manage... I'll come by myself occasionally to check on its condition."

["Yes, please do so."]

Good. It was something I felt I had to do anyway, so if the dragons can take care of it themselves, I'm grateful!

That's right! As a reward, maybe I should give a title to the dragons who do this work!

"I'll give a title to the dragons who do this work, as it's also a fate."

[A title?]

"Yes. Since they increase their own vital energy to drive away the evil, from now on, call those who do this work [Life Givers]."

Hearing my words, the Dragon Lord pondered for a moment, then smiled and said,

["Thank you. They will be very happy to use the title given by the Creator Dragon God."]

Un. If they're happy, I'm happy too.

After all, it would be interesting if dragons stopped hibernating in the corners of their caves and, disguised as humans, brought change to civilization.