Son of the Hero King-Chapter 709

Beside the spring, Nidhogg was sitting on the shore with her feet swaying in the hot water, drawing gentle trajectories within the water.

The Spring of the Elves was one of the few mysteries that had interested her in the past. It was a divine miracle brought to existence by the power of Yggdrasil, which could grant longevity even to short-lived races like humans.

“Speaking of humans, that woman was supposedly a Supreme Daughter once, right? I guess the effect of that water is really incredible.” Nidhogg muttered to herself while remembering the brown-haired woman who had followed behind Sol as a guest to the elven forest.

Despite having no particular aura or power, Nidhogg had been intrigued by the otherworldly beauty of that woman. Needless to say, the fact that a dying mortal woman was the mate of the Dragon Emperor had contributed to the bulk of that intrigue. It also surprised her a great deal.

Even though the woman wasn’t in danger of dying anymore, thanks to the effects of the spring, or so Nidhogg believed, she was definitely not in any position to become stronger or regain her previous strength. Her body was simply wrecked beyond anything Nidhogg could even begin to understand. The simple fact that she managed to survive with the condition of her body was the greatest miracle she might have witnessed with her own eyes.

“Perhaps I should have studied her a bit.” She chuckled a bit at the thought but stopped as the sound of crushed leaves reached her. It was only then that she noticed someone standing only a few steps away from her. “Sigfried…”

Her eye twitched in frustration at the man’s presence. After all, she had not sensed him approaching at all until he willingly stepped on a leaf to catch her attention and signify his presence. If the other party had any malice toward her, she would have died hundreds of times over without even knowing how she had died or who her killer was.

“Ugh… You are truly incredible.” She spat in disgust and stood up. Siegfried was strong. Incredibly strong, in fact.

And that was the very reason she hated him even more than she thought possible.

“Nid… We didn’t really have the time to talk, just the two of us recently. How have you been?” Siegfried, ignoring her blatant rejection, advanced toward his daughter, and yet for every step he took toward her, Nidhogg would take one back, equalizing the distance.

In the end, Siegfried could only stop. If he was serious, he could easily cover this distance in an instant and trample on any effort on her part to keep her distance. However, Siegfried had no desire to aggravate his beloved daughter. He did not need to add to her reasons for hating him even more.

“I heard your conversation about Sol. More precisely, Miss Kiyohime decided to graciously let me listen to you.”

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

“So? What are you going to do? Stop me from trying to seduce him? Finally acting like a father?” The sneer on her face was more than enough of an indicator of her feelings about the current scenario.

Siegfried could only give her a weak and strained smile, not bothered at all by her sharp words. His gracious behavior only served to heighten Nidhogg’s frustrations and annoyance.

“The Dragon Emperor does not need me to interfere in his love life. But you are my daughter after all, and I am just worried you might be starting something you aren’t ready for.”

I hate this. She thought bitterly. “I do not need your concerns.” She declared in as level a tone she could muster before the pathetic man’s presence.

When did all of this begin? This relentless hatred and negativity? Nidhogg did not know when exactly she started to resent, hate, and despise the existence known as Siegfried. A man who closed himself from the world at such a young age because of one mistake he committed in the past.

Nidhogg could never understand Siegfried. She was positive about that.

If he was at least weak, then she could try to make herself understand why he let himself get bullied and guilt-tripped into an action that was fully justified and even praised. The weak had no right. Their existence depended on the whims of those strong. That was the rule of the jungle— a law of this universe.

This was a reality Nidhogg acknowledged and embraced with open arms. The same reality that Siegfried seemed to so vehemently reject.

No… It’s not just that.

All her life, Nidhogg had been incredibly proud of her bloodline. The direct child of the blood of the Hydra and a Dragon Slayer. How glorious was the union of such contrasting yet incredible progeny? Though her Father had never raised her, she did not mind that one bit. This was normal for dragons, after all. A strong mother did not need someone to intrude in the nest while she raised her offspring.

The tales of Siegfried's bravery and power were enough to fuel her young mind with dozens of stories.

“Do you hate me that much?” Siegfried asked out of the blue, a first for the man.

“You are quite courageous today. Usually, you cower in the World Tree.” She shrugged and kicked the water, splashing waves darting everywhere. “You know, Grandpa used to tell me this. One should never meet their heroes. It was only after meeting you for the first time that I understood why he told me that.”

Her words were cold and laced with venom— much more potent than the poison she loved to use.

“I do not hate you.” She said, “I just hate that I was born for such a stupid reason. I hate that the one who sired me has such a weak and fragile mind. Last but not least, I hate how despite all the countless failures I faced, I continue to hope that one day you will wake up from this blasted daze that you seem to be living in. Yet, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment… as they say.”

Seeing Siegfried stay silent, she could only shake her head in regret. “I don’t know what you were expecting to hear. But if you think we can have some father-daughter bonding moment, then I can only say that it’s far too late for that. That is the reality. The boat already sailed, and it’s your own fault. Wake up and embrace it.”

She stood up. She was already disappointed about missing her chance to get Sol. She had no intention of worsening her mood by speaking with her failure of a father more than necessary.

“Nidhogg…”

“I already said everything I wanted to say. If you wish to stop me, then fight me.” She challenged him.

“... Are you serious?” He asked, causing her to stop again.

“What are you asking?”

“Do you mean it? If we fight and I win, will you listen to me?”

For the first time, Nidhogg hesitated. She knew that Siegfried had stayed in seclusion for nearly a thousand years now. Stagnation brought regression. There was no way he was as strong as he used to be in the past.

Even so— this was the Dragon Slayer. Could she really face him?

She licked her lips, her scientific curiosity stirring a storm inside her heart. Could she fight a weakened Siegfried? After all, she had fought against weaker Kings from mortal races and won.

Perhaps she could get a small win here?