Super Righteous Player-Chapter 1233 - 271: The Hairdresser of Razor Ridge

Although Paper Princess flew into the airspace of the Winter Duchy in her Dragon Form,

ordinary people are actually unaware of it - a giant dragon flying above their heads.

Because Paper Princess’s captivating "beauty," with the enhancement of elements and realms, can transcend races and shatter aesthetic perceptions.

Even if she is not seen in her human form but as a dragon, that appearance alone can befuddle the minds of others. Many might even start to question their own orientations and taste in aesthetics...

Therefore, Paper Princess usually employs the Illusory Realm, turning herself into an "illusory" being. Just like a true paper figure...an image that can’t be discerned in the real world.

It is neither physical invisibility nor psychological invisibility.

—It is aesthetic invisibility.

Paper Princess perfectly blends her existence into the scenery of this world. It’s like an image formed by a visual error, if one kind of composition isn’t seen, it remains unseen—yet once seen, it becomes impossible to overlook its presence thereafter.

But to see Paper Princess requires more than just "changing the perspective".

Only those with a certain level of aesthetic appreciation... at least at the level of artist like Nigel Elliott, could discern the existence of Paper Princess from the reality’s scenery.

Before Annan and Paper Princess could land, the cold currents within the blizzard barrier led them in a certain direction.

That direction was not that of Frost Speech province.

But Razor Ridge—

Before Paper Princess carried Annan down,

a white dragon, about twenty meters long, soared from the highest point of Razor Ridge. Its pure white body was covered with a patterned frost shell, just like a naturally frosted glass in winter.

"Long time no see, Paper Princess,"

He uttered in a deep Dragon Speech.

In the past, Annan could only barely communicate with dragons using Frost Speech. But now, having mastered the element of "Understanding," language barriers no longer hinder his communication with other beings.

Let alone with the mature and highly developed language of dragons—simplistic yet rich in meanings, even cats, dogs with no language, or even plants devoid of wisdom, Annan could communicate with them.

"Long time no see, Hairdresser,"

Paper Princess whispered elegantly: "It was grandmother who guided me here."

"I know, grandmother has awakened. All of Frost Speech Dragon Race knows this..."

The Hairdresser began speaking, then respectfully lowered his head to Annan: "I pay homage to you, great Celestial Chariot."

This was not Dragon Speech, nor Frost Speech, but rather a somewhat awkward human language.

"There is no need for such formality," Annan spoke softly, "you are also considered my ancestor..."

The Hairdresser is a very ancient dragon.

He could be considered a direct descendant of grandmother—because he was transformed from the scales that grandmother shed.

The three most ancient dragons, their ways of birthing successors were not through the mating of flesh and blood creatures... The scales that fell from them, the fresh blood that dripped, could absorb some information from this world upon contact, forming a completely different new individual, degrading into a flesh and blood being.

This is also the origin of the "Frost Speech Blood" of the Winter family.

Although during the time of Elves, there were indeed records of intermarriage with the Dragon Race... but in truth, they were called demigods because the ancestors drank the blood of grandmother.

Of course, this also had to be permitted by grandmother.

Grandmother’s blood, which dripped onto the snowy fields, glaciers, rivers—even the bedrock and atmosphere, all transformed into new-born dragons... Not to mention organic matter. Once Elves drank the fresh blood, naturally, they would also be transformed into new dragons.

—This is the original source of the Heart of Winter.

Even after being diluted over generations, a single drop of blood is sufficient to accumulate a potent curse at the embryonic stage. Before being born, the fetus’s heart has already turned into the Heart of Winter.

In a sense, this "Heart of Winter" is indeed the "egg" that hatches a dragon.

Just as when Grand Duke Ivan transformed into a dragon—the constituents of the dragon’s body were not his human flesh, but merely his soul and his Heart of Winter.

When his flesh disintegrated and life vanished, the Dragon Blood stored inside the Heart of Winter became revitalized. It devours the surrounding "material" and transforms into a new dragon.

In this regard, although Ivan is an ancestor of Annan, he could also be seen as Annan’s brother—The dragons that the Winter family transforms into are even purer in blood than many true members of the Dragon Race.

Because they are the "direct Dragon Race," while dragons born from dragons are actually of a lower generation than them.

Ancestors being of a lower generation than descendants—this is indeed a bizarre sight only found in the Duchy of Winter.

And the pure-blooded dragons... those "directly born from grandmother" of the Dragon Race, are actually not many in number.

Such pure-blooded dragons like the Hairdresser who are still active in the world today are even rarer.

In principle, he just slumbers at Razor Ridge... but his real duty is to guard the nation while grandmother hibernates. Or to put it more bluntly, to guard the Siren of Triad.

If the Winter family really proves inept, changing leaders isn’t out of the question; but if there’s no issue with the Winter family, yet some nobles attempt to usurp power... and Duke Winter cannot handle it, then he would emerge to show them what the wrath of a dragon truly means.

...Of course, this is not actually for safeguarding the bloodline of the Winter family, but rather to protect the Siren of Triad, and incidentally, the "Siren of Triad launcher."

Annan very clearly noticed that the Hairdresser’s gaze turned towards the "Siren of Triad (2/3)" in his hand.

But after staring for a while, he still said nothing.

Just as Annan was hesitating about whether or not to transform into a dragon himself, the Hairdresser turned into a human form.

The Hairdresser transformed into an old man with a white beard.

He had pure white hair and a beard about the same length, wearing an undecorated white robe.

The image of the Hairdresser makes one think of someone who cast a Tier-1 Holy Light spell, then liked to charge in dual-wielding as a melee mage—and judging by the weapons he carried on his back, the Hairdresser truly had opted for dual-wielding.

And his choice of weapons was slightly unconventional—Annan roughly glanced and saw what appeared to be a long, tapered armor-piercing sword combined with an Elves curved blade.

—From the types of weapons alone, one could deduce that this ancient dragon, whose lifespan exceeds that of the Duchy of Winter, clearly possessed no trivial skill in swordsmanship.

Obviously, Mr. Hairdresser seems to believe that chopping off heads might also be considered an extreme form of haircutting...

"Come with me," the Hairdresser said as he walked into the cave, "Grandmother is inside."

Paper Princess also transformed into human form, pulling Annan along behind her.

As the Hairdresser talked on his own: "Grandmother has actually been awake for a few days. But those hot-blooded rebellious nobles of Winter probably haven’t realized yet that outside the Duchy of Winter, the whole world has fallen into an abnormal state of snowstorm."

"If it were in the past, she would have simply frozen them all into ice sculptures. But fortunately, Rasputin’s little cat was sharp enough... She sensed grandmother’s awakening and conveyed your plan to her through prayers."

"Grandmother thinks, to ensure your authority—it’s best that she appears after you have directly confronted them and conflict occurs. To punish the rebels... and then to let you announce the coming of spring."

"Otherwise, people will only remember the name of Grandmother and will overlook your authority."

"Before that..."

Saying so, the Hairdresser stopped his steps in front of the cave emitting a chilling cold air.

He turned back to look at Annan, his expression softening, becoming gentle like an elder’s.

"Grandmother wants to see you."

He spoke with an aged voice: "She misses you."