Chapter . 8
I will never forget the scream that the small dragon let out that day.
Normally, a dragon just hatched like that isn't branded. It is given time to grow and bond with the contractor who hatched it.
‘However, at that time, Maximilian, enraged by the theft of the dragon egg, was fiercely attacking to reclaim it.’
Michelon, branded like a preliminary contract until the contract was completed, was dragged away in chains. I didn't even know where he was confined.
Every time I saw him again, swords, chains, brands, and real commanders existed between us. It was natural that he didn't open his mouth until the last moment.
‘This time, I must find the dragon egg first.’
Before that, the Empress's faction, the First Prince's faction, and the Illegitimate Son's faction even formed an alliance to find the dragon egg, but failed.
After the search, which mobilized all the wizards under their command, ended in failure, the First Prince Maximilian discovered the dragon egg. Although he never said where he found it.
-I was by his side when our father unfortunately passed away suddenly. Father acknowledged me as his successor and left me a will about where the dragon egg is.
Maximilian claimed.
-That cannot be. When Father secretly took out the hidden dragon egg, Maximilian, who followed him, must have killed Father and taken the dragon egg.
Desmond claimed.
-Maximilian and Desmond killed Father together, and Maximilian stole the dragon egg alone. Afterward, they claim each other killed Father, but both are equally immoral sons.
Alexander claimed.
-Father's assassination was a conspiracy between Desmond and the illegitimate son. So they are trying to frame me, whom Father entrusted with the dragon egg.
Maximilian claimed again.
Judging as the Emperor who succeeded my father at the time, every claim had a point. My own brother was right, my illegitimate brother was right, and my half-brother was absolutely right.
So it would suffice to punish all three. An Emperor must be fair.
‘The problem is, ultimately, no one knows where the dragon egg is right now.’
My father would know, but he often showed symptoms of memory loss after the dragon's death. It was common for Emperors who lost their dragons, and it could be considered a mild symptom.
‘Even Empress Rhiannon failed to find out.’
But even though I was a scarecrow, I had spent time as Emperor.
Rather than letting even the saddest past flow away unconditionally, if sifted through the sieve of memory, sparkling gold dust remains. Starting from there, I would find the dragon egg.
“Her Majesty the Empress was very surprised and ordered to continue supplying medicine to Your Highness, and to observe and meticulously record every minor symptom.”
“Well done, Goldmund. Continue to describe my condition as worsening, but say that perhaps because I am of imperial blood, my lifeline seems long.”
It was rare for someone to die immediately after drinking Lasilex. Since most lingered in illness before dying, it was credible enough.
“Yes, I understand, Your Highness.”
“However, if I continue to take the medicine even while in pain, she will be suspicious. Say that I am hallucinating due to the medicine and cannot feel the pain.”
“Hallucinating?”
“Yes. Say that although you can't understand well, I spout nonsense about dragons.”
It was time to satisfy the expectations of the enemy who experimented on me with plausible results.
“I understand. But it would be better for you to take some magic potions. How about I suggest that we need to support your body while experimenting to get clear results? I can reason that if your body is naturally weak, the experimental results might not be clear.”
Goldmund was eager to prove his loyalty since converting. I nodded.
That night, I opened the window and flew up using wind magic.
The Imperial Palace, where banquets were always held, was noisy tonight as well.
“Ohhh!”
“Ahhh!”
Moans filled not only the garden but also rooms and corridors, so I couldn't move by walking inside the palace.
Even when flying in the sky, I barely reached my destination while avoiding the eyes of those doing their business on the balconies.
The windows of the audience chamber reached from ceiling to floor, draped with red velvet curtains. Landing on the only empty balcony, I opened the window and went inside; it was quiet within.
I closed the door and cast soundproofing and locking magic.
Then, under the splendid ceiling painting, I walked alone on the red carpet laid on the snow-white marble floor.
Letting a single ray of light flow like a stream in the pitch-black darkness.
‘Now it feels like my space.’
A feeling I couldn't even imagine when I commanded subjects as Emperor.
Like that, I stepped onto the platform where the throne was placed.
The place that was once my seat. The place where the whole world called me a tyrant.
Instead of sitting on that uncomfortable and luxurious chair, I placed my hand on the armrest. Instead of search magic, I only raised my sensitivity to magic.
My palm tingled, and I felt an unusual energy.
‘As expected… the throne was the center.’
Memories of the coronation ceremony before regressing came back to life.
-Make your vow as the Emperor of Armatia.
-I, Leontes II, Emperor of Armatia, vow before God Traneha who oversees the whole world and the people of Armatia. God Traneha, help me.
As I finished the vow, the Emperor’s crown was placed on my head. However, when I wore the crown and sat on the throne, I felt tremendous pain.
No matter how painful, I tried to endure by biting the inside of my mouth. But the pain only grew, and eventually, I vomited blood and collapsed.
Curling my body, I fell from the throne and hit my head on the marble floor. The shock caused the crown to fall from my head and roll on the floor. The despair I felt when the rolling sound struck my ears.
‘The marble floor touching my cheek was cold…….’
However, what removed that chill was the blood flowing from me. The blood dripping from the throne also mixed and flowed together.
People came running, screaming. Even as I was losing consciousness, I couldn't forget the scene of my blood soaking the throne and flowing beneath it.
The strange light emanating from there.
The next moment, I lost consciousness.
‘This time, I am really going to see Mother and Nanny.’
But I survived and received tremendous anger from people.
-How ominous this is. Isn't it a portent that the country will perish?
-For the Emperor himself to become the shame of the country…….
The most unfair point was the fact that no matter how much the court physicians examined me, no symptoms of illness were found.
At first, voices suspecting poisoning and worrying about me were high. However, when I woke up perfectly fine without any wounds or symptoms, even those who felt sorry for me were angry.
-As he ascended to a position beyond his means…….
-Unable to handle it, the burden reached its peak…….
-For the Emperor of Armatia to tremble in fear and soil the throne with blood while subjects, people, and foreign ambassadors were watching…….
-There have been many Emperors who soiled the throne with blood, but isn't he the first to soil it like this?
-Who can guarantee it is not madness?
I thought I was attacked. That there was an assassination attempt. It must have been magic.
But when they investigated beneath the throne, there was nothing. People who witnessed the event at the coronation unanimously said that far from blood flowing beneath, I hadn't even bled that much. They said it only wet the Emperor’s robes, not enough to flow onto the floor.
-That cannot be! I am the Emperor! Obey my command!
I thought they were all lying. So wizards investigated.
Wizards investigated beneath the throne but couldn't find any bloodstains. They said it wasn't wiped away after flowing in, but wasn't there from the start.
-You must all be bribed by traitors! How dare you lie to the Emperor!
It was unfair. To be framed as a madman after surviving a cunning assassination magic.
So I experimented with my own hands. I saw with my own eyes that an artifact reacting even to marble with erased bloodstains did not react beneath the throne.
Until then, I thought there would be a way somehow if I became even a figurehead Emperor. That I could build up even a little power using the Emperor’s status.
-An incompetent Emperor who shamed us makes ridiculous false claims…….
-Who else could be a foolish ruler?
With that incident, my prestige hit rock bottom. Having completely lost courage, I only tried secretly alone and never attempted to move people as Emperor again.
There is no more of such thing now.
Renewing my resolve in front of past memories, I knelt on one knee and placed my hand on the floor beneath the throne.
ZAP!
As soon as I infused magic power, a stinging pain arose. I might have been burned if I hadn't taken my hand away immediately.
But still, nothing could be seen.
‘As expected… it is not simply Rhiannon’s trap.’
When repelling invading magic power by reacting to it, usually the outline of the magic circle is revealed.
But to not budge at all.
As I predicted, it must be a magic circle created by the Balaska dynasty over a long period; Rhiannon merely abused what was originally there against me.
The dragon’s contractor is the Emperor of Armatia, and the reverse is also true.
‘But what if that inseparable rule is broken?’
There were often conspiracies by Armatia’s enemies to contract with the guardian dragon. Just as I and my own brother are grandsons of Roncer, there were times when a prince of Roncer was a grandson of Armatia.
Those who tried to steal Armatia’s guardian dragon and make it Roncer’s.
Their intention was to eventually take Armatia’s throne as well, but to do so, they first had to break the rule that the guardian dragon’s contractor is the Emperor of Armatia.
‘This magic circle is a barrier protecting that rule.’
Another hidden power connecting the dragon and the Emperor besides the contract.
Before me, no Emperor would have soaked the magic circle with that amount of blood. Maybe a trace amount, but not that much.
But I was a scarecrow. The dragon’s contractor but not the commander.
Rhiannon had wizards plot such a conspiracy so that the instability she herself caused would not endanger her control over the dragon.
‘In that case, it could also be the best way for an Emperor, who lost the contracted dragon but didn't obtain a new dragon to replace it, to hide that dragon.’
For me, who once soaked this magic circle with my blood, it was a natural conclusion.
After sharpening my fingertips like a blade with magic, I slit my wrist.
Dropping the flowing blood onto where I presumed the magic circle to be, I revived the memories from before regression.
Greedily sucking up all that pain… Yes, my blood must have acted like Lasilex to this magic circle.
‘Drink to your heart's content.’
Let my blood flow through all the schematics that make you up as veins, so that I seize your interior.
‘It hasn't happened to you yet, but I haven't forgotten. I remember you.’
In my head, I knew the magic circle wasn't a person. But I was alone, and fought alone.
The magic circle was my opponent like that. Accepting the manifestation of my power that still needed to be hidden, and the execution of all sorts of imaginations.
On a solitary night, standing alone in this vast place, I was not lonely.
The stairs leading up to the platform where the throne stood slowly descended, folded into the floor, and disappeared. Onto the floor flattened like that―
Finally, a brilliant golden magic circle began to unfold before me.
An incredibly intricate magic circle filled with all sorts of spells in delicate and complex patterns, layered several times.
Starting from beneath the throne and extending across the entire floor of the audience chamber, an unprecedentedly enormous magic circle revealed its majesty.