The Emperor Who Was Chapter 48 : Chapter 48

Chapter . 48

As those two nas were sucked into my palm, I manifested Tess. The brilliant golden tower, entangled in red and blue energies, shone alternately with reddish-gold and bluish-gold light.

But soon, it achieved a perfect fusion and shone with a violet-tinted golden light. Every ti I succeeded in elental fusion with circle magic, it was thrilling. Using the Throne Magic Circle amplified the effect even further.

Then, the tower fluctuated. It grew larger, then smaller, and eventually beca a circle. As the circle spun, it slowly took shape. A sword shape identical to Juratio, except for the mysterious material said to be a unicorn's horn.

If I left a trace on Juratio, Juratio also left a trace on . Even under a scar that has already faded, blood once shed becos a hidden binding force of magic.

"...Now you're going to leave an indelible scar on

with that sword, right?"

Michelon's voice was calm, but his eyes were sunken. However, his determination was stronger than his fear. He was prepared to endure even if I broke my promise and branded him with a real brand, all to beco human.

Solely with the single-minded determination to avenge his mother.

"Michelon, originally, a contract is only possible upon reaching adulthood."

"...That applies only to Valaskaions. For dragons, they were branded as soon as they hatched. A preliminary contract first, then completion upon becoming an adult dragon. Of course, such contracts had a high probability of failure."

Michelon was rely recounting events from the mories inherited from his ancestors, which often occurred during intense imperial succession wars, but to , it felt like he was talking about what happened to him before the regression, making my heart tremble.

Barely composing myself, I spoke without showing emotion.

"...Correct. However, both of us are trying to alter the original contract that has continued for ages before reaching adulthood."

"...You snatched the dragon egg right from under the Emperor's nose, and now you're scared?"

Michelon seed afraid that I might back out at the last mont.

"What I an is, a new contract will create a mark different from the existing one. If you are discovered, there's no way the enemies' wizards won't notice the difference. Then, unlike the original contract which was an impregnable fortress no one could break for ages, they will attempt to break this new contract, this new mark. On the other hand, whether my thod will be as solid as the original can only be confird when that ti cos."

"So?"

"We must make that contract as firm as possible."

Saying that, I pointed to the sword of light, dazzlingly beautiful.

Michelon's voice trembled.

"Do I have to grab the sword myself?"

"Yes."

"And if I don't, it fails?"

"Only until the next attempt. I don't stop after one failure."

By forging this contract, Michelon effectively gave up on assassinating Father. Since putting

on the throne to realize the justice I promised would be more advantageous than an assassination that could inadvertently make Father a martyr.

So I, too, had to ensure the realization of the last resort remaining for him should I ultimately fail to keep my promise.

"If not this path, we find another."

A path where your every step becos your life.

"...I... trust you, Leontes of Armatia."

Saying that, Michelon extended his front paw. And grabbed the tip of the violet-gold sword I held out.

The next mont, the sword burst into flas. It felt like being burned, just like when I first engraved Tess.

"Kugh!"

"Aaaagh!"

Screaming together, it felt like even the pain, much greater than the first ti, was lessened....... I felt the circles spinning inside . Even if it ant increasing the pain rather than reducing it, to achieve a greater fusion.

Responding to the circles, the radiance of the Throne Magic Circle, the stage of this contract, also began to spin. The feeling of the light rising from beneath our feet spinning together was—

'I feel dizzy.......'

Like that, the elental circulation magic of my circle occurred throughout the entire Throne Magic Circle.

Flas surged around the sword between us. Freezing streams of water swirled. Winds raged, and sandstorms rose.

Within that, our sword was forged sharper, and slowly began to change.

"Th-This is!"

Michelon was astonished.

Because what he was holding was no longer a sword. The sword was now transforming into the shape of a bridge.

Initially, the arched bridge turned straight, then back to an arch, shaking a few tis until its form stabilized.

However, once set, the bridge stood firm, carrying our nas, our blood, our mana, and our dreams between us without wavering. It connected us.

When everything passed back and forth, the bridge burned dazzlingly. I intuitively realized.

"It's a crossover!"

The next mont, sothing rushed like an arrow from Michelon's front paw connected to one end of the bridge. It felt like a flying dagger, so I barely suppressed the instinct to dodge, and it dug straight into my hand. With pain truly like a dagger.

"Ugh!"

Sothing that rushed out from

also embedded itself in Michelon's front paw. It hurt so much I couldn't even see what it was properly. I forced my hand, heavy as a thousand pounds as if a dagger were stuck in it, up to my bare chest under my clothes.

Onto that scar on my chest.

Tears fell from the pain. I collapsed on the spot.

Slowly the light faded, and the Throne Magic Circle dimd as well. But inside my chest, a third circle opened its eyes.

I was joyful, yet almost lost consciousness from the pain. But the baby dragon I had to raise must be hurting too. I gritted my teeth and barely sat up. Michelon was lying over there.

"...Michelon, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Michelon groaned cutely for a mont, "Kng," but soon sat up.

"You think I can't endure what you, a human, can endure? ...Are you crying?"

"Yeah, I'm so moved by our success that tears are coming out."

"Speak honestly that you're crying because it hurts. Is using only nice words everything?"

Michelon grumbled, but I couldn't focus. Because of the mark on his chest.

"Michelon, a mark appeared on your chest!"

"You raised your hand to your chest. I just followed suit."

"I have a scar on my chest anyway. You didn't need to follow."

"It's too late to say that now."

Michelon shrugged, but I approached worriedly and looked closely. What if a real brand was engraved instead of a fake one? Although I didn't see blood, our nas written in blood were the beginning.

"I'll inspect it, so endure even if it hurts."

"Don't just look at my mark, show yours too."

Michelon grumbled. Maybe he hates feeling like he's being examined by a doctor. Let's think of it as cute.

Curious myself, I examined mine and liked it very much.

"What is this! It's terrible! What's with your chest? When were you stabbed by a sword? And scratched by a beast in that spot too?"

The baby dragon was horrified upon seeing my mark. When was it that he said he'd believe

if I branded my chest?

"It's proud proof that I survived even after that."

Honestly, I wanted to keep it as it was, but I also wanted to overwrite that scar with a mark proving our new relationship.

The blue mark was in the form of a circle with several lines drawn inside. Michelon's mark was red and had the sa shape.

"Stop telling

to use nice words and stop talking nonsense yourself."

The scar wasn't completely covered, but it was much better than just having the scar. But Michelon is sensitive.

"...I need to examine your scar more closely."

"No need. It's not even finished yet. It's certainly different from the brand of the original contract, but we must inspect it. Since it's a magic we're attempting anew."

"What are you going to do? Stab it with a sword when we don't even have Juratio?"

Michelon said that but puffed out his chest. As if he was also curious about the result.

I manifested Tess again and created a sword of the sa shape, though not identical to before. Then I stabbed my mark. Michelon shouted.

"What are you doing suddenly!"

Blood flowed from the mark.

"Stop it right now!"

"Sorry for startling you."

It seed the baby dragon's emotions were stimulated.

"You behave nicely too! Don't make

freak out suddenly!"

I healed the wound and asked.

"You felt it too, right? The pain through my mark?"

"...Yeah. The sensation of you rcilessly stabbing your chest was very vivid."

Saying that, Michelon stabbed his own mark with a sharp claw. Blood didn't flow, but I felt the pain.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"Of course! You can feel it even if I stab my mark, and I can feel it even if you stab yours. It's proof that communion is achieved according to my theory. Then our contract is half successful!"

It was a result beyond what I expected when conceiving the fake brand.

"Half? It's this trendous, yet only half successful?"

"Originally, in a brand contract, once branded, another's brand couldn't be stamped. But this new mark of ours—"

"Brand, brand, don't you have another word besides brand?"

"...Ah, fake brand."

"...Let's call it a token."

"That's a nice word."

Education had its effect. I continued my explanation.

"We have to see if this token will have the sa effect as a brand. Whether it can protect you or not when my brothers try to brand you. No one can guarantee that until it actually happens."

Or Father might do it.

"I believe it can protect ."

"How?"

"Dragon's intuition."

"It's not easy for this new magic to quickly replace magic that has continued for ages. Don't be conclusive until then."

"Intuition of a dragon who has been a victim of that magic for ages."

"Okay, thank you for believing so. But since I'm a wizard, I'll reserve judgnt until there's a definite result."

"Right, not just a wizard, but a crazy wizard."

"I am a bit of a perfectionist."

"That's not a complint!"

We couldn't attempt the transformation magic that day. Because both of us had consud too much mana.

But I opened my eyes as soon as dawn broke the next day. I was really tired even after drinking a magic potion, but I couldn't sleep at all.

My skin felt hot, and the blood flowing through my entire body boiled.

"...Michelon... Michelon!"

When I shook the kid sleeping next to

awake, he flashed open his golden eyes and bared his sharp teeth. For a mont, it was creepy. But how can I raise him if I think he's scary? Let's think he's cute.

"My cute Michelon, wake up."

I pulled the tail curled round his body, and Michelon whacked my stomach with that tail. I called him cute, cute, and he hits a person....

"Aack!"

"Hmph! Why wake a sleeping dragon?"

"You don't feel this?"

"Feel what?"

I didn't know how to explain. So I raised a hand and placed it on my token.

"What are you doing? Touching it because it hurts?"

"No, don't you feel this? This tingling sensation all over the body? I feel it to my fingertips?"

Actually, when the thrill at my fingertips t my heartbeat, it was exhilarating. The feeling of my heart beating too fast was even chilling.

Sothing must have gone wrong with the token contract.

However, Michelon was indifferent.

"So what, it's naturally like that."

"Naturally like that?"

"It's the feeling when mana recovers. We used a lot earlier, so it has to recover."

Of course, my circles diligently gather mana after I use a lot... but I had never felt like this before. Moreover, the recovery speed was much faster. Even considering I now had three circles, the amount of mana far exceeded my original capacity. Mana increases significantly each ti a circle is added, but never to this extent.

"Michelon."

"Huh?"

"Don't you want to fly in the sky?"

"How many tis do I have to tell you I can't fly until my wings grow more?"

"Fly, baby dragon!"

I cast a light flight magic on Michelon. Michelon's body floated up instantly, then spun rapidly in the air as if caught in a whirlwind. Startled, I stopped the magic, and he crashed onto the bed like a baby duck swept up by a gust and then dropped.

"Crazy bastard!"

"Sorry, Michelon! Are you okay?"

As I hurriedly helped Michelon up, he smacked

with his tail.

"What kind of wizard are you when you can't even control mana properly!"

"...Right, that's it! Michelon. You are indeed wise."

I jumped up, overflowing with excitent.

"I couldn't control the mana. Because it suddenly beca too strong. To do magic, I have to draw up mana, but that process disappeared. Just, snap, like this. This simply."

I snapped my fingers.