The Emperor Who Was Chapter 11 : Chapter 11

Chapter . 11

‘Ah.’

Co to think of it, we hadn't t yet. This is our first eting.

I was so overwheld with emotion that I forgot. But… it was also because, deep down, I hoped Michelon had regressed with .

For both of us to regress, thinking about it now, it was a preposterous hope.

“Who are you?”

…A young voice. The voice that resonated widely like a huge, solemn bell was still vivid in my mory.

But this voice was the very voice of Michelon I first heard. The one that responded to my cry before hatching.

It was such a childish and cute voice… which I never heard again after that……. To think I would hear it again like this…….

While I was speechless for a mont, that voice got angry.

“Who do you think you are, spouting nonsense out of nowhere? Get lost!”

“Ah, you must have been surprised, sorry. I am Prince Leontes of Armatia. Michelon is the na I wanted to give the dragon when we t, but since I finally made contact, it just slipped out―”

“So you an you'll get

out of here if I contract with you. Do you think things will go your way?”

I thought he would be my partner, maybe even a friend this ti. I had only looked forward to the mont we would et again…….

“Dragons leave basic information when leaving an egg. Don't try to deceive

thinking I know nothing.”

But thinking about the baby dragon curled up inside the egg throwing a tantrum, it was cute, and above all, pitiful. Because the fear of being alone in the world with no one to rely on was my fear too.

Though my body is young, I am already an adult, so I had to raise him well into a splendid dragon like that ti. No, splendid like that ti but a happier dragon.

It wasn't the ti to be disappointed alone after hoping alone to beco friends.

“I will do my best for you. I will never do anything you don't want, so just co out―”

“Do you think I don't know it's a trick to lure

into a contract?”

“I am not of age yet, so I cannot contract with you either.”

“Then you'll keep

confined until you co of age. Maybe bind my limbs. I'd rather stay here.”

“…The contract depends on your will, and I will never force it. You are not absolutely safe staying in the egg. You must co out, grow, and build strength―”

“Shut up and get lost.”

…I missed Nanny. How hard must it have been for Nanny to raise

too.

“What should I do for you to believe ?”

“I already told you. Shut up, get lost, and never appear again, then I'll believe you.”

…I wasn't confident if I could raise Michelon well. If he turns out like Maximilian raised by Grimiati or Desmond raised by Rhiannon… it's my responsibility. I broke out in a cold sweat.

“Would you believe

if I swear an oath on magic?”

“No need for that. I'll believe you if you brand your chest.”

‘…Must raise him…….’

“Rather than dying in there, you have to co out of the egg soday. When you are forced to choose between life and contract, my brothers will aim for that point too.”

I persuaded him with all my might.

“But I won't harm you just because you don't contract with . Even if you hatch and co out, I won't confine or brand you. You must know this is an offer my brothers wouldn't make.”

“That's why you are the most suspicious. Why are you the only one making an offer the others would never make? You must be the weakest!”

‘…Must raise…….’

“Since you are the weakest, you plan to cajole

into a contract now and work

to death. It's obvious without seeing.”

“Let’s do a fake brand.”

“…What?”

“It looks like a brand on the outside, but it's a fake brand. Everyone will aim for you, but if you have my fake brand, you are safe from the fight surrounding you.”

While blocking the real brand with magic. It won't be easy, but I had a thod in mind.

“…If you deceive

with a fake brand and stamp a real brand?”

“The ritual itself is different from a real brand.”

“…Let’s say that's true. Then are you saying you'll deceive people to beco Emperor?”

“Isn't calling a dragon that must be branded a guardian dragon the very act of deceiving people?”

Michelon was silent for a mont. He seed to agree with my words, but the next mont, he spoke even more sharply.

“You say you'll beco Emperor but won't contract? Don't lie.”

“I will contract. But there is no brand. When I ascend to the throne, you are free. However, you must not harm the people of Armatia, and you must protect Armatia when there is a foreign invasion.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Yes. I swear on my magic.”

“…You kept saying that earlier, but what aning does it have? The Emperor of Armatia makes a wizard witness his oath, and then doesn't care whether the wizard dies or not when he breaks the oath.”

…To think such a thing happened, it was shocking.

‘When on earth did it happen?’

Ilaves’ mory? Before that? Whichever it was, just thinking about it was terrible.

“I have no need for that. I am a wizard. I swear on my magic.”

Michelon snorted loudly, thinking my words were a lie, despite being just a young thing.

“A prince and a wizard? Won't you be burned at the stake before ascending to the throne?”

“Why, are you going to do it? Well, burning is what dragons do.”

The conversation paused for a mont.

‘Shouldn't discourage the kid. A guy like …’

But Nanny must have gotten annoyed sotis because it was hard raising . Even if it's my first ti parenting, let's not get discouraged and cheer up.

“Uh, ahem, anyway, rather than staying trapped there the whole ti and being dragged out by the winner among us to be branded, it's better to co out now, make a contract with a fake brand, and gain freedom. I think you would choose that.”

“…Who are you? Don't talk like you know .”

“Then would a dragon lie flat in an egg waiting to be dragged out and branded? That would be a turtle.”

Ah, raising my temper instead of a dragon!

I was flustered because I didn't know I would act like a child like this. Just because Michelon acts like a child, should I do the sa? We aren't even friends.

Strangely, slips of the tongue keep happening in front of Michelon. Probably because I'm too excited about finally eting him. This never happened with others.

“Sorr―”

“Shut up! You don't know ! How could you know !”

“Right, I don't know. So you tell . What kind of dragon you are.”

I was really curious about that before regressing too. What Michelon, who never spoke again, was thinking, and what he thought of

commanding him while stabbing his brand with a sword.

I ca to know a little about what kind of dragon he is because of the regression, but because of that, I wanted to know more.

“…How can I trust that you won't break the contract without a brand?”

Michelon, who had been quiet for a while, asked abruptly.

How can you trust.

‘How can I not trust you, who obeyed my command even by sacrificing yourself despite being given freedom.’

A fact I overlooked at first because I was horrified by the possibility that all my brothers were sacrificed.

Ultimately, Michelon sacrificed himself too back then. Himself, who had obtained the freedom he so desired.

“Why no answer? Is it because although it might not be a brand, you intend to force another restraint eventually?”

‘…I shouldn't be upset that Michelon doesn't trust .’

He trusted

and hatched before regression, only to be betrayed.

Yet he trusted

again. That I would succeed if he sent

back in ti. That I would save myself, save him, and save the country.

Now it was my turn to trust him.

“Then I will just release you.”

“What?”

“I will release you, so co out of the barrier and decide for yourself.”

Right now, Michelon refused to hatch himself because he was trapped in the barrier. It was the right decision in a situation where he couldn't grow even if he hatched and didn't know what would happen in the future.

“You can decide whether to continue hatching or not after I release you from the barrier.”

But I presented him with a new possibility. One worth trying willingly. Since he has nothing more to lose right now.

If he still chooses to remain trapped in the barrier, it is no longer his will. It is only fear felt out of despair.

An emotion I experienced too.

“…Aren't you afraid I might betray you and contract with another prince?”

“I am afraid.”

Afraid that I might not raise you properly. I have a talent for magic, not for parenting.

“Co out and see for yourself. If you contract with them even after seeing my brothers with your own eyes, you are an idiot.”

Thinking 'please don't', my words ca out strongly.

“If I get out, I won't leave you alone! I'll burn you alive!”

“If you keep saying such bad words, I won't tell you how to get you out.”

“…What are you going to do?”

“Say ‘Please teach

because I am curious’.”

Dead Nanny always said using pretty words makes the face pretty, and using kind words makes the heart kind. One should employ experts in fields one doesn't know well.

“Teach

because I am curious. Is your sense of superiority satisfied now?”

…Parenting is harder than magic.

Still, there was dignity in his words. Even as a baby, he was dragon-like.

I explained the plan.

“It's madness.”

“Let’s use kind words like ‘It’s a cool thing’.”

‘I don't use kind words either, but would he know my heart wishing for him to grow up kind at least.’

“To strengthen the barrier confining , if not a crazy guy, what are you!”

“That's my brothers, not . I will strengthen the magic circle like that to turn the trap into a maze.”

“It's becoming crazier talk. Haven't you heard that the worst trap is a maze?”

“As expected, our minds connect. That's exactly where I got the idea!”

Since I've been trapped in many traps and mazes.

“A trap closes the mont it confines the target and is blocked on all sides, but a maze has an exit and an entrance. Yet why is it called the worst trap.”

“…Because it evokes hope in the trapped that they can get out.”

“Exactly. So wandering the maze makes them tire faster and despair faster.”

The illusion of believing one can move according to one's will even inside a maze.

“I don't despair no matter how much I wander. But if it's a trap that sucks magic power every ti I move, I can't even try to find the exit.”

Michelon was obviously trying to hold back his anger as he spoke. Already feeling the reward of raising him.

“Let the trap suck the magic power.”

“What did you say? Just because it's not your magic power?”

“Ah, I misspoke. Infuse magic power into the trap.”

“That's the sa thing!

“The perspective is different. If you infuse magic power to create an exit.”

If the illusion becos no longer an illusion.

“Don't be afraid even if the trap sucks your magic power, think of it as feeding it magic power to ta it. Wolves eat humans, but when tad, they beco dogs.”

“…Stop spouting nonsense!”

“I was scared at first too. I recomnded it because it's faster if you help from the inside, but I can do it alone.”

“I'll do it too. Without , you'd be the one scared.”

“Even if you just say you want to help, your sense of superiority remains intact.”

“Just tell

the thod!”

Most likely, the structure would have the exit and entrance as one rather than separate. It seems easy to return to the exit, but that is the trick of the maze.

Reason for the pressure on Michelon to beco severe. If only one place is pierced, the overall balance worsens and stability disappears. After explaining that point, I continued.

“The key is transformation.”

The Throne Magic Circle recognized this magic circle as a barrier, and the dragon egg trapped inside it.

But what if the magic circle becos a maze and the dragon egg becos Michelon?