The Emperor Who Was Chapter 42 : Chapter 42

Chapter . 42

"Ah, as expected, you liked the Throne Magic Circle too! Why didn't you say so earlier!"

The baby dragon puffed out smoke as thin as a sigh, like dandelion spores. That he shared my taste proved he was indeed the child I was raising.

We went secretly at night. Dragon magic was different from human magic so a simple comparison was impossible, but they couldn't use magic before growing up. Once they hatch from the egg, they concentrate all their magical power on growth.

However, I wasn't sure if original dragons were like that too, or if it was a trait unique to the Guardian Dragons of Armatia. I just felt sorry for the reality that they couldn't grow slowly over ti. Even though it hadn't been long since I started raising him, he listened quite well.

"Why am I being carried on your back?"

"Even with flight magic and weight reduction magic combined, you are heavy. It's better to carry you on my back than in my arms."

Honestly, Michelon was incredibly heavy, unlike his appearance. The chairs or beds he used creaked so much I had to cast strengthening magic on them. He ate a lot too, but it felt like a dragon's body was fundantally different from other living creatures.

"That's probably because your arms are as thin as twigs! Don't think about raising , raise your muscles instead!"

"...Not only are those not nice words, but they are also incorrect. Muscles are innate, not sothing you can raise."

Of course, it was a joke. Although I had drunk quite a lot of Lasilex, I was also getting healthier little by little.

I had to cast a silence magic, but the fun of chatting amicably while going there was nice. I felt like this was what it was like to go around with a friend. The path I always walked alone looked different.

However, once we reached the audience chamber and stood before the Throne Magic Circle, Michelon was silent. Marveling at the majesty of the Throne Magic Circle like that resembled

as well.

"It is truly amazing, isn't it?"

I spoke with a smile, but Michelon was strange sowhere. He was stiff like a stone statue, without any reaction. It was completely unlike him.

"...Michelon?"

"There is a magic I desire."

It must be a bad magic. Just looking at Michelon unable to hide his fear told

that.

"Do that. Then I will contract. Even right now."

"What magic is it?"

"Swear that you promise. Then I'll tell you."

"No."

"Are you refusing my request right away? I'm saying I'll contract, but you can't grant even one thing?"

"Because it's dangerous. You are fearless for a kid, so if soone like you is afraid, it must be truly dangerous."

Michelon stared at

piercingly. I stared back.

"You must be afraid of losing the dragon you finally obtained. But I won't die. And I have no intention of dying either."

"Then why are you so afraid?"

"I am not afraid of death."

"Neither am I. But I am afraid of your death."

If I cannot save the person to whom I owe my life, what does my life beco?

"...If you don't do this, I won't contract."

Michelon was serious.

"Tell

the reason first."

"If I tell you, will you do it?"

"I will decide after listening. Because the reason itself might be dangerous."

"I don't want to."

Michelon refused flatly. He was getting stranger.

"Michelon, if you are trying to walk a dangerous path right now, I will be with you. But you have to open up and tell

first."

"If my path does not align with your purpose, you won't join ."

"My purpose includes your freedom. Does your path align with your freedom?"

At that, Michelon shut his mouth. Not knowing how to say it, I opened my mouth to persuade him first.

"Michelon..."

"I have to do it! Absolutely! There is no other way!"

However, my cautious call was buried by Michelon's shout.

"Is there truly no other way? Please, Michelon, speak openly. I am also willing to—"

"There isn't."

Michelon's eyes burned.

"Because I decided so."

"You say there is no other way?"

"Freedom or death, life or death, love or death."

Michelon spoke as if mocking.

"Are those truly two different paths?"

I understood.

"If it is a magic I can do, I will do it."

I was sincere. However, I was startled by Michelon's subsequent answer.

Biological Transformation Magic, Polymorphologia.

At first glance, it sounds quite magnificent. With this magic, a person can change their true form, or take the form of a completely different animal.

Conversely, one can turn an animal into a person and then turn it back. Like that, one freely moves between their true form and another form, between human and animal.

In theory.

Its danger is different from general transformation magic. You can change objects. If you fail to turn a pillow into a blanket, it just ends with getting a blanket or the pillow tearing.

But if you do it to a living creature, whether human or dragon...

-The internal organs might be torn to shreds and they could die.

My master spoke firmly. While showing

that magic himself.

-The black tulip is a flower people dream of, but have never succeeded in blooming. Is it impossible even with magic?

Saying that, he pointed to a tulip with his staff. That yellow tulip soon turned black, and it was very beautiful. It was a simple illusion magic. Just like when Master changes my hair to brown or blonde when disguise is needed occasionally.

-But what if we change the form itself?

This ti, Master changed a rose into a black tulip. It looked exactly like the first tulip.

However, that black tulip turned to ash in an instant. As if it had burned and turned black.

-Imagine this happening to an animal or a person.

I, who enjoyed hypotheses and debates, couldn't raise any counterargunts at that mont. I only engraved Master's teaching deep in my heart never to attempt that magic.

But to perform that magic on Michelon, whom I had t with such difficulty? And it wasn't just removing wings or horns, but a transformation into a human.

It was an unimaginable danger.

"No. Absolutely not. You don't know how dangerous that magic is."

"I told you I won't contract if you don't do it?"

"Then will you contract with anyone who performs this magic for you?"

Michelon shut his mouth for a mont. But soon he looked at

with provocative eyes.

"Why wouldn't I? As long as what we desire matches."

"I beg of you, please tell

the reason."

I pleaded earnestly, but Michelon clamped his mouth shut.

"I don't want to."

It must be a reason he truly hated to say. When I realized that, Michelon snapped.

"If you truly care for , shouldn't you grant what I desire so much, even without knowing the reason?"

A gaze testing .

I wanted to grant it. I was scared Michelon would contract with other siblings, and more than anything, I hated that he doubted my heart. The feeling that all the effort I made to repay what Michelon did for

would be in vain was terrible.

"It's the opposite. Stopping you from going down a wrong path is truly caring for you."

But I didn't want to be just a friend. I wanted to be a good friend. Since he was the first friend I made.

"...Do you think I just decided recklessly? I also know how dangerous it is... I also thought a lot before deciding. And not telling you the reason is also my decision. But since I made the decision for a reason, if you are a friend, you should accept it."

"If it were a different decision, I would have. If it weren't a decision that puts you in danger."

As I said that, sothing suddenly occurred to .

"What are you trying to do by becoming a human with that magic?"

"......."

"Both you and I take ti to grow. Invisibility magic also has limits. The mont you reveal yourself, everyone will target you. But if you beco human... what is it that you want to do even by doing that?"

"......."

Handling Michelon's silence carefully, I continued speaking.

"The last command of that Throne Magic Circle was a command to find you, but before that, it was a command to hide you. And before that..."

I dropped my blood na again and let it flow into the Throne Magic Circle. Michelon's flashing eyes followed my na.

However, my na, which had traced back from the magic circle's last command, stopped before long. Because the text was shattered so the command couldn't be recognized. Once a command is shattered, its content cannot be found even with magic, unlike other hidden commands.

"Unknown. Because it is a failed command."

Many wizards were mobilized, but it was a command that failed. Not a normal failure, but a failure where the letters shattered.

"Many wizards might have died because of that failed command. But did only they die?"

"......."

"Michelon, you said dragons leave basic information along with the egg. So that even if they just hatched, they wouldn't know nothing about the world. Dragons continue their lineage in their own mysterious way. Then you... wouldn't you also know how your mother dragon died?"

The vertical pupils in Michelon's golden eyes narrowed. So that more gold could be seen.

"...Did your mother Ilaves die because of my Father?"

"......."

"So, do you want revenge?"

Michelon still didn't say anything. But those eyes burned with a clear golden light. Facing the blinding gold, I put strength into every word.

"Michelon, I intend to contract with you and beco the Emperor."

Michelon opened his mouth for the first ti. With a voice filled with hatred.

"Succeeding your Father."

I nodded.

"Also, as the one who will beco the Emperor of Armatia, I will handle your accusation. Judge for yourself whether the one who contracts with you is worthy of becoming the Emperor of Armatia."

Michelon's vertical pupils pierced my eyes like arrowheads, but I couldn't look away.

"Did my Father kill Ilaves, or did he let her die?"

"......."

"Was it forced or not, was it intentional or not."

"......."

"Can you not know even that as of now?"

"......."

"Then we must first grasp the truth of the incident."

"It was the Emperor's command! Unless it was that, there is no way Mother would do such a thing!"

Michelon cried out.

I asked back.

"How do you know that? Did you see your Mother's mories?"

"Yes! Mother was in pain. She died struggling while trapped in this cursed magic circle!"

I closed my eyes.

-Mother scread while bleeding to give birth to you! If only it weren't for you, she wouldn't have passed away so painfully!

Suppressing the voice that naturally surfaced, I opened my eyes again.

"...Then why... did you say there is no way your Mother would do such a thing?"

"Since it was an Imperial Command, it must be that Mother couldn't refuse either!"

"I suppose so. But you didn't see all of your Mother's mories either..."

-People say the Late Emperor loved Empress Erngarde so much that he hated Your Majesty, who caused her death.

Rhiannon, who had said that before the regression, had a voice full of pity.

-I do not want to hear it.

-But Your Majesty must also know the truth. The Late Emperor loved no one. He followed the retainers' words imdiately when they said a political marriage with a princess of Roncer was better than a morganatic marriage with , even if I bore a son. But Empress Erngarde, who married him like that, also soon realized. The truth that the only existence her husband cherished was neither his wife nor his child, but only one thing.

The Guardian Dragon Ilaves.

Infinite sympathy was contained in Rhiannon's gaze.

-In the end, Your Majesty was rely used as a pretext to hide the Late Emperor's obsession with the dragon. In fact, even though the Late Emperor didn't care a bit about Your Majesty in the first place, regardless of whether Your Majesty's mother died because of you or not.

At that mont, Michelon shouted.

"...mories aren't originally given like that! Only information filtered through a sieve of mories remains!"

Thanks to Michelon, I was barely able to snap out of my thoughts.

"It was that serious! Serious enough that mories which shouldn't have been left originally were passed on to !"