The Emperor Who Was Chapter 71 : Chapter 71

Chapter . 71

Everything hurt. Everything that made up him.

If it hurt this much, he needed the Prince's . But recently, there were frequent failures in following his orders. If the master beca angry and did not grant the …….

But there was a face that ca to mind before the angry face of the master, which he had always feared. It was not as beautiful as when she wore a dress like a noblewoman, but to him, it was the loveliest face.

‘Yolande…….’

He endured the need for healing. In order not to forget Yolande again.

Because rembering the fact that it was sothing done to save her beca a better healing than oblivion.

It still hurt, but for the first ti, the pain of the soul was less. Enough to endure even the pain of the body.

However, even that did not last long. Soon, he forgot what he was trying to rember, and even forgot the effort he made to rember.

“Are you conscious? Vincent, it is , wake up!”

‘…Who is speaking…….’

“We cannot delay any longer. Nanette's Anti-magic is blocking the consequences of breaking the oath. But if we delay further, Vincent will lose his magic forever.”

“…I understand. Vincent, I am sorry… But I cannot give up on you. Please endure the pain just a little longer…….”

He barely opened his eyes. Beside him lying on the bed was a red-haired woman shedding tears. Why was soone so pretty crying……. Next to her were two eye-catching beautiful boys who were transitioning into young n: one with black hair and blue-gray eyes, and one with blonde hair and gold eyes. Especially those rare blue-gray eyes felt familiar sowhere…….

However, the red-haired girl drew his attention the most. Why were those two small hands placed on his chest?

“He opened his eyes! Vincent, it is ! Your wife, do you recognize ?”

Am I Vincent……? When he hesitated at the woman's call, the black-haired boy held his hand.

“There is no ti, Yolande.”

“Yes, Prince!”

When the woman held his hand, the black-haired boy said to the blonde boy.

“Michelon, take Nanette to the room!”

As the blonde boy disappeared with the young girl, he suddenly could not breathe. It had been painful until now, but it could not be compared to this pain. The pain that seed to have been blocked before rushed in like a tide.

“Arghhhhhh!”

“Vincent!”

“Focus, Vincent. Listen to my words.”

“Aaaaaaaah!”

Whatever anyone said, he could not even hear it. The pain made him deaf and blind. He was alone in the darkness, and it was so cold, and thus everything hurt, and hurt, and in that pain, he forgot even himself, but when even that oblivion could not save him―

“Vincent is not Yolande's hostage.”

At that mont, there was a voice coming from the darkness. Warmly soothing the pain... amidst the deafness caused by his own screams, it was warm like a ray of light... and bright…….

“Vincent is not Yolande's hostage.”

This ti, a different voice was heard.

“Please, Vincent, Vincent! You must do it!”

A desperate voice. He did not understand. But, even though he could not move at all, the light did not disappear. The warmth did not fade. It was together with him in the darkness. Protecting him.

“…Vincent is…….”

Finally, he rembered himself, and,

“Not Yolande's hostage…….”

Until he rembered who the person he loved was.

The next mont, a dazzling halo enveloped him.

Sothing warm and bright, yet a blade, pierced his heart. Only then did he realize. Only at the mont the chain binding his heart was broken did he realize the fact that there was a chain.

The fact that what had been oblivion, not healing, had made him forget the existence of that chain.

The bond of

was broken. Vincent opened his eyes. Yolande, his wife, hugged him while crying. Behind her, Prince Leontes was looking at him, smiling even with an exhausted face.

A young child who used to cry alone in the past. The child who clapped and liked his magic so much, who made his heart flutter even thinking about it now, had grown into a dignified Prince and was smiling at him just like back then.

Vincent finally hugged his wife and sobbed in her arms. The door opened, and Nanette ran in and hugged both of them together.

***

Yolande, Vincent, and Nanette fell asleep in one room, exhausted. Sir Rolf, whom I had deliberately sent out on an errand, had not returned yet.

When only the two of us remained, Michelon asked.

“You, Yolande, and Vincent said in front of Desmond that Vincent is not Yolande's hostage. Why did you have to chant that spell? What power does that spell have?”

“That spell itself had no great power. It was rely Word Soul Magic challenging the concept of a hostage head-on.”

I admitted.

“A hostage is naturally bound to be a spouse or a child, and once they have beco a hostage, denying that fact only leads to paying the price for breaking the oath.”

“Then why did you choose that spell? Of course, since you liberated Yolande from the oath to the Emperor, the blow her hostage Vincent would receive was unavoidable. No matter how much Nanette's Anti-magic blocked it as much as possible.”

“Why do you think one becos unable to use magic if they break an oath?”

I asked back.

“I wouldn't know. As for dragons, we only obey because they dig into the Mark on our chest if we don't follow orders.”

Although Michelon's expression as he said that was sowhat grumpy, it could not be denied.

“That is why a dragon's magic and a human's magic are different. Dragons use magic by instinct, and only submit because the Mark stings so much, but they do not lose their magic. But humans are different.”

“Because they don't do it by instinct, but have to polish their innate mana with reason and use wands, spells, and complex thods or they can't do it?”

“What do you think that complex process is all for? It is will. It is establishing the will to move natural laws or targets according to my desire. Therefore, if Vincent broke his own will to beco a hostage to save Yolande, he cannot establish his will itself from then on.”

“Yet you made him say it.”

“That part is the core. A hostage attached to a master-servant contract is effective only if they are family, but taking family as a hostage is not right. Just as the couple never desired it. Nevertheless, before the Emperor's will, the couple's will was broken. If so, right at that point, we rebuild the will that the Emperor broke. With the proposition that ‘Yolande's husband is not Yolande's hostage’, that is, ‘Family must not be hostages’.”

“…Is that possible? Since you helped, it must have been established.”

“Of course it was. But if there is a heart to resist such unjust coercion, it is enough to rebuild the will that was once broken. If the couple did not have such a heart, I could not have helped either.”

“So that is how your Word Soul Magic was established.”

“Yolande does not think of it as formal magic. But Word Soul Magic planted the will to escape in Vincent, who was captured by oblivion, and that will beca the standard of mory for him. And also the beginning of freedom.”

Sotis, the act of harboring that intent itself, the act of trying to establish it itself, is magic. The magic I will perform all my life. The magic that everyone must perform at least once in their lifeti.

“Even so, doesn't he lose his magic as Desmond said? Even if he escapes the bondage. You also warned Yolande about that point and even hesitated on this operation, but Yolande insisted on pushing through.”

As Michelon said, Yolande had spoken firmly to

when I hesitated.

-Vincent would never want such a life. No matter what, I am his wife. I do not know everything about what kind of person he is, but I know what kind of things he would not do.

It was impressive, but those words were wrong.

Before the regression, Vincent ended up forgetting even himself after forgetting the person he loved. So, even though it was the master's order, he even branded .

However, it was also the right words. After I was exiled, Vincent was pointed out as the mage who corrupted

and was burned at the stake alive. His masters cut him off right before being implicated. Originally, mages are useful existences, so unlike the temple, the Imperial Family does not kill even an enemy's mage if possible, but possesses them. But at that ti, Maximilian went so wild that Vincent was made an example of with a barbaric punishnt that only the temple would do.

My Master almost died trying to save him but was caught, barely escaped by faking death. He suffered severe burns back then.

-My husband saved

while not rembering .

Although he saved his wife who ca to save him, that wife also received wounds on her body and mind that could not be healed for a lifeti.

Rather than ending up like that, I had to save Vincent now even if he could no longer use magic.

“Nanette's Anti-magic was more effective than I thought. The Word Soul Magic as well. Vincent might not be able to use magic for the ti being, but who knows after enough ti passes and his mind and body recover.”

Michelon stared at

for a mont and grinned.

“Not bad, Prince?”

“Thank you, Michelon.”

“I'm being sarcastic.”

“It sounded good to .”

“Hmph, I said it's not a complint. Humans' magic is too complex. That's why you can't use magic freely and unhesitatingly.”

The dragon snorted. While hating to lose to

in a situation where he couldn't use magic.

“You take care of humans' magic. The important thing is that now, whether it's the Emperor, your brothers, or that insidious Duke, you can convert the enemies' mages to your side.”

“Because that was the basic.”

“…You say it as if it's obvious?”

I had also been bound by a contract.

“It was sothing that had to be done.”

“…So you planned this from the mont you liberated

from the fate of the Mark with our Token?”

Michelon lifted his chin and tilted his face, looking at

obliquely.

“After solving your matter, it was not as difficult as I thought from then on.”

Michelon closed his mouth for a mont before speaking.

“You are the only one right now who believes that is the basic a monarch must naturally possess.”

“Because I will rule over mages too. Without using them as slaves.”

“To do that, those mages must also break away from their original masters and pledge loyalty to you.”

“It is not easy. Because they feel that being under their original master is safe.”

The mage hunting of the Traneha religion was not as rampant as in the past, but it had never disappeared.

“Hmph, if a war breaks out and they are overworked and die off, that safety will be the first thing to shatter into pieces.”

“Michelon.”

“Why?”

“I do not start wars.”

I only win if they co at .

The warmonger dragon furrowed his brow.

“Do you think that will go according to your will?”

“Then you can just watch. How I establish my will.”

***

Contrary to Desmond's prediction, Vincent did not die, nor did he beco unable to use magic. He had to recuperate unconditionally for a while, and he might not be able to display the sa power as before, but it was too early to judge.

The most worrying thing was the magic injury. Being injured by magic ant only healing using magic was possible, so there were several troubleso variables. Like how only the perpetrator could heal the victim's wound.

Yolande, who was extrely worried about this point, was anxious until she confird the result, even though she knew my magic surpassed elental mages' magic in essence.

“Nanette, you saved your brother-in-law!”

However, besides , Nanette neutralized the toxicity of the magic penetrating the wound without letting Vincent's injury worsen.

“Since you are smart too, you should go in this direction. Grow up and beco a doctor specializing in magic.”

Yolande said happily, and Nanette, giggling at the complint, also nodded. She even begged

to buy her dical books.

“Tell

any books you want to see, Nanette.”

I said.

“But you do not necessarily have to beco a magic doctor.”

“Pardon? But my sister said I have talent in this area. Prince, you also said I would be able to help people.”

“Having talent and liking sothing are different. If those two are the sa, it is truly innate luck. But just because they are different, you do not necessarily have to choose the job you have talent for.”

Nanette, who was usually smart, tilted her head this ti.

“It is a very good thing that you have the talent to help people, but that does not an you have to do that work even while giving up what you want to do. Do you want to beco a doctor? Is it a decision made after fully considering other career paths?”

“…No. I just want to help my brother-in-law and others too… and I liked being praised for doing well…….”

“Then you may do that work. But you do not have to choose that work over others just for that reason. You can choose after trying this and that which you want to do.”

“…Why do you say that? Do you not wish for

to beco a capable and kind person that you would be proud of, Prince?”

“I am already proud of you. If you decide the path you want to go yourself rather than the path others wish for you, I would be even more proud.”