The Emperor Who Was Chapter 88 : Chapter 88

Chapter . 88

When Yolande fell into deep thought at my words, Vincent spoke in a low voice.

"So that must be why Jero and Harald don't seem the sa."

"Indeed. Because they attributed different anings to the sa power. I used the sa magic, but for Jero, I only gave a suggestion about what he had already done, and for Harald, I utilized his belief that a human can turn a human into an animal. That is why Harald also beca docile. Because what he desired was fulfilled."

At that mont, Michelon crossed his arms and said.

"I don't know about that, but just thinking that you can summon the beast within the Duke of Grimiati, the Empress, or your brothers and transform them makes

feel good?"

"It is not that simple. Jero had enough innate talent to do it alone, and Harald had persistently strived since encountering magic and almost reached that stage on his own. Therefore, I could also see what beast he would turn into, and so I could draw it out. But to do that against royalty surrounded by magical protection—"

As I was speaking fluently, I unwittingly stopped at the sight of Michelon looking at

with a faint smile.

Only then did I recall the one subject Michelon had never ntioned.

"We'll have to try to know."

Then he leaned in and whispered.

"Imagine turning your father into a dragon. And then, branding his chest."

After that, before I could answer, Michelon nimbly crossed the room, jumped onto the balcony, and leaped down just like that. As he disappeared into the darkness, the hawk sitting on my arm cried sharply.

At that cry I was hearing for the first ti, I blankly stroked its wings again. Comforted by that soft warmth.

***

The next day, Jero, who had been excited thinking the curse was truly lifted and then fallen asleep like a puppet with its strings cut, woke up and stated more thoroughly what he had experienced. He rembered much more accurately than when he had just turned back into a human.

While he, wishing to eat human food, ate and drank voraciously, we continued our discussion on the Jero and Harald case.

"Let's sort this out one by one. First, do you know the mages who lured Harald and tried to curse Jero?"

Yolande bit her lip and nodded.

"Magic that turns humans into animals through curses has been consistently attempted since ancient tis, but it has rarely succeeded. So I thought it was magic not worth attempting. Because of that, unlike my late master, I did not join that magic research. My master scolded , but I really had no interest. It makes no sense at all!"

As Yolande spoke excitedly, Michelon, who was sitting next to

with an indifferent face, smirked.

"Then what about magic that turns animals into humans?"

Yolande's face turned pale as she recalled Ilaves. Never imagining that Michelon was Ilaves's son.

I said.

"Continue, Yolande."

"...They always conducted secret research and received the most funding from His Majesty. My master emphasized that if I wanted to succeed him, I had to devote myself to that research, but I didn't want to. I had an ominous feeling that if I got too deeply involved, I might never see my younger brother again."

Vincent nodded.

"Her Majesty the Empress was also very interested in His Majesty the Emperor's research. Though she found out almost nothing. When Lord Jero went missing, she thought he had run away and even vented her anger on the Lagardi family."

"Transformation is one of the oldest forms of magic."

I said.

"Humanity drew the animals they wanted to hunt as murals and left written stories worshipping animals that turned into humans. But what is the common point in legends where humans turn into animals? For example, why did the first person to turn into a wolf transform?"

"...Because he killed his son. Since he received a prophecy that he would be killed by his son, the answer is death. A father who killed his son is as good as dead as a human."

Yolande answered.

"And there is also a woman who turned into a cicada. That woman committed no sin, but she wished for immortality."

"Co to think of it, there are also flowers or trees that dying people transford into. In those cases, it was not punishnt but a reward out of pity for their deaths. Since plants sprout every spring even if they wither and die in winter."

Vincent, seemingly recalling Larsil, said.

"Yes, as symbols of regeneration and immortality. To do so, humans had to undergo transformation."

At my words, the two flinched and looked at . But I looked down at the hawk's wing feathers and grood them with my hand. Ignoring even Michelon's sharp gaze.

My Imperial Father's mages must have even researched magic to turn humans into animals in order to turn Ilaves into a human. Since there are often cases where clues are gained from the opposite magic when researching new magic.

What did my Imperial Father desire?

Did he intend to inflict a punishnt worse than death on his enemy?

Did he intend to overco death even by giving up being human?

Or, was it both, or even more than that?

"...Your Highness?"

"Before transforming, Harald spoke about Mount Petrafis. That the mountain has a powerful force."

-While wandering in the mountains, I felt the presence of a force pulling

and approached it. That force is truly imnse.

"Do you believe his words?"

"It influenced Harald's transformation even before I did. Even if it was his delusion, we must investigate it first."

Moreover, unlike before the regression when Rhiannon had commanded it, now we might be able to discover sothing on the Dragon's Mountain. Michelon was no longer silent, and I had beco a mage.

"If we go to that mountain, can he return to being human?"

"Even with my power, I can turn him back into a human now. However, since he fell into madness as a human and found stability after becoming an animal, it is better to wait until he returns on his own."

Thus, leaving only Sir Rolf to learn the duties of a castellan from Nanette and the Count of Montova, we headed for Mount Petrafis.

Jero did not want to go, saying his body was still tired and he needed more rest. But he followed imdiately when Michelon said he would carry him on his shoulder.

"That man must have lied, Your Highness."

While riding on a horse, Jero glared at the red-eyed hawk sitting on my shoulder and asserted.

"Perhaps. Then do you, unlike Harald, think that the mountain has no power?"

"Such a large and high mountain naturally has power. Inside, I was scared even to go out of the cave. But if I didn't go out, I would starve to death."

"Did you fear that power? Did you not feel that it made you strong like Harald?"

"Your Highness, honestly, I am not sure if I can judge what I experienced as a wolf with human reason. For example, even Your Highness never ordered

to turn into a wolf again. But after Harald's transformation, seeing Your Highness approach

as if it were my turn, I sohow felt that way. So although it might be my misunderstanding, I ended up transforming for the ti being."

Jero continued without pause.

"But next, when the Knights of Purity broke down the door and sward in, and I thought I was dead, I felt as if Your Highness was giving the exact opposite order this ti. I didn't understand even then, but as I acted according to my own feeling again, lo and behold! I ca to receive the affection of holy knights and priests all at once!"

Looking at him at tis like this, Jero was indeed a courtier with dazzling eloquence and flexible conduct. Vincent, riding behind Michelon, nodded his head with a face captivated by the story, and Yolande, riding behind , laughed seeing her husband like that.

"I heard you received an offer to enter the Temple of Traneha and walk the path of a clergyman?"

"Of course I did, Yolande. In this situation, who wouldn't want ? Is there another being as unique and rare as ? Everyone wants to see . I am probably more popular than Brother Immanuel who released

from the curse. Because even the attention that belonged to him, who returned to the shadow of the temple, is being focused on ."

Jero, acting affably even to Yolande, a mage and commoner, puffed out his chest and said.

"Therefore, I must stick right by Prince Leontes's side. Otherwise, there might be those who try to kidnap

and curse

again."

Jero was sincere. Now that his matter was revealed, no one knew when either the Emperor or the Empress might aim for his life. For now, they would leave him alone due to the high public interest.

"Yes, stay by my side for a while."

"For a while, please do not say that."

Jero, whom I thought would say he would return to his hotown, jumped in surprise.

"I will stay by Prince Leontes's side for the rest of my life. Even if I turn back into a wolf soti, if I am just by Prince Leontes's side, I will be able to return to being human again, I believe so."

"You are truly a wise person."

"Of course I am wise, Vincent. I might never return to being human like that, and I am not foolish like Harald who deserves it."

Jero, glaring sideways at the hawk again, suddenly said.

"By the way, does that hawk really have to stick to Your Highness's shoulder?"

"The hawk must also feel reassured being by Your Highness's side, just like Lord Jero."

"It would be better to place it on Lord Michelon's shoulder. Who knows if that guy will also co to his senses and beco wise like ."

Jero, though a commoner, used honorifics for Michelon. He seed unable to erase the feeling of being forcibly rolled around by Michelon's touch as a beast.

However, Michelon, who enjoyed Jero's jokes as cute back in the castle, rely smirked. Becoming quieter the deeper we went into the mountain.

"The cave I lived in is here."

Jero said, guiding us to a cave. Yolande burst into an exclamation.

"It's surprisingly clean for a wolf's cave!"

"It was dirty at first, Yolande. Until I learned how to use my tail like a broom. You don't know how much I missed the servants I scolded for being useless."

The cave was really clean, and there was even a sleeping place made by piling up animal pelts and human clothes inside. Yolande's eyes went wide as she asked.

"What are these clothes when you said you didn't kill people?"

"I only stole them from clotheslines. The pelts were also ones hung out by tanners. Otherwise, how would I peel off human clothes or animal fur so finely with four wolf paws? I prepared them in advance because I would need sothing to cover my body if I ever turned into a human."

We decided to clean up the cave. Since it was where a werewolf lived, it was different from a normal wolf cave, so we wanted to leave no room for faultfinding later.

After Yolande wiped everything out, we went to Harald's hideout this ti.

"Graf used to chase

around."

Jero said, glaring at the hawk on my shoulder.

"But I knew his hideout, and he didn't know my hiding place. No matter how much he insisted I was a vessel or whatever, I could sll him whenever he tried to approach!"

Harald's hideout was also a cave, but unlike Jero's cave, it was dirty. Dried herbs, animal bones, snake skins, and such were scattered everywhere, and Yolande remarked that the sight resembled the hos of witches.

"Though at least they are cleaner than this."

When Yolande said this wrinkling her nose, Jero grinned.

"Isn't it really dirty? A dirty guy lives in a dirty place!"

"Surely he didn't use his hideout as a latrine..."

Vincent whispered to . The sll was indeed bad.

The hawk showed no reaction even upon returning to the cave. We checked if there were any items from when Harald was a Baron, but there was nothing. Not even a weapon that a knight would have kept until the end.

Yolande cleaned that place out as well.

"I expected to find a clue about that strange power Harald ntioned here, but there is nothing."

When I said in disappointnt, Michelon suddenly spoke.

"That guy probably didn't discover it either."