Chapter 237 - 3−41
When I stepped out of the carriage, I found myself in the middle of a forest surrounded by lush trees. I didn't know where we were or where we were going. The Emperor didn't answer my questions and simply walked along a tangled animal trail.
Dressed in clothes unsuitable for hiking, I climbed the mountain until my breath grew ragged and my legs screamed in pain. Even so, the Emperor continued forward in silence, only occasionally checking to see if I was following.
“Have we... not arrived yet?”
“...You are a noisy one. To think you would give up on such a flat path.”
“F-flat? I never heard anything about climbing a mountain like this!”
Even if I was following him to get the magic stone back, I felt entitled to a complaint or two. The Emperor scratched his head as if I were a nuisance. Then, he turned around and held out his hand.
A faint purple light flowed from his hand into me, and the heaviness in my body vanished as if it had been a lie.
“Now you can walk without complaining, right?”
“...What did you do?”
“It was just a simple physical enhancement spell.”
I wish you had done that from the start.
Though I slumped my shoulders, my steps became light, and I could easily keep up with the Emperor’s pace.
“There is a cave over there. That is our destination.”
I looked up at his words. Hidden among the trees and bushes was a cave that looked as though it were being kept secret.
“What is this place?”
“This is where the Tomb of the Progenitor Dragon lies.”
Unlike the Emperor, who strode into the cave, I stopped at the entrance. It looked like an ordinary cave, but an indescribable anxiety washed over me, as if an invisible black haze were swirling within.
“...Hurry up. You want the Pure Magic Stone back, don't you?”
Though I hesitated, the Emperor’s words pushed me to step inside. Thanks to the magic stone light he held, a warm orange glow spread through the cave. At the very back, where the Emperor was looking, was a rock about a meter high.
“The Progenitor Dragon sleeps beneath this.”
“The Tomb of the Progenitor Dragon... is this?”
“You are surprised by how plain it is, aren't you? That is only natural. The grand tomb is right near the castle. It is quite amusing that for thousands of years, the entire family has gathered every year on the anniversary of his death to offer flowers and perform rituals at a tomb where no one is buried.”
The Emperor placed a hand on the rock, looking almost nostalgic.
“To die without letting anyone see and sleep deep in the forest... wishing for the prosperity of his clan while he sleeps in peace. It must have been a quiet end.”
“How do you know this is the real tomb, Your Majesty?”
“I am the reincarnation, so it is only natural. But even so, the Progenitor Dragon and I are different personalities. I have no affection for the clan or the country like he did. My hope lies elsewhere.”
The Emperor turned back to me as if severing ties with the Progenitor. The light from the lamp dyed his face orange, and his reddish-purple eyes flickered strangely.
“What is... your hope?”
“I, the reincarnation, will destroy the country the Progenitor created. In other words, I will surpass even the Progenitor.”
“Surpass... the Progenitor?”
“I have no interest in this country, its people, or the future. I will only prove that I am the strongest.”
What did he mean by proving he was the strongest? The Emperor narrowed his eyes at my visible distress.
“Do you have no interest even in Lute-sama, who admires you so much?”
“Indeed. I keep him by my side because he is useful, but if he loses his value, I will simply eliminate him. Lute himself likely understands that and stays by my side regardless.”
“Lute-sama said he would do anything for you to become the king of the continent.”
“What would I gain by becoming king of the continent? I never even particularly wanted to be Emperor. I simply eliminated the bothersome people for my own purposes, and as a result, I became Emperor.”
The Emperor took step after step toward me, the sound of gravel crunching under his boots. I backed away slightly, but my body wouldn't move properly, as if a spell had been cast on me.
“The Progenitor said that dragons like the mana of spirits, and it seems he was right. Your existence is strange.”
I couldn't look away from his reddish-purple eyes, which held a mysterious smile.
“When I look into those eyes, the anger within me seems to vanish temporarily. Pure, clean, and with a seductive sweetness.”
He grabbed my chin and forced me to look up. I trembled at the sight of his eyes so close to mine.
“Perhaps you really are my destiny.”
“My destiny has already been decided.”
My heart hammered against my ribs, and cold sweat wouldn't stop due to the tension. Even so, I forced my trembling lips to move.
The Emperor curled his lip into a pleasant grin.
“The Crown Prince of Dutoit? Lute says he is a hypocritical man with little power.”
As he spoke, he reached for my cheek. I slapped his hand away, anger smoldering within me.
“I will not permit you to insult Louis-sama.”
“That is the strongest energy of anger I have ever seen. Haha, the Pure Magic Stone has answered in resonance.”
The Emperor pulled the Pure Magic Stone from his inner pocket. Just as he said, the stone was emitting a faint, sparkling light. He gripped the stone and let out a delighted laugh.
“That’s it. I have been waiting for this power. Finally, the time has come for me to surpass the Progenitor.”
“W-what are you...”
The Emperor stared at the magic stone with glinting eyes and pressed it forcefully against his chest.
“Give it back! That stone is for Theodore-sama!”
The Emperor fell to his knees, clutching his chest and breathing heavily. I rushed over and reached out to take the stone back from his chest. But a powerful light erupted from his chest, preventing me. The dazzling light enveloped the Emperor so intensely that I couldn't keep my eyes open.
At that moment—
BOOM!
“Kyaa!”
Following a roar like a lightning strike hitting the cave, the ground shook violently. The vibration knocked me off my feet, and I clung to a nearby rock. The walls groaned, and sand and small stones fell from the ceiling.
What is happening?!
I noticed the magic stone light the Emperor had been holding was rolling at my feet. I picked it up and raised it to illuminate the cave. A giant shadow appeared before me, and I spun around.
“Have you still not realized?”
The Emperor, who was standing right behind me, gave a hollow-eyed smirk. His clothes, usually perfectly fastened, were hanging open at the chest. And the moment I saw what was embedded in the center of his collarbone, I stared in horror.
“T-that is...”
The Pure Magic Stone I had made was embedded in the Emperor’s chest, turned black.
“You were used by me.”
“...Used? What do you...”
I didn't understand what he was saying. Why was the Pure Magic Stone I made embedded in the Emperor’s skin? Why were there scale-like patterns around the stone?
And why is such a powerful mana, enough to crush me, overflowing from the Emperor?
“What a pity.”
The Emperor grabbed my arm as I crouched and pulled me up.
“You thought that if you made this magic stone, Nana’s memories would return? But there is no spell that can nullify a Dragonewt’s ability. I brought you to this country and took away Nana’s memories just to make you create that magic stone.”
“You took away... his memories?”
What is this man talking about?
I had definitely read it in a book. To nullify a Dragonewt’s ability, a Pure Magic Stone made by the Dark Saint was necessary. That’s why I...
“Everything went according to the scenario created by me and the Progenitor Dragon within me. You played an important role as a vital piece. The final piece I needed for Dragonification.”
“W-what are you saying? I found it in the Archive. The key to breaking the spell of the... First Prince.”
I screamed in my confusion, and the Emperor looked at me with pity.
“In the first place, it wasn't the First Prince who manipulated Nana’s memories. Because I erased the First Prince from this world a long time ago.”
What? The First Prince is... already dead? Then who... who have I been fighting against?
I didn't understand. The First Prince was the Emperor’s enemy, the one who stole Theodore-sama’s memories...
“Then... who was it that took Theodore-sama’s memories...”
The Emperor’s grin deepened at my bewildered murmur.
“It was Lute. Lute Calria is the Dragonewt with the ability of memory manipulation.”