ITETD 21

~Chapter 21~

The Last Dragon and Unspoken Truths

“If the dragon leaves this world, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

Upon hearing these words, I couldn’t feel the urgency behind them. It was hard to grasp the gravity of the situation.

Logically speaking, after seeing such a gigantic creature, how could anyone immediately believe, “Your life depends on that”?

Therefore, my response was understandably lukewarm.

“Oh… I see.”

When I answered indifferently, Calix’s gaze sharpened. His expression twisted as he raised his voice.

“I don’t want you to be in danger!”

“Of course, I don’t either.”

“If that dragon leaves, then—!”

“But it might not leave, right?”

I interrupted him as I spoke.

“It’s never left since the beginning. It’s been asleep here all this time. Maybe it’ll stay asleep until I die. Why worry prematurely?”

Indeed. The dragon, which had been asleep for so long, was unlikely to suddenly wake up during my lifetime. The probability was low.

“And besides, that dragon….”

I pointed toward the dragon as I spoke. Calix had said it was sleeping, but to me, it seemed more like a corpse. There was no sign of life.

So, it was unlikely Calix’s worries would come true. The idea that one day the dragon would awaken and leave the world seemed far-fetched.

“But the fact that my soul is being filled by the dragon’s magic… is still on my mind.”

Could the world’s magic even fit into one human body?

“Unless the magic has its own will…”

Maybe, just maybe, Regina’s incomplete soul had instinctively drawn the magic to itself.

These hypotheses flickered through my mind, but I couldn’t settle on anything concrete. However, it was something I couldn’t completely ignore either, so it lingered in the back of my mind.

I tried to push those thoughts aside as I turned my gaze back to the massive dragon.

The darkness made the dragon appear more like a small hill than a living creature from a distance.

“To think I’ve lived here without knowing this.”

I shivered involuntarily and wiped my arms.

“No wonder there’s so much magic in the mansion.”

Now I understood why opening the cellar entrance was so difficult. Not only was it meant to protect the dragon, but the magical barriers were also intended to keep the overwhelming magic inside from leaking out.

This place felt like it was filled with oil. If even the smallest spark were introduced, it would explode into a giant fire, engulfing everything.

“Using magic here would be impossible.”

I pulled myself together, pushing the dizzying sensation away, and extended my hand to Calix.

“Let’s go back. I’m hungry.”

“Rena….”

Calix took my hand, now noticeably less intense than when we arrived.

As we climbed the stairs, I asked the question that had been on my mind.

“If the dragon wants to leave, will you be able to sense it?”

“I’ll know instinctively… when it wants to leave.”

“If that happens, will you escort it?”

I asked out of curiosity, but Calix stopped dead in his tracks as if he had heard something he wasn’t meant to.

“Calix?”

“…That won’t happen.”

He answered after a long pause.

“But isn’t that your duty?”

“It’s your life on the line. I don’t want to do it.”

“Can it be that simple to just stop?”

Noticing my confusion, Calix sighed and spoke carefully.

“Rena, I won’t let you be in danger. I promise.”

“…”

His sincere tone left me speechless. He wasn’t just promising me, but making a vow to himself too.

“I won’t allow anything to harm you.”

A conversation we had recently came to mind.

He had said something similar. That he wouldn’t let anything happen to me.

At the time, I had bluntly replied that it wasn’t something he could decide.

But now, for some reason, I didn’t want to respond that way.

I let out a sigh, barely audible, and smiled weakly.

“Okay. Thank you.”

Calix’s face stiffened. I pretended not to notice and turned my body away.

Before we completely left the cellar, I took one last look at the dragon, now resembling a massive mound.

It was hard to believe that it had once been a living creature—it now seemed almost inorganic.

“What did I feel when I saw it earlier?”

I had definitely felt drawn to it.

“I wanted to return to it.”

I had this odd pull toward it, but I knew I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted again, so I forced my gaze away.

Time Passed, and Dawn Arrived

When we exited the cellar, the sun had already risen, and it was clearly morning. The ground still had the moisture from the early morning dew, but I took a deep breath and filled my lungs with fresh air.

“I feel alive again.”

Down there, the concentration of magic had been so dense that just breathing had been exhausting. Now I understood why Calix had wanted to keep the existence of the dragon hidden from me.

Anyone who could sense magic would have suffocated in that space.

As we walked away from the mansion ruins, Calix turned back and extended his hand.

I hesitated for a moment but took it.

“By the way…”

“Hm?”

“Does the Emperor know about the dragon?”

I asked casually, but when I did, I felt Calix stiffen, his grip tightening on my hand.

“He knows.”

I could tell from his small reaction that I had guessed correctly.

“Then, the fire at the mansion…”

“…Rena.”

“It’s true, isn’t it?”

I could feel the weight of this new realization. The more I thought about it, the more everything was beginning to make sense, but my mind was also overwhelmed by all the information.

“What does the Emperor want with the dragon?”

I pushed the question down, letting the thoughts swirl in my mind.

On our way back to the inn, I was grateful that we didn’t have to ride together. Calix’s knights came to meet us and were leading the horses.

Calix seemed reluctant, but I prioritized convenience over his discomfort.

“I need time to think anyway.”

One of the knights handed over a horse to me, and even though Calix came over to assist, I ignored him and mounted the horse.

During the entire ride back, no one spoke. It gave me the opportunity to reflect.

“The Emperor has known about the dragon all along.”

It made sense now why he hadn’t hesitated to accuse the Troxia family of treason.

“Is it simply because Troxia kept the dragon for themselves? Or does he want the dragon for himself?”

“Rena, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I responded absentmindedly, my mind still racing.

“Could it be because he wants the dragon? Or is there something more to it?”

I tried to recall the original story, but there was no mention of a dragon.

Then, the memory of the mage who had tried to spy on us in the train flashed in my mind.

“Could I use the magic to spy on the Emperor?”

I hadn’t learned such magic, but in my frustration, I instinctively began to channel my magic.

Suddenly, the same overwhelming sensation from the cellar began to creep up from the ground.

“Ah, I stayed too long in the cellar.”

“…Rena?”

I tried to speak, but my voice failed me.

“I’ve reached my limit for today…”

“Rena!”

With that final thought, I collapsed, losing consciousness.

“Rena!”

I felt as if my heart had stopped. Calix, who had been near me, rushed forward and caught me before I fell, saving me from a serious injury by mere seconds.

“Calix!”

He urgently called my name, his voice trembling as he held me tightly in his arms.