Their faces were filled with suspicion, doubt… All sorts of negativity were
mixed together. They never wanted Hedera to succeed in the first place.
But Jaekiel.
Jaekiel's gaze held no negativity. Just eyes filled with infinite trust, as if
Hedera's success was a mere given.
…Hedera suddenly looked back at herself.
Hedera, who had lived accepting herself as untalented, suddenly received
immense talent one day. Since then, she had only honed that talent, nothing
more.
In other words, she had never surpassed her limits.
However, there was one person.
The only person who pushed Hedera to her limits.
Only Jaekiel always pushed Hedera into situations that made her develop
step by step. Always.
A dragon—a transcendental being that looks down upon the entire
continent.
Its immense power needed no explanation, and it was a wisdom incarnate
that moved solely by reason and intuition.
Just as a dragon breaks the small world of its egg to face the world, she also
can't pass the Ascension Ceremony unless she breaks the small worlds she
has confined herself in.
So today, Jaekiel once again played the role of Hedera's teacher. Just like on
a day years ago.
Hedera had been cunningly avoiding it all along.
She had vaguely soothed herself with various reasons, neglecting the
development of the ancient dragon language. Because she was afraid to face
her lack of talent.
"…"
She looked around once again.
She saw Jaekiel sending infinite trust towards her and people full of
expectations.
Just by watching that scene…
Sssshhhh.
Something hot rose from the bottom of Hedera's heart. It soon turned into
clear energy. It was the passion that had ignited for the first time in a long
while.
It was already dawn.
Hedera, draped in moonlight like a garment, finally placed her hand on the
stone tablet. It was an ordinary action without any specialness.
But.
Woong. Woong.
The ancient stone tablet began to resonate and respond. The eyes of the
onlookers widened immensely.
"Resonance!"
"The stone tablet is reacting!"
Tension and anticipation amplified, but Hedera's energy could not progress
any further.
"Hoo…"
Her breathing was rough. Indeed, it was the ancient dragon language. It was
clear why it was known for its extreme difficulty.
Everyone looked at the 2nd Princess with anxious expressions.
After a moment, Gromon spoke.
"Princess, is something not going well?"
The dragonborn continued with a meaningful smile.
"It was said that the ancient dragon language is not something that can be
achieved by effort alone. Talent plays a significant part, and it would be
unfortunate to leave it like this."
Hedera closed her eyes slightly instead of answering.
"With so many eyes watching, we cannot send you back disappointed. Let's
do a soul transaction immediately. It won't take long, and you will achieve
success instantly."
Hedera slowly opened her eyes.
Vertical slits in her pupils, not human. The corners of her mouth hidden
behind the mask lifted. It was a mockery towards Gromon and a sign of
self-assurance.
"Princess, please make a decision…"
"Shut your mouth."
A response without a hint of honorifics.
Gromon closed his mouth.
Gromon furrowed his brows as if no human had ever treated a dragonborn
like this, but Hedera just focused.
What would be for her own sake.
What she must do.
Who was hindering and who was helping her.
Now she knew clearer than anyone else.
Kugugugugu!
The stone tablet she touched began to shake violently.
Puk!
The stone tablet shattered.
Inside the stone tablet was some illusion magic. A long body, draped in
moonlight, soared endlessly into the sky.
A dragon circled the moon and looked down with eyes clearer than
moonlight. Everyone understood what that illusion meant.
Ascension.
It was an illusion depicting the image of ascension.
It wasn't real, but it was an illusion so beautiful that it was breathtaking. A
small illusion of ascension created by Hedera's hand. When everyone was
stunned with their mouths open.
The dragonborns quickly bowed their heads.
"We see the potential of a dragon, the future of ascension…!"
A week later.
Imperial Tower.
I had finished my personal training since dawn.
Even though I had dealt with ice magic all my life, there was always
something new when using it. There was still room for improvement, so I
kept moving diligently.
"Have you been training since dawn again?"
It was Anes, my personal secretary, whom I met in the hallway.
With her sharply cut bob, the cube she held in one hand, and the notebook
she occasionally glanced at, she looked as usual.
"Were you looking for me?"
"Yes. I have something to report."
"Do it in the office."
The way to the office was very noisy.
The incident at the entrance of the Royal Treasury a week ago had too many
witnesses, so rumors were bound to spread. Thanks to that, today too, there
was a lot of talk about me.
"It's the Auditor! I heard you did something amazing!"
"They say you subdued a spirit with ease."
"They say you helped the 2nd Princess realize something!"
"The fact that the Imperial Tower's Auditor is extraordinary has spread
throughout the capital! Thanks to you, we're thriving!"
The reactions were vastly different from when I had just been appointed.
Perhaps because it was something that happened in the imperial family and
involved a princess and the dragonborns. The influence was indeed
tremendous. A lot of magicians tried hard to be noticed.
"Um, Auditor. I have something to ask…"
"Could you please take a look at this scroll?"
"I want to learn ice magic too. Please…!"
I couldn't respond to each of them.
"Later. I still have a lot to do."
I sent them away with a short remark. It wasn't a lie or an excuse. I was
indeed very busy.
Of course, on the other hand, it felt new.
─Jaekiel, you must not reveal your existence.
─You are the shadow of the imperial family. Keep that in mind.
In the distant past, I had rather tried my best to hide my identity. Now, being
able to openly gain fame felt truly strange.
As I was thinking about that, I reached the office.
Anes immediately put down a stack of documents.
"First of all, well done. The perception of the Tower can change depending
on the Auditor's reputation, and thanks to this incident, the status of the
Imperial Tower seems to have risen quite a bit."
"You're a woman who knows how to give compliments? I didn't know
that."
"I'm just stating the facts. It's not my personal opinion."
Anes cleared her throat and pointed to the documents.
"Anyway, perhaps because of that influence, with only three days left until
the tower exchange meeting, something unexpected has happened."
"Unexpected, you say? First, tell me."
"They say the Black Tower is sending an envoy. I don't know if it's because
they became interested in the Imperial Tower due to the Royal Treasury
incident, or if they have other schemes."
"Is it common for them to send envoys?"
"Envoys from the Black Tower are indeed rare."
I nodded first. There was no reason to be scared or afraid, so there was no
reason to refuse either.
"Next is a message from the Luiple region. They want to show their
gratitude but don't know what you want, so they asked me to inquire."
"Tell them to just farm Sun Grass well."
"Are you really going to send that message?"
Instead of answering, I just stared at Anes.
"…Understood."
Anes gathered the documents telekinetically.
"Now, the last agenda item. It's not a confirmed matter, just a rumor."
"There must be a reason you're concerned. Let's hear it."
"The 2nd Princess hasn't been seen for a week, has she? I heard she entered
the Emperor's Grand Hall and hasn't come out yet."
"A whole week in the Emperor's Grand Hall?"
I wondered if there was something to talk about for a whole week.
"…"
Something soon came to mind.
─Sun Water. I said I would propose it.
Sun Water. As soon as I thought of it, I felt alert.
At the same time, I recalled the conditions the Emperor had set.
First, become stronger than Ether.
Second, become more precious than Hedera.
Third, become more devout than Solana.
Fourth, acquire more wealth than Chein.
Fifth, reach a higher magical level than Neo.
Fortunately, I wasn't lacking in skill or talent, so there was progress, but the
most frequent thought while striving to meet the conditions was just one.
'It requires a long-term strategy.'
These conditions weren't something that could be achieved in such a short
time.
My permitted life wasn't long, so it was a truly troublesome issue. If the
time problem could be solved, the chances of success would greatly
increase.
…But if I could access Sun Water?
Even during the time I groveled like a dog in the imperial family, I neither
tasted nor even hoped for Sun Water. The elixir that makes a human
immortal is so precious.
Would Hedera be talking about Sun Water?
If she were, what would the Emperor's decision be?
In hindsight, the reason for writing the letter was the resentment of death,
and I wrote it hoping for Sun Water. Could it indeed change my life?
"Anes."
"Yes?"
I quietly put Sun Grass in my mouth.
"I need to be alone for a while."
"Yes. I will leave immediately."
After Anes left, I exhaled the smoke.
Something that had already worn out in my heart stirred.
The feeling I had for a long time—it was desperation.
That night.
I received a letter with shocking content.
[ Show your face to me immediately. ]
[ I will discuss Sun Water with you. ]
It was a letter from the Emperor himself.