Chapter 13

When I realized it, the night sky was filled with dragons circling around. There were ten of them, enough to destroy a small town. But there were only a few soldiers. They must be among the few who know the truth from twenty years ago.

Vil glared at Sedniel floating in the air, then slowly drew his sword. The Witch Slayer glowed red in the starlight.

The dragons began to emit excited cries.

"Vil, how could you be so cruel? You want to kill me? You never listen to me, yet you follow those annoying people. I don't think they would harm the prince or the precious seer just to threaten you."

"I understand. But I can't let anything happen to the prince and Emerda, even if there's a one in ten thousand chance. Besides... I can't hand you over to the king."

If we were lovers, it would be a beautiful line, but we're not.

It's dangerous for the king to get the recipe for immortality I have. Even if it's incomplete, they might force me to complete it. If the current king becomes immortal, Prince Rain's position will be in jeopardy.

"If you kill me, you'll be killed next. Do you understand that?"

"Enough... I can't go on living."

There's no point in living now that I know the truth. My existence puts the princes in danger. Vil had given up. It's strange how he only understands things at the worst possible times.

But his golden eyes, filled with despair, are beautiful. I want them more than any gem.

"Would it have been better if you didn't know the truth?"

"It's what I wanted to know. I don't blame you for it. But—"

Vil whispered softly. "I wish I hadn't been born."

Those words made my head hot. When was the last time I felt such intense emotion?

"A coward. I thought you would kill me, take out those annoying people above, and tell Prince Rain the truth to overthrow the king.

...But I guess it can't be helped. You're probably afraid to tell Prince Rain the truth, right? Your friendship might be destroyed. A coup might destabilize the country. Or maybe you'll be ignored? It would be a shock if Prince Rain did nothing for your parents, wouldn't it?"

I haven't talked much to the prince, but I can tell he values Mysteria's peace above all. He might even sacrifice a lover or best friend. He is royalty, after all. Prioritizing the country's stability isn't a bad thing.

From that perspective, I can't blame the current king, King Schnel. For twenty years, the Kingdom of Mysteria has been free from civil unrest and wars with other countries. Many people revere King Schnel as a wise ruler.

Even the coup. While it was despicable, it did bury the gem of immortality and maintain the world's order. If I killed the king out of personal grudge, which one would be called evil in the future?

I don't know who is right and what to believe.

Vil looks lost. He has no malice or hatred, no strength to find a way out, and just wants to end it all. A sword filled with such hesitation can't even kill a witch.

"Coward. I knew you wouldn't do anything even if you knew the truth. Just as I said, didn't I?"

"Shut up! You don't understand my feelings!"

His shout was wet. Seeing the young man on the verge of breaking, I smiled.

Yes. Show more of your emotions. I don't want you to hold back.

"Vil, have you ever committed a crime that would make you regret dying at your age?"

"Huh?"

"You haven't, right? Neither have I. I can't bear it if this is the end. I still have so much I want to do. For now, I just want to silence those noisy people."

Following my lead, Vil looked up at the sky.

"What are you doing! Start fighting quickly! If you don't start in ten seconds—"

Sedniel was shouting something. The dragons' cries were rising to pierce the sky.

It's disturbing the neighborhood. The villagers must be noticing the strange events in the sky and are trembling in fear. It's not good to cause more trouble, so let's wrap this up.

"Shut up."

As I narrowed my eyes, the dragons suddenly stopped their cries. A man who seemed to be a mage clutched his head and groaned.

Vil and Sedniel didn't seem to understand what had happened.

If they had a brain, they would have felt the overwhelming magic emanating from me.

The dragons' flight changed. Their bodies swayed, and their wings began to spasm. The mage was thrown off and fell into the forest. The dragons, sensing the danger, began to return to the ground one by one.

"That's why I don't like dragons. They don't seem to have the will to work hard for their master."

If it were Unica, she would run desperately to protect me from any strong enemy. If we couldn't escape, she would surely fight.

Well, I doubt I would encounter an enemy she couldn't handle.

"What did you do...?"

"Nothing much. I just taught the dragons that I'm stronger. Wild dragons might be different, but tamed dragons are just like this. ...Come on, Vil. Let's go greet the envoy."

We headed towards where Sedniel's dragon had landed.

The dragon cowered and bowed its head to me. I'm sorry for scaring you.

The mage was unconscious, and the soldiers with the core were injured from the fall. Sedniel was thrown to the ground and was sitting there.

"Y-You, what do you think you're doing! Treating the king's envoy like this! Do you think it's fine if Kukuruj is destroyed!?"

I kicked Sedniel's shoulder and stepped on his chest.

"You have many misconceptions. I'll kindly correct them one by one, shall I?"

As I pressed down with my foot, his ribs made a strange sound. Ignoring Sedniel's scream, I counted off his mistakes on my fingers.

"First, I came tonight to negotiate with the king's side on equal terms. If you leave us alone, I'll promise to keep the truth secret and defend the western border. I won't make any more concessions. I have no obligation to follow your orders unilaterally.

Second, Vil is no longer a knight of Mysteria. He's mine. Whether I keep him alive or kill him is my decision. Forcing him to do anything is my exclusive right.

Third, watch your words. As a representative of the king, any disrespect to me is an insult to Mysteria. If you don't want to die, don't offend me further. Understand?"

Sedniel coughed but looked at me with disdain.

"Fool! The forces I brought here are not the only ones. If any abnormalities are detected, a reserve dragon squad will be sent to Kukuruj. If you don't release me immediately, the witch's village will be set on fire—"

"Fourth, Kukuruj is a place I care about. I don't think it's fine if anything happens to it. That's why I left it in the care of the most ferocious guard dogs. Even the highest-grade gold-destroying dragons wouldn't stand a chance, let alone just gray dragons."

Of course. Below the "boss" are the "mid-bosses." They are much more obedient and good-natured than in the original story.

Realizing that his threats were ineffective, Sedniel's face turned pale. But he noticed Vil standing a little distance away and roared.

"Vil! What are you doing!? She's the daughter of your parents' enemy! Cut her down quickly! Even if something happens to Emerda—"

"That's why you don't give orders to my Vil."

As I pressed down on his stomach, Sedniel writhed in pain.

"Fifth, Miss Emerda won't be a hostage. If you hurt her, go ahead. It will only shorten the life of a precious seer. I'm sure you know that."

Vil reacted the most to those words.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Seers put a heavy strain on their brains. If they use their power continuously, they will become invalid quickly. Strong stress can even lead to brain death."

Seers trace the flow of magic in nature and process the vast amount of information they extract. It's like a "computer" in my previous life. While that world was highly advanced in information processing, it wasn't perfect. The weather forecast was often wrong, and I often got drenched.

Seers unconsciously perform tasks that a normal human brain can't handle. It's not surprising that they go crazy quickly, is it?

"They should be kept in a cage. Based on other cases, they might be useful for ten years, or as little as five."

"That's... a lie..."

"Rather, it's surprising that you didn't know. I'm sure Prince Rain knows. If you study the history of magic, it's clear that seers have short lives."

In the original story, the two had a happy ending. But how long did their happiness last?

I think the prince could marry a commoner because of her short life. After she died, he could remarry a girl of appropriate status.

Prince Rain knew about Miss Emerda's lifespan and didn't tell her or her friends, including Vil. ...He couldn't, could he? Ignorance is bliss.

Moreover, if Miss Emerda knew about her lifespan, she might try to suppress her seer abilities to avoid using them. The prince would lose his means of knowing the country's crises. He should have kept her hidden in a remote village, but he brought her to the forefront.

Did the prince really love Miss Emerda?

Maybe he just responded to her feelings out of guilt for pushing her too hard.

Or maybe he was unconsciously deceiving himself?

...I might be overthinking it. I'm sure the two really loved each other. He didn't tell her about her lifespan to avoid causing her stress. I'll believe that. It would be too pitiful otherwise.

"But Miss Emerda is a natural-born seer, so her brain structure might be different. She might live longer than expected."

"Is there hope for her to be saved!? What should we do—"

"Who knows? There's no precedent for a seer born with the ability, and trying to fix it from the outside might be dangerous. The best she can do is live a stress-free life. In the end, it's best to stay in the castle without knowing anything."

There's nothing that can be done. When I declared this, Vil was overwhelmed by despair and collapsed again. The light in his golden eyes had faded. He seemed unable to think anymore.

"I won't let a seer I've obtained die so easily. Right?"

Sedniel didn't answer. He seemed to have realized his defeat. His eyes were trembling with fear.

"Miss Sonia, please... just my life..."

"Oh, you just want to live? Then I'll forgive you."

I quickly took a small bottle from my pocket and poured its contents into Sedniel's mouth. A sizzling sound and the unpleasant smell of burning protein filled the air.

"Ahh! Ahh!"

"You're a failed envoy, so I made it so you can't speak. Your voice should return in about a year, but you'll have to communicate in writing until then. I hope you don't lose your job. Oh, and avoid spicy and hard foods for a while. No alcohol either."

I had no more use for the man writhing in pain, so I called out to a nearby soldier who was trembling.

"Go back and tell the king. Witch Sonia has no intention of breaking the peace treaty with Mysteria. If you still threaten me or what I care about, I'll engrave a bloodier tragedy in the country's history than the attack twenty years ago. I await a wise response."

After seeing the envoys, including Sedniel, retreat and checking that there were no dangers left in the forest, I led Vil back to the tent.

He was listless, but after burning the incense, he fell asleep. Worried, I tied our wrists together with a cloth and slept next to him.

We prepared to leave at dawn. When Vil woke up, he didn't touch his breakfast and sat hugging his knees. Despite being four years older, he looked like a small child.

"Vil, let's go to the village to get Unica."

"..."

"Stop ignoring me."

When I pulled his hair, Vil reflexively pushed it away. Good. I would have been in trouble if he had remained unresponsive.

"You've been thrown into the depths of despair, lost all hope, and don't know what to do next. But it's okay. I told you, I'll protect you. Even if you break and become useless, I won't abandon you. You just need to trust me and follow me."

It's safe if you stay with me. I'll be gentle and make you forget all the bad things.

I gently extended my hand, and Vil looked up, showing a moment of hesitation. But he quickly turned away.

"...I can't trust anyone anymore."

His voice, filled with deep, intense suffering, made me respond lightly.

"It's okay to take your time. We'll be together for a long time."

After a while, Vil slowly stood up.

He was