Chapter 133
aPs9The first impression Lucian had upon entering the hut was one of oppression.d6z7zna
u2HQ90A magical energy so heavy it almost took his breath away pressed down on his entire body.tS25N
zLs‘It was already noticeable from outside, but it’s much worse in here.’Bi1
ZC18Lucian exhaled deeply, as if breathing underwater, and then raised his head.fpHxLP
FPQISThe interior was narrow, so the object he was looking for appeared immediately—a red stone placed at the center and, beneath it, a strange connected device.j7Z6
ZRnlVSWithout a doubt, they were the dragon’s heart and the artifact he had heard about.I8R2j
7Eh‘Wow when they said heart, I thought it’d be beating, but it looks surprisingly normal.’emltEBS
QDPmSXThe dragon’s heart didn’t resemble that of a living being, but rather a smooth stone.o1V
8dQxIt was somewhat like a mineral, yet it brimmed with a vitality impossible to find in an ordinary rock.ZVSN
s2YIf a stone could harbor life and breathe, it would probably feel like this.JEFO1
4XB‘I’d like to observe it a bit more, but there’s no time. I’ll save that for later.’nFf3
IsCFor now, the priority was to absorb the power residing in the dragon’s heart.6Rs
Ik4IdPRecalling Marius’s words, Lucian lowered his gaze to the pedestal.2GCGo
IJwdFirst, he had to adjust the artifact as instructed so the absorption would be possible.Dzxo
Hnlt2OAs he leaned in to manipulate the device, Lucian was startled.2W2b
qFjZ‘…Isn’t this exactly like the White Fortress’s defense mechanism?’E7z
xDB4plAlthough its shape was slightly different, the spherical structure with multiple engravings fitted like puzzle pieces was identical.YO9SV0
CXPT9cEven the symbols differed only in small details, to the point they could be matched with each other.r1i8ev
66WaThat meant this artifact was probably operated similarly to the White Fortress’s defensive system.ElTCt4q
ZmELhXW‘If I do this right… couldn’t I detach this dragon’s heart and use it somewhere else?’YcGz
oaSnYKeeping the dragon’s heart connected but unused was nothing short of a waste.f0v
wNrUThey had left it like that because they didn’t know other methods of use nor how to separate it.1V7i07K
qRcJBut if Lucian managed to extract it and adapt it to another device, what would happen then?2Kb
r04VyKIt might not be limited to being a powerful weapon but could be used in many other ways.cH9b
oGScJx‘After subduing this tribe, I’ll have to call Colin and get him to research it.’u2X
fY9a5HSuppressing his excitement, Lucian began to carefully manipulate the artifact’s controls.AWRn
yTiWhen he moved the mechanism in the order Marius had explained, a faint light flickered in the artifact.JbrG
msJOnTXAt the same time, the dragon’s heart began to slowly rotate atop it.K22JtS
edZuAfter taking a deep breath once more, Lucian gripped the dragon’s heart with both hands.6nci
qFgEYCWhoooshKFgXhMh
Sodk“…!”xvYyv
lCSBtA violent current, unlike anything he’d ever experienced, shook him, forcing his eyes wide open.1pdYnSm
AYEVT***9EBEqZJ
YxQIK“Why the hell did they build that damn sanctuary in a place like this, making this old man suffer?”bc6
fWKVQMarius was heading toward the sanctuary with a slight delay, tapping his lower back.kuxbc8
nmIaOZGFrom the start, he had decided to move a bit later to avoid raising suspicion with Chief Ivar.fQH
U3yAfter all, when Lucian emerged victorious, he would have to steer the atmosphere with prophecies and speeches.ZSrDQV0
2O8ByT“Huff… climbing a hill at this age leaves my bones in pieces.”UKN
mNNfdAlthough he kept complaining, a deep smile never left Marius’s face.E83D
FJXOnce Lucian absorbed the dragon’s heart, everything would go according to plan.uOsE1r
zIV3bL‘For a moment I thought everything would fall apart, but what a relief it all worked out. From now on, whether he likes it or not, he’ll have no choice but to follow my lead.’VDN
R9v5DKHe knew the consequences wouldn’t be light. When Lucian realized he’d been deceived, he’d be furious and eager to kill him.hnurxja
EHqEByzBut for Marius, who was already nearing death, Lucian’s anger was a trivial detail.0u1YC
4nH6What mattered was fulfilling his dream before dying and witnessing it with his own eyes.NyG31
R8tjfk‘I only need to raise it once. Even if it starts by force, once they understand its usefulness, they’ll never tear it down. And most importantly, if they want to survive, they’ll have no choice but to value the mages of future generations…’2oCmLfo
SsVz2Z“Looks like someone’s in a good mood, old man.”7fHqwZ
tcdCcRGMarius flinched at the sound of the voice. When he looked up, he saw Raymond, one of Lucian’s close companions, watching him from atop the hill.0Ex
RlmabWith a mocking smirk, Raymond spoke to him.EAuoC
LND9“Daydreaming about something sweet? I’ve been staring at you blatantly and you didn’t even notice. Sure, mages aren’t knights even if they’re high-level—you guys are slow at sensing presences, huh?”mskvGr
xFZIpkS“Watch your tongue, brat. I’m not in a position where someone like you can call me an old man.”dQvYMDk
fzJMarius’s eyes gleamed coldly.jvS
0a1GxiAIf he used serious magic, he could turn a knight like Raymond to ashes in an instant.2uaP
xMIm0WETo be treated as an equal by someone like that was an affront to his pride.CSiEi3X
SwlFF1However, Raymond merely let out a mocking laugh, ignoring the killing intent.PL2u9
GSOkm“Wow, the geezer who tried to mess with His Majesty’s life has a lot of demands. You’d better nod and shut your mouth while I still treat you with respect. Keep up that attitude, and I’ll start calling you an old mutt.”jaRuEmx
m90c“What are you saying? Why would I threaten his life?!”Zj1
R8Nh“Oh, I misspoke. It’s not that you wanted to kill him, but that you intended to control whether he lived or died. Though, thinking about it, that’s even more mutt-like, so I’m not sure it’s worth correcting myself.”SsDblh0
H63Marius froze, as if he’d been struck in his weak spot.FQ4dBp
G5U2KA true schemer would’ve kept pretending to be outraged, but Marius wasn’t that skilled.xfh
VZ1AJtUConvinced, Raymond continued with a cold smile.cY1b5M
ZoW“What did you plan to do after putting into His Majesty’s body a quantity of power barely bearable by a human—dragon power at that? Were you going to say only you could stabilize that energy and force him to obey while he suffered from the overload?”4iahTA
3vTGv0m“It’s a misunderstanding!”dif
yYhNe“Well, whatever. Whatever your intention was, thanks to that, His Majesty will now be able to unleash the dragon’s power freely.”IPyDrU
ny6qs2“…?”ljo
h9LuiMarius stared at Raymond in shock.zAqB
02LhHe said he more or less understood what would happen if dragon power was inserted into his body, and he still planned to use it without hesitation?SMezr
keJMThe conversation had taken so many turns that he couldn’t gather his thoughts.fu9
J9M1lEP“What the hell are you saying? Do you believe me or not?”Kz8yR
Yw0T“There’s no longer any reason to hide it. His Majesty was born with a special constitution. From the moment he came into the world, the paths of magic were completely open to him. He has never suffered side effects, no matter what elixir he ingested, and amounts that would have torn a normal person apart long ago, he absorbed without any problem.”Knq3
bqBThe real issue was that those pathways were too wide.rFWP
dDWQHe couldn’t retain magic; as soon as the vessel filled up, the excess would spill out endlessly.l92IbJF
AfAOf course, if magic leaked out of the body, it meant that an excessive amount had built up for his level.DaCsayM
Zrp9zfNIn the end, only the appropriate amount for his condition remained, expelling the rest.mtI
F9lnSeen from a certain perspective, that was also a kind of beneficial side effect.07gTZ
QiLSz“But from the perspective of a knight like me, that was a waste. If you can store magic without adverse effects, there’s nothing wrong with having more. I wanted to trap inside His Majesty the magic that kept slipping away.”D8kItd
HKuKOOf course, there was no method to do so. Or, to be precise, no one had researched it.fuyZ7
sY9hwipHarboring an amount of magic that exceeds one’s own limits is, in itself, a form of self-harm.4h3
DOGlcWho would bother seriously researching how to harm themselves?ZBNVG
196D“So both His Majesty and I had half-given up on it until the old man taught us a truly absurd method.”7UznDvm
JMJ“…”dJTOQIG
zUi4p7“To use an artifact to condense the dragon’s magic inside the body. You have no idea how surprised I was when I heard it. If that were possible, His Majesty could draw on an overwhelming power whenever he wanted.”0h2XhTC
SUpDMarius felt as if an icicle had been stabbed into his spine.ayO
FUiA special constitution? Magical paths open from birth? Even past experiences of absorbing excessive magic and expelling it without side effects?A1j8CP
Wlxafh“Do you really think we’re idiots blinded by greed, who rush in without thinking of the consequences?”tXXyd
yyKJiz“W-wait…”tTZG
7HQ2G“Did you think His Majesty would suffer, devoured by the dragon’s magic? That he’d come begging for help, saying he needed you?”r1P5GG
1BhRExl“Wait, wait…”34O9U
G26PmN“There’s no problem. None at all. Even if the dragon’s magic bursts all at once, he’ll be perfectly fine. I’ve already seen something very similar myself, so you can trust my words.”Is8
PMpMarius’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.Lg5H
zq7He had never intended to kill Lucian, nor had he lied about how to manipulate the artifact.9Y4
618However, even the best-sealed magic eventually leaks little by little, and that burden on the magical paths could only be eased with sorcery.wesgP
IFXxisThat was the point he intended to exploit.j8nD
1I85ova“I… I…”2V0HvM0
WYkTxCbBoom!XB1k8b
XTGJust as Marius tried to say something with dry lips, an explosion rumbled from the top of the hill.u9PS
9ktgAt the same time, a massive surge of blue flames rose toward the sky. Seeing those rippling flames, Marius couldn’t utter a word.zwJiQh
ti1e“Was it… real…?”BOp
mcdu7eEven if it weren’t dragon magic, that much unrestrained power would tear a human body to pieces.4WZD3S
RyZNormally, one would die shattered, and the remaining magic would explode in all directions.OpPDN8n
mVxkJHowever, those blue flames flowed with a clear sense of direction.LMHk
7NXIt was proof that the owner of that magic still maintained his body intact while releasing it.2CuT
lqn“Ah…”awSWKy
vemjGyjDespair reflected in Marius’s eyes.e77Xl
5h2LNot only had his intentions been completely seen through, but they had also been used against him.yda
ETrViREven the last trace of usefulness he had evaporated.QP28a
pBg43No matter how powerful he was as a mage, in Lucian’s eyes he was nothing more than a sour grape full of obsessions.7X6dIO
NxDHe could make use of Colin or Helen, but Marius would never be kept close.CJhNyc
6ptC“If you’ve finished confirming it, then leave. As His Majesty said, you’re no longer of any use.”wjux8Z
rFeAW3NWith those cold words, Raymond turned to leave. At that moment, Marius dropped to his knees with a dull thud.XF1
De0mHvW“This commoner named Marius wishes to address the noble lord. If he would pity this old man, I beg him to stop for a moment and listen to me.”tnmJI
K6Ri“…!?”xLMTW
MQ82j3YSurprised to see him acting like an old peasant, Raymond stopped.03ijkPs
PkxMarius pressed his forehead into the snow and spoke.E8A
8Yd36Q7“I beg you to grant me one more audience with His Majesty. I implore you, my lord.”K5bqkUT
T5R3k***zuY
qgTFvjC“…”hJMMV
t0lPf“…”k7iEww
cSIh6The members of the tribe stared in shock at the blue flames bursting from Lucian’s body.SxwXIa
qS5kBIf the previous two were heroes chosen by the dragon, Lucian looked more like the reincarnation of the dragon itself.c3Yx
RhYFaced with that overwhelming difference, no one could speak. Then Lucian raised a hand.u0jWyy
CupTre“Look. This is the heart of the dragon.”DlQ
aTI“…!”dMbb
P9FGrThe tribe members flinched and stared at the dragon’s heart Lucian held high.7JrBF
RozJIt looked like a mineral, but it emanated such intense vitality that even from a distance, it felt extraordinary.UYn
NK2Upon confirming that it really was the dragon’s heart, Ivar shouted, almost in a scream.9PLnRa5
SZaZy8“What?!”vG8
M25NBjIt was incomprehensible not only how he had separated the artifact from the heart, but the fact that Lucian held it with his bare hands was even more shocking.sJHY
lJ2O5Without the power of the artifact, anyone would explode upon touching it. How was this possible?Hjs
YhmWhile Ivar remained frozen in shock, Lucian’s voice reached his ears.0B1t
sOJIn“As you can see, the dragon chose me. It said it had remained in this tundra for so long just to find me, and now, at last, it had fulfilled its duty. As the rightful owner of the heart, I will take it.”ENN
V0F“Ohhh…”AWbBj
wZLhBU‘Nonsense! All of it is nonsense!’h8K
c1PvIvar barely managed to swallow the curse rising in his throat.jor
1CNclqNo one knew better than him that the dragon’s heart had no will of its own.SAJH
yKi3What infuriated him the most was seeing the tribe members’ eyes sparkling, as if they were moved.AsQ
KGZQHe wanted to shout at them not to believe such nonsense, but there was no way to do it.LHi
DMfPqCXAfter all, it had been he himself who declared that the heart had a will.APY36q
HQpWYJust as he clenched his teeth, thinking he’d lose the artifact without being able to do anything, Lucian spoke again.lRhzB
kD4N“But even though all this is my rightful claim, the one who has protected the heart until now is the chief of the tribe. Therefore, he too must receive the same opportunity. Even more so, since he was once chosen by the dragon.”EilSm
fYs0“…?”rtsYO
Qx15Lucian’s words stirred an inexplicable unease in Ivar.TNonVD
4hOCeFSWhat was he trying to say?oIR3
z9HxkFThen Lucian smiled brazenly and turned toward him.t54f
toc3“Come, Chief of the Tribe! Take this dragon’s heart! If the dragon chooses you again, I’ll yield the throne without the slightest hesitation.”B6jIS7
nFpI“…!?”X8A
W045At that unexpected declaration, Ivar’s face turned completely pale.CKiFeQ
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