Chapter 119: Title (3)

Whirrrrr…

It feels like my body is going to shatter.

I want to throw away this magic right now.

I’ve used transcendental magic many times throughout my life, but I’ve never felt pain like this.

Returning intelligence to a mindless being is not a task to be taken lightly.

Perhaps I’m going against the very order of the universe.

But she has no one else besides me.

If I give up on her, she’ll live the rest of her life cursed, wandering like a beast.

How could I impose such a cruel fate on the great Dragon Queen?

Ding.

— Eliminate the boss Tyranno.

Ding.

— Eliminate the boss Tyranno.

Ding.

— Eliminate the boss Tyranno.

The GM’s system commands me to kill her.

It promises that if I kill her, I’ll gain control over this floor.

The whispers of the Evil God echo in my mind.

If I could only lay down this burden and kill her, all the wealth and glory would be mine.

I clench my hands tightly. 

Blood drips from my mouth.

It feels as if my Mana is being torn apart.

The once limitless power in my Dragon Heart is emptying out.

If I abandon this magic…

If I simply kill her…

A voice whispers that I could be free, that I could be great.

“No.”

But I…

“How could the descendant of the great dragon betray his kin? Even if it means my body shatters! I, Iosif, will not abandon my own!”

As the mana gathered to its limit, a great explosion erupted.

In the midst of it all, I realized my spell had worked.

Had I succeeded?

I brushed aside the smoke and approached her.

Ding.

— You are the first to recruit a floor boss as an ally.

— A great achievement! The title [Dragon King] is bestowed upon you.

— Congratulations! You have cleared the roguelike!

— The world Creta has been added to the Tower of Labyrinth, floor 20.

“gg……”

I stared blankly at the system message.

I had thought the GM’s whispering was from the Evil God.

That he would curse her with mindlessness and make me kill her by my own hand, just for his amusement.

The GM’s great [name] appeared on my status screen.

It wasn’t just a game to him.

The GM had set a painful but surmountable trial for me.

It was a test.

To see if I was worthy of caring for her.

Now I understand.

The GM didn’t curse her with mindlessness.

He was waiting, protecting her until she found a suitable partner!

“GM… You…!”

Now I understand why the Beast King and the Demon King praise the GM so fervently.

He’s not just any god.

***

It feels like I’ve awoken from a long dream.

If I consider my current thoughts based on the memories I’ve become aware of, this is the feeling I must have now.

“Are you awake?”

A small creature, drenched in sweat, drew back the glowing mana circles.

Before I could properly open my eyes, I thought it was nothing more than a feeble prey.

But now, changed by him, I know the truth.

This is not his true form.

I can feel the enormous majesty within him.

Based on the knowledge he placed in my mind, he’s the Lord, the protector of the continent, the leader of dragons who shakes the heavens and earth.

“Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Iosif.”

Before he returned my intelligence, I had been nothing more than a creature scraping the ground.

Compared to him, I am the lowest of beings, yet he stands at the pinnacle of all creation.

“Lady, may I have the honor of hearing your name?”

He knelt on one knee and extended his hand to me.

The only sound that escaped my throat was a rough, growling noise.

“I am…”

But as I received the gift of great intelligence from him, a clear voice escaped my lips.

“Rex. My name is Rex.”

“Rex… Such a noble name.”

He pressed his lips to the back of my small hand.

Ah…

What is this feeling?

In the past, when my thoughts were muddled, I couldn’t even fully feel emotions.

But now, my heart races uncontrollably.

I want to wrap my arms around him at this very moment.

But I don’t want to appear vulgar in front of him.

No matter how unworthy I may be of him, I wish to present myself as a graceful lady.

“Lady Rex, I am…”

“Iosif, I saw you within the memories you granted me. Your proud and majestic form. The way you commanded even the kings and lords of this world to kneel!”

“Th-those memories, well…”

For some reason, sweat began to trickle down Iosif’s face.

Could it be the aftereffects of the transcendental magic he used to restore my intelligence?

Ah, Iosif…

How compassionate you are.

How much must you have sacrificed for the sake of someone like me?

“I am old now. Compared to the image you hold of me in your memories, I’ve grown quite… shabby.”

“No. Don’t say that. You are my savior. How could I ever think of you as anything but grand?”

“Lady Rex…!”

“Ah, no!”

His body was enveloped in light.

“That’s not true. If you desire it, I can show you my true form a thousand, even tens of thousands of times! So do not blame yourself! You were cursed, and there was nothing you could do about it!”

The polymorph spell on him dissolved, and the massive form of a dragon emerged, towering up to the very edge of my sight.

This… this is it.

This is the true form of my savior, my benefactor.

“…….”

“…Are you disappointed?” he asked as I looked up at him, saying nothing.

“No… You’re so beautiful that I’m left speechless.”

“L-Lady Lex…”

I slowly approached him and embraced him.

“I tried to hold back.”

“L-Lady?”

“It’s because Lord Iosif made the first mistake.”

I only hope he doesn’t think of me as a vulgar, frivolous woman.

–Ah, Iosif.

–Oh, our sweet Lex.

“So… that lizard rolling around with a dumb look on its face is our Lord?”

“Yes.”

“Sigh…”

Carthesia buried her face in her hands.

“What in the world happened?”

Speechless.

I never particularly liked his sermons, but his dedication to the continent and his ceaseless efforts to uphold the dragons’ mission made him a dependable leader.

And now… him, of all people…

“I don’t fully understand this situation either.”

Albus recalled the moment when the 20th floor was cleared.

–The Rogue-like world Creta has been cleared by player Iosif. 

–This world has been added as the 20th floor of the Tower of the Labyrinth.

The World Clear notification rang across all of Rudera as usual. 

Albus, accustomed to the players’ increasing speed in climbing the Tower, was about to brush it off when he saw an unusual name.

Most players, apart from the dragons, didn’t know that name. 

But as the GM in charge of Rudera, Albus knew well enough who he was.

The Dragon Lord?

A leader of dragons, the Lord himself, had cleared a floor.

The Dragon Lord, who’d merely observed broadcasts until now, had finally started climbing the Tower?

In awe at the unexpected appearance of such a prominent figure, Albus checked the logs.

“What… what is this?”

And there, he discovered something shocking.

In the world of Creta, the Dragon Lord hadn’t defeated or subdued the layer boss, the mature Tyranno.

Instead… he’d made the creature develop intelligence and fall for him?

He seduced it.

Albus, shaken by the scene of the Lord and the newly sentient tyrant lizard entwined and rolling on the ground as seen on the monitor, immediately called for Carthesia.

“So, that’s what happened…”

Carthesia was speechless after hearing Albus’ account.

“That… could it be that the Dragon Lord’s preferences are…”

“No. Absolutely not.”

In the dragon race, some polymorphed to mate or build families with other species. 

Dragons, who live for countless years, see such interactions as necessary to stave off the weariness of time.

So, playing around with other species isn’t viewed as strange. 

But that… that was a mere pastime.

For a dragon to mate in its true form with another species?

That’s akin to a human engaging in bestiality with a dog or a cat.

Carthesia turned her gaze from the monitor to look at Albus.

“…? Lady Carthesia? Is there something you wish to say?”

“N-no. Nothing.”

Think it through.

It’s not a bad thing.

The Dragon Lord, head of the race, unable to control his desires, gave intelligence to a lizard barely capable of reason and defiled it.

And I am the only one who knows this shameful truth.

Oh?

Isn’t this the perfect situation?

Isn’t this the Dragon Lord’s greatest weakness?

If the Dragon Lord truly harbors such tendencies, she could overturn opposition from the race should she pursue marriage with a human. 

That means she could formally accept Albus as her partner.

And if that were to happen…

“Lady Carthesia? Um, your face is turning red.”

“U-uh? Ah, it’s… the sight was just so shocking… That’s all. Hm.”

Imagining the Dragon Lord’s… primal acts had led her to picture herself entwined with Albus.

Restrain yourself.

Albus sees me as a trustworthy figure; I can’t shatter that belief.

Indeed.