Chapter 32: My Favorite Protagonist Part 2

Right after the shocking revelation, about ten seconds of silence passed.

It was Raymond, the division commander, who broke the stillness with a cough.

“Ahem! Did you just say… dragon? In that case, I suppose you wouldn’t be able to wear mana cuffs. My apologies.”

Raymond nodded repeatedly, as if trying to make sense of it, wondering whether there had ever been a precedent of a dragon visiting the imperial palace.

He then dismissed the subordinate who had escorted me here without offering a word of reproach.

I wanted to come clean and say I wasn’t actually a dragon, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

Explaining how I obtained a dragon’s power would not only be troublesome but also utterly absurd.

There was no way they would believe me, and even if they did, they might confiscate Jerome’s journal.

“It’s alright.”

“A dragon… using honorifics?!”

Raymond’s eyes widened in disbelief.

‘Had there never been a dragon who used honorifics?’

I searched my memory, but it was true—none of them had.

Even with Dragon Lord, their sovereign, all dragons had spoken casually.

“I heard that in human society, it’s customary to use honorifics when meeting someone for the first time?”

“All the dragons I’ve encountered didn’t care at all for human customs or culture.”

“I’m a bit of an oddball. You don’t need to concern yourself with the finer details.”

“…Understood.”

Raymond stroked his chin with a conflicted expression.

He understood in his head, but seemed to have a hard time accepting the idea of a polite dragon.

“Haa… Well, first of all, thank you for coming all the way here. Since this case involves serious matters, I must ask everyone not directly involved to please leave the room.”

The three guests who had arrived at the commander’s office ahead of me cast a brief glance at Raymond before turning to leave.

Their eyes seemed to say they wouldn’t overlook any sign of unfair judgment.

It looked like they were leaving quietly—until they suddenly approached me.

“Saint… no, I suppose we should call you Holy Dragon now. If the Empire ever treats you unjustly, please defect to our theocracy at any time. Our people are ready to welcome your arrival!”

“…Uhhhhh…”

When I recalled Lucia’s tedious everyday life, the theocracy didn’t appeal to me at all.

Unless I committed an unforgivable crime and had no other place to run, I probably wouldn’t go there.

Aside from a single visit tied to something involving Lucia, I had no intention of ever setting foot in that place again.

“May the blessing of Selune be with you, Holy Dragon.”

The priest of the theocracy clasped my hands and offered a prayer.

A warm light spread through my body, washing away my fatigue.

It seemed he had blessed me using divine power.

Raising his eyebrows, the priest subtly hinted that he could grant me many more blessings if I wished.

“I shall await the day we meet again in the theocracy, Holy Dragon!”

Unfortunately, while my physical fatigue had been swept away, my mental exhaustion remained.

It might be sacrilegious to say, but I much preferred Master Maya’s aromatherapy over divine blessings.

So the priest’s appeal completely failed to impress me.

***

“Professor Tao? Are you really Professor Tao?”

“Yes, though it’s only temporary, that’s what the academy students call me.”

“It’s really you! Oh my god, what do I do!!”

“…Nice to meet you.”

As the priest left, a mage from the Magic Tower excitedly approached and started chatting.

Judging by the mana capacity within her circuits, she was at least a five-star mage.

She wasn’t top-ranking, but definitely a veteran within the Magic Tower.

“Professor, do you know there was a huge stir at the tower over the breathing technique you revealed?”

“This is the first I’m hearing of it. I’m honored that something I shared was recognized by the tower.”

“A dragon blessed by mana and humble too…! How is this even possible?! I think I’m going to fall for you, Professor Tao! I have to use a memory spell to engrave this moment in my brain forever!”

If the theocracy had a soft, promotional tone, the Magic Tower’s response was like fans meeting their idol in person.

Understandable, really.

For the tower, magic was their god, and mana was the symbol of divinity.

A dragon beloved by mana was akin to an angel.

‘And if that angel descended to share their teachings?’

Of course fanatics would be born.

“Professor Tao, would you please visit our Magic Tower sometime? There are many mages besides me who are eager to meet you! I bet everyone would lose their minds seeing you in person!”

“I’ve always had an interest in the Magic Tower, so if the opportunity arises, I’ll definitely pay a visit.”

“Really?!”

“Of course.”

The Magic Tower was like a treasure trove that never stopped giving.

It offered magical tools essential for fighting demons and provided access to a wide range of spells.

I didn’t need to learn magic from them since I had an excellent teacher in Sherthia.

But the tools they developed could come in handy down the line, so I intended to maintain a good relationship with the tower.

Besides, the Tower Lord’s grand daughter, who would become a professor at the academy next year, was one of the new heroines.

“Then I’ll send an official messenger from the Magic Tower to Wellton Academy! When you feel like visiting, just contact us and we’ll come escort you ourselves!”

“Eh? That’s really not necessary…”

“Professor Tao, escorting you would be an honor for us! Please don’t turn us down! I’m sure everyone will be fighting over the chance to welcome you in person! And of course, I’ll join the fray too—even if I have to crush every single one of them to win!”

She was panting, eyes filled with madness as she looked at me.

It was probably just from speaking too fast and running out of breath, but to me, it felt terrifying.

‘If even a seasoned mage known to have spent years in the Magic Tower acted like this, what about the others?’

Even if it was all to resist the demons, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d done something irreversible.

‘Should I have kept my masters’ techniques hidden after all?’

“Phew..! Being face-to-face with Professor Tao for too long isn’t good for my heart. I’d better return to the Tower now. I need to tell everyone about meeting you! Oh, and of course, the fact that you’re actually a dragon!”

“W-Wait a second…!”

“Please make sure to keep in touch!”

Before I could even stop her, the mage from the Tower freed herself from the handcuffs with magic and jumped right out the window.

I watched in stunned silence as she flew off, getting smaller and smaller in the distance with flight magic.

Raymond was making the same deadpan face as I was.

There was always this trope that the mages of the Tower were missing a screw or two, but I didn’t think anyone would actually leap out of Raymond’s office window.

I wasn’t sure if I’d survive in a place filled with lunatics like that.

And now, ‘with the rumor spreading across the Tower that I was a dragon… would I really be able to handle the consequences?’

***

“My turn, is it?”

Just as the storm of a mage disappeared, a calm wave followed.

An older man dressed like a butler approached with a polite and formal greeting.

He was a member of the Muthertz Duchy, known as the Hero’s House and the family Erin belonged to.

“It is an honor to meet you. My name is Zech, and I serve the head of House Muthertz.”

“I’m Tao. Pleased to meet you.”

‘If I recalled correctly, Zech had once made a name for himself as an assassin in the Empire nearly half a century ago. He had since retired and now served the Hero’s House.’

After losing his beloved family to the demons, he devoted himself entirely to revenge, pledging his life to the cause of the Heroic House.

‘If I had to name the person in the novel who hated demons the most, it would be this man.’

“I’ve heard many stories. Lady Erin has often spoken of you as her respected mentor.”

“I’m not sure what part of me she respects, but I do my best not to be ashamed of my role as her teacher.”

“Haha, hearing that puts me at ease. Then I’ll entrust Lady Erin to your care.”

Zech suddenly extended a hand to shake.

I grabbed it without much thought.

In that instant, his grip tightened with enough force to crush my bones.

This was a test.

He wanted to see whether I was qualified to be Erin’s teacher.

He wanted to make sure that the future hero, who was supposed to slay demons, wouldn’t be ruined under my guidance.

It was laughable.

I understood his thirst for revenge, but Erin was not a tool for anyone’s vengeance.

No one had the right to force a life onto her.

I knew all too well what kind of end awaited a hero burdened by responsibility.

I planned to raise her strong enough to live freely.

So I couldn’t let him belittle me with such a petty trial.

“Ha!!”

I shouted, my voice laced with mana.

At the same time, I threw off Zech’s crushing grip and glared at him.

“I trust you understand why I responded so harshly.”

“…I deeply apologize for my disgraceful behavior.”

“I’ll be sending a formal letter of protest to the head of House Muthertz regarding this. Prepare yourself!”

“I have no excuse……”

Zech didn’t try to explain himself.

He had fully expected to be punished for what he did.

He knew it was wrong, but he had wanted to gauge my strength nonetheless.

But I didn’t show him everything.

I endured his grip—not with brute force, but by using another method entirely.

In the end, my answer to his test was ambiguous, and his expression showed it.

He didn’t know whether I passed or failed.

Before he could try something else to test me again, I threatened him into leaving immediately.

He was clearly reluctant but had no choice but to follow my anger.

“I sincerely apologize once again.”

“There’s no need to apologize. But I have no intention of forgiving you either.”

“Understood… Then, before I go, I have a final message from the Duke. He said that since you’ve been taking care of his daughter, he’d like to meet you in person sometime.”

…That’s honestly terrifying.

An unannounced visit from a doting father of a daughter.

He never said when exactly he’d come, so it felt like being handed a homework assignment without a due date.

It was a promise to show up unannounced and strip my soul bare.

The boiling fury I had moments ago cooled in an instant.

‘Please… don’t do this to me…’

I was twenty-three.

Way too young to deal with this kind of obsessive attention.