Chapter 78: Dragon’s Heart

“Are you asking me to kill you? Are you serious?”

“I am.”

“Are you perhaps testing my reaction?”

“It’s nothing like that. Do I look like the kind of man who would joke about such things?”

“Hmm. I suppose not, but…”

I swallowed hard as I watched the Emperor, his eyes flickering with a solemn light.

It was clear.

His request for death seemed genuine.

But.

Why?

I couldn’t understand why the Emperor would make such a request of me.

If only Cheonryeo were here, we could ponder over this together.

However, carrying weapons into the imperial palace was a privilege reserved only for the Imperial Knights, so I had hidden mine in the shadows.

This is troublesome.

Could it be that His Majesty has truly lost his mind?

As I remained deep in thought, the Emperor spoke again.

“You look like you don’t understand.”

“To be honest, I don’t.”

“You must have many questions for me. Why I’m making such a request, why I’ve named Maximilian as the next Emperor, and so on.”

“That’s correct. But since we’re on the subject… Your Majesty, are you aware that your life is being targeted by the First Prince?”

I cautiously broached the topic, watching the Emperor’s reaction.

This man had just asked me to kill him— but did he know his own son was plotting his death?

In response, he answered in a slow, measured tone.

“Maximilian is trying to kill me… Yes, I’m aware.”

“You’re aware?”

“Indeed. Though it’s more accurate to say he’s trying to hasten my death.”

“You mean he’s been neglecting your treatment, working with the Pope?”

“You even knew that much. Yes, that’s right. The Church has sent only a single high priest to attend to me.”

“What? Then you knew everything, yet you still named the First Prince as Crown Prince?”

“That’s correct.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ve grown far too weak.”

Aragod leaned against the armrest of the throne, resting his chin on his hand.

As he spoke, he exhaled shallowly— his breath seeming to carry with it the fading embers of his life.

“If Justia is crowned as the Crown Prince, a civil war will break out in the Empire. I do not have the power to stop it.”

“To prevent bloodshed, then.”

“You catch on quickly. Strong and clever, aren’t you?”

“Hah. Save the compliments.”

I pressed my fingers to my forehead as I spoke.

Though inwardly annoyed, Aragod’s words made enough sense.

Maximilian already wielded considerable influence, and after Albireo’s death, his power had only grown.

Of course, there was no chance I would lose, but as Aragod said, if a civil war broke out now, much blood would be spilled.

Just like in the original story.

I let out a deep sigh before speaking again.

“Very well. So, you’re saying that killing Your Majesty would resolve the current situation?”

“You could say that.”

“Hah. That’s quite the difficult request.”

“There’s no one else I can ask. You must retrieve the Heart of Crastus from me.”

“Excuse me? What do you mean—”

“The Heart of the Radiant Dragon, Crastus. This mana crystal, passed down through generations of the Empire’s emperors— I want you to take it.”

The Emperor poked his own chest with his index finger.

Wait a minute.

Did I hear that wrong?

‘The Heart of Crastus. Wasn’t that originally in Maximilian’s possession?’

In the original story, before the final battle with the protagonist,

Maximilian took the dragon’s heart from the imperial treasury and absorbed it.

Though it granted him tremendous power, he ultimately lost control during the battle and self-destructed.

But the fact that the dragon’s heart was an heirloom passed down through generations of emperors…

‘This is different from the original.’

In the original, it was only referred to as an imperial treasure, with no mention of the Emperor carrying it within his body.

But now, look—

Emperor Aragod carries the dragon’s heart within him.

So, following Eileen’s case, this is yet another deviation from the original.

At this point, I’m starting to doubt whether this world is truly the one from the novel.

As I was lost in thought, the Emperor continued.

“You look surprised.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Understandable. The Heart of a Dragon is something you’ve likely only heard of in the myths of Gaius the Great.”

“But if the dragon’s heart is implanted in a body, the flesh won’t be able to withstand its power. Are you sure that’s alright?”

“Originally, it was fine. This is half of the Ancient Dragon’s heart, refined by the power of Endless. Until now, the previous emperors did not suffer any major side effects. But problems began to arise during my reign.”

“What kind of problems?”

“The mana within the dragon’s heart has become corrupted.”

Aragod’s haggard face twitched as he moved his lips weakly.

Then, as he slowly removed the artifact from his wrist, an immense surge of dark energy erupted from his body.

Whoooosh—!

“This is…!”

“Mana corrupted into malice— in other words, demonic energy. I have been tormented by this all along. If I remove this, I will die. But at least I’ll be freed from the pain.”

“So the deterioration of your health was due to this demonic energy.”

“Yes. As Krasthos’s seal weakened, the dragon’s heart began to resonate with its original owner’s will. That creature is consumed by rage. Because of it, I suffer endlessly. Can you imagine how it feels— like thorns piercing your heart with every breath?”

“…”

“Pull the dragon’s heart out of me and destroy it. Then, Maximilian will never become a true emperor. That way, we can drive him out later.”

“…Why didn’t you ask Endless for help?”

“How could I ask for help from one who has devoted his entire life to maintaining the seal of the Ancient Dragon? It’s impossible.”

“Hmm…”

“This is the only way. I beg of you.”

Emperor Aragod spoke with the face of a man who had already given up on life.

The emperor, whose health had deteriorated rapidly.

The first prince, eager to hasten his father’s death to claim the throne.

And the dragon’s heart.

“…”

My mind was in turmoil from the unfolding revelations.

Running a hand through my hair in frustration, I stood before the emperor, who had resigned himself to death— unable to find the right words to say.

* * *

That moment.

In the Kingdom of Selectra, located in the eastern part of the empire.

Knock knock—

A wrinkled-faced minister knocked on the door of an office decorated in an antique design.

He seemed to have rushed over in a hurry, as he was still catching his breath.

Just after he knocked, a charismatic woman’s voice came from inside.

“Who is it?”

“It is Winston, the Chamberlain, Your Majesty.”

“Enter.”

“Yes.”

Swoosh.

The firmly closed door opened, revealing the interior of the office.

On the desk, stacks of documents formed towering piles.

The furniture and materials were all luxurious, yet there were no excessive decorations of opulence.

The atmosphere was somewhat austere for a king’s office.

As the chamberlain entered and bowed, the blue-eyed woman, who had been steadily wielding her pen at the desk, glanced at him.

“What is the matter, Lord Winston?”

“Well… urgent news has arrived, so I came to report to Your Majesty immediately upon receiving it.”

“Urgent news? Don’t tell me the empire has grown dissatisfied with just seizing the Germnica Plains and is launching a large-scale invasion?”

“It’s not that. However…”

“However?”

“Perhaps… it may not be long before that happens.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The emperor of the empire is said to be critically ill.”

“The emperor!?”

“Yes.”

Chamberlain Winston bowed his head.

The emperor’s critical condition meant that the successor to the throne of the Achmenes Empire would soon be decided.

And that posed the risk of bringing the worst possible future for the Kingdom of Selectra, the leading power of the Eastern Alliance.

Because the most likely candidate for the throne was the warmongering First Prince.

The Queen of the Selectra Kingdom, Maria Glorious La Selectra, who had realized the truth, wore a grave expression.

“Then… if the First Prince becomes Emperor, war is only a matter of time. Were there any other signs in the Imperial succession struggle?”

“The Princess has been expanding her influence with the full support of the Grand Duke, but as far as we know, she has not yet gained a decisive advantage in the succession race.”

“The Grand Duke… you must mean Sir Behirit Dibelion, the Swordmaster?”

“That is correct.”

“I’ve received reports about him. Thanks to his support, the Princess has gained considerable weight in the succession struggle, or so I’ve heard.”

“Yes. In truth, the Princess’s entire faction was built by the Grand Duke. According to intelligence, he has reached an overwhelmingly unmatched level of martial prowess within the Empire.”

“The Grand Duke, huh… We should actively consider forming an alliance with him. Is there any other information about him?”

“Well… That is…”

“What is it?”

“I’m not sure if this will be helpful, but…”

“Speak.”

“Rumors say he possesses extraordinary looks and… has a hobby of collecting beautiful women.”

“…Huh?”

Maria’s aquamarine eyes widened at Winston’s words.

Her calm demeanor, which she had maintained while rationally discussing countermeasures, shattered in an instant.

Her face flushed red as she spoke again.

“I-Is that really true?”

“Ahem. It seems so. There was reliable information that the number of beauties around him keeps increasing day by day.”

“O-Oh…”

“However, it’s said that the women around him seem happy, so he likely isn’t a bad person.”

“S-So, to form an alliance with the Grand Duke, we’d need to offer a beautiful woman…?”

Maria’s clear eyes darted around nervously.

Her flustered expression made it obvious she was unfamiliar with such topics.

After a moment, she steadied herself and spoke with difficulty.

“Mmm… I understand for now. Call the council immediately for a strategy meeting.”

“Yes.”

“And gather more detailed information about the Grand Duke. Including the women around him… understood?”

“Understood.”

Winston bowed deeply and left the office.

And after he disappeared…

Alone in the office, Maria touched her burning cheeks and murmured.

“Who would have thought that not yet receiving a royal letter as Queen would come in handy…”

Though nothing had been decided yet regarding cooperation with the Grand Duke…

Still, if she were to meet and negotiate with him…

What if he demanded her?

Lost in such an absurd yet strangely thrilling thought…

Maria clenched her thighs and struggled to calm the pounding of her heart.