Vivian (5)

The flames of war engulfed the entire continent.

The Imperial army, having gained an advantage with a surprise preemptive attack, began the war.

They quickly brought countless nations on the continent to their knees, continuing their momentum.

“Helix, talk to me.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

Vivian kept extending an olive branch to me, but I ignored them all.

Did she know?

How many people had senselessly lost their lives in the war she had started?

And how many more people would have to lose their lives in the future?

“How long are you going to be like this? You’re my husband now. At least fulfill your minimal duties!”

“If I fulfill my duties, will you stop the war?”

“That’s impossible. You know why.”

“I know. But, Vivian.”

I barely managed to hold back from raising my voice.

As she said, it was impossible to stop the war now.

Too many people had died.

Too many had lost their families.

And all that remained in their place was anger and hatred.

“Why did you start it, even knowing it couldn’t be stopped?”

“…”

Now, the Empire had only two choices left.

Either win this great war and be reborn as an unrivaled superpower.

Or perish miserably.

The Imperial citizens were not unaware of this, and they were engaged in a desperate struggle for survival.

“If you’re going to do everything your way, don’t expect me to fulfill my duties now.”

“Helix…”

“Do you still have something to say?”

“Look at this.”

Vivian handed me a document that had been placed on her office desk.

I checked the document, albeit with suspicion.

The contents written within left me speechless.

“What is this…?”

“It’s a list of war criminals compiled by the Anti-Imperial Coalition.”

“I’m not asking because I don’t know that.”

At the very top of the document was Vivian’s name.

The charges were varied.

The crime of planning and initiating this war.

The crime of massacring countless prisoners and civilians in the process.

And the crime for numerous material damages and acts of plunder that occurred during the war.

While there were a few far-fetched clauses, most of them were things Vivian had carried out.

“If we lose this war, my head will definitely be on the chopping block.”

“Surely you didn’t start the war without expecting that?”

“Of course, I was prepared for it. What I want to ask is your intention, Helix.”

Vivian slowly approached and wrapped her arms around my neck.

In her languid yet confident gaze, I instinctively felt that something was wrong.

“Look, the whole world is after my life, Helix.”

“…”

“Do you want me to die, Helix? Like the leaders of those Anti-Imperial Coalition nations?”

Vivian dying.

And being executed as a war criminal amidst jeers and contempt.

No matter how much I hated her now, I couldn’t even dare to imagine such a thing.

“Helix, do you think I started this gamble just for political reasons?”

“If not, then why?”

“You see, I was always anxious. Afraid that you would leave my side.”

It was a completely unexpected statement.

Because after Vivian had risen to a certain level of power, she was overflowing with confidence.

And even more so after she became the ruler of the Empire.

“Helix, you see, I’m imitating an elegant swan in front of you.”

“…”

“On the surface, I pretend to be completely at ease, but in reality, beneath the water, I’m desperately paddling to keep from sinking.”

Vivian tilted her head at my confused expression.

“Surely, you didn’t know?”

“I didn’t.”

“Ah, so that’s how it was. But it’s okay. We can get to know each other better from now on.”

Vivian let out a ‘haa-‘ sound, took a breath, and then gazed at me.

She already had me wrapped around her finger.

“Listen, Helix. My anxieties…”

“Alright.”

Sensing it would be a long story, I sat down for a moment.

“Helix, do you know? When I first met you, I was truly overjoyed. Because I strongly believed you would save my life.”

“Yes.”

“But that wasn’t all. The feeling I had was…”

“What was it?”

“I was ashamed. No, saying it like that might be misunderstood. I was mortified back then.”

As if recalling that time, Vivian tightly clenched her fist.

It overlapped with her childhood image, surrounded by her half-siblings, silently enduring their mockery…

Suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“While the others, supposedly Imperial Nobility, walked around splendidly, I was just shabby like a beggar…”

“Vivian…”

“You don’t know, Helix, do you? How ashamed I was then. And how worthless I felt about myself.”

I couldn’t give any answer.

Of course, I had vaguely sensed that Vivian harbored resentment towards the world from long ago.

Still, I believed that meeting me had somewhat calmed that feeling.

But it wasn’t true.

What Vivian hated most wasn’t her siblings, nor the world…

It was herself.

“When I first brought you, freshly born, into my room, I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.”

“…”

“I wanted to strangle all the Imperial Palace maids. Because they made me show my shabby appearance.”

“Vivian…”

“When I covered you, yawning and sleepy, with a blanket like a rag, I felt miserable. And I thought, ‘Ah, if not for this Dragon, I truly am nothing.'”

From her desperate voice, the miserable memories of that time emerged.

The wounds Vivian carried were greater than I had imagined.

“Helix, I can never forgive my shabby self.”

“…”

“Becoming Emperor, starting the war-it was all because of that. I told you before, didn’t I? That I would give you the whole world. That was a token of my gratitude for choosing me, but at the same time, it was a plea from me, who had nothing, to you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

It was too painful to meet Vivian’s gaze any longer.

The misery she must have felt rose like poisonous smoke, choking me.

“Please don’t abandon me. Don’t leave. I couldn’t think of any other way.”

“…”

“So, Helix. I have to keep climbing higher. I have to become a woman worthy of you.”

Vivian clutched her cheeks as if tearing at them.

In her crimson eyes, a mad flame surged.

It was a self-destructive flame, burning endlessly within her, consuming herself.

“Vivian, please know. Even if you don’t do that, I won’t leave you.”

I cupped Vivian’s cheek, scarred from being scratched by fingernails.

How on earth could my voice reach her?

I tried to hide my despairing heart, knocking on a closed door.

“Really…?”

“Really.”

“No matter what happens?”

“Yes.”

Vivian covered the back of my hand with her own.

Then she rubbed her cheek against my palm and…

Asked in a bewitching, snake-like manner.

“Even if I commit an unforgivable wrong against you?”

“I won’t leave. But I’ll suffer that much pain.”

“You won’t even look at other women, right?”

“Of course not. What do you take me for? I’ll never cheat.”

Vivian persistently extracted my vows.

If she didn’t do this, she wouldn’t be able to feel at ease.

“The whole world hates me, Helix.”

“…”

“They slander me, saying I touch the Dragon with blood-stained hands. They insult me, calling me a witch who enchanted the Dragon with demonic power.”

“I wasn’t enchanted or anything; I simply chose you of my own free will.”

“Yes, that’s what I wanted to hear.”

Vivian buried her face in my chest, as if embracing me.

Her hot breath tickled my skin.

“Then, Helix.”

“Yes, Vivian.”

“Can you swear an oath with a Geas? That you will remain my lover forever.”

“…!!”

A Geas.

Knowing its weight, I couldn’t readily answer.

As if noticing my hesitation, Vivian’s sharp voice cut through the air.

“Surely, you’re not hesitating now…?”

“How can I not hesitate? You might not know, Vivian, but a Geas is a truly terrifying magic.”

“You swore to be with me forever. We swore to God together before the priest’s officiation.”

“…”

“As expected… Helix has grown tired of me.”

Vivian lowered her head mournfully.

She, who as the Empress of the Empire had nothing to fear, looked utterly pathetic at this moment.

“What’s with that look…?”

“Vivian.”

“Don’t try to pity me. Just curse at me or hit me instead.”

“…”

“Because there’s nothing more miserable than being pitied by you.”

My heart wavered, but in the end, I did not cast the Geas.

While a Geas was a dangerous magic, that wasn’t the only reason.

The thought that our vows could only be maintained by being enforced through a mere contract…

I didn’t want to accept such a reality.

****

Three years passed after that.

The war had now continued beyond its fifth year.

During that time, there were countless changes in the war situation.

“Now, our target is the Empire! Advance!”

“The Dragon does not aid the Empress! The era of the witch is over!”

First, the momentum of the Imperial army, which had been on a winning streak, was completely broken.

The Imperial army, which had been pursuing reckless expansion, reached its limits in terms of logistics, and the front lines became stalemated.

What followed was a meaningless and protracted war of attrition.

The Imperial army was certainly strong, but it didn’t have the power to fight against the entire world and achieve victory.

“How long are we going to keep doing this shit?”

It would be one thing if the Empire reached its limit first…

But the Empire had accumulated resources through its wars of conquest, so it didn’t collapse easily.

Ultimately, it was a situation where the war would continue until both sides had exhausted everything.

With a frustrated heart, I sought out Vivian again.

“Is there no way to end the war?”

“There is, actually.”

“What is it?”

“You kill me and declare an end to the war. Then the Empire will pay a relatively light price compared to what it has done so far.”

I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.

If that were possible, I would have done it long ago.

“Stop talking nonsense and tell me the real way.”

“You know it too, Helix, don’t you? Lend me your strength.”

“…”

“Make me the victor of this war. Then everything will be resolved.”

“Ha, for whose benefit?”

“Otherwise, this meaningless war will just drag on tediously.”

My vision blurred from frustration.

I didn’t want to admit it, but there was no other choice.

To end this current hell, I had to become the devil of that hell.

“Helix, you’re going to end this war. Not for me, but for the people.”

“…”

“You, being wise, already know the answer. You just lack the resolve.”

Because of my foolishness, this useless war continued.

My selfish desire not to become an evil Dragon only amplified the damage.

Now, it was truly time to make a decision.

“I’ll end the war.”

“Yes, Helix.”

“But the price will have to be paid someday, Vivian.”

Fwoosh!!!

“W-why is the Dragon attacking us…!!”

“God is angry…! Our faith is lacking, and He is punishing us through the Dragon!!”

A hellish breath of flame engulfed the Holy Dominion army.

Even the Holy Dominion army, which had steadfastly held its ground amidst the Imperial army’s bombardment, couldn’t help but collapse this time.

The despair of being attacked by the incarnation of the God they believed in.

The moment that collapsed, they could no longer be called an army.

“The Dragon is with us!!”

“Salvation for the Empire!!”

With my participation, the tide of war began to turn as if by magic.

The stagnant front lines moved, and hope began to sprout.

For the soldiers who had been passing through an endless tunnel, a ray of light finally appeared.

The exit of the tunnel, which was the end of the war.

“Still, with the Dragon, we can win.”

“This is truly our last chance, please let’s end this and go home.”

The scale of this war was excessively massive.

No matter that I was a Dragon, it wasn’t a scale I could handle alone.

Since I had already decided to end the war, I had to do it decisively.

To do so, I had to use any means necessary.

“There’s no other way.”

I distributed numerous byproducts from my body and magical knowledge to the Empire’s research labs.

This was to increase the overall strength of the Imperial army.

“A-amazing…! With just this, winning this war is no longer a dream!!”

Before long, new weapons poured out for the Imperial army.

The soldiers’ morale also rose, if only for a moment.

But even so, this was only a temporary effect.

The Empire was already rotten to the core from the long war.

If they dragged out the time, it would be disadvantageous all the same.

Ultimately, Vivian also made a big decision.

“I’ll abandon all defenses now. Mobilize all reserves and launch a full-scale offensive on the front lines.”

Leading with new weapons and myself, the Imperial army finally began its final grand offensive.

Their target was Alecia, the heart of the Holy Dominion.

If they just brought down the Holy Dominion, the rest of the riff-raff would scatter on their own.

With that in mind, the Empire squeezed out its last ounce of strength and delivered a final blow.

“The Dragon has abandoned us…”

“This is God’s wrath… We must accept it…”

Wherever I appeared, the front lines instantly collapsed.

Even without specifically unleashing breath attacks or large-scale magic…

My mere presence alone reversed the outcome of battles.

“T-the Dragon has appeared! Quick, anti-air attacks!”

“No! Do not attack!!”

“But General, then we’ll all die…!”

“Do you dare think your soul can go to heaven if you attack the Dragon? If God shows mercy, you live; if not, you die.”

The generals of the Holy Dominion didn’t even dare to think of attacking me.

After all, they too were merely slaves to their faith.

Death and suffering in this world were but fleeting moments.

But it was due to their belief that if they harmed the Dragon, their souls would be cursed by God and suffer eternally.

*****

The cold winter of the Imperial Palace of the Empire.

It was the sixth year since the war began.

“Your Majesty!! Urgent news! The Holy Dominion… the Holy Dominion… has finally surrendered!”

“Yes, what was bound to happen has finally come.”

“The Dragon personally entered Alecia’s Grand Cathedral and accepted their surrender. They say there was no resistance…”

“How absurd… Even if Helix took my side, I never imagined they would collapse so easily.”

Vivian let out a genuine, hollow laugh at the astonishing result.

A nation that had stubbornly endured, losing millions of troops, collapsed in just seven months after I joined the war.

The value of her countless efforts over that time couldn’t surpass the mere existence of the Dragon.

“How is Helix… now?”

“He is in great distress. He seems to feel immense guilt about bringing down the Holy Dominion, which held Dragon Worship.”

“Yes… I suppose so.”

Vivian had truly gained the entire world now, but she could never smile.

She had stained his hands with too much blood.

She had made him suffer the agony of killing those who worshipped him.

“The price you spoke of must be starting now.”

Vivian instinctively knew.

That she could no longer be a complete lover to him.

And that another woman would surely fill that empty space.

Although there was no evidence…

Vivian was already suspecting Helix.

“What if he gets another woman…?”

Through this war, Vivian had clearly realized.

That if he, a Dragon, set his mind to it, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

There would be nothing she could do to him.

In that case…

“I just have to kill the bitch who cheats with him.”

Even if she did that…

Helix would never be able to kill her.

No matter how much he hated and resented her, that was his nature.

Vivian clicked the magic artifact he had given her as a birthday present.

The cool sensation of it, crafted from his bones, brushed against her skin.

“I’ll never let him be taken. Never.”