Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Return Journey
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At the bottom of the Mirror of the Sky lake.
A massive ice sphere enveloped Roselia and me once more in front of the lair's entrance.
I sheathed Winter Fang—no, the sword that had now become an ego sword—at my waist and adjusted the mana density inside the sphere.
Rumble...
The surrounding currents parted as the transparent ice barrier carried us slowly upward toward the surface.
Ascending was simpler and faster than descending thanks to water's buoyancy, but it would still take quite some time.
I crouched in a corner of the sphere, leaving Roselia to furtively watch my every move for a while.
Once again, I focused my consciousness and spoke to the voice in my mind.
'Lord Arkaios, can you hear me?'
'Aye... loud and clear.'
Fortunately, the connection was stable.
But the responding voice lacked any strength whatsoever.
The vigorous tone from moments ago during our contract had vanished, replaced by the weary drawl of an old man who'd pulled several all-nighters.
'Why does your voice sound so weak? Is something wrong?'
'No, nothing's wrong... just a bit sleepy.'
'Sleepy? You're a soul—do you even need sleep?'
'It's not like that. This vessel—Winter Fang, was it? It's not fully expanded to match the size of my soul.'
Arkaios let out a sound like a massive yawn as he continued his explanation.
'I don't know who forged it, but the sword itself is undoubtedly a fine blade. Still, cramming a dragon's soul into a mere hunk of metal can't be without side effects. If I push too hard or stay awake right now, the sword won't hold and will shatter.'
'...The sword will shatter?'
I jolted in surprise and glanced down at the blade at my waist.
Sure enough, the blue dragon emblem etched into the blade was faintly flickering.
Even the aura around it looked precarious, like an overloaded magic tool on the verge of breaking.
But Arkaios seemed to sense my thoughts and chuckled dryly before continuing.
'Don't worry. It just means I'll have to enter hibernation for a while because of that. Once the sword adapts to my soul's frequency and I compress my spiritual energy to fit this cramped space, it'll be fine.'
'How long will that take?'
'Two weeks at most, maybe half a month at longest.'
Two weeks...
It wasn't as long as I'd feared.
Of course, part of me wanted to rush back to the territory, brag to my subordinates, and test the dragon's power right away—but better to delay than risk the sword breaking.
'Forget about the curse for now and take it easy. No point grinding away at your brain cells over it—there's no answer yet anyway.'
He added that as if reading my mind.
'Once I awaken, I'll start a proper analysis. Until then, set aside the ego sword's functions and your fears about the curse. Rest up. You're still injured, aren't you?'
'...Understood. Thank you for your consideration.'
'Good. See you later, partner...'
With those words, the voice in my head cut off abruptly.
At the same time, the faint blue glow enveloping the blade faded completely, and Winter Fang returned to its beautifully gleaming silver form.
"........."
I gazed down at the now-dimmed sword for a moment.
It was eerily quiet, hard to believe that just moments ago I'd conversed with a dragon's soul, received a death sentence, and then resealed that dragon into the sword.
'Forget it and live on... huh.'
Easier said than done.
How could I relax knowing I might have less than a year left?
But as Arkaios said, there was nothing I could do right now.
Pacing wouldn't solve it—in fact, anxiety might cloud my judgment.
Right. Focus on the return for now.
I still had to deal with Lady Leonier Baldinmar and check on Seria, after all.
I let out a short sigh to shake off my tangled thoughts and lifted my head.
And then.
"........."
"........."
On the opposite side of the ice sphere, she sat huddled with her knees drawn up.
Her eyes met mine as she rolled them frantically, gauging my mood.
Throughout my blank stare at the sword or my furrowed brow, she'd barely breathed, terrified of catching any fallout.
That sight strangely stirred a sadistic urge to torment her.
Thanks to Arkaios, it had arisen—and thanks to him, I'd briefly forgotten—but didn't we still have one crucial unresolved issue?
I curled the corner of my mouth slightly and addressed her with a playful smile.
"Your Highness."
"Y-Yes?! I'm right here...!"
Roselia flinched at my sudden call, her shoulders jumping.
I approached her slowly and asked in a voice slightly more serious and low than usual.
"My conversation with Lord Arkaios is over. Which means things are completely quiet now."
"Oh... r-right? Haha..."
"So the nuisance is gone."
I leaned in close to her face, bending at the waist to meet her eyes.
Her trembling eyelashes looked pitifully fragile.
'Why is this woman so damn amusing?'
"Shall we finally hear the details about that soul from another world?"
"......!"
Roselia's face drained white as a sheet.
We emerged safely from beneath the lake to find the sun beginning to set.
About six hours had passed since we'd first gone down.
After tidying up roughly, we signaled the knight order waiting nearby and boarded the carriage.
Of course, we were delayed about thirty minutes while I reined in the knights who'd returned with lecherous grins, eager to head back.
Anyway, with all our business here concluded, Roselia and I set off on the road back to Kaltstein.
"........."
"........."
The return trip felt far heavier than the journey there.
Not in a physical sense.
My subspatial pouch was weighed down with dragon treasures, sure,
but the air inside the carriage was so oppressively stifling it was suffocating.
Rattle, rattle.
Only the sound of the carriage wheels rumbling over the rugged mountain path filled the silence.
Roselia huddled in the corner of the opposite seat, just like before, staring out the window.
Or pretending to, at least.
Her reflection in the glass showed her eyes darting toward me incessantly.
'Looking for an escape route?'
I could practically read her mind.
The obsession that her possession couldn't be discovered.
Terror that the original story had twisted again.
And above all, fear of what would happen if I learned her true identity.
I crossed my arms and observed her leisurely.
In truth, I already knew she was a possessor.
But blurting out, "I knew all along," would be amateurish.
Asymmetry of information was the surest way to hold the upper hand.
Besides, hearing the truth straight from her lips this time would make manipulating her to my will far easier going forward.
Of course, the main reason to hide it was that if she realized I'd played dumb despite figuring it all out, our relationship might shatter beyond repair... anyway.
Still, maintaining this silence would stress her out unpredictably, so I should break it first.
"Your Highness."
"......!"
The moment I spoke, Roselia jumped and whipped her head around.
"Wh-what is it—why do you call me, Duke?"
"About that story from earlier."
I stroked my chin with a serious but non-threatening expression.
"I can't get what Lord Arkaios said out of my head. A soul mismatched with its body? It defies common sense, doesn't it?"
"Ah, th-that... Maybe the dragon was joking? He seemed so jovial..."
Oh lord, her excuse is dragon senility?
"Hmm. His eyes held far too much conviction for a joke."
"W-well... was it? I... I don't really remember."
I watched her flail her hands awkwardly with a forced smile, then leaned forward to close the distance.
"Just tell me honestly. Your Highness—or should I say Roselia de Loen—you... who exactly are you?"
"........."
Roselia's lips quivered.
Cold sweat trickled down her temples.
'What do I do? Should I come clean? No, what if he thinks I'm crazy? Or decides I'm some demon and cuts me down on the spot?'
'Nah, no way. The duke I know isn't that narrow-minded... But he's still an unpredictable original character. Can't ignore the setting...'
Her head filled with such thoughts, she offered no reply.
Staring awkwardly only at the eyes of Noxion von Kaltstein.
I waited patiently for her to speak.
The longer the silence stretched, the more anxious she'd become.
Finally, after agonizing hesitation, Roselia squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, as if resolved.
"Um... Duke, do you believe in soul-swapping magic or... reincarnation?"
"Soul-swapping magic?"
Oh, finally cracking.
I hid my intrigue and replied with the most neutral face possible.
"Well, in a world with magic, I suppose it's not impossible... But what does that have to do with you?"
"Well... the truth is..."
Roselia swallowed dryly and clasped her trembling hands.
"If... if I'm not the real Roselia de Loen, would you believe me?"
"...Pardon?"
"What if I'm a soul from another world that somehow ended up possessing Roselia's body—would you believe that?"