Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Sun Water (9)
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Dragons are lonely creatures.
You who face the dragon.
You must know this fact.
.
.
.
...
Then what of something that is neither dragon nor human?
Not even a dragonkin born between dragon and human, but simply a human who has gained the power of a dragon?
The Empire's 2nd Princess Hedera was precisely that "something."
In her childhood, she was nothing more than a "dullard." Born as a princess, she received every possible investment, yet to be called a dullard was reason enough for those around her to dismiss her.
Then one day, by chance, she obtained dragon blood and Word Command.
Afterward, she gained immense power and her reputation soared, but Hedera was never truly happy.
Because power and happiness were entirely separate matters.
Neither dragon nor human.
It didn't take long for the girl to grow lonely.
When she was a dullard, at least no one envied Hedera. No matter what they thought or whispered behind her back, to her face they offered encouragement to try harder.
But after she gained power...
—Seeing that, it looks like all my efforts are pointless.
—Yeah, in the end, it's all decided by heaven.
—I won't bother. It'll work out somehow...
On the contrary, because of Hedera, those around her lost their reason to strive. Her power, once a motivator, had become a disaster that sapped their will to advance.
—Amazing!
—As expected of the princess! She's a goddess, a goddess!
Even those who deified Hedera couldn't bring her happiness. They viewed her as something too extraordinary, offering only ignorant praise.
Those who truly understood the girl gradually vanished.
Most who faced her bowed in submission to her face but revealed envy and fear behind her back. It was a weight too heavy for a young girl to bear.
But all this was merely the beginning.
The connections drawn by power were no better.
—Follow my advice completely.
—You're born of dragon blood. Would I lie to you?
Since Hedera was human by birth, dragonkin seeking to exploit her for profit began to appear one by one.
Watching their demands grow increasingly outrageous, Hedera finally realized.
"Everyone just wants something from me."
All goodwill toward Hedera hid ulterior motives.
After that, the girl became obsessed with "expectations."
Was there no one who wanted nothing from her?
Someone who would stay by her side even if she lost her power, even if she lost her status as princess and all her wealth—someone who would treat her as they always had.
...None. Of course there wouldn't be.
In the end, Hedera came to trust no one. Her ambiguous identity—hybrid or freak—had gifted her this profoundly lonely life as its final present.
Zekiel Hound.
Even her teacher was the same.
At first, his departure shocked and angered her beyond measure, but she soon understood it easily enough.
He was human, after all. He probably sought gold, and once he had amassed enough, he left.
So when she first received his letter, she was incredulous.
Abandoning her for an absurd amount of time, then contacting her belatedly. Hedera was now an adult and knew well what such communications meant.
When they belatedly regretted something, when something suddenly became urgent, when they belatedly wanted something...
The height of patheticness. She scoffed at the thought.
Yet when they met at the Magic Tower, she wavered slightly.
Just doing his best as inspector to ensure the tower's success? She couldn't possibly believe that.
It was surely an act to extract something greater. Hedera completely denied his intentions.
Believing always led to betrayal.
The envy and fear from those she trusted, their slander.
Opportunities that seemed good but forced soul contracts.
Granting trust only amplified the betrayal later. Perhaps worn down by it all, Hedera now knew well how to avoid getting hurt.
But after learning of his health in the temple archives.
Reading the letter again, Hedera was deeply shocked.
—Happiness.
Yes, Zekiel wanted something too.
But what he wanted was Hedera's happiness.
...Why? Was such a thing even possible?
Could a human simply wish for another's happiness?
Without expecting any reward, ignoring his own body on the verge of collapse, desiring only Hedera's happiness—was that possible?
And finally, on the day she succeeded in deciphering the ancient Dragon Word.
"...He's sincere. Undoubtedly sincere."
Hedera finally understood Zekiel's true feelings.
Maintaining the barrier at the cost of his lifespan, telling kind white lies so she could focus comfortably. There was no filthy desire in his actions.
He truly wished only for Hedera's happiness.
Of course, accepting this was incredibly difficult. She had to confront all her past actions.
She had doubted all his intentions, even blocked his path. Not content with that, she later goaded him into reckless bets.
In truth, facing Zekiel's gaze now required courage. She didn't know what expression to wear. Starting a conversation was even harder.
So Hedera agonized and agonized.
And at last, she reached a conclusion.
Equivalent exchange.
Up to now, Zekiel had worked for Hedera's happiness without any reward, while she had given him nothing in return.
But if they would continue to cross paths, she could start giving him something from now on.
Give, and give, and give again.
Until one day, their relationship became an equivalent exchange.
Now, as her first step, Hedera had come to find the treasury.
"Tether."
"Princess! I've been waiting for you!"
The Emperor had forcibly dragged Hedera and Solana out of the canyon, but Hedera was a proper lady. She wasn't childish enough to throw a tantrum and force her way in.
So she decided to use her time efficiently and immediately summoned Tether to locate the treasury.
"Princess, hasn't the space on the first floor become incredibly vast? Thanks to the Yellow Tower's inspector. He moved all those troublesome spirit stones to the second floor!"
"...Yeah. I heard."
Hedera nodded, feeling grateful anew.
Like this, each of his small actions was helping her. In a world overflowing with pretense and lies, he was the sole sincerity and truth.
"Let's go to the third floor."
"The third floor, you say?"
"Yes. Don't make me say it twice."
"No, not at all! It's just... it's been so long!"
Opening the treasury was rare in itself, but visiting the highest third floor was even rarer.
"Are you sightseeing? Or perhaps requisitioning...?"
"Requisitioning."
"Requisitioning! From the third floor, no less—a holy relic!"
But Hedera's mind was set. She intended to take anything that could help Zekiel.
"I'm too lowly to even enter the third floor. I'll wait at the entrance!"
"Got it."
The 2nd Princess slowly surveyed the treasury.
Indeed, it was overflowing with holy relics worthy of being called rare, in all sorts of forms: jewels, ornaments, weapons, clothing...
"This is... a branch of the World Tree."
Her gaze swept only over items related to health. Right before her was a staff from the Great Forest World Tree, brimming with immense vitality.
"No good. It doesn't actually have recovery effects."
It simply brimmed with immense vitality, but it didn't heal.
Perhaps that's why—in Hedera's eyes, thinking of Zekiel, it suddenly looked like mere trash.
The woman's footsteps hurried across the third floor.
"Dragon's Tear."
A sacred liquid said to lift any curse.
But it couldn't fix one's constitution.
"Sun's Regret."
A necklace that constantly provided a holy power barrier.
But again, no healing effects.
Each was a holy relic capable of greatly influencing the continent, yet none were what Hedera wanted. They had to be useful for Zekiel...
Then, at last.
Something finally caught her eye.
"...Fusion Ring."
A pair of two rings; when worn by two people, they allowed real-time monitoring of each other's status.
"This one first. So I can know immediately in emergencies."
The moment Hedera picked up the Fusion Ring.
"P-Princess! Prin-princess!"
A frantic voice echoed from below.
Hedera frowned at the noise, but...
"The inspector! The Yellow Tower's inspector is badly injured!"
Her irritation instantly turned to shock.
"...What?"
Hedera descended to the lower floor. In her urgency, she even lowered her mask and used Word Command.
"Speak. What the hell happened?"
Under the dominion of Word Command, Tether opened his mouth.
"During the match, they say the Yellow Tower's inspector was gravely injured. He's currently at the imperial palace temple—"
"...Damn it!"
Hedera didn't wait to hear more and bolted into motion.
Her hurried steps quickly turned into a sprint.
"Huff... huff...!"
It was undignified, but she had no time to care. Zekiel in critical condition? Why?
If something big had happened...
No. It absolutely could not happen.
He was the only man who had shown her sincerity, the only one who wished for her happiness. They hadn't achieved equivalent exchange yet—he couldn't get hurt now.
No.
Absolutely, absolutely not...
Hedera ran toward the temple like a madwoman.
Truly like a madwoman.