Empire (3): The Dragon Maiden's Awakening
“Dragon Maiden...?”
Asterios echoed what he'd heard, his face twisting in disbelief. Dragon Maiden. Wasn't that a figure straight out of the hero legends? To think this girl possessed such qualities—what on earth did that mean?
But it was the truth. The bloodline coursing through her veins, the sealed magic within her—it was unmistakably the mark of a Dragon Maiden... and someone who could become endlessly close to me.
If this girl suffered a great shock... the seal flowing with her blood would unravel in an instant. And she'd be swept away by a power far too immense for any one person to contain.
Well, for a healthy child, it would've been a simple matter of checking the seal and patching it up lightly. But with the poison seeping into her body and the illness gnawing away at her...
Weakened by the toxin and teetering on the brink of death, the moment her breath failed, the sealed magic would erupt, purging the poison and transforming her flesh entirely. That would be the simplest way to cure the sickness and venom.
Oh, and for the record, Asterios had a considerable amount of magic flowing through him too. But he was a boy, and unlike Vivian, he didn't possess magic potent enough to become a Dragon Maiden.
Hmm. But what if a boy did have the potential to become one...? Would he transform into a male version? Or change gender entirely? Who knows. Someday, I'd probably see the answer.
“If she's a Dragon Maiden... isn't that just a character from the hero legends? What do you mean she has those qualities?”
Hmm. It seemed he thought Dragon Maiden referred to a specific person... namely, me, the one who'd traveled with the hero. Well, up until now, no one else had ever acted as the Dragon Maiden, so it was a natural reaction.
“The Dragon Maiden isn't a specific individual. It refers to a being chosen by the Life Goddess, one who can hear Her voice directly.”
A lie, of course. I'd been the only one operating under that name so far. Even outwardly, I was deceiving everyone by claiming the Dragon Maiden wasn't just one person.
The ancient elves I'd taught spirit arts to, the adventures with the hero, the long years of activity—all done by Dragon Maidens who were actually the same single person... well, that lacked a bit of romance, didn't it? If the truth got out, interest in that Dragon Maiden—me—would skyrocket. More interest meant more hassle. And I had no interest in hassle.
So here, I'd just pass it off as a saintess chosen by the Life Goddess. Conveniently, her descendant... the hero's descendant... was right here.
“Chosen by the Life Goddess...?”
“Yes. She would become an incomparably noble existence. If that change occurs, the poison and illness eating away at her from within would all vanish.”
Because her body would transform. Into something endlessly close to me. She'd be reborn as a being with magic so potent that poisons or diseases couldn't touch her.
While I was at it, should I give her horns too? Dragon horns were one of the symbols of a Dragon Maiden. If I made her an antenna for direct communication with me, that could be fun.
“She could become healthy...!”
“Yes. Though even without becoming a Dragon Maiden, I could manage a temporary treatment.”
I suppressed the poison spreading through the girl's body, easing her pain. Her expression softened noticeably, the signs of agony fading. Even temporary relief was just about holding back the toxin and mending her tattered body from the illness—not a difficult task.
But the poison and sickness had spread to every corner, intertwining with her flesh... so it wouldn't be long before she crumbled again. Completely curing it was a bit of a chore. Far easier to scrap the body and remake it from scratch.
If there hadn't been a magic seal, I might've forced a full repair on her body. But with it there, tampering would shatter the seal instantly. What a pain.
“Of course, this temporary treatment will worsen again soon. But if she accepts her potential as Dragon Maiden, embraces her fate, and awakens... her body will transform into a healthy one.”
“Her body will... change...?”
“Yes. Her appearance will alter, and her insides too. Her soul will remain the same, but her body will become like that of another person.”
A slight exaggeration. I could adjust the changes as I pleased. Even if she became something like me, an exact copy would be too much! I'd preserve as much of her original face as possible, add things like hair color or horns, and tweak it just enough to give a hint of resemblance to me.
“Moreover, if chosen as Dragon Maiden... she'd become a key figure in the Life Church. That would mean a life far different from now—one free of hardship. With a touch of exaggeration, she could live like imperial royalty of the Romania Empire.”
Asterios flinched slightly at my words.
“A key figure in the Life Church...”
“Since she could hear the Goddess's voice directly. From the Church's perspective, they'd revere her utterly.”
Ashrat did respond to the faithful's prayers, but it was mostly on autopilot, not direct speech. The last true revelation had been decades ago. Yet the Church's priests never wavered in faith—those kids were impressive.
“Perhaps... living under the Church's care would bring more happiness than being hunted by the Romania Empire.”
I spoke calmly, gazing at Asterios. The still-young boy couldn't fully hide his emotions—confusion, uncertainty, cold sweat, distress.
Looking at him, I continued.
“It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, what you've been through to reach here. What matters is you asked for my help but weren't honest about yourself.”
My gaze fixed on the boy. On what he hid in his heart.
What was he concealing? What was he thinking? What did he desire? What kind of heart did he have? What emotions colored it?
That emotion... revenge. A sticky, blood-dark thirst for vengeance sat at the core of the boy.
“I...”
The boy hesitated. What to say, what to hide. Even at his young age, he was weighing his words.
But it was pointless. I could see it all. Read it all.
So, I'd give him a push. A nudge to the still-hesitating boy.
“If you're not honest, I won't help.”
There. With the stage set like that, he'd spill everything, right? He would, wouldn't he?
At my words, the boy steeled himself and spoke.
“My name is... Lucius. Lucius Altrius III. A member of Romania's imperial family, and originally the crown prince with rights to the throne.”
Finally being honest. Lucius Altrius III, huh. Named straight from the Knight King, it seemed.
“So Arthur is a false name?”
“Y-yes. It's a nickname from when I was little. My grandfather... more precisely, my great-great-grandfather... gave it to me, saying it was like someone else's name and might cause confusion.”
“Great-great-grandfather...”
So this boy was the Knight King's great-great-grandson.
“Then the grandfather who told you my story must be the Knight King.”
“Yes. He said if you ever needed to borrow someone's wisdom, come find them.”
Hmm... The Knight King had mentioned telling the next king... Was that because he was crown prince, destined to be the next? Or maybe he just doted on his grandson and shared too much. I should shake down the Knight King in the afterlife for details. Tch.
“So, for the crown prince to arrive here in such a state... it must be no ordinary matter.”
Asterios nodded slowly. Fleeing into this forest in such a wretched condition, with his sister poisoned and ill. A rebellion? No, a full-scale revolt would've reached my ears by now. Nor was it invasion by another nation—wars or rebellions meant mass deaths, and even without paying attention, I'd hear of that many souls. Hades wouldn't stay silent either.
Not rebellion, not war, yet the crown prince fleeing like this...
“A struggle for the throne?”
Asterios couldn't answer. It was, after all, the imperial family's dirty laundry.
In his place...
“Yes... Brother lost what was his...”
Thanks to the temporary suppression of her poison and illness, the girl sat up and spoke.
“Vivi...”
“Brother. Tell them everything honestly. We have no other choice.”
At the words of the girl called Vivi, Asterios nodded faintly.
