IYAMD: Episode 77

“Tomorrow, we’ll go check the situation at the valley.”

At Marsilia’s words, Jaha nodded.

“Got it.”

Jaha accepted it as a given, and Marsilia felt a tingling sensation in the palm of his hand that touched his.

But that was only for a moment. When they approached the open space where the knights were working, Jaha let go of his hand and moved ahead. Marsilia, who had been walking behind him, stopped for a moment and looked at Jaha’s back.

Clenching his empty hand, Marsilia looked up just in time to see Jaha turn around with a slightly furrowed brow. His gaze seemed to urge Marsilia to catch up.

As Marsilia followed him, Jaha began to grumble as he moved forward.

“I can never understand what you’re thinking.”

Marsilia chuckled softly and replied with a hint of amusement.

“I feel the same way.”

With a small snort that was barely audible, Jaha glanced around at the knights making bolts for the ballista. His expression, which had been neutral, began to soften into a smile as he looked at them.

As if sensing Marsilia’s gaze, Jaha furtively looked around and then spoke.

“They’re good people.”

“Of course, they’re my subordinates.”

Jaha narrowed his eyes and shot a sideways glance at Marsilia. Marsilia, noticing the deepening smile, shamelessly returned the grin and spoke.

“Because they happened to meet the wrong emperor, they’ve had to go through a lot. It’s almost amazing how they follow without complaint.”

Normally, monster hunting was the army’s responsibility. Past emperors would organize a hunting party with the military and local noble knights, unless it was on such a scale that the emperor himself had to lead the expedition.

The Imperial Knights only went on expeditions when the emperor himself led them, and their primary duty was, of course, guarding the Imperial Palace and escorting the royal family.

It wasn’t easy for knights, most of whom were nobles, to follow along without hesitation, no matter how rough the tasks. Yet, they followed without any significant complaints.

After risking life and death with them dozens or even hundreds of times, Marsilia thought that he had become much closer to the knights. He didn’t know how they felt, but at least he felt that way.

“Jaha, I feel responsible for my knights. I want to make sure they all survive.” However, honestly speaking, he wasn’t confident about the current situation. Could they all make it back alive? Despite holding regular meetings, there was no clear solution.

Considering Serez’s delayed contact, support from the Mage Tower seemed unlikely. Yet, not a single person among those gathered here had spoken of failure or death.

Looking at the knights who believed that the emperor would somehow save them, Marsilia felt the weight on his shoulders for the first time, as if the burden of hundreds of lives was pressing down on him.

However, he couldn’t show weakness to anyone. He was someone who couldn’t afford to show such a side. As the emperor, he had to stand tall, keep his head high, and always look ahead.

Even now, though no one could notice, he let out a slow breath, and Jaha spoke up in response.

“You’re doing well.”

For a moment, something caught in his throat, and the pain spread, making Marsilia blink. He turned his head toward the man standing beside him.

In the yellow eyes that looked up at him, there was no great emotion. Jaha looked at him with calm eyes, as if stating a simple fact.

“Say my name, Jaha.”

The words slipped out in a low, cracked voice. Marsilia wanted to hear his name from Jaha. Hearing his name from him would make his words feel more real.

“Mar… You’re doing well enough right now.”

Marsilia squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to hold back tears, as he stared deeply into Jaha’s eyes. His cheeks trembled. Was he about to laugh or cry?

Marsilia, unable to define his emotions, clenched his teeth tightly.

He hadn’t lived his life seeking recognition from anyone, yet just that simple phrase stirred something deep within him. All the efforts he had made since childhood felt validated by those calm words.

Marsilia forced a smile, trying to lift the corners of his mouth.

“You confuse me too much.”

With a puzzled look, Jaha tilted his head, raising his eyes and replying.

“If my words confuse you, it’s not that I’m saying anything strange. It’s that you’re hearing them strangely.”

Marsilia bit his lip and groaned softly.

“Jaha, your words scratch at my heart again.” It was inevitable that he would attach all kinds of meanings to his words. After all, his heart had already started leaning toward him. It was natural for his heart to flutter at the words of someone like that.

And, of course, he wasn’t blameless either.

He didn’t realize how much a kind word could make a person expect something, and just because he didn’t know that didn’t mean it excused him. Marsilia watched Jaha’s back as he led the way, then closed his eyes tightly.

How foolish of him to keep expecting, even after so many similar experiences. How much longer would he have to be disappointed?

With self-mockery, Marsilia opened his eyes. Jaha, standing on the side of the open space, glanced at him with his sword resting on his shoulder. The setting sun seemed to irritate his eyes, and he squinted.

Marsilia, watching him, slowly took a deep breath and gradually, his heart began to settle down. As always.

…

The next afternoon, Marsilia and Jaha set out alone to inspect the situation at the valley.

They tied their horses near the foot of the mountain and hurried to the valley, where the dragon was much the same as before, without change.

Well, maybe a little. The bone mound beneath it had grown higher than it was last time. Why was that? It was hard to understand why it had stayed in place after waking up. However, what was even more puzzling was that, even at a glance, the food it had consumed had clearly increased.

Perhaps it was due to the energy the dragon was emitting, but there were no signs of animals near the valley. There wasn’t even the sound of birds, and no trace of large beasts as they ran along.

Moreover, the bones in the mound didn’t seem to belong to animals. There were many bones of monsters, likely child-sized, mixed with bones from Minotaurs or other large creatures.

If the dragon had consumed that much in just a few days, where was all that food coming from?

Furthermore, judging by how much it had devoured, it had likely been awake for a while. Yet, it remained stationary, which was strange. Why was it staying there?

Marsilia searched the area for any unusual traces, unsure of what exactly he was looking for.

However, the overwhelming magic emitted by the dragon was so thick that he couldn’t sense anything else.

Marsilia spent a long time observing it from above, on the cliff, before signaling Jaha. The two of them quickly ran to where their horses were.

Stopping in front of their horses, Jaha spoke to Marsilia first.

“The bones have increased, did you notice?”

Marsilia quietly nodded.

“I was already thinking it was strange. If it’s noticeable to the eye, it must have eaten a lot, so why hasn’t it flown off during that time?”

Jaha tilted his head.

“There’s probably either no reason for it to leave or a reason it can’t. One of the two.”

If food is easily available, there would be no reason for it to leave.

“And if it can’t leave?”

“Perhaps it’s guarding something?”

It sounded plausible. Marsilia swept his bangs aside and let out a quiet sigh.

“If it’s guarding a dimensional rift…”

“That would make the most sense if it has to stay in that spot.”

Marsilia clicked her tongue.

“At least we can be certain we have time, but if it stays there, it’ll disrupt the plan.”

Taking the ballista up the mountain wasn’t an easy task. From the start, she had planned to wait until the dragon took off and then fight on level ground.

It was a relief that the situation of the dragon potentially moving before the ballistas was ready had been avoided. But if it remained in the valley, the knights would have to march through the mountains.

Jaha slowly tilted his head to both sides. When Marsilia met his round eyes, he raised his head and stared at him.

“What if we lure it?”

Marsilia didn’t need to hear more to understand what Jaha was suggesting. With a sigh, he shook her head firmly.

“No.”

Jaha snorted lightly and muttered under his breath.

“You’re too scared.”

“What?”

Marsilia frowned and asked, and Jaha let out a sound like air escaping from a balloon, lifting his chin slightly. As Marsilia looked into his narrowed eyes, he chuckled.

“Don’t provoke me, Jaha. No matter what, some things just can’t be done. I can’t stand by and watch you put yourself in danger.”

Only then did Jaha return to his usual expression and sigh.

“I’m not a child.”

Marsilia let out a small, mocking laugh, just like Jaha had earlier.

“I know that very well, Jaha. If you were a child, I wouldn’t be so interested.”

Jaha finally shut his mouth. Marsilia, seeing his slightly pouting lips, shook his head and approached the horses.

“Let’s go back. We still have time, and hopefully, we’ll think of a good plan in the meantime.”

Grabbing the reins, Marsilia looked back at the mountain they had just descended from. It was a situation that naturally made him sigh, but it wasn’t the worst-case scenario yet.

So, while there was still time, they needed to prepare carefully. No matter what, he would defeat the dragon and return to the capital proudly with everyone.