IYAMD: Episode 67

The touch of cold fingers snapped him back to reality. The turmoil in his mind, once seething with anxiety, gradually calmed.

Marsilia leaned into Jaha’s hand, listening to his gentle voice.

“It’s okay. It’ll work out.”

Would it, though?

It was clear Jaha didn’t fully understand the gravity of their situation. Yet, the fact that his hands were colder than usual meant that he, too, could sense the ominous nature of what they had encountered.

A Dragon.

A creature thought to exist only in myths, a beast from the age of gods. Who would have thought they’d come face-to-face with one?

Marsilia was well aware of just how dire their situation was.

And yet… why did he feel so much calmer now than before?

When he opened his eyes, he found Jaha staring at him in silence.

His gaze, as clear and bright as polished glass, overflowed with emotion.

Was it concern?

Or perhaps fear? Anxiety?

He couldn’t tell.

But the fact that those emotions were directed solely at him… that made him feel strangely happy.

Marsilia lifted his head slightly and pressed his lips against the center of Jaha’s palm.

A deep, warm sigh escaped him.

He wanted to kiss him.

To pull him close, press their bodies together, and savor the softness of his lips.

A quiet chuckle slipped out at the absurdity of the thought.

Had he lost his mind?

Of all things, in this situation, what he wanted most was to taste Jaha’s lips?

Marsilia shook off the impulse and pulled away from his hand.

Jaha, who had been watching with a faintly troubled expression, withdrew his hand and turned away.

“Talk while we move. We don’t have time.”

Marsilia followed after him, sprinting toward their rendezvous point.

Jaha’s voice carried back to him on the wind.

“What’s a Dragon?”

“A monster from the mythic age. Said to be as powerful as a god.”

“Tell me more.”

Jaha adjusted his speed to match Marsilia’s as he pressed for details.

Marsilia simply shrugged.

“There’s not much to explain. It vanished thousands of years ago, so even I don’t know much. The basics? It breathes fire, flies, and uses magic.”

Jaha came to an abrupt stop.

Fixing his gaze on Marsilia, he asked,

“So… can we kill it?”

There was no fear in his voice.

Only mild irritation, as if he found Marsilia’s words hard to believe.

His composure was almost unnerving.

“You’re not scared?”

“I don’t know.”

Jaha tilted his head from side to side, like a broken doll.

Marsilia found it oddly endearing and laughed.

Jaha frowned slightly, still tilting his head.

“I get that it’s strong. It’s enough to give me chills, sure. But… there’s no backing out now, is there? You’ve already decided to take it down, haven’t you?”

“…Yeah.”

When Marsilia nodded, Jaha mimicked him with a small nod of his own.

“Then I’ll figure out whether I’m scared later.”

Marsilia grabbed his arm before he could take off again.

“Do you not think this is dangerous?”

Why did he act as if fighting that thing was a given?

Marsilia’s throat felt parched, a burning thirst spreading through him.

“Don’t you want to run?”

Why did he speak as if helping was the obvious choice?

Jaha glanced back at him, his frown deepening.

“You’re the one who told me not to run.”

Without waiting for a response, Jaha wrenched his arm free and took off, swift and light as a butterfly.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the canopy above.

Marsilia clenched his fists and chased after him.

When they regrouped with the knights, the horses had already been retrieved.

Before setting off, Marsilia instructed Sasha,

“Send a signal flare to the other search teams.”

Sasha fired a blue flare into the sky, and the group immediately returned to camp.

Noticing the emperor’s grave expression, the knights refrained from asking questions.

As soon as they arrived, Marsilia pulled Sasha aside.

“Go back to the main camp and send a message to Serez. Tell him a Dragon has appeared in the Deto Mountains.

He is to secure assistance from the Mage Tower—by persuasion or by force.

If they refuse again, tell them that, in the emperor’s name, no mage will be allowed to set foot in Arhen territory ever again.

And summon everyone left at the main camp to regroup here.”

Sasha, pale-faced, sprinted off.

Marsilia turned to Jaha and led him into the barracks.

The moment they stepped inside, Jaha asked,

“What’s a mage?”

Marsilia was momentarily at a loss.

“There are no mages in the Eastern Continent?”

“How would I know? I don’t even know what a mage is.”

Marsilia rubbed his brow, unsure where to start.

“I only know the basics myself, so I don’t know if I can explain it well.”

He tried to begin with the fundamental elements that made up the world.

“Fire, water, wind, earth, light, and darkness—these six elements form the foundation of existence.

Magic is the ability to manipulate those elements using mana, the natural force of the world.”

Jaha’s blank stare made it clear he understood none of it.

His expression was even more vacant than when Marsilia first brought him here.

Marsilia couldn’t help but laugh.

Covering his mouth, he simplified the explanation.

“Mages can conjure fire from nothing, create water, summon storms, or reshape the land.

It’s similar to the aura I wield, or the ‘Inner Energy’ you use, but different.

We enhance our physical abilities, while they manipulate natural phenomena.”

Even without asking, he knew Jaha still didn’t get it.

“Don’t you understand at all?”

Jaha slowly nodded his head.

“Yeah.”

Marsilia smiled gently and nodded.

“It’s understandable, since you’ve never seen it before. You’ll understand when you see it later.”

“Is there a reason they aren’t offering support?”

“It’s a rather complicated story. Magic is a force that contrasts with divine power. As you know, Arhen is a holy nation, so it’s easy for magicians to be rejected.”

“Does that mean they are treated worse than priests?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

Marsilia placed a hand on Jaha’s head, intending to pat it. However, Jaha frowned and swatted his hand away.

Marsilia then explained the fundamental reason why the Mage Tower didn’t offer support. He told him how they had gained their independence in Arhen. Jaha nodded along as he listened to the background.

“So, the reason they can reject affiliation while being on Arhen’s land is because they have the power to do so?”

Marsilia snapped his fingers.

“That’s right. Back then, it wasn’t difficult for a high-ranking magician to wipe out thousands. I’m not sure how it is now, though. The magicians have been in seclusion for quite a long time.”

Jaha looked up at Marsilia with wide eyes, asking.

“How long has it been?”

“About… 700 years?”

Jaha looked at him, asking why they had left it alone for so long. Marsilia smiled quietly at his complicated question.

“There were several reasons. When they first declared independence, there were a lot of Sword Masters. So, it wasn’t really necessary to rely on the power of magicians. I wouldn’t have requested support either if it weren’t for this situation.”

“How many Sword Masters were there?”

“About thirty in Arhen.”

“And now?”

“Only Darren and I.”

Jaha’s eyes widened even further.

“Why has the number decreased so much?”

Marsilia chuckled and gently rubbed Jaha’s cheek.

“Because Arhen is no longer dangerous as it was in the past.”

“So, they got lazy with training?”

“Exactly.”

As the empire stabilized and the number of monsters decreased, the number of Sword Masters also significantly dropped. Could there be another reason for this?

“Tell me if there’s another reason.”

Marsilia frowned slightly as he looked at Jaha, who was clearly puzzled. He couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“I think you sometimes forget that I’m the Emperor.”

“What do you mean?”

“Since I was born, I’ve never met anyone as bold as you, demanding things like that.”

Jaha snorted without making a sound, so quietly that it was almost inaudible, but for some reason, Marsilia felt like he could hear a sarcastic laugh.

“I’m not from here.”

Marsilia suddenly laughed out loud at Jaha’s clumsy pronunciation. He laughed, his shoulders shaking, but when he regained his composure, he saw Jaha with a pouty expression.

“You’re forgetting something,” Marsilia said, leaning down and whispering as he kissed his cheek.

“Sable Dandelion. You’ve forgotten that you’ve become my subject, right?” Although it was a forced registration, he was indeed part of the Arhen Empire now. Jaha froze as if he had heard something unexpected. He quickly stiffened and glared at him with annoyance.

“So are you telling me to bow to you now, just because you’re the Emperor?”

Marsilia smiled slyly, “I’m just curious, Jaha. Why don’t you bow?”

“Umm…”

Jaha mumbled, shifting his gaze and muttering to himself.

“It’s a secret.”

Marsilia, who had been expecting an answer, opened his mouth in disbelief.

“I don’t want to say it.”

Jaha’s gaze suddenly sharpened. There was a determination in his eyes, as though it was some big secret.