After a long moment of silence, Tiamat who had been lost in thought seemed to gather herself and asked again,
[…Are you really not interested? Not even a little?]
“Well, having power would certainly be nice, but I don’t really need it.”
For someone like Yujin, who preferred a quiet life alone and an equally quiet end, power wasn’t a necessity.
If he lacked the strength to live quietly and ended up dying instead? Then so be it.
In the first place, it wasn’t as if the world was in chaos right now, so it wasn’t impossible to live peacefully without power. If anything, having power only increased the likelihood of getting caught up in troublesome matters.
“That’s why I’m fine without it. I’d recommend looking for someone else instead.”
[Wait, wait just a moment.]
Realizing that Yujin wasn’t bluffing to gain the upper hand in some negotiation but was speaking sincerely, she hurriedly stopped him as he moved to step away. She continued,
[Is there really any need to decide so quickly? As a mortal, wouldn’t you at least consider the possibility of eternal life…?]
“I doubt living that long would be all that fun. I’d rather just live out the lifespan I’ve been given as a mortal and be content with that.”
[But you haven’t lived that long yet, have you? It might be more fun than you think.]
“Hmm…”
At her words, Yujin unconsciously let out a wry smile before replying,
“By any chance, Lady Tiamat, are you growing tired of waiting here?”
[!]
The image of Tiamat flinching in surprise seemed to flash through his mind.
It looked like he had hit the mark. Yujin smiled faintly and continued,
“I understand. If I had been trapped in a place like this for thousands of years, I’d have gone mad too. So, how about this? I’ll take your heart out into the world and help you find a new owner for it there.”
[…Haah, that would be impossible.]
“Why is that?”
Yujin thought it was a fairly reasonable suggestion, but Tiamat firmly declared it impossible. When Yujin asked why, she replied,
[Of course, as you said, you could take my heart outside. However… even if you took my heart out and found a new owner, the heart alone wouldn’t be enough to transform their body into that of a dragon.]
“Is that so?”
[Yes. While accepting the heart would grant them the power of a dragon, they still wouldn’t truly be a complete dragon. Their mortal body would have to be reconstructed into that of a dragon. In the first place, a certain level of physical training is necessary to even accept the heart. To fully unlock the heart’s potential, the body must be that of a fully matured dragon.]
Well, it made sense. The very idea of becoming a complete dragon just by swapping out a heart seemed unrealistic.
“Then how does one create a body capable of accepting the heart?”
“Isn’t it right here? My bones, of course.”
“…Bones?”
At those words, Yujin looked at the bones spread widely around the altar. Tiamat explained further.
[Yes, using my bones as materials, I had planned to reconstruct the body of anyone who came here into that of a dragon.]
“Ah, I see…”
Only then did Yujin understand why she had said it was impossible.
Even just these colossal ribs seemed to stretch endlessly. If all the bones, from the skull to the tailbone, were included, just how enormous would they be? Was it even possible to carry them outside?
It wasn’t. At least, not with Yujin’s own strength.
[Moreover, some parts are buried deep within the Tomb itself… If you could take my bones along with you, your proposal might have been worth considering, but that’s simply impossible, isn’t it?]
“Indeed, that would be impossible. And I don’t think I could bring someone else back here, either.”
[That’s right. Once you leave… I will likely have to wait for an immeasurable amount of time again. So far, you are the only one to have reached this place.]
“Hmm…”
Hearing that, Yujin couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for Tiamat. If he had the means, he genuinely wanted to help her out of pure goodwill.
But still…
Something about this doesn’t sit right.
She had said she would hand over her heart to someone who followed her faithfully. But would that alone ensure the person would act as she wished?
How could one prove they were truly loyal to her? Even if they were loyal at first, what guarantee was there that their attitude wouldn’t change after gaining power?
There was no way Tiamat hadn’t considered such concerns. She must have prepared something.
Something that might even become a shackle around the recipient’s life.
Perhaps it was some kind of contract? Like a deal with a devil…
Such thoughts made it difficult to readily offer his help.
“I wonder, Tiamat. Shall we return to the earlier question?”
[Hmm? The earlier question, you say…]
“I asked whether you had the means to enforce your will on the one who consumed your heart. I mentioned that mere loyalty to you might not be enough.”
[That… I do have such a means. After all, I’m well aware of the risks of someone’s attitude changing.]
“I see.”
She acknowledged this without hesitation. It wasn’t something she could easily hide anyway.
“Does it take the form of some kind of contract?”
[Yes, it’s something like a contract. A pledge sealed by both souls.]
“A pledge sealed by souls… Hmm…”
It was a phrase that sounded more fitting for a wedding vow. The thought crossed his mind briefly before he shook his head to dismiss it and asked,
“What are the conditions of the contract?”
[First, I, Tiamat, offer my heart to the other party. At the same time, we become a single, united destiny, forging a bond between our souls.]
“And by a bond between souls, you mean?”
[Quite literally what it is. A contract binding our souls as one. If I were to form this bond with you, your death would bring about mine as well. The same applies in reverse. However, as I am already effectively dead, my death is unlikely. As long as you take care of yourself, there should be no issue.]
Indeed, from the moment someone consumed her heart, they would essentially become one with Tiamat. It didn’t seem like an unbearable problem. Yujin nodded his head and asked,
“I understand. What’s the second condition?”
[Second, I, Tiamat, transform the other party into a new dragon. At the same time, they must dedicate their efforts to liberating the dragons trapped in the labyrinth and restoring the dragons’ prestige to what it was before the Great War, in accordance with my conditions.]
“Hmm…”
To restore the dragons’ prestige to what it was before the Great War… If this truly was the world of the Labyrinth Academy, then gods must also exist outside.
But to restore the dragons’ status to their pre-war glory?
“Wouldn’t that be equivalent to provoking the gods? Frankly, I doubt they’d take it kindly. Even if I were to accept your contract and attempt to fulfill your conditions, I’m not sure it would be possible.”
[Of course, I’ve taken that into account. However, if we approach the gods with humility from the beginning, there shouldn’t be much of a problem.]
“Humility… I doubt the gods would see it as anything more than a temporary retreat before an inevitable advance.”
[Hmm? Do you really think advancing would be necessary? We’re not going to wage war against the gods.]
“…You’re not?”
He had thought that she would want to gather her forces again and take revenge on the gods since she lost the war, but was that not the case?
[Think about it. Even when our forces were strong, we lost the Great War, and after victory, over the long years, the gods grew stronger. If we now try to build up our strength again and challenge them, wouldn’t we be met with even more miserable defeats than before?]
“That is… right.”
[I’m not so reckless as to wage a war that I knew I would lose. Moreover, what happened thousands of years ago is thousands of years ago… It was a war fought for our very lives and survival, and now I’m not thinking about holding onto any favors. Above all, the ones who would end up being sacrificed in this war would be my children, right? I don’t want my precious children to perish in war. The Great War wasn’t something we wanted in the first place. We fought because if we didn’t, we would have died in the end.]
“…I see.”
She possessed a character more akin to a mother than to the leader of a faction. Come to think of it, the title inscribed on the door leading to her tomb was also “Great Mother”, wasn’t it?
Yujin noticed that she was more gentle and wise than he had expected, and nodded again.
She simply didn’t want her children to live a miserable life trapped in the labyrinth as they were now.
“Very well. Then what is the next condition?”
[That’s all.]
“…Huh?”
So, is she saying that the two conditions are the entirety of the contract?
[The conditions I desire are already all included within that. Therefore, there’s no need for anything more.]
“…Is that so?”
[Yes.]
“Hmm…”
Upon hearing that, he pondered for a moment. If what she said was entirely true, it might not be as bad as he thought.
To be honest, Yujin wondered if he even needed to make a contract. However, on the other hand, he felt a desire to help her, as she cared for her children like that. Perhaps it reminded him of his late mother.
Therefore, Yujin thought for a moment and decided to ask one more thing.
“In that case, Lady Tiamat, my final question.”
[Hmm? Is there more?]
“Yes, it’s actually my most important question.”
[Mm… Go ahead.]
In response to Yujin’s words, Tiamat adopted an attentive demeanor. Yujin spoke.
“Is there a different way to escape from here?”
[Ah…]
At his words, she let out a somewhat regretful voice. She said.
[Firstly, when the gods sealed my tomb in the labyrinth, they probably didn’t consider the escape of those who entered. But I roughly know. The gods already bestow blessings that allow you to escape the labyrinth when you enter it, right? So… if you go out with that, you can get out…]
“Unfortunately, I do not have that blessing.”
[Hmm?]
At his words, Tiamat was momentarily flustered and asked again. Yujin spoke.
“It’s a bit complicated to explain in detail… but I didn’t come here through ordinary means. That’s why I don’t have the blessing that allows me to escape the labyrinth.”
[…Is that really true?]
“Yes. So, I have a question. If I make a contract with you and become a dragon, will I be able to leave this place?”
At those words, Tiamat fell silent for a moment before speaking as if it were obvious.
[Do not underestimate the power of a dragon. If I transform you into a dragon, not only will you be able to escape this place, but you will also be able to leave the labyrinth entirely on your own.]
“I see.”
So that’s how it is. In that case, the decision was clear.
“Then I’ll do as you say, Lady Tiamat. How do we proceed with the contract?”
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