Reincarnated Dragon Goes to the Academy!

Chapter 111 : The Emperor

"Your Majesty."

The place the leader had quickly teleported to was none other than the Arant Imperial Palace.

"Yes. What brings you here?"

The emperor's expression as he looked down at the leader kneeling before him was dry. It was a look as if he were looking down at a lowly creature that was not worth his attention.

"The bead has been broken."

"...Is that so?"

At the leader's words, the emperor, who had been leaning back comfortably, slowly sat up as if he had finally found something a little interesting.

"Yes. Look."

"Hmm... so it has turned to dust... interesting."

The corner of the emperor's mouth curled up with interest as he looked down at the handkerchief he had spread out.

"..."

"So?"

But that was only for a moment.

The emperor soon raised an eyebrow and asked dryly.

"It seems to be the work of a dragon."

"...A dragon."

At the word 'dragon', the emperor's expression quickly turned cold, and then the sound of his teeth grinding could be heard.

"..."

"A dragon... those damn lizard bastards are blocking my way again."

How many people in the world could say this about the dragons, who were called the strongest creatures on earth?

But the leader, who was kneeling before the emperor, nodded his head as if he understood all his words.

"Yes. That's right."

"Right... what should I do with those damn reptiles?"

"...It is right to execute them."

At the emperor's question, the leader quickly raised his head and tried to curry favor with the emperor.

"Khahaha! Execute... execute... you bastard, have you still not come to your senses?"

But at the leader's answer, the emperor burst out laughing and then drove him into a corner with a cold, low voice.

"T-that's..."

At his appearance, the leader, as if he had made a mistake, quickly bowed his head and pressed it to the ground.

"Do you think a bastard like you can even open your mouth in front of a dragon... no, a hatchling?"

"..."

The leader couldn't say a word. He also knew well what kind of creature a dragon was.

A dragon was a being that could easily wipe out an empire by itself.

A being that humans could not stop, no matter how much they tried to stop them by joining forces.

Humans called the dragon's anger a disaster.

"I'm at a loss for words. Who knows the trace of that bead?"

The emperor, who had clicked his tongue at the leader's appearance, got up from his seat.

"So far, it seems to be only a few priests who are in the church."

"And the mercenary guild that was in charge of the transportation... what happened to them?"

The leader flinched at the emperor's question.

According to the priest's report, all traces had been erased, so he did not know exactly what had happened to them.

"...They are all dead."

But a lie to escape the moment came out of his mouth first.

"Then no outsider knows where that bead came from?"

"Yes."

It couldn't be helped now that things had come to this. How could he take back his words when he was in front of the person who was standing before him?

"Are you sure?"

"..."

But the emperor was not easy either. As if he had already guessed what had happened.

"I asked if you were sure!!!"

A roar burst from the emperor's mouth at the leader's lack of an answer.

"T-that's..."

The leader, who had been frozen by his roar, pressed his already prostrated body even more to the floor.

"You've gotten fat. I brought a dead man back to life and made him stand above humans..."

As the emperor's growling voice filled the room with anger, the leader's body began to tremble like an aspen tree.

"Y-Your Majesty..."

"How dare you try to ruin things...?"

As the terrified leader pressed his forehead to the ground and trembled, the emperor's voice began to be filled with anger.

"P-please... mercy... mercy..."

The leader knew very well what was about to happen to him.

"Mercy..."

-Saaak

As a dark red beam of light began to extend from the emperor's hand, the leader put his hands together and began to pray.

"Ugh... Your Majesty! Please, please..."

But even at his desperate gesture, the dark red beam of light slowly began to head for his fingertips.

In the end, as the black beam of light touched his fingertips, the leader's hand began to age in an instant.

"Ugh...! Your Majesty. I will do whatever it takes, whatever it takes..."

The leader's appearance, unlike at first, looked to be in his late 30s. But as the dark red light ate away at his hand, his hand began to age in an instant.

The fine wrinkles were like dried tree bark, and age spots bloomed everywhere.

"What in the world can a bastard like you do?"

"Khuk... please..."

The leader's face, who was looking down at his instantly aged hand, began to contort with pain.

"I shouldn't have brought a bastard like you back to life..."

The black beam of light that had bloomed from the emperor's fingertips began to gradually swallow him, starting with his hand.

"Please... please..."

The leader, who had changed from a young man in his 30s to an old man in his 70s in an instant, looked so old and frail that it would not be strange if he died at any moment.

"Khaha! Right. That's a look that suits you."

A satisfied smile appeared on the emperor's lips as he approached the leader, who had now become an old man.

"Right... it suits you very well."

"Ugh... Your Majesty...!"

The leader's voice had now also become that of a 70-year-old, and a sound like scraping metal began to come out.

"Right... you're still useful for now..."

The emperor who raised his hand and withdrew the black beam of light.

At that, the leader let out a small sigh of relief.

"Go. Next time... I'll let you return to the earth as a corpse."

"Thank you... thank you..."

Even at the emperor's cold voice, the leader bowed his head several times.

"Just like the time I brought you out."

***

"No, father? Weren't you able to find it?"

Aman had followed Hasel, who had boasted that he could find it without the bead, but he was starting to get annoyed as there had been no progress for several hours already.

"I can find it."

Hasel was also annoyed. He had boasted so confidently, but if he couldn't find it, his pride would be hurt.

"Ha... should I give you a hint?"

Aman, who had let out a sigh as if he had no choice, poked Hasel's side.

"I don't need it. I don't need it."

Hasel, who had brushed away Aman's finger that was poking his side, silently cast a tracking magic again.

"Ah~ where was it that I picked up that bead~ ah, right! It was at the entrance of the Escar Mountains, wasn't it?"

"..."

At Hasel's disregard, Aman began to talk to himself loudly in the air.

"Hmm... who had this? Ah! Right! It was the Blue Wolf Mercenary Guild!"

"You crazy bastard."

In the end, Hasel, who couldn't stand it anymore, cursed at the back of Aman's head.

"Why are you doing that? I'm just talking to myself."

Even after being cursed at, Aman just shrugged his shoulders and didn't seem to be affected at all.

"Ah~ but there's a survivor among that mercenary guild~"

"...What?"

Hasel had tried to ignore Aman's crazy antics, but he turned his head and glared at him at the news that there was a survivor.

"And it's none other than the captain, they say?"

"You crazy bastard!? Why are you telling me this now?"

The captain of the mercenary guild is alive?

The person who knows who gave this item is alive!

And yet that crazy dragon had been following him for hours without saying a word, just sighing?

"Didn't you say earlier, father! That it's okay without that damn bead! And that you can find it without anyone's help!"

As Hasel shouted, Aman also shouted back, puffing out his chest as if he were frustrated.

"Ha! You're saying that now!!!"

Hasel, who raised his head and let out a breath as if he were at a loss for words at Aman's appearance.

"Huh? You're strange!? Why are you getting angry!?"

But Aman was sneering behind Hasel and provoking his anger.

"You bastard!"

As Hasel raised his fist high, Aman jumped back a step. But he was not the kind of Aman who would be scared and retreat like that.

"Yes! That's right! I am my father's bastard... gaaah!!!"

Aman, who was puffing out his chest and sneering, was finally beaten up by Hasel.

"Ugh! How in the world did I raise that bastard!!! It's all my fault!!!"

Hasel didn't seem to care whether steam was rising from Aman's body or not.

"Gaaah... ouch... isn't this domestic violence...?"

Even after being beaten up like that, Aman was twisting his body and acting up without rest.

"Shut up! Just guide me to that Blue Wolf Mercenary Guild or whatever."

Hasel, who was waving his hand as if he were tired of dealing with him now.

"Ouch... ouch..."

But Aman was slowly approaching Hasel and rubbing his sore spot.

"Do you want to be beaten more?"

"...No. The sore spot is all gone. Father."

At Hasel's low voice, Aman quickly straightened his back and stood at attention.

"Haa..."

At Aman's appearance, Hasel let out a long sigh that came from the bottom of his heart.

"Now, let's go."

Aman smiled brightly as if he were satisfied with Hasel's sigh and held out one of his arms.

***

They, who had arrived at the Rodrigo County, were standing at the entrance and waiting for someone.

'Will the Lord recognize my father...?'

The person he was waiting for was none other than Lucas.

Normally, he would have teleported directly to where Lucas was, but now that Hasel was with him, he couldn't do that.

"Ah, you're here. Lucas-gun."

"Hello. Dean."

Even at Aman's unusual greeting, Lucas received his greeting without much surprise.

'I knew it.'

Lucas had also noticed that something was strange when the servant who had come to his room had announced Aman's visit.

Aman, who had always come to his room directly without any notice, had called him politely? It was strange.

But as expected, Hasel was standing right in front of him.

"Ah, please say hello. This is..."

"Hello. Young master. I am Harin Teinos."

Hasel, who had stepped forward in front of Aman's outstretched hand, introduced himself first.

'Harin...? What a crappy name he's come up with?'

Lucas, who had heard his name, almost let his inner thoughts slip out.

"Ah, yes. Hello."

Lucas, who had suppressed his impulse and had bowed his head politely, and Hasel also bowed his head slightly.

"Ah, I'm sorry for coming so suddenly. Lucas-gun."

"Not at all."

Aman also smiled awkwardly, his eyes crinkling, as if he were also awkward in this situation.

"Is something wrong? For you to come so suddenly...?"

"Ah, it's nothing. By any chance... are the mercenary guild members you met last time here?"

Lucas let out a small sigh at Aman's question.

"They're not here."

"Pardon? They're not here?"

Not here? Aman had definitely brought them here, and considering their condition, they should have still been here.

"They left."

Aman's eyes widened at Lucas's words.

"They left!?"

Aman, who had shouted loudly without realizing it, took a small breath with a 'hup'.

"Yes."

Lucas, who was nodding his head slightly.

"Where to?"

"...They said they were going to a place where there were no traces of their comrades. I don't know the details."

This is a big problem. If he put his mind to it, he could find them quickly, but finding a person with no connections among the numerous humans was no different from finding a needle in a haystack.

"...Haa. When?"

"They left yesterday."

Lucas also roughly guessed why Aman was looking for them.

But since he was also suffering from all sorts of headaches, he hadn't thought that far.

'Damn it. I should have held them back! Or I should have at least left a mark...!'

But regret was always too late.

(End of Chapter)