Chapter 159

Just one word.

It’s not some grand code or secret.

“I see Ereniel in you.”

But that one word shook the princess’s heart and mind. On the way to the audience hall, Ardein was completely out of it. She was still baffled as to why her mother would say such a thing.

[I can’t take my eyes off that human since earlier.]

But even if she doesn’t realize it, others do. Sometimes, everyone around you knows something, but you remain oblivious until the end.

The Dragon’s Sword whispered to her. The dragon had noticed the princess constantly staring at that human since earlier.

Startled, Ardein looked around. But everyone was just walking their usual path. The dragon inside the sword replied.

[If you’re worried about others hearing, don’t be. Only you can hear me.]

Dragons are a magical race. But no matter how powerful their magic, without energy, it’s meaningless. Even a seasoned warhorse can’t move without hay, and the strongest man can’t flex his muscles without water.

Even if Azahadaka is a more powerful mage than any human, he still needs the corresponding magical power to cast spells. In his lizard state earlier, that was impossible.

Only after merging with the Dragon’s Sword and making the Dragon Heart fragment within his own could he manage to use some of his abilities. That’s why the dragon felt pitiful. He lamented his own fate.

The heart thief, Yanid, is the exact opposite of this dragon. She has an abundance of power but no skill to use it. It’s not that she lacks it; she just doesn’t have it. She knows nothing about magic.

If she were to enter the Magic Tower and learn, she could easily seize the position of the next tower master, Parnell. But whether she has such intentions is another matter. Anyway, Azahadaka has given up by now.

Recapturing Yanid’s body, whose whereabouts are unknown, is impossible. Just searching for her in this vast world is a challenge.

Even if found, the heart thief has already fully integrated the heart into her own. The infinite energy it produces now belongs entirely to Yanid.

What then? Beg and plead for her to return the body? What lunatic would hand over control of their body out of pity for someone else?

Once given, there’s no hope of getting it back. After all, one’s body isn’t something to be handed over lightly.

It’s a miracle she hasn’t been trampled to death. So, for her, there’s only one hope left: the Firefly Meringue. That hope keeps her from causing trouble and staying quiet.

But being quiet on the outside doesn’t mean she’s calm inside. Seeing those born later than a single scale of hers speak rudely, Ardein seemed like an angel in comparison.

Anyway, Ardein, as a descendant of dragons, revered dragons as her ancestors.

This is the royal family’s tradition. They take pride in being descendants of dragons. Naturally, they treated Azahadaka, also a dragon, with respect.

Acknowledging him as an equal to their ancestors and showing proper manners naturally pleased him. No dragon dislikes a respectful attitude.

“…You’re mistaken.”

The princess whispered. The black dragon didn’t ask further.

Ardein also set aside her complicated thoughts. She had a habit of escaping problems with her sword. Even when war didn’t go well, she swung her sword. When the economy worsened, she swung her sword.

Swordsmanship is at least honest. Hard work yields results. Unlike politics, where effort doesn’t always lead to success, and sometimes one can coast by.

Some people work hard and still fail, but she had innate talent and aptitude. People naturally enjoy what they’re good at. And now, her interest in swordsmanship was waning.

‘No progress.’

The higher the realm, the harder it is to take even a single step forward. Even trying to advance through the Phylogenetic Seedling, an easier method, increasingly demands more achievements.

The end is stagnation. If one could grow infinitely stronger by just putting in effort, there wouldn’t be anyone in the world who hasn’t reached Master level. At some point, advancing further becomes too strenuous.

For some, Expert is the limit, and most can’t even reach that. Many spend their lives training magical power but remain at the Mana User level.

If stagnation comes at the Master level, it’s a blessing. How many never even come close to Master?

[You look troubled. This time, it’s a different worry. Do humans always have so many worries?]

The princess nodded with a dejected expression. Before meeting Yanid, she had hidden in the Dragon Vein for days to train, but nothing had changed.

She had grown stronger from training, but her realm hadn’t advanced at all. The point was, her limit was here.

An Expert becoming a Master is like a river flowing into the sea. A Master becoming a stronger Master is like a small sea becoming a vast ocean.

Both are difficult, but the latter is harder. Having condensed one’s life into their own Power Techniques and reached Master level, advancing further is daunting.

[Are you trying to erase worry with worry? How pointless.]

So she vented. Whispering secretly to her sword.

The dragon inside the Dragon’s Sword looked at the princess with pity. Still, she was the only one who could offer advice in this situation.

The Empress knows nothing about swordsmanship. Kyle has no such knowledge. Roka, having just reached Master level, is in a position to ask questions rather than answer them.

Kisea… was utterly unreliable. Though she had reached Master level long ago, it was doubtful she could provide any useful answers.

Of course, the dragon has no interest in swordsmanship either. This dragon had no interest in human training realms. After all, they’re just humans. No matter how strong they become, they can’t reach dragon level.

[You’re human. A human with a bit of dragon lineage. Dreaming of becoming a dragon? Your so-called Dragon Form Technique is just an imitation of dragons.]

Actually, that’s not the case. Dragons and humans. Though their beginnings differ, their ends are unknown.

No one knows who can go further. But one thing is certain: humans can’t surpass dragons by imitating them.

Can a human surpass a fish by imitating its swimming? How can one catch up to what was born that way?

The Dragon Form Technique is an imitation of dragons. It proved its limits by being trampled by Yanid, who was only somewhat dragon-like.

Having one’s life’s culmination, their own Power Techniques, be an imitation of dragons is nothing to be proud of.

An Expert can take pride in that. But a Master shouldn’t. That very limitation was binding the princess.

“An imitation… of dragons.”

[Seek human methods from humans. One thing’s certain: sticking to your current path, even with my assistance, you’ll never surpass dragons. If you meet that Yanid again, you’ll surely lose. That’s a fact I can prove.]

The princess took those words to heart. There was some overlap with Leyman’s advice.

Thinking of seeking Leyman’s quiet guidance again, the princess soon arrived at the audience hall. The group briefly glanced at the note on the door labeled ‘Saint’s Envoy.’

“Princess Ardein! Empress! I will immediately inform His Majesty. Please wait a moment.”

The knight guarding the door recognized the faces, bowed deeply, and rushed inside. Ardein soon realized people’s gazes weren’t so kind.

Their eyes even held some reproach. But the princess had no words to say.

A princess, holding the position of Captain of the Royal Guard, had fainted in the Dragon Vein and only now appeared. She felt wretched just thinking about it.

How her father and the ministers viewed her was obvious without seeing. Roka watched the princess intently from behind. The girl still hadn’t created her own Power Techniques.

She hadn’t even grasped what kind of Power Techniques to create. So she had been closely observing the Masters around her, Kisea and Ardein, but without much success.

In fact, neither seemed in a position to teach her anything.

“Maybe I can win…”

Muttering to herself while watching them, the Light of the Sunset Power Technique flickered briefly.

It wasn’t her own Power Technique but one passed down entirely by someone else. The Sunset Slash is Heron’s technique, and this Annihilation Power Technique arose from the sunset imagery Heron left behind.

Not just that, there was another Power Technique. The Sun and Moon Power Technique, born from the enlightenment gained at Duke Shimira’s bathhouse. And that’s not all. The Moon Spirit Power Technique, derived from the enlightenment of the Moon Maiden while wielding the Moonlight Blade, was also usable.

The girl, greedy, wanted to create her own Power Technique encompassing all these. She frowned at Ranga, thinking him materialistic, but Roka was also a wolf at heart.

She just desired different things. If Kisea sought power and wealth, Roka craved pure strength itself. Her greed was by no means small.

Of course, having great greed doesn’t guarantee good results. Combining all these Power Techniques would only create a messy, incoherent blend.

Whenever that happened, instead of sighing, Roka clung to Kyle. It helped her recover her weary spirit.

“I see Ereniel.”

Seeing Roka clinging like a vine and giggling, the Empress shook her head.

“But that child doesn’t seem similar to me at all…”

She just sighed. At least she hadn’t tormented the concubines the Emperor brought in.

That child probably wouldn’t do such things either. The similarities end there. It was clear Roka would draw her sword before resorting to sinister harassment.

Still, being a wolf, she had a somewhat goofy side, so maybe there’s a way to exploit that.

The Empress muttered. She couldn’t rest easy worrying about her daughter.