Taming the Protagonist

Volume 2

Chapter 98 : The Boy, Part Two

The office’s desk and chair, too large for me, made me look somewhat comical as I sat there.

But my focused, serious demeanor carried an awe-inspiring presence.

With Flamel increasingly absent, traversing the Zero Point Labyrinth, I had fully taken over Hydra’s Domain’s affairs.

Though my unreliable father was a hands-off lord, relying on subordinates, this allowed me, with their aid, to transform vast knowledge into practical experience and ability at a terrifying pace.

After finishing the last document and setting down the quill, I leaned back, exhaling softly.

“Saville,” I said, eyes closed, resting. “How’s the situation in Xilin City handled?”

Saville’s form appeared like a specter beside me, bowing: “As you ordered, Viscount Xilin was hanged at the city gate. Victim appeasement and compensation are underway.”

Saying this, Saville glanced at me, noticing a hint of relaxation and peace on my face.

For me, pouring all my energy into learning, growing stronger, and now managing Hydra’s Domain, the stability of order and the well-being of its people… seemed to bring me joy, a genuine sense of ease and pleasure.

As Saville thought this, I stood, hopping off the chair, and said: “I plan to inspect the southern end of the domain. Tell Mother I won’t be back for lunch.”

Saville nodded, vanishing from the office.

I walked to the door, donning a long coat from the rack, putting on a round top hat, and taking the fine ebony cane leaning nearby before stepping out.

Saville didn’t know that I wasn’t merely handling affairs in the study.

Though the memories from another world were like a vast library I could access, I, young as I was, didn’t see this as a reason to seal them away.

Knowledge only shows its true value when shared.

Of course, I had no intention of spreading it entirely, only preparing for it.

Using that world’s script, I recorded and compiled books I deemed vital, seeking talented individuals to nurture for future reforms.

Naturally, this was also to prepare for changing my own future.

My gaze deep, I walked steadily down the empty corridor, leaning on my cane.

The memories of that so-called “game” were vast and complex.

Most critically, I couldn’t skim them; I refused to miss a single frame or detail, making analysis slow.

[Heaven] [Truth] [Redemption] [Beast King] [Hydra] [New World]

These were the game’s six chapters, my rough research direction.

Naturally, I focused on the [Hydra Chapter].

What led me to become that future self, and what caused the lofty eternal divine to fall? I had to uncover this.

The original me, without these memories, differed little beyond being less mature and more lively.

Memories or not, I, Anselm Hydra, had the world’s best parents.

My research hadn’t yet surpassed my current timeline.

First, I’d spent much time verifying the memories’ truth.

Second… I feared pushing forward, dreading the horrific future I might foresee.

“Perhaps I should focus on the other heroes,” I mused silently.

“If I could kill them now… would that future be prevented?”

Though I mainly studied my own story, I knew a bit about the others.

“Celestial Wolf Empress, Hitana Lansmarlos; Truth Source, Mingfuluo Zege; Great Sin Saintess, Xin; Heavenly Will, Isha Zli…”

“Of these four, the key hero, Isha, can’t be located, so the best target is… Hitana Lansmarlos.”

I resolved to put killing the future Celestial Wolf Empress on my agenda.

Even if I couldn’t strangle the hero in the cradle, eliminating the dangerously powerful Beast King was a solid choice.

Having planned this, I didn’t forget my trip’s purpose.

I believed changing the future wouldn’t be limited to one method.

Improving the Empire might address the root cause.

Lately, this thought often surfaced, and I believed it firmly.

On this basis, I even considered—if I reformed the Empire before those heroes, everything might be prevented.

This was why, as Hydra’s Domain improved bit by bit, I felt at peace.

Planning the inspection, I crossed the corridor to the stair landing, but Saville hadn’t returned.

“…”

I tapped my cane lightly, guessing what happened, and looked up toward the special room where Elnilisa nurtured flowers, walking toward it.

At the door, I heard my mother’s indignant voice: “No way! He’s staying for lunch today! No, dinner too!”

“But Madam, the Young Master has planned…”

“The people are there; they won’t run off. Inspections can wait—Flamel never did this, so why should Asa?”

“It’s… the Young Master’s hobby.”

“Hah! So Asa would rather indulge his hobby than eat with his mother?”

“…”

Saville’s silence made me shake my head.

Without knocking, I pushed the door open.

“Mother,” I said, standing at the door with my cane, speaking gently. “Please don’t trouble Saville, and…”

I paused, continuing earnestly: “Father made this room’s soundproofing excellent. You don’t need to let your voice carry to show me you’re upset.”

“I’m even more upset now!” Elnilisa said, arms crossed angrily.

In the vibrant flower room, every branching plant mimicked her crossed-arm stance.

Saville looked at me helplessly.

I raised my cane hand slightly, and the old butler bowed to Elnilisa before vanishing, leaving us to “face off.”

“I’ll be back before dinner,” I said, still gently.

“Not even one meal less!” Elnilisa glared stubbornly at me. “I know you—out there, you won’t even think about eating properly!”

“I’ll report what I ate today, with Saville as witness.”

“You’re eating good food just to appease me? That’s even worse!”

Lady Hydra excelled at being unreasonable in a way that was maddening yet impossible to be angry at, only amusing.

After her outburst, Elnilisa sadly stroked a nearby flower, wallowing: “My husband disappears for months, returns briefly, then vanishes again; my son won’t even eat one meal with me. I’m such a failure, sob, sob…”

Despite her mature, elegant exterior, praised for her grace, she covered her face, weeping.

The flowers wilted, losing their vibrant sheen, tugging at the heart.

But I, the cold Hydra cub, replied in my still-youthful voice: “Only Father would willingly fall for your tricks, Mother.”

Elnilisa’s trembling stopped.

Through her fingers, a dangerous glare shot out, one that would make Flamel beg for mercy.

“Asa~” she said, smiling motherly. “So, will you stay and eat with Mommy?”

“…”

I opened my mouth, eyeing the flowers mimicking throat-cutting gestures, and sighed helplessly: “Fine, I’ll stay, Mother.”

Elnilisa’s radiant smile was truly captivating.

She lifted her skirt, ran to me, and hugged me joyfully.

“That’s my good Asa! So much better than your father, always running off these past couple of years!”

Though she badmouthed Father daily, Mother placed the freshest flowers in his study every day.

I didn’t say this, or I’d face her embarrassed wrath.

But… that’s why Father loved her so much, wasn’t it?

I closed my eyes, gently rubbing my cheek against hers, feeling the warmth that always calmed me.

I would protect this, no matter the cost, with all I had.

***

“…So, the lunch you wanted me to stay for,” I sighed, holding a knife and fork in an ordinary, unremarkable diner two or three kilometers from Hydra Mansion. “It’s here?”

All the patrons seemed to eat but were secretly watching me, the young Hydra, and Lady Hydra.

“You’d get bored eating the same stuff every day,” Elnilisa said, elegantly wiping her mouth, smiling slyly.

“And, Anselm, you actually wanted to come to a place like this, didn’t you?”

“…Hm?”

“To hear the people’s voices,” my mother, who knew me so well, said, propping her cheeks with a gentle smile. “That’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?”

After swallowing a piece of steak, I looked at her smiling face and said softly: “I thought you just wanted me to keep you company.”

“What, do I seem like such an irresponsible, selfish woman?” Elnilisa wiped my mouth with a silk cloth, humming proudly. “Your mommy’s pretty clever, you know.”

As she spoke, she glanced out the window.

Children peeking at her ducked down, startled, but soon peeked out again.

She smiled, pointing to her palm, urging them to look.

They glanced down, then beamed with joy, waving beautiful flower bouquets that appeared in their hands, shaking them at Elnilisa.

“Da-da!” Elnilisa laughed happily, gesturing a blooming motion, making the children laugh even more.

“See?” she said, raising her head proudly. “Not only smarter than you, but more loved too!”

Elnilisa Drenan, Flamel Hydra’s first and only wife, was deeply beloved by Hydra’s Domain’s people.

Unlike noblewomen who stayed in mansions, appeared only at balls, or hosted salons, Elnilisa spent her time with nature, sharing its beauty with the domain’s people.

Her gentle, approachable nature was flawless; everyone said Lady Drenan was the best Lady Hydra.

Well, Mr. Flamel was the best Hydra, and young Anselm…

Hearing Elnilisa’s words, I raised my brow slightly, set down my knife and fork, and said calmly:

“How’s Mr. Riley been lately?”

The diner remained silent, but many eyes turned to a bewildered, bearded man.

His friends looked at him with incredulity.

“Not just you, but your colleagues too—Mr. Koflo, Mr. Bilal, Mr. Matt… How have you all been?”

I turned, smiling at the men gathered at a nearby table.

“I… I…” Riley stammered, his voice trembling.

“I’ve been well, Young Master Anselm. Thanks to you, last month I took my wife and daughter to Maple City in the east. We had a wonderful time.”

I nodded with a smile, then looked at the men beside him.

As if waking from a dream, they responded—some excitedly, some haltingly—describing their recent lives under the envious gazes of others.

Without exception, they were all doing well.

“The construction of the eastern plaza in Hydra City was impeccable,” I said, raising my juice glass toward them. “I toast you.”

The ordinary workers were overwhelmed, not daring to raise the glass.

Riley, flustered, replied cautiously: “It’s our job, and you’ve paid us so generously… How could we accept your toast?”

I set down my glass, hands clasped before me, and asked gently: “Mr. Riley, have you visited the new eastern plaza?”

“Yes, yes, I have,” he said, still nervous despite my soft tone.

“What did you think?”

“…It’s great. My wife and daughter had a lot of fun there.”

“Then you must have seen more.”

Under Riley and his colleagues’ puzzled looks, I smiled: “You must have seen more children playing happily, more couples embracing and kissing, more families living in peace and joy.”

I approached the men, their faces flushing, and stood at their table.

In my ten-year-old form, with my youthful voice, I spoke with resounding conviction: “This is the achievement you’ve created, gentlemen. An achievement beyond gold, one I cannot repay.”

Turning to the other diners listening quietly, I said with fervent enthusiasm: “And not just the eastern plaza. I believe everyone here has contributed to this city, to Hydra’s Domain, making it what it is today.”

“Perhaps a single gray brick, a grain of ripe wheat, a piece of plain cloth, or even… a tender flower.”

Under increasingly fervent gazes, I felt filled with belief and strength—strength to defy and defeat even that future.

“Those may seem insignificant, and you were paid for them, but that doesn’t mean your contributions end there.”

“Bricks build mighty cities for stable lives, grains ward off hunger, cloth brings warmth, and even a single flower can bring someone peace and joy.”

“So why fear me, friends?” I said, showing a sincere, radiant smile. “It is you who have created your own lives.”

Then I turned to the men, their eyes brimming with barely contained emotion despite being decades older.

I beckoned my juice glass and raised it: “To the lives born from your hands.”

Riley’s thick beard trembled as he wiped his face, his eyes red.

In his forties, having wandered to Hydra’s Domain with his wife, he’d seen the ugliness of nobles, the scorn of transcendents, the weight of life.

He knew too well how great figures lied to maintain their lofty facades.

Yet he never doubted that the words from this ten-year-old boy were mere rhetoric.

Because he had received unimaginable pay for that project.

Because he had seen the people’s peaceful happiness in the plaza.

Because in my clear, radiant sea-blue eyes, he saw pure, burning emotion.

No noble coldness, no transcendent disdain—just a dazzling light, as if from another world.

Raising his glass, Riley replied, choking: “To life!”

The diner erupted in echoing calls: “To life!” “To life!”

Elnilisa, seated, listened to the diners’ passionate shouts, her face showing no surprise.

She propped her cheeks, gazing quietly at my back, feeling my smiling face even from behind.

Feeling my happiness, she thought there was no greater joy in the world.

In this jubilant sea, someone raised a glass, shouting: “To Anselm!”

The crowd quieted for a moment, looking at the golden-haired, sun-like Lady Hydra.

She raised her glass, smiling brilliantly, and they followed: “To Anselm!” “To Anselm!”

I turned, feeling my body lift.

A vibrant, sturdy flower cluster bloomed, raising me high.

I looked at my mother, who gazed at me tenderly, as if I were the world’s most precious thing.

***

That night, cooling off in the courtyard, Elnilisa exhaled softly.

“Today was so much fun, Asa,” she said, having dragged me around Hydra City to her heart’s content.

She smiled at me: “Were you happy?”

“I…” I began.

“No need to say,” she interrupted, rubbing my head gently. “I know you were happy. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you this happy.”

I closed my eyes, savoring her gentle touch.

“Asa, I’ve always been afraid,” she said.

“…Of what?”

“Didn’t I tell you once?” she said, stroking my head and looking at the starry sky. “I want you to be a kind person.”

“It’s like… after that day, you started pushing yourself harder and became less and less happy.”

“I thought it was my fault, that my expectations became your shackles.”

I said nothing, only gently holding her hand.

“But today,” she said, looking down at my beautiful sea-blue eyes, smiling with relief and joy.

“Seeing you so happy, I know… you truly want to change things, to improve everyone’s lives.”

“My wish didn’t become your burden.”

She hugged me gently, closing her eyes, murmuring contentedly: “That’s… so wonderful.”

I felt at a loss; though Mother often acted coy, she’d never shown true vulnerability before me.

I could only pat her back as usual: “Your worries are always unnecessary, Mother.”

“Even so, you’ve chosen a hard path, Asa,” she said softly, still holding me.

“A path not achievable by strength alone.”

“If you can’t keep going, give up,” she said, stroking my cheek tenderly. “More than anything, I want… you to live happily, Asa.”

“Or find a companion. Your father and I haven’t understood you well in this. With someone by your side, I believe, with your ability, you can keep going.”

I smiled: “Finding someone as clever as me is hard, Mother.”

“There’ll be someone,” she said, poking my cheek. “Don’t be too confident… though I think you’re the smartest too.”

She paused, extending her pinky to me.

“Let’s make a promise,” she said earnestly.

“If you ever reach a point where you can’t choose, where it’s so hard, so painful you don’t know how to go on…”

“You must, must, must live for yourself, understand?”

Facing this ominous promise, I hesitated: “Mother, with my ability, I won’t reach that point.”

“I know!” she glared. “But I also know how stubborn, how obstinate you are. When you want something, you skip meals, rest, girls, everything, ignoring everyone, just to do it well.”

“I think that’s a good trait, Mother.”

“It’s bad without balance!” she huffed, pinching my cheeks. “Will you promise or not?”

With my face ruthlessly kneaded, I reluctantly extended my pinky.

The touching promise ended with Elnilisa’s grumpy hook of fingers.

“Alright, alright,” she said, waving as if still annoyed. “Go do your thing. I’m stargazing; don’t bother me.”

I looked at my mother, head turned, gazing at the sky, and smiled lightly, standing to leave.

At that moment, Saville’s form appeared beside Elnilisa.

“Madam,” the old butler bowed slightly. “I must leave as well.”

“…What?” Elnilisa frowned, and my steps paused.

“The Master has found the key he sought. To ensure success, everyone is preparing to go, myself included.”

“Wait, then I…” Elnilisa’s words faltered.

She glanced at me, asking with concern: “All seven of you… will you be alright?”

Saville saw through her worry: “Rest assured, together we bring the Master to his peak. Even if you’re not by his side, your existence is his greatest aid.”

“Besides, even if not for protecting the Young Master… you must stay in this realm.”

Elnilisa froze, then frowned deeper: “The deepest part of the Zero Point Labyrinth?”

“Yes, even Peregrine can’t pinpoint it. You, as Head of Soul, must be the anchor to prevent that one-in-ten-thousand chance of failure.”

After a long silence, Elnilisa sighed: “Fine… so troublesome.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Hmph, when you see that jerk Mel, slap him for me. What’s he up to, being so secretive even from me?”

Her words made Saville’s expression shift subtly, but she quickly amended: “Never mind, don’t make it hard for you. Tell little Laurence to do it.”

“…Yes, your will, Madam.”

At that moment, Peregrine landed with a clear cry, greeting Elnilisa before turning to Saville: “You’re the last one, Saville.”

Saville looked at Elnilisa, who waved: “Go, and don’t forget to pass my message to little Laurence.”

Saville nodded, climbing onto Peregrine’s broad back.

The Head of Wind bowed again before soaring into the sky, heading to that unknown realm.

Elnilisa turned, looking at me, still standing nearby, not yet gone.

“Asa, it’s just us mother and son in the mansion now,” Elnilisa said in a pitiful tone, clearly aware I’d heard everything.

“Your father doesn’t want us anymore.”

“Mother, I’m not worried about Father. Please don’t worry,” I replied calmly, then turned to leave.

Elnilisa tilted her head, watching my quickening steps, and chuckled: “So worried… but always so stubborn.”

Her laughter faded, replaced by a trace of concern.

For the past year or two, Flamel had sent most of his Contract Heads to gather various materials.

Peregrine, the mainstay, shuttled between this realm and the Zero Point Labyrinth, seeking rare materials not found on this continent.

What he was creating with these… he hadn’t told anyone—not even me, his Head of Soul, his wife.

With Flamel’s Creator Spiritual Essence, he needed no materials for most creations.

What could require such extensive searches, spanning years, possibly longer?

“Mel… what are you trying to do?”

***

“Is even Saville going?” I murmured thoughtfully, lying in bed after washing up.

“Nothing has ever been serious enough for Father to gather all seven Contract Heads… but with them together, nothing should go wrong.”

I knew Flamel’s power better than anyone.

At the pinnacle of creation, destruction was effortless for him.

Even in the boundless Zero Point Labyrinth, he had no equal.

My father could crush anything.

Crush… everything.

Rustle—!

I shot up, my eyes trembling.

Father… could annihilate any threat, so where was he then?

Why, at that moment, was it I who inherited his power, not him?

The Empress was nearing her end, but Father’s soul was still whole and strong, with Mother as his anchor… He should live at least thirty more years!

Time… time!

I frantically searched my memories for the date of that battle where I died pathetically.

It didn’t take long to find: “Imperial Calendar… 1121.”

But now, it was only Imperial Calendar 1101!

In just twenty years, those so-called heroes ended everything?

Father… couldn’t die in twenty years!

Unless… unless—no, if he perished lost in the Zero Point Labyrinth, I couldn’t have inherited his power.

What happened, what happened…?

In a frenzied panic, I scoured my chapter for clues.

This fear overcame my dread of the future.

If this was imminent, I had to act immediately, immediately—

In an instant, the spark in my eyes froze.

I became like a specimen trapped in amber, devoid of any living breath.

Because I saw it, in that cursed game, the near future.

When Saville left, and all Contract Heads gathered with Flamel in the deepest Zero Point Labyrinth…

Five fifth-tier transcendents, never seen before, killed Elnilisa before me in 2.03 seconds using unknown means.

In that world, I watched my mother… vanish before my eyes.

Now, that future would arrive in my reality.

In three days.