Chapter 210 ·Black History (3)
Black History (3)
At last, when the installation of the warp magitech device was finished, a massive gate opened near the encampment.
Unlike the portable warp magitech devices distributed to soldiers, this was a large-scale gate of a completely different level, so it required a hefty budget to set up.
Because of that, unless you were of royal blood, large gates were generally not used.
Only those with authority on par with the royal family were allowed to use them.
In the Empire, the only ones with such authority at the moment were the special task force passing through the gate right now.
"Young master. Please duck down a bit."
"Ow, ow! It's hard to get through because of you, young master!"
Although it was called a large gate, it was still a magitech device designed for people to pass through.
A carriage could easily go through, but for massive creatures like dragons, there were many inconveniences.
"Huff, huff... I barely made it out!"
When Louis entered the gate with Rio, Rio ended up wedged in a gap due to Louis's size, barely making it through in the end, flailing about.
Not long after, Simon and Rozen, who came out at the same time, also complained at Louis.
"Young master, you need to lose some weight!"
"How are you going to get married looking like such a pig?"
"What did you say, you punk?"
Louis's chest tightened at those words, and he raised his voice.
"You brats think I gained weight on purpose? Just wait until I get my original body back.... Huh?"
Louis, about to make his way out of the gate, suddenly froze in confusion.
"What's wrong, young master?"
"Guys, help me."
When Rio asked, Louis made a horrified face.
"I think I'm stuck."
"......"
Simon and Rozen wore helpless expressions, clutching their heads. As expected, the passage was way too narrow for creatures larger than a human to get through easily.
Currently, about half of Louis's body was out, but the real problem was his belly fat. Rio, who grabbed his arm to pull him out, spoke up.
"You really need to lose some weight, young master."
"Damn it."
Just you all wait until I get my real body back. Harboring that grudge, Louis had no choice but to rely on everyone's help.
"You guys pull from the front, Pram and Victor, push from the back."
"Got it!"
The three who had already gone through the gate pulled Louis from the front, while Pram and Victor, who hadn't come through yet, pushed his rear.
In reality, if Louis used just a little strength, he could've ripped the passage apart and strolled out.
But if he did that, the warp gate might malfunction.
Since it was a precious magitech device that only someone like the royal family could use, it had to be handled delicately.
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three...!"
At the signal, pushing and pulling happened simultaneously from both sides.
While not on Louis's level, they all possessed superhuman strength, so delicate control was needed.
Luckily, because they were weaker than Louis—who always struggled with controlling his strength—they managed to pull him out without damaging the warp magitech device.
"Whew... finally got him out."
"If I knew it'd be like this, I should've just flown here."
"Don't say horrifying things. What if something happened while you were piloting with your feet again, young master?"
"Exactly. Taking the warp gate is much safer."
Having come out of the gate, Louis looked hurt by his teammates' muttering.
Not only was he terrible at flight piloting, but he couldn't even get through a gate properly because of all his extra weight.
'This is so unfair.'
I'll get my body back, no matter what. I will absolutely reclaim my human form.
Though Louis was wounded in spirit, the ordeal only stoked his passion to achieve that goal.
"Oh! You're here!"
No sooner had Louis emerged from the gate than Ferus, the headmaster, raced toward him.
Since it was Ferus who installed the gate, he had to be nearby.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"You're asking someone with a body like this if I'm hurt?"
"Well, I suppose you're right."
"By the way, what about the blueprints?"
"I have them here."
At Louis's request, Ferus hurriedly took out four blueprints.
"With this, all six are gathered! Our squad leader big sis has the last ones."
Just as Pram was celebrating, Silia happened to be passing through the gate.
"Big Sis! Welcome!"
"...."
"Big Sis?"
But something seemed off about Silia, as she came through the gate.
The look in her eyes was dead, and her lips were so dry she looked like someone who had just been dumped after twenty years with a lover.
"Did something happen?"
The moment Ferus saw her face, he was shocked and asked. What kind of shock could make a person wear such an expression?
"Stuff happened."
"She isn't the type to be traumatized by something as simple as the demon realm, though."
Ferus knew Silia's skills well.
She could compete with, or even surpass, his old friends Andrew and Paulo in their prime.
Back when she was still a rookie, she had even served as an officer of the 7th Legion.
So for her to be traumatized by the demon realm was odd.
"Elder Sister, hand over the blueprints."
"...."
"What are you doing? Give me the laundry."
Originally, Louis had held onto them, but as a big-bodied dragon, he couldn't store items properly.
So he entrusted them to trustworthy Silia, but she still seemed zoned out.
"Huh...?"
Then, as Silia made eye contact with Louis, her expression abruptly changed.
"My little brother!~"
Suddenly hugging Louis like he was her younger brother, Silia's actions startled Ferus.
At this point, he wondered if she'd eaten something wrong, almost wanting to check her state himself.
"Looks like I'll have to examine her myself. She might have hit her head during a fight, or inhaled some poisonous spores from weird demon realm plants that made her delirious..."
"It's nothing like that, so please don't worry."
If not that, then why was she acting this way?
"Huh? Old man."
All of a sudden, Silia made eye contact with Ferus and approached with the eagerness of a child.
"W-what is it?"
"Grandpa! Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I didn't..."
"Are you doubting me too, grandpa?"
Doubting her about what? And why had she suddenly dropped all her usual formal speech with others?
"Don't tell me you know my secret too, grandpa?"
Her expression turned eerie, and Ferus instinctively braced himself.
"This can't be helped. I'll have to silence you right now...!"
[Just go to sleep already.]
"Urgh...!"
At that moment, Frederick, hanging from her waist, intervened and stopped her.
[She needs to stay calm for the time being.]
Mirianne also turned into a sword radiating the same light, and put Silia to sleep.
"Hehehe...."
Bathed in the light, Silia wore a blissful smile and dozed off.
"My little brother... Hehehe...."
Murmuring weirdly in her sleep, she looked bizarre in more than one way.
"Anyway, with this, all six blueprints are together."
In the end, Rio had to pull the blueprints out from Silia's arms herself.
Now, the two they just collected and the four they had been gathering were assembled in one place.
"Looks like the highest dignitary has arrived."
Following behind, the Emperor passed through the warp gate with his soldiers.
Beside him, legion Commander Paulo was being carried on a stretcher, severely wounded.
"Father...."
"Estelle...."
Surprisingly, Estelle was waiting near the gate for the Emperor.
"Why are you here?"
"I couldn't stand still after I heard you'd set out without telling me. But your condition...."
Through the Mind's Eye, Estelle could vaguely sense the Emperor's physical state.
"How did you end up like this?"
Estelle burst into tears over the Emperor's worn-out body. Pushing himself to take on a task beyond human limits had left him exhausted.
"He could've just ignored those nobles and their nonsense...."
"I was prepared for this from the moment I took the throne. It doesn't really matter to me."
"But..."
The Emperor's lifespan had dramatically shortened. It was almost unbearable for his daughter, but why was her father still wearing such a gentle smile?
"I get how you feel, Estelle. But it's not all bad. Do you know why?"
The Emperor pointed at the special task force that had crossed the gate ahead.
"Standing before us are those who have saved this Empire more than once. Without them, would I be here, holding you right now?"
Ever since the special task force had subjugated Palmon, everything had started going well.
That had also been the catalyst for the Emperor breaking free from Orbel's brainwashing, a deed worthy of being called heroic.
"If they hadn't been there from the start, I'd probably still be in Orbel's clutches, showing you a cold, oppressive face."
For Estelle, that had been like hell. Even after the Emperor's brainwashing had lifted, she couldn't fully trust him for a while.
"If there are people who freed you and me from such a hell... then I could risk my life for them."
"Risk your life?"
"I bet you feel the same way, Estelle."
The Emperor pointed to Rio, one of the special task force.
Estelle, seeing Rio doodling on the sleeping Silia's face, realized what he meant.
"You've long harbored an overwhelming affection for that girl. Shall I guess the reason?"
"You're right."
Estelle didn't deny the Emperor's words. She felt the same way herself.
That intense gratitude toward those who'd saved her. The feeling that she'd do anything to repay that debt.
"If the girl you idolize was pelted with stones by the people, I'd probably be sad too. We truly are father and daughter after all. Hahaha!"
Estelle could understand why the Emperor, even at his own expense, wanted to do whatever he could to help them.
"Father."
So Estelle asked,
"If I'm forced to succeed the throne, could I become a leader like you, father?"
At Estelle's invigorated expression, the Emperor smiled proudly.
"That depends on you."
Before long, all six blueprints were gathered in one spot, and the special task force, Ferus, and the Emperor sat in a circle around them.
"What do you think, Ferus? If we forge the artifact with these, can this boy be restored to his original state?"
"I've already finished decoding the blueprints, so it's possible to make it, but since I haven't worked with an ancient artifact before, it may take a while."
When Ferus said it'd take at least over a month at best, Louis wore a worn-out expression.
[Don't worry about that. We'll help you.]
[With our experience using the artifact, it shouldn't take as long.]
"Really?"
From Silia's waist, where she still lay collapsed, Frederick and Mirianne offered their enticing proposal.
"Thank you both so much!"
Even as an old man, Ferus's passion for knowledge remained unquenched, and he was deeply moved.
[A youngster, yet so full of vigor!]
[We really like you!]
"Hahahaha! You flatter me!"
Having an old man treated like a child by legendary figures felt a bit awkward.
"Why are you guys making those faces?"
Unable to shake off the unease, Ferus puffed out his cheeks at the awkward expressions of the special task force.
"Act your age, grandpa."
"Quiet!"
At Rio's blunt comment, Ferus barked in annoyance. Indeed, compared to those two legends, Ferus really was like a child.
"By the way, young master. Are you just going to leave those guys alone?"
At that moment, Rio pointed toward an empty thicket.
"I was just about to call them over."
Of course, Louis had already sensed who was hiding nearby.
"Isn't that right? You two from the East Continent."
Rustle—
As the bushes shook, Yugwang and Kaid cautiously approached.
"Um... we were just curious."
"We absolutely didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"In other words, you did eavesdrop."
Cast out even from the East Continent, the two had nowhere else to go. That was why they were allowed to stay in this village for now.
"But I told you to stay only until today, didn't I?"
"Yes... we actually came to ask about that...."
"Honestly, it was just too scary..."
Indeed, anyone would be frightened coming face to face with Louis's new monstrous body.
"Huh?"
Just then, the six blueprints began to emit light.
At the same time, something inside Kaid's arms also started glowing.
"The manual..."
The Blood Sword Technique manual from the East Continent and the six blueprints began to resonate with each other.