Chapter 14: The Golden Promise

Several days had passed since I was banned from snacks—or more accurately, from any food “burdensome” enough to strain my body.

I mean, seriously, why did I have to retch right then…? Hello? Goddess…?

Whenever I thought back to that moment, I felt like I would go mad with frustration. I was so indignant that I spent my time kicking the air beneath my blankets, yet my anger remained unappeased. I was in the middle of writhing under the covers when I saw a servant returning with Ilya. I immediately straightened my posture.

“Ah, Ian. You happen to be awake.”

Ilya approached the bed and spoke.

“Ilya? Aren’t you busy…?”

I checked the clock; it was still the middle of morning administrative hours. Ilya had been thrust into the position of Prime Minister after the previous one was purged, and he had spent the last year in a whirlwind. Even now, he always seemed busy processing a mountain of tasks.

I found out later that while he was busy, Ilya was personally managing the Ministry of Finance, which had been embezzling funds originally meant for the orphanage. He had briefly appointed a temporary minister after hearing my story but decided to take over the role himself until he could find someone truly trustworthy.

“I have enough time to come see you for a moment.”

Ilya sat in the chair beside the bed, his eyes curving into a smile. I felt his meticulous touch as he checked if I had any discomfort, pain, or needs.

I followed Ilya’s movements with a dazed gaze. My body had always been on the cooler side, but since my return—whether it was the Goddess’s arrangement or something else—it had become so severely cold that even I was a bit worried.

Perhaps because the sweat from my tantrum under the enchanted warming blankets hadn’t dried yet, Ilya wiped my neck with a warm damp cloth, murmuring worriedly.

“It seems you are still in a great deal of pain.”

“No, I’m… fine.”

Of course, a cough tried to escape right then. As I suppressed the tickle in my throat, a rasping sound came out instead. Ilya’s brow furrowed deeper, clearly convinced I was just enduring the agony.

“Just a moment… I’ll wipe the back of your neck. Your clothes are damp with cold sweat. I’ll tell them to bring a change of clothes.”

“Um, Ilya.”

“Yes.”

“I’m really okay.”

I truly was. In fact, looking at the dark circles under Ilya’s eyes that had reached his chin due to constant overtime, it felt like he was the one who should be in the hospital bed.

Ilya suddenly frowned with a look of sorrow and spoke in a low voice.

“Do you still find us untrustworthy?”

I tilted my head, a mental question mark floating over me at his non-sequitur.

“Ian, you don’t have to pretend to be okay in front of us.”

After staring down at me for a while as if weighing something, Ilya finally sighed and spoke.

“I just received word from Mitchell. The communication orb should be fully charged by now.”

A servant brought the orb, and after connecting with Mitchell, Ilya held it up for me.

[Ian! It’s been so long.]

“Mitchell. Have you been well?”

[Haha, I’m always well. You might not remember, but it’s already been a month and a half since I last saw you.]

“Yes, it feels even longer for me.”

[The Goddess visited my dreams early this morning. She said she wished to see you.]

“The Goddess did?”

[Yes. I contacted Lord Ilya and we agreed it would be faster for you to speak with Her directly. Ian, do you have time today?]

Time was the one thing I had in abundance. So, the Goddess was finally calling. She had said she would reach out about once a month.

“Yes. I can, but…”

[Since the Goddess summoned you personally, it should be fine, but I must ask just in case: is your condition good enough to travel to the Temple?]

“I’m fine.”

As soon as the sudden trip to the Temple was decided, preparations were made with uncanny speed—almost as if they had anticipated this. When I looked curious, Zeimer, who was putting socks on my feet, answered curtly.

“The day you came out of that Holy Water, Felix said the Goddess would call for you again soon, so he’s kept everything on standby.”

Once I was dressed and ready, Ilya knocked on the open door right on schedule.

“His Majesty has decided to accompany you personally.”

“Isn’t Ilya coming? And why is His Majesty…?”

“I will stay behind. The Emperor and I cannot both be absent at once. Besides, only the Dragon’s power His Majesty possesses is truly helpful to you. He is going with you to prepare for any contingency.”

“But isn’t His Majesty busy?”

“No, taking one day is fine. Nothing is more important to us than you, Ian. This was decided a long time ago: His Majesty accompanies you on any external outings.”

I was carried out in Zeimer’s arms, where Felix was waiting by the carriage.

“Thank you, Zeimer. I’ll take Ian from here.”

“Take good care of him. Ian, have a safe trip.”

“I’m off. Since the Goddess called me Herself, I’m sure She’ll look after me.”

When I was handed over to Felix and entered the carriage, the interior looked quite spacious—likely due to a space-expansion spell. Opposite the door was a space laid out like a bed where I could lie down, while the other side had standard carriage seating.

“I personally cast a shock-absorption spell on it, so it shouldn’t be too bad,” Zeimer said, following us into the carriage and tapping his earring. It was an item made long ago using a drop of my blood.

“If things get difficult, call me. You know the way. Have a good trip.”

As I lay there looking up at him, Zeimer ruffled my hair and gave a broad grin. After one last look, he stepped out, and Felix closed the door.

I disliked Emperor Felix. To be precise, he was a bother. The Emperor was the greatest threat to my peaceful life. He kept trying to push titles on me, and looking at history, getting involved with royalty—whether dragons or emperors—never ended well for me.

But he was also my friend. I didn’t dislike Felix the person. In fact, I liked him. Regardless of his methods, he was someone who strove toward a righteous world.

“It’s been a while since you saw Mitchell, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, a very long time.”

As the carriage started moving, Felix, who had been sitting on the bench, moved down to sit on the floor to be at eye level with me. I was startled but didn’t show it, knowing he wouldn’t listen even if I told him to sit back on the chair.

The Temple was about an hour’s ride from the Palace. Throughout that hour, Felix sat on the floor, holding one of my hands and stroking my face with the other while he talked.

To Felix, my existence held many meanings. I was the darkness of the Empire that kept the secrets of the back alleys; I was a living sin of this world; I was a son of the Goddess supporting the Empire; and I was the war hero who ended the conflict. And to Felix, I was also the friend he failed to protect.

As a descendant of the all-knowing Dragon, Felix must have known. He knew I was broken beyond repair. Everything had become a struggle for me now.

“…Beyond that horizon lies a vast desert. Once you cross it, a lush forest appears. If you push through that forest for three days and nights, you’ll find a massive cave resembling the Primordial Mother. You must walk through the darkness of that cave for another three days and nights to reach the Dragon’s Canyon.”

I simply closed my eyes and listened to his story.

“When my father was poisoned by my uncle’s blood and my mother, having lost everything, leapt to her death before my young eyes… I felt something calling to my broken self. Yes, the Dragon called me.”

“…”

“It was so ecstatic that I thought I’d never feel that way again in my life. The feeling of an ancient dragon, a thousand years old, waking from a deep slumber and roaring toward me. At thirteen, I followed that resonance and crossed the treacherous wilderness alone for ten days to meet the Dragon.”

As Felix spoke, the grip on my hand tightened.

“Ian. Let’s go meet the Dragon together. The Dragon is calling you.”

When I opened my eyes, Felix’s golden orbs met mine. His pupils had already narrowed into thin vertical slits, like a dragon’s.

“I will be the one to save you.”