Chapter 131

Chapter 131
## Chapter 131

“…I haven’t a clue what you are talking about. Did I ever claim to be in need of your assistance?”

Marius gave a vacant blink.

He tilted his head to the side as if he were genuinely baffled, putting on a performance so persuasive that one might truly believe it was all a simple lapse in communication.

Still, regardless of how perfectly he masked his features, he was unable to suppress the minute twitching at the corner of his brow.

“Now, don’t be so quick to discard me. Is this old man truly that untrustworthy? Despite my appearance, I am a man who sincerely desires your triumph.”

“You likely viewed me as a naive youth who understood nothing of the world beyond the borders of the Empire. You probably assumed that regardless of my gifts, I haven’t even seen twenty years of life, and therefore my ability to navigate the unexpected would be thin.”

Lucian did not give Marius a direct reply, choosing instead to murmur as if he were thinking out loud.

“You calculated that if you abandoned me, isolated and without help in a strange land, I would eventually submit to your desires, whether I wished to or not. Because before worrying about armies or anything else, a man must first ensure his own survival.”

“Now, listen here!”

“But you realize it now, don’t you? From the very moment I set foot here, I had absolutely no requirement for your help.”

Marius’s expression twisted as though he had been poked exactly where it stung the most.

Only then did Lucian meet Marius’s gaze directly to speak.

“You have already declared a prophecy regarding me. If you were to retract those words now, your own standing would shatter. No matter how I conduct myself, you are backed into a corner where you must continue to provide your support.”

“…!”

“In contrast, I have no motive to ask for your help. I am capable of overcoming the challenges by myself, and staying alive is not a difficult task for me. If anything, you are the one who must be concerned with my survival.”

Because if I am gone, there will be no one left to satisfy your fixation.

At those words, Marius tightened his grip, unable to produce a single counterargument.

Every word spoken was the absolute truth.

‘I was a fool.’

He had convinced himself that even if Lucian was the ‘Star of a Hero,’ he was still just a boy under twenty. He believed that if he remained by the side of this developing sapling and played the role of a wise mentor, it would be a simple matter to sway him.

Particularly in a foreign territory rather than the Empire, where he would be forced to depend on Marius for his very life, whether he liked the arrangement or not.

But now that the outer layers were stripped away, this wasn’t the mere sprout of a hero—it was a tree that had already reached full maturity.

Far from finding a crack to force himself into, Marius found himself in a spot where he had to plead for the privilege of resting beneath those very branches.

‘But there was never any other path from the beginning.’

Unlike Marius, who lived with the uncertainty of when old age might take him, Lucian had a long and luminous path ahead.

Even if Marius toiled in solitude to restore the Magic Tower, Lucian would not lift a finger to assist.

For Lucian, it was more beneficial to take the slow route and build a solid base of followers loyal only to him. He had no incentive to hasten the restoration of the Magic Tower just to satisfy the dying wish of an elderly sorcerer with whom he shared no genuine bond.

‘So this is my final opportunity.’

Even if it resulted in making Lucian his adversary, he had to secure a piece he could use to manipulate him.

If he stumbled here, he would never survive to witness the day the Magic Tower rose again.

He was aware he was being a burden to his junior, but a fixation is not a thing that listens to the voice of reason.

Marius hardened his heart and focused on Lucian.

“Yes, you are correct. I am no longer of any benefit to you in the conquest of the frozen wastes. However, just once—during the upcoming test—you will find me necessary.”

“The upcoming test? Are you claiming to know the nature of the trial?”

“Naturally. Since matters have reached this point, there is only one possible trial Ivar can present.”

Marius offered a sharp, cold grin as he met Lucian’s inquisitive look.

“He intends to utilize the Dragon’s Heart to tear you into pieces.”

—

The Chieftain’s firstborn, Einar, held his father, Ivar, in high regard.

To be certain, his father possessed many shortcomings for a man considered a flawless combatant.

He was consumed by a thirst for power, had no patience for those who challenged him, and was so set in his ways that he never strayed from his declarations.

But despite those many flaws, Ivar remained the most formidable warrior in the frozen wastes and the most relied-upon Chieftain.

‘In those days, I believed Father was the most powerful person on earth.’

Einar offered a weary smile as he thought back to the combat that had occurred earlier that day.

It was a clash that had entirely dismantled the definition of the ‘most powerful warrior’ he had carried in his mind until this moment.

From the simple fact that the fighter was a woman, to the realization that a mortal could achieve such heights.

Every detail was a jarring revelation, and naturally, his father lost his standing beneath her in his eyes.

Even so, Einar’s admiration for his father did not fade.

Einar had watched his father rule from the peak of the mountain since his youth.

Even if a new figure appeared above the clouds, it was merely a reason to give more admiration to them; it wasn’t a reason to discard the respect he already felt for his father.

However, even for a man like Einar, his regard for his father was beginning to falter now.

“What was it you just said?”

“Did you fail to hear me? I said I would offer you a portion of the Dragon’s Heart.”

“A portion…?”

Einar was unable to go on and gazed at his father in disbelief.

Only the Chieftain was permitted to go near the Dragon’s Heart.

No other soul was ever allowed to set foot in the Holy Land.

Yet Ivar was attempting to shatter the tribe’s traditions with such ease.

“I plan to lead you all into the Holy Land tomorrow. Under the guise of determining whether the Dragon’s Heart recognizes your presence. You will go into the Holy Land and take in the energy within the Dragon fragment.”

“Wait, please hold on for a moment. What do you mean by that? Take in?”

“The Dragon’s Heart continues to hold the Dragon’s strength. It is far too vast to take in entirely, but one can claim a very tiny piece.”

“How are you aware of such things, Father?”

“Because I, too, have drawn strength from the Dragon’s Heart.”

“…!”

Einar felt as though a heavy mallet had been brought down on his skull.

Did this imply the Dragon’s Heart wasn’t merely a holy object preserved to pay tribute to their forefathers?

“Do not get the wrong idea. It was only during my time that we became capable of employing the Dragon’s Heart. The forefathers before me didn’t even understand how to make use of it.”

“Make use of it… what occurs if one consumes a Dragon fragment?”

“You attain unrivaled strength. You become more durable, swifter, and more powerful than any other. Of course, that only happens if you take the correct amount. If you become too thirsty for power, your physical form won’t be able to contain it and will be ripped apart.”

Having explained that much, Ivar went quiet for a second with a pained look and whispered.

“Now that I think about it, I misspoke. I should say ‘more powerful than any other, with the exception of a few monsters.’”

Einar could see that Ivar was dwelling on Felicia, just as he was.

He must have felt a sense of defeat, having taken pride in becoming the ultimate warrior after securing the Dragon fragment, only to be bested by a woman younger than his own offspring.

However, Einar felt no pity for his father.

If it were a level of power he had cultivated himself, that would be one thing, but what cause was there for bitterness over strength plundered from a Dragon’s corpse?

“Father.”

“Speak no more.”

Ivar cut Einar off with a stern tone.

“You have always been an uncompromising man. You were especially fixed on the traditions. Naturally, you won’t care for the offer I’m making now.”

“And yet you approached me anyway, being aware of that.”

“I am the Chieftain. It is my duty to utilize every tool at my disposal for the stability of these frozen wastes. I cannot surrender this territory to outsiders merely to protect your sense of honor.”

“That’s…!”

“I have already had words with Brunda.”

Einar, who was ready to argue, hesitated.

Brunda was preferable to Gormsen, who had no regard for pride or anything else, but Brunda also had a habit of prioritizing utility over all else.

If he had been told the way to claim a Dragon fragment from Ivar, he would certainly follow through.

It would be pointless for Einar to attempt to uphold his pride by himself.

“If you refuse to listen, do as you please. However, in that case, do not so much as graze the Dragon’s Heart. The instant you handle it incorrectly, the massive energy will rip your body into ribbons.”

“Sigh.”

A brief breath escaped Einar’s lips.

It wasn’t difficult to take comfort in the hollow satisfaction of being the only one to keep his pride.

But in that scenario, the title of Chieftain would undoubtedly pass to Brunda.

If Brunda, who would gladly agree to such a plan, were to lead the tribe, what would happen to their destiny?

That was his singular worry.

‘Must I accept this shame for the sake of the tribe’s survival?’

Einar gave a self-deprecating smile as he turned the thought over.

It was difficult even for him to discern if the thought was genuine or merely a convenient justification.

Having come to a conclusion, Einar met Ivar’s eyes.

“Explain the process to me.”

At his firstborn’s agreeable response, Ivar broke into a wide smirk.

“First…”

—

“Control the relic in a particular fashion to govern the moving mana, then consume it, is that right?”

Having returned to the home of Gunstein, Lucian went over the process Marius had described.

According to Marius, if one managed the mana in this way, they would take in only the appropriate amount and receive only the advantages.

He had added a warning that if the relic wasn’t controlled, the physical form would burst from the chaotic mana, making management vital.

—Ivar only captured the mana lingering on the outer surface of the Dragon’s Heart at most. But if you employ this technique, you can house a massive quantity of mana within your frame and tap into it whenever necessary.

To put it plainly, it was akin to keeping a massive portion of a powerful potion inside the body.

If things proceeded as Marius claimed, Lucian would become several times more potent than he was currently.

The difficulty was how much confidence he could place in Marius.

“Hugo, Felicia. What do the two of you make of that old man’s claims?”

“He is a man who cannot be trusted.”

“He is highly suspicious.”

The two provided the identical response almost at the same time.

Then, one by one, they laid out the logic behind their conclusions.

“I might have believed him if he instructed you to follow the same path as the Chieftain. But to propose a different technique, insisting it’s superior… isn’t that odd?”

“If complications arise after following a sorcerer’s instructions, Your Highness would be forced to rely on that sorcerer just to mend your body. He might be fishing for that.”

The faces of Helen and Colin turned red at the slurs against their teacher, but they were unable to provide any specific defense.

Even his own pupils no longer understood the path their master was walking.

Lucian let out a brief chuckle and confirmed the two’s suspicions.

“You’re right. It appears he tried to provoke my ambition in his own fashion, but he made far too many errors in his speech. It only serves to make me more wary.”

Housing a force powerful enough to make a human being burst inside the body?

There was no promise that such a massive concentration of mana would stay balanced forever.

If it were triggered all at once, his body would be destroyed, and even if it were tapped into slowly, he would be forced to endure the agony of his Path of Magic being shredded.

The path of a normal human would not be wide or robust enough to endure that much strength.

However, Lucian possessed a physical makeup that was quite far from normal.

“Raymond, what is your opinion?”

At Lucian’s inquiry, Raymond, who had remained silent until this point, broke into laughter and spoke.

“My best wishes, Your Highness. It appears we have finally discovered something to occupy the void left by the Nectar you wasted back then.”