The Bright Protagonist

Lamier Weaver was bright.

He was so bright it made me wonder if he was truly the same protagonist from the novel I had read.

“The Emperor, Your Majesty… he was truly incredible.”

“Was he?”

“Yes! Have you ever seen His Majesty use his sword? Fire literally erupts from the blade! Wow, at first, I honestly thought it was magic. I never imagined such a magnificent aura existed.”

“I see.”

“I thought it was just a legend.”

Lamier Weaver gazed out the window with a dreamy expression.

Kallios must have killed people with that sword. Yet, Lamier did not speak of the dead. It was strange. The Lamier Weaver of the original work focused more on Kallios’s “lifeless eyes” rather than his red aura.

I didn’t dislike this change in Lamier. It meant my small, insignificant efforts had an effect. Besides, I quite liked the Lamier Weaver of “The Dragon’s Empire.” I had felt sorry for him—especially the way he couldn’t sleep due to nightmares.

The people who appeared in Lamier’s nightmares were those Kallios had killed. Deaths he had ignored for the sake of restoring his family, deaths he was forced to watch because he was weak, deaths he missed even when he had the power to stop them… death, death, death…

The more he experienced the deaths of others, the stronger Lamier became, and he grew just as unhappy as he grew powerful. Everything Lamier gave his heart to was eventually crushed by Kallios’s hand or other malice. Of course, there were one or two things he protected while risking his life, like a sprout growing in the ruins.

Someone might call that hope, but I wonder if it truly was. Did the original Lamier Weaver think of it as hope?

“Sir Weaver.”

“Please call me Lamier.”

“Fine, Lamier.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

He looked as if he would wag a tail if he had one. Watching his face as he waited for my words with a bright smile, I set down my teacup. Lamier caught my eye and tapped the cup with his index finger. Steam rose from the cooled tea.

“Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure, Your Highness!”

“You have a… very good personality.”

I muttered to myself, but Lamier smiled and replied.

“I am quite different from His Majesty, aren’t I?”

“Huh?”

“His Majesty and I are the same age. I thought you might have compared us. Was I wrong?”

The comparison I made was between the you of the original and the you in front of me. Since he wouldn’t understand if I explained, I just nodded.

“You’re right. That fellow… isn’t as social as you.”

“He is incredibly blunt.”

To describe that personality as merely “blunt.” Lamier Weaver truly seems to have a good heart.

To agree felt like a stain on my conscience, and to disagree felt like I was badmouthing my brother, so I simply laughed. Lamier laughed as if he understood everything and began sharing small anecdotes from the battlefield that were far removed from death.

At first, I was flustered by Lamier’s personality being so different from what I knew, but I soon became absorbed in his lively stories. It was quite entertaining. Who else but Lamier would tell me that Kallios once ate poorly cooked meat on a march and fasted for three whole days afterward? He would never tell me that himself.

“By the way, Lamier.”

Lamier, who had been pouring out words as voluminous as the monologues in “The Dragon’s Empire,” moistened his throat with tea. I waited for him to rest for a moment, then called to him before he could start another story.

“How did you end up going to war?”

“Ah.”

I thought he would start talking immediately, but this time it took a while for an answer to come. I waited patiently. Lamier rubbed his cheek while looking down, appearing somewhat bashful.

“Because I wanted to achieve military merit.”

“Merit?”

“As you know, this war was started solely by His Majesty’s decision. There was a lot of opposition.”

“I suppose so.”

It must have been. Even in the original, the war stalled due to opposition. They eventually set out, but it supposedly took an eternity just to reach the border because of territories that refused to open their gates or declared independence. At that time, Lamier Weaver was exploring a dungeon in the south, so the details weren’t shown… but one sentence stating that the number of Imperial citizens killed was greater than the enemy soldiers killed was enough to explain how messy the war against Apellion was.

“There were many nobles who refused to draft private soldiers. Especially those in the northwest.”

“Yes.”

“But… well, as you might know.”

“Hmm?”

“The northwest and the northeast do not get along.”

No, I didn’t know that. That wasn’t in the original.

“They have a monopoly on the trade routes over there.”

“Ah.”

“They use those trade routes as an excuse to drive monsters toward our side, too.”

“Right. That did happen.”

The downfall of the Weaver family was caused by a pack of monsters chased over by the knights of a certain Count from the northwest. Three villages belonging to the Weaver Barony were decimated, and the Viscount Weaver, who went to save the people, died then as well.

I thought that was a tragedy unique to the Weaver family. I didn’t know it was a common occurrence in the northeast.

“Those northwest bast*rds.”

Oops. Lamier covered his mouth and corrected himself with a grin.

“I mean, I thought it would be a good opportunity to do something those northwestern nobles would hate, and to get on the new Emperor’s good side… I thought it would be a great chance.”

Lamier also spoke about his past. His father’s death, the downfall of his family, the impoverished fief… I already knew the content, but hearing it from the person himself made it feel heavy. It was even more so because he spoke of it so casually with a smiling face.

I felt sorry, but I couldn’t apologize; I felt pity, but I couldn’t comfort him since he acted so unbothered. I just toyed with my teacup and asked.

“So. What about that Count?”

Lamier Weaver replied with the brightest smile he had shown so far.

“I tore him to death.”

I froze at the unexpected answer, then responded a beat late.

“I… I see?”

“And I fed the corpse to wild dogs.”

“That, that is… you truly did well.”

“Didn’t I?”

I simply shut my mouth.

The silence, which was relaxed for Lamier but felt like a bed of needles for me, ended after the teacups were emptied.

“Ah, right.”

“Yes?”

I was thinking I should send him away now that tea time was over, but I flinched. This guy. What story is he going to surprise me with now?

“Your Highness. You have the Great Seal with you, right?”

“Ah… yes. Because you told me not to let it leave my body.”

I pointed to my waist. I couldn’t walk around with a seal the size of my palm around my neck, so I was carrying it in a pouch attached to my belt. It was a bit uncomfortable having it dangle every time I walked… but he said if I consume this, I can go outside as much as I want. Lamier said it was okay to take it off briefly for a bath, but I even brought it with me when I stepped into the tub.

“Could you show it to me?”

I untied the string from my waist and detached the pouch. When I handed it over, Lamier immediately took out the seal.

“Oh…”

“It has turned a bit red, hasn’t it?”

The seal, which was pure white when I first received it, was now tinged with red. I stared at it curiously, so Lamier pushed the seal toward me. I carefully picked it up with both hands.

“This was the heart of a Water Dragon.”

“A Water Dragon?”

“Yes. But it is empty now. No device was set up to trap the water energy.”

The fact that this was a dragon heart and Lamier’s explanation were both fascinating. I turned the seal with the embossed dragon over and over before putting it back in the pouch.

“It is useless for water energy cultivation or as a material for magic items, but it will be a good medicine for you. Your Highness simply has a weak vessel to contain your overflowing fire energy.”

“So, with this, I’m… reinforcing my vessel?”

“Yes. Precisely.”

Lamier explained the plan. In two months, after the Water Dragon’s heart has become fully accustomed to the fire energy, it will be crushed and consumed. Then, Lamier will stay by my side to help reconstruct my heart…

“It sounds simple in words, but is that possible? How?”

I understood the principle roughly, but I didn’t know if it was feasible. Above all, was it safe?

I was tempted by the prospect of not just extending my life but even being able to go outside, but I didn’t want to take risks. I wanted to live as long as possible, even if it meant being frail. Ideally, until Kallios gets married and has two kids, and until those kids grow up and have their own weddings.

Sierra? Our princess promised to live with me forever. We didn’t hook pinkies, but… a princess’s vow is heavy, so she will stay by her brother’s side.

I took my hand off the pouch containing the seal.

“Ah, right. I haven’t told you.”

Lamier picked up an empty cup and handed it to me. Why this suddenly? My confusion grew the moment I took the cup. Clear water was filling the cup to the brim. Lamier looked into my eyes and spoke.

“They say I also possess the power… of a dragon.”

“What?”

“The Emperor told me so.”

What kind of nonsense is this again?

“He said my power originates from that heart.”

I thought only time was leaving me behind, but it seems the world is moving on without me too. I don’t know if this is the sin of being born weak, a result of transmigrating after only reading 150 chapters, my own stupidity, or the fault of the author for remaking the story completely differently from what I read.

“What it means is… I can control that as easily as my own limbs.”

I was simply unable to follow this development. It seems Lamier thought I was anxious. Lamier’s naturally soft way of speaking became even gentler.

“So do not worry, Your Highness.”

I have many things I want to ask, but let’s set them aside for now. That kid is treating me the way I treat Sierra right now. I didn’t want to be an immature adult acting spoiled toward a kid who is three years younger than Kaian’s age, and… anyway, much younger. I nodded slowly.

“You are doing very well. Just keep doing what you are doing.”

“Yes.”

“Once you are all better, shall we go see the sights together? You haven’t been to the market, have you?”

I’ve been there more than you, kid. In my past life, my house was right behind a market. I must have run while holding my breath because I hated the fishy smell a thousand times every time I went to catch the bus.

“We can look around the market together and watch a play. Eat street food, too. Ah. Shall we visit the Duchy as well?”

But I didn’t dislike Lamier’s suggestion.

The market of Caprese-na, the plays, my fief.

The things Lamier mentioned in a tone like he was reading a fairy tale were things I had given up on in this life. Well, ideally, I’d want to go with Kallios or Sierra instead of Lamier… but Kallios is the Emperor now so he’ll be busy, and it would be difficult to go far with young Sierra.

I attached the pouch containing the seal back to my waist. Lamier smiled as if I were being commendable. I scowled and then relaxed, annoyed that a mere brat was treating me like a child to the end.

“I’m not going with you.”

I knew this was just petty spite and a truly childish act. But so what? I’ve already been treated like a child enough.

“I’m going with Isaac.”

“Gasp!” Startled, Lamier slumped his shoulders and begged me to please take him along.

I rejected him quite firmly, but seeing Lamier biting his lip and whimpering while pretending to be pitiful to hold back his laughter was both funny and cute, so I eventually gave in.

“Well… if you don’t act insolent, I’ll take you along.”

I spoke jokingly but with sincerity, and this insolent protagonist fellow actually started laughing until he cried.

This brat?

I stood up and ruffled his curly brown hair into a mess. His laughter grew even louder. It must have hurt when the tangled hair was pulled by my hand. I don’t know if he’s just easy to make laugh or if it was so funny that he didn’t even care about the pain in his scalp. After letting go of his messy head, I sat back down. He stayed slumped over the table, his shoulders shaking.

Fine, laugh. Just laugh. Leaving him be, I took a sip of the water Lamier had made with “dragon power.” It had a subtle scent of the tea we had been drinking together.

By the time I had slowly finished half the cup of water, Lamier’s laughter stopped. Watching him pant to catch his breath, I slowly stroked his head this time. The Lamier Weaver of the original never had a reason to laugh like this. Truly, it’s a relief. Right?