An Unwanted Inheritance

It was Dean Herenso who explained a few days later exactly what it meant that the Black Dragon Arjen had “not returned to the earth.” He practically sprinted to the spire, his cloud-like beard disheveled.

“The remains of the Black Dragon have been discovered,” he announced.

I quickly covered my mouth with my hand to avoid spitting out my tea. Loti, glancing between the Dean and me, surreptitiously pulled the cookie plate closer to himself. I swallowed and cleared my throat. Dean Herenso added with a troubled expression, “We couldn’t get close because of a barrier.”

“About that,” Loti started, crunching on a cookie. We all watched his mouth move as he chewed. Only after finishing the whole thing did he continue. “Only Ian can go in.”

“Only me? Why?”

Was that dragon bastard planning to dump his funeral arrangements on me too? Isn’t that just pure thievery? I kept the thought internal, unable to curse the parent in front of the child. Loti, holding a chocolate-drenched éclair, gave a bashful grin.

“It’s a gift.”

“The… the remains are?”

“Uh-huh. He said it would be helpful.”

The first thing that came to mind was a heart. The Imperial Seal sitting in my desk drawer was said to be made from a dragon’s heart. I hadn’t thought much of it when I received the seal, but hearing that the entire remains were waiting for me felt a bit gruesome. I waited for an explanation to ease the feeling, but Loti was now entirely focused on erasing the éclair from existence. I let out a low groan and propped my chin on my hand.

Dean Herenso watched me for a moment before handing over a stack of documents. It was a list of items recovered from the ruins—Loti’s “home.”

“Someone from the Duke’s household will likely arrive today or tomorrow.”

“I expect so,” I replied with a nod.

We had agreed to split the artifacts from Loti’s home with the Tephersa Duchy at a 1:3 ratio, on the condition that artwork from the Argenta era would be prioritized for the Duke.

However, now that something as unheard of and immensely valuable as “Dragon Remains” had appeared, their eyes would surely flip. If we were to monopolize—to put it bluntly—the remains, the Duke would undoubtedly demand a higher share of everything else.

Why do dragons have to be such a nuisance? I flipped through the itemized list half-heartedly and sighed.

“We meet again.”

The Young Duke bowed politely before smiling at Loti and me. Loti, happy to see a familiar face, ran over and hugged the man’s waist. I merely nodded with a dissatisfied expression. Jaeger placed a large bundle on the table and sat directly across from me.

“I’ve brought some specialty Otrisa tea and some snacks for Loti.”

“For me?” Loti’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me.

“Yes. A trade for Loti. Go ahead and open it.”

Targeting the kid with gifts—how cunning. I glanced at the Young Duke’s pleasant face and turned away. Isaac, standing by the door, let out a deep sigh.

“Wow! Is all of this mine?”

“Indeed. Do you like it?”

“Yes!”

Loti was thrilled as he rustled through the packaging. Having only eaten my modest snacks lately, he seemed dazzled by the pretty confectioneries. Jaeger pulled a round box of brown rice green tea from the bundle and called for Isaac. Isaac approached and took the tea tin.

“You arrived quickly.”

“So it seems.”

Dean Herenso had visited in the late morning, and it was now just past lunch. It didn’t strictly contradict the “today or tomorrow” timeline, but the visit was certainly urgent.

“I thought I’d be swearing an oath of loyalty to Your Highness on my second visit, but…”

“The point.”

“I would like Loti to step out for a moment.”

I looked at Loti, who was admiring a rabbit-shaped cookie as if it were a gemstone, and nodded. I didn’t have the heart to haggle over his father’s corpse in front of him. Isaac left the room with the snack bundle in one hand and Loti in the other. A servant brought a teapot of the green tea, and two cups were placed before us.

Once we were alone, the Young Duke spoke.

“Please give us the dragon’s remains.”

“What?”

“The most valuable part of the remains is the heart, so the Imperial family may take the heart, and the rest should be handed over to the Tephersa Duchy.”

“Are you insane?” I pulled my hand back from the teacup.

“In exchange, the Tephersa Duchy will waive all rights to the ruins. We will also transfer the ownership of the land where the Duke’s manor sits to the Academy.”

“What would you even… do with those remains?”

The smile vanished from Jaeger’s face.

“They would likely hang the head over a fireplace or skin it to use as a rug.”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“I am.”

The sheer honesty of his affirmation left me speechless. I let out a breath and rubbed my face. Jaeger lowered his gaze, his fingers interlaced.

“And if I refuse?”

“We will demand joint ownership of the ruins.”

I clicked my tongue. Technically, the owners of the ruins were Arjen and Loti, but Arjen was dead, and Loti had no power to protect them. The fact that the ruins were from the Argenta era was also complicated. Capresena was not a nation that continued the lineage of the old empire. The Capresena Imperial family, having destroyed Argenta, could hardly recognize Argenta’s authority. Irritation and fatigue washed over me simultaneously. I pressed down on my eyes.

“This morning, I saw Arjen’s remains.”

“…”

“Inside his curled-up form… there was a bed that a young child once used.”

A look of agony crossed Jaeger’s face. I watched him.

If they claimed joint ownership, the research would stall. Dean Herenso had said the ruins contained magic lost during the war that was exceptionally well-preserved. I remembered his face, glowing with the hope that a “Magic Era” might return. Jaeger remained silent, as if leaving the choice entirely to me.

I looked at the yellow autumn sunlight streaming through the window and stood up. These dragons really do make my life difficult. Fine. I’ll go see that face for myself right now.

The outing I decided on in a fit of pique turned into quite a crowd. Isaac came along as my guardian knight, and Jaeger joined in, claiming he had to return to the ruins anyway. Loti, the homeowner, was hitched onto Isaac’s back, and Sierra, who had arrived for afternoon tea, joined the fray, obsessed with the idea of an “outing with brother.” And then… there was the sudden appearance of Kallios. Consequently, we needed two carriages to get to the Academy.

“Are you okay with leaving your work?”

“Yes.”

The rattling carriage was uncomfortable. I watched Kallios’s face as he stared out the window from the opposite seat, then took advantage of a momentary stop to move next to him. Even though his older brother flopped down and used his lap as a pillow, the punk didn’t even look at me. Had it not been for the hand he naturally placed on my head, I would have felt slighted. I closed my eyes as he brushed my bangs back.

“What kind of person is Duke Tephersa?”

The hand tracing my brow stopped. I looked up at Kallios. He covered my eyes with his palm.

“A person you gain nothing from being close to.”

“Hmm… seems that way.”

It had been 500 years since dragons disappeared from the world—or rather, because they vanished suddenly after leaving great achievements, people regarded them as gods. Yet, Duke Tephersa wanted to turn a god into taxidermy. He’s certainly something, but not the kind of person I want to be near. When I closed my eyes, he moved his hand and stroked my hair.

“Are you going to take the Young Duke under your wing?”

“Huh?”

“It will be exhausting for you.”

I suppose so. The Noble Faction wanted the throne to pass to me. An ignorant, “violent” emperor who stayed cooped up and knew nothing of the world? How easy I would be to control. They’d be so excited they couldn’t sleep, thinking about sitting me up like a scarecrow while they ran the state. Bastards.

Regardless, if I made the Young Duke my guardian knight, it would look like I was “gathering forces.” Well, if I took the Young Duke and holed up in the Grand Duchy, the Noble Faction wagging their tails at me would be left high and dry. Either way, I was booked for a headache before leaving for the Duchy… and likely for a while after arriving there too.

“It’s fine.”

I tossed and turned before lying on my side, facing his stomach. I toyed with his gold-embroidered jacket before pulling it over my face. It felt better to block out the sunlight that poured over my eyelids every time the carriage jolted.

“Isn’t it better to have a distraction? While they’re chasing a pipe dream, you can do everything you’ve wanted to do.”

“Brother.”

“Yeah?”

He touched my cheek. His light touch was ticklish.

“What… do you think I would want to do?”

Wipe out the arrogant punks who don’t know their place? I thought it, but didn’t say it. As long as he lived as Emperor, the Tyrant Route would never truly vanish. Even Yeonsangun was said to have worked smartly early in his reign before suddenly snapping. It would be troublesome if my words awakened some dormant tyrant DNA.

“I wonder.”

Besides, cleaning up arrogant punks or becoming a good emperor… those felt like things an emperor “must do,” not things he “wants to do.”

“What do you want to do?”

I lifted the jacket from my face and lay flat. When I looked up, our eyes met.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never asked.”

I felt a bit… strange. Ten-year-old Kallios had been adopted into the Imperial family against his will, became the Crown Prince, and ascended the throne. He had done well so far, and he was doing well now.

“Kallios.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t… happen to… hate being Emperor or anything… do you?”

If he said he hated it… I didn’t have the confidence to take it over myself. The throne wasn’t exactly a club presidency you could just pass back and forth. But what if he was pushed into it despite not wanting it? I… no, I wouldn’t like that…

Kallios took my hand, which was gripping his sleeve. I watched him quietly. He kissed the back of my hand.

“If I said I hated it, would you accept it, Your Majesty?”

“No? Absolutely not?”

I pulled my hand back in shock. I saw the smile on his face.

This punk teased me!

“Hey!”

Kallios pressed down on my forehead as I tried to sit up. I tried to push his wrist away, but it wouldn’t budge, so I just grumbled.

“Ah, seriously, you scared me…”

“Were you startled?”

“Yes. A lot.”

I had told him I thought I could be a good Grand Duke because the Duchy was smaller than the Empire. The Empire was impossible, but the Duchy… I felt I could manage that. If things didn’t go well, I could ask Kallios for help. But if I messed up as the Emperor of the Empire, who could I ask for help? The difference between having a backup and not was enormous. Especially in terms of the pressure.

“I’m not being the Emperor.”

“I will do it.”

“Okay.”

He took my hand again. I looked at our interlaced fingers and gave them a playful shake.

“You do it.”

“Yes.”

“I’m counting on you.”

“Yes.”

I pulled our joined hands and rested them on my chest. I blinked slowly and then closed my eyes.