#Chapter 92
—
Arthur asked.
“If you die, Baan Prime. Do you think he’ll still be alive?”
Shuga’s eyes quivered as she replied.
“He’ll live. I’m not human—I’m a doll, a monster.”
“But he loves you, doesn’t he?”
“How could a human love a monster?”
“If he didn’t love you, would he have married you?”
Shuga was rendered speechless once again.
In that silence, Arthur spun his Beast and caught it in his hand as he spoke.
“Or did you never reveal that you’re a homunculus? If so, then maybe there’s still a chance.”
Shuga’s eyes reddened.
She tried not to cry, but in the end, her tears burst forth.
“No… he knows everything.”
“……”
“He knows I’m a monster, that I was deliberately crafted to match his ideal type….”
Arthur’s lips curled upward.
“Then won’t Baan be sad if you die?”
“Of course. But… if I live, he’ll only suffer more.”
“Why?”
“Because Balans intends to make him into a puppet king.”
Arthur let out a low exclamation.
“Oh… Mister Balans had grander ambitions than I thought.”
“Not ambition—delusions far beyond his station. I will never allow myself to witness such a thing with my own eyes.”
Shuga bit her lip.
“Baan loves the Prime Kingdom, loves the people. But if things continue as they are, Baan will destroy both the kingdom and its people—with his own hands, under Balans’ will.”
“So you intend to die?”
“Yes. It’s the rational choice.”
Arthur let out a short laugh.
“Not rational—a coward’s escape, isn’t it?”
“…What?”
“Well, isn’t it? If Balans is the problem, then you should kill him. Why are you trying to kill yourself instead?”
Shuga blinked.
“You’re telling me… to kill that monster?”
“Why not? Anyone can die, Shuga.”
Arthur’s Beast aimed at her forehead.
She flinched in fright, and Arthur warned.
“And that goes for you as well.”
“……”
“The way you look right now reminds me of my past self. So I’ll give you a choice. Do you want to die by my hand here? Or will you live?”
Regaining her senses, Shuga muttered.
“If I live… what awaits me?”
“What else? Your husband will be waiting.”
“……”
“And you’ll have the chance to kill Balans, too. But if you die, everything ends there, Shuga.”
After finishing his explanation, Arthur asked again.
“Well, this is as far as my meddling goes. Now choose. Do you want to die?”
His finger tightened around the trigger.
Shuga, staring blankly at him, whispered with a trembling voice.
“I… I want to live….”
“……”
“I want to live, and spend my life with that man.”
At that moment, the Beast lowered.
Shuga gasped in relief and collapsed to the ground.
Arthur smiled faintly and asked.
“Then shall we renegotiate?”
“…Renegotiate?”
“My original mission was to escort you to the Prime Kingdom. But it seems my client has had a change of heart.”
Shuga’s eyes widened.
Arthur, on the other hand, flashed her a sly grin.
“So, Shuga. If I take you to the Prime Kingdom, what can you give me in return?”
—
—
Arthur thought to himself.
*Balans… he has no intention of keeping me alive anyway.*
A man who would even use his own daughter would never leave a witness.
In the end, he would have to confront Balans—but it would not be easy.
*Even if I use the full power of the spirits, I don’t think I can win.*
That was why Arthur chose to use Shuga, giving her another chance.
With her by his side, Balans would not strike rashly.
Meanwhile, Shuga was deep in thought.
*…What should I offer him?*
The mercenary named Donn had promised to help her, but his heart could change at any moment.
*He’s a mercenary, after all. Without sufficient reward, his loyalty could vanish in an instant.*
Considering the situation, ordinary rewards wouldn’t suffice.
*We’re talking about escaping from none other than one of the Seven Lords—Balans of the Third seat.*
Thus Shuga pondered.
If Donn refused to help her, she would likely be forced back to Arcane.
Balans would never forgive her betrayal.
*He’ll erase my memories and turn me into a complete puppet doll.*
In that sense, this moment might be her last chance in life.
After much deliberation, Shuga finally resolved herself and spoke.
“A normal reward won’t do, will it?”
“Not necessarily. But I’d like something that moves my heart.”
*What I truly want… is you, Shuga.*
Arthur swallowed the words.
Just then, Shuga’s expression changed.
“…?”
Puzzled by the sudden shift, Arthur tilted his head as Shuga asked:
“If I give you something worthy… will you guarantee to take me safely to the Prime Kingdom?”
“Uh… yes?”
Instead of answering, Shuga closed her eyes.
Arthur tilted his head again.
*Why the sudden solemnity?*
Then, light burst from her chest.
“…!”
Startled, Arthur instinctively stepped back.
Shuga opened her eyes, exhaling heavily, and murmured:
“You wanted a Top Elixir, didn’t you?”
“……”
“But a true Top Elixir doesn’t exist. No elixir compares to this fragment of a heart.”
With those words, she drew something out from her chest.
*What… is that?*
It was a small crystal, but immense mana radiated from it.
*No… not just mana. Pure magical power itself.*
Arthur’s jaw dropped.
A doll made in the image of a human, a homunculus—
for such an impossible experiment to succeed, a price of equal magnitude was required.
What could that price possibly be?
*To create life itself… such a thing would require…*
Arthur’s throat bobbed.
“Could that be… a Dragon Heart?”
Arthur smiled faintly.
“A fragment, to be precise.”
She held out the fragment of Dragon Heart.
“One of the countless shards broken off from a complete Dragon Heart. I’ll give this to you as payment, Donn.”
—
—
The development caught Arthur completely off guard.
*Good heavens… what is happening?*
A fragment of a Dragon Heart… drawn from Shuga’s chest?
And now she was giving it to him?
Shuga whispered.
“This… is half of what was inside me. Which means my uncertain lifespan is now limited.”
“……”
“And not only that—I can finally age, like an ordinary person.”
Shuga smiled, and Arthur swallowed dryly.
“You’re offering me this fragment as payment?”
“If you don’t take it, it will only fall back into Balans’ hands.”
“……”
“In that case, why not gamble? If you eat this heart and grow stronger, then I can return to my husband’s side.”
Finishing her words, Shuga fainted.
“…Shuga?”
Arthur quickly gathered her into his arms.
Undine whispered at his side.
\[Arthur, it’s just a simple fainting spell.]
At her words, Arthur nodded slowly, blinking in a daze.
*I don’t even know what’s going on anymore…*
Then the fragment in Shuga’s hand flashed.
Paaat—!
The dazzling light snapped Arthur back to reality.
At the same time, his heart began to pound wildly.
Thump-thump—!
With each beat, Arthur’s lips curled upward.
“Raise a wall, Gnome. One that no one can breach.”
In response to his command, Gnome erected a massive earthen barrier.
Rumble—!
Inside the sealed darkness, Arthur gazed at the Dragon Heart fragment in his hand.
*Whatever it is… it’s an opportunity.*
An opportunity to consume the most fabled elixir of all—the Dragon Heart fragment.
So Arthur cast aside all unnecessary thoughts.
*Right now, the only thing that matters is this: If I consume this heart, how strong can I become?*
His chest surged with excitement as he muttered:
“In my past life, the height I reached was the 6th Circle.”
Would this fragment allow him to regain that level?
Suppressing neither expectation nor joy, Arthur placed the fragment into his mouth.
In that instant—
Paaat—!
Light exploded, and Arthur gasped.
“…Wow.”
At the same time, the ring engraved upon his heart throbbed violently.
Immersed in the strange sensation, Arthur murmured:
“I can see it… the realm I once reached in my past life.”
—
—
“Gahk.”
Aaron coughed blood, clutching his heart.
Balans, watching with a weary expression, turned to one of his severed heads lying on the ground.
“…The damage is great. To think my head would be severed.”
Aaron glared at him with bloodshot eyes.
“You bastard…!”
With a final roar, Aaron attempted one last desperate strike—but that was the end.
Kassias and Parán, blood-soaked, drove their blades and spear into his body.
“Urrghhh….”
With a groan, the pirate’s vice-captain fell.
For one who had ruled Arcane’s underworld as the pirates’ second-in-command, it was a pitiful end.
*But hardly surprising.*
How many like him had crowded these backstreets?
Young men full of talent and ambition, cut down before their prime.
Aaron was simply one whose talent had burned brighter than most.
*In the end, survivors are not the talented and ambitious, but old men like me.*
It was no coincidence this world’s proverb said: *The one who lives longest is the true victor.*
Having slain the pirates’ second-in-command, Balans sighed.
“It’s over. Are you two all right?”
Kassias and Parán weakly nodded.
“Feels like I’ll die.”
“I’ve no strength left to fight.”
Balans chuckled faintly.
“Still, this is the end. After today, the Prime Kingdom will be ours, and at last we’ll drag the pirates—our old foes—from their throne.”
At his words, both men smirked.
“I look forward to it.”
“So we’re finally taking this district?”
Instead of replying, Balans smiled warmly.
Then he turned his gaze downward.
“…Hm?”
Blinking, Balans tilted his head.
“What… is that?”
Between the halted trains lay a massive mound of earth.
Beside it lay the unconscious Shuga Highbin.
But no matter how he considered it, he could not guess the mound’s nature.
“Hmph… perhaps it doesn’t matter.”
With the pirates’ vice-captain dead, the matter was finished.
So Balans dispelled his levitation magic.
Kassias and Parán descended with him.
He stepped forward, reaching to reclaim Shuga Highbin—
—but the mound suddenly collapsed, releasing a burst of light.
“What?”
Balans’ eyes widened.
*This mana… what is this?*
His body stiffened involuntarily.
From within the rubble, Arthur slowly emerged.
Balans stared, dumbfounded, and asked:
“You… what are you?”
It was a question laden with meaning.
Arthur smiled and replied.
“Who knows? At the very least… I’m human, aren’t I?”
Then, opening his eyes, he placed a hand over his heart.
Feeling the vibrations within, Arthur let out a moan.
“Ahhh….”
His body shivered with ecstasy as he whispered.
“It took long enough. At last… I’ve regained the realm I once held in my past life.”
—
That was fast.