Chapter 9: The Nature of Magic

It wasn't that they had no elements; quite the contrary, it was about transcending the five established elements of human magic.

[Inside a dragon's heart, all properties are contained,] Narh Di Maug explained.

I've found it.

At that moment, Karyl gripped the box hidden within the stone wall.

***

Kaye Aesir, he was the first and most powerful sorcerer in human history.

[But calling him a freak was beyond reasonable. If it weren't for his pact with the current royal family, the empire might not have even existed,] Narh Di Maug commented.

Karyl asked, “No way, I know he was a founding contributor, but could one man really determine the existence of an empire?”

[Yes, it's possible.]

Karyl paused, contemplating Narh Di Maug's words. “Why? Because he was that competent?”

[Well, you’re partially right.]

“What do you mean?”

[He despised the people of the empire, or rather, humans in general. It was hard to fathom his thoughts. Had he followed his nature, he might have opposed the empire.]

“Why?”

[To put it in his words, because it would be amusing. Even we dragons couldn't fathom his inner thoughts.]

Karyl turned the lever embedded within the stone wall, revealing a small opening. He reached inside and felt something. With a light click, a small box emerged in his hand. It looked unremarkable, but Karyl's face was tense with anticipation.

This was the truth of Einheri. The Grand Sorcerer Kaye Aesir had completed this place and cast a spell over it, leaving it as a secret that remained unsolved.

As expected,

Karyl thought, a bitter smile on his face.

With a condition that could never be solved.

The magic Kaye Aesir had used to seal this place was designed to be unsolvable.

Maybe Narh Di Maug was right,

he pondered.

The treasure Kaye Aesir had hidden could only be found by those without magical powers. Even if someone knew of its existence, to the eyes of a magically gifted Imperial, only a plain stone wall would appear, not the hidden lever.

In other words, only a barbarian like myself could find this.

But how likely was it for a barbarian to visit his library?

Maybe the rumors of him disliking humans are true. After all, this seems like something he wouldn’t want to share with either the imperials or the barbarians.

It was indeed peculiar. What reason did he have to so meticulously conceal his treasury from everyone? Karyl was curious about the stories Narh Di Maug had shared about Kaye Aesir.

At that moment, Karyl paused. Despite the impossibility, hadn't he found the box that was supposed to remain hidden?

Could it be...?

He suddenly recalled the books written by Kaye Aesir he had seen earlier.

Their titles seemed to predict the Oracles.

And these books even helped humanity in a war that occurred a few years later.

A shiver ran down his spine.

However, he quickly shook his head.

No, it can't be.

It wasn't just a fleeting thought, but pondering it now wouldn't yield any answers. Even if Kaye Aesir could predict the future, he was a figure from a past who no longer existed.

But I'll make good use of what you left behind,

Karyl thought, turning the lock on the box.

Opening the lid revealed a small note inside.

[Seeker, if you fear death, abandon your quest.]

It was quite a daunting warning. But it wasn't incorrect. This was a task that indeed required risking one's life. As Karyl pulled out the note, it burst into flames, consumed by a bright spark.

Truly a freak,

he murmured, brushing off the ash from his hands, his face showing surprise.

After the note vanished, a red orb emerged. Its radiant light briefly illuminated the dark library before fading.

This is it,

Karyl thought, carefully picking up the orb.

It was the Dragon Heart.

As he retrieved the small orb, the gap that had opened in the library's wall unbelievably sealed itself shut.

This is my first time seeing it in person.

He hadn't been in the intact Einheri before. When he returned from the palace due to the Oracle, the mansion had already been in ruins.

Thank goodness that it's not an actual heart.

Considering the size of dragons, it would have been larger than himself.

Karyl put the round orb in his mouth, uncertain of what would happen next. His heartbeat raced rapidly. Summoning his resolve, he took a deep breath and bit down on the Dragon Heart with all his might.

Instantly, the red orb shattered into fragments that exploded inside his mouth. A dizzying pain overwhelmed him, and his vision turned black.

Unidentifiable sounds echoed around him, as his body seemed to crumble. Karyl's consciousness plunged into a profound abyss.

***

Startled by a piercing ringing in his ears, Karyl's eyes snapped open. He turned his head. As he moved, he felt a strange sensation, as if he was floating in the depths of the sea.

It was like being in an abyss, a realm beyond anything he had experienced, even during his time-traveling ventures.

"Where am I...?" Karyl murmured, feeling as though he was swimming through darkness.

Suddenly, a fresh scent of grass filled the air. But soon, the moist and refreshing air was engulfed by the smell of burning flames. The all-encompassing darkness faded away, replaced by a sky painted in hues of red. As Karyl looked up, giant meteors emerged from the dark clouds, piercing the sky. The scene resembled hell itself.

Amidst the roar of the meteors, a man in a red robe slowly approached. Karyl had never seen his face before, yet there was a sense of familiarity, as if he had always known who the man was.

It was Kaye Aesir from 250 years ago.

The man lifted the hem of his robe slightly with the tip of his staff. Slowly, he curled up the corners of his mouth, and spoke in a deep voice, "Finally, we meet, Riseria."

Startled by the voice that seemed not his own, Karyl cried out, but the words only echoed in his mind.

[So, you've come at last.]

I recognize this voice... Am I not in my own body?

Karyl instinctively realized what was happening.

The Red Dragon, Riseria.

At that moment, Karyl echoed the name Kaye Aesir had addressed him with.

𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

These are the memories left in the heart.

This was the last memory of the Flame Dragon,

Riseria.