Chapter 29
After finally dismissing Theodoros for the night, Ando stayed behind to help clear away the remnants of the feast before returning to his chambers beneath the pale glow of the moon.
By all rights, he should have collapsed into sleep the moment he lay down.
Instead, he found himself staring awake into the darkness.
The reason was obvious.
I am counting on you, Andri.
He had never forgotten Imresia—not even for a moment.
And yet, despite how much there still was for him to learn in Tatsuno, his brother’s words had left behind the strange feeling that time was running short. As though he were already being called back home.
On their own, the words meant little.
But somehow, Ando could not shake the sense that Imresia was preparing for war once again.
And what if the enemy was Tatsuno itself?
Could they truly be seeking an alliance while quietly preparing to strike without warning? And if that day came… would he already be counted among the weapons meant to carry it out?
The thought sounded absurd.
And yet, once it had taken root, he could no longer drive it from his mind.
Would he someday be forced to answer the kindness Yuki and the others had shown him with drawn steel?
It would be futile.
Every citizen of Tatsuno could take draconic form. The might of even a single Dracoserpens stood far beyond anything Ando could hope to match. Human soldiers would fare little better than insects beneath their feet.
The sheer power of Tatsuno was almost impossible to comprehend.
…And still.
Even so, Imresia would still find a use for him.
And—
another thought refused to loosen its grip on him.
What if Tatsuno saw him no differently?
The suspicion lingered stubbornly in the back of his mind.
His throat felt dry.
Maybe some water would help settle his mind.
Unable to rest, Ando rose from his room and stepped out into the moonlit corridor leading toward the kitchens.
Just as Ando turned the corner of the corridor, he noticed figures in the garden below.
Yuki. Ko. Tien.
The three Dracoserpens sat gathered around the fading embers of a fire beneath the moonlight, cups in hand, lingering as though unwilling to let the night’s celebration end.
Not wishing to eavesdrop, Ando started to withdraw.
Then he heard his own name.
He stopped before he realized it.
“So, honestly—how’s Ando’s Dormancy coming along?” Yuki asked casually. “That Dracling’s living pretty regularly these days, but is the maturation progressing properly?”
The easy tone in her voice was so different from the commanding presence she had worn during the audience hall that it almost felt unreal.
“It is progressing,” Ko answered in his usual calm manner. “His sleep remains shallow, but the maturation itself advances steadily. He has grown taller, and his musculature continues to develop well. I still cannot say when the Dormancy will fully end, though at this pace… it may come sooner than expected.”
“In less than two years?” Tien sounded half incredulous. “And he only turned nineteen, didn’t he? Even now, in his bipedal form, he already looks almost as developed as Azu did right after emerging from Dormancy. Smaller, sure—but still.”
“For humans, physical maturity is nearly complete by seventeen or eighteen,” Ko replied. “It would seem his rate of bodily growth follows human traits more closely.”
“So what does that mean?” Tien asked. “That his lifespan will be closer to a human’s too?”
“In my estimation, he should live longer than humans do. But if his Dormancy progresses this quickly… then he is unlikely to possess the lifespan of a true Dracoserpens or Dracotyrannus.”
Tien drained the rest of her cup as though swallowing her hesitation along with it before glancing toward Yuki.
“…Yuki. What are we going to do about him?”
Yuki did not answer immediately.
She simply stared down into the wavering reflection of the moon inside her cup.
Tien continued.
“If he’s a Demi-Dracotyrannus, that means he’s Drake’s offspring, right? That bastard vanished for a hundred years after tearing this country apart, and now we find out he was—”
“…In the west,” Ko said quietly.
Ando’s heart slammed against his ribs.
“The sightings of a ‘colossal scaled beast’ recorded across the continent,” Ko continued, “appear to form a single trail converging westward.”
A faint smile crossed Yuki’s lips.
“That prince—Antonius. He really did gather an impressive amount of information. I almost dropped the act for a moment.”
He had said he’d ordered folk tales and local accounts gathered from across the continent.
Yuki chuckled softly.
“The eyes and ears of mankind form a net spread across the continent.”
Tien mimicked the line with amused exaggeration.
“Apparently Dracoserpens can’t pick up tavern gossip and travelers’ stories the way humans can.”
Ko gave a low nod.
“A precise intelligence network has undeniable value.”
“But in exchange…” Yuki laughed under her breath. “To ask for our support so boldly. The nerve.”
A chill ran down Ando’s spine.
Support…?
“He means to draw Dracoserpens into a human struggle for the throne.”
Tien snorted.
“Seriously? Humans live for a few decades at best. Grabbing power sounds like the dumbest game imaginable. Besides, he’s already the Crown Prince, isn’t he? What’s left to fight over?”
Yuki merely shrugged while Ko smiled faintly into his cup.
“It only appears settled from the outside. Even a Crown Prince may stand upon uncertain ground. Human courts are fragile things. One never knows where a hidden hand may reach from.”
His smile deepened slightly.
“He did not say so openly… but I suspect his kingdom is hardly united. Bloodline rule may preserve order on the surface, yet crushing every ambitious branch family and binding an entire realm beneath one will takes time. Time, I think, he has not yet been given.”
Something about the smile on Ko’s face felt strangely bottomless.
“…Still,” Tien said more quietly, “if that ‘game’ turns into war, then it stops being funny.”
Ko nodded slowly as he refilled his cup.
“And if war comes… it will surely call the Dracotyrannus back.”
The moment those words were spoken, the air itself seemed to turn cold.
A memory surfaced.
A hundred years ago.
One shadow had crawled into this land on legs that barely seemed able to support its own weight.
Blood covered him. Scales hung torn away. His tail had been ripped open.
One solitary dracotyrannus.
The instant they saw him, everyone understood.
He has come.
The inevitable moment they had feared had finally arrived.
Tatsuno itself had been created for that purpose—to prepare for the return of the Dracotyrannus sealed away nine centuries ago.
…and yet.
At the time, they still had not been ready.
Even then, somewhere deep inside, they had underestimated him.
Perhaps because he had been wounded so badly.
Perhaps because he had been so still.
That arrogance still smoldered inside them even now, like a wound that had never healed.
A low, ragged voice echoed once more through memory.
――Then stop me… if thou still canst.
The words still remained lodged deep in their ears.
Unfading.
Unforgotten.
Above them, dark clouds swallowed the moon.
The light vanished.
Shadows deepened.
“…We will not repeat the mistake we made a century ago.”
Yuki spoke softly, yet the words carried both resolve and a regret that time itself had failed to erase.
There were no sweets left beside the fire now. Ko sighed and pulled the remaining sake and snacks farther beneath the eaves as thunder rumbled overhead and rain began to fall.
“For that,” Yuki said lightly, “we absolutely cannot let Ando fall into his hands. I suppose I could tolerate leaving him in Imresia if I had to—but if that thing comes for him, there’s no chance that frozen kingdom could handle it properly on its own.”
Ando could barely follow the deeper meaning behind the conversation. Yet something about it filled him with an indescribable sense of dread.
Until now, he had believed this land to be nothing but warmth and kindness.
But there was another face hidden beneath it.
Something unseen.
Some design involving him that he did not yet understand.
“Best case,” Yuki went on with a careless shrug, “he becomes an asset to us willingly. And honestly, bringing Imresia over to our side first would probably make the whole thing easier.”
Ko slowly shook his head, his expression grave.
“In truth, the ideal course would be to secure the bond between our nations before drawing him fully to our side. But at this point… there is simply not enough time left.”
He lifted his gaze toward the rain-darkened night sky.
“Once war begins, gratitude, obligation, affection—none of it will matter. If that Dracling remains tied to that cold kingdom, they will bleed him dry until nothing remains.”
A cold heaviness settled deep inside Ando.
Why did Yuki’s easy smile suddenly seem so unsettling?
They did not lie.
Of that much, he was certain.
And yet—
why did they refuse to tell him the whole truth?
If ever you find yourself unsure, you put Imresia first.
For now, act only for the sake of your liege.
Those had been Kiba’s words.
When Kiba had spoken them—when that great scaled hand had rested gently upon his head—Ando had felt the weight crushing his chest ease for the first time in years.
But now even those memories felt uncertain.
Had those words, too, merely been part of taming him?
He had to complete his maturation quickly.
He had to master the power of the dracotyrannus and return to Imresia.
War was drawing near.
Now, more than ever, he had to serve his kingdom.
Imresia was where he belonged.
Even if they did not truly welcome him there, he had already sworn his loyalty.
Keeping as silent as possible, Ando slipped away into the rain.
And yet—
the three Dracoserpens were already watching him leave.
