I Married the Dragon I Killed

The second exploration began, and the three groups split up once again.

Perda, who had planned to switch to Lizera’s group, had no choice but to return to the right flank group.

This time, however, their method of advancing was different.

They would walk while facing one another.

The two adventurers would advance facing each other, while Perda and the Armored Knight would do the same.

‘I’m nervous.’

Valdrova thought from inside the armor.

At first, that feeling had come from the excitement of being able to look at Perda’s face.

Those eyes, so cold toward everyone except Valdrova, always sent a shiver through her.

She had thought those two feelings would be what troubled her.

But the moment she saw him standing before her, she felt something completely different.

‘Sir Perda looks truly exhausted.’

It hurt to see him like that.

Her five senses instinctively gathered every bit of information they could about Perda.

His breathing was labored.

His heartbeat was faster than usual.

And even though he was only walking, beads of sweat covered his forehead.

Shouldn’t he rest, even for a little while?

“Wouldn’t it be better if you took a short break?”

As if he had read her thoughts, one of the adventurers said exactly that.

“I’m fine. I won’t be a burden.”

Perda firmly refused the suggestion.

He made them believe it was only a passing discomfort.

But it wasn’t.

Valdrova could tell.

Whatever was making him suffer was only getting worse with time.

And Perda himself knew it as well.

That could only mean one thing.

There was something he absolutely had to find.

‘What could he be searching for so desperately?’

Was it truly worth enduring such suffering?

Valdrova remembered perfectly the words he had spoken.

“I’m sorry.”

When those masses had looked at him.

He had said that.

She couldn’t understand why Perda had to apologize.

She wished she had even the slightest clue to understand it.

But she knew nothing.

Valdrova had also seen that Trauma.

However, to her, it had been nothing more than a mass with a giant eye.

Even when it stared directly at her, she hadn’t reacted like everyone else.

She had felt a slight ache in her chest.

But she hadn’t suffered.

If there were anything she could do for him.

She would do anything.

But she knew that, trapped inside that rigid armor, it was impossible.

Perhaps that was why her heart hurt so much.

‘Would it make him happy… if I came out?’

Perda had always wanted to see her.

What if she took off the armor right now and told him she was here?

Maybe then Sir Perda would be able to smile, even if only a little.

‘Although I’d probably only end up becoming a burden to him.’

He might even get angry.

He would ask why she was in such a dangerous place.

Instead of easing his worries, she would only make him suffer more.

Was there really nothing she could do for him as the Armored Knight?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer.

Meanwhile, Perda, forcibly concealing his suffering, thought,

‘I can still endure it.’

Since he couldn’t drive those thoughts out of his mind, the only thing left was to focus on something else.

Remaining alert in such a dangerous situation was enough to suppress them.

But there was still something bothering him.

‘That damned Armored Knight…’

At first, he thought the feeling would disappear as long as they kept their distance.

But it didn’t.

He kept seeing Valdrova’s figure superimposed over that suit of armor.

It was impossible.

She was shorter than he was.

And she had a much more feminine figure.

‘There was a time when that wasn’t the case.’

When she wore the Dragon Armor.

She had been considerably taller than him.

How tall had she been back then?

About the same height as that guy?

‘…Oddly enough, they resemble each other.’

Thud!

“Ugh!”

“What happened?”

The adventurers turned toward Perda in alarm.

He had just hit himself hard on the head.

“I was just punishing myself for losing my concentration.”

“Ah… I see…”

The adventurers looked at him reproachfully for startling them over something so ridiculous.

Shortly afterward, they reached their destination.

“We’re here.”

The place they had come to was the library Perda had visited earlier.

It was the closest location, and it also contained information that could earn them rewards without taking too many risks.

“Are you sure there’s a magical artifact here?”

One of the adventurers asked.

“Comparing it with the descriptions of the Palace of Radiant Prosperity, it can’t be anywhere else.”

The Palace of Radiant Prosperity had been a training center where talented individuals were cultivated through the Path.

And the library they had just arrived at was called the Nutrition Room.

Taken literally, it meant a room where vital energy was strengthened.

But its hidden meaning was that this vital energy referred to mana.

In other words.

It was a room dedicated to recovering mana.

There was no doubt that books on mana cultivation techniques had once been stored there.

“Magic Towers and Academies usually place magical tools to assist with training. Based on experience, I’m certain there will be some here.”

Although he spoke with complete confidence.

Not even Perda was entirely certain.

But he also knew that when trying to convince others, one had to speak confidently.

And in the end, even the skeptical adventurers accepted his reasoning.

“Then let’s search the room.”

Everyone began looking for what they hoped to find.

The two adventurers searched the entire room.

Meanwhile, Perda focused on the bookshelves.

He recalled the two characters Erika had hurriedly taught him.

‘Love and Theory.’

Erika had explained that the first meant love, while the second indicated that the book dealt with a specific subject.

‘Among the books I picked up was one about mana circuit theory.’

Perda returned to where he had found that book and began carefully examining the nearby shelves.

However, the more books he pulled out and inspected.

The less he understood.

‘These don’t seem to be books on magical theory…’

After all, grimoires usually followed a very similar format.

Magical diagrams and runes were normally illustrated, accompanied by explanations of the structure of their formulas.

Since Perda had studied countless books like that, these volumes filled with nothing but text still felt strange to him.

‘There’s no other choice.’

He would have to take them to someone capable of deciphering those characters.

Fortunately, Perda knew someone who could fully translate the contents of those books.

‘Morida.’

The mysteries of the East might lie beyond even the Omniscient Library’s power, but if they were dealing with physical objects, he was certain she would be able to interpret them.

Perda decided to take every book that contained those characters.

Of course, that was easier said than done.

After gathering more than ten of them, his arms began to tremble.

‘What a useless body.’

At that moment, the Armored Knight slowly extended one of his arms.

Seeing the gesture, Perda asked,

“You’re planning to carry them?”

…He nodded.

“…I’d appreciate it.”

Although Perda still didn’t particularly like the Armored Knight, it would be a lie to deny that he was extremely dependable.

Thanks to him, they managed to gather more than fifty books, many of which Perda could never have carried by himself.

“Huh?”

One of the adventurers, who had been searching the room in hopes of finding a magical artifact, suddenly exclaimed.

With obvious excitement, he said,

“There’s an opening here!”

Perda stopped searching for books and quickly walked over.

The adventurers carefully used their tools to pry open the narrow gap.

Beneath it, a staircase leading underground appeared.

For a moment, smiles returned to the faces of the two adventurers who had suffered those horrifying illusions.

“A place like this is bound to be hiding some secret treasure belonging to the palace’s owner or someone important!”

“If we find a magical artifact, all this suffering will have been worth it…!”

But that excitement didn’t last long.

The memory of those horrific visions made both of them hesitate once again.

What if another one of those creatures was waiting below?

After several moments of uncomfortable silence, it was the metallic sound of armor that finally broke the tension.

The Armored Knight had stepped in front of the entrance.

“You want to go in first?”

He nodded several times.

Under normal circumstances, they would have stopped him.

After all, it would only increase the danger.

But the two adventurers already knew the terror caused by Trauma’s illusions.

Of the three people present, the only one who had yet to experience that horror was the Armored Knight.

How had he managed to resist Trauma?

“Understood.”

The adventurers stepped aside and let him pass.

Perda followed behind him.

“Even so, you shouldn’t go in alone. I’ll cover your back.”

…He nodded.

Thus, the two of them descended the stairs together.

They continued downward for quite some time.

However, the place lacked the dampness and unpleasant atmosphere typical of a basement.

There was no doubt.

The area had been maintained just as meticulously as the exterior.

At the bottom of the staircase, they found a stone door.

The Armored Knight pushed it aside, and it opened easily.

Before entering, Perda quickly inspected the surroundings.

Even when the Armored Knight stepped through first, he detected no mana reaction.

The Armored Knight also looked around before making a broad gesture with both arms.

‘I don’t know what kind of room this is, but there doesn’t seem to be any magical artifact here.’

Perda was only interested in finding books that might be useful.

He entered behind the Armored Knight.

That was when it happened.

The moment he reached the center of the room, he sensed a surge of mana.

Ruuuum!

At the same time, the stone door through which they had entered began to move, sealing them inside.

Perda immediately rushed toward it.

He tried to force it open again, but it did not budge an inch.

“Damn it… Could you try?”

Perda stepped back.

The Armored Knight took his place and tried to force the door open.

Craaack!

A loud cracking sound echoed.

“Stop!”

The sound came from the ceiling.

Dust and small chunks of earth began to fall.

It was not a good sign.

“…So if we try to force it open, it intends to bury us alive.”

It was a trap designed to activate only when there were two people inside the room.

That complicated things considerably.

He had never imagined such a mechanism.

“Lord Regent! Are you still in there?”

The adventurers waiting outside came running.

“It seems we’ve triggered a trap.”

“Did you touch anything?”

“No. It seems to activate simply when there are two people inside.”

“A trap like that?”

“This is bad… Whatever it is, we should’ve gone in first…”

“Even if you had, the result probably would’ve been the same.”

Even Perda, who was extremely sensitive to traps, had fallen into it without being able to do anything.

“Is there any way to get out?”

There were two Gold-rank adventurers outside.

Perda trusted that they would have an answer.

“From what we can see… there doesn’t seem to be any way to open it from the outside.”

He hadn’t expected much from them.

And, as expected, all they could do was talk.

“We’ll go get Captain Eri. In the meantime, could you wait without touching anything?”

“All right.”

Their footsteps faded away.

Silence then enveloped Perda.

The perfect silence for unwanted thoughts to return.

He did not say a single word.

He decided to simply endure it.

“Lord Regent? Are you still in there?”

After a while, he heard a familiar voice.

He never would have imagined he’d be so relieved to hear Erika’s voice.

“Yes. I’m here.”

“How are you? Are you having trouble breathing?”

Perda answered using everything he had observed.

“There doesn’t seem to be any problem. The room is well ventilated.”

“Then it doesn’t appear to have been designed to kill its occupants through suffocation. Aren’t there any buttons, switches, or mechanisms? Normally, an isolation room would have some kind of emergency system.”

Perda examined the room once more.

There was only a bed, a few books, and the Armored Knight.

“I don’t see any mechanism.”

“That’s very strange. Check again. Meanwhile, we’ll try to uncover the secret of that room. Understood?”

“Understood.”

In the end, even she had no immediate solution.

They had no choice but to wait.

Perda sat down on the bed.

The Armored Knight remained standing in front of him, looking completely uncomfortable.

Everything about his posture suggested that he had no idea how he was supposed to act.

“You should sit down too.”

He hesitated, as if wondering whether he really should.

“If you waste your strength unnecessarily in a place like this, we may end up buried alive. As long as there’s still a chance, waiting is the best option.”

…He nodded.

The Armored Knight took a seat.

The room fell completely silent.

Even the clinking of his armor disappeared, causing Perda’s hearing to sharpen the rest of his senses.

‘Damn it.’

The Shadow Circle began spinning again.

That dark, black thing beneath his Circle continued whispering to him without pause.

He even closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.

Red hair.

Two pairs of horns.

That beautiful face appeared once again with perfect clarity.

Then it became distorted.

She was offering him her heart.

‘This is driving me insane.’

Even though he knew the illusion created by Trauma had already disappeared.

His heart refused to accept it.

It was like thirst or hunger.

No matter how long you endure them, there comes a point when they inevitably erupt.

And Perda knew exactly what the outcome would be.

“It’s all right.”

Then he heard that tormenting voice again.

‘What the hell is all right?’

“You’re only thinking about the person you love.”

That voice, which awakened every ounce of his regret, continued to tempt him.

“Feed that feeling.”

“Grow stronger because of it.”

“Just like in a forge.”

“Heat.”

“Hammer.”

“Quench.”

“Polish.”

“That is how a sword is forged.”

“The sword that will protect the person you love.”

“Kill.”

“And keep killing.”

“Until every one of her enemies is gone.”

“Until you’ve built a paradise for her alone.”

“Conquest is the only true peace.”

‘Shut up.’

Hearing those words allowed him to regain a small measure of clarity.

Killing endlessly so that no enemies remained.

That was something only the completely insane version of himself would have done.

“It will only require a few sacrifices.”

“Or perhaps a few more.”

“Maybe even that person will come to hate you.”

“But don’t you want to ease her suffering?”

“You already made that decision once for that very reason.”

‘Get out.’

“No.”

As it spoke, that presence slowly pressed a finger into Perda’s chest.

“I told you.”

“I will always remain by your side.”

Then it began manipulating him little by little, like a lump of sugar dissolving into a cup of tea.

“Now is the time for you to grow stronger.”

Perda watched as the shadows began moving of their own accord.

The Shadow Circle battered his body like a river overflowing during the rainy season.

Those shadows were trying to forcibly push the Shadow Circle into a new realm.

“Follow your destiny.”

“Reclaim the power you once possessed.”

“Let us walk together again.”

He could not resist.

Cold sweat ran down his body.

His consciousness was beginning to fade.

“Haaah… Haaah…”

But he could not allow himself to lose consciousness.

Those shadows were aimed directly at his body.

He had no idea what would happen if he blacked out.

Nor did he want to find out.

Perda thought desperately.

How can I free myself from this agonizing regret?

‘I mustn’t listen to its words.’

He needed to direct his mind elsewhere.

But simply distracting himself wasn’t enough.

He had to do it in a way that completely thwarted those shadows’ intentions.

‘Free myself from the burden I carry in my heart.’

How could he do that?

Suddenly, he remembered the sacrament of confession in the Church of Alte.

The faithful confessed their sins to a priest, who then relieved them in God’s name.

Perda had always disliked that idea.

Committing a sin and expecting forgiveness from a god instead of the person who had been wronged.

He hadn’t understood it before.

Now he did.

If people didn’t do something like that.

They eventually lost their sanity.

Human beings were far more fragile than they imagined.

Just like he was at that very moment.

While he continued struggling alone against his own thoughts, something soft brushed against his face.

The gentle touch startled him.

‘Valdrova.’

Was she caressing his cheek?

No.

The Armored Knight was simply wiping the sweat from his face with a handkerchief.

Perda neither shouted nor reacted violently.

He simply took the handkerchief and finished wiping his face himself.

Afterward, the Armored Knight silently returned to his place.

Perda continued watching him.

His actions were clumsy.

Yet at the same time, they conveyed an unshakable calm.

Like a fortress that never yielded to any adversity.

And because of that.

Perda needed his presence while he felt as though he was about to collapse.

“Tell me…”

he asked with great effort.

“Are you someone who can keep a secret?”