The dragon observed his face with an expression of finding the world interesting.

“A normal human would have had difficulty even digesting magical power. Hmm… You’re quite interesting for a human, aren’t you?”

Calix recalled when he escaped from the Leviathan’s cave.

It was an unavoidable choice.

Rose had fainted, and the cave was collapsing.

No matter how exceptional his innate strength was in the empire, Calix was still human after all.

To escape from the cave with the unconscious Rose, there was only one way.

What was before him at that time were numerous Leviathan crystals, and without further thought, Calix recklessly swallowed them.

He had to strengthen his body somehow to escape.

The crystals were the essence of mana itself, and if he couldn’t withstand their power, his body would have burst and died, but there was no other option then.

“Ah, I’m conflicted. What should I do?”

The dragon grabbed both of Calix’s cheeks and kneaded them vigorously like a child’s, then spoke as if he had made a decision.

“Alright. I’ll give you a simple trial.”

His eyes flashed. And then rough, unrefined magical power thoroughly scanned Calix’s entire body.

Click.

A strange feeling, as if chains made of magical power had wrapped around his heart.

‘The trial of an Absolute One, fail to overcome it and you die.’

What the first Posnia received from Kamesis was also a trial, as were those received by legendary heroes long ago to overcome crumbling fate.

He couldn’t even begin to grasp how things were unfolding.

“Rose must never know my identity. It’s becoming harder to cast suggestions on her. Strangely, magic doesn’t work well on Rose.”

The dragon smiled at him and licked his red lips.

“Even if Rose discovers my existence on her own, your trial fails.”

He said as he slowly backed away from Calix.

“Ah, this will be fun. A weak human suffering in the battle of the Absolute Ones. And the trials are not just one, but two? No, three?”

And then he giggled as if it was incredibly amusing and licked his lips.

“If Rose hadn’t appeared, you might have been more interesting. Crown Prince with a cursed fate.”

“What do you intend to do with Rose?”

At Calix’s question, the dragon, who had been giggling with delight, answered while appearing deep in thought.

“I wonder? It’s my first time meeting someone from another world. Well, human lifespan is too short, so I should first extend her life, right?”

Extend her lifespan? Calix recalled numerous past incidents. Even for a dragon, manipulating a living being’s lifespan was impossible.

‘Is he planning to experiment on Rose? To extend her lifespan?’

He had to kill him. No matter what, he needed to deal with the dragon hovering around Rose.

Even if Rose was a damn otherworlder, her body was that of an ordinary human.

‘Please, think, there must be some way…’

It was too early to despair.

He still hadn’t prevented the damn revival of Morisias, nor had he found the missing Pope.

Moreover, the First Prince’s forces were still strong.

Even if he was gaining the upper hand now, it was merely the beginning.

Being pushed out of the succession race could happen in an instant.

“Rose wouldn’t want that.”

“What does that matter?”

He felt dizzy. Human common sense doesn’t apply to non-human beings.

Calix kept thinking about Rose.

Dragons are sentient beings. That means they can be reasoned with.

Even with Leviathans, which have far lower intelligence than regular dragons, communication was possible.

So there was no reason he couldn’t persuade the dragon before him.

“According to you, Rose is a being from a higher dimension. And anotherworlder at that.”

“So?”

“From what I know, otherworlders are incompatible with Absolute Ones. Like the demons from the Magic Era.”

At Calix’s words, the dragon’s eyes sparkled with interest.

“Are you saying your otherworlder is dangerous to me?”

“Yes.”

“Wow, that’s really funny, Your Highness. Who are you to warn me?”

For a moment, his heart sank, but it didn’t seem like such a serious slip of the tongue.

The magical power still faintly filling his room didn’t feel murderous yet.

“Wouldn’t I be more interesting than Rose? I’m also the fate chosen by Morisias.”

“You’re arrogant, Your Highness.”

The dragon’s eyebrows rose high, and Calix shut his mouth firmly.

“Do you think your petty fate compares to the higher dimensional knowledge possessed by an otherworlder?”

Thousands of curses rose to the tip of his tongue.

‘Could it be that what this dragon covets is Rose’s knowledge?’

Magic that tampers with memories is far more advanced than ordinary magic.

It could be considered top-tier magic. Because it had to be very delicate and precise, it was also magic that took a very long time.

One wrong move and the brain could burst, resulting in death.

His stomach churned. He wanted to jump up from his seat and rip out the damn dragon’s heart.

The purpose of those words was surely to see him in despair.

There was no need to be swayed.

“That otherworlder chose to stand by my side rather than with Morisias, an Absolute One, saying she would change my petty fate.”

Calix looked straight at the dragon. At Calix’s boldness, the dragon snorted with amusement and folded his arms.

“Crown Prince. Do you want to protect that otherworlder?”

Then he began to laugh uproariously, holding his stomach.

“Wow, that’s a very misguided thought. I told you, didn’t I? Morisias meddled with a strange dimension. Do you know why higher dimensions are called higher?”

“……”

“The higher the dimension, the weaker the Absolute Ones’ intervention in the middle realm becomes. This means the ruling powers of the middle realm no longer need the power of the Absolute Ones. It means their civilization level has advanced that much.”

The dragon sighed in a manner that conveyed pity and continued.

“If you don’t hand Rose over to me, this world will soon be invaded by those otherworlders, you know? Are you okay with that, Crown Prince?”

Calix couldn’t continue. Dragons are beings that crave knowledge.

What the Dragon before him was saying must be true.

“You can’t answer.”

The dragon began to openly mock Calix.

“Don’t you understand? Should I explain more?”

Leaning back in his chair with a languid face, he crossed his legs and kindly recited history.

“Did you know that Rafael Posman was also an otherworlder summoned by Kamesis?”

“…No, I didn’t.”

Calix frowned. Did that mean his ancestor was from the same world as Rose?

“Rafael Posman, summoned by Kamesis, obediently followed his orders because he came from a dimension with a similar level to this world. Completely different from Rose.”

“……”

“He easily moved as Kamesis wanted, believing he was a great chosen one under a god’s command, but Rose… Well, does Rose seem like she believes in gods?”

His mind went blank. As the dragon said, whenever he talked about gods, Rose acted as if she were hearing about another world. Every time.

But regardless, there was nothing to consider.

Whether the country perished or the world ended, it didn’t matter.

Though merely human, Calix had to protect his beloved, who had been thrown among the Absolute Ones.

It felt like some ridiculous trial from a fairy tale, but still, he was the strongest mortal Rose could rely on.

“…So I just need to ensure Rose doesn’t discover that you’re a dragon?”

“Yes.”

He needed to find the wisest method within his capabilities.

A method that the fat lizard couldn’t even imagine.

He needed to be wise.

For a mortal to be with a being from another dimension, not of this world, a price had to be paid.

“There’s no time limit to your trial.”

“…Yes.”

“You’re smart, Crown Prince.”

A trap. He needed an ingenious trap that no one would notice.

***

“I need to meet the Tower Master.”

“…What?”

I gaped at Calix’s bombshell statement.

“And it would be good to tear down the wall of your room.”

“Your Highness. Are you in your right mind?”

“I’m so much in my right mind that I’m about to go crazy, so think of it that way.”

I looked around anxiously, worried someone might hear.

Fortunately, there was no one.

“Didn’t I clearly tell you to refrain from unnecessary contact with me?”

“Don’t know. From now on, you’ll also eat meals beside me. That’s an order.”

“…Your Highness.”

My fist clenched. Does this person really want a beating that badly?

“…What’s with that fist?”

Calix asked nervously, looking at my clenched fist. With superhuman effort, I took a deep breath, suppressing my desire to commit insubordination right then and there.

“I’ve thought about this for a long time and am saying this seriously, so don’t get angry.”

“Please tell me why you suddenly want to meet the Tower Master.”

“…I just changed my mind.”

His fingers, neatly resting on his knee, twitched slightly.

‘Something’s off.’

I frowned and brushed aside his bangs to place my hand on his forehead.

“No fever…”

Calix stared at me blankly with a stupid face.

Ah, he’s handsome even with his forehead exposed… Wait, that’s not the point.

“Do you have something troubling you?”

“No.”

Calix immediately replied in his characteristically brusque manner.

“That’s not true. You do…”

“I don’t, so stop asking.”

“You said the Tower Master was the one who destroyed the temple and we shouldn’t contact him. So why meet him now? Simply saying your mind changed doesn’t make sense.”

Calix wrinkled his face in annoyance but calmed himself with a deep breath. He tucked my hair behind my ear and spoke calmly.

“The day the meteor fell on the temple, the Pope disappeared. The one who destroyed the temple would know best where he went.”

At Calix’s words, I wrinkled my nose. It wasn’t wrong, but somehow it felt off.

Something didn’t add up, you could say?

“And most importantly, you’d want to meet that compatriot too, wouldn’t you?”

“…If you’re doing this for me, you don’t have to.”

At my words, Calix gently cupped my cheek and said.

“I’m not doing this because of you, but because it’s you. You’re the most important to me.”