Surprising Even Breathing

Chapter 3

3 – It’s scary to oppose the prince’s will

“You wish to attend the humans’ academy?”

“Yes, Father.”

The Dragonian King seated on the throne looked down at me.

This audience was to obtain permission to enroll in the academy.

The grand hall where Dragonian state council meetings took place.

My father seated on the throne maintained a stern expression.

“It hasn’t been long since you returned from the Western Demon Lands subjugation. Is it alright to leave again so soon? I also heard you had an unpleasant incident recently.”

“You mean the assassin?”

“Yes. While he did you no harm, it must have been concerning.”

“The assassin was weak. It wasn’t worrying.”

The king fell silent for a moment, pressing his lips.

He seemed to make great effort to keep looking at me.

“I see, he was too pathetically weak to be an assassin targeting you. I will say no more about it. But must you go to the academy?”

He persuaded that if I wished to learn, I could do so here in the kingdom of Draikenar rather than the academy.

If I wanted to learn combat, Dragonian warriors and mages could tutor me. If I wanted to learn governance, private tutors could be arranged.

However.

“I’m not going there to learn anything. The imperial academy built by humans has the purpose of being half social. I want to study together with other races and experience their cultures and people.”

I spoke looking straight at my father.

The king’s gaze wavering uncontrollably as our eyes met.

“A good opinion. Your thoughts are deep and your desire to learn is clear, so I’ve no reason to stop you. Then when do you plan to depart?”

“The entrance exam is next month, so leaving this weekend should suffice.”

“This weekend, I see. However, there is something I must give you before you go. Wait a moment.”

Father signaled with his eyes to a court mage standing in attendance.

Something to hand over to me?

Indeed, this seemed the true purpose for summoning me.

Persuading against attending the academy had been too easy.

It seemed he had another aim for calling me here.

Slightly…

The mage glanced at me as he quietly took out a staff.

Gathering mana, he traced a spell circle in the air.

It looked to be a summon spell of some sort after brief observation.

Summon spells take time.

While waiting, I surveyed the grand hall.

Dragonian soldiers spaced at regular intervals to the left and right of the hall.

As expected of elite troops guarding the palace, they stood at attention with spears raised without the slightest movement.

A solemn and dignified atmosphere.

They don’t show any change in expression even as I look around.

My father sat casually crossing his legs, looking down over the hall.

Befitting the authority of a king, a majestic air lingered about him.

They were all reliable warriors and king of the kingdom.

If any still did not fear me in the kingdom, it would be only these people.

Even my mother, brother, and sister feared and avoided me.

How impressive that the king could remain seated and the soldiers stand so straight.

“Preparations are complete, Your Majesty.”

“Good, bring them here.”

The mage presented some items to my father.

“The prepared goods seem to be in order. Demetrius, come forth. I have items to grant you for your journey to the empire.”

“What are these?”

I asked, receiving the items my father handed me as I stepped onto the platform.

“A mana suppression bracelet and cloak made by the court mages to restrain your overwhelming power. You must wear them when leaving the country.”

“A mana suppression bracelet and cloak?”

“As you know, other races are generally weaker than us Dragonians. Unrestrained, your power could greatly harm them. These are for both your and their sake, so don’t forget to keep them on you.”

“I humbly accept your intention, Father. I will gratefully make use of them.”

I put on the bracelet given by the mage and wrapped the cloak around myself.

The seemingly ordinary items greatly suppressed my aura.

The mana that had completely overwhelmed the grand hall weakened.

The king seemed notably more at ease.

“Very well. Have a safe trip and try not to get into any incidents. You must be especially cautious. And keep me regularly updated on your well-being.”

“Yes, Father. I understand.”

I greeted the king with proper etiquette.

My respected king of Draikenar.

He was the only one who could converse with me this long.

Though busy with state affairs, I was thankful he cared to prepare for my long trip.

“You all may leave. I wish to speak privately with the court mage.”

After Demetrius left.

The king dismissed the knights and servants standing in the grand hall.

However.

“Pardon me, Your Majesty, but my legs still feel rigid.”

One of the knights quietly appealed.

Despite the order to withdraw, they all remained stiffly frozen.

“Oh dear. Timid fellows. Are any soldiers unconscious this time?”

“Hey you there. Is everyone alright?”

The soldiers checked each other’s well-being, moving their numb bodies with creaks and cracks.

Demetrius always left this kind of aftermath.

The Dragonians, paralyzed by fear, slowly loosened their tense bodies using mana to warm themselves.

“Hey, get ahold of yourself. This one’s fainted again.”

A knight with weaker fortitude had lost consciousness while standing.

He was slapped awake by the other knights and forcibly taken out of the hall.

“Whew, Your Majesty. May I also take a short break before conversing? My body still feels stiff.”

With the hall’s personnel gradually leaving, the court mage also requested this of the king.

“Go ahead.”

After permitting the break, the king briefly used the restroom.

Facing Demetrius for so long made him urgently need to relieve himself.

He swiftly finished his business and returned to the throne.

The expression of the king seated in his chair was much calmer and stable compared to when facing Demetrius.

“Have you returned?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The court mage also entered the hall with a healthy complexion.

“It is joyous yet worrying to send the prince abroad. Will he remain safe?”

“Don’t you know why I ask? At Gloria Imperial Academy. Is it a place suitable for hosting our prince?”

The king feared Demetrius.

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Frankly, there was no reason not to fear him.

Demetrius, who already unusually strong and fearsome with his dense dragon bloodline from childhood, became like a different person after receiving the dragon heart from the Primordial Dragon.

It was as if a new Primordial Dragon had emerged.

Weaker than the nation’s legendary Black Ancient Dragon from 10 years ago, but he possessed power too overwhelming to confront as a mortal.

When I sent him along to the Western Demon Lands subjugation to confirm his power, all the magic beasts fled from him, leaving a new mark of completing the subjugation in our nation’s history.

And when a neighboring country jealous of his fame as the Dragon God secretly dispatched a top assassin from the continent’s strongest Assassins Guild in the dark world, he called the assassin pathetically weak and graciously released him.

At Demetrius’ conduct of courteously hosting the assassin in hopes for his return, all Dragonians could only shake their heads helplessly.

A Dragonian so powerful as to be recorded in history had emerged, yet none could withstand his sheer fearfulness.

Each day I worriedly maintained my dignity as his father and king before him with great difficulty.

I didn’t want him leaving for another country’s academy in this barely manageable situation, but if Demetrius wrongly used his power at the academy and caused a major disaster, the resulting conflict between nations would be worrying.

After finally achieving peace following the 100 year Continental War.

Demetrius’ excessively mighty presence was like a nuclear bomb that could detonate at any unknown time.

It was fortunate he had a benevolent and compassionate nature, but as king I still held unlimited worries.

Thus I brought out the mana suppression items the court mages and I had long prepared to restrain his power and temper his aura.

“The empire has world-class heroic swordmasters and archmages. And the heroes who fought in the war against the magic tribes still protect the country. Shouldn’t that provide some assurance for now?”

“Don’t you know? There are few who can restrain Demetrius by force. Rather, let us trust in Demetrius’ moderate nature, granted by none less than the Primordial Dragon.”

Demetrius possessed such tremendous power yet refrained from easily taking life.

Others would surely avoid him, and provoking conflict wasn’t in his personality either, so I permitted his academy enrollment believing that.

“I will contact the empire’s figures and advise particular caution. The academy headmaster has flexible responsive abilities, so he will interpret our intent correctly.”

“Good. Convey the prince’s dangerousness and need for special care as thoroughly as possible. We cannot be too vigilant.”

The king urged this of the court mage, who nodded obediently.

“While I cannot stop the prince’s will, taking preventative measures so no incidents occur is the best I can do as king.”

He glanced over where Demetrius had stood, now vacant.

Even if Demetrius said he would release the assassin, or not punish the client, or wanted to attend the academy, he could not dissuade him.

Because opposing the prince’s will was frightening.

A procession was prepared for the journey to the academy.

The entrance exam would take place in one month.

Though we could have reached the imperial capital and Gloria Imperial Academy in 2 weeks using the Empire’s western gate, I left early to have ample time to arrive in the capital and get acclimated before the entrance exam.

Clip clop, clip clop, clip clop, clip clop.

I sat in the carriage looking out the window.

Since all horses feared me, I couldn’t ride one alone.

So I took in the passing scenery through the carriage window as the coachman drove.

Swish, swish.

The fast horse pace made the sights blur by in an instant.

I watched the surroundings with curious eyes.

This was my first time outside the palace since the Demon Lands subjugation.

In my early years I lived in the royal palace, and as an adult until now I lay in bed adapting to the dragon heart.

The Demon Lands had been bleak, gloomy scenery, so this was really my first true outdoors experience.

Seeing the neatly trimmed road surface, the green meadows stretching to the sides, and the winding mountain ranges.

I imprinted each sight in my memory, comparing to descriptions from books.