How to Live as a Tyrant’s Spoiled Brat Chapter 208

(208)

Kiiing.

The elevator began to slowly descend.

Charrrr.

The thick chain went up and up again.

A quick glance down revealed a vertical passage extending hundreds of meters underground.

It wasn't that dark inside the passageway, as the luminous flowers of this workshop tree were in bloom.

Charrrr.

All I could hear was the endless sound of chains going up.

Jaylilith pointed to the workshops lined up on each floor.

“Yes, my dear. There isn’t a single dark workshop.”

As I passed each floor, I caught a glimpse of the glass doors of the workshops, brightly lit.

“Why, why are these numbers coming out?”

“Bring me the neutralizing agent! Quickly!”

“Are you sleepy right now, with this great discovery in front of you?”

“Save me.”

“How many hours did you sleep last night?”

“I think I slept about two hours this week.”

“Today is Sunday!”

It was a flame that the best wizards in the empire burned their lives to burn.

I lightly clasped my hands together and prayed.

Jaylilith looked at me and asked.

“What did you pray for?”

“I prayed that the blessings of the God of Light would be upon them, so that they would not be struck by illness even if they worked all night.”

“Didn’t you pray that you could go home and rest?”

“It is not a matter of the God of Light, but of how much His Majesty will adjust the schedule for the supply of weapons to your knights. It is Your Majesty and I who made them work, so can we not offer such a prayer?”

“Hahahaha. That’s right.”

Hearing her laughter made me forget my guilt for a moment.

And just as I was starting to feel even more guilty for having momentarily forgotten my guilt, Jaylilith elbowed me in the ribs.

Sigh.

“Ugh!”

It wasn't strong enough to break any bones, but it was strong enough to cause a bruise.

… … It would take a man of decent size swinging a sledgehammer to put a bruise on my body right now.

“Cough, cough! Your Majesty?”

I looked up at her, bending over and coughing.

Jaylilith looked down at me with languid eyes.

But inside, there was a fiery heat.

“I was alone back then.”

It was a remark that made me want to jump out of here.

The emperor continued speaking loudly.

“This place is mine now, and you are by my side.”

I grabbed the elevator handrail and pulled myself up again.

Jaylilith grabbed my arm.

A firm grip like steel handcuffs held me in place.

Her voice rang in my ears.

“I have not come here to provoke your guilt. What I am about to advise you to do is something that I, myself, deserve to feel guilty about. But understand. I, as always, am more afraid of being left behind.”

Dull.

The elevator stopped before I could fully understand what that meant.

* * *

I headed towards the workshop where Jaylilith was pulling me towards.

The workshops were smaller the closer they were to the central elevator shaft, and larger the closer they were to the end of the hallway. The workshop that Jaylilith arrived at was at the very end of the hallway.

There was a magic circle engraved in silver and gold around the door, which seemed to be blocking something.

In addition to that, there were also dried flowers, pieces of strange minerals, and animal skins and feathers.

I had a feeling that some wizards would gather here.

The Jaylilith opened its doors and the sorcerers greeted us.

“I greet you, Your Majesty the Emperor, the Sun of the Empire, and Your Highness the Grand Duke, the Pillar of the Empire.”

They all, young and old, had long hair, and they braided it with colorful silk, letting it hang down over one shoulder.

“Your Majesty. Aren’t these spirits?”

I greeted them with some surprise.

Spirits, as people know, refer to spiritual intelligences that reside in various mountains, rivers, plants, trees, and objects.

Spiritualists have an innate talent to communicate with them and borrow their powers to use them.

High-ranking shamans were even able to create or move forests overnight.

But they have become almost impossible to find in this world, because of the old things.

The intellects made up of only spirits and the sorcerers who directly accepted and used that intellect were extremely vulnerable to the erosion of the Old Ones, and many spirits and sorcerers were eroded.

The kelpie that Severic and I killed was a prime example.

“Thanks to His Majesty the Emperor’s grace, I am studying in a safe place.”

A woman who looked two or three years older than me walked over and bowed politely.

Her braided brown hair was tucked into a yellow and dark brown cloth.

“Sister Denia?”

She was a royal with brown hair, a slightly tricky yet intelligent appearance, and a noble family on her maternal side.

He was also one of the five royals who joined hands with Hadritan and Helena during the 'Great Escape' that wiped out the red-light district casinos and royals.

He was also the most talented earth elementalist of his time.

When she saw me, she looked startled as if she had seen something terrible and terrifying, and then she lowered her head with an expression that seemed to bow her pride.

“It’s been a while, Valencian.”

“Why are you being so difficult? We are both subjects.”

“Ahahaha.”

She laughed awkwardly.

A spirit mage can perceive the enemy's realm more easily than a typical wizard or knight.

I was a royal who drew on the power of Yongchan so deeply that horns grew, ate the flame essence Hwajeong and the highest-grade elixir of eternal life like eating bread, and was a magician who used the flames of the dragon's tongue.

And as I had slaughtered my own kin as a lackey of Jaylilith, it was no wonder she was shocked to see me.

… … Of course, apart from feeling a little sorry, I couldn’t help but care that she was afraid of me.

Jaylilith spoke loud enough for all the spirits in the workshop to hear.

“The reason I have gathered you all together today is to implant the essence of the fire spirit into Valencianus, my brother and the Grand Duke of the Empire. I will perform the ritual, so you will assist me.”

* * *

I listened to Jaylilith's declaration in a daze.

Transplanting the essence of a spirit into a person, even I, a seasoned magician, couldn't understand what that meant.

But when I thought about it carefully, it didn't seem like a big deal.

All nobles have a thick mix of foreign blood, so it wouldn't make a big difference if more intelligent beings came in here.

Then an old shaman raised one hand.

“Your Majesty. However, there is great risk in transplanting the spirit essence into a human. Regardless of success or failure, the very nature of the Archduke Valencian may change.”

Denia also looked at me with eyes that were a mixture of discontent and worry.

“If His Majesty is giving you this as a gift, I recommend that you decline. If you accept the essence of the spirit, part of your essence will become a spirit. Of course, you will have greater resilience, you will not die easily, and you will be able to control fire much better, but this is crossing the line. Many spirit mages have lost their sense of self in exchange for accepting too many spirits. People… … should live only as people.”

I looked at Jaylilith, pretending to think for a moment.

“Valencian. Choose.”

She looked impatient.

Impatience ultimately comes from fear.

Fear was an emotion completely unbecoming of a sword master, a great wizard, and an emperor of an empire.

I remembered the cool hand that was placed on my neck in the midst of the pain that made it difficult to even open my eyelids.

'You are making the burden young. You are making the burden weak.'

If I had lost to Marcus this time, he would have gambled with Jaylilith using my life as a chip.

She should be the ruler of the empire and the world, not a player sitting across from her at the table.

If I am bringing down the emperor above the clouds, it is putting the cart before the horse.

… … Above all, I had no reason to refuse since it meant I could become stronger.

I didn't think Jaylilith would make a mistake.

Even if I, who has already been praised, were to mix in here, what difference would it make?

Rather, the ratio of Yongchan among the various bloods that make up my body will decrease, so it would be helpful if it helped to delay the transformation into a dragon, rather than hindering it.

I boldly opened the front of my shirt and walked towards the bed.

“Your Majesty, I am ready.”

Jaylilith nodded, and Denia looked astonished.

Denia came close to me and asked.

“Valencian. Can I ask you one thing?”

"of course."

“Why are you so loyal?”

I hummed as I heard Jaylilith approaching with another spirit mage.

“Didn’t you say earlier that you might not be human anymore, that people should live as human beings?”

"okay."

“This is how I live as a human being.”

“!”

I once gave my life for Jaylilith.

Of course, not everyone can give their life for someone or something.

But at least when someone or something falls in the middle of the street and a runaway carriage is coming, there is someone who can reflexively jump for that someone or something.

I also think that maybe they would be happier than those who don't.

I've seen a lot in the world before I returned.

Among the royal nobles, there were many who abandoned their subjects like old shoes and relied on the empire, or squandered all their assets and dug tunnels for refuge and hid inside them.

How worthless is a life lived only for one's own comfort.

As I was thinking that, Jaylilith came into view.

“Please take good care of me, Your Majesty.”

I smiled broadly, and she looked extremely serious.

After a while, a burning heat came over my whole body.

* * *

“More, more, more!”

“Denia!”

Denia summoned the spirits of the earth and trees, feeling as if she was about to faint.

All the other sorcerers were already exhausted.

Emperor Jaerilis melted together dozens of the essences of the superior fire spirit Ifrit that had been destroyed by erosion and transplanted them into Valencianus' body.

During this process, when the essence of fire was about to burn Valencianus' body, it was Denia's job to send the spirits of wood and earth to burn instead.

It was easy to think that the fire was being circulated by putting firewood in only one side.

'This is not a person.'

It was an assessment for both twins.

Emperor Jaylilith pushed the essence into his heart with such concentration that it seemed as if he would not blink even once, and Archduke Valencian accepted the essence while consciously suppressing his resistance that was almost a reflex.

It was something that Denia was not familiar with, but it was a feeling that Valencian had experienced once.

'If a foreign substance that cannot be contained in the body enters, regardless of good or evil, the body becomes stiff. At that time, you have to relax your legs so that the spine does not have a reflex reaction. On the other hand, you have to keep your back strong so that you can endure the pain.'

The strange sensation of my ever-changing body weakens the human heart, but Valencianus was not afraid of the changes in his body.

I came back 40 years later to change things.

'I am the archduke Valencianus, the scoundrel, and I will secure the talents who disappeared from my previous life, including my sister Celerazi and Sir Tentia, and make sure that Jaylilith becomes a praised emperor.'

That was his essence as he defined it.

For Valencian, it was much more important than what blood flowed through his body.

Denia couldn't understand the sight of her suffering, sweating so hard that her platinum hair was soaked through.

But for a brief moment, she thought she envied the twins.

'Helena. Hadritan. You too.'

She and the three others were allowed to survive and live as they pleased.

Hadritan became the Imperial Treasurer, and Helena became a knight and officer of the Order of Brass.

She too became a spirit master, but she was not as enthusiastic about her work as Sereraji, perhaps because she did not enjoy the power.

If you don't admire power itself, you should admire what power can do.

“It’s almost done.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Denia felt blood pouring out of her nose and summoned all her strength to summon the spirits.

Tree vines and rock hands appeared and immediately burst into flames and disappeared.

For the first time in a long time, she wondered what to be excited about.