Chapter 3

After spacing out in silence for a while, Tiamat snapped back to reality and asked again:

“…Are you really not interested at all? Not even a little?”

“If I had power, it would be nice, but I don’t particularly need it.”

For Yujin, who preferred living and dying quietly by himself, power wasn’t something essential.

If he lacked power and couldn’t live quietly, resulting in death? Well, that was just how things went.

Besides, this wasn’t exactly a chaotic era, so why would not having power make quiet living impossible? If anything, having power increased the chances of getting involved in major events.

“So I’m fine. I’d rather recommend finding someone else.”

“Hold on, just wait a moment.”

She realized that Yujin wasn’t bluffing to gain leverage in negotiations but genuinely meant what he said, and she quickly stopped him from pulling away. She continued speaking.

“Is there any need to rush? As a mortal hoping for eternal life…”

“Living longer doesn’t seem particularly fun. I plan to accept my mortality as a mortal and live accordingly.”

“You haven’t lived long enough yet! It might be more interesting than you think.”

“Hmm…”

At that, Yujin involuntarily smirked and said,

“Perhaps, Lady Tiamat, are you tired of waiting here?”

“!”

That comment seemed to make Tiamat flinch internally.

So, that must’ve been the right guess. Yujin smiled faintly and said,

“I understand. If I were locked up in such a place for thousands of years, I’d probably go insane. Then, how about this? I’ll take your heart outside, and you can find a new host out there.”

“…Ah, that’s unrealistic.”

“Why not?”

While Yujin thought it was a decent proposal, Tiamat outright declared it impractical. When Yujin questioned her, she replied,

“Of course, as you said, I could take my heart outside. However… simply taking the heart outside and finding a new host won’t suffice. Turning their body into a Dragon’s form requires more than just the heart.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. You could use the Dragon’s powers if you accepted, but it wouldn’t make you a complete Dragon. The physical body needs to be restructured from a mortal one into a Dragon’s. To properly harness the heart’s potential, one would need a fully matured Dragon body.”

Fair enough, swapping just the heart and becoming a full-fledged Dragon sounds far-fetched anyway.

“How does one prepare a body to receive the heart, then?”

“It’s nearby, my bones.”

“…Your bones?”

With that, Yujin looked at the vast spread of bones radiating from the altar. Tiamat explained,

“Yes, I intended to use my bones as material to reconstruct the bodies of those who come here into Dragons.”

“Aha…”

Only then did Yujin understand why she deemed it impractical.

Just the size of these colossal rib bones alone stretched endlessly. Imagine how massive it would be from head to tail. Could he possibly carry that out?

Unrealistic. At least with Yujin’s current strength, it was an impossible task.

“Some parts are even buried in tombs… Even if we could take my bones with us, your suggestion would have been worth considering, but isn’t that also unrealistic?”

“Indeed, that’s quite unreasonable. And it doesn’t seem like anyone could be brought here again anytime soon.”

“Exactly. Once you leave… I will likely have to wait a long time again. So far, you’re the only being who has reached this place.”

“Hmm…”

Listening to that, Yujin couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Tiamat. If he had the time, he might’ve wanted to help her purely out of kindness.

But…

‘Still, something feels off.’

Though she claimed she’d hand over her heart to someone loyal, would that person truly move according to her wishes just because they were loyal?

How does one prove loyalty? Even if they followed her, who knows if their attitude would change after gaining power?

She must know what he’s thinking. She surely has some sort of contingency plan prepared. And that might end up constraining his life.

Could it be some kind of contract? Like a demon’s contract…

Thinking that, it wasn’t something he could easily offer to help with.

“Lady Tiamat, let’s return to the question I asked earlier.”

“Hmm? What was the earlier question?”

“If there’s a way to compel whoever swallows your heart. Simply being loyal seems insufficient.”

“That… does exist. I am aware of the risk of someone turning against me.”

“I see.”

He acknowledges this part readily. After all, it’s something she can hardly hide.

“Is it some form of contract?”

“Yes, a contract-like arrangement. It’s a solemn vow made by pledging our souls.”

“A vow pledged with souls… Hmm…”

It sounded like something you’d say at a wedding. He momentarily entertained that thought before shaking it off and asking,

“What exactly is the content of the contract?”

“First, I, Tiamat, shall give my heart to the other party. Simultaneously, we shall become a shared destiny, forming a Soul Bond.”

“What do you mean by ‘Soul Bond’?”

“Exactly what it says—a contract binding our souls together. If I formed a soul bond with you, your death would simultaneously lead to mine. And vice versa. But since I’m essentially already dead, there’s no chance of me dying. As long as you take care of yourself, there should be no problems.”

True, once the heart is swallowed, Tiamat and he would essentially become one entity, making this concern minor. Nodding, Yujin asked,

“I see. What’s the second condition, then?”

“Second, I, Tiamat, will transform the other party into a new Dragon. In return, the other party will work towards liberating the Dragons trapped in the Maze and restoring the Dragons’ status to what it was before the Great War.”

“Hmm…”

Before the Great War… Assuming this is indeed the world of Maze Academy, there must be gods outside too.

And yet, she’s asking to restore the Dragons’ status to pre-Great War levels?

“Isn’t that provoking the gods? Frankly, I don’t think they’d look kindly upon that. Honestly, even if I were to accept the contract and fulfill your conditions, it seems difficult.”

“Of course, that aspect has already been considered. But if we start by bowing to the gods, there shouldn’t be major issues.”

“Bowing… I doubt the gods would accept such a strategic retreat aimed at advancing later.”

“Do we even need to advance further? We’re not planning to wage war against the gods.”

“…”

Wasn’t she supposed to want revenge on the gods by rebuilding her forces after losing the war?

“Think about it. Even when our forces were at their peak, we lost the Great War. Challenging the gods now, who’ve grown stronger over centuries after their victory, would only lead to a more miserable end, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s… true.”

“I’m not reckless enough to fight a war we’re guaranteed to lose. Moreover, what happened thousands of years ago stays in the past… We fought a war where our lives were on the line, but I have no intention of settling old scores now. Most importantly, the ones who would suffer in such a war would be my children. I don’t want my precious ones to be sacrificed in another war. Besides, the Great War wasn’t something we initiated willingly—it was a fight to survive.”

“…I see.”

She was more of a mother figure than a leader of a faction. Recalling the title inscribed on the entrance to her tomb—”Great Mother”—Yujin nodded again.

All she wanted was for her children not to endure this miserable existence trapped in the Maze anymore.

“Alright. What’s the next condition, then?”

“That’s it.”

“…”

So, she’s saying the entire contract consists of just those two conditions?

“All necessary terms are covered within those. There’s nothing else needed.”

“…”

“Yep.”

“Hmm…”

Hearing that, Yujin felt a bit conflicted. If everything she said was true, it might not be as bad as he initially thought.

Honestly, Yujin wondered if he even needed to enter a contract. On the other hand, he also felt a desire to help her, someone who cared so deeply for her children. Maybe it reminded him of his own late mother.

Thus, after pondering for a moment, he decided to ask one final question.

“Then, Lady Tiamat, my last question.”

“Eh? More questions?”

“Yes, actually, this is quite important to me.”

“Hmm… Go ahead.”

At Yujin’s words, Tiamat signaled her readiness to listen. Yujin asked,

“Is there another way to escape from here?”

“Ah…”

Her voice carried a hint of disappointment. She continued,

“First off, when the gods sealed my tomb within the Maze, they probably didn’t consider allowing escape for those who entered. But I do know something roughly. Didn’t the gods bestow a blessing on those entering the Maze, allowing them to exit back to the outside world? So… theoretically, you could leave using that…”

“Unfortunately, I don’t possess that blessing.”

“Huh?”

Surprised, Tiamat hesitated and repeated her question. Yujin explained,

“The details are a bit complicated, but I didn’t enter through the usual means. Hence, I lack the blessing to exit the Maze.”

“…Is that true?”

“Yes. So, I’d like to ask: If I contract with Lady Tiamat and become a Dragon, would I be able to leave this place?”

After a brief silence, Tiamat responded matter-of-factly,

“Don’t underestimate the power of a Dragon. Once I transform you into a Dragon, escaping from a place like this or even the Maze itself will be well within your capabilities.”

“I see.”

In that case, he’s made his decision.

“In that case, I’ll follow Lady Tiamat’s proposal. How should we proceed with the contract?”