[Title: Would you like to use “Child of the Moon”?]
“…Yes, I’ll use it.”
Emila murmured softly amidst the crowd.
She spoke so quietly that no one around her heard.
As she staggered to her feet, a soft purple light shimmered around her, flickering like moonlight.
The magic around her stirred, causing the wind to swirl.
The tattered rags that she had wrapped around herself to cover her wounds were torn away by the wind, drifting off into the distance.
And so, in front of all the dragons, Emila’s appearance was fully revealed.
Her hair, mostly gray but tinged with a slight purple hue.
Her eyes, a striking, vivid red.
There was not a single dragon in the kingdom who would not be shocked at the sight.
Because such features signified only one thing—she was a half-dragon of royal blood.
The elders, as well as the royal family members Albinus and Erses, were no exception.
However, their gazes upon Emila were not of awe, but rather furrowed with concern.
It wasn’t because she was a half-dragon of royal lineage.
No—it was because of the wounds covering her body and the sight of her arriving here dressed in nothing but ragged cloth.
Yet, in Emila’s eyes, their expressions appeared entirely different.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
“Is it because I have the blood of a hero?”
“Or… was I just born wrong?”
“…Why do you look at me with such contempt?”
“Wh-why only me…?”
To her, all she could see was their scorn.
[Fulfill your desire.]
With unfocused eyes, Emila blankly stared at the status window whispering to her.
“…Desire?”
The expressions of the dragons around her had changed.
The concern they held earlier had vanished, replaced by eyes filled with fear.
Glancing around at them, Emila slowly looked down at her own arms.
Arms covered in wounds—scars that reflected the hardships of her life.
She found them unsightly.
Then, she lifted her head and looked at the half-dragon standing beside the queen.
A half-dragon who should have been spending a happy time with their family.
Did their kind really need to share the same suffering?
What was it that she truly wanted?
“…Desire…?”
Her crimson eyes wavered.
Yes, she had been seeking revenge against those who persecuted her.
Against those who oppressed half-dragons.
Yet now, standing here, she realized—
“…I’m just jealous.”
Not just jealous, but she had even begun to wish that half-dragon would suffer the same pain she had endured.
And if that were the case, how was she any different from the very people and dragons she despised?
As that thought settled in her mind, Emila raised her right arm.
“I… I want that half-dragon to be happy.”
Even as she smiled, tears streamed down her face.
-CRACK!!!!!!
“Ugh…!”
Emila’s right arm plunged straight through her own chest.
A thick cough burst from her lips, splattering blood.
Yet, she smiled.
“…Ah, so warm…”
As her body grew cold, she desperately tried to keep her fading vision focused.
She wanted to see the expressions of the elders and the royal family.
‘…Why… do you all look so pained…?’
‘…Uncle… I’m sorry. You told me not to give up…’
‘Why did I forget that…?’
‘I don’t know. I really… I’m really sorry.’
‘I… gave up.’
‘…I wanted to be happy, too.’
Her eyelids, growing heavier and heavier, never lifted again.
Just before the opening ceremony.
The dragons in the back rows began murmuring.
Though it was always noisy, since they often shrieked whenever they saw me or my sister—
This was a different kind of noise.
It was as if everyone was whispering cautiously about something they had just discovered.
But with so many dragons gathered, even a whisper turned into a loud hum of voices.
“…Mom, something seems off back there.”
I tilted my head and pointed toward an open space in the crowd, where the dragons had left a gap.
Mom, noticing the space as well, gently patted my head and said,
“You’re right. I wonder what’s happening?”
“It does seem strange,” my sister added, staring at the same spot.
And then—
[Emergency Quest!]
[The Most Unfortunate Lucky Half-Dragon Has Arrived.]
[Prevent her predetermined death and receive your reward!]
[Reward: GM’s happiness, the joy of doing a good deed.]
[Failure: Entity Name: Han Yuri will be forgotten.]
[Good luck! From GM tls.]
‘…What the hell is this?’
I had no idea what the system window was talking about.
But soon, I realized I didn’t need to understand it.
-SPLASH!!!!!!
Even from a distance, I could see blood spraying through the air.
And the enormous surge of magic that had been raging for a while—
“EMILA!!!!!!!”
Dad’s urgent shout echoed.
At that moment, I knew things were not right.
[The King urges you to hurry and save her.]
[He insists that there’s almost no time left.]
As the system messages rang out more intensely—
“…Huff, huff….”
“Yuri?!”
My sister suddenly clutched her throat, her eyes wide with terror.
[The Archmage has left behind a curse triggered by the death of a half-dragon.]
[It is a spell designed to erase all evidence of half-dragons.]
‘W-what does that mean?! Explain properly!!’
[Heavenly secrets may be revealed, so this information is censored.]
[Heavenly secrets may be revealed, so this information is censored.]
[Heavenly secrets may be revealed, so this information is censored.]
[Heavenly secrets may be revealed, so this information is censored.]
[The King is stomping his feet, unable to input any commands.]
[He is shaking the GM behind him, asking what to do while sobbing.]
[The system warns him to stop adding unnecessary details.]
As I stared at the status window in frustration—
“Y-Yuri, are you okay?!”
“M-Mom…”
“Can’t healing magic work?!”
“I-It doesn’t seem to…”
My sister, now gripped by chills, shivered violently as Mom wrapped her in a blanket.
“Sis!”
“M-Mino… w-why am I suddenly like this?”
She forced a weak smile and grabbed my hand, trying to reassure me.
But her hand was trembling so badly that I could feel the fear through her grip.
‘…How do I save her?’
[First, hurry to the half-dragon.]
[You will be given power, so go save her.]
“…Sis, I’ll save you.”
“…Huh?”
“You trust me, right? I’ll be back soon, so don’t close your eyes. No matter how sleepy you get, don’t sleep.”
Hearing my words, my sister hesitated before nodding.
Leaning in, I whispered in her ear,
“…I’ve died before, so I know—if you fall asleep from exhaustion, that’s it. Understand?”
“…O-okay…”
She clung to Mom even tighter, visibly distressed.
[Skill: Flight activated.]
-FLAP!!!
As my massive wings flapped, I soared through the air in an instant, landing beside the half-dragon.
[Title: Child of the Emperor activated.]
[Skill: Emperor’s Blessing activated.]
A golden light began to ripple around me.
“…I think I know what to do.”
It was strange.
This was my first time experiencing something like this, my first time using such power.
Yet, somehow, I instinctively knew how to use it to save her.
[Title: Child of the Emperor temporarily grants necessary skills.]
[Skill: Soul Contract acquired (Temporary).]
[Skill: Resurrection of the Dead acquired (Temporary).]
[The King reassures you that he is guiding you on how to use your power, so don’t worry.]
Then, the only thing left to do was to save this girl.
[Skill: Soul Contract activated.]
[Skill is temporary. A time limit has been set for the contract.]
[00:15:00 remaining. The soul can be tethered for this duration.]
As the message appeared, I didn’t hesitate.
I pulled my arm out of the girl’s gaping chest wound.
“…Urgh.”
What should have been there was missing—completely crushed or torn away beyond recognition.
It was a scene far too gruesome for a child to witness.
Ordinarily, even with the mental age of a thirty-year-old, this would have been a gruesome sight too difficult to witness.
However, it seemed like the “uncle” was helping to mitigate some of it.
Regardless, I quickly placed my hand on the half-dragon’s head.
Immediately, a magic circle formed beneath both me and Emila.
[This is a spell that forces the soul of the contracted party to be entrusted to the contractor, compelling them to obey commands.
It prevents the soul from leaving this world.]
“Everyone, step back!!”
At my words, those standing within the magic circle hurriedly moved away.
As soon as they did, a golden radiance burst forth from the circle.
[Beware! The backlash of the contract is coming soon.]
“Ugh?!”
My mind was in turmoil.
It felt as if another person had entered my body.
‘…Let me be happy too.’
‘…I don’t want to die yet…’
‘I haven’t apologized to Uncle yet.’
‘…Save me.’
The sorrowful cries echoed in my head, piercing my mind.
[Snap out of it!!!!]
“Ah!”
A seductive female voice rang in my ears from the system window.
…Aunt?!
I was too shocked to process it before her next order came.
[Use Resurrection of the Dead.]
“I’ll use it!”
[Skill: Resurrection of the Dead activated.]
Once again, golden light erupted, enveloping the fallen half-dragon.
As the gaping hole in her chest miraculously closed—
[Good work.]
My aunt’s voice whispered in my mind.
[Emergency Quest Complete!!!]
[The curses on Entity Name: Han Yuri and Entity Name: Emila Laskaris have been lifted!]
A reward notification popped up.
And then—
“…Huh?”
[All mana has been depleted!]
[You have been granted a new status for using divine power!]
My mana had been completely drained.
But fortunately, before I collapsed—
“…Aga…?”
“…Thank goodness…”
I confirmed that the girl I had fought so hard to save had finally opened her eyes.
Well…
Anyways, Yuri was about to disappear from existence huh. Nice save.
Fuck Emila though, why didn’t she thinks about the reason the Grand Mage let her alone?