Chapter 28
Nothing in this world remains unchanged.
Where there is a beginning, there must be an end. Even the most beautiful flower must eventually wither and decay.
Even beings who live for eternity are no exception.
Even if their physical form remains unchanged, their spirit slowly erodes under the waves of time. Eventually, they become empty shells without even their own will.
The end was near.
Zion had sensed this fact for quite some time.
Nothing moved her anymore. Her emotions had grown so thin that she found herself faking expressions more often. It was time to acknowledge her limits and step down from the position of Principal.
And yet, she had kept postponing putting her affairs in order because of that new professor who suddenly appeared one day.
An eccentric who rekindled her faded emotions.
He always exceeded her expectations, making her heart race. He allowed her to smile genuinely. He reminded her that she was still alive.
And so Zion could dream of a future.
She could envision a future where she could forget her loneliness and live on happily with a smile.
'But I suppose such a dream was too good for someone like me.'
Lately, she had been incredibly happy.
The reward they were going to give her for preventing the terrorist attack. She had been looking forward to proposing joint operation of the Academy with it.
When she heard the Academy had been partially destroyed by enemies, she couldn't help but smile, wondering just how far ahead that professor had seen.
But her attachment to that joy ended up bringing disaster.
She couldn't let Ryan slip away.
This time, she would live up to that professor's expectations.
She had acted quickly to deal with the attacking enemies to regain lost trust. But that action had come back as an irreversible blunder.
'Even foolishness has its limits.'
The remains of the Demon King hidden within the Academy.
While certainly important, they couldn't possibly be worth more than our students' lives.
Therefore, protecting the students should have been the priority.
Like Ryan did, she should have stayed behind to protect everyone.
Having failed to notice such an obvious fact already disqualified her as an educator. She had no right to serve as Principal anymore.
"I am unfit to be Principal. Please, Ryan, take my place as Principal of the Academy."
And so Zion bowed her head before Ryan.
Though the Primordial Dragon had never lowered her head even before the Empire's Emperor, she wasn't shameless enough to act brazenly after betraying someone who trusted her twice.
How could she look him in the eye with dignity?
She bowed her head and confessed her sins.
"I should have stepped down from this position long ago. I've been holding on until now out of mere stubbornness."
Her judgment had grown clouded. She had acted on whims and put others in difficult situations. Such terrible behavior that couldn't be excused even by senility.
"I kept stubbornly holding on to fulfill a promise made to an old friend long ago, but now it's time to accept my limits."
The first Warrior who built this empire with her.
The girl who dragged her out of that cave and planted dreams in her heart.
Before she died, she said she feared being forgotten by the world. She feared that the story of her and her companions would fade from everyone's memories.
And so Zion promised her.
Even if the world forgets you, I alone will never forget.
I will tell our adventures to the growing children and plant dreams in them, carrying on your will for eternity.
But that will had already been completely broken.
"She left me all alone and wouldn't even let me die. At some point I even started resenting her - I suppose I was already finished by then."
Even if she tells the students about her friend's adventures, in the end, only Zion truly knows about the real her.
What kind of people Zion's cherished companions were, what they thought, what kind of smiles they had. Now only Zion remains to remember these things.
That loneliness had eaten away at the Primordial Dragon for thousands of years.
"I entrust you with all authority regarding the Imperial Academy. Please lead the people in my stead."
So now it was time to step down.
Professor Ryan would surely understand this much.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't bitter about facing the end. But the Academy would surely be fine if left to that man. She could slowly put her affairs in order now.
She could slowly put her affairs in order now...
But for some reason, Ryan's face turned deathly pale.
Like a human who had just received a death sentence.
The man hurriedly stopped Zion and shouted.
"Please don't say such sad things! You would only be trampling on your friend's feelings!"
His hand gripped tightly, as if refusing to let her go.
Through it, warm energy flowed into Zion.
"Afraid of being forgotten, so asking you to live on and tell her story? Such a thing was obviously just a lie to save a friend who looked ready to crumble at any moment."
While she appreciated his concern, this was something she had noticed long ago.
After all, she wasn't the type of person to make such selfish requests.
She must have said those final words after realizing that Zion was prepared to follow her first friend in death.
"But I cannot keep living while yearning forever, can I?"
She was too exhausted now. She could barely even remember her friend's face properly anymore. So please, let me run away.
Zion cried out almost pleadingly.
But even so, the hand holding her would not let go.
"Live on. Life is something where you can't see even a step ahead, isn't it? There might be connections waiting for you that even you couldn't predict."
He knows that you live for eternity.
He knows that even if you build connections, you'll end up alone in the end.
Yet still he's saying he wants you to keep living.
For a moment, anger welled up at such selfish words.
The words "What do you know about me?" rose to her throat.
But she couldn't voice such complaints.
White hair fluttering in the wind.
As he faced her with golden eyes, that man declared more arrogantly than anyone else in the world.
"I'm certain they exist. Even if they can't walk with you forever, there will be humans who will engrave unforgettable moments in your heart."
Though I cannot live eternally with you, I will instead give you happiness you can never forget.
I will leave you with memories so intense they won't fade even in eternity, so you'll never have to be lonely on your own. So please stay with me.
"...As always, I'm no match for you."
He always exceeds Zion's expectations.
Seeing that naturally brings a smile to her face.
How he thought to suddenly confess here, how he knew she would be happy about it, what he could be thinking. She couldn't predict any of it.
It made her interest surge because she couldn't predict a single thing.
Most of her emotions may have grown thin, but when she was with that man, she couldn't stop smiling. Even to the point of wanting to live a little longer.
'I suppose one more whim wouldn't hurt.'
The delegation of Principal authority is canceled.
Because she's thought of a more fitting reward.
She poked his cheek with her index finger.
A black pattern appeared.
The mark that dragons engrave on their companions. The thing that turned an ordinary girl into the Empire's founder.
Good fortune and longevity. Not only does it double one's innate magical power, but if their wavelengths match well, they might even evolve into a dragon species in about 10 years - the highest blessing.
Though she had made mistakes, this reward should more than make up for those errors. It should be fine to show off a bit playfully to lighten the mood.
With that thought, the Primordial Dragon opened her mouth.
Planning to tease him with 'Your courage is admirable, so I'll accept your challenge! Try to make me fall for you!'
But why?
The words she meant to say won't come out.
Her head spun.
Her face burned of its own accord.
She couldn't properly meet his eyes.
That series of symptoms bewildered the Primordial Dragon.
Even someone as inexperienced with her own feelings as her couldn't fail to recognize what this emotion was called.
'Ca-calm down. We're different species to begin with. This is surely just curiosity, just curiosity.'
She looked at Ryan while trying desperately to deceive herself.
Though her hands were trembling and her legs were wobbling, she was still the great Primordial Dragon after all.
She's lived for nearly an eternity, after all. It wouldn't do for someone like her to get scared over something so trivial.
The Primordial Dragon decided to act calmly.
After firmly resolving to act calmly...
"Oh- oh my, I forgot to repair the dormitory barrier!"
She calmly spouted nonsense, calmly crashed into a tree while flying, calmly fell down, calmly pretended nothing happened, and calmly ran away.
...It was a moment that would become a source of lifelong regret.