Shoujo Hater-Chapter 59 - 54: The Cursed Mission
After Escanor and Asaria arrived at the throne of the Magma Emperor Magdnel, they found a young man with orange hair seated upon a black throne. His eyes glowed with the same color, and his aura radiated nobility and wisdom. The sheer presence he emitted was enough to humble anyone before him.
Asaria and Escanor bowed their heads in reverence to the Emperor of Magma.
“Well, you have arrived, Asaria.
Ah, and this seems to be the child you told me you adopted.
His aura is quite good for his age.”
“Swoof.”
In an instant, the Emperor appeared behind them with a speed their eyes could barely follow. He began patting Escanor, inspecting him and tapping on his armor.
“So this is what they call the blissful evolution. I have heard much about it, but this is the first time I have seen it with my own eyes.”
Neither Escanor nor Asaria dared to react. The Magma Emperor was curious, and when he was curious, no one could stop him. Both of them knew that if he wished, he could erase them with a single strike.
“Hmm... what was important?
Ah, yes, I remember.
Half of the exploration squad is dead, and the other half we know nothing about, except that one of them returned by sheer miracle.
By the order of the Dragon King, a new mission is to be sent to investigate that place and rescue any survivors, though I doubt any remain alive.
Since you were part of the exploration division, Asaria, I am entrusting this mission to you and Dragal, along with a delegation from the Dragon King. Your disciple will join you as well. This was the reason he was permitted to join our clan.
Good luck returning alive from that cursed place.
Wait...
Hmm...
Ah yes, I remembered its dreadful name.
I cannot remember whether we named it ourselves, or if the place itself chanted that name.
Yes, I dare not enter that cursed place.”
“As you wish, Emperor. We ask your permission to depart.”
“Hey, stop.”
Before they left, an orange flame rose from the hand of the Magma Emperor and transferred into Escanor.
“This is a gift from me to you.”
The flame surrounded Escanor and his body soon began to absorb it.
“This is your first official dangerous mission from the Emperor of the clan. You must understand what this means.
This is your chance to prove yourself.
Train well.
It seems that the dragon lineage is about to enter a new era.
This is truly exciting.
It seems the Dragon King is planning something massive.”
Asaria departed, and Escanor followed.
“Teacher, what does the Emperor mean by that cursed place? And why does no one know about it?”
“That is a secret place, Esci, and any information about it is forbidden.
The place was discovered by one of the High Dragons after a journey that lasted more than one thousand years. He wrote a few notes with scant information, delivered them here, and has not returned to the Continent of Sacred Majesty for another thousand years to this day.
One piece of shared knowledge is that the place has begun expanding.
The Magma Emperor is lazy and enjoys revealing secrets, so he told me some information.
I believed this was a suicidal assignment meant to remove a few leaders within the dragon clans, but the fact that a royal contingent is being sent means it is no conspiracy.
And sending delegates from the other clans means the matter is serious. The Emperor’s insistence on sending you with me means he suspects something.
The Magma Emperor normally avoids involvement in politics. That alone tells us how severe this situation is.
So the correct step now is to gather information. We will ask the one who returned from the mission for details. We must understand the level of danger before acting.”
Asaria and Escanor returned to the hall they had entered from and found the wounded dragon lying there.
“You there,” Asaria called, attempting to obtain information.
But all they heard from him was faint mumbling and the sound of dripping blood.
“Do not bother with him. He will die within a few hours.”
Asaria and Escanor turned at the same time. The voice belonged to the Emperor’s guardian.
“A healing delegation came to treat him, but nothing worked. He remained in this condition, and even healing spells have no effect.
The fact that he reached this place at all is a miracle.
According to the Healing Sage, it appears that his soul was forcibly removed, and his body arrived here not by its own will, but guided by a strange self-awareness it gained after escaping that terrifying place. Perhaps he witnessed something so horrifying that his soul fled entirely, leaving only the body to stumble here on instinct.
The only reason he managed to escape is that he is from the Spirit Dragon lineage.
Be careful on your journey. I feel something is wrong with the King’s order this time.
Good luck returning alive, though I doubt you will.
In any case, is there anything you wish me to do if you both fail to return?”
Asaria and Escanor politely declined, “Thank you, but there is no need. We will return.”
“Also, venturing back to that place in the first place would be sheer folly.”
Asaria and Escanor both shuddered.
A deep, instinctive fear settled within them, growing heavier with each passing moment.
“Well, you must fly now if you wish to arrive in time. Otherwise, the delegation will leave without you and you will be classified as rebels, and you both know well what happens to them.”
Escanor and Asaria flew swiftly out of the palace, the wind lashing against them and sparks of magma bursting from the courtyards adding to the heat and dread.
When they landed, they found Dragal and six members of the Dragon King’s delegation waiting for them.
Four of them were of the light element, slightly weaker than Asaria and Dragal. The fifth was of the spirit element and matched their level. The last was a stone dragon whose presence alone made the tense atmosphere even heavier.
Dragal glared at Escanor and Asaria with disdain but said nothing.
At that moment, Escanor and Asaria each felt something different.
Escanor saw a chance to prove himself, to bring pride to his teacher, and to move one step closer to his dream.
Asaria felt that she might not return, that this would be the end. But she could not allow herself to face the Dragon Tribunal, nor expose her disciple to danger without preparation.
