The Sub Male Lead is Burning with Jealousy - Chapter 8 Part 2
“Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty, you mustn’t!”
Ignoring their protests, Emilio handed Rahil his sword and then grabbed Rahil’s hand. Together, they stepped through the gap, their bodies passing through effortlessly.
However, since Anais remained where she was, the portal stayed open. From the other side, Emilio handed Rahil his sword and then reached his hand back out through the portal.
“What are you all waiting for? Are you just going to send His Majesty and me?”
As Emilio waved his hand, urging them on, the knights rushed forward. Though it was an odd sight, they managed to form a line and enter the portal by holding hands.
In case of an emergency, the Imperial Mage Arken was left behind, while the First order Imperial Knights and a few of Arken’s disciples followed them in.
“Your Majesty.”
Given the situation, Anais’s face was pale with worry.
“Please be careful.”
Rahil grinned at her and replied, “I will.”
* * *
‘Anais is worried about me!’
Awesome!
Even though he knew it wasn’t the time for such thoughts, Rahil couldn’t help but feel a grin tugging at his lips. He ignored the looks from Emilio and the knights that were focused on him and surveyed the surroundings.
The portal leading back to the imperial palace remained open, and aside from the sound of water from the fountain, the area was eerily quiet. Despite the garden’s vibrant appearance, there were no birds singing, no insects buzzing.
“What a splendid place,” remarked the commander of the First Order Knights, standing close to the emperor, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings. Rahil extended his senses, scanning the area. If this was indeed a dragon’s lair, it wouldn’t be surprising if a monster appeared at any moment.
Some of the mages were marveling at the gemstones embedded in the pillars surrounding the garden, recognizing them as refined mana stones. This was a space where they couldn’t predict when or what kind of magic might be triggered.
Rahil took the lead, moving forward. While he didn’t sense any living creatures, there was a location with a significant energy presence.
The commander of the First Order of the Knights stayed right by Rahil’s side, vigilantly surrveying the surroundings. Before entering, he had received strict orders from Sion to ensure the emperor’s safety at all costs.
It wasn’t ideal for the emperor to lead the charge, but Rahil was also the strongest person in the group. The commander bit his lip, thinking of Duke Theodore Calix.
The one who should be here wasn’t His Majesty but Duke Calix. The commander suspected that because this involved the empress, His Majesty’s judgment might have been clouded.
‘Even if there is a dragon, with His Majesty and the Master of the Mage Tower here, we should be able to handle it….’
Even without Rahil and the Tower Master, the knights and Arken’s disciples would likely be sufficient to deal with the threat. The commander’s only concern was that if something went wrong, His Majesty could suffer a serious injury or fall victim to a curse.
As the emperor, any harm coming to him would have far greater consequences for the empire than if a mere knight were injured.
‘I wish His Majesty would think more about the empire.’
Of course, given Rahil’s strength, it was natural for him to take the lead. He couldn’t stand by and let his knights die in battle when he could end the fight with a single stroke of his sword.
They exited the garden and entered the palace corridors. Though they weren’t familiar with the layout, as they walked straight down the hallway, they began to sense the presence of an immense power.
The Tower Master was already chanting spells, ready for battle at any moment, and the emperor had drawn his sword as they continued onward.
The bright light from the entrance quickly faded behind them, and they soon arrived at the end of a vast corridor illuminated by torchlight. The enormous door they faced was clearly not designed for humans.
The enormous door, which would be challenging to move even with considerable strength, did not tempt the emperor to exert his power. Instead, Rahil signaled one of Arken’s disciples to open it with magic.
However, as soon as the mage touched the door, faint sparks ignited, and the door slowly began to open inward toward the corridor.
“It wasn’t me!”
The mage quickly shouted in alarm, stepping away from the door. The door was a massive double door, large enough for a dragon to pass through, so the group had to retreat further back to avoid being in its path.
Inside, the space was vast, resembling nothing more than a large plaza except for a few columns. The difference was the nest-like area in the center, where a gigantic dragon lay curled up, apparently asleep.
“My god…!”
Someone accidentally raised their voice, only to be quickly silenced by their companions. Rahil, sensing something was off, began to approach the sleeping dragon along with the rest of the group.
‘I can hear its breathing….’
Yet, the air around them remained still. More precisely, even though the massive creature was breathing, there was no detectable movement in the atmosphere. Moreover, while they could sense its energy, its presence as a living being was almost nonexistent.
“Rahil.”
Emilio, who had come closer, issued a warning. Rahil slowly nodded. As he released a wave of sword energy, the dragon, which they had assumed was asleep, snapped its eyes open and glared at them.
“Eek!”
A few of the mages stumbled back in fear, while the knights raised their shields and widened the distance between themselves and the dragon. They knew they wouldn’t be much help individually.
In battle, their role would be to distract the dragon while the emperor and the Tower Master launched their attacks. Thus, they moved around cautiously, fortified with magically enhanced armor and shields, dodging the dragon’s potential strikes to draw its attention.
The dragon watched the scattering knights with a gaze as indifferent as if it were observing insects. Some of the mages activated invisibility spells, hiding behind the massive columns.
