Dominance of Viled Heart

Chapter 5

“Who’s that?” I asked Leon, irritation seeping into my voice after the delegation exited and we continued the office tour.

With a mischievous grin, Leon leaned in and whispered, “That’s his highness assistant—aka, the royal pain in the ass.”

Despite my frustration, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Maybe because I was already so far down the rabbit hole that everything seemed absurd.

“He’s the second son of the Marquess, Lord Nixon. He holds His Highness in high regard and has become his secretary, which is why he’s so strict with His Highness’s people. You should be careful with your words around other officials. By the way, where are you from? You don’t seem too familiar with noble etiquette.”

“I… am not a noble. I’m just an ordinary citizen from a small city in Elthor,” I said smoothly, borrowing from what Aunty Lea had said earlier.

“Ah, that makes sense. No wonder the customs seem unfamiliar to you. Don’t worry, I’ll guide you as best I can. Feel free to ask if you have any questions. I initially assumed you were from a noble family since you know various languages and managed to decode some symbols from the scrolls. My apologies for the assumption.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I don’t mind at all. Thank you for accepting me, even though I’m a nobody,” I said bashfully, earning a warm smile from him as we bowed to each other.

“His Highness appointed you. Who am I to question his orders? But if you’re not a noble, how did you learn to read, write, and decode?” Leon’s voice took on a suspicious edge as we stepped into a new, mysterious room.

"Oh wow! What is this room?" I exclaimed, my voice trembling slightly as I desperately tried to redirect the conversation.

"Ah, this is where we decode the Arcanographica," he replied, his eyes narrowing as if trying to see through my facade, making my heart race even faster.

My heart pounded as I glanced at the display in the corner of the room and cautiously peered inside the glass case, hoping to avoid any suspicion. A line of scrolls, eerily similar to the one I had read earlier, lay within, beckoning me to explore further. I wasn't about to let Leon see me sweat.

"I've been curious about this Arcanographica since earlier. What are these scrolls for?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

My eyes nervously darted around the room, drawn to the scattered scrolls, each one holding some kind of mystery. "Did you decode the secret scroll without knowing what it was? That's unusual. Doesn't His Highness tell you anything about it?" I shook my head.

Just as I suspected. What I did isn't normal at all! Am I some kind of prodigy? No, that can't be right. I barely managed to understand those characters because I used to communicate with my friends using Jejemon text.

A shiver of unease crept down my spine. I could feel Leon's gaze on me, sharp as a dagger. My palms started to sweat. What if he realizes I'm bluffing? I needed to change the subject now. 

"S… So, what’s this for?" I asked, my voice wavering despite my best efforts to keep steady. The room felt darker somehow, the shadows stretching just a little too far, creeping into the corners of my vision.

Leon's gaze sharpened, his eyes scanning me like he was assembling a puzzle where I was the missing piece. The weight of his scrutiny pressed down on me, and for a brief, suffocating moment, it felt like the walls themselves were closing in.

Don’t ask me any more questions. The silent plea echoed in my head, tension coiling in my chest.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"Hmm, where to start? We believe the Arcanographica contains the history of our world. As you know, our ancestors believed that the mighty dragon created this world for his companion."

A wave of relief crashed over me, though I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was just the fact that he wasn’t pressing me further. 

"His Highness first learned about the Arcanographica when a princess from a neighboring kingdom offered it to him in exchange for her country. According to legend, the scroll had been safeguarded by her family for generations and was believed to hold the mystical power of the dragon."

'The hell… a dragon? Seriously?! What is this, Dragon Ball Z or Jurassic World?' I silently grumbled, trying not to roll my eyes.

"And does His Highness actually believe that?"

"At first, His Highness didn't believe it—until he felt the power residing in the scroll." Leon's voice dropped lower, his eyes darting around the room like he was about to spill some dangerous secret.

Seriously?! I can't believe what I just struggle to read at the cause of my life is some kind of tale for kids. 

"These scrolls… there's something more to them. They preserve their content, yes, but there's also a weight to them. Like they're watching you, waiting for something. Only the mighty dragon or the prince himself can hold such power, or so they say. But there are stories about others who've tried and… let's just say, they weren't so lucky." 

'I didn't feel anything at all... so I'm not as special as I thought,' I muttered, disappointment settling like a stone in my chest. A part of me had still hoped—hoped that being magically pulled into this world meant something. That I was important.

I mean, that’s usually how it goes in the novels I’ve read.

"Did a dragon write these scrolls?" I asked, trying to suppress a smile. Leon chuckled and moved to one of the scrolls on his left.

"No. After many years of study, we learned that the scrolls were written by someone who accompanied the mighty dragon."

"So it was the dragon's companion," I replied, trying to keep a straight face. It felt like I was talking to my niece, convincing her that the dragon was the father of the dinosaur and the lizard is the youngest child. 

"That's what we thought too, but upon further examination, it seems the scrolls were written by someone else entirely. Someone entrusted with the dragon's power, a power His Highness is still seeking."

"…"

"It's like a tiny cog finding its place—the world seems to shift from the day His Highness learned the scrolls' contents."

"W… what's in it?" I asked eagerly, hoping for more of the story. It sounded like a fantasy movie plot, so why not give it a chance?

"It's the scroll you decoded yourself." Leon smiled as I stared blankly at her. I had already forgotten what I had read, preoccupied with just trying to survive. The only word I remembered was life, and the rest just flew out somewhere. 

"And the first scroll I've decoded in years." He added, looking at the scroll in front of him inside the glass case. 

"So what does it say?" I asked impatiently. He remained silent, gazing at the scroll like he was in a trance. And then he starts to read, "Poor child who loses the meaning of life. Can't eat, can't sleep, as if cursed in the past life. With the power of the mighty one, we look for the one so a deep sleep can overcome."

"It sounds lonely, doesn't it?" Leon added after reciting the words like some kind of dramatic poet.

I didn't know what to say. Everything I was hearing felt like a scam. The content was indeed lonely, almost as if it was describing what I was feeling right now.

I hadn't eaten or slept since I arrived. Everything had happened so fast that I still wanted to believe this was just a nightmare. All I wanted was to buy my shoes and eat something—Growl~

Talking about food just made me even hungrier.

Leon chuckled. "Hahaha, my bad. Seems your stomach is in a more miserable state. Want to eat before we continue?"

"Sorry, I've been through a lot today and didn't get a chance to eat."

"It's fine. Let me show you to the dining area."

Leon had been incredibly helpful today, but honestly, my brain was starting to feel like an overstuffed suitcase. He kept tossing information at me like confetti at a parade, and I was over here trying to catch it all with my tiny brain and somehow make it fit.

Seriously, I need a pause button. 😵

After hours of exploring the bustling facilities—vibrant stalls, training grounds, endless hallways—I finally sat down to eat. Everything blurred together in my mind, exhaustion setting in. At least the food smelled promising.

Unfortunately, Leon didn’t seem to believe in quiet meals.

"And this hall connects to the archives, but you'll need clearance for that," he rambled, gesturing with his fork. "Oh, and don’t forget—"

I resisted the urge to sigh, focusing on my plate instead. My mind felt like it was about to burp from information overload.

This guy... he's pretty, but his mouth works nonstop.

I stabbed a piece of meat with my fork.

In the future, I should only ask him things if they’re really important.

With that silent vow, I tuned him out and let the food do the talking instead.

"Here's your room," Leon announced, leading me to a small stone chamber that looked like it was plucked straight out of a dungeon. No windows, just cold stone walls, a modest bed, and a side table.

On the bright side, there was a private bathroom. Thank goodness! Bathing alone was my biggest concern. Despite their ancient warrior vibes, their hygiene seemed surprisingly modern.

Their clothing, on the other hand? Ridiculous. Buttons made of gold, cufflinks set with gems—how much could those clothes fetch? Especially the prince’s outfit! If I could get my hands on just one of his robes, I might as well consider my retirement fund secured.

Leon mentioned earlier before he left that this entire floor was exclusively for historians. "His Highness, the Crown Prince, is incredibly invested in our skills since he’s obsessed with the ancient scripts—supposedly imbued with secret powers only a few people can wield."

"Really? Because this place feels less like a research facility and more like a high-end prison with no exit. Who even believes that dragon nonsense? I’d be more convinced if they said it was a violet-talking dinosaur."

I flopped onto the chair with a dramatic sigh.

Great. Not only am I stuck in a land of dragons and cryptic scrolls, but I’m also the world’s most clueless historian. Just what I needed—another reason to feel like a fraud.

That Arcanographica scroll, though... it was like deciphering Jejemon texts—symbols that looked totally random but started making sense the more you stared at them.

Instead of laughing with my friends over chaotic messages, I was now unraveling ancient dragon magic.

Well, not exactly the same, but similar.

How could I explain it? Hmm...

In Jejemon, the letter ‘A’ could be written as 5, @, or just a—different characters, same meaning.

The trick was to stop focusing on the individual letters and recognize the patterns. Jeje writing was a pain for outsiders, but once you got the hang of it, it flowed. And somehow, that knowledge was helping me understand fragments of the Arcanographica.

It was actually kind of fun solving this kind of mystery, but..."I WANT TO GO HOME!!!" I yelled in frustration.

Exhausted, aching, and now freezing in this glorified cave, I stomped over to the bathroom. The bathwater was so cold I felt my soul leave my body. Shivering, I dried off and wrapped myself in a towel.

Was it the stone walls?

What a day.

I barely left my house, just wanted to buy new shoes, and now—
🚨 Shoes? Gone before I even got to wear them.
🚨 Bag, wallet, phone? Probably turned to ash.
🚨 Almost burned alive? Check.
🚨 Now pretending to be a man AND a historian?

What is my life?

At least I was still alive… for now.

Who knew what other insane twists were waiting for me?

As I drifted off to sleep, my thoughts were a chaotic mess. Maybe this is all just a bad dream, I told myself. Maybe I'll wake up in my own bed tomorrow.

But the rest didn’t last long.

BANG BANG BANG!

A loud knock shattered my hopes of sleep.

"You’re expected on the training field," a gruff voice called.

"...Wha—now?" I groaned, still half-asleep, but the door was already swinging open.

I didn’t get a choice.

Before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of a training field, desperately trying to wield a sword that felt like it weighed a ton.

"I know I said I'm not one to back down from a fight, but this is not what I meant!!!" I screamed as I clumsily swung a heavy sword, feeling more like a ragdoll than a warrior.