Chapter Seventy-Two: The Price of Power

Three days had passed since Feiloxis and Moers moved in, and today the house was eerily quiet. The girls who usually filled the rooms had all disappeared to some unknown place, and Ruby couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him. Even now, as he headed to the kitchen to make something to eat, a small shadow at the corner of the hallway betrayed its owner.

"Why are you following me? Hungry?"

"I'm not following you!"

Having been discovered, Moers poked his head out with a mutter and a classic display of adolescent pride.

"Oh."

Ruby nodded and stepped into the kitchen. Upon opening the cupboard, he found there were still some ingredients left from yesterday. With Draggon's help, he put together a simple bowl of fried noodles for lunch.

"Human, I have something to ask you."

While Ruby was cooking, Moers lingered at the edge of the doorframe, watching him with wide eyes. Seeing that Ruby was really going to ignore him, Moers had no choice but to speak first.

"Before you ask, mind your manners."

Passing by, Ruby gently pinched his cheek. The little rascal was a bit unruly, but undeniably cute.

"You want me to be polite to a human? Ridiculous. I, Moers, would never... No, never mind."

He was about to boast, but suddenly remembered what had happened at the Rhine Academy of Magic after he’d spouted off before, and wisely swallowed his words.

"Then go talk to your fiancée instead."

"My beloved isn’t here; otherwise I wouldn’t be speaking to you!"

"Now that you mention it, it’s awfully quiet today. Where is everyone?"

Ruby had slept in, having stayed up late with Draggon making over a thousand different kinds of cards. He hadn’t expected to find the house empty when he woke.

"They went to the Royal Mage Association. Something about improving the game system."

"I see. So, what did you want to ask?"

Ruby recalled what Mayona had said yesterday: there were still many flaws in the Duelist system of King of Games. It relied too much on manually activating or deactivating the magic crystals, so she and Tinasia had gone to help develop a more advanced dueling arena—perhaps one that could be controlled by voice infused with magic, and cards enhanced with buffs like moisture-proofing, fire-proofing, and impact resistance. With the Archmage’s understanding of magic, leading such a project was hardly a problem for her.

"That soft, fragrant thing on humans—what is it called?"

Moers had followed Ruby into his room and, after quietly closing the door, finally asked in a small voice.

"Is there such a part on the human body?"

Ruby paused, biting through a mouthful of noodles, puzzled. With his knowledge of anatomy, this was a tough one. Strictly speaking, the human body did not emit fragrance, and as for softness... that was far too vague—almost every part could be described as soft.

"Right here! Feiloxis has them too."

Seeing that Ruby was lost, Moers could only pat his own chest. He couldn’t forget that soft, squishy sensation, though he’d never asked Feiloxis to let him cuddle her. The dragoness probably wouldn’t refuse, but he was afraid that such a request would cost him something precious.

"...Are you that interested in them?"

Ruby put down his chopsticks. This was no time for lunch—a minor was treading into adult territory, and he had to take this seriously.

"Last time, when a bunch of humans hugged me, I accidentally touched them—their softness and scent... I just can’t forget it! What’s wrong with me?"

"It’s quite normal for someone your age to be curious about such things. That part is called the breast; it’s for human females to feed their offspring."

"Then why can’t I forget it? Is it some kind of curse?"

From Ruby’s explanation, it didn’t sound like a particularly important body part, yet it seemed to have a magical attraction. Moers couldn’t help but add, “Even just once—I’d love to feel that again. Do you think if I asked my beloved for a cuddle, she’d agree?”

"I think you might die."

Ruby wasn’t sure how conservative Mayona was, but he was certain that if Moers tried to nuzzle the Archmage’s chest, he’d soon be meeting the Dragon God. He decided it was time to use his knowledge from another world to steer Moers away from his obsession and teach him to be a normal person.

"Hold on, let me handle this."

Draggon suddenly leapt off Ruby’s head, hovering in midair and opening his single purple eye.

"You want to explain?"

"What, you doubt me? Tell me, do you really think you understand breasts better than I do? Do you think your understanding surpasses mine, the very embodiment of lust, boy?"

Draggon’s eye glinted with disdain as he challenged Ruby again and again, determined to put this arrogant human in his place.

"No..."

Under Draggon’s gaze, Ruby turned away, feeling guilty. When it came to this subject, Draggon was clearly more of an expert.

"Let me ask you again—do you truly believe breasts exist only to feed offspring? Haven’t you ever thought of doing anything else with them? Never fantasized?"

"..."

Ruby was speechless. He couldn’t lie, and even if he tried, Draggon would see right through him. He could only pick up his chopsticks and resume his lunch.

"Leave it to the great Draggon, then."

"Little one, do you know that breasts are the most precious gift bestowed upon the world by the gods? Trust me, nothing is more captivating than a beautiful pair of breasts."

"The gods? Which god?"

"That’s none of your concern. The gods bestowed both joy and pain upon the world. So when humans encounter pain, what should they do? Not stab others, not end themselves, but seek out a worthy bosom to bury themselves in. There, you’ll forget all your troubles and sorrows—until you reach enlightenment."

Draggon spoke with great passion, painting breasts as a sacred sanctuary—though several departed saints would likely rise from their graves to strangle him for such blasphemy.

"Really? So I’m normal? I’m not sick?"

Moers’s eyes began to shine. Draggon’s words made so much sense to him—he was the perfect mentor.

"Of course, my child. Now, simply follow your desires and declare what you truly want. Here, you have two choices: the mightiest power in the world, or a pair of breasts within your grasp. Choose."

Draggon was so absorbed in his act he might as well have been a priest hearing confessions. Twin beams of light appeared at his sides—‘power’ was pure nonsense, but he was certain no one would choose it over breasts.

"I... I choose breasts!"

"Very well. Your wish is granted."

Draggon, satisfied, used his magic to conjure an indescribable silicone upper body modeled after something in Ruby’s mind. To Moers, the two hemispheres were dazzlingly beautiful, though Draggon had the decency to forgo any inappropriate details.

"Draggon, this is..."

Ruby felt Draggon was leading Moers astray, but before he could stop him, the little black dragon had already flung his arms around the silicone form, pressing his face into it with a delighted cry.

"Mmm! I love breasts the most!"

"Ruby, I’m back...!"

Mayona suddenly pushed open the door, eager to share her research results with Ruby—only to be confronted with the sight of Moers nuzzling something that was unmistakably modeled after a woman’s chest. Anyone with half a brain could see what it was.

"Pervert."

The Archmage gave Moers a cold look, closed the door, and left. That icy glare told Moers he would never escape the stain of her disdain for as long as he lived.

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PS: Draggon: Do you desire power?