This is…

“How does it feel? Isn’t it cold?”

My hand was clearly inside a blazing fire, yet all I could feel was a chill, not heat.

As the cool sensation crept up my hand, I asked in bewilderment, “What is going on here?”

“Hahaha, are you surprised?”

The grand duke’s voice brimmed with pride, and all I could do was nod blankly.

Cold fire—how could something so contradictory exist?

Fire, at its core, is supposed to be hot. That’s its very nature.

“Fire is hot—that’s common sense. Or rather, it’s one of the laws of this world. However, a grand duke is someone who transcends those very laws.”

“You mean, they go beyond the laws of nature?”

“Yes, yes! This fire is just a simple example. In reality, far more is possible.”

At her words, the image of the Tower Master from the Chronicles of Xien flashed through my mind.

I remembered how he roamed freely across the continent, wielding incomprehensible magic as effortlessly as breathing.

The more I had studied magic, the more I had realized how absurd that level of power was. But if it was the result of breaking the world’s laws, it finally made sense.

“How does one go beyond the laws of the world?”

“The most basic requirement is to understand those laws. In other words, reaching the level of a mage. A mage is merely the bare minimum qualification to become a grand duke.”

“And for mages to break free from these laws, they require something special. It might be an epiphany, or it could be something else entirely.”

“Take that Tower Master, for instance. In his youth, he wandered the continent, tracing the remnants of various gods…”

“He discovered it. By linking those traces to the laws of the world, he realized that those laws weren’t absolute. That’s how he reached his current level. His driving force was an insatiable thirst for knowledge, bordering on madness.”

“Then… does that mean I have to do the same?”

It was already burdensome to be away from the Imperial Palace for even a short while, but wandering across the continent? That would be madness.

Fortunately, the Duck shook her head.

“No, that’s not the case. Didn’t I already tell you? It doesn’t have to be an epiphany—it could be something else.”

Something else…

“The dragon’s blood that flows within you. If you fully awaken it, breaking free from the laws of the world will be a trivial matter.”

The dragon’s blood that has flowed through the Arhan family for generations.

Because of this lineage, the members of the imperial family were always extraordinary.

If they wielded a sword, they quickly mastered aura.

If they learned magic, their sensitivity to mana far surpassed others, allowing them to reach new heights with ease.

They didn’t tire easily, poison was ineffective, and unless it was a curse of immense power, it wouldn’t affect them—truly a lineage worthy of being called ‘chosen.’ And yet… I hadn’t even fully awakened the dragon’s blood?

“Hehe, did you really think being a bit stronger, a bit healthier, was the true power of the dragon’s blood?”

“Not at all.”

“From ancient times, bloodlines have carried the meaning of inheritance. The dragon’s blood holds dormant authority.”

“Authority?”

“Yes, the authority of the dragon. The power to command the world itself—the Dragon’s Speech.”

“To command the world…”

“Indeed. Think back to the incantations I taught you.”

The incantations I had learned…

Now that I thought about it, every single one of them was filled with overwhelming arrogance.

“And you’re quite used to giving commands, aren’t you?”

That was true.

Aside from a rare few like Sir Feltz and Duke Fael, most people I gave ‘requests’ to, even those few, knew that they were essentially commands.

“Dragon’s blood, the arrogance of always commanding others, magic at the pinnacle of mastery… If even one of these is lacking, you’ll never awaken the dragon’s authority.”

The Duke’s eyes, slitted vertically like a dragon’s, gleamed as they locked onto me.

“But you… You have the potential to awaken the Dragon’s Speech fully.”

It’s been two months since I arrived in the North.

As for the Dragon’s Speech... I still haven’t awakened it.

“Take it easy. The Dragon’s Speech is the greatest power in this world. To think you could master it overnight would be the height of arrogance.”

Well, arrogance is certainly a trait of dragons.

While I was practicing in the training hall the Duke had prepared, she entered the room.

“Grand Duke, you’re here.”

“Not the Grand Duke.”

“...Master.”

“Yes, yes! Now, where are you in your training?”

“I’ve gotten somewhat familiar with the laws of the world. I’m also starting to understand what you meant when you said that these laws aren’t absolute.”

“Already? That’s much faster than I expected. Breaking away from common sense isn’t something so easily done.”

Breaking away from common sense…

This world itself was far beyond my own sense of logic.

Once I put aside the magical knowledge I’d gained here and recalled my memories from my past life, breaking common sense wasn’t that difficult.

In a world where a single knight could cleave a mountain in half with a sword and a dragon could teach me magic, what was so strange about cold fire?

“But I still don’t quite grasp the concept of the Dragon’s Speech. I can’t clearly see the difference between commanding the world and regular incantation magic.”

Since becoming more aware of the dragon’s blood flowing within me and the existence of the Dragon’s Speech, my magic had indeed become faster and more powerful.

The weight behind each spell felt tangibly different, and yet, I could also tell that this wasn’t the true power of the dragon’s blood.

“You once said that magic bends the world to your will, right? But the Dragon’s Speech is different. Instead of bending the world, you command it. You tell the world to move for you. Of course, this isn’t something that can be explained with words alone. You’ll have to experience it yourself.”

With that, the Duck casually walked over to me and conjured a chair out of ice, taking a seat.

“In any case, take a break. Speaking of which, didn’t you say you had something you wanted to ask me for advice about when you first came here?”

Ah, right.

The gemstone magic.

I should have asked about this sooner, but with all the talk of gods and the Dragon’s Speech, it completely slipped my mind.

I told the Duck about the people who had used gemstone magic to cast spatial spells.

“Hmm… gemstone-based spatial magic, you say? That rings a bell.”

She reached into thin air and, after rummaging for a moment, pulled out a crown embedded with countless small gems.

“Do you know of the Kingdom of Edelvine?”

“The Kingdom of Edelvine? I’ve never heard of it.”

“You’re quite the curious one, knowing about Sarion but being unaware of a kingdom that fell just 300 years ago.”

Well, that’s because it wasn’t mentioned in the game.

I swallowed my thoughts and urged him to continue with a look.

“Edelvine was once a kingdom that left a significant mark on the history of magic. That land was rich in gemstones, and they actively researched gemstone magic. Even the Mage Tower and I were interested in their work at one point.”

Ah, something came to mind.

In the Chronicles of Xien, there were dungeons labeled “Forgotten ” with little detailed information. One of those dungeons had a wide variety of gems as its rewards.

Could that have been related to the Kingdom of Edelvine?

“Then, are the people using gemstone magic the descendants of the Kingdom of Edelvine?”

“That would make sense, wouldn’t it? If the Tower Master isn’t behind them, then it’s likely that the descendants of Edelvine are involved.”

“Why would they cause such chaos in our empire instead of trying to rebuild their kingdom, now that they’ve reappeared?”

As I grumbled, the Duck gave me a look that said I was spouting nonsense.

“Well, isn’t it obvious? Edelvine was destroyed by the Arhan Empire, after all.”

Three hundred years ago, Emperor Chris Arhan of the Arhan Empire found the Kingdom of Edelvine to be a growing threat.

It wasn’t just the abundance of gemstones in such a small country, but also how advanced their gemstone-based magic had become.

At the time, Edelvine was one of the top three powers on the continent, alongside the Empire and Jer, due to its immense wealth. Its magic even drew the interest of the Mage Tower, with whom Edelvine had formed close ties.

With both wealth and power, Edelvine no longer feared the Empire and began to assert itself as a leader among the kingdoms, gradually challenging the authority of the Empire.

“Emperor, please reconsider your words.”

“Emperor, that proposal seems inappropriate.”

“Emperor, more than half of the Continental Assembly opposes it. You cannot pass that proposal.”

Back then, relations between the kingdoms and the Empire were not as strained as they are now. The Continental Assembly met regularly, and at each gathering, Edelvine used its influence among the kingdoms to block the Empire’s ambitions.

So, the Empire decided to eliminate Edelvine.

The downfall began at a banquet following one of the Continental Assemblies.

Each ruler brought their heirs to the gathering to broaden their horizons and forge connections. During this event, the heir of Edelvine got into a heated argument with the crown prince of the Empire.

“How dare these upstart fools raise their voices at me!”

“What did you just say?!”

Despite attempts to mediate, the argument escalated, and the two decided to settle it with a duel through their representatives.

“Sir Sael, make sure those arrogant fools are put in their place.”

“Sir Haron, fight for the honor of the kingdom.”

Both knights were masters, so the confined banquet hall wasn’t suitable for their battle. They moved to a larger arena to duel.

The fight dragged on, as their skills were evenly matched. Growing impatient, the two knights prepared to exchange their strongest techniques to end the duel swiftly.

As they created distance and readied their final strikes—

BOOM!

A massive explosion rocked the arena. Lightning and flames erupted, engulfing Sael, and in an instant, the Imperial knight was dead.

“What in the world…?!”

When the magic dissipated, all that was left was the charred remains of Sael and fragments of a shattered gemstone. Immediately, the Empire’s crown prince accused Edelvine.

“How dare you interrupt a sacred duel and kill an Imperial master!”

“No, Crown Prince, please! This is a misunderstanding, I swear!”

There were many suspicious elements to the incident. It was hard to believe that a master-level knight could be killed by a single spell, even in a surprise attack. And curiously, the attack was fire and lightning-based—spells commonly used by the Imperial Head Mage at the time.

Edelvine protested their innocence and called for an investigation, pledging their full cooperation, but the Empire refused to listen.

“An Imperial master is dead. We will bathe Edelvine in blood to avenge him.”

The Empire immediately deployed its army.

Ten master knights, twenty-three mages, and thousands of expert-level warriors and high-ranking magicians—all with aura mastery—marched to war. This was not just a call for revenge; it was a clear message to the continent.

On the surface, it was retaliation for the death of an Imperial master.

But in truth, it was the Empire’s retribution against Edelvine for daring to challenge its supremacy.

Edelvine sought help from other kingdoms and the Mage Tower, but they all declined.

“What do you mean you can’t help us?!”

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing we can do.”

“The Imperial army may be strong, but we are not weak! Our kingdom has two masters and fifteen mages. If the other kingdoms join us—”

“Even if we help you defeat that army, do you think it will end there? That’s the Imperial Guard, not just any army! If you kill them, do you think the Empire will stop? No. The moment we win, the Empire will declare all-out war. The lords will rise up in retaliation.”

“Edelvine King, I regret to say we cannot join the fight.”

“I’m sorry.”

The kingdoms that once supported Edelvine at the Continental Assembly now withdrew one by one as they witnessed the might of the Imperial army.

“Tower Master, why won’t you—”

“Why should I risk opposing the Empire for your sake? For what reason?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Your gemstone magic was intriguing, yes. But not worth going to war with the Empire.”

And so, Edelvine found itself isolated, and the Empire’s forces mercilessly crushed them.

“Surrender! I will become your vassal. I will kneel if you ask me to, so please…”

In the end, the king of Edelvine chose to surrender.

“Erase everything about Edelvine. Ensure that no one in the future even remembers there were people who lived on this land.”

But the Empire did not accept.

Thus, Edelvine—the once greatest kingdom on the continent—was utterly destroyed.