CHAPTER 42: SAKURADROP

LOTHAR PENDRAGON

2 YEARS AGO

The gloomy room is getting chiller, so I decided to light a cigarette to warm up my lungs. I don’t know what’s happening with my sense of temperature. I’m a little bit sweaty but the hairs on my skin continue to stand up.

“Let go of me! Please! Let go of me!” A voice of a begging adult man can be heard behind me. “My son… my daughter… please let them go!”

I don’t think that voice is not the source of my chills though. I have done this many times since my wife Kirina died. I’m not a knight. I’m just a dragonoid soldier, a lapdog of the Empire of Elysia, which is assigned to do what his majesty’s orders. Kidnapping a man does not touch my conscience anymore. But why am I feeling this uncomfortable fear?

Behind me is the man who refuses to shut up. He’s the Prime Minister of Fleija, Hezekiah Martin. He’s a man with a straight posture and corporate formalities, but right now, he’s nothing but a hostage of mine. He is currently tied on a wooden seat, trying to break free from his hopeless despair.

I withdrew my wife’s heart from my jacket and stared at it with admiration. Kirina’s heart is still pure and beautiful even though it’s been years since her bodily death. Every pump her heart makes, it fills my chest with the warmth of her love. But right now, the heart feels odd for some inexplicable reason. It’s beating in a weaker but faster manner. 

“Kirina, what are you trying to tell me?” I asked.

“Let go of me and my children, dammit!” The Prime Minister cried to interrupt me. 

“Shush,” I whispered to the restrained leader. “You better shut up. I’m talking to my wife here.”

“You fucking lunatic!” The Prime Minister cried again. He must be pertaining to me talking to a beating heart like a mentally challenged person. “What the heck is wrong with you!?”

“If I let you see your son and daughter, will you shut up?” I asked.

“Yes! Yes please!” The Prime Minister begged.

Fulfilling his request, I walked on the north side of the room and removed the curtains. As soon as the curtains fall, the Prime Minister’s eyes widened as he saw his son and daughter tied up and gagged on a separate set of wooden chairs. The children kept on shouting with a muffled voice, which made the atmosphere of this grim room became darker.

“Mmmmmph! Mmmmmmph!” The son and daughter of the Prime Minister, who appears to be just twelve years and ten years of age respectively, tried to shout out loud with the cloths stuck on their mouths.

“Nooo! Why are you doing this to them!” The Prime Minister cried out louder. “Please release them! They have nothing to do with this!”

“You said you will shut up if you saw your children, and yet here you are, shouting like a fucking rooster.” I went in front of the tied up leader and pressed my face forward. “If I told you to shut up, then shut up!”

“Gwah!”

I made a powerful headbutt straight to the Prime Minister’s forehead, which made it bleed. I’m currently wearing a metal headband so that must be the reason why the Prime Minister’s head swelled up so fast.

Suddenly, the door to this grim room opened, revealing two persons who are supposed to meet me up here in this very place. The first person is a handsome man with blonde hair and pure white tuxedo, with a golden snowflake crown on his head. There is no doubt that this person is the Emperor of Elysia himself, Emperor Michael Eldritch.

The second person is a new face. She is an adorable teenage girl who is wearing a pink lotus dress, platinum high heels, and sakura bracers on her wrists. Her long hair flows through her back all the way to her buttocks, and there is an innocent look on her pinkish-white face. She looks like a twelve-year-old girl in a teenage woman’s body. But what makes her stand out is her peculiar crimson eyes with black sclera.

“Looks like somebody’s having fun.” Emperor Eldritch laughed.

“Your majesty.” I immediately genuflected.

“You!” The Prime Minister of Fleija cried as he glared at Eldritch with full wrath and intent to kill. “I knew something is off with you, Michael fucking Eldritch! I knew it was odd to form an alliance with a traitorous bastard like you!”

“My, my. You should know that it is uncouth of you to add the suffix ‘fucking’ in an emperor’s name. You should know some manners.” Emperor Eldritch made a charming handsome smile.

“Release me! Release me and my children now!” The Prime Minister cried.

The Emperor slightly ignored the Prime Minister’s request. Instead, he went to talk to me and introduced me to the dragonoid girl he’s with. 

“Mister Pendragon. I believe this is the first time you meet each other. This is Sakuradrop, my new dragonoid. From now on, she will be my lapdog and my personal property. I want you to have her as the highest priority of protection as if you are protecting the Throne of Elysia itself.”

“N-Nice to meet you, Mister Pendragon! I-I’ll be on your care!” The dragonoid named Sakuradrop shyly bowed. From the looks of her, she seemed so innocent and pure, so clean that she’s not suited in this filthy world. I can feel an angel-like aura on her as if I’m talking to a saint. I kind of feel the same vibes on her with the famous Serena Maizono.

Sakuradrop’s eyes twinkled as she stared at mine. She looked like a puppy worthy of a knight’s protection. Even if her black sclera is a little bit unnerving, I find it too beautiful to this world. In fact, I’m pretty sure that she’s an outsider in this very existence.

“Eye of Deus, huh?” I muttered to His Majesty.

“Let’s set that aside for now and let’s continue the business on hand.” Emperor Eldritch waved his hand as he turned to the Prime Minister, who is looking horrified upon the sight of the beautiful dragonoid.

“You monster! You don’t know what you’re doing! You’re all nuts!” The Prime Minister cried like a person in a horror movie.

“Now, now.” The emperor walked around the wooden chair of the Prime Minister. When his majesty Eldritch was behind the restrained adult man, he whispered beside his left ear. “What are you talking about again? About freeing yourself and your children?”

“Yes! Let them be free! They have nothing to do with this!” The Prime Minister hollered.

“Sakuradrop, let the children free.” Emperor Eldritch said.

“Yes, master!” Sakuradrop complied. She immediately went to the children and tried to comfort them. “Are you okay? Did that big bad man there hurt you? Don’t worry, big sis is here to free you!” She said as she removed the gag and the zip ties on the children’s wrists.

I really look like an idiotic bad person. Several months of planning to kidnap the Prime Minister together with his children, and here they are, wasting my effort by making the hostages free. 

“There! All free~” Sakuradrop cheered at the children. I know the teenage dragonoid’s intention is to lift the tension on the children’s feelings, but she’s doing a horrible job. The children are fixated on Sakuradrop’s weird crimson eyes, and I can sense intense fear on their faces.

On the other hand, Emperor Eldritch removed the handcuffs I used to restrain the Prime Minister. Now that all the hostages are free, I’m questioning myself why I kidnapped these people in the first place.

“This is not a funny prank, Emperor Eldritch!” The Prime Minister shouted. “If you do this again, I will-”

“Before you leave…” Emperor Eldritch cut the Prime Minister’s dialogue as he withdrew a document from his jacket. “Please sign this.”

“Wha-What is this!?” The Prime Minister’s eyes went wide open as he saw the paper.

“It is an agreement where you shall surrender all of Fleija’s military assets to the United Human Nations, and let the elected leader, Marisse Trystgade-Eldritch administer all of your weapons.” The Emperor smiled.

“This is crazy! There is no way I could sign such an absurd agreement!” The Prime Minister burst out.

“Okay, let’s add some terms in that contract.” Emperor Eldritch snapped his fingers. And then…

“Gah! Guah! Ack!” 

The twelve-year-old son of the Prime Minister only managed to cry thrice when his heart stopped. The poor boy was dead just before he was able to hit the floor. The daughter who saw her brother drop dead screeched, absolutely traumatized.

“Nooooo!” The Prime Minister cried. “What have you done!”

“Heartstopper Curse. Now that I have Sakuradrop as my dragonoid, my death magic has become much more powerful. I can now stop any person’s heart as long as the person has made contact on Sakuradrop’s beautiful eyes.” Emperor Eldritch smiled. “So, are you going to sign the agreement? Or do you want to avail of a buy-one-take-one discount at the funeral?”

“I’ll sign it! I’ll sign it! Just don’t hurt my daughter!” The Prime Minister hurriedly grab the pen in my hand and signed the military agreement outrightly. 

“See? Everything should’ve been better if you immediately signed the paper.”

A chill went down my spine as I saw this horrific sight. I’m not scared of losing my life, but I’m scared of losing my way with these people. I’ve killed people before, and I have kidnapped innocent individuals. But never did once I ever killed an innocent kid. I know that the emperor wanted a better world and will do whatever it takes, but I think he’s going overboard with his actions. He should have negotiated for the agreement a little more peacefully, and not outrightly killing an innocent kid just to threaten the Prime Minister.

“Oh, Mister Pendragon.” Emperor Eldritch grabbed my attention. “Ready up my army and issue a conference with my generals. Now that I have all the military power of Elysia, Sargus, and Fleija, I will brief everyone on our next course of action. We will commence the next phase of our plan.”

“Are we declaring war on Alterra, your majesty?” I asked.

“No. Not yet. I’m planning for negotiations for now. We will have a state visit with the Emperor of Alterra and make him listen to our demands.” Emperor Eldritch looked up on the ceiling with a sorrowful smile. “Besides, I want to meet an old friend.”

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