Tiamat, who had been silent for quite some time, seemed to regain her composure and asked again.

『...Are you truly not interested? Not even a little?』

"Having power would certainly be nice, but I don’t particularly need it."

For Yujin, who preferred a quiet life of solitude, power wasn’t a necessity.

If lacking power meant dying without the luxury of living quietly, then so be it—he would die.

It wasn’t as if the world was in such chaos that living a peaceful life without power was impossible. In fact, having too much power seemed more likely to drag one into trouble.

"So I’ll pass. I’d recommend looking for someone else instead."

『Wait, wait a moment.』

Noticing that Yujin was being sincere rather than bluffing as part of a negotiation tactic, Tiamat hastily stopped him from withdrawing his hand and continued speaking.

『There’s no need to decide so quickly. As a mortal, wouldn’t you at least wish for immortality?』

"I don’t think living forever would be all that enjoyable. I’d rather live out my mortal lifespan and be content with that."

『You’ve never lived for a long time, though. It might turn out to be more interesting than you think.』

"Hmm…"

At this, Yujin couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle.

"Are you perhaps tired of waiting here, Tiamat?"

『!』

Yujin could almost picture Tiamat flinching at his words.

It seemed he had hit the nail on the head. With a gentle smile, Yujin continued.

"I understand. If I were trapped in a place like this for thousands of years, I’d probably lose my mind. How about this? I’ll take your heart outside and look for a new owner there."

『...That would be impossible.』

"Why not?"

Yujin thought it was a reasonable suggestion, but Tiamat rejected it outright. When he asked why, she explained,

『Of course, you could physically take my heart outside. However, even if you found a new owner, just possessing the heart wouldn’t be enough to transform their body into that of a dragon.』

"Is that so?"

『Yes. While they could use a dragon’s powers temporarily, they wouldn’t truly become a dragon. The body itself must be restructured from that of a mortal to that of a dragon. Moreover, a certain degree of physical conditioning is required to accept the heart. To fully harness the heart’s potential, one must have the body of a fully-formed dragon.』

Indeed, it made sense that merely replacing one’s heart wouldn’t result in becoming a complete dragon.

"Then how would one prepare a body to accept the heart?"

『Look around you. My bones are here, aren’t they?』

"...Bones?"

Yujin looked at the vast expanse of bones surrounding the altar. Tiamat elaborated,

『Yes, I intended to use my bones as material to reconstruct the body of whoever arrived here, transforming it into that of a dragon.』

"Ah, I see..."

Now Yujin understood why she had dismissed his suggestion as impossible.

Even just the massive ribs visible here seemed endless. If one were to include the entire skeleton, from skull to tailbone, the sheer size would be unimaginable. Taking all that outside?

Impossible. At least for someone like Yujin.

『Some of my bones are even buried within the tomb itself… If you could take my bones as well, I might have considered your suggestion. But that’s clearly impossible, isn’t it?』

"Indeed, that would be quite impractical. And I doubt I’d be able to bring someone else here to help."

『Exactly. If you leave, I’ll likely have to wait a long time once again. So far, you’re the only one who has ever made it here.』

"Hmm…"

Hearing this, Yujin couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for Tiamat. If he had the means, he might have been inclined to help purely out of kindness.

But...

‘Something about this still bothers me.’

Tiamat claimed she would entrust her heart to someone who was loyal to her. But was that really enough to ensure they acted according to her wishes?

How could loyalty be proven? And even if someone claimed loyalty, how could she be certain they wouldn’t betray her once they gained her power?

Tiamat must have thought about these risks. She likely had some measures prepared—measures that might bind the recipient’s life to her will.

Perhaps it was some kind of contract. Like a pact with a devil…

With such thoughts swirling in his mind, Yujin couldn’t bring himself to easily offer help.

"Tiamat, how about we revisit a question I asked earlier?"

『Hmm? A question from earlier…?』

"I asked if you had a way to ensure the loyalty of the one who accepts your heart. It seemed unlikely that mere loyalty would be enough."

『…I do. Naturally, I’m aware of the risks of someone changing their attitude after gaining power.』

"I see."

Yujin acknowledged her candid response. After all, it wasn’t something she could hide.

"Is it some sort of contract?"

『Yes, it’s a kind of contract—a pledge sealed with both of our souls.』

"A pledge sealed with our souls… Hmm."

It sounded like something you might hear during a wedding ceremony. The thought crossed Yujin’s mind briefly before he shook his head and asked,

"What are the terms of the contract?"

『First, I, Tiamat, offer my heart to the other party. In doing so, we become bound by a shared destiny, forging a connection between our souls.』

"A connection between souls?"

『Quite literally, it means our souls are joined as one. If I form such a bond with you, your death would mean my death as well, and vice versa. However, since my physical body is already dead, there’s no risk of me dying. As long as you take care of your body, there shouldn’t be any issues.』

It made sense. Once he consumed her heart, they would essentially become one. That didn’t seem like much of a problem. Yujin nodded and asked,

"What’s the second term?"

『Second, I, Tiamat, will transform the other party into a new dragon. In return, the other party must dedicate their efforts to freeing the dragons trapped in the labyrinth and restoring the dragons’ prominence to what it was before the Great War.』

"Hmm…"

Before the Great War… If this world truly was based on Maze Academy, then the gods likely still existed outside.

But restoring the dragons’ prominence to pre-war levels?

"Wouldn’t that provoke the wrath of the gods? Honestly, I doubt they’d take kindly to that. Even if I were to accept the contract and attempt to fulfill your demands, I don’t think it would be easy."

『Of course, I’ve considered that. But if we start by yielding to the gods, there shouldn’t be too much trouble.』

"Yielding to the gods… Do you really think they’d accept a temporary retreat as a gesture of peace?"

『Hmm? There’s no need to advance further, is there? It’s not as though we’re planning to wage war against the gods.』

"…You’re not?"

Yujin had assumed she would want to rebuild her forces to exact revenge on the gods for their past defeat. Apparently, he was mistaken.

『Think about it. Even at the height of our power, we lost the Great War. After all these years, the victorious gods must have grown even stronger. Attempting to challenge them again now would only lead to an even more humiliating end.』

"That’s… true."

『I’m not reckless enough to start a war I know I’d lose. Besides, the events of the Great War happened centuries ago. It was a life-and-death struggle for both sides, and I have no intention of dwelling on old grudges. Most importantly, any new war would only lead to the sacrifice of my children. I don’t want my precious children to suffer again. The Great War wasn’t something we wanted—it was a fight for survival.』

"I see."

She was less like the leader of a faction and more like a mother. Thinking back, the title engraved on the door leading to her tomb had referred to her as the "Great Mother."

Realizing she was far more compassionate and wise than he had expected, Yujin nodded again.

She simply wanted her children to escape their current miserable existence, trapped within the labyrinth.

"Alright. What’s the next term?"

『That’s all.』

"…Excuse me?"

Was she saying those two terms constituted the entire contract?

『What I desire is already covered in those two terms. There’s nothing else I need to add.』

"…I see."

『Yes.』

"Hmm…"

Hearing this, Yujin began to ponder. If what she said was true, then this contract wasn’t as bad as he had initially thought.

Truthfully, he didn’t feel compelled to accept the contract. However, he couldn’t deny a growing desire to help Tiamat, who seemed so dedicated to her children’s well-being. Perhaps it reminded him of his late mother.

After some thought, Yujin decided to ask one more question.

"Then, Tiamat, one last question."

『Hmm? Is there more?』

"Yes. For me, this is the most important question."

『Alright. Ask away.』

With a receptive tone, Tiamat encouraged him to speak. Yujin asked,

"Is there any other way to escape this place?"

『Ah…』

Her voice carried a hint of disappointment as she answered.

『When the gods sealed my tomb within the labyrinth, I doubt they considered the possibility of anyone escaping. However, the gods do grant a blessing to those entering the labyrinth, allowing them to return to the outside world. So… you should be able to leave using that blessing.』

"Unfortunately, I don’t have that blessing."

『What?』

Tiamat’s voice sounded startled. Yujin elaborated,

"It’s a bit complicated, but I didn’t enter this place through normal means. That’s why I lack the blessing that would allow me to leave."

『…Is that really true?』

"Yes. So, let me ask this: If I were to make a contract with you and become a dragon, would I be able to leave this place?"

Tiamat fell silent for a moment before responding confidently.

『Don’t underestimate the power of a dragon. Once you become a dragon, not only will you be able to leave this place, but you’ll also be capable of escaping the entire labyrinth on your own.』

"I see."

In that case, the decision was clear.

"Alright, Tiamat. I’ll do as you suggest. How do we form the contract?"