Yujin looked down at the headmistress, who was sitting on the floor staring blankly at him, and smiled bitterly.

"Headmistress, how about we have an honest conversation?"

Even though she had just tried to obliterate him, Yujin decided to attempt a dialogue.

He had no choice. Even if he killed her in retaliation, the consequences would be too severe to handle. Besides, the headmistress wasn’t someone capable of truly harming Yujin. As a mage, she was utterly powerless before the presence of a dragon, one of the sovereigns of magic.

As with Mirien, there was no need to overreact when the danger wasn’t significant.

"What… what?"

The headmistress stammered, startled by his suggestion.

She had just used magic to kill him, yet here he was, suggesting they talk. And not just anyone—a dragon, one of the majestic lords of magic.

Dragons were said to be aloof and merciless to those who challenged their authority…

"Aren’t you going to punish me?"

"Punishment… hmm. Let’s think about that later. First, I think there’s been some misunderstanding about me. Let’s clear that up first, shall we?"

With those words, Yujin narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled again.

"First of all, Headmistress, I truly mean no harm to the princess. All I did was seal the demonic energy."

"What? No, I mean, that's not…"

"Hm? Is there something more important you want to talk about?"

"That… it’s just…"

The headmistress stammered, her focus not on Yujin’s explanation about sealing the princess’s demonic energy, but rather on the fact that there was a dragon standing before her.

"Are you… truly a dragon?"

"Ah, that."

Yujin smiled bitterly at her question and stroked his chin in thought.

A dragon… While it wouldn’t be an issue to admit it as long as he ensured her silence, it still felt like revealing too much too easily. This had happened with Mirien as well.

Of course, Yujin wasn’t aware that Mirien had been too oblivious to recognize him as a dragon, despite sensing the Dragon Fear.

In any case, Yujin decided to be upfront with the headmistress. From the look in her eyes, she seemed almost certain of his identity as a dragon, so hiding it any further felt meaningless.

"Yes, I am."

"…!!!"

The headmistress’s eyes widened in shock. She had nearly been certain upon hearing the Dragon Tongue, but hearing him confirm it directly felt entirely different.

A real dragon! Truly, a dragon!

Thump, thump!

Her heart pounded wildly with excitement. The realization that the being she had revered for so long was standing right in front of her left her mind blank.

What should she do? What could she possibly do? She had dared to attack him—could he be angry? But how was he walking around on the surface so freely?

"How… how is this possible? I thought all transcendent beings other than the gods were either dead or trapped in the Labyrinth…"

"Dead or trapped in the Labyrinth, you say? Then, Headmistress, let me ask you one question."

Yujin narrowed one eye and asked, "Is the truth what you see with your own eyes, or is it what you’ve read about in history books without experiencing it yourself?"

"That’s…"

"There’s no need to think too deeply about it. Since you seem convinced that I’m a dragon, there’s no reason to deny the truth standing before you, is there?"

"……"

"So don’t dwell too much on how I’m alive and roaming outside the Labyrinth. Perhaps history got it wrong, or perhaps something unusual happened. Either way, it’s not something that concerns you."

Yujin drew a firm line, making it clear she shouldn’t dig deeper. The headmistress understood and fell silent before bowing her head.

"I… I apologize for my disrespect. I deeply regret my insolence."

"It wasn’t insolence. No need to lower yourself so much."

"No, please lower your speech! I’m nothing more than a mortal with a trace of dragon blood. There’s no need for a supreme transcendent being like a dragon to address someone as insignificant as me so formally…"

"It’s fine. This is just how I’m comfortable speaking. More importantly, is the misunderstanding about me resolved?"

"Ah, yes! Of course. So… you only sealed the princess’s demonic energy?"

The headmistress recalled Yujin’s earlier explanation. Yes, he had said he merely sealed the princess’s demonic energy.

Yujin asked, "Do you need proof of that?"

"No, no! A dragon has no reason to lie to someone like me!"

"I see. That’s a relief."

As Yujin watched the headmistress, he felt a peculiar emotion.

What could it be? Even though he was a dragon, he found her deference somewhat excessive. She had spent her entire life above others, yet here she was, acting so submissively.

Then again, it wasn’t hard to understand. Her eyes were filled with admiration and reverence as she looked at him. Perhaps, as someone with dragon blood, she felt a natural instinct to respect dragons.

In any case, her attitude made things easier for Yujin. He said, "However, even though it’s sealed, it’s only temporary. The Second Princess is now closer to being a demon than a human. With the demonic energy sealed, she will continue to weaken over time."

Yujin relayed what Tiamat had told him, and the headmistress’s expression hardened.

She cared deeply for her students, and the news of the princess’s worsening condition weighed heavily on her.

"Then what should we do?"

"There is a way. While she can’t fully return to being human, there is a method to at least maintain her consciousness."

"……"

At that, the headmistress’s expression grew complicated. She asked, "There’s no way for her to become fully human again? Not even with the power of a dragon?"

Looking at the headmistress, whose eyes were wide with shock, Yujin spoke calmly.

"The power of a dragon may be near-omnipotent, but it’s not truly omnipotent. If the princess had just been infected by the demonic seed, it might have been possible to save her. But now… the princess and the demonic seed have fully merged. In other words, the princess has already been reborn as a transcendent being. Reversing a transcendent back to their previous state is no simple task."

The headmistress’s eyes widened further at his words. She asked again, her voice trembling.

"A transcendent… Are you saying the princess has become a transcendent?"

"Not a complete one, but close enough. Even so, she is undeniably a transcendent. And when faced with another transcendent, even the power of a dragon cannot be completely omnipotent."

"......"

The headmistress fell silent, her expression dark. Seeing this, Yujin decided to shift the mood and asked a question.

"By the way, may I ask you a few questions as well?"

"...What? Oh, yes! Please, ask anything! If it’s something I can answer, I will."

Taking her response as an opening, Yujin posed the question that had been bothering him.

"It’s nothing too serious, but… from the beginning, you seemed to be quite wary of me. Is there a particular reason for that?"

"…What?"

Yujin had been curious. From the moment the headmistress and Professor Reina had approached him, they had treated him with suspicion and hostility, as if he were an enemy.

Granted, standing silently over a collapsed girl was enough to raise some eyebrows, but even accounting for that, their wariness and antagonism felt excessive. Yujin couldn’t help but suspect there was another reason behind it.

The headmistress froze at his question, her expression stiffening.

‘…What do I do?’

How could she possibly explain? How could she admit that she had mistaken the dragon she so revered and admired for something as vile as a black mage, and had acted on that assumption?

Already, she was worried that she had earned his ire by attacking him. How could she reveal this on top of everything else?

"Th-that’s…"

After hesitating, the headmistress decided that it was better to confess and accept the consequences rather than risk a harsher punishment later.

She explained everything. The recent resurgence of black mage activity, the party that encountered a demon on the fifth floor of the Labyrinth, the suspicious mage who had joined the academy at the perfect time, and the events involving the princess today…

In hindsight, it was a series of weak circumstantial evidence without any concrete proof, but her prejudice and initial impressions had led her astray. Reflecting on it now, she felt an overwhelming sense of shame.

"I see."

Yujin nodded, understanding her explanation. While the misunderstanding of him being a black mage was absurd, he could see why she and Professor Reina had been wary of him. After all, suspicious circumstances surrounded him.

"I understand. I might have conducted my own investigation if I were in your position. Though, I must say, the misunderstanding seems to have gotten a bit out of hand…"

"Ugh…"

"Still, it’s fine. Nothing major came of it, and I don’t take it personally, so lift your head."

"…What? But…"

The headmistress looked up quickly, startled by his words. Yujin’s face remained calm, his expression inscrutable.

The face that had seemed suspicious at first now looked oddly merciful.

"Are you… really okay with this?"

"Yes. I truly hold no personal grudge. Of course, that doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences."

"Ah…"

Of course. It was only natural that she would face some form of punishment for harboring hostility and murderous intent toward a dragon. The headmistress lowered her head.

"I will accept any punishment. But… may I make one request?"

"Let’s hear it."

"If punishment is to be delivered, please let it fall solely on me. I ask that you spare my family and the academy staff…"

Her words revealed her desire to protect others from harm. Yujin smiled bitterly.

"That goes without saying. Is that all you wish to say?"

"…Yes."

Hearing his response, the headmistress felt a small sense of relief. She trusted that a supreme transcendent being like him wouldn’t go back on his word. Closing her eyes, she awaited her punishment.

"Then I’ll proceed with your punishment. Let’s see… Yes, this will do."

Muttering to himself for a moment, Yujin addressed her again.

"From this moment, I will place a binding decree upon you with Dragon Tongue. What I say next, you will be unable to defy."

"…Understood."

Swallowing nervously, the headmistress nodded.

And then, Yujin spoke in the language of dragons.

"『From this moment onward, you are forbidden from revealing my identity as a dragon to anyone unless I grant you permission.』"

A deep, resonant hum filled the space, as if the very fabric of time and space trembled. His words etched themselves into her mind, leaving an indelible mark on her soul.

The headmistress nodded to herself, accepting the condition. It made perfect sense. It would serve no benefit for Yujin’s identity as a dragon to be widely known.

But surely, this wasn’t all. There had to be more, right?

"『This binding will remain until either my death or I release you from it.』"

"…What?"

…That’s it?

…Really?

There was no way it could end like this. She had shown hostility to a dragon—surely, the punishment wouldn’t be so light.

"That’s all. It’s done."

But the voice that followed was no longer the resonant, otherworldly tone of Dragon Tongue. It was Yujin’s ordinary voice. The headmistress blurted out, almost in disbelief.

"…Is that really all?"

"Hm? Is there a problem?"

"N-no… it’s just…"

Far from excessive, the punishment seemed far too lenient. Yet it would be absurd to ask for a harsher punishment herself.

At a loss for words, the headmistress froze. Yujin, noticing her reaction, gave her a strange look before turning and walking away.

"For now… I should speak with Professor Reina Sahart. It seems she also has some misunderstandings about me. Let’s clear those up first."

"……"

The headmistress could only stare in silence as Yujin walked away, leaving her in a daze.