I'm Not the Mastermind

Chapter 3

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."

"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?"