Chapter 376

The eyes of the knights racing at the head of the charge widened until they seemed ready to split.

“G-Good heavens….”

With the orc formation directly before them, something rose up and blocked their path. It was—

A gigantic rampart that had burst from the ground. A wall nearly one meter thick had erupted from the earth and spread out before the heavy cavalry.

The rampart stretched so far that its end could not even be discerned. Though utterly startled, the knights instead lashed their already-running horses with their whips.

“We can’t avoid it. We’ll have to leap over it.”

Since slowing down would not allow them to avoid a collision, it was the best choice available to them.

But unfortunately, the wall continued to rise. It climbed to a height that even the warhorses carrying the heavy knights could not possibly jump over…. A light of despair slowly spread through the eyes of the heavy cavalry.

“I-It’s impossible.”

The knights who instinctively realized they could not leap over it yanked on the reins, but it was futile. Burdened by the weight of their horse armor and heavy plate, the horses could not stop easily. The enormous barrier that had suddenly burst from the ground drew closer by the second, and the charging heavy cavalry ultimately had no choice but to crash straight into it.

Kuwaaang.

“Gaaah!”

With desperate screams, spears and shields flew wildly into the air.

The thick horse armor had made it impossible for them to avoid the wall.

Hiiiiiigh

With mournful whinnies, the warhorses that crashed into the wall were crushed into bloody pulp. The bodies of the knights riding them were flung away like dried leaves at the moment of impact. Unable to overcome their momentum, they were hurled mercilessly over the wall.

This brought yet another misfortune upon the heavy cavalry. Since they had been thrown down right before the orc formation, it was no different from a platter of delicious meat suddenly rolling within reach of the orcs who had been prepared for battle.

“Chik. Kill them.”

Even without an order, the orc warriors were already pouncing upon the heavy knights. Glaives stabbed repeatedly through the gaps in the armor of the knights, who lay sprawled out and groaning.

Death cries erupted here and there. The heavy knights who quickly regained their senses tried to rise and resist, but it was futile. Their thick armor hampered their movements, and the orc warriors made full use of that weakness.

When several warriors rushed in and bore down on them, the heavy knights were subdued so completely that they could not move, and cold weapons pierced through the gaps in their armor.

“Grrrk.”

Around the heavy knights whose lives had been snuffed out, more of their comrades continued to fly through the air and be hurled to the ground.

Unable to regain their senses from the impact of their fall, they were nothing more than easy prey for the orc warriors.

“This—this can’t be….”

Commander Fedain was horrified by the unexpected turn of events.

But this was no time to idly ponder why the rampart had appeared.

“Sound the horn and immediately recall the Heavy Cavalry Regiment.

At this rate, they’ll be annihilated.”

Half of the Heavy Cavalry Regiment, which consisted of ten companies, had already been wiped out. Fortunately, the knights in the rear had stopped before colliding with the wall, but they were merely milling about in confusion, unsure of what to do.

Orc warriors were approaching them in a black mass. Heavy knights who could not run could never stand against orcs. Commander Fedain therefore had to make the decision to retreat without delay.

A moment later, the horn announcing the retreat rang out.

Fwooooooo.

When the horn sounded, the heavy cavalry was finally able to recover from its confusion.

“Retreat!”

At their commander’s single word, they began leaving the battlefield without hesitation. Though it pained them to abandon their comrades to the enemy, if they did not hurry, they risked suffering the same fate.

Unlike when they had charged, the heavy knights of the Fourth Legion began retreating in a disorderly rush, unable even to maintain their ranks and files. But before they could escape the area, something astonishing happened.

Flash.

A blinding light erupted in the center of the heavy cavalry as they fled. It spread exponentially, swallowing the entire formation of heavy knights. What followed was a massive explosion beyond imagination.

Kuwa-kuwa-kwaang!

Scorching flames spread in all directions. Helmets and shields hurled out by the blast had melted into grotesque shapes. If steel had melted to such an extent, then the flesh of the horses and men encased within it could only have fared far worse.

Through the agency of a fearsome spell, the retreating heavy cavalry vanished in an instant. Armor and weapons bereft of their owners fell like hailstones all around them, as if mourning their deaths.

Commander Fedain sprang to his feet. The impossible sight of the mighty Heavy Cavalry Regiment being annihilated in an instant had unfolded directly before his eyes. Yet he was not entirely without a guess as to what had happened.

Commander Fedain’s blazing gaze turned toward one man.

He was the chief mage of the Fourth Division. The mage had been trembling violently, apparently unable to suppress his shudder at the spell’s power, but soon answered the commander’s question.

“It was the fifth-circle spell Fire Burst (暴炎魔法).

But judging by its power, it far exceeds anything a human or a lich could cast.”

“Then….”

“It was certainly cast by a dragon.”

Upon hearing the mage’s answer, Commander Fedain let out a long sigh.

“So the dragons have intervened after all.”

The thing he had feared most had come to pass. But the situation was not proceeding so tamely that he could afford to lose himself in thought. Another Fire Burst had exploded close by.

Krarararar.

When the flames had passed, Commander Fedain learned that one entire archer regiment, consisting of one thousand men, had vanished without a trace. Now he had only two choices left.

Every commander had been instructed in advance on how to respond if they came under a dragon assault.

One option was a full-scale retreat. To evade the dragons’ magical attacks, the entire army would scatter and flee the area. In the meantime, the mages would skillfully escape the magical blockade the dragons had established and inform headquarters of what had happened. The plan was for the Dragon Slayers to be dispatched immediately to deal with the dragons.

But Commander Fedain could not choose that course in his present situation. The place under his command was the front line facing the orc army. If they were pushed back here, the legions positioned beside them would inevitably be placed in danger. Thus, he had only one choice.

Having gathered his thoughts, Commander Fedain raised his voice and shouted.

“全军 charge! We have no route of retreat. We can only advance!”

His decision was to advance all at once, without regard for unit type, and engage the orcs in close combat. The troops stirred uneasily for a moment, but soon obeyed the order. Battalion commanders began bellowing at the tops of their lungs, urging the soldiers forward.

“Charge! Under no circumstances are we to retreat!”

The Fourth Legion began to advance. Its target was the massive orc army marching toward them.

The mysterious rampart that had annihilated the heavy cavalry, having served its purpose, was sinking back into the earth. As a result, it posed no obstacle to the orc army’s advance.

As he urged his horse forward, Commander Fedain frowned.

“If we mingle with the orcs, the dragons won’t be able to attack recklessly.

We may not be able to make use of the advantages of our different units, but we have no choice.”

One hundred thousand troops belonging to the Fourth Legion advanced with a thunderous roar. In the midst of it, another Fire Burst erupted and annihilated nearly a thousand soldiers, but the Fourth Legion continued forward without concern. The commanders and other leaders were also charging alongside the troops, with the chief mage close behind to protect Commander Fedain. To prevent the leadership from being wiped out all at once, the senior officers had scattered throughout the legion.

“It is an incredibly powerful spell. Even a dragon would need time to cast it.

We must mingle with the orcs before then.”

Commander Fedain nodded grimly upon hearing the chief mage’s analysis.

“I know that. But the problem is the loss of troops. If we engage the orcs, who outnumber us, in a melee, the soldiers’ casualties will be enormous….”

The soldiers of the Fourth Legion, who had launched a blind charge, suffered two more losses to the Fire Bursts before finally encountering the orc vanguard. An orc force larger than the entire Fourth Legion had already crossed to this side of the river. The two races soon began a desperate bloodbath in which blood splashed and chunks of flesh flew through the air.

“What cunning little creatures.”

Berkis gave a sardonic smile. Below them, the human and orc armies were tangled together in a vicious battle. Neither side had been able to form proper ranks, and both were fighting in a chaotic melee.

“To avoid our attacks, they’ve thought to mingle with the orcs. Humans really are something….”

Floating beside him, Ryusike wore a worried expression.

“These humans seem quite different from the ones of five hundred years ago. Even in a melee, they’re overwhelmingly pushing back the orcs.”

“That is to be expected. Unlike five hundred years ago, most of these men are professional soldiers. They are bound to be stronger than the humans of Trubenia, whose armies were made up mostly of conscripts.”

The situation was not unfolding favorably. Unlike during the Second Racial War, the humans were making efficient use of small formations consisting of around thirty men to fight the orcs. Formations in which ranks of archers were surrounded by ranks of heavy infantry, with spearmen inserted at intervals, effectively protected their comrades amid the melee.

For that reason, despite being more than twice as numerous, the orcs could not easily seize the upper hand. Moreover, the expeditionary army possessed an exceptionally large number of high-ranking knights capable of controlling mana.

Under the thorough protection of the soldiers, they cut down orc warriors as though roaming an uninhabited wilderness. In particular, whenever they caught sight of an orc officer of squad-leader rank or higher, they made certain to kill him.

Perhaps because of that, the orcs’ chain of command was suffering severe confusion. Urgency appeared on Ryusike’s face as she watched the battle.

“At this rate, they’ll be annihilated. Shouldn’t we help them?”

“There’s no need to worry. I already knew they would act this way….”

Berkis gazed deeply into Ryusike’s baffled face.

“Though the orcs have roughly three times as many troops, they will still be insufficient.

I predict that the humans will win today’s battle.”

“Then shouldn’t we help them all the more?”

“There’s no need to help them. Since they’re fighting a melee, the humans will inevitably suffer casualties as well…. That is precisely what I’m aiming for.”

Ryusike still did not understand what Berkis meant.

Berkis smiled gently and explained.

“The orc warriors that can be mobilized from Trubenia number at least several million. Therefore, even if all those below are annihilated, they possess an inexhaustible supply of troops to send in again. The humans, however, are different once their supply lines are cut. If the melee continues, the number of human soldiers will steadily decline, while the orc warriors will be replenished without end. No matter how elite they are, they cannot overcome an overwhelming difference in numbers.”

“I-I see.”

Ryusike’s face brightened as though she had realized something.

Berkis nodded and continued.

“The reproductive capacity of the orc race exceeds all imagination. Judging from our experience during the Racial War, it would take the orcs no more than a year to replenish the troops they lose in this war.

Humans, however, are fundamentally incapable of replenishing their forces. That was what determined the outcome of the Racial War five hundred years ago. Do you understand?”

“……….”

“However, if we do not help them, the orcs will have no choice but to lose. With their primitive intelligence and tactics, they cannot stand against humans who fight efficiently. Thus, the dragons must support them if the orcs are to win. But there is one obstacle.”

At those words, a light flashed in Ryusike’s eyes.

“The Dragon Slayers.”

“That’s right. As long as those men exist, the dragons cannot spread across the continent and fight as they did five hundred years ago. To avoid falling victim to them, at least two dragons must travel together. If we do that, however, we lose the ability to support a broad battlefield in its entirety. That is why I intend to solve that problem—

had racked his brains over it and finally thought of a solution.”

“What in the world is the solution?”

Unable to overcome her curiosity, Ryusike leaned in close.

A triumphant light appeared in Berquis’s eyes.

“The solution is simple. We drive the human and orc armies into a melee, just as they are now.

If we reveal ourselves and unleash a spell or two, those cunning human bastards will try to fight mixed in with the orcs, using them as shields.

If that happens, then even if they win, they’ll inevitably suffer heavy casualties.”

“But what if the humans choose to scatter and flee?”

Berquis easily dismissed Ryusike’s objection.

“They have no way out to begin with. It is simply impossible to flee through Trubenia forever. All we have to do is imprint on the humans the fact that dragons have joined the battle with a spell or two, then move elsewhere. Win or lose, we can leave the cleanup to the orcs.”

At those words, Ryusike’s face brightened.

“If that’s how it works, we’ll be able to support every part of a vast area. That’s truly amazing.”

Pride in his strategy surfaced on Berquis’s face.

“They’re resorting to smuggling away slaves as a last-ditch measure, but they won’t be able to endure for long. They’ll lose far more soldiers in the melees than they can procure through the slaves… And besides, the slaves’ combat abilities will probably be even worse than the orcs’.”

After casting a sidelong glance down at the two armies locked in a bloody struggle, Berquis silently rearranged his mana.

**************************************************************************

Since many orc warriors were being slaughtered by the mages’ attacks, he felt the need to help them.

“We’ll wipe out only the mages, then move elsewhere.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to deal with the Sword Masters instead?”

At Ryusike’s words, Berquis gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

“That would be unnecessary. Sword Masters are dozens of times more nimble and agile than mages, making them difficult to detect. It will be more effective to leave them to the orcs.”

“I understand.”

Without another word, Ryusike rearranged her mana. Meanwhile, Berquis cast a detection spell and sensed the presence of the mages scattered across the battlefield. The mages were wholly occupied with fighting the orcs under the ironclad protection of the soldiers.

Once he focused his mind, it was not long before their presence was detected. Since the flow of mana was exposed externally, most mages had no choice but to fall within Berquis’s notice. As he formed fireballs aimed at them, Berquis muttered under his breath.

“Ordinary mages are this easy, so why is that bastard Daimon so difficult to detect…?”

After voicing his complaint, Berquis turned around without looking back.

Whoosh.

The fireballs he had conjured began hurtling toward various points across the battlefield. At their destinations stood human mages whose faces had gone deathly pale. They struggled with all their might to evade the fireballs, but they could neither block nor avoid them. There was no way for them to survive.

“Welcome.”

When he saw Daimon enter the command room, Duke Fershtein rose from his seat. Yet Daimon was sharp enough to notice the gloom clouding the duke’s face.

“What happened?”

The duke silently shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

As he studied the duke’s expression, Daimon suddenly spoke.

“You said a full-scale battle began three days ago.”

“That’s right.”

“I heard your troop losses are quite severe…”

At Daimon’s words, Duke Fershtein nodded with a heavy expression.

“To be honest, that is the case. A massive battle broke out, beginning with the Fourth Legion, which had been confronting the orcs across the river. Fierce engagements have erupted in seven locations.”

“And what was the result?”

“Thanks to the soldiers’ desperate fighting, we managed to annihilate the invading orcs. But the problem is the losses. Unlike before, the number of dead and wounded has reached astronomical proportions.”

“That’s unexpected.”

The gloom on the duke’s face deepened.

“The unexpected fact is that dragons intervened at all seven battle sites. Since they were the front lines, the commanders chose not to retreat and instead fought a melee mixed in with the orcs. That resulted in tremendous casualties.”

Upon hearing that, Daimon ground his teeth.

“Vile bastard Berquis. He’s trying to concentrate his attacks on the weakness of an expeditionary army that has difficulty procuring troops.”

“It may be the best tactic for the dragons, but for us, it is quite simply the worst possible strategy. If the battles continue as melees, we will inevitably be placed in a difficult position. The orcs can replenish their forces almost indefinitely, but we cannot.”

Perhaps because of the anger rapidly surging within him, Daimon’s body trembled.

“So they’re trying to make up for their inability to conduct independent operations because of the Kasim Mercenary Corps in this manner.”

“If the war continues along this course, we will be in trouble. We must find a way to break through as quickly as possible.”

Daimon’s gaze turned toward the duke.

“Do you have some secret plan in mind?”

Duke Fershtein nodded with a heavy expression.

“At present, there is only one method.”

“……….”

“We must call back the million troops stationed in Arcadia. Even if we have to accept any sacrifice.”

Daimon was startled by those words.

“You mean to send a fleet carrying a million soldiers into the storm?”

“The sacrifice will be great, but it cannot be helped. If even the dragons who have yet to join the war take part, we will have no way to withstand them. At this rate, even defending the territories we have occupied will become difficult.”

“Hmm.”

Daimon drew his brows together. Having crossed the sea riding a Bone Dragon, he knew the power of the storm well. From what he had experienced, no matter how large the ship, it could not withstand such a storm. After thinking it over, Daimon shook his head.

“It would be best to put that plan on hold. No matter how urgent the situation is, we cannot sink a million troops wholesale, can we? In my experience, not even the largest ship can overcome a storm.”

“But aside from that, we have no way whatsoever to resolve the situation.”

An enigmatic smile appeared on Daimon’s face.

“I have one method.”

At Daimon’s words, a look of delight appeared on Duke Fershtein’s face. It was proof of just how much he trusted Daimon.

“What method could that possibly be?”

“It’s simple. We eliminate the very cause of the storm. The storm manifested because of the Silver Dragon’s curse. In other words, if we kill that Silver Dragon, won’t the storm disappear?”

The startled duke furrowed his brows.

“Th-then you mean to kill the Dragon Lord?”

“That’s right. Since the dragons are moving around in groups anyway, the Kasim Mercenary Corps cannot recklessly venture out. Therefore, I think it would be better for us to pool all our strength and attack the Dragon Lord’s lair.”

“But he is, after all, the Dragon Lord…”

As if his mind were already made up, Daimon slowly shook his head.

“It is better than sending a million troops into the storm. And if our opponent is alone, then no matter how powerful a dragon he is, I am confident. Besides, they will never imagine that we would target the Dragon Lord’s lair.”

The duke grew solemn. If things proceeded as Daimon suggested, the war would develop in an entirely different direction. But killing the Dragon Lord would never be easy. For one thing, they did not even know where the Dragon Lord’s lair was.

“Mobilize every agent in the intelligence bureau and determine the Dragon Lord’s whereabouts. The sooner, the better. We must bring him down before the other dragons join the battle.”

“Is there truly no other way?”

“Not at present.”

The duke stared silently at Daimon before letting out a long sigh.

“Understood. I will do so.”

“Then I will make all the necessary preparations.”

“…….”

The duke stared fixedly at Daimon’s back as he turned and strode away. It was an extremely dangerous undertaking with very little chance of success, but in the current situation, he had no choice but to place his hopes in Daimon.

Around that time, Berquis was flying toward the Dragon Lord’s lair in his true form. The war was progressing smoothly, and he was in a particularly cheerful mood.

“My judgment was correct.”

Because of Berquis’s new strategy, every legion of the expeditionary army had been forced to face tremendous difficulties. Once they realized that dragons had intervened, the commanders had no choice but to fight mixed in with the orcs.

If they did not respond that way, they would have to bear the full brunt of the dragons’ magical attacks from the air, resulting in heavy losses. Therefore, that was the only path open to them. Otherwise, they would have to scatter and retreat.

After leisurely watching the humans and orcs engage in a melee, Berquis moved elsewhere without hesitation. There, he caused trouble once again. Thanks to this, he was able to turn several battlefields into chaotic melees.

However, he knew that the orcs would lose most of the battles. Though they were melees, the orcs alone were insufficient to contend with the Arcadian expeditionary army, which had been preparing for war for a long time. But Berquis was not worried in the slightest. There were more than enough orc warriors to send into battle, and medium-sized monsters were scheduled to be deployed soon. The tide of war would be reversed before long.

“Now, the destruction of humanity will become a foregone conclusion. The question is how many dragons will join the war. The more of them take part, the sooner humanity will perish…”

An enigmatic light flashed in Berquis’s eyes.

“At present, there will be no serious problem even without the aid of the other dragons. If Renius, Ryusike, and I lend our strength, the orcs alone can annihilate the human expeditionary army… But the problem will arise when we invade Arcadia. To support the orc warriors efficiently, we will need the aid of as many dragons as possible.”

By now, a decision would surely have been reached in the Lord’s lair. Among them, there would certainly be dragons who refused to join the war. As he thought of them, a furious light flashed in Berquis’s eyes.

“Fools who don’t know what matters and what doesn’t… I’ll let it pass for now, but I will never forgive them later. Once I become Lord, that is.”

Amazingly, Berquis coveted the position of Dragon Lord. He was the oldest dragon after Kranus, the current Lord. Of course, his actual power had already surpassed that of the Lord, but even so, the dragon society could not disregard age and experience.

If the current Lord, Kranus, were to disappear, Berquis would automatically inherit the position. A sinister smile tugged at the corners of Berquis’s mouth.

‘Heh heh heh. Lord. If my plan succeeds, you’ll be able to meet the hatchling. In the afterlife.’

Berquis let out a strange laugh and beat his wings powerfully. The island of Crea, where the Lord’s lair was located, could be seen in the distance.

Upon arriving above Crea Island, Berquis folded his wings. When the enormous body of the Red Dragon landed on the ground, a cloud of dust billowed up. Having reached his destination, Berquis changed his form. In his place soon appeared a handsome young man with red hair. After completing his polymorph, Berquis gave a bitter smile.

“It’s absurd enough to make one laugh. I, who seek to destroy humanity, have unconsciously polymorphed into a human.”

But Berquis had no suitable form for polymorphing other than that of a human. He had no desire to take the form of the primitive orcs, and the low-intelligence medium-sized monsters appealed to him even less. He had no choice but to choose a human appearance. Shaking his head, Berquis began walking slowly toward the center of the island.

After walking a little farther, the entrance to a gigantic cave came into view. It was the lair where Kranus lived. Under normal circumstances, the entrance to the lair was completely sealed off from the outside world. It was even equipped with a magical defensive barrier, making entry through teleportation impossible.

But the entrance to the lair now stood wide open. It seemed to have been deliberately opened to welcome dragons coming from all across the continent. Verkis walked into the lair with an indifferent expression. The interior was utterly silent. One would have expected at least a guardian to come out and greet a guest, but there was nothing to be seen.

There were no guardians in Kranus’s lair. Perhaps because Kranus disliked troublesome things, he had not appointed any living creatures as guardians. Only a number of stone golems had been placed there to guard the lair. Even those stone golems normally took the form of statues, which was why the lair was bound to remain so deathly silent. As he walked down the long passage, Verkis tilted his head.

“How strange. Even if the lair is located in an underwater cavern that no one would dare to invade, there should at least be a chief guardian to manage the place….”

But Verkis soon dismissed the thought. There was no reason, nor any need, for him to interfere with the preferences of another dragon, particularly a Dragon Lord. Besides, Kranus was a Silver Dragon. If necessary, he could summon as many water-element spirits, such as sea elementals, as he wished. With that thought, Verkis continued deeper into the lair.

There was an unexpected guest in Kranus’s lair. When he saw a middle-aged man standing beside Kranus and chatting with him, Verkis’s eyes narrowed.

‘Who is that? I’ve never seen him before.’

The middle-aged man had outstanding features, with an impressive mustache, but Verkis immediately realized that he was a dragon polymorphed into human form. Judging by his hair color, he seemed to be a Gold Dragon. However, from the aura he gave off, he did not appear to be older than Verkis.

‘He’s certainly of Ancient rank, but he hasn’t risen to the ranks of the Elder Dragons.’

The problem was that this was a dragon Verkis had never seen before. Every dragon gave off a unique aura. Since they lived in different environments and had different experiences, each was bound to possess a distinct atmosphere. Yet the middle-aged man before him radiated an aura Verkis had never encountered. In other words, this was a dragon he was meeting for the first time. As though he had realized something, a sharp light shone in Verkis’s eyes.

‘Could he have come from Arcadia?’

Putting the thought aside, Verkis courteously bowed to Kranus.

“I greet the Lord.”

“Welcome.”

“But who is the gentleman beside you?”

As if he had realized Verkis’s intention, Kranus began the introductions.

“He is Pedrius, the Lord of the dragons living in Arcadia. He has visited Trubenia for the first time in three thousand years. You could say that he is an honored guest of the highest order.”

“The Lord?”

Verkis’s eyes narrowed. Logically speaking, it made no sense for Arcadia to have a Lord. The dragons living in Arcadia were far fewer in number than those in Trubenia.

Most of them were dragons who had crossed over from Trubenia, and the reason was simple. Dragons became independent as soon as they passed beyond the hatchling stage. During that period, young dragons had to establish their own territories and lairs solely through their own strength, without any help from adults.

Yet that was the most dangerous period for a young dragon. Having outgrown the hatchling stage, they could no longer receive the protection of other dragons. On top of that, their magical abilities were still weak and their physical strength limited, making them the perfect targets for humans who dreamed of becoming dragon slayers.

Finding a safe place for young dragons to claim as territory was not easy. Most places rich in mana and untouched by humans had already been claimed by other dragons. Thus, dragons unable to secure territory chose Arcadia as a last resort.

But Arcadia was located so far away that even flying at full speed took ten days. Crossing over there required a firm resolve. For that reason, the dragons who went to Arcadia naturally became cut off from those remaining on the continent. From the dragons’ perspective, Arcadia could therefore be described as a pioneering settlement.

And yet the dragons there had chosen one of their own as a Lord…. As if he understood Verkis’s feelings, Pedrius wore an awkward expression.

“The Lord merely addresses me as such out of courtesy. I am simply someone who represents the dragons of Arcadia.”

But Verkis’s gaze toward Pedrius was far from friendly.

“It is unexpected that the Lord of Arcadia would visit this place. Still, this is for the best. There is something I need to question you about.”

As expected, Pedrius reacted with bewilderment. A Red Dragon from Trubenia whom he had never seen before had something to question him about…. Verkis continued in a frosty tone.

“You are aware that one of Arcadia’s young dragons crossed over to Trubenia, are you not?”

“I have a general idea, but….”

Verkis exhaled roughly, as if this was just what he had hoped to hear.

“Then you must know this as well. That he joined the Dragon Slayers and is currently hunting dragons.”

“………….”

Verkis glared at the flustered Pedrius, his eyes hardening.

“He has already joined forces with humans to hunt one of the dragons here. A Blue Dragon named Musius, who had only just reached the rank of Wyrm. I personally confirmed his death. Then I returned his remains to the embrace of nature.”

Verkis had expected him to be shocked, but contrary to his expectations, Pedrius did not seem particularly surprised. The same was true of Kranus, who had been silently listening beside him. Having finished speaking, Verkis stared at Pedrius with a fierce gaze.

“What do you think of this matter?”

His opponent, who had appeared flustered, quickly regained his composure.

“I am not well informed about the matter. I will investigate the circumstances in detail and take appropriate action.”

“There is no need to investigate the circumstances.”

Verkis waved his hand irritably. A single image formed in the air. The horrific sight of Musius lying in a sea of blood, his neck and limbs severed, unfolded within it.

Before disposing of the corpse, Verkis had used magic to record the gruesome scene as an image. He extended a finger and pointed to the smooth cut across Musius’s neck.

“This wound was caused by the aura blade of a human Sword Master. To put it plainly, it means he died at human hands. But it was a White Dragon who lured him there. That dragon played a decisive role in the slaughter of one of its own kind. Do you understand?”

Despite Verkis’s sharp reprimand, Pedrius’s expression did not change in the slightest. Instead, Kranus, who had been standing beside him, stepped forward.

“That is enough, Verkis. What kind of discourtesy is this to a guest who has traveled such a long way?”

“I know it is discourteous, but some matters must be addressed….”

Kranus shook his head, cutting Verkis off. Then he looked at Pedrius.

“I am most grateful that you have taken the trouble to visit Trubenia after so long. Since you have finished your business, would you not be better off returning now?”

Pedrius glanced briefly at Verkis and quietly nodded.

“I believe that would be best.”

A faint smile touched the corners of Pedrius’s mouth as he continued.

“As expected, the Lord’s words are never wrong. Then I shall take my leave.”

After giving Verkis a slight bow, Pedrius walked away with heavy steps. Once outside the lair, he intended to assume his true form and return to Arcadia. Before long, Pedrius’s figure disappeared from sight.

Verkis glared coldly at Pedrius’s retreating back, then slowly turned his gaze toward Kranus. The anger that had filled his eyes had already subsided, replaced by calm.

“I apologize. I became overly agitated after losing Musius….”

“There is no need. I fully understand how you feel. That aside, is it true that Musius is dead?”

A look of grief appeared on Verkis’s face.

“Yes. He was deceived by their scheme and killed in the most absurd manner. I failed to notice what was happening because I was occupied destroying the portal.”

As he continued speaking, Verkis suddenly became serious.

“He is an extremely dangerous being. In my estimation, only a very small number of dragons could confront him alone and return alive.”

“Is the Dragon Slayer really that powerful?”

Verkis nodded without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“Remarkable.”

“During the process of destroying the portal, we destroyed one of his Bone Dragons. But he has another Bone Dragon. He also possesses four Death Knights of Grand Master rank. Most dangerous of all is his ability to wield magic. He has the ability to counter even a dragon’s magic.”

“By counter, do you mean dispel?”

“No. He does not dispel it. Instead, he subtly inserts foreign mana into the spell, fundamentally interfering with its manifestation. It may seem like a child’s prank, but his method is so subtle that he must never be underestimated. Lord, please remember that three dragons have already fallen to his hands.”

“Hmm.”

The Lord fell into thought. Watching him, Verkis subtly recalled the conditions he had already decided upon in his mind. He had no doubt that the Lord would grant his request.

“I have one favor to ask of you, Lord.”

“What is it?”

“Just as you did five hundred years ago, please step forward once more and persuade the dragons to join the fight. I do not know how many dragons have decided to participate, but to lead this war to victory, we need the aid of as many dragons as possible. Only then can we completely annihilate the human punitive forces and erase those detestable Dragon Slayers from the world forever.”

“……….”

“Once the humans are gone, Trubenia and Arcadia will flourish under the faithful orcs in place of that treacherous race. Orcs are fundamentally different from humans. If the orcs take control of Trubenia, the slaughter of hatchlings by those seeking the reputation of a Dragon Slayer will never happen again.”

Verkis was carefully prodding at Kranus’s deepest wound. Since dragons possessed no concept of forgetting, Kranus surely still remembered with perfect clarity the loss of his hatchling.

“Hmm.”

As expected, Kranus furrowed his brow. He seemed to be recalling the sight of his hatchling being brutally hacked apart by human hands. Watching him, Verkis wore a triumphant smile.

‘Heh heh heh. There’s no way he can refuse my request.’

A short while later, the Lord’s expression relaxed. Verkis stared intently at Kranus’s lips, his face filled with anticipation. But the answer that came was entirely unexpected.

“I am sorry, but I cannot grant your request.”

Verkis was momentarily flustered.

“What? What did you say?”

“As I said before, I have no authority to order the dragons around. Everything must be decided freely by each individual dragon. If they wish to fight, they will join the battle; if they do not, they will stay out of it. All of it is up to their own judgment. I have neither the authority to sway their decisions nor any desire to do so.”

“B-but did you not do exactly that five hundred years ago?”

Kranus looked at the bewildered Verkis with a profound gaze.

“Back then, what made me decide to join the war was the humans’ boundless greed. Of course, losing my hatchling had a considerable influence as well, but ultimately, it was their endless greed that concerned me most.”

“……….”

“But I regret the decision I made at that time. Everything should be left to the natural order. Out of excessive concern, I ended up violating the will of Lord Verhazel.”

Verkis’s finely chiseled face was gradually flushing.

“With Atasinus’s visit just now, the dragons’ decision has been fully finalized. I shall now inform you of what they have decided.”

Verkis silently met Kranus’s gaze.

“The dragons other than myself have decided not to intervene in this war. Each reached that decision of their own free will, and they do not agree to the destruction of humanity.”

At those words, something seemed to drop inside Verkis’s chest.

Thud.

He had expected something along those lines to some extent, but he had never dreamed it would be this bad. All the dragons except the Dragon Lord had decided not to participate in the war… He was so bewildered that he could not get a word out.

Kranus continued speaking.

“The decision made five hundred years ago was wrong from the very beginning. The dragons acknowledge that as well. The button was fastened wrong from the moment we lost our reason and made a hasty decision after the death of a hatchling.”

Verkis abruptly raised his head. Despite his attitude, his voice was low and subdued.

“Then does that mean the Dragon Lord will not participate in the war against humanity either?”

Kranus silently shook his head.

“Did I not tell you already? I have yet to make a decision. It is extremely difficult to reach a conclusion. In truth, since I have manifested the Silver Dragon’s Curse, it is no different from having already intervened. Nevertheless, I intend to make my decision soon. After meeting someone, that is.”

“Who in the world do you intend to meet?”

Verkis’s eyes widened to the size of saucers when he heard the answer. The Dragon Lord’s words had been completely unexpected.

“I intend to meet the human grand commander and the Dragon Slayer you mentioned. I shall make my decision after meeting them.”

Verkis’s voice was low and subdued.

“Do you really think they will willingly speak with the Dragon Lord?”

“That is impossible to know. But one thing is certain: my conclusion will be determined by the way they treat me.”

Verkis remained silent for a long while. The situation seemed to have taken such an absurd turn that he was at a loss for words. Watching him, Kranus slowly shook his head.

“The dragons who have stepped forward to participate in the war are now limited to you and those who follow you. Hm! Since Musius is dead, that leaves only you, Renius, and Ryusike.”

“There is one thing I would like to know.”

“What is it? Ask.”

“I want to know why the dragons as a whole have decided not to participate in the war.”

Kranus narrowed his eyes.

“There are several reasons. The one cited by the greatest number of them is that they will no longer be able to properly enjoy their amusements. As you know, dragons like to mingle with humans in polymorphed forms and enjoy themselves. But if humanity disappears, would we not have to abandon our amusements entirely? Most of the dragons gave up on participating for that reason.”

An incredulous expression appeared on Verkis’s face.

“Can they not enjoy themselves among the orcs?”

“At first, they thought so too. A few dragons entered orc society to amuse themselves, but they quickly lost interest and gave up. They said it was not fun at all.”

“But in the old days, weren’t there many dragons who polymorphed into orcs and enjoyed themselves?”

“That was when humans still existed on the continent. Once the humans disappeared, the enjoyment of such amusements fell away entirely.”

Verkis bit down hard on his lip.

“How pathetic. To ruin everything over a mere matter of amusement in a situation like this…”

“You are thinking about this incorrectly. In a dragon’s life, amusements are, in a word, a part of life itself. Is that not the only way we can live out lives spanning thousands of years without difficulty?”

Verkis retorted as though he could not bear to yield.

“Amusements can still be enjoyed without humans. I cannot understand their decision at all.”

“That is merely your opinion. In any case, the dragons declared that they would not participate in this war for that reason. Then they returned to their lairs to make up for the sleep they had missed.”

“Then what are the other reasons?”

Kranus raised a finger and pointed at Verkis.

“You are the reason.”

A bewildered look appeared on Verkis’s face.

“I… am the reason?”

“That is correct. The other dragons harbor a measure of fear toward you.”

“…”

“To be precise, they fear the way you have changed. Why do you not contemplate yourself for a moment? You probably have not noticed it, but you are gradually coming to resemble the very humans you hate so much and seek to eradicate.”

“That is absurd. How could I possibly…”

Kranus quietly cut him off.

“I believe their judgment is accurate. You are the most humanized dragon in all of history, and the dragon most heavily influenced by humanity.”

“…”

Verkis stared intently at Kranus before suddenly asking,

“Did you perhaps hear something from the Gold Dragon who came from Arcadia?”

“What do you mean?”

“Did he say that Musius had tried to kill his own kind?”

“…”

“Did the dragons of Arcadia threaten you, then? Did they say they would side with the humans and attack us?”

Kranus let out a long sigh and shook his head.

I expected as much, but I never imagined it would be this bad.

Verkis’s way of thinking resembled that of a human to a degree that astonished Kranus.

“No. He merely crossed over because he wanted to learn the truth. The dragons of Arcadia said that, regardless of how things proceeded, they would continue living quietly as they had until now.”

“But you cannot deny that the dragons’ decision was influenced by what the Gold Dragon revealed, can you, Dragon Lord?”

“I acknowledge that.”

When Kranus silently nodded, Verkis’s expression hardened.

“Then what will you do, Dragon Lord? Do you want me and the dragons who follow me to stop treating the humans as enemies?”

“You are still thinking from a human perspective. As I have said before, dragons are a race free from every shackle and oppression. If you wish to fight the humans, then you need only do so. No one can interfere with or force you otherwise.”

“…”

“Likewise, you must not interfere with the actions of other dragons. That is the life and philosophy of dragons. Do you understand?”

Verkis remained silent. His reddened eyes glistened unnaturally. Kranus turned away, as though he had said all that needed to be said.

“I shall now go and meet the humans. I have informed you of the dragons’ decision, so my business here is finished. I will inform you of the decision I make later through magical communication.”

“I have one more question.”

“Ask.”

“Do you intend to withdraw the Silver Dragon’s Curse spread across the sea?”

“Not yet. As I said before, I have not made my decision.”

Verkis stared intently at Kranus, then let out a long sigh.

“I understand. I have fully grasped your intentions, Dragon Lord.”

“Then that is fortunate. I shall be leaving now.”

Having said that, Kranus turned around and strode away. Verkis’s bloodshot eyes continued to flash ominously as he quickly followed. He could not remain behind when the master of the lair was going out.

The two of them walked down the passage leading outside without saying a word. When they emerged from the cave, dazzling sunlight pierced their eyes. Kranus frowned and looked up at the sky.

“The weather is quite fine.”

After saying that, Kranus quietly began casting magic. As mana rearranged itself, a dazzling magic circle formed around him.

“Then I shall be off. Take care on your way back.”

Verkis did not answer. Kranus nodded as though he had expected that and called out the activation word.

“Warp!”

Kranus’s body was soon enveloped in swirling radiance and disappeared from the spot.

Though Kranus had vanished, Verkis remained standing there without moving an inch. His body trembled intermittently, as though he could not contain his rage. His plan had gone awry at the most crucial moment, and he could not help but be agitated. After a while, he stared toward Kranus’s lair with blazing eyes.

“Stupid dragons… Even after being guaranteed thousands of years of life, they still cannot escape the shackles of inertia…”

Madness glimmered in Verkis’s eyes.

“A dragon who has become human… How laughable, Dragon Lord. I believe that is far better than repeating a lazy, impotent existence.”

Verkis clenched his fists.

“You should consider yourself lucky. If I had no need for the curse spread across the sea, you would already have died by my hand.”

Verkis’s combat power had surpassed Kranus’s long ago. If he wished, he could kill Kranus at any time. Yet there was one matter that held him back, preventing him from acting rashly.

The first was that if Kranus were killed, the curse spread across the sea would automatically disappear. Governing water was entirely the authority of a Silver Dragon. No matter how powerful he was in his true form, Verkis, as a Red Dragon, could not manifest the curse over the sea.

The second concern was the attention of the other dragons. Kranus was the Dragon Lord, respected by many dragons. If Kranus were killed by Verkis’s hand, there was no way the other dragons would remain still.

No matter how powerful he was, he could not fight and defeat all those dragons. For that reason, he had to be exceedingly cautious in dealing with Kranus. Verkis looked up at the sky with blazing eyes.

“I shall have to devise a plan. A plan to eliminate the humans once and for all, together with Kranus.”

Above Verkis’s head, clouds drifted by indifferently as he sank into thought.

The place Kranus targeted after activating Warp was in the southeastern part of the continent, far from his lair. He appeared some distance from the expeditionary army’s encampment. In truth, he did not know where the army’s grand commander was staying.

Because a dragon assault would be all but inevitable if his location became known, the grand commander’s residence had been thoroughly concealed under two and even three layers of security.

Therefore, Kranus had chosen to find a nearby expeditionary encampment and ask where the commander was. After completing his teleportation, Kranus leisurely walked toward the distant encampment of human soldiers.

“Heh heh. I wonder how the humans will treat me…”

As he walked, Kranus suddenly broke into a derisive smile. Come to think of it, he himself was the dragon who had played the decisive role in the destruction of Trubenia’s humans.

If he had not manifested the curse and isolated the two continents from each other, the humans of Trubenia would never have perished so futilely. Consequently, there was no doubt that the humans harbored boundless hatred toward him.

“Is it truly right for me to go meet the grand commander of the expeditionary army?”

No matter how many times he considered it, he could not be certain. When he had first awakened from his sleep, Kranus had thought he should exterminate the humans, just as Verkis had insisted. Was that not why he had manifested the Silver Dragon’s Curse again after five hundred years? But Kranus’s heart had been changing in response to the succession of anomalies.

“Humans truly are an enigmatic race. I thought destroying the portal would bring everything to a simple end…”

Though the destruction of the portal had completely severed their supply lines, the humans still had not given up. They had found a new breakthrough by rescuing the humans living as slaves among the orcs. Even Kranus was astounded by their tenacity.

Though he appeared to be holed up in his lair, he had also been secretly observing the state of the continent. As a result, Kranus had begun to harbor some doubts about the decision he had made five hundred years ago. Even with the strongest race on the surface, the dragons, intervening, the humans clung tenaciously to life like weeds.

“Indeed, going against the natural order is no easy thing.”

Until then, Verkis’s resolve had not changed.

However, when most of the dragons decided not to participate in the war, and the Dragon Lord of Arcadia visited with astonishing news, Cranus had no choice but to change his mind.

Pedrius had crossed over to Trubenia bearing facts Cranus had known nothing about.

“To think that in my generation, a dragon who seeks to kill his own kind would appear….”

A troubled expression spread across Cranus’s face.

“I never imagined that the greed of humans, which I feared most, would taint even the hearts of dragons. We must stop acting against the natural order before the dragons are influenced by humans any further. There is nothing we can do about Verkis and the dragons who follow him, since they have already been thoroughly tainted….”

Under normal circumstances, dragons were not influenced by humans. They considered humans to be nothing more than insignificant insects in the first place. However, if they fought alongside humans in an all-out battle as they were doing now, the dragons could not help but develop certain feelings toward humanity without even realizing it.

Since the humans they had regarded as insignificant had put up a better fight than expected, most dragons already held a trace of admiration for the human race. Therefore, it did not seem desirable to continue the war any longer.

“According to the natural order, the orcs are a race that should be driven back by humans and disappear. We must no longer overturn a result that has already been decided.”

Having made up his mind, Cranus hurriedly walked toward the encampment visible in the distance.

“Yaaawn. I’m tired.”

A fully armed soldier yawned and stretched at length. Beside him, another soldier in the same uniform was surveying the surroundings with sharp eyes. They were sentries assigned to the outer perimeter and belonged to the Eighth Legion. The Eighth Legion was composed of soldiers from Penslot and was a reserve unit whose primary duty was logistical support. They were also responsible for overseeing and managing the slave villages established throughout the region.

Although they were stationed quite far from the battlefield, the soldiers of the Eighth Legion did not neglect their vigilance over the surrounding area in the slightest. Like any other great power, Penslot maintained extremely strict military discipline. In truth, however, they were utterly exhausted from their repeated shifts.

Under ordinary circumstances, it would already have been well past the time for them to change shifts. But because so many soldiers had been dispatched to the front lines due to the successive losses there, their hours of duty had more than doubled. What exhausted the soldiers even more than that, however, was the uncertain state of the war. The soldier who had been watching the front turned his head.

“Do you really think we can win this war?”

The soldier who had finished stretching scowled fiercely. Judging from his tone, he seemed to be the senior soldier.

“What are you talking about? There’s no way we could lose to those frail, worthless orcs.”

“But our supply situation is growing more difficult because the portals were destroyed, isn’t it? Since we’re a reserve unit, our provisions have been reduced by more than half.”

“Supplies will gradually improve. Once we get through this crisis, that is.”

“But I heard that our troop losses have been enormous since the dragons joined the war. Judging from the situation, it seems likely that we’ll be deployed to the front before long….”

The senior soldier looked startled.

“How did you find that out?”

“There was a friend from my hometown among the wounded soldiers escorted here some time ago. He said that….”

The senior soldier coldly cut off the junior soldier’s words. If that fact spread, the morale of the entire Eighth Legion would undoubtedly fall.

“Don’t ever let such words pass your lips. If they reach the ears of the inspectors, you’ll be severely punished….”

After harshly rebuking him, the senior soldier turned his head. At that moment, his eyes widened.

“What?”

Startled, he immediately raised his spear. The junior soldier turned at the senior’s sudden change in attitude, and astonishment spread through his eyes as well. Someone had approached them while they were exchanging words.

Fortunately, the newcomer was not an enemy they would have to fight. An elderly man with silver hair and a full silver beard stood before them. Nevertheless, wariness still glinted in the soldiers’ eyes. Common sense dictated that no human other than a soldier of the expeditionary force could possibly appear here. The senior soldier’s shout rang out boldly.

“Who are you? State your identity!”

A faint smile passed across the old man’s lips.

“I’ve come here to meet someone. Could you guide me to your commander?”

A bewildered look appeared in the senior soldier’s eyes. An old man who had suddenly appeared was asking to be guided to the commander’s quarters.

The senior soldier agonized over the matter. By protocol, he should arrest the old man without question. Under wartime conditions, guiding an unidentified old man to the commander was unthinkable.

Yet the senior soldier could not easily make a decision. Something about the situation felt suspicious. In Trubenia, the only humans one could encounter were soldiers of the expeditionary force or orc slaves. But judging from the old man’s eyes and attire, he was neither. After racking his brain, the senior soldier cautiously lowered his spear.

“Are you, perhaps, a dragon?”

The old man silently nodded. At that moment, the senior soldier felt his mind clear with a start. His tentative guess had been exactly right.

“P-Please wait a moment. I’ll report this to my superiors immediately.”

“Very well.”

Seeing the old man nod silently, the senior soldier hurriedly turned around. He had to report this to the commander without delay.

The commander in charge of the Eighth Legion was Marquis Trelude, a highly esteemed nobleman of Penslot. After hearing the guard’s report, he was clutching his head, utterly unable to decide how to respond.

“Why on earth would a dragon want to meet me?”

The armed men standing in formation reacted quite aggressively.

“We must not accept the dragon’s request. He may be planning to assassinate you, Commander.”

An incredulous expression appeared on Marquis Trelude’s face.

“No matter how I think about it, that doesn’t seem likely. Why would a dragon, a member of the strongest race, go to such trouble?”

“But couldn’t he use mental magic to subdue you, Commander? And then use the Eighth Legion to attack the other legions….”

Marquis Trelude quietly shook his head.

“We’ve already made perfect preparations against mental magic. If I give any strange or irrational orders, command of the Eighth Legion will automatically pass to the deputy commander. And even if you think about it logically, it’s hard to imagine a dragon acting that way.”

Having finished speaking, Marquis Trelude quietly rose.

“I’ll meet the dragon once, at least. If he wishes to speak, we can hardly refuse to hear him out, can we?”

But the armed men were not willing to retreat so easily.

“To be safe, we’ll station a large number of paladins and mages nearby.”

“Handle that as you see fit.”

Cranus was escorted deep into the Eighth Legion’s main camp. Marquis Trelude had come out in advance to wait for him. Upon seeing the old man, the marquis offered a polite bow. Although they were enemies facing one another on the battlefield, a certain degree of courtesy was necessary when dealing with the strongest race on the continent.

“I greet the great one.”

When Marquis Trelude bowed respectfully, Cranus nodded in satisfaction. Unlike orcs, humans were a race capable of reason. One could never expect such an attitude from orcs. The only way to deal with orcs was to show them one’s strength and force them into submission. Cranus fixed the marquis with a profound gaze.

“Are you the one in command of the forces that crossed over from Arcadia?”

A troubled expression appeared on Marquis Trelude’s face.

“No. I am merely the commander responsible for the troops stationed here. The expeditionary force has a separate commander-in-chief.”

“Can you guide me to him?”

At the old man’s words, Marquis Trelude knitted his brows. Duke Pershtein was an incomparably more important figure to the expeditionary force than he was.

If he were assassinated, the expeditionary force’s chain of command would undoubtedly fall into tremendous confusion. Unable to readily accept the dragon’s demand, the marquis silently shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I do not have the authority to make that decision.”

A strange light flashed through Cranus’s eyes. He could more or less guess what the human commander before him was troubled by.

“It is something of great importance. Something that could even determine the fate of humanity…. And you need not worry, for I have not the slightest intention of treating your commander-in-chief as an enemy.”

Since the words came from a dragon, there could be no falsehood in them, but Marquis Trelude’s concerns did not disappear.

“May I ask why you wish to meet him?”

Cranus did not answer the question. However, the single sentence that came from his lips left Marquis Trelude utterly aghast.

“I am the Dragon Lord of Trubenia.”

For a long while, Marquis Trelude wore an expression of disbelief before quickly nodding.

“P-Please wait a moment. I’ll report this to headquarters immediately.”

Marquis Trelude turned his head and gestured to the mage responsible for communications.

“Understood.”

The mage immediately took out a crystal ball and attempted to establish communication with headquarters. The other mages erected layer upon layer of magical barriers around him so that the dragons would be unable to detect the coordinates from which the magical communication was being conducted. The assembled knights and soldiers watched the Dragon Lord of Trubenia, whom they were seeing for the first time in their lives, with keen interest. Yet all they saw was an utterly ordinary old man with silver hair.

When the report from the Eighth Legion reached the expeditionary force’s main camp, it was thrown into an uproar.

“This is undoubtedly a plot. His Grace the Duke is clearly being lured into an assassination attempt intended to paralyze the expeditionary force’s chain of command.”

“We must issue an execution order to the commander of the Eighth Legion immediately. There are countless skilled knights and mages there, so they have a sufficient chance of killing the Dragon Lord. Now that he is in human form, this is the perfect opportunity.”

A wide variety of opinions were voiced, but Duke Pershtein paid them no heed.

“The Dragon Lord came alone and wishes to speak with me…. What on earth could he be plotting?”

His mind was already working furiously as he tried to discern the Dragon Lord’s intentions. While he was lost in thought, someone came rushing into his office.

Bang!

Damon kicked open the door and entered, shouting as he gasped for breath. Shrekheimer followed close behind him.

“Is it true that that Dragon Lord fellow has come alone to the Eighth Legion?”

At the sight of Damon, Duke Pershtein rose from his seat.

“It is.”

“Excellent. Summon him immediately. If he truly came alone, this day will become the anniversary of his death for generations to come.”

The duke, unable to understand Damon’s Central Plains-style expression, opened his eyes wide.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Simply put, it means he will die today. So summon him at once.”

Killing intent gleamed around Damon’s eyes. From his expression, it seemed that he intended to take this opportunity to eliminate the Dragon Lord for good.

Until now, he had been frantically searching for the Dragon Lord’s lair. Upon hearing that the man himself had come, it seemed he could no longer bear to wait. But Shrekheimer, who had entered behind him, offered a somewhat different opinion.

“He came alone and requested a conversation. Shouldn’t we hear him out first?”

Damon shook his head as though there were no need to pay attention to that.

“That isn’t necessary. We must remember that the Silver Dragon’s curse will disappear once we kill him. With me, the original dragon, and the Death Knight joining forces, we can certainly kill him.”

“But he is the Dragon Lord. We must also consider the possibility that a large number of dragons are escorting him, even if they cannot be seen.”

Damon’s eyes were bloodshot.

“Are the dragons not our enemies anyway? How can we expect to win this war if we retreat out of fear of them? Now that matters have come to this, we must commit ourselves to an all-out battle.”

Damon turned his head and stared at Duke Pershtein with gleaming eyes.

“I will set out with the Kasim Mercenary Band and slay the Dragon Lord. In the meantime, summon every paladin and sword master capable of manipulating mana. If another dragon appears, deploy them to engage it. If you have them ride the Phantom Steeds summoned by the mages—or cast flight magic on them directly—and surround the dragons in a swarm-like assault, even they will have no choice but to struggle.”

Duke Perstein’s eyes widened.

“But if the dragon casts Dispel, not a single one of the high-ranking knights we mobilize will survive. It is far too dangerous a plan. That should only be chosen in the worst possible circumst—”

“Regardless, we have nothing left to lose. Some sacrifices must be accepted for the sake of our objective. If I recall correctly, that is your usual principle, is it not?”

Under Daymon’s gaze, Duke Perstein did not know what to do. If they proceeded in that manner, they might be able to take down one or two dragons. But if things went wrong, they risked losing every high-ranking knight in the punitive army.

That would mean the end. Because of that, the duke could not easily make a decision. At the same time, he sensed that something was strange.

‘This is odd. Daymon’s attitude seems completely different from usual. Is it because his hatred of dragons runs so deep?’

As the duke wavered, unable to make an easy decision, the distinctive voice of a lich reached his ears. When he turned his head, Shrekheimer was soothing Daymon in a subtle tone.

“Would it not be better to hear what the Dragon Lord has to say first? It will not be too late to kill him after we have heard him out.”

“What he has to say is completely irrelevant in this situation.”

Watching Daymon repeatedly huff and snort, Shrekheimer shook his head. He, too, had realized that Daymon’s attitude was different from usual.

‘The Daymon I know is not someone who becomes agitated so easily….’

Thinking that he had to calm him down first, Shrekheimer whispered in a low voice that only Daymon could hear.

“Daymon. If you kill him, the saintess will remain a statue until the end of the world. You know that very well, do you not?”

“……….”

At those words, Daymon was barely able to regain his composure. Kranus was the one who had turned Daphne to stone. If he killed him, he would never be able to meet Daphne again.

Thanks to Shrekheimer’s single remark, Daymon was able to escape his state of agitation. His feelings for Daphne were that profound. As though a wave of dizziness had risen within him, Daymon pressed a hand to his head.

‘To become so agitated so easily…. What in the world is wrong with me?’

When he turned his head, he saw the leaders of the punitive army staring at him with worried expressions. After thinking it over again and again, Daymon muttered indifferently, as though reluctant to do so.

“Very well. Then let us hear what he has to say.”

Duke Perstein brightened at once.

“I will give the Dragon Lord our coordinates so that he can come here.”

“We still do not know what he is plotting, so it would be best to prepare for every possibility.”

“Understood. I will issue a full mobilization order to the high-ranking knights.”

The duke nodded, then summoned his adjutant and gave him the order. After receiving it, the adjutant hurriedly ran from the area.

When he received the message from headquarters, Marquis Trelude turned his head with a worried expression. He had expected Duke Perstein to meet the Dragon Lord, but he could not help being concerned nonetheless.

‘With the dragon slayers there, nothing should happen, but….’

Having forcibly concealed his expression, the marquis approached Kranus.

“The commander-in-chief wishes to meet with the Great One. The coordinates have arrived, so please have the mages depart using the teleportation magic circle.”

Kranus cut him off with a shake of his head.

“There is no need for that. If you tell me the coordinates, I can go there alone.”

The marquis quietly closed his mouth. His opponent was a dragon, the master of magic. It would actually be strange to send a mage along with him.

“Understood. Then I will give you the coordinates.”

A smile spread across Kranus’s lips.

“Thank you.”

After receiving the coordinates, Kranus immediately activated spatial teleportation.

Flash.

When Kranus finished warping, what came into his view was a desolate plain stretching endlessly into the distance. He had expected to find an immeasurably vast army stationed there, but the only humans he could see were two mages standing atop a magic circle.

They did not dare even look at Kranus and were trembling violently. Because they could sense the flow of mana, the mages could barely breathe in the presence of the vast mana emanating from the Dragon Lord’s body. Perhaps displeased by their reaction, Kranus frowned.

“Did you deliberately give me coordinates for this place?”

At those words, one of the mages opened his mouth. His voice was filled with fear.

“We acted out of caution and committed the discourtesy of giving the Great One incorrect coordinates. We know the coordinates of the main camp, so please follow me. The magic circle leading there is already prepared.”

“Is that so? Very well.”

Kranus nodded silently. Even so, he could not help marveling inwardly at the humans’ thorough preparations. When Kranus walked over and stood upon the magic circle, the mages immediately activated it.

“Teleport.”

The figures of Kranus and the mages vanished from the spot in an instant.

After that, Kranus had to pass through three or four more locations. The humans’ tearful efforts to keep the commander-in-chief’s whereabouts hidden from the dragons were almost touching. But Kranus silently watched the mages go about their work. He could guess the reason they were doing this.

‘Then again, the humans of Trubenia were destroyed because of me….’

After waiting patiently through the tedium, he was finally able to arrive at the punitive army’s main camp.

Flash.

After the final spatial teleportation, Kranus appeared before endless rows of barracks. Countless soldiers stood waiting for him in orderly formation.

Those standing at the front were, for the most part, high-ranking knights capable of controlling mana. Their numbers were far beyond anything he had imagined, and Kranus clicked his tongue in amazement.

“Astonishing. There are so many humans capable of controlling mana…. Even if I counted all the humans in Trubenia in the past, there were never so many….”

Unable to conceal his surprise, Kranus soon began walking toward one side. The knights’ guard was concentrated there, and he could sense the presence of a Ninth-Circle Master in that direction. As expected, Duke Perstein and Daymon were there. Despite wearing plain, unremarkable clothing, the Dragon Lord had singled them out with perfect accuracy, and the duke was somewhat surprised.

‘As expected of the Dragon Lord.’

As the Dragon Lord approached, the knights tensed and prepared to draw their swords at any moment. Unlike them, however, the leaders of the army remained calm. Duke Perstein, in particular, felt a strange emotion.

‘The Dragon Lord is the being who has already driven millions of humans into the jaws of death. Under normal circumstances, I should feel endless hatred toward him….’

Though he was the one who had caused such a horrific catastrophe, the duke strangely felt no hatred rising within him. The Dragon Lord seemed like an irresistible force of nature. As they watched, the Dragon Lord came closer. It was the moment when the absolute rulers of humanity and the dragons met in one place. The Dragon Lord’s gaze turned toward Duke Perstein.

“Are you the commander-in-chief of the humans?”

Duke Perstein silently nodded.

“Yes, Great One….”

A smile spread across Kranus’s lips. The commander-in-chief of the punitive army was showing him respect as well. It was precisely what he had expected.

‘Humans truly are a species capable of restraint. If they were orcs, they would have immediately hurled insults and attacked, regardless of whom they were facing….’

As Kranus remained lost in thought, the duke’s voice reached his ears.

“Please forgive us for failing to offer a proper reception due to your sudden arrival. But may I ask what brings the Great One here?”

Kranus did not answer. Instead, he looked to the side of the duke with an amused glint in his eyes. There stood Daymon, arms folded, shooting the Dragon Lord a challenging stare.

“There can only be one Ninth-Circle Master among humans, can there not? So you are the dragon slayer.”

“……….”

“How surprising. You have already returned three dragons to the embrace of the gods.”

Daymon slowly unfolded his arms. A murderous intent was gradually rising in his eyes.

“If you are curious about how I did it, I can show you. I still have enough strength to return three or four more dragons to the embrace of the gods.”

Duke Perstein’s expression hardened at Daymon’s words. He had never anticipated that Daymon would behave so arrogantly in front of the Dragon Lord. But since this was not a situation in which he should intervene, he remained quietly silent. Kranus stared intently at Daymon, a look of surprise in his eyes.

“You seem to have a great deal of animosity toward me.”

“It is not only you. I hate the entire dragon race. If I had the ability, my honest wish would be to kill every last one of you.”

At Daymon’s words, the atmosphere in the area turned cold, as though someone had thrown ice water over it. The leaders and the knights guarding them wore expressions of utter bewilderment.

For someone to behave so fearlessly in front of the Dragon Lord was incomprehensible by any common sense. Unless he had lost his mind, no one could act that way. Yet Kranus did not appear particularly concerned by Daymon’s words.

“Then you intend to continue hunting dragons from now on.”

Daymon’s answer was equally cold.

“You are needlessly repeating an obvious question. Do you really need to ask?”

“Ho ho. You are a very interesting human.”

Perhaps he found the situation absurd, for Kranus let out a hollow laugh. Not a single human had ever been this rude to him. Even the dragons themselves would never have dared behave this way. Yet this man was displaying hostility toward him without the slightest hesitation. It was treatment entirely unfamiliar to the Dragon Lord.

“I cannot say I am pleased.”

Kranus’s gaze shifted toward the area behind Daymon. The members of the Kasim Mercenary Band stood there, tense, gripping the hilts of their swords. Kranus was looking at one of them in particular. It was Mitchell, dressed in the Phantom Armor.

“That is the armor I made.”

A strange light flashed in Daymon’s eyes at those words.

“Did you come to take Incresia back?”

Kranus silently shook his head.

“No. As I have grown older, I am no longer so obsessed with treasure.”

Daymon snorted.

“How amusing. A dragon without any greed for treasure…. Do you really think I would believe that?”

After Daymon continued to sneer at him, Kranus finally seemed to lose his temper.

“Do you not think your attitude is going a little too far?”

“Compared to what you dragons did to me—to the humans of Trubenia—it is nothing.”

Kranus’s eyes began to glow faintly.

“But you were the ones who caused it in the first place. If the humans had not killed my hatchling, the catastrophe five hundred years ago would never have occurred.”

The knights standing in formation were startled by those words.

Duke Perstein, too, could not conceal his astonishment. Until now, they had believed that the dragons had annihilated humanity for the sake of a mere game.

But humans had hunted a dragon—a hatchling of the Dragon Lord, no less…. It was no small matter. Kranus’s agitated voice continued.

“The one who killed my hatchling rightfully deserved to face the solemn judgment of every dragon. Therefore, the destruction of the humans of Trubenia was entirely justified.”

Daymon’s eyebrows twitched at those words. But Kranus continued speaking without paying him any heed.

“After those who dreamed of becoming dragon slayers brutally killed my hatchling, I searched everywhere for the culprits in order to take my revenge. But the wretches vanished without a trace into places beyond my reach. So I hardened my heart. Since I could not capture the culprits, I decided to take revenge against the entire race to which they belonged…”

The moment he finished speaking, a roar burst from Deimon’s mouth.

“Graaaah! Did you think so little of humans that you’d hold an entire race responsible for the crimes of a few?”

Deimon’s emotions were on the verge of exploding. Just then, a low voice rang out beside him. It was Duke Pershtein, and thanks to the well-timed declaration he made, Deimon was able to stop himself from having a fit.

“My Lord, you chose the wrong method of revenge.”

Thanks to his adroit intervention, Kranus’s attention turned toward Duke Pershtein. However, the Lord’s gaze remained hostile as he looked at the duke.

“Do you dare criticize my choice?”

Though the Lord continued to thunder at him, Duke Pershtein did not appear the least bit flustered. As if asking Deimon to leave the matter to him, he gently placed a hand on Deimon’s shoulder before walking toward Kranus without hesitation.

“That is correct. In truth, there was no need for Your Lordship to go to such lengths.”

“……….”

The duke calmly met the blazing gaze of the Dragon Lord.

“Very well. Explain yourself.”

“First of all, I apologize on behalf of humanity for the loss of your hatchling because of humans. However, my opinion that the method Your Lordship chose was wrong remains unchanged.”

“Why do you think so?”

Duke Pershtein’s eyes flashed as he began his explanation.

“If Your Lordship had first warned humanity before seeking revenge, the worst-case scenario could have been avoided. I also believe that a favorable outcome could have been reached for both sides.”

“Explain in detail.”

After calmly composing himself, Duke Pershtein continued.

“If I had been in Your Lordship’s position, this is what I would have done. First, I would have visited the rulers of each kingdom and explained the circumstances in detail. I would have said, ‘Humans brutally killed my hatchling. Therefore, I intend to hold the human race, the race to which the culprit belongs, responsible. What will you do?’”

“……….”

Kranus listened to Duke Pershtein without moving an inch.

“If you had done that, the rulers of each kingdom would undoubtedly have searched the entire continent and brought the culprit before Your Lordship. They would have done so to prevent the destruction of their entire race. Would that not have been better for both sides? Your Lordship would have captured the culprit who killed your hatchling, and the humans would have avoided destruction.”

“But there would have been no guarantee that they would actually find the culprit and bring him before me, would there?”

A smile spread across Duke Pershtein’s lips.

“If I had been one of the rulers at the time, I would certainly have brought the culprit before Your Lordship. If I couldn’t find him, I would have created one, even if necessary. Do you understand?”

Kranus, who had been listening silently, let out a hearty laugh.

“Your words are amusing. You would create a culprit and bring him before me…”

“If sacrificing one of their own could prevent the destruction of their entire race, humans would willingly give up their lives without hesitation.”

After hearing Duke Pershtein’s explanation, the Dragon Lord’s eyes had somehow regained their composure.

“Now that I hear you, it does sound plausible. It would have been far more effective than searching for the culprit myself.”

“I am grateful that you see it that way.”

Duke Pershtein bowed politely. At least for now, this was no time to antagonize the Lord.

‘If Deimon steps in, he might be able to kill the Lord. However, the Lord came here knowing that dragon slayers are present. From that perspective, this is no time to act rashly. The Dragon Lord may have prepared something in advance…’

Having calmly collected his thoughts, the duke looked at the Dragon Lord.

“By the way, Your Lordship, what brings you here?”

The Lord stared intently at the duke before slowly opening his mouth.

“I came here to inform you of something.”

“What is it?”

Upon hearing the Lord’s answer, the duke’s eyes widened until they nearly split. The fact that flowed from the Lord’s mouth was news that could not have been more welcome to him.

“It is the decision reached at the dragons’ gathering, which ended several days ago. From now on, the dragons will no longer be hostile toward humans.”

“Is that, is that truly so?”

Duke Pershtein was unable to contain his trembling body and mind. If the dragons did not join the war, victory was as certain as seeing fire. Though few in number, the well-trained expeditionary force could not be stopped by the orcs’ strength alone.

And if the dragons withdrew from the war, they could call in the million-man army waiting in Arcadia. Seeing the duke unable to conceal his delight, Kranus continued speaking.

“It is true. But do not rejoice too much. Not all dragons made that decision.”

Duke Pershtein quickly regained his composure.

“I apologize, but could you tell me how many dragons decided to participate in the war?”

Kranus answered without hesitation.

“The red dragon Berkis and the two dragons who follow him will continue attacking humans. The other dragons will have nothing to do with it.”

“Then what do you intend to do, Your Lordship?”

Kranus quietly shook his head.

“I have not yet made a decision. I intended to meet you first before deciding…”

Duke Pershtein quickly replied.

“I do not know what decision you will make, but I will promise you one thing. If Your Lordship maintains neutrality, we will never treat you disrespectfully under any circumstances.”

“Well…”

Kranus shook his head repeatedly before turning his gaze back to Deimon. Deimon was glaring at him with his face deeply furrowed. A bitter smile appeared on Kranus’s face.

“But it seems I have no other choice. Even if I declare neutrality and return to my lair, that fellow does not seem inclined to leave me alone…”

At those words, Duke Pershtein grew anxious. The greatest problem facing the expeditionary force at present was the silver dragon’s curse. If only that curse could be lifted, the duke would desire nothing more. But to accomplish that, he first needed Deimon’s consent.

Yet judging by Deimon’s deeply furrowed expression, he did not seem likely to agree easily. Even so, the duke opened his mouth to persuade him somehow.

“Uh… Deimon.”

Deimon coldly cut him off.

“Would you leave this matter to me this time?”

“……….”

With no room left for further persuasion, Duke Pershtein gave a bitter smile and stepped back. Deimon turned his head without relaxing his hardened expression.

“This is truly laughable.”

“……….”

“You started a war on a whim and drove countless people into the pit of death, and now you say you’re going to withdraw? What kind of twisted thinking is that?”

A gradually rising anger began to cloud Kranus’s face as well.

“Because I am a dragon. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Of course I do… An uncountable number of people lost their lives because of the war you dragons started. Have you ever once thought about the suffering their families must endure?”

At those words, Kranus let out a long sigh.

“So you mean to say you will not let me go quietly after all. Has war become unavoidable now?”

Kranus looked at Deimon with profound eyes.

“I am sorry, but I have not the slightest desire to apologize for starting a war between the races. Dragons are beings that are free and noble to that extent…”

Hearing that, Deimon suddenly shouted.

“Damn it… Who asked you to apologize? I merely… Forget it. To you, it would be like reading the sutra to a cow anyway…”

“……….”

Perhaps his emotions had surged, for Deimon remained silent for a long while. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Deimon finally opened his mouth.

“Now I will tell you my condition. If you accept it, I will promise you one thing in return.”

Curiosity appeared in Kranus’s eyes.

“What is it?”

“It is simple. I will give up my revenge against the dragons that do not participate in this war. Whatever decision you make, I will keep my promise. Of course, Berkis and the dragons following that bastard are exceptions…”

“What is your condition?”

The condition Deimon put forward was simple.

“Return the saintess you turned to stone five hundred years ago to her original state.”

Perhaps the proposal was unexpected, for Kranus’s eyes filled with bewilderment. He already knew well what kind of life Deimon had led. Therefore, he had expected Deimon to present a condition that would be difficult for him to accept.

“That… is all?”

“Yes. That is the entirety of my condition.”

He stared at Deimon with a strange look in his eyes for a long while. After a moment, Kranus looked toward Duke Pershtein.

“I have now made my decision with certainty.”

The duke calmly responded to the Dragon Lord.

“Please, tell us.”

“I have no intention of remaining hostile toward humans. In other words, I will not participate in this war. As a pledge of that, I promise to dispel the storm spread across the sea.”

Bang.

Duke Pershtein’s face was flooded with joy. The commanders of the expeditionary force likewise could not conceal their happiness. A ray of light had suddenly shone upon their previously bleak future. Now they could once again hope for victory.

However, there was no change whatsoever in the expressions of Deimon and Shrekheimer. Shrekheimer was happy, but as a lich, he could not show it, while Deimon merely stood there with a frown on his face. Looking around at them, Kranus continued speaking.

“I have watched humans for thousands of years, but they are truly a difficult race to understand. They constantly start wars, killing one another and being killed, yet at the same time they maintain a semblance of order and enjoy prosperity… It is truly incomprehensible.”

Duke Pershtein quickly responded.

“That is because humans are imperfect beings. That is why we need laws and norms.”

“I agree with you on that point. In truth, this decision was largely…”

Kranus extended a finger and pointed at Deimon.

“Influenced by that fellow’s attitude. A human who can show forgiveness and tolerance despite possessing great power is certainly worthy of respect.”

“Hmph. Don’t bother buttering me up.”

Deimon snapped coldly, but the smile on the Lord’s face did not fade.

“My business here is now finished. Having made my intentions clear, I will return to my lair and finally catch up on the sleep I have been unable to enjoy.”

Duke Pershtein hurriedly spoke up, his heart that urgent.

“L-Lord… What of the curse spread across the sea?”

“There is no need to worry. I already lifted the curse spread across the sea while coming here…”

A gentle smile appeared on Kranus’s face.

“Even if I had ended up fighting you, I intended to lift the curse. You could call it a token of recompense for what I did five hundred years ago. Well, I shall be off now. Take care, all of you.”

He turned away, leaving behind the commanders of the expeditionary force, whose faces wore indescribable expressions.

“Oh, that’s right.”

As though he had just remembered something, Kranus turned his head and looked at Deimon.

“What will you do?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The saintess is in my lair. If you wish to take her, come with me. Berkis is constantly keeping an eye out for an opportunity to take her, so it would be better for you to receive her personally.”

Deimon nodded without hesitation.

“I will do that.”

“Good. Then I will prepare the warp.”

While Kranus rearranged the mana, the members of the Kasim Mercenary Group gathered one by one beside Deimon. Since they were going to retrieve the saintess, the entire Kasim Mercenary Group had to set out. Every one of the mercenaries’ faces shone with anticipation. Kasim smiled as he looked at Deimon.

“You must be excited.”

“About what?”

"Since you have reclaimed the love you had yearned for so desperately."

"I don't know about that yet."

Daymon replied listlessly and turned around. But something about Yuliana's expression, standing at the very back, seemed unusual. She wore a dazed look, and only came to her senses when Mitchell tugged her along.

"What are you doing? We need to hurry."

"Ah, all right."

Yuliana abruptly snapped back to reality and hurried after the others. Countless emotions crossed her eyes. Once all the members had stepped onto the magic circle, Cranus immediately activated the spell.

"Then I shall initiate the warp."

Flash.

A dazzling mass of light spread in every direction. A moment later, when the radiance vanished, no one remained there. At the same time, a thunderous cheer erupted.

"Whoooooo!"

It was the united roar of the conquest army's knights and soldiers, unable to contain their joy. They had now regained hope of victory. Unless the dragons joined the fight, the orcs could never stand against them...

"At long last, does the path to fulfilling my ambition lie before me?"

Duke Pershtein likewise could not hide his boundless excitement. The situation was turning around in a direction no one had anticipated.

Cranus and the Kasim Mercenaries appeared on an isolated island as desolate as could be. It was Crea Island, where Cranus's lair was located. Daymon looked around the island and frowned. Its appearance was entirely unexpected. Seeing this, Cranus smiled.

"Why? Is it because it looks so shabby for the lair of a Dragon Lord?"

"To be honest, yes."

"My lair lies within an underwater cavern beneath this island. I regret that I cannot show it to you, though I would like to."

"I have no desire to go inside anyway. So return the saintess as soon as possible."

"Very well."

Cranus nodded and began walking slowly. In the direction he was heading stood a low cliff. When Cranus approached and waved his hand, a large cave entrance appeared in the cliff as though by magic.

Rumble.

"Wait here for a while. I shall revive the saintess and bring her out."

"Understood."

At the sight of Daymon nodding, Cranus quietly turned around. His body vanished into the cave as though being drawn inside. Yet an indescribable light had risen in Daymon's eyes as he stared at the entrance.

'Will I finally meet Daphne? After no less than five hundred years...?'

Perhaps due to his anticipation, his body trembled. The brief time he had spent with her also came vividly to mind, as though it had happened only yesterday. Though five hundred years had passed, Daymon remembered Daphne's face clearly. Her eyes, nose, and lips, even her heart-stirring smile...

As Daymon stood silent, the others began whispering among themselves.

"Ha! I really can't wait. I wonder what the woman Daymon has waited five hundred years for looks like... She must be incredibly beautiful, right?"

Patterson opened the conversation with his usual easygoing boldness, but Kasim glared at him without a word.

"Don't say such things. Appearance is not so important in love."

"That sounds a little strange coming from you, Captain. Your sister-in-law is a beauty who wouldn't lose out to anyone..."

"Why, you little...?"

Kasim glared fiercely, and Patterson shrank back. Watching the two bicker, Mitchell smiled and turned his head.

Illumina's endlessly beautiful face entered his view at a glance. She too was acting with the Kasim Mercenaries as a temporary member. Mitchell looked at Illumina, then suddenly winked with one eye.

"Daymon, who had to be separated from his love for five hundred years, is finally going to fulfill that love. What do you think, Illumina?"

"It's astonishing that a love lasting five hundred years could exist for a human whose lifespan is so short."

Illumina's reaction was quite different from that of the other members. The elven habit of restraining her emotions still lingered in her, and perhaps Daymon's circumstances had not yet truly touched her heart.

Since loving someone of the opposite sex had never been permitted until now, she was deeply confused by the situation before her. Yet with this one statement, she expressed the feelings in her heart that were gradually beginning to change.

"But if I thought about not being able to see Mitchell for five hundred years, I think I would be terribly sad."

At Illumina's words, Mitchell quietly nodded. Hearing what she truly felt made him feel as if he could fly. He turned his head to conceal his feelings.

At that moment, Yuliana's face, flushed bright red, caught his eye. She looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

"You..."

Mitchell's eyes widened, but he quietly closed his mouth. He understood her feelings to some extent. Looking at Yuliana with pity, Mitchell clicked his tongue.

'Tsk, tsk. Then why did you fall in love with someone you shouldn't have?'

Feeling sorry for her, Mitchell silently shook his head.

Upon entering the cave, Cranus headed straight for his lair.

"Once I hand over the saintess, I should inform Verkis of the decision through magical communication."

After making his decision, he felt inexplicably at ease. It was as though he had set right something that had gone awry. Without realizing it, a smile formed at the corners of Cranus's mouth.

"From now on, everything will proceed according to the natural order."

The supreme god Verhazel had stopped interfering in the affairs of this world long ago. Perhaps that was why dragons like Verkis, who worshipped power above all else, had emerged. But now everything would return to its proper state.

Regardless of which race seized control of Truvania, Cranus no longer intended to concern himself with it. Whether the orcs, backed by Verkis, won, or the humans, with their Dragon Slayer in action, emerged victorious. Lost in thought as he walked, he had already arrived at his lair before he knew it.

"The moment I hand over the saintess, I should seal the passage leading outside. I won't have to meet the dragons for a while, after all."

At that moment, something occurred to Cranus. It was the matter of handing over the position of Dragon Lord. Cranus had nearly reached the end of his natural lifespan, and therefore had to decide on his successor before entering slumber.

Under normal circumstances, he would have had to pass the title to Verkis, the oldest and most powerful dragon. But Cranus had no intention of doing so.

"If Verkis, who worships nothing but power, becomes Dragon Lord, Truvania will never know peaceful days again."

For that reason, he had already quietly chosen a candidate for his successor. Cranus silently attempted magical communication with the dragon he had designated as his heir. He intended to summon him, inform him of his decision, and then enter slumber.

"That should do it."

Having finished, Cranus slowly moved on. In the direction he was walking stood statues of various races. At the center was a statue of a young girl with her hands clasped as if in prayer. Cranus gazed down at it with a troubled expression.

"Perhaps I have already incurred Lord Verhazel's wrath through this act. But it cannot be helped."

After letting out a long sigh, Cranus quietly rearranged his mana. Five hundred years ago, he had taken extraordinary care when turning the saintess to stone. Therefore, if things went as intended, the saintess should be able to revive without any difficulty.

"It cannot have been pleasant being stone for five hundred years, but..."

Muttering to himself, Cranus rearranged his mana without delay.

"Stone to Flesh."

A dazzling radiance spread throughout the lair.

Whoosh.

The light spreading from the statue of the girl emitted a resplendent glow. At the same time, the statue began to tremble as though struck by lightning. It was the moment the saintess, who had slept for five hundred years, was reborn as a human. Cranus continued to pour mana into the spell, advancing the grand magic.

Maintaining life with a petrification spell for five hundred years was no easy task even for a dragon, a master of magic. Unless mana was periodically infused, the petrified being could not continue living.

Moreover, dispelling the petrification spell was impossible for anyone except the dragon who had cast the grand spell. In other words, Cranus alone in all the world could return the petrified saintess to her original state. As the grand magic progressed, gradual changes began to appear across the statue's surface.

Drip, drip.

Tears gathered on the statue's face, then began to flow like water. At the same time, color began to return to its skin. The stone-carved chest slowly began to rise and fall, and the revived heart forcefully pumped blood through the body.

All the while, a rainbow-colored light continued to envelop the statue. Cranus was continuously casting healing magic to aid in the body's recovery. A moment later, dazzling light once again filled the interior of the lair.

Flash.

When the light vanished, the statue was gone. In its place, a beautiful young girl lay sprawled helplessly, her limbs twitching. After gazing down at her for a long while, Cranus quietly spoke.

"Are you conscious?"

At his words, the girl slowly lifted her head. The saintess Daphne, revived after five hundred years, looked up at Cranus with tear-filled eyes. Healing magic continued to envelop her, restoring her body.

"Am I... am I alive again?"

"Yes, you are."

The saintess stared straight at the Dragon Lord and bombarded him with questions.

"What happened to the world?"

"Five hundred years have passed since you became stone."

Tears streamed down Daphne's cheeks.

"I had roughly guessed as much... Then the people I knew are all gone from this world."

Cranus silently nodded.

"Most likely."

"Did humanity ultimately perish in Truvania?"

"It did five hundred years ago. But the humans who crossed over to Arcadia regained their prosperity, then returned to reclaim Truvania."

"Th-that happened...?"

As the saintess stared at him, unable to continue, Cranus went on.

"While you slept, did you receive any revelation from Lord Verhazel?"

Daphne quietly nodded. Her response appeared to shock Cranus somewhat.

"Was Lord Verhazel greatly angered by my actions?"

Daphne stared intently at Cranus and continued.

"He was deeply disappointed in you, my lord."

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Cranus's face.

"I suppose he was. Of course he was."

"Then why did you revive me?"

A bitter smile formed at the corners of Cranus's mouth.

"It was due to the condition imposed on me by a human you know. He asked me to return you to human form in exchange for sparing my life."

"W-what does that mean?"

Daphne's eyes flew wide. She had never heard of anyone who could make such a demand with the life of a Dragon Lord as leverage.

"But it is the truth. If he wished, he was fully capable of killing me."

"Wh-who in the world is he?"

At Cranus's answer, tears streamed down from the corners of Daphne's eyes.

"Uncle Daymon? I can't believe it. How could he still be alive after all this time? And he has grown so strong that you felt your life was in danger, my lord..."

"But it is true. He has lived an extraordinarily tragic life. In all history, past and present, there is not a single person who has lived a life like his."

"Where is Uncle Daymon now?"

"I shall take you to him now."

Having finished speaking, Cranus strode over and helped Daphne to her feet in his arms. As he supported her and turned around, Cranus seemed to remember something and turned his head.

"You did receive a revelation concerning how you are to act from now on, did you not?"

"Yes."

At the saintess's nod, Cranus turned around as if he understood. But he could not take another step. A shadow had suddenly appeared and blocked his path. It was so unexpected that Cranus's eyes flew wide.

"N-no, you?"

The one who had appeared was the very being he feared and kept most wary of. It was none other than the Red Dragon, Verkis. Having appeared out of nowhere, Verkis stood with his arms folded, glaring at Krannus with a sharp gaze. Krannus, who had been standing there dazed, suddenly came to his senses.

“Why are you here?”

Krannus’s complexion had stiffened.

“This is a place no one can enter without my permission. How were you able to get in?”

Verkis leisurely unfolded his arms.

“Have you forgotten? At least where magic is concerned, I stand above you, Lord. The protective magic you spread throughout your lair is something I can dispel in the blink of an eye.”

His words were exceedingly insolent, and Krannus’s brows twitched. Verkis continued to glare at him with a challenging look.

“So you really did lift the curse spread across the sea. I cannot understand how you could possibly have done such a thing.”

Having regained his composure, Krannus answered quietly.

“Things have merely returned to the way they were. No matter that dragons have been granted divine authority by the gods, obstructing passage between the two continents without permission is contrary to the natural order.”

“I wonder since when you began caring so much about the natural order, Lord.”

Verkis spoke curtly, then his gaze shifted to the saintess, who was trembling as she pressed herself close to the Dragon Lord. The light in Verkis’s eyes deepened.

“You finally turned the saintess you refused to hand over, despite all my pleas, back into a human.”

“……….”

“Do you intend to hand her over to that fellow named Deimon?”

Krannus silently nodded.

“That is so. His condition was that I return the saintess to him.”

“Heh heh heh. How absurd. To think you would accept a condition imposed by a human who is less than a mere insect…”

Verkis let out a derisive laugh, then suddenly turned stern.

“It is not too late, even now. Will you not hand the saintess over to me?”

Krannus quietly shook his head.

“I cannot do that.”

“I expected as much.”

Seeing Verkis’s unconcerned reaction, Krannus was suddenly struck by an ominous premonition.

“I would like to know why you invaded my lair without permission.”

“There is no particular reason. If I had to name one, you could say my intentions are good.”

“……….”

“I came to let you meet the hatchling who departed this world five hundred years ago.”

Realizing the meaning behind Verkis’s words, Krannus’s complexion hardened. Without realizing it, he took a step backward.

“Are you saying you came to kill me?”

Verkis nodded without hesitation.

“That is correct. As repayment for the irreversible choice you made, I intend to personally return you to the embrace of the gods.”

“What nonsense. How could you, as a dragon…”

As Krannus backed away with a horrified expression, Verkis spat out each word clearly.

“Discard that antiquated prejudice. The notion that dragons cannot kill dragons is a thing of the past.”

A strange light glimmered in Verkis’s eyes as he stared at Krannus.

“Let me teach you one thing. Your hatchling from five hundred years ago was murdered by humans whom I bribed. I personally disposed of the humans who harmed the hatchling in order to keep the matter confidential. That is why you were unable to find the culprit, Lord.”

Krannus’s eyes widened.

“G-good heavens…”

“From now on, every outdated custom and tradition will disappear from the lives of dragons. As the next Dragon Lord, I intend to see to that.”

Krannus ground his teeth and retorted.

“Do you truly think you can become Lord so easily?”

“Why not? Would it not be possible if I simply killed every dragon worthy of becoming Lord?”

Having finished speaking, Verkis wore a thick smile.

“Oh dear. Have I been talking too much?”

Verkis slowly raised one hand. As a dazzling radiance rose from it, Krannus instinctively took another step back. Krannus had long anticipated the fact that Verkis surpassed him in magical ability.

Yet the magical attack he expected did not come. Instead, something lunged at him from the side. Krannus was startled when he felt his hand suddenly empty.

“W-what?”

The saintess had somehow escaped Krannus’s grasp. A human clad in armor and a helmet had rushed forward with swift movements and snatched her away. A dazzling aura blade surged from the drawn longsword, while the eyes visible through the helmet’s visor were bloodshot. He was a human knight of considerable skill. Upon seeing him, Krannus muttered haltingly, as though disheartened.

“A human bewitched by mental magic…”

“That is correct. He is quite formidable, even among humans. It took considerable effort to capture him alive.”

As Krannus gazed at the knight enthralled by Verkis’s mental magic, an ominous thought occurred to him.

“You… Do you intend to use him to…”

Verkis nodded as though to confirm it.

“That is correct. I will make the Lord’s death appear entirely the work of a human. If that fact becomes known, there is at least a chance that the dragons might reconsider their decision, is there not?”

“What despicable…”

Verkis glared at the trembling Krannus and spoke leisurely.

“This too is a scheme I learned from humans. The humans will vanish from the continent because of none other than their own methods.”

Having finished speaking, Verkis slowly raised his hand.

“It is time to end this. Out of consideration for our past friendship, I will give you time to return to your true form.”

Krannus felt his heart sink. It seemed there was no longer any way to avoid a confrontation with Verkis.

“I admit that you are strong. But do not underestimate me. I have no intention of taking this lying down…”

“Would it be any fun if you did?”

As Verkis replied with easygoing insolence, Krannus glared at him and silently began casting Polymorph. His body was gradually returning to its true form, enveloped in dazzling radiance.

Outside the lair, Deimon and the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band waited endlessly for Krannus to emerge. But the Dragon Lord showed no sign of coming out. Deimon gradually felt his impatience mounting.

“Why is it taking so long? Could something have gone wrong with reviving Daphne?”

The thought of Daphne made his heart race. She was that desperate and precious a presence to Deimon. Unable to bear watching Deimon fidget any longer, Shrekheimer offered him some consolation.

“Please wait a little longer. Reviving someone who has been turned to stone for five hundred years is not going to be easy.”

“I know. But…”

“He is the oldest Dragon Lord, is he not? You will certainly be able to meet the saintess, so try to remain at ease.”

“……….”

Deimon quietly lowered his head. But the anxiety rising within him refused to subside. When he turned his head, he saw the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band absorbed in mana cultivation. Training had already become a part of their daily lives.

If this had not been the Dragon Lord’s lair, they would have already begun sparring with their swords. Deimon slowly looked over the members and smiled faintly. Then, in an instant, his complexion hardened.

“W-what is this presence?”

Deimon’s head snapped around. His eyes opened so wide they could widen no further. He had spotted a figure standing motionless at the entrance to the cavern.

“Th-this can’t be…”

Two beings Deimon could never forget were looking at him. One was an enemy with whom he could never share the same sky, a sworn enemy beyond reconciliation; the other was someone he cherished more dearly than his own life.

In other words, the Red Dragon Verkis stood there, supporting Daphne.

Even though he had polymorphed into a human, Deimon recognized Verkis clearly. Five hundred years ago, he had been subjected to every kind of torture at the hands of Verkis in that very appearance.

“U-Uncle.”

The sight of Daphne froze Deimon in place. He had no idea what he should do. The members, who had seen Verkis, murmured among themselves and approached Deimon. Since they had never seen Verkis in human form, they failed to recognize the identity of the young man standing at the cavern entrance. A faint smile spread across Verkis’s lips.

“You did not expect this, did you?”

“……….”

“I suppose you came to rescue the saintess, but your efforts were wasted. The Dragon Lord never intended to hand her over in the first place…”

“Is that… is that really true?”

“Of course. Otherwise, how could I be holding the saintess?”

Deimon clenched his teeth.

“Damn it…”

“Now, now, do not act rashly… Depending on what you do, the life of the woman you love could be in danger…”

Deimon, who had been about to lunge forward, stopped short.

“What do you intend to do with her?”

An expression of amusement appeared on Verkis’s face.

“Now that I have such an excellent bait, I was originally planning to make a perfect catch. But I have changed my mind. For now, I intend to take the saintess back to my lair.”

Deimon ground his teeth hard.

“Do you think I will let you take her so easily?”

“Judging from the situation, it does not seem as though you can stop me from leaving.”

Verkis smiled faintly and rearranged the mana around him. A dazzling magic circle formed around his body. It was a magic circle for teleportation.

“Then I shall be off. Do not even think of interfering with the teleportation… if you want the saintess to live.”

Verkis extended a finger and pointed toward the cavern entrance.

“Krannus is inside the cavern, so if you have a complaint, take it up with him…”

Before Verkis could finish speaking, dazzling radiance enveloped the two of them.

Flash.

A moment later, the Red Dragon and the saintess had vanished without a trace. But Deimon stood trembling, without moving an inch. The worst possible situation he could have imagined had unfolded before him.

“Grrrr…”

Blood dripped from his tightly clenched fist. Deimon continued to tremble with rage, unaware that his nails were digging into his palm. Unable to bear watching any longer, Shrekheimer consoled him.

“It would be best to go to the Lord first. We need to determine what happened.”

“……….”

After remaining silent for a while, Deimon finally nodded.

“If what that bastard Verkis said is true, the Dragon Lord will not survive today.”

Having said that, Deimon flung open Increcia. The Death Knights, the most powerful force possessed by the Kasim Mercenary Band, emerged. Six Death Knights taken from the Dark Portal, led by the Four Great Knights, stood in formation, fully armed.

Under their impenetrable escort, the Kasim Mercenary Band cautiously began entering the cavern. Deimon’s eyes burned with fury as he walked deeper inside.

The passage leading down to the Dragon Lord’s lair was quite long. The members of the Kasim Mercenary Band, led by Deimon, entered the passage carefully, tense to the utmost. They could not help being nervous when this was none other than the Dragon Lord’s lair.

Deimon’s expression was stiff as a corpse. In his eyes, rays of fury blazed fiercely. It was a primal rage directed at Verkis and Krannus. Perhaps the fact that he had caught even a brief glimpse of the revived Daphne only intensified his fury.

Daphne was an utterly precious presence to Deimon. And she had been handed over to none other than his sworn enemy, Verkis…

Deimon murmured quietly.

“If the truth is confirmed…”

If that proved to be the case, he had no intention of allowing Krannus to live. Firmly steeling his resolve, Deimon continued cautiously down the seemingly endless, dark passage.

About a quarter of an hour after they entered the passage, Helberton, who was leading the way, issued a warning.

“Everyone, be careful. Something is not right.”

Hearing the warning, Deimon moved close behind Helberton.

“Has a guardian appeared?”

“It seems an enormous battle took place here. The remains of stone golems are scattered everywhere. Every one of the golems has been destroyed.”

“They have been destroyed?”

Damon, startled, stepped forward. A惨景 unfolded before him. The Dragon Lord’s lair had been completely wrecked. Nothing remained intact—not the marble walls, nor even the rows of pillars.

Among the ruins lay chunks of stone that had been crushed to pieces. Judging by their shape, they appeared to have been stone golems, once guardians of the lair. Not a single stone golem was still alive. Every one of them had been destroyed and lay strewn about in a grotesque mess.

A look of suspicion spread through Damon’s eyes as he surveyed the scene.

“What happened here? Could a knight order belonging to the punitive expedition have attacked this place?”

While he was lost in thought, the death knights hurriedly began searching the interior of the lair. The members of the Kasim Mercenary Band who had been watching also joined the search. After examining the destroyed stone golems, Kasim frowned.

“Something about this situation is strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems to me that the stone golems destroyed one another. Judging by how the damaged parts have been reduced almost entirely to powder, I would say that is the most likely explanation.”

Having finished speaking, Kasim swung his sword and struck a portion of the stone golem’s remains.

Krrrkk.

With a sharp scraping sound, stone dust scattered in every direction. Kasim raised a finger and pointed to the sword marks carved into the stone golem’s body.

“Look. If they had fought humans, there should be countless sword marks across the stone golems’ bodies. But the damaged portions of these creatures aren’t merely marked by blades—they’ve been completely crushed, haven’t they?”

Kasim continued explaining with a deeply furrowed brow.

“If it had been a paladin or a sword master, it would be even harder to distinguish the wounds on their bodies. Their aura blades cut in instantaneously.”

“Strange. Why would the guardians destroy one another?”

At that moment, Mitchell shouted to Damon.

“Could you come over here for a moment?”

Beside Mitchell, a completely ruined stone golem lay sprawled helplessly on the ground. When Damon approached, Mitchell pointed to the broken portion of the stone golem’s head.

“Take a close look here.”

Something caught Damon’s eye. There was something lodged in the wound, and upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a fragment of metal. It looked like a piece that had broken off a weapon during a fierce battle. Damon carefully extended a finger and picked up the fragment.

“This is bronze. Good heavens, does anyone actually make weapons out of such soft metal?”

Damon’s expression suddenly hardened.

“Could it be…”

At last, he realized what had happened. There was only one being that used bronze weapons.

“So that’s it. The stone golems were destroyed fighting Verkis’s bronze golems. If that’s the case, this must be Verkis’s doing.”

At that moment, Helbertron’s voice rang out from within the lair.

“Come over here, will you?”

The members flew toward him all at once. Then, after seeing what Helbertron was pointing at, they all froze in place.

“G-Good heavens…”

Their eyes opened wide at the unbelievable sight.

A dragon so enormous that its age could not even be guessed lay in a sea of blood. Its head had been torn off entirely, and hideous wounds were carved across its body. Blood still steamed as it flowed from the wounds, indicating that it had not been dead for long.

Its faintly silver body and the large fins in place of front and hind legs revealed that the corpse had been a silver dragon in life. Judging by its size, it must have surpassed even the ancient rank long ago. This was none other than the Dragon Lord’s lair. Given the circumstances, the dead dragon was almost certainly the owner of the lair, and Damon’s expression grew grave.

“The Dragon Lord is dead here…”

The members stared at the dragon’s corpse, rendered speechless. How could the Dragon Lord have died in his own lair, of all places? Yet there was no one present who could answer that question. After a long silence, Damon spoke in a low, heavy voice.

“Judging by the situation, it seems the Dragon Lord was killed by Verkis.”

Shrekheimer also appeared to have difficulty understanding what had happened.

“But why would Verkis lure us into this place?”

A bitter smile appeared at the corners of Damon’s mouth.

“I believe we have fallen into a trap.”

“A trap?”

“We must leave this place at once. If our luck is bad, we may be accused of killing the Dragon Lord. Look over there.”

Damon pointed to the wounds on Kranus’s body. The members immediately recognized that they had been inflicted by an aura blade. The dragon scales, harder than steel, had been sliced cleanly through. No weapon other than an aura blade could have left such wounds.

“It was definitely Verkis’s doing… But how?”

At that moment, something caught Damon’s eye. Something giving off a silvery gleam lay pinned beneath the corpse’s foreleg. Following Damon’s gaze, Kasim carefully approached it. A moment later, he let out a cry of shock.

“H-How can this be?”

At Kasim’s shout, the others hurried over. Kasim was staring down at the object caught beneath the Dragon Lord’s foreleg, his face pale. Everyone’s eyes turned toward it. The mysterious object was the mangled corpse of a knight in armor. The problem was that most of the members knew exactly who the knight was.

“Sir Kasimov…”

Incredibly, the corpse belonged to Kasimov, the deputy commander of the Krosen Knights. The acknowledged second-in-command of the mighty Krosen Knights now lay as a gruesomely mangled corpse in the Dragon Lord’s lair.

Judging by the circumstances, the wounds on the Dragon Lord’s body seemed to have been inflicted by Kasimov. As a high-ranking sword master, he possessed enough power to tear even the dragon’s tough scales apart. Damon frowned as he examined the scene.

“It seems he was affected by Verkis’s mind magic.”

The others nodded as though they agreed with Damon. No human, no matter how strong their willpower, could resist a dragon’s mental magic. Kasimov had most likely been bewitched by Verkis’s magic and fought the Dragon Lord while out of his mind.

However, there was no possibility that the Dragon Lord had been killed by Kasimov. Most of the wounds inflicted by the aura blade were on the dragon’s skin, and only one wound—the final blow that severed its neck—had been fatal. Of course, the Dragon Lord could not possibly have willingly offered up his neck, so Kasim carefully tried to reconstruct what had happened.

“As you can see, the neck was cut at a downward angle, wasn’t it? A wound like this could never have been inflicted while the victim was alive. Judging by the circumstances, Sir Kasimov seems to have severed the Dragon Lord’s neck after he was already dead.”

“Then Kasimov wasn’t killed by the Dragon Lord, but by that bastard Verkis.”

“That seems to be the case. The wounds on Sir Kasimov’s body make it even more certain.”

Damon ground his teeth.

“Verkis! That bastard is becoming more and more vicious by the day.”

Damon hurriedly issued an order.

“Recover Kasimov’s corpse at once. We need to get out of here first.”

Judging by the situation, they needed to leave before the other dragons noticed what had happened. Of course, they could not leave Kasimov’s body behind. As though they shared his thoughts, the members hurried toward the corpse.

However, recovering it was not easy, as the corpse was firmly pinned beneath the Dragon Lord’s foreleg. Still, given the circumstances, the members desperately set about retrieving it.

“Hm?”

Mitchell’s startled voice suddenly rang out. He had stopped working and was staring down beside Kasimov’s corpse with an astonished expression.

“What is this?”

Mitchell bent down and picked it up. He examined the object with a doubtful look, but could not immediately determine what it was. Then a cry of shock erupted from behind him.

“That…!”

A powerful light shone between the eye sockets of Shrekheimer’s skull. He hurried over and snatched the object from Mitchell’s hand.

“W-Where did you find this?”

“It was lying beside Sir Kasimov’s corpse…”

“How can this be?”

Shrekheimer was repeatedly left dumbfounded. The others’ gazes naturally turned toward the mysterious object. It was an oval-shaped object about the size of an adult’s torso, and at first glance, it was impossible to tell what it was. However, it did not take long for them to recognize it.

Though its size was markedly smaller, its shape was identical to Kranus’s head, which had been gruesomely severed and lay nearby. The object was the head that had been torn from the body of a young dragon. After barely regaining his composure, Damon stammered,

“Th-Then this is the hatchling’s…?”

Shrekheimer silently nodded. Had he not been a lich, his expression would have been indescribable.

“Judging by the circumstances, it seems to belong to the hatchling the Dragon Lord gave birth to five hundred years ago.”

“My God. Then that means the War of the Races five hundred years ago was deliberately provoked by Verkis? That damned…”

A sudden wave of dizziness seemed to overcome Damon, and he clutched his head. He was too stunned to speak. Shrekheimer also appeared to be consumed by uncontrollable hatred toward Verkis.

“Incredible. How could a dragon commit such an abominable act…”

Damon shook his head repeatedly, then suddenly came to his senses.

“We can’t stand around like this. Let’s get out of here first. Who knows what will happen if we remain here any longer?”

Damon glanced at Mitchell before turning around.

“Put that head back where it was and recover only Kasimov’s corpse. Then let’s get out of—”

Sadly, Damon could not finish his sentence. Several figures stood silently at the entrance to the passage, glaring at the group. They had appeared without anyone sensing their arrival. Damon instinctively took a step backward. The members, who had been facing away from the entrance, realized the situation only then.

“Damn…”

Every one of the newcomers possessed features so beautiful they looked as though they had been sculpted. In the center stood a desert troll with yellowish skin, glaring at the group with an especially sharp gaze. Sensing that the situation was dire, Damon bit his lip tightly.

“This is bad. We’ve fallen straight into Verkis’s trap.”

The newcomers were none other than dragons.

The dragons who had revealed themselves did not move an inch. They alternated their gazes between Kranus’s corpse and the members, their eyes so cold and unreadable that it was impossible to tell what they were thinking. Damon felt his mouth grow increasingly dry.

“Damn it… We’ve been caught red-handed.”

The situation visible on the surface was so obvious that it would be difficult to step forward and offer an explanation. Every circumstance was against them. The members quietly held their tongues. Even so, Damon calmly calculated their chances of victory.

“There are five of them. If we launch a surprise attack before they return to their true forms…”

After considering it, Damon shook his head. No matter how powerful their surprise attack, and even if their opponents were in polymorphed forms, five dragons were far too much for them to handle. The others appeared to have reached the same conclusion. Perhaps thinking that they had to explain themselves somehow, Kasim stepped forward.

“Allow me to explain the situation—”

Before he could finish, the one in the form of a desert troll cut him off in a chilling tone.

“Are you dragon slayers?”

“We are.”

“Amazing. You have already hunted three dragons, and now you have sent even the Lord back into the embrace of the gods… And in the Lord’s own lair, no less.”

At those words, the members’ expressions darkened further. From the way he spoke, it was clear that he held the Dragon Lord in the deepest respect. But Kasim could not simply remain silent, and continued trying to explain.

“We were not the ones who killed the Dragon Lord—”

Yet the other did not give Kasim any time to explain the situation.

“You humans truly are an incomprehensible race. Even in a situation where there is plainly no room for excuses, you still try to string together lies.”

“……….”

“We know very well that humans are prone to lying. So do not show us anything more of your ugliness.”

Kasim quietly closed his mouth. Since they were unwilling to hear his explanation, there was no way for him to clear up the misunderstanding. Instead, Shrekheimer, who had been standing beside him, stepped forward. The characteristic shrill voice of a lich rang out.

“This is clearly a conspiracy. We fell into a trap laid by the Red Dragon Berkis. From beginning to end, he is responsible for harming the Lord and the hatchling.”

The desert troll’s gaze slowly shifted toward Shrekheimer. Naturally, the look in his eyes was anything but kind.

“Did you think I would listen to the words of some insignificant lich?”

The desert troll did not even pretend to listen to Shrekheimer’s explanation. He slowly turned his head and looked over the death knights one by one.

“I never imagined that even the undead would join the dragon hunt in such force. You possess more than enough skill to harm a Lord. In other words, you are worthy of being recognized as dragon slayers.”

But Shrekheimer paid him no heed and continued speaking.

“Would you grant us an opportunity to explain the situation here?”

The desert troll appeared to ponder for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Very well. It is obvious that you will lie, but I will hear you out once. Go on and explain yourselves.”

Shrekheimer extended a skeletal finger and pointed toward Kasimov’s corpse lying beside them.

“The wounds on the dragon lord’s body were inflicted by the dead knight. However, he must have been under the influence of Berkis’s mind magic, leaving him no choice. Therefore, if you investigate the traces remaining on the corpse, would you not be able to infer what happened?”

The desert troll slowly shook his head.

“It would be pointless. No traces of mind magic remain on a dead body. Besides, even if that human was under the influence of mind magic, it would not overturn the current situation.”

But Shrekheimer was not the sort to back down obediently.

“Could we not revive his consciousness and hear what he has to say? If we turn him into an undead, we could learn the entire truth of the matter….”

The desert troll coldly cut Shrekheimer off.

“It would be pointless. Even if you made him undead, is there any guarantee that he would tell the truth? In any case, the words and actions of an undead are subordinate to the one who revived him. That means you cannot expect them to possess any credibility.”

The desert troll turned his head and looked around, a sinister smile forming on his lips.

“I cannot even sense the presence of spirits. It seems you have already annihilated them as well, destroying the evidence.”

At those words, the members of the group felt their vision go dark. They had fallen into an inescapable trap.

Even armor would certainly be smashed apart in a single blow. The airborne Daimon was likewise left without any means of escape. If he were surrounded and attacked by five dragons, there was no way even Daimon could endure it. For that reason, Daimon slowly steeled his resolve.

“I never imagined I would meet my end here.”

The members, who had been ashen-faced, also seemed to have given up. They were determined not to die without a struggle, but resignation had begun to appear in their eyes.

Despite having the absolute advantage, the dragons did not attack easily. It seemed they were waiting for Daimon to mount the bone dragon he had seen and take flight. But Daimon had no intention of doing so.

Since there was no hope anyway, he had decided to share the members’ fate. The standoff, poised to erupt at any moment, continued on. After a while, the enormous blue dragon circling nearest to them opened its mouth. It appeared to be an ancient dragon, seemingly beyond the Ancient level.

“Why do you not mount the bone dragon and take flight?”

“Why should I take flight?”

“……….”

The blue dragon fell silent, as if at a loss for words. A moment later, a roar erupted.

“I do not know what wicked scheme you are plotting, but it will not work on us.”

The instant his words ended, the sky was dyed black. Dark clouds had suddenly appeared and spread across the heavens. Seeing them, Daimon shouted like thunder.

“Everyone, take shelter beneath Russellant! A lightning attack spell is coming!”

At his words, the members launched themselves away without a second thought. A grand magic barrier surrounded Russellant’s body, so it would serve as a shield to some extent. The moment the members took cover, dozens of bolts of lightning came plunging down from the sky. They struck Russellant head-on.

Kwarararakwang!

With a deafening peal like thunder, Russellant’s massive body lurched. The impact was strong enough to pass directly through to the members. Fortunately, dragon bone was not a conductor by nature, and the members escaped unharmed.

However, having taken the full force of the terrifying lightning magic, Russellant could not help but suffer tremendous damage. Smoke began to rise from the spots where the lightning had struck. But that was not the end of the attack.

The other four dragons also began unleashing, one after another, the primary attack spells for which they were renowned. The opening act was an ice-element attack spell. There must have been a white dragon among them, for countless conical pillars of ice formed and came plunging down from the sky.

Kwarararakwang!

As a frost-type bone dragon, Russellant was unaffected by the cold, but the physical impact was tremendous. Protecting the members, Russellant had no choice but to endure the attack head-on. Then blades of wind came flying in, viciously slicing its wings to shreds.

It had become incapable even of taking flight. What followed was a water-element attack spell. Its power was no less formidable. Holes were punched throughout Russellant’s sturdy body.

The finishing blow was Hellfire. Five Hellfires—one from each dragon—were fired, reducing Russellant to a battered wreck. From the five dragons’ single spell attacks, Russellant lost all of its combat power. Having suffered grievous, near-fatal injuries, Russellant could no longer support its own body and collapsed onto its side.

Thud.

With Russellant down, the members were left completely exposed to the dragons’ attack range. If an attack like the one just before followed once more, every single member of Kasim’s mercenary group would have to bury their bones here. Daimon approached and examined Russellant’s condition, then gave a bitter smile.

“You took enough damage that even restoring you will be difficult.”

His desire to counterattack was overwhelming, but there was no way to do so. Though he had reached the level of a Ninth-Circle Master, magic attacks alone could not so much as scratch a dragon’s scales. When he turned his head, he saw the members’ faces one by one. Contrary to expectation, their expressions were calm.

Kasim might never see his wife Matilda again, but he gave Daimon a faint smile. His eyes seemed to say that he did not blame Daimon in the slightest. Mitchell, who had found the love he desired, was no different.

Holding Illumina tightly in his arms, Mitchell nodded at Daimon. Then came the lighthearted banter of the talkative Patterson.

“Daimon. How about we all get together again in the afterlife?”

Gerald picked up the thread.

“An excellent idea. But will there be any dragons worth hunting in the afterlife?”

“If there aren’t any dragons, we can hunt demon kings instead… Heh heh heh.”

“That’s right. Hunting a demon king would probably be more fun. Hahaha.”

At that, loud laughter burst forth.

“You idiots, stubborn to the point of stupidity….”

Daimon nodded with a bitter expression. Sharing his final moments with companions like these was not entirely sorrowful.

The death knights remained silently quiet. As beings of darkness from the beginning, they were scarcely shaken by the word death. They were smiling quietly when suddenly the mana around them began to churn.

It was a sign that the dragons were about to attack. Feeling the mana rapidly rearranging itself, Daimon muttered in a low voice.

“This is the end.”

If the dragons attacked, not a single one of them—including Daimon—would survive. Daimon squeezed his eyes shut.

“Daphne. It pains me to leave without being able to save you. No matter how powerful Berkis is, he cannot easily kill you, a saintess… I do not know if I will ever see you again.”

At that moment, something burrowed into Daimon’s arms. It was Yuliana. With tears glistening in her eyes, she lifted her face and looked up at Daimon.

“D-Daimon….”

Because it was completely unexpected, Daimon’s eyes widened. In that instant, Yuliana’s face rapidly drew closer. The moment their lips met, Daimon felt his mind grow dizzy.

“Th-this….”

Yuliana’s whisper slipped into his ear.

“Still, I suppose it is fortunate. At least I was not robbed of you by the saintess.”

Unable to find words, Daimon could only stand there dumbfounded. Then the mana around them suddenly grew scorching hot. The dragons had finally begun their attack. Daimon desperately spread shields around the members.

“I do not know if it will be enough, but I will not give up as long as I have the strength.”

An overwhelming surge of mana swept toward them, but Daimon silently poured his mana into the shields. Perhaps he could block one attack, but any more than that would be beyond him. Knowing that he could not stop them, Daimon closed his eyes tightly after casting the shields. Then a tremendous impact crashed mercilessly into them.

Kwarararakwang!

Feeling the mana he had gathered scatter pointlessly, Daimon lost consciousness. He thought he faintly heard someone shouting for them to stop before his awareness vanished, but the impact had been far too powerful for him to maintain consciousness any longer.

“Stop.”

The dragons were the first to be affected by the shout that suddenly rang out from the air. The blue dragon, who had been preparing to attack again, looked puzzled.

“An amplification spell? Judging by its level, it was not cast by a human….”

When he turned his head, he sensed something flying toward them at tremendous speed in the distance. From the faint golden sheen, it appeared to be a gold dragon.

“What could be the matter?”

The blue dragon Demetrius temporarily held off on attacking. He did not know why they had been told to stop, but once the gold dragon arrived, he would surely learn the reason. Demetrius turned his head and looked at the humans standing there vacantly.

Their faces were filled with bewilderment. With the black magician’s collapse moments ago, the dragon slayers had completely lost the ability to resist. As soon as the black magician fainted, every single death knight fell, and the bone dragon, which had suffered grievous, near-fatal injuries, also let its neck droop limply.

Only the humans and one lich remained. If Demetrius wished, he could annihilate them at any time, so he slowly looked over at the dragons.

“For now, let us hold off on attacking. It seems that gold dragon has something to say to us.”

At his words, the dragons dispersed the mana they had gathered for their attack. Nevertheless, they remained poised to unleash their attacks at any moment. The dragons watched the humans intently with angry eyes, as though they would tolerate no tricks whatsoever.

Meanwhile, the gold dragon finally drew near. Demetrius’s eyes widened when he recognized its identity.

“Why, you’re Lenius?”

The dragon who had appeared was Lenius, Berkis’s most trusted subordinate. He seemed to have flown at full speed for a long time, for Lenius was panting and unable to speak easily. The dragons silently waited until Lenius had recovered his strength.

But the members’ eyes as they looked at Lenius were far from friendly. They were displeased simply by the appearance of the gold dragon who had destroyed the portal together with Berkis. Lenius, who had suddenly revealed himself, looked down as soon as he regained his composure. When he saw Daimon lying collapsed below, his voice abruptly grew urgent.

“D-Did you kill the dragon slayer?”

Demitrius slowly shook his head.

“He hasn’t died yet. Though he will soon.”

At those words, Renius wore an expression of immense relief.

“Phew. Fortunately, I arrived before it was too late.”

But the cold expression on Demitrius’s face did not soften.

“Then why did you tell me to stop?”

Renius turned his head and stared intently into Demitrius’s eyes.

“You must not kill them. I came here to prevent that. They are the only ones capable of stopping Verkis’s tyranny.”

This time, it was Demitrius’s turn to be surprised. To hear such words from Renius, who had followed and worshiped Verkis without question… Sensing his bewilderment, Renius continued explaining without hesitation.

“I originally believed deeply in the doctrine of strength advocated by Verkis. But I no longer do. It is not a doctrine of strength—it is nothing more than dogmatism and tyranny. I have already made up my mind that I will no longer follow Verkis.”

“What do you mean?”

“I shall explain everything from the beginning.”

Renius extended a hand and pointed toward Damon, who lay limp, and the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band surrounding and protecting him.

“They are not the ones who assassinated the Dragon Lord. Nor were they the ones who killed the hatchling.”

“……….”

At the unexpected words, Demitrius’s brows drew together. The evidence was so clear—how could they not be the culprits? Yet Renius’s following words were even more shocking.

“The culprit who murdered the Dragon Lord and the hatchling is none other than Verkis. I flew a long way to inform you of this fact.”

Demitrius asked in bewilderment,

“Are you certain?”

Because the speaker was a dragon, Demitrius did not ask him to provide evidence or anything of the sort. Renius was a Gold Dragon renowned for his wisdom, despite his devotion to Verkis. There was no way he would lie. Renius nodded without hesitation.

“That is correct. Just a short while ago, I came here with Verkis. Along the way, he bewitched a human knight with mind magic. After we arrived, he ordered me to return to the orc main camp and wait there.”

Renius’s voice gradually grew more impassioned.

“But I did not go. Although I worshiped Verkis, I also held Lord Cranus in deep respect. Moreover, there was something strange about Verkis’s expression, so I remained hidden here. I already harbored certain suspicions about Verkis’s actions.”

After finishing, Renius pointed toward the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band.

“Not long after Verkis entered Lord Cranus’s lair, the Lord arrived. He teleported here with them. Afterward, these men remained outside while the Lord entered the lair alone. Worried, I quietly summoned a sylph, formed a pact with it, and sent it into the lair.”

Demitrius nodded as he listened. For a Gold Dragon who controlled the wind, forming a pact with a sylph, a mid-level spirit of wind, was as easy as pie. Renius continued speaking.

“Thanks to the pact, I was able to see everything that happened inside the lair with perfect clarity. Even the conversation between Verkis and Lord Cranus. Because of that, I learned something important: Verkis had incited humans to harm the hatchling and had personally destroyed the evidence afterward. He revealed that terrible truth to Lord Cranus with astonishing composure.”

Having finished speaking, Renius’s body trembled with emotion.

“In the end, Lord Cranus met his end at Verkis’s hands. Lord Cranus’s guardians were annihilated by the iron and bronze golems Verkis summoned from the magical treasury.”

“G-good heavens…”

The dragons were rendered speechless. Their Lord had lost his life at Verkis’s hands…

“Afterward, Verkis destroyed every spirit inside the lair. The sylph I had sent in was destroyed then as well. I left immediately afterward, as there was a risk that the sylph’s presence might lead him back to me.”

Having come this far, Renius suddenly wore a troubled expression.

“To be honest, I was afraid of Verkis. I even considered fleeing all the way to distant Arcadia. After killing even the Lord, Verkis would have no trouble killing just one more dragon. However, I changed my mind because it was clear that if I disappeared like this, Verkis’s tyranny would reach its peak. I decided to reveal the truth and prevent him from acting unchecked. Fortunately, I arrived before the situation grew any worse.”

After finishing, Renius pointed once more toward the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band.

“At present, they are the only ones who can stop Verkis. I believe you can easily guess why, Lord Demitrius.”

“You are correct.”

Demitrius nodded silently. A moment later, he gazed at Renius with profound eyes.

“Renius.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I sincerely wish to thank you for your courage in risking your life to reveal the truth. If not for you, we nearly would have committed a grave mistake.”

After finishing, Demitrius looked around at the other dragons.

“It is truly fortunate that Renius arrived in time. Let us hurry down and treat the Dragon Slayer.”

“Understood.”

Without another word, the dragons folded their wings. The six dragons descended upon the island, stirring up fierce winds.

Kasim, who had been listening to the dragons’ conversation, felt as though he were dreaming. They had been trapped in an inescapable snare, helplessly awaiting death, and yet the situation had been resolved so dramatically through the intervention of a Gold Dragon…

And was this not the same Gold Dragon who had destroyed the portal together with Verkis? Although the conflict had been resolved, the members still did not relax their guard. They merely glared warily at the dragons as they landed one after another.

After landing on the island, the dragons soon cast Polymorph and assumed human forms. In particular, the Blue Dragon Demitrius chose the form of a middle-aged man with blue hair rather than that of a desert troll. It seemed he had chosen it in an attempt to offer at least a small apology for acting so arbitrarily without properly hearing them out.

After completing his Polymorph, Demitrius approached Damon without delay. Damon’s unconscious body was surrounded on all sides by the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band, who were protecting him.

“Would you step aside for a moment? I will treat him.”

But the members did not move an inch. They merely glared at Demitrius with eyes filled with suspicion.

When the humans refused to obey him, Demitrius clicked his tongue.

“There is no time. If he is left like this any longer, he will not survive.”

At those words, Shrekheimer raised his head. As a Lich, he was fundamentally incapable of casting healing magic, and he had been unable to do anything but anxiously pace about. In a cautious tone, Shrekheimer persuaded the others.

“Let the dragon treat Damon for now. It is the only way we can save him.”

Only then did the members begin to move. As they rose one by one, Damon’s figure was revealed. He was unconscious, and blood had spread gruesomely from his nose and mouth.

“His condition is quite serious.”

Demitrius approached Damon hesitantly. The members continued to watch his every move with murderous eyes. Their aura blades had been raised to their utmost, as if they would cut him down without mercy should he make any suspicious move. Nearby, the Death Knights lay scattered about, drained of their strength.

Although the treatment was complete, Damon did not regain consciousness. Demitrius withdrew his magic and quietly rose to his feet.

“The shock caused by the mana rampage was greater than expected. It will take some time for him to awaken.”

Demitrius looked at Shrekheimer.

“Judging by appearances, you seem to be the highest-ranking person here aside from this human. Am I correct?”

“……….”

“I mean, are you qualified to speak on behalf of the Dragon Slayers?”

“I am not the highest-ranking, but I can represent them. Please, speak.”

A bitter smile appeared on Demitrius’s face.

“First, I must apologize for acting rashly without investigating the circumstances.”

The members were startled by his words. A dragon—a being whose pride pierced the heavens—was apologizing so readily… Never before had anyone received an apology from a dragon, and no one ever would again. Yet Demitrius had his reasons.

The dragons had been struck by an enormous crisis—one that had never occurred before and never should have occurred—and thus they had no choice but to set aside their pride. The crisis before them was beyond even their own power to resolve.

Only the Dragon Slayers could resolve it, which was why Demitrius had no choice but to humble himself in this manner. He quietly bowed his head.

“Please understand. The Lord’s death caused me to become more agitated than necessary. The sight of the hatchling’s corpse left me no room to think clearly.”

Demitrius’s sincere apology eased the members’ anger to some extent. Shrekheimer quietly opened his mouth. Since he was a Lich, his speech contained no trace of emotion.

“Your actions a moment ago were entirely unlike those of a dragon. However, since you have courteously asked for our understanding, I will not take the matter any further.”

“Thank you.”

A self-deprecating smile appeared at the corner of Demitrius’s mouth. He had become the first dragon in history to ask forgiveness from humans, so it was only natural that he would wear such an expression. But there was nothing else he could do if they were to resolve the situation before them.

“I never imagined that Verkis could have done such a thing. No dragon had ever committed an act like that before.”

“We too harbor boundless hatred toward Verkis. Through his schemes, the lives of millions who lived in Truvenia were lost.”

Demitrius silently nodded. He had also been one of the dragons who had participated in the Racial War five hundred years ago; there was no excuse he could possibly offer.

“Forget what I said earlier. Now that the truth has come to light, the dragons will no longer involve themselves in the Racial War.”

“……….”

“I have one request to make of you.”

Shrekheimer quietly replied,

“What is it?”

However, when he heard Demitrius’s request, Shrekheimer was startled. It was something he had never expected.

“You want us to deal with Verkis ourselves? I find that difficult to understand. This is clearly a matter for the dragons, so why ask it of us…?”

“Of course, it is undoubtedly a matter for the dragons. However…”

Demitrius’s expression suddenly grew troubled.

“We do not possess the ability to punish Verkis. That is why we are forced to ask this of you.”

Shrekheimer shook his head as though he could not understand.

“But if the dragons gathered here join forces, would they not be able to subdue Verkis no matter how powerful he is?”

“That is certainly not untrue. If the five of us join forces, it would be possible. However, the problem is the Law. Under no circumstances may a dragon harm another dragon. That is the Law handed down from ancient times, and we dare not violate it.”

“……….”

A look of shame appeared on Demitrius’s face. Naturally, he could not help but feel ashamed at having to hand their own problem over to humans.

“To punish Verkis for violating the Law, we would have to violate it as well. To avoid that, we ask this of you. Please, do not refuse us.”

Shrekheimer hesitated, unable to answer easily. At that moment, a weak voice came from behind them.

“I accept your request.”

Demitrius turned around in surprise. Damon was looking toward them, his upper body half-raised. Expressions of joy appeared on the members’ faces. Juliana, in particular, immediately burst into tears.

“Sniff…”

Kasim hurried over and supported Damon.

“You’re awake.”

“It seems it is not yet my fate to die.”

He was still grimacing, as though some pain remained. Daymon stared sternly at Demetrius.

“None shall take from me the task of defeating Verkis. Even if you had not asked, I had no intention of leaving him alone.”

Having finished speaking, Daymon looked at Lenius, who stood behind Demetrius.

“Judging from the circumstances, I suppose I ought to thank you. Originally, I had no intention of letting any of the dragons who destroyed the portals—including you—live. But it seems I have no choice but to change my mind. As repayment for saving us, I’ll make an exception for you.”

A bitter smile appeared on Lenius’s face. He could hardly be pleased at being granted his life by a human.

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. That doesn’t mean my prejudice against dragons will change overnight, however…”

Daymon carefully placed his hand on the ground and rose. Once he regained consciousness, the Death Knights recovered their strength as well. Daymon’s gaze turned toward the battered Russelant. A strained roar escaped from the dragon, sprawled helplessly on the ground. Even so, he seemed glad to have been reunited with his master. A troubled expression appeared on Daymon’s face.

“You were treated terribly. I’m not even sure whether you can be restored…”

Shaking his head repeatedly, Daymon opened Increcia and placed Russelant inside. Since restoring him in his current condition would be difficult, he intended to put it off until later. At the sight of Increcia, the dragons’ expressions twisted. Thinking of the treasures they had stored inside, they clearly felt bitter.

Daymon simply pretended not to notice. In any case, there was no doubt that he was Increcia’s current owner. After putting away even the Death Knights, who had been standing awkwardly, Daymon closed Increcia.

“Then we’ll be on our way.”

“You’re leaving already? There are still things to discuss.”

A smile appeared at the corner of Daymon’s mouth.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already made an agreement with the Lord. I promised not to lay a hand on anyone except Verkis and the dragons who follow him. So you needn’t fear that I’ll retaliate against you for what happened today. For the sake of the great undertaking, I’ll overlook it magnanimously…”

After a brief silence, Demetrius quietly opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry, but I have one more favor to ask of you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Only one dragon who follows Verkis remains now. He is a young Red Dragon who is still too inexperienced to properly judge the situation. His name is Ryusike. I beg you—could you show Ryusike even a little mercy?”

“……”

“There are now only two Red Dragons left in Trubenia: Verkis and Ryusike. Once they are both dead, every Red Dragon in Trubenia will have vanished. Though he has committed wrongs, I cannot simply stand by and watch the Red clan die out.”

Daymon, who had been listening, replied bluntly.

“I don’t understand why I should grant such a request. Would you be able to do the same in my place? You’re asking me to show mercy to a dragon who is trying to kill me—one who possesses overwhelming power, no less…”

“That is precisely why I am imploring you so earnestly. If you spare Ryusike, I will grant you one wish someday—whatever you desire, so long as it is within my power.”

Daymon stared intently at Demetrius before slowly nodding.

“Very well. If possible, I’ll do my best to grant him mercy.”

“Thank you.”

Embarrassment showed on Demetrius’s face. He could not help feeling ashamed at having to ask a human for such a difficult favor.

“Well, now that we’ve finished talking, it seems we won’t have any reason to meet again. You feel the same, I’m sure, but I have no desire to face dragons either. Farewell.”

After saying this, Daymon turned away coldly. The members of his group, who had been wearing satisfied expressions, hurried after him.

Daymon walked to one side of the island and drew a teleportation magic circle without delay. Since Russelant was in no condition to move on his own, they had no choice but to use teleportation. Worried that Verkis might interfere, Daymon took great care in drawing the teleportation circle.

The dragons watched the Dragon Slayer party depart with incredulous expressions. Never before had they seen humans so rude—and so utterly self-assured.

Demetrius, who had been carefully examining the teleportation circle Daymon was drawing, strode over.

“You will not be able to warp safely with a teleportation circle of that level. I’ll take you there myself.”

Without even turning his head, Daymon snorted.

“Are you looking down on me? I may not look it, but I am a Ninth Circle ma—”

Demetrius’s next words left Daymon completely speechless.

“There is a large-scale spatial distortion field surrounding the island. I do not know for certain, but it appears to be Verkis’s doing. Do you have confidence that you can break through the distortion field he has set up?”

“……”

“If you do not, leave it to me. I will take responsibility for bringing you there safely.”

Having finished speaking, Demetrius strode over and began modifying the teleportation circle Daymon had drawn. The others watched him silently.

With Demetrius’s help, Daymon and his companions arrived safely at the main camp of the expeditionary army. The camp was already in a festive mood. With the dragons having declared that they would withdraw from the war, the orcs could no longer be considered enemies. Thus, most of the soldiers were convinced that the conquest of Trubenia was assured.

After surveying the scene from a distance, Demetrius rearranged his mana once more.

“I’ll be leaving now. This is no place for me.”

“Do as you please.”

Demetrius looked at Daymon with a solemn gaze.

“Please keep your promise.”

“Do not worry. Defeating that bastard is practically my destiny…”

“I believe you.”

Having finished speaking, Demetrius’s body was enveloped in radiance. A moment later, he vanished without a trace.

The group immediately headed for the tent where the commanders were staying. They had to inform Duke Pershtein of everything that had happened.

Duke Pershtein was startled when he heard the account.

“Y-you went through something like that…”

The duke felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. They had nearly ended up fighting every dragon in Trubenia. If that had happened, they would have had no chance of winning, and he only now managed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness the Gold Dragon appeared. If he hadn’t…”

“We would have had to fight an extremely difficult battle. In any case…”

Anger blazed in Daymon’s eyes.

“Now is the time to kill that despicable bastard Verkis. We have nothing left to fear, so we must devote every available force to eliminating him.”

Duke Pershtein fully agreed. He had no fondness for Verkis, who was consumed by the desire to exterminate humanity.

“Of course. No matter how great the sacrifice, everything will be over once we capture the two dragons. I will commit every force at our disposal.”

“Naturally.”

Daymon nodded and explained the plan he had been carefully devising.

“First, we should destroy his lair. There’s little chance he’s still there, but if we destroy his nest, we may at least make him somewhat anxious.”

Duke Pershtein agreed without hesitation.

“I will assign you one knight order and a division of troops. That should be enough to deal with however many guardians are in the lair.”

“We have no time to waste. The sooner we raid his lair, the better.”

“The Seventh Legion is stationed near the Feldrian Mountains. Warp there and draw troops from them. I’ll prepare an order.”

“Good. Then I’ll take the members of the Kasim Mercenary Group and head for his lair.”

Daymon furrowed his brow.

“However, he may take advantage of my absence to raid the main camp… He will certainly set up a spatial distortion field so that I cannot return by teleportation.”

“Do not worry. I intend to have an extermination squad composed of mages and knights standing by. If the mages summon Phantom Steeds, or if we cast flight magic directly on the knights and launch an attack, even an Ancient-class Red Dragon will not be able to hold out for long.”

“That is true.”

Daymon nodded as though he found the idea reasonable. This was the expeditionary army’s main camp, so there were plenty of high-ranking knights and mages. No matter how powerful a dragon was, there was a limit to the amount of mana it could rearrange. It could not possibly contend with that many knights and mages. Abandoning his concerns, Daymon swiftly rose.

“Then I’ll be going.”

Perhaps because he was in such a hurry, Daymon left the tent at once. His mind held only one thought: to kill Verkis as quickly as possible and rescue Daphne.

“We’re too late.”

Daymon frowned. Though they had launched the raid as swiftly as possible, Verkis’s lair was empty. Even the guardians who had been stationed there were nowhere to be seen. Daymon himself had once been one of the guardians protecting this place. For that reason, he delved into his old memories and searched every corner of the lair.

But he found nothing. Even the chamber where Verkis had slept was completely empty.

“It seems he changed his residence long ago.”

Daymon smiled bitterly and shook his head. Beside him, the soldiers and knights drawn from the Seventh Legion were turning the lair upside down. Yet all they found was dust. It seemed Verkis had moved everything in the lair elsewhere.

“Could it be…?”

Worried about the main camp, Daymon immediately attempted magical communication. Verkis could have attacked the camp while Daymon was away. However, the reply stated that nothing was wrong at the main camp, and Daymon furrowed his brow deeply.

“Where the hell did that bastard go?”

No matter how much he thought about it, Daymon could not guess where Verkis had gone. After agonizing over the matter, he finally ordered the soldiers to destroy Verkis’s lair. Since the lair was made of stone, there was a limit to how much they could demolish, but Daymon had no intention of leaving even that much intact.

Crash! Kaboom!

Verkis’s lair was brutally trampled. Anything the soldiers could not destroy was dealt with by the high-ranking knights using their aura blades. The soldiers smashed pillars and brought down walls, thoroughly destroying the dragon’s lair without leaving so much as a single blade of grass untouched. When the work was finished, Daymon looked around the lair as though admiring a work of art.

“This should be enough to turn Verkis’s insides inside out, shouldn’t it?”

Daymon withdrew from the lair with the soldiers. But since he had failed to accomplish his objective, a deep worry was etched across his face.

After the dragons declared that they would withdraw from the war, the tide turned noticeably in favor of the expeditionary army. First of all, the legions no longer had to worry about dragon interference and could fight while making full use of the advantages of their respective branches.

With that support, the legions of the expeditionary army continued to win battle after battle. Their losses in combat were decreasing significantly, while the young slaves who had been conscripted gradually transformed into experienced soldiers through their continuous fierce engagements.

It was true that the supply situation remained difficult, but the soldiers belonging to the expeditionary army did not lose courage. Knowing that supplies would arrive before long, they did not lose their morale.

In Arcadia, the grand fleets had already set sail, each one loaded with support troops and supplies. Though rough seas still raged, Theodore was well aware of Trubenia’s desperate situation and had hurriedly sent the fleets out. It would not be an exaggeration to say that nearly all of Arcadia’s large ships had departed for Trubenia.

Verkis did not show himself after his lair was destroyed. He appeared at sea only once, sinking one of the fleets bound for Trubenia, and never showed himself again.

The commanders of the punitive expedition wondered about the reason, but they did not dwell on it.

There was, after all, a clear limit to what only two dragons could accomplish. Duke Pershtein deployed his troops without pause, driving the orcs back.

“If we exterminate every last orc, they will no longer be able to set foot here.”

Deimon and the other dragon slayers were standing by, while elite knights and mages specially organized into dragon-killing units stood ready to support them. For that reason, Duke Pershtein had resolved to devote himself entirely to the battle against the orcs.

“Where in the world has that bastard hidden himself?”

Deimon quietly shook his head. Everything was proceeding smoothly, but there was one problem that continued to torment him. It was his concern for Daphne.

“Even Verkis, for all his power, won’t be able to treat Daphne, a saintess, recklessly…”

The state of the war was extremely hopeful. The legions continued to achieve victory after victory, and the territories they reclaimed grew larger with every passing day. The orcs, deprived of the dragons’ power, were no match for the punitive army.

The sole problem holding them back—their supply shortage—would certainly be resolved once the fleet that had departed from Arcadia arrived. But the one thing that still weighed on Deimon’s mind was Verkis. He knitted his brow deeply.

“What on earth is that bastard plotting?”

At that moment, a knock came from the door.

“May I come in?”

It was Juliana. Deimon, who had been about to rise without thinking, paused. The events of the crisis several days ago came back to him. His mood turning strange, Deimon deliberately spoke gruffly.

“What brings you here at this late hour?”

“I have something to say.”

After thinking for a moment, Deimon slowly nodded.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Juliana entered. The moment she stepped inside, the strong scent of alcohol stung his nose. Looking closely, Deimon saw that she was carrying a large bottle of liquor in her hand. He frowned at the sight.

“What have you been drinking so much for?”

Juliana said nothing and walked toward Deimon. He watched her in silence. When she reached him, Juliana quietly held out the bottle she had brought.

“Would you like a drink?”

Deimon looked back and forth between Juliana’s face and the bottle before slowly reaching out.

Glug, glug.

The strong brandy slid down his throat. Deimon emptied half the bottle in the blink of an eye, then casually wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Whew. It’s been ages since I last drank. The flavor is incredible.”

He had barely touched alcohol since becoming a mage. Magic was a discipline that required an extremely high degree of mental concentration. Thus, drinking was practically forbidden to anyone who studied magic.

Deimon had once been able to drink without limit, but after learning magic, he had restrained himself from drinking to the utmost. Yet tonight, for some reason, he felt like getting thoroughly drunk. He wanted to overcome his gloomy state of mind, even if he had to borrow the strength of alcohol to do so.

“You really can hold your liquor.”

This time, Juliana reached out and took the bottle. Seeing her drink the liquor remaining inside, Deimon exclaimed in surprise.

“You can hold your liquor as well.”

“I used to drink in secret behind my father’s back when I was little.”

Juliana set down the empty bottle and turned her flushed face toward Deimon.

“I have something to say.”

“Go on.”

“Why do you love the saintess so much?”

“……….”

“It’s truly amazing. That someone like you could love one woman so desperately.”

A bitter smile appeared at the corner of Deimon’s mouth.

“Why? Is someone like me not allowed to love anyone?”

“Honestly, no. You’re simply not the sort of person who suits loving someone or being loved. At least, that’s how you seem to me…”

It was an exceedingly rude thing to say, but Deimon did not get angry. Instead, he quietly nodded as though he agreed.

“You’re right. From the beginning, I was someone who would have lived my entire life without ever even thinking of love. But…”

“But?”

An indistinct light arose in Deimon’s eyes. It was as if he were recalling the happiest moment of his life.

“She was the only person who ever looked at me with warmth in her eyes. There was no envy or contempt in the way she looked at me.”

When he finished speaking, Deimon looked into Juliana’s eyes.

“You know my true appearance well. There is no denying that I look hideous to anyone who sees me. Because of this face, which could be called a punishment from heaven, I received more contempt and cold treatment than I could ever count. I resolved to become strong at any cost, so that I could escape such treatment. But even after I succeeded in becoming strong, the way people treated me did not change. The only difference was that the emotion of fear had been added to the way they looked at me.”

The look in Deimon’s eyes grew tender once more.

“But she was different. From beginning to end, Daphne looked at me without ever changing. Whenever I was with her, I felt as though all the wounds in my heart accumulated over the years were being healed. So I made a vow. As long as my strength allowed, I would remain by her side forever…”

When he finished, Deimon clenched his fists tightly.

“But sadly, the heavens would not permit it. At the final moment, we were captured by the dragons. She was turned to stone, while I was forcibly made into a lich and spent five hundred years guarding that loathsome bastard Verkis’s lair. I escaped after countless twists and turns, but in all the years I have lived, I have never once forgotten her. To be honest…”

As his emotions welled up, Deimon paused for a moment.

“If I could save her, I could give up anything—even my layered vengeance. That is truly how I feel. Do you understand?”

Juliana listened to Deimon’s words in silence.

His lament continued.

“To be honest, I once believed that true love did not exist in this world. But I no longer do. If it meant bringing her back to life, I would willingly endure even dying hundreds of times and having my soul suffer forever in purgatory…”

“Amazing. I never knew you had a side like that…”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Juliana’s mouth. Her expression was almost that of an impish child.

“But she’s a saintess, isn’t she? I don’t know much about it, but according to what I’ve read in books, a saintess is someone who loves every living thing in the world. Perhaps she treats you affectionately for that reason…”

Deimon quietly interrupted her.

“That may be so. In fact, it is probably likely. But it does not matter. The issue is how I feel. As long as I can remain by her side, I will pay any price.”

“……….”

Juliana fell silent. His single-minded way of loving seemed to have left her dumbfounded. Deimon continued speaking quietly to her.

“I do not know why you acted as you did. But I want to make my feelings clear here. There is no room in my heart for another woman besides Daphne…”

The moment he finished speaking, a fierce light flared in Juliana’s eyes.

“Hmph! Who says I want to force my way in? You really know nothing about a woman’s heart.”

“……….”

Contrary to the sharpness in her voice, two streams of tears were running down Juliana’s cheeks.

“You’re not supposed to say it like that in a situation like this. Do you think I have no pride?”

Deimon flinched at the sight of her tears.

“I am sorry.”

“Does saying sorry make everything all right?”

Juliana raised her sleeve and wiped at the corners of her eyes. Then she sat down beside Deimon.

“To be honest, my first impression of you was absolutely horrible. You were an evil villain, a cold-blooded man, and on top of that, a shabby old man with not a trace of chivalry to be found even if one searched with both eyes.”

Deimon silently nodded.

“Everything you said is true.”

“But do you know something?”

Juliana lifted her tear-filled eyes and looked up at Deimon.

“I fell in love with a villain like you. Something utterly absurd has happened to me.”

Deimon listened quietly to Juliana’s confession of love.

“I know, of course, that there’s an age difference of more than five hundred years between us. I’ve heard time and again that we’re incompatible in every way. You don’t even treat me particularly well. So why did I come to like you?”

Juliana’s reddened, bloodshot eyes remained fixed on Deimon’s face.

“I don’t understand it, but I’m now insanely jealous of the saintess. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“……….”

Juliana’s voice gradually rose.

“I’m going out of my mind wanting to take her place in your heart.”

“That can never happen, no matter what. Give it up.”

At Deimon’s firm reply, Juliana’s face stiffened.

“I knew you’d say that. But what am I supposed to do? I want to enter your heart, even if I have to use any means necessary. Do you know something? I know one of your secrets…”

Deimon’s face hardened at Juliana’s ensuing words. A secret known only to him and Katroi had just spilled from her lips.

“H-how did you…”

“I’ve always found it strange. That someone as cold and cruel as you would be so reluctant to kill people.”

Deimon continued in a stiff voice.

“Did you hear it from Katroi?”

“Does it matter?”

Deimon’s expression grew increasingly rigid, but Juliana paid it no mind.

“Judging by your face, you look as though you’re thinking of killing me to silence me. Go ahead. I think it would be better to die by your hand than to let the saintess take you away from me.”

Deimon let out a long sigh.

“Let’s stop this. What am I doing arguing with a drunken girl?”

“Don’t worry. I may be a little drunk, but my mind is perfectly clear.”

Juliana looked at Deimon with tears glistening in her eyes.

“I want you to accept even a little of my feelings.”

“……….”

“Is it truly impossible?”

When Juliana saw Deimon quietly nod, her complexion turned pale. His voice reached her ears in a calm murmur.

“If I had met you before Daphne, I might have accepted your feelings. After all, you are a woman who gave me your heart even after seeing my true self… But it cannot be helped. Even though five hundred years have passed, my feelings for Daphne have not changed in the slightest. I think they will remain that way forever.”

Juliana bit down hard on her lip.

“That is truly a devotion beyond compare. To love one woman for hundreds of years…”

“I do not know the reason myself. In any case, I will gratefully accept your feelings.”

A troubled expression briefly appeared in Deimon’s eyes, but he soon regained his composure.

“Instead, I will give you a gift.”

“……….”

Juliana was startled at Deimon’s words.

“A life-and-death spell that can determine whether I live or die. I do not know whether teaching you this spell is truly the right thing to do, but consider it repayment for giving me your heart.”

“A-a life-and-death spell?”

“That is right. If you recite this spell aloud in front of me, there is a very good chance I will not survive. My inability to kill can also be said to be connected to this spell. In any case, I wish to teach it to you.”

Juliana shook her head and backed away.

“N-no, I won’t accept it.”

“You must accept it. Because I…”

Deimon’s face darkened.

“Five hundred years ago, I already entered into a contract of darkness with the Demon King Kerubim. Kerubim can be considered the child of the Great Demon King Naidelhark. I already carry within my body the orb in which Naidelhark was sealed. Therefore, no one can predict what lies ahead for me. That is why I am teaching you this spell.”

Deimon gazed into Juliana’s eyes with a deeply sunken look in his own.

“If I start acting strangely, or if it seems that the Demon King has taken over my body, then you must end me yourself. This is the only thing I can give you.”

A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Deimon’s mouth.

“Even so, I’m glad to entrust my fate to you. In all the world, you are the second woman to give me her heart. As such, you are more than qualified to take charge of my fate.”

Yuliana, who had remained silent, spoke a single sentence.

“But what if I have other thoughts?”

“……….”

“If you meet the Saintess, you’ll be endlessly happy, won’t you? If I hated you for being so happy and recited the spell in order to separate the two of you, what would you do? If I did something like that, what would you do? I think I’m quite capable of it. So you’d better not do something you’ll regret……”

“No. I won’t regret it.”

A resolute light appeared in Deimon’s eyes.

“Even if that happens, I will accept it willingly.”

When Deimon went so far, Yuliana finally nodded as if she had no choice. Deimon slowly recited the opening words of the spell left behind by Yeongho Myeong. He enunciated each character clearly so that Yuliana would remember it precisely……

After engraving the spell into her mind, Yuliana stared at Deimon with an indescribable look in her eyes.

“Now it seems I’m holding your lifeline in the palm of my hand.”

“So it seems.”

A strange light suddenly appeared in Yuliana’s eyes.

“What would you do if I used this spell to order you to part with the Saintess?”

Deimon’s answer came without the slightest hesitation.

“She is more important to me than my own life.”

Upon hearing his answer, Yuliana lowered her head.

“I understand. Then I’ll be going.”

“Take care. I won’t see you out.”

Yuliana quietly turned around. Her drooping shoulders looked unbearably sad. Deimon stared intently at her back as she opened the door and left. A sorrowful air also hung about his face. Once she had completely gone, Deimon muttered quietly, as if talking to himself.

“I’m truly sorry.”

As soon as she left, regret washed over him, making him wonder if he had done something pointless. But Deimon forced himself to compose his thoughts.

“I was planning to tell the spell to Kasim or Mitchell anyway……”

Recently, Deimon had continuously felt that something was wrong. The murderous impulses that arose for no reason, and the fact that he became excited far more easily than necessary, were both entirely unlike him. Deimon suspected that it might be due to the influence of Naidelhark, which he harbored within his body.

“If he comes back to life, I’ll have no choice but to submit to him completely.”

For that reason, Deimon had intended to pass on Yeongho Myeong’s spell—one that held the power of life and death over him—to someone else.

Of course, the Four Great Knights and Shrekheimer were unsuitable candidates. If the Demon King took over his body, they too would be unable to defy his will. Thus, Deimon had secretly been considering Mitchell or Kasim as the recipients. Somehow, however, he had ended up giving it to Yuliana instead.

In any case, after telling her the spell, Deimon felt relieved.

“I don’t know whether the spell will actually work……”

It was an untested spell, but it had been brought by Yeongho Myeong, a lay disciple of the Shaolin Temple, so there was no way it would be ineffective. Deimon decided not to think about it any further.

“It’s already happened, so there’s no need to worry about it anymore. It seems about time to restore Russellant. Shall I get started?”

After drawing up the dark mana he had extracted from the Sealing Sphere over the past several days, Deimon opened Increcia. With a heavy roar, Russellant appeared. The residence where he stayed was large enough to accommodate an entire bone dragon.

While Deimon was lost in thought, time passed in vain. During that time, many changes had taken place in Truvenia. The most notable was that the grand fleet departing from Arcadia had arrived in Truvenia after a hundred days at sea.

Several ships sank in the fierce storms and winds, and one fleet was annihilated in an aerial assault by Berkhis, but the remaining ships were able to reach Truvenia’s eastern coast safely. No matter how freely a dragon could fly, it could not deal with dozens of scattered fleets all at once.

After their long voyage, the ships used magical communication to head toward the shore controlled by the expeditionary army. The hundreds of large sailing ships anchored along the coast unloaded an astronomical quantity of supplies, along with a massive army numbering as many as three hundred thousand.

As a result, the expeditionary army’s supply problems were completely resolved. The soldiers, exhausted by the endless battles, were finally able to rest with the arrival of replacement troops, while the vast supplies transported by the fleet thoroughly alleviated the thirst and hunger they had suffered until then. With the fleet’s arrival, the morale of each legion stationed at the front soared so high it seemed to touch the heavens.

The orcs, on the other hand, were suffering from the expeditionary army’s slave-rescue operations, and their supplies had become unreliable. They had no way even to replenish the warriors lost in battle, as food was in short supply. Indeed, tribes had gone so far as to fight among themselves over the scarce provisions…… Thanks to the expeditionary army’s unstoppable advance, its main camp was able to establish itself in the heart of Truvenia.

Thus, the Third Racial War was unfolding in a manner entirely different from that of five hundred years ago. Yet despite the changing tide of battle, Deimon’s mind remained troubled. Because of his hatred for Berkhis, who had vanished without leaving a trace, and his concern for Daphne, he spent each day in anguish. Then, in the midst of it all, a woman came to the expeditionary army’s main camp. Her arrival threw the entire camp into an uproar.

“Are you the supreme commander leading the human army?”

“Yes, I am.”

The man who politely bowed was none other than Duke Pershtein. Before him stood a woman with blazing red hair, wearing an arrogant expression. She was a voluptuous, intensely sensual woman, brimming with allure. She looked like someone one might commonly encounter in a pleasure district, but the knights gazing at her had deep fear in their eyes. That was only natural, for she was by no means an ordinary woman.

She was a dragon.

The woman who had come here in person revealed her identity without hesitation, and the main camp was immediately placed on full alert. A guest who could never be taken lightly had arrived.

Duke Pershtein, who had been attending a meeting, hurried outside to receive her. Given who she was, the duke welcomed her with the utmost sincerity, and the dragon in the form of a woman accepted the reception as though it were only natural. A moment later, Duke Pershtein’s voice rang out again.

“May I ask why the great one has come to see me?”

“Obviously, I came because I have something to say. What else would I have come for?”

The woman’s voice was thick with arrogance. The duke frowned and cautiously opened his mouth.

“What is it you wish to say? As far as I know, the dragons have decided not to participate in this Racial War……”

At those words, a gleam flashed in the woman’s eyes.

“Regrettably, it seems I am not included in that category. I serve Lord Berkhis. Red Dragon Ryusike is my name……”

Duke Pershtein staggered back a step in surprise. He had evidently never imagined that a hostile dragon would come here. Until she revealed her identity, there had been no way for the duke to determine that she was a dragon. As the tense knights gripped the hilts of their swords, the woman’s voice rang out once more.

“Do not worry. I have no intention of eating you. I have come as an envoy.”

“A-an envoy……”

“I have come to convey Lord Berkhis’s will to you.”

After finishing, the woman looked around.

“But where is the dragon slayer named Deimon?”

As soon as she finished speaking, a low voice emerged from among the knights.

“I’m here.”

The ranks of the knights parted to either side, revealing Deimon. Upon hearing that a dragon had arrived, he had set everything else aside and come here. Behind him, the members of the Kasim Mercenary Group appeared one by one. Ryusike’s eyes gleamed when she saw Deimon.

“So you are the dragon slayer. The human Lord Berkhis warned us about so often……”

A sardonic smile appeared at the corner of Deimon’s mouth.

“Yes. So what message have you brought?”

Perhaps displeased by his abrupt use of informal speech, Ryusike’s brows drew sharply together. Her pride as a dragon would not allow her to overlook even the slightest insult.

“You are an impolite human. I advise you to show proper respect toward the great race.”

Deimon’s reaction, however, remained cold.

“Hmph. The great race? What a joke.”

“W-what did you say?”

Ryusike’s eyes widened in shock, but Deimon’s vicious tirade continued.

“It’s bad enough that a lizard with no distinction between male and female is taking the form of a woman. And yet you strut around boasting that you belong to some great race…… It’s so absurd I don’t even know what to say.”

“……….”

“Try to keep your madness in check…… As far as I can see, a dragon is nothing more than an oversized lizard suffering from delusions of grandeur.”

At Deimon’s relentless taunting, which spared no means, Ryusike finally exploded in anger.

“What? You lowly insect……”

Ryusike attempted to rearrange her mana without a second thought.

“I will not tolerate such insults. I will wipe you all out.”

At that moment, a chilling voice slipped into her ear.

“If you use magic, all four of your limbs will be severed immediately. We can even make a wager on it.”

Ryusike flinched and stopped moving. More precisely, she had sensed killing intent near her shoulders and thighs. When she recognized the source of that killing intent, her eyes widened in disbelief.

“This, this is……”

Without even realizing it, four longswords had come to rest against her body. The Death Blades rising from them were horrifying even to look at. Examining them more closely, she saw four death knights clad in blackish armor surrounding her from front, back, left, and right. She had not sensed their presence at all, and a chill ran down Ryusike’s spine.

“W-when?”

“Hunting inexperienced dragons is as easy as eating cold porridge. They get so caught up in putting on airs and acting cocky that they readily leave openings. Hey, rookie.”

Ryusike’s terrified gaze automatically turned toward Deimon.

“When a dragon has polymorphed into human form, it has to watch even falling leaves carefully. Otherwise……”

Deimon raised a finger and drew it across his throat.

“You might disappear without anyone knowing whether you were a rat or a bird.”

As soon as he finished speaking, one of the longswords pressed against Ryusike’s neck. Feeling the cold touch of the metal, her eyes were now filled with fear.

“W-what are you planning to do to me?”

“I’m still deciding. Whether to listen to what you have to say before killing you, or simply kill you outright.”

“I-I came as an envoy. H-historically, envoys are never killed, r-regardless of the circumstances.”

Ryusike’s voice trembled with the fear of death. Deimon waved a hand as if he did not care.

“An envoy is an envoy, but it depends on the envoy. Shall I tell you how that bastard Berkhis you worship treated the envoy we sent?”

“……….”

“That cunning bastard subdued Morris, the envoy we sent, with mind magic. Then he dropped him from an incredible height, leaving not even his corpse intact. Of course, Berkhis must have sent you knowing that. Someone like you is expendable to him……”

“Y-you’re lying. T-that can’t be true.”

At the sight of Ryusike shaking her head desperately, a satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Deimon’s mouth. He had already prepared this scheme to sow discord in case something like this happened. As Demetrius had repeatedly urged him, this was the only way to keep Ryusike alive.

“You know very well that Lenius, the Gold Dragon, betrayed Berkhis. Do you know why he did it?”

Of course, there was no way Ryu Sike could have known the reason. Seeing her shake her head, Deimon began smoothly spinning out the story he had fabricated. It was true to some extent, but it could hardly be called the truth from beginning to end.

“He happened to witness Berkis killing the Dragon Lord. When Berkis realized that, he tried to kill Renius to silence him. Of course, you knew nothing about that, did you? Renius barely managed to escape with his life after enduring every imaginable hardship. He even considered fleeing to Arcadia in order to escape Berkis. But even if he went to Arcadia, there was no way to avoid Berkis’s clutches completely. To save his life, Renius chose to find the other dragons and reveal the truth. That is how the misunderstanding between me and the dragons was cleared up.”

Ryu Sike vehemently shook her head.

“It, it’s a lie. I can’t believe you.”

“Believe it or not, it’s the truth. If you’re curious, you can go ask Renius yourself. I’ve heard that dragons cannot lie.”

“……….”

“Berkis killed the Dragon Lord and then even tried to silence one of the dragons under his command. I don’t believe he would care about the life of a young and weak dragon like you. From the very beginning, there was no chance that he sent you out expecting you to return alive.”

“A, are you planning to kill me?”

Deimon nodded without hesitation.

“Isn’t that obvious? If I let you go, you’ll surely return to Berkis……. That would leave us with one troublesome burden, so wouldn’t it be better to settle the matter cleanly while we have the chance?”

Ryu Sike was now completely gripped by the fear of death. Judging by the Dragon Slayer’s tone, he seemed determined to kill her and be done with it.

“W, wouldn’t you like to hear Lord Berkis’s intentions?”

Deimon coldly shook his head.

“There’s no need to hear such nonsense, and I have no intention of thinking about it. Once I dispose of you and capture that bastard Berkis, everything will be settled anyway. When a knot is tangled beyond hope, the proper thing to do is cut it cleanly with a single stroke.”

After finishing, Deimon glanced at the Death Knight as though there were nothing more to consider. Ryu Sike’s face darkened like spoiled pork liver, as if the order to kill her might fall at any moment. Then, from beside them, a sharp, piercing cry rang out.

“Even so, wouldn’t it be better to hear what he means at least once?”

It was Shrekheimer. He had already guessed Deimon’s scheme to some extent. His sudden show of agreement was so masterful that it would not have seemed out of place even beside a first-rate actor. Deimon shook his head with an uninterested expression.

“I don’t think that’s necessary. He sent her here to die, so isn’t killing her only natural?”

“But as she said, messengers are generally not to be killed if it can be avoided.”

“‘If it can be avoided,’ not ‘under no circumstances.’ What goes around comes around. That bastard killed our messenger Morris in the past, so now it’s our turn to kill his.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to hear his intentions before killing her? We can listen to what she has to say first and dispose of her afterward. Surely that wouldn’t cause any great problem?”

The humans were arguing over her life. It was absurd, but there was nothing Ryu Sike could do. How could she ever have imagined that she would end up in such a situation? Terrified beyond measure, Ryu Sike swung back and forth between heaven and hell with every word spoken by Deimon and Shrekheimer. Seeing her face repeatedly shift between hope and despair, Deimon realized that the time was ripe.

‘She’s taken the bait completely.’

Deimon quietly began loosening the net he had cast around Ryu Sike.

“Fine. Tell us what that bastard’s intentions are.”

Contrary to his true feelings, Deimon spoke as though it were a nuisance. To Ryu Sike, however, it felt as if she had seized a lifeline at the edge of a cliff.

“If I tell you, will you let me live?”

By then, her tone had changed into a polite, deferential manner of speech. Ryu Sike herself had not even realized it.

“I’ll think about it……”

At Deimon’s indifferent reply, Ryu Sike grew even more desperate.

“If you intend to kill me anyway, I won’t tell you.”

Deimon issued an order without the slightest hesitation.

“Then die right now……. You there. Cut off that wretch’s limbs at once. No, it would be better to cut off her head.”

Just as Ryu Sike’s face turned the color of rotten pig liver, Duke Ferstein’s voice rang out.

“That will be enough, Deimon. Somehow, I do not feel inclined to kill a messenger.”

There was an awkward expression on his face, so apparently he had received some sort of signal. Shrekheimer stood beside him, wearing the expressionless face peculiar to a lich. Because she was so terrified, Ryu Sike failed to notice any of it. It was the moment when Duke Ferstein, supreme commander of the expeditionary army, became nothing more than an actor.

“Even so, she is a dragon, is she not? Since she came as a messenger, I do not think it is necessary to kill her.”

“No. This woman is unquestionably our enemy. If she returns alive after being sent here to die, won’t that bastard Berkis laugh at us?”

Duke Ferstein shook his head as if that was not what he meant.

“We have already been caught up in Berkis’s schemes for far too long. I believe it is necessary to refuse him at least once……”

As she listened to the argument continue, doubt began to creep into Ryu Sike’s mind.

She had firmly believed that such a thing was impossible, of course, but the repeated words could not help but confuse her. Never in her wildest dreams had Ryu Sike imagined that humans would argue over her life.

‘Could Lord Berkis really have sent me with such an intention? No. That’s impossible. But…….’

She vehemently shook her head, yet her doubts continued to grow. In particular, the fact that Berkis had said nothing to her even after killing the Dragon Lord was decisive.

‘Should I go find Renius and ask him?’

But she did not know that no matter how incapable of lying Renius was as a dragon, he could not particularly refute Deimon’s words……

Deimon’s words were, in their own way, partly true. Thus, the only fact she would be able to hear was that the Dragon Lord had unquestionably met his end at Berkis’s hands. Moreover, if Ryu Sike went to Renius, Demetrius would never obediently send her back to Berkis. Concerned that the Red clan might die out, he would surely try every means to persuade her. But Ryu Sike had no idea that such a situation awaited her.

‘What should I do?’

While she was lost in thought, the argument finally came to an end. Duke Ferstein reached a conclusion with a solemn expression.

“This is my decision as the supreme commander of the expeditionary army. We will allow the messenger to leave alive.”

“Damn it. If that’s the case, it can’t be helped.”

Deimon stepped back with an displeased expression. The Death Knights also withdrew the swords pressed against Ryu Sike’s body. Even so, they maintained a distance from which they could rush forward and sever her limbs at any moment. Deimon was inwardly rejoicing.

‘What a foolish dragon.’

The ignorant, inexperienced Red dragon would surely feel grateful to Duke Ferstein for sparing her life. In all likelihood, she would never again think of treating humans as enemies.

To Deimon, this was no different from having his cake and eating it too. Without expending much effort, he could make Demetrius indebted to him, while also cutting off one of Berkis’s limbs.

Just as he had expected, Ryu Sike gazed at Duke Ferstein with an indescribable expression.

“Thank you……for sparing my life.”

“Think nothing of it……. Now, tell us Berkis’s intentions. I will take responsibility and make certain that His Greatness returns safely.”

Had she heard such words from a human under ordinary circumstances, she would certainly have flown into a rage. Unfortunately, however, Ryu Sike was genuinely grateful to Duke Ferstein.

Deimon’s scheme had struck home perfectly. After casting a weary glance at Deimon, Ryu Sike quietly began to relay Berkis’s words.

“Lord Berkis proposed a final battle.”

“A final battle?”

“That is correct. He said that each side should gather its elites and fight a decisive battle on the Northwood Plains. He added that the fate of the two races—the humans and the orcs—should be decided there.”

Ryu Sike carefully revealed the date and location.

“It will be exactly one week from today. The place is where the war between the races came to an end five hundred years ago. He said there was no need to explain further, since it is the place where the Temple of Verhazel stands.”

‘The Northwood Plains…….’

All manner of memories flitted across Deimon’s face. The rugged mountain road where he had carried Daphne on his back, the attack by the ice trolls, and the knights slaughtering one another due to Berkis’s machinations. Those events rose vividly in his mind, as though they had happened only yesterday.

‘What is he plotting? There can be no doubt that he has laid a trap.’

Under the present circumstances, there was no reason to accept Berkis’s proposal. The war was progressing extremely smoothly, so they had nothing to lose. Once the orcs had been wiped out of Trubenia, Berkis would have no means left to resist them. But Berkis held Deimon’s greatest weakness in his hands. Ryu Sike’s next words proved it.

“I do not know what he meant, but he said that if you win there, you can obtain whatever you desire. He also said that you would never obtain it if you refused his proposal.”

For an instant, Deimon felt a chill in his gut.

‘Judging by the situation, this woman doesn’t know that Berkis has Daphne. Of course. He couldn’t openly reveal the fact that he killed the Dragon Lord……. The mere fact that he has Daphne means that he harmed the Lord.’

As he pondered, Ryu Sike urged him to answer.

“What will you do? Will you accept Lord Berkis’s proposal?”

Duke Ferstein looked at Deimon with a troubled expression. Of course, he had no reason to accept the proposal, but he dared not disregard Deimon’s opinion.

“Deimon. What will you do?”

“……….”

“We have already decided one matter, so this time we will follow Deimon’s wishes.”

“Are you certain?”

The duke readily nodded.

“Of course.”

Deimon quickly put his thoughts in order, hardened his expression, and looked at Ryu Sike.

“Fine. Go back to that bastard Berkis and tell him we accept his proposal. Berkis’s fate and yours will also be decided there.”

After speaking, Deimon looked Ryu Sike up and down with a peculiar expression.

“How fortunate. There, I’ll be able to cut off your arms and legs for certain. If they’re trimmed up neatly, they’d make excellent decorations, wouldn’t you say?”

At Deimon’s gaze, Ryu Sike felt a chill run down her spine. It was the first time in her life that she had felt her life threatened by a human. Without a doubt, he was the only human capable of threatening a dragon so casually.

But Ryu Sike had no choice but to accept such treatment meekly. Hadn’t three dragons already met their end at his hands? Under Deimon’s chilling gaze, Ryu Sike made a firm resolution.

‘After I deliver the news to Lord Berkis, I’ll go straight to Renius and ask him about the truth. If that man’s words are true…….’

She shuddered involuntarily.

‘It can’t be helped, but I won’t be able to follow Lord Berkis any longer. He’s the sort of man who could smile as he cut off all my limbs and not think twice…….’

Having made up her mind, Ryu Sike hurriedly lowered her head. The arrogance she had displayed upon arrival was nowhere to be seen.

“Then I have delivered the message, so I will be on my way. I will certainly convey your decision to Lord Berkis.”

The duke immediately stepped forward to see her off.

“Then travel safely. Please forgive us for failing to observe proper formalities.”

Ryu Sike waved her hand as if such a thing were entirely out of the question.

“Forgive you? On the contrary, I am the one deeply indebted to you. If I could, I would grant one of your wishes……”

Ryu Sike paused briefly, then stealthily glanced at Deimon.

“I would like to, but I don’t think that will be possible. Then, I’ll be going……”

Ryusike turned around and hurriedly rearranged her mana. She had used a teleportation magic circle to come here, but she would not be using one to leave. Perhaps she thought the Dragon Slayer might interfere with teleportation, for she was polymorphing into her true form. The voluptuous woman’s figure was swallowed by a mass of light, and in its place soon appeared a huge red dragon.

Kyaooooo.

After letting out a loud roar, the red dragon bowed her head to Duke Perstein as though expressing her gratitude. Then she beat her wings and swiftly rose into the sky. The wind stirred up by her wings sent several soldiers tumbling backward, but they quickly got to their feet and maintained formation.

It was because of the duke’s stern order that they were not to show weakness in front of a dragon. The red dragon Ryusike rose into the sky with powerful beats of her wings, as though she did not wish to linger even for a moment.

Unaware that she had been toyed with by a human, Ryusike’s form disappeared into the clouds. Until she vanished from sight, the gazes of the expedition’s leaders, headed by Damon, remained fixed on the sky.

After Ryusike’s departure, a large-scale strategy meeting was held at the main camp. The subject of the meeting was, of course, Verkis’s proposal. There, Damon put forward his opinion that he would go to the Northwood Plains alone.

“Rescuing the saintess is entirely a private matter of mine. I have nearly completed the restoration of the bone dragon Russellant, so I will go alone. I will take the death knights with me, so do not worry.”

Having been there once before, Damon knew very well how dangerous the Northwood Plains, the Land of Death, were. Thus, he intended to leave the expeditionary force and the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band behind. In any case, the expeditionary force had been winning battle after battle and had no need to accept Verkis’s proposal.

Damon’s main argument was that he had to go alone because his purpose was to rescue Daphne. But there was no way the members of the Kasim Mercenary Band, bound together by loyalty, would heed his words.

“You know very well that we will not stay behind, do you not, Damon?”

“Damon’s affairs are our affairs as well. No matter what you say, you will never be able to keep us away.”

The Kasim mercenaries’ stubborn refusal was something Damon had fully expected. Moreover, Duke Perstein also offered a counterargument.

“Verkis is a truly brilliant dragon. He has surely laid a deadly trap there.”

“But the Northwood Plains are far too dangerous. Five hundred years ago, nearly four hundred of Trubenia’s hero parties were annihilated there.”

A smile appeared at the corner of Duke Perstein’s mouth.

“Experience is tremendously important to humans when it comes to overcoming crises. And do we not have two people who have already experienced Northwood?”

“……….”

“As it is, I have been troubled by the suspicion that something is amiss with the course of the war.”

“What do you mean, something is amiss?”

Duke Perstein drew closer and sat beside Damon.

“Several of the most powerful orc tribes have yet to show themselves. According to the intelligence bureau, the warriors of those tribes are stronger and considerably larger than ordinary orcs. Judging by the circumstances, it seems Verkis has withdrawn them to devise some sort of scheme.”

“Whatever scheme he may be plotting, why not ignore it and simply wipe out every orc?”

Duke Perstein shook his head as if that was not the issue.

“Even if we take the shortest estimate, it would take at least ten years to wipe out all the orcs in Trubenia. That is how exceptional the orc race’s fertility and survival instincts are. At present, we have little difficulty dealing with them because they are engaged in an all-out war. But if the tide turns and they begin waging a hit-and-run guerrilla war, they will inevitably become a tremendous nuisance.”

Damon nodded as though he found the argument convincing. During the Racial War five hundred years ago, how much damage had they suffered because of orc guerrillas? The orc race were born guerrilla fighters. In truth, the orcs were easier to deal with when they fought a full-scale war as they were doing now. Duke Perstein continued his explanation.

“Although we are advancing from victory to victory at present, the orc race is one that can rise again at any time. Therefore, it would be wise to eliminate the seeds of future trouble at the outset.”

“That does sound reasonable.”

“I will broadly select the elite knights belonging to each order and place them at your disposal. Take them with you. And on this occasion, I would like you to cut off that bastard Verkis’s lifeline once and for all.”

Damon quietly nodded as he gazed into Duke Perstein’s eyes.

“Understood. I will return bearing Verkis’s head.”

“I am sorry to impose yet another difficult request on you.”

“What are you saying? I am the one who does not know how to repay your wholehearted support, Duke.”

Damon abruptly extended his hand. The duke grasped it and shook it vigorously. A strange smile passed across both men’s lips.

“But to face the dragon and the lich in the final battle, magical armor will be absolutely necessary.”

“Do not worry. We can put the grand magical armor inside Increcia and take it with us…”

Damon excluded everyone who could not control mana from the hero party. They had to be capable of manipulating mana in order to withstand Northwood’s bitter cold.

Since it was a long journey, there were countless things to prepare. But the knights would not have to carry the supplies needed for the journey themselves. The magical treasury Increcia had solved that problem completely.

Preparations proceeded steadily according to Damon and Shrekheimer’s demands. When the hero party had finished gearing up and stood in formation, Duke Perstein gave a wry smile.

“What a sight.”

The heroes wore fur coats and fur caps, with tanned leather armor over them. They looked less like knights than a band of hunters. Yet they were heroes departing to wage a holy war upon which humanity’s fate rested. Duke Perstein gazed at them with eyes full of anticipation.

“Heh heh heh.”

A low chuckle rang out. It echoed from the summit of a desolate mountain covered entirely in snow and ice. The one who had laughed was a handsome young man with red hair. He was so strikingly beautiful that he did not appear human, and he stood tall atop the mountain, wearing a mysterious smile. He was Verkis, the red dragon whom humans called the Demon Dragon.

The place where he stood was Northwood, the Land of Death. Verkis had come in person to this frozen wasteland, which allowed no living creature other than ice trolls to trespass. With an inscrutable smile on his lips, he looked down toward the base of the mountain.

The swirling snowstorm made it difficult to distinguish the scenery clearly, but it could not obstruct a dragon’s vision. After a moment, Verkis’s lips parted, and a quiet monologue flowed forth.

“Ryusike. In the end, you too could not escape the inertia of your kind.”

His voice carried a lingering resonance. In contrast to his words, Verkis’s face was utterly composed. It was perhaps the expression of a transcendent being who had risen above all things.

“The weather is terribly overcast. Almost as if it were foreshadowing the dragons’ cloudy future.”

The light in Verkis’s eyes gradually deepened. He was turning over in his mind the words Ryusike had left behind moments ago.

‘Why are you so desperate to exterminate humanity? Lord Verkis, humans have never harmed you at all. I’m leaving. And I will never seek you out again.’

Ryusike had departed after leaving behind only those words. It had happened after she heard directly from Verkis about Cranus’s death and everything surrounding it. Verkis had not stopped her as she left. Nor had he imposed any punishment upon her. Ryusike was the only other member of the red dragon clan besides himself, and from the outset, Verkis had never intended to harm her. Even though she had left declaring that she would never see him again.

Afterward, Verkis had remained lost in thought for some time atop the desolate mountain peak. Then a low voice escaped his lips.

“Ryusike. You do not know. You do not know that the fate of our dragon race has already been decided: extinction.”

Despite the solemn tone, Verkis’s eyes had sunk deep, like an abyss.

“Humans are truly a terrifying race. No other race can match the speed at which they acquire knowledge and advance. Although dragons currently hold the advantage over humans in every respect, that superiority will not last long. If my conjecture is correct, the dragons will soon be driven back by humanity and lose the land beneath their feet. Of course, the other races will walk the road to ruin alongside us…”

Verkis was not looking at the scenery blurred beneath the snowstorm. He was contemplating the uncertain future of the race to which he belonged.

“Humans are a race that advances without end. And their greatest strength is their ability to pass their accumulated knowledge on to future generations. Sadly, dragons are not like that. If we continue stagnating without progressing, the dragons will inevitably be surpassed by humanity one day.”

A trace of sorrow suddenly appeared in Verkis’s eyes.

“I devoted my entire life to studying humans and learning their strengths. After realizing everything, I struggled for hundreds of years to destroy humanity, yet this is how it ended…”

But there was not the slightest hint of regret on Verkis’s face.

“It could not be helped. Unlike humans, dragons possess no ability to change their destiny through their own efforts…”

Verkis quietly recalled Renius. The gold dragon Renius had once trusted and followed him, but betrayed him at the final moment. Because of that betrayal, the plan he had painstakingly prepared for so long had collapsed at the decisive moment. Yet Verkis did not resent Renius in the slightest. He was merely a little saddened that Renius had failed to understand his true intentions.

“Although it is true that I used and killed the Lord, I had no selfish motives. I sought to change the fate of the dragons, who were certain to be pushed aside by humans and fade into the back pages of history before long. And I sought to do so by using a method I had learned from none other than humanity.”

At the thought of the human race, Verkis’s expression gradually grew animated.

“Humans truly are an astonishing race. Despite having no physical advantage to speak of, they have managed to astonish even me. The few humans who crossed over to Arcadia achieved in a mere five hundred years what the humans of Trubenia had accomplished over thousands of years. No—the more accurate judgment would be that they advanced it even further, would it not? I fear the potential of humanity. And I lament the fate of our dragons, who will soon disappear from the continent because of them. But my abilities were insufficient, and this is as far as I could go.”

Verkis quietly turned his head and looked north. In the distance, the Temple of Verhazel faintly emerged into view. A fleeting smile crossed Verkis’s lips.

“The reason Verhazel, the Lord God, abandoned every race and turned his back on the world was humanity. The Lord God could no longer control humans, and so he had no choice but to forsake the world. But the dragons know nothing of this. They will merely circle within the confines of fate, cling to their worn-out traditions, and be driven back by humans until they vanish without a trace, will they not?”

As Verkis continued to ponder, a sudden blaze of light flared in his eyes.

“But I will not retreat like this. Though we were abandoned, I will not simply stand by and watch the fate of my race unfold.”

Verkis’s gaze remained fixed on the dimly visible Temple of Verhazel. It was also the place where he had prepared his final contingency.

“It is beyond my power to destroy humanity now. But even if it is not me, another force exists that can annihilate them. Though their goal differs from mine, they too are constantly watching for a chance to strike at the human world. The risks are considerable, but if I make use of them, destroying humanity will not be entirely impossible.”

The light in Verkis’s eyes slowly began to burn.

“There is no chance of me surviving the final battle. But for the sake of my race—the future of the dragons—I am prepared to sacrifice myself at any time. This is what I disliked most among the things I learned from humans, but it cannot be helped. For the dragons that will soon vanish into the annals of history, this is the only thing I can do. Even if they were the ones who cast me aside first, I can never abandon my own kind…….”

The grim determination in Verkis’s face hardened into an icy mask.

“Some dragons will inevitably have to be sacrificed in the course of carrying out the plan. But the dragons who survive will be able to establish themselves once more as absolute beings upon the land where humanity has perished.”

Verkis raised his fiery eyes toward the sky. The heavily overcast heavens showed no sign of clearing anytime soon. Gazing up at them, Verkis went over the plan he had prepared, one step at a time.

“If my guess is correct, he will definitely come to Northwood. He will never be able to abandon the saintess…….”

At the thought of Daymon, a bitter smile appeared on Verkis’s face.

“You’re an astonishing one. Keeping you alive was the greatest mistake of my entire life. Never in my dreams did I imagine that a plan proceeding so smoothly would be utterly ruined because of a single man…….”

Perhaps overwhelmed by his rising emotions, Verkis’s body trembled violently. He had spent hundreds of years planning everything, only to have it go awry because of one human; there was no way he could not hate him. Yet he could not suppress his admiration either, as powerful as his hatred.

Even Verkis had no choice but to acknowledge Daymon’s relentless efforts to avenge himself and his ability to overcome every crisis. But there was no doubt that he and Daymon were enemies who could never coexist.

“No matter what happens, I must cut off that bastard’s breath. Only then can the dragons remain the eternal rulers of this world.”

As Verkis muttered the words softly, a firm resolve to carry out the plan at all costs gradually surfaced on his face.

Around that time, Daymon was crossing a rugged mountain range with the second party of heroes to be formed. Though it had been a long time since he had traveled this route, he remembered the path clearly. However, it had changed considerably from several years ago. Since the winds were fierce and avalanches occurred frequently, it was commonplace for the paths in Northwood to shift.

As a result, the party had to cross the mountains with great difficulty. Unlike five hundred years ago, however, they did not lose any heroes to the cold. That was because they had prepared far more thoroughly than the first party. For one thing, the heroes did not wear iron armor. They had dressed with meticulous attention to warmth and donned cured leather armor over their clothing, so they did not suffer from the cold.

More importantly, without exception, this party of heroes consisted solely of high-ranking knights capable of controlling mana, leaving no fear of freezing to death. In addition, all their armor and supplies had been placed inside Increcia, so the heroes’ steps were relatively light.

Especially skilled knights had been stationed at the front. They searched their surroundings carefully and advanced cautiously. Since Daymon had warned them in advance of the possibility of an ice troll attack, they moved with extreme care, tense from head to toe.

Just then, one of the knights abruptly raised his hand. It was a signal that something was amiss. Seeing this, Krovitz immediately ordered the march halted. He was temporarily serving as the leader of the hero party.

“Stop. What is it?”

“We’ve discovered another group of orc corpses. Around a hundred bodies are strewn about in disarray. It seems they were attacked by ice trolls this time as well.”

“Is that so?”

Krovitz tilted his head. This was the tenth time they had discovered orc corpses. Judging by their equipment and size, the bodies appeared to belong to elite orc warriors, and once again they had been found in a large heap. The first place they had discovered orc corpses was an icy lake. Countless orc warriors had frozen to death with their lower bodies buried in the ice. Thanks to that, the heroes had been able to cross the frozen lake with ease. The areas without orc corpses were frozen comparatively solid.

As they crossed the mountains, the heroes continued to discover countless orc corpses. Some had frozen to death, while others had been torn to pieces by ice troll attacks. They were conspicuous enough to be noticed every time the party crossed a mountain pass.

Considering that ice trolls generally buried their prey beneath the snow, the number of orc casualties had to be several times greater than the bodies they had discovered. But why had the orcs suffered such a mass slaughter in the frigid land of Northwood? One thing was certain: a large force of orc warriors had passed along this route only a short while ago.

“What kind of trap has that Verkis bastard laid, exactly?”

Daymon looked around with wary eyes. But there was nothing to be seen. As Daymon stood lost in thought, Krovitz approached him.

“Judging by the footprints and traces, it appears that a massive force numbering nearly ten thousand passed through here. Even excluding the corpses we’ve discovered so far, he should still have a great many soldiers left.”

“That would seem so. In any case, that Verkis fellow is utterly wicked. He drove even the orc tribe that worships him into Northwood, only to have them slaughtered en masse……….”

“It seems he has devised some sort of sinister scheme, but please do not worry. No matter how numerous the orc warriors may be, they cannot possibly stand against the hero party.”

At Krovitz’s words, Daymon silently shook his head.

“They probably won’t confront us head-on. Verkis is an exceedingly clever bastard. He is certainly not the kind of man to lay an obvious trap in plain sight.”

“……….”

“Let us set the troops moving for now. Whatever trap he may have prepared, we must break through it head-on.”

Krovitz bowed without another word.

“Understood.”