Ankoku Kishi Monogatari ~Yuusha wo Taosu Tameni Maou ni Shoukansaremashita~ Chapter 19.1: Under the Skies of Nargol

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◆ Dark Knight Runfeld

「It’s so quiet nowadays, isn’t it Runfeld-sama?」

The dark knight who is riding on his own wyvern is saying so with a carefree voice.

「Don’t let down your guard. There’s a chance that the information about the annihilation of those holy knight chaps is a fake information. Let’s continue with our usual patrol」

When I’m cautioning so, the dragon is flying on top of the mountain, the boundary region of Nargol. When I glance behind, I can see the knights following after .

「As I thought, rebuilding our force is a tough task, huh…」

I mutter those words which isn’t an to anyone.

More than half of the dark knights were killed in the battle against the hero a while ago. Even the survivors were bearing a wound or two.

In the first place, the people who possess enough aptitude to beco a dark knight is scarce even amongst the demon race; it is even more so for one capable of riding a wyvern. Almost all of the skilled knights have been done in by the hero. The only one who remained right now is the one who can get on the wyvern.

Currently, the number of the dark knights who can be dispatched is no more than twenty. It’s an urgent matter that entirely depends on to rebuild the chivalric order of dark knights.

Those holy knights of Elios were frequently trespassing the boundary lately.

When thinking about that, my head is filled with fury.

But then, they keep insisting that the skies of the entire world belong to the gods of Elios. It’s us who are violating the airspace rules despite flying in Nargol territory.

Naturally, I have no intention to approve their claims.

Though they approached the boundaries of Nargol ti and ti again before the coming of the hero, they never invaded into Nargol territory. And then, those guys started to invade Nargol territory almost everyday after the chivalric order of dark knights was almost annihilated by the hero.

They are trespassing into our airspace as if to mock us.

Though we advise them to leave, they act as if they don’t hear us, so we have no choice but to watch them in silence due to our lack of war potential.

But, even their airspace violation was finally put to an end two days ago. Moreover, when I think about the person who is the main reason for that, I feel nothing but pure fear spring inside .

Our patrol also ended peacefully for this reason.

「Yosh, let’s go back to the fortress!!!」

The wyvern circles around upon my order. It maintained its altitude on top of the Akeron mountain, the natural dividing barrier between the human world and Nargol.

After continuing to fly in this way for so ti, I can see the fort on top of the mountain range.

This fort is built for the sake of protecting Nargol from Elios. We land on the wide space in the middle of the fort.

「Welco back, Runfeld-sama」

I entrust my wyvern to my subordinate coming out from the fort. I start walking toward my residence located inside the fort.

「Father!!!」

「Dear father!!!」

Two kids appear from the fort.

「Reyli, Reyfaldo!!Why are you in this place?」

My kids rush toward .

Reyfaldo is a boy who will turn 120 years old this year while Reyli is a girl who will turn 90 years old this year. Both of them are my children. They should have been near the demon king castle, since the demon race village is around its vicinity.

「It’s because mother wants to help father」

「Yes, mother wants us to help father in order for us to beco a knight in the future」

Reyli and Reyfaldo reply as such.

「I see…」

In fact, we’re experiencing a shortage of personnel in the fort right now. Anyhow, as a matter of fact, even the people we recruited in the previous battle included non-combatants. Currently, we were even willing to go as far as asking a helping hand from a passing by cat. But now, I’m hestitating whether it’s okay to let my two kids in the fort as it is.

「Please father. Please let [Boku]… No, please permit [Watashi] get on the wyvern」

「Reyli too wants to do the sa!」

I’m troubled up on hearing their words. Excluding the sortie for battles, the miscellaneous matters of the fort were nurous. Maybe there’s so job that can be done even by children.

Maybe it’s okay to slowly give them a job related to becoming a knight, especially to Reyfaldo.

It was when I was considering about such matters.

The wyvern house suddenly beca noisy.

「What! ! Just happened! ! 」

I’m asking my subordinate who’s in charge of the wyvern house.

「I don’t know!!The wyverns have suddenly beco restless!!」

My subordinate is desperate, and he’s still trying to appease the wyverns.

「RUNFELD-SAMA!!IT’S AN ERGENCY!!」

A knight on watch duty in the tower is raising his voice with a confused tone.

「WHAT’S THE MATTER!!」

「IT’S A DRAGON!!A DRAGON… IS HEADING TOWARD US!!」

I’m looking toward the direction in the sky where the knight is pointing his finger at. Sothing that’s flying like a bird is present in the sky where he is pointing at. The one flying at a distance isn’t a wyvern – it’s a dragon.

「What should we do, Runfeld-sama!!」

When I look around, the soldiers of the fort are holding crossbows and arrows in preparations to face a dragon.

「PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!!DON’T POINT YOUR CROSSBOWS TOWARD THE DRAGON!!」

The knights are questioning my order.

「Why we have to drop our weapon, Runfeld-sama?!」

「JUST LISTEN TO AND DON’T QUESTION IT!!GATHER EVERYONE!!」

If it’s really as I imagined, that dragon isn’t hostile toward us.

All of the people in the fort have been gathered.

The dragon is nearing the fort at a terrifying velocity. When it cos close, the dragon is howling.

「UWAAAAAAAAA!!」

「Dear father!!」

「Father!!」

Several of my subordinates lost their posture due to fear, and Reyfaldo and Reyli are clinging onto my legs. The howling of a true dragon is imbued with fear magic. People who can’t resist it won’t be able to move their body due to fear.

My emotions experienced another huge change when seeing a dragon from up close.

The dragon, whose body is many ti larger than our wyvern, is occupying the entire space in central plaza after landing down in the fort. It is a black dragon which lives in Akeron mountain range and once hailed as ‘Demon Dragon’. This dragon possesses a violent temper, and anyone who carelessly approaches it will beco the prey of it’s breath.

But, that’s only until yesterday.

When I run my gaze at the back of the dragon, a dark knight was sitting there.

=== === ===

Dark knight, Diehart.

Nargol’s hero who annihilated the chivalric order of dark knights a few days ago.

Diehart descends toward the fort.

「ALL MBERS, SALUTE!!!」

There are still so people who can’t stand due to fear and ignore my order. I bow my head while placing my hand on my chest.

「Lord Runfeld…. Such a thing is…」

Diehart unfastens his helt while saying so. Slender face with fair skin accompanied by black-colored hair.

To be honest, he looks like a man of gentle deanor; he’s nothing like an extrely strong individual. No matter how I look at him, he was a frail human being without any horn.

But, I must not let his appearance trick . The true form of this seemingly weak looking man is a monster.

He defeated that terrifying hero and then annihilated the chivalric order of holy knights.

And then, I look at Diehart’s armor. The armor worn by Diehart is the armor of black devil. The armor worn by every mber of dark knight is a weaker version derived from his armor.

And this man’s just nonchalantly wearing the armor which could be worn only by people with sufficient magic power. This hornless person can do sothing that the demon race’s unable to do. I’m frustrated just by thinking about it. This Diehart is currently soone who’s just below our king.

Humans are inferior living creatures. So demons have antipathy for being placed under this human. Naturally, such individuals also exist in this fort.

「Don’t mind it, your excellency is a hero after all!!」

Diehart is showing a troubled face after hearing my words. Diehart is not very good with being treated in such a way by soone who’s older than him. But, it doesn’t an that I can just show my impolite attitude when the one I’m facing is a monster-like existence who annihilated the chivalric order of holy knights single-handedly.

「What is your order today, your excellency? 」

My tone beca slightly stiff since, to be honest, I don’t want him to co to this fort.

「My apologies for arriving during such a hectic day, Lord Runfeld. I found you when I was practicing on riding Glorious, and…. I ca to express my gratitude for introducing the dragon. And while I’m at it, I also decided to take a look at the fort, since I was curious about the fort on the boundary」

Diehart is looking at the dragon when saying those words with a slight hestitation in his voice.

The na Glorious seemingly ans glory in Diehart’s world’s language. Truly an appropriate na for Diehart.

And then, the dragon nad as such was a dragon which was feared as demon dragon until yesterday. Diehart made this dragon his personal mount just yesterday.

Suddenly, I recall the events that happened yesterday.

I introduce about the demon dragon living in Akeron mountain range to Diehart when he wanted his own personal wyvern. That was sothing coming out of my own personal calculations. Even the demon race has a hard ti taming a wyvern, much less to say that it’s hundred-fold harder to have a true dragon as a personal mount.

Naturally, I thought that Diehart would also have a hard ti taming it.

At that ti, I said, 「Your excellency should be able to ride on a dragon, right?」with hints of sarcasm in my voice.

As a result, Diehart easily got a dragon for himself.

Nowadays, I feel miserable for saying those words with hint of sarcasm in my voice. And then, he ca to convey his gratitude to who spouted such sarcasm. I’m spitting on my miserable self.

「I’m unworthy of such gratitude…」

I’m saying so while looking at Diehart’s face. For so reason, Diehart is looking toward my feet.

When I follow his line of sight, I find Reyli and Reyfaldo continuing to clutch onto my legs.

「Children?」

Diehart questions about the children.

「Yes, these children have co to provide a helping hand for the fort…」

But, I couldn’t finish my line. Because I felt a strong pressure emanating from Diehart.

「Are you harassing children and forcing them to participate in battles? 」

His voice is completely different from his previously timid voice. This voice was extrely cold. My spine froze when I heard this voice.

「My deepest apologies, your excellency! We were experiencing shortage of soldiers after the battle against the hero…. My deepest apologies!!」

I apologise twice. But, Diehart beca calr when on hearing my words.

「No, my apologies, I’ve been too ignorant about your own situation…」

Diehart said in an apologetic manner.

I heave a grand sigh when Diehart’s pressure cald down.

This man is even more terrifying than the dragon behind him.

「They’re my children, Reyfaldo and Lely. Co and greet his excellency」

「Y-Your excellency, my na is Reyfaldo!!」

「M-My na is Lely, Diehart-sama!!」

Lely and Reyfaldo are giving their greetings while slightly fumbling with their words.