TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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Ian treated Salvador and the Knights of Saint Santiago with the utmost respect.
These knights were the ones he had forged a bond with during the manticore hunt in the past.
Both Salvador and Ian.
Except for the unexpected encounter in the southern Empire, the atmosphere was quite jovial.
"You seem to have grown even more since then," Salvador remarked.
"I've learned various new spells," Ian replied.
"No, no. Not your magic, I an your body seems to have grown more."
The robust old man, Sword Master Salvador, first noticed the change in Ian's appearance.
Back then, Ian certainly had a youthful face closer to that of a boy...
But now, he looked like a well-built young man by anyone's standards.
Salvador gazed at Ian with a fond smile.
Even a brief encounter can form a connection. Seeing an acquaintance from the past grow up healthy filled him with warmth, like eting a long-lost grandchild.
"If you co down to the Coral Sea, I could introduce you to my granddaughter..."
"I appreciate the sentint, sir."
After exchanging dieval-style greetings (read: marriage proposals), Ian shared a glass of wine with Salvador and chatted.
"Have you been well?" Ian asked.
"As well as one can be, I suppose."
Salvador proudly held out a foul-slling bundle.
Inside the bundle were countless severed monster body parts.
All were from beasts hunted by the Knights of Saint Santiago, collected as hunting trophies.
"We hunted monsters, recruited new mbers, and occasionally took on requests from nobles as we traveled the Empire."
More than half of the Saint Santiago Knights were unfamiliar faces to Ian.
So had left due to death or injury, or found new lords and settled down.
"It puts my mind at ease to see you've been doing well too."
Ian also gave a brief summary of his journey so far.
"You went to the land of barbarians?" Salvador asked, surprised.
"Yes, I made a quick trip to rescue Takarion."
"What!"
Salvador was genuinely shocked.
"You an to say you rescued [Golden Finger Takarion]?"
"Well, yes. That's how it turned out."
Salvador whispered his question.
"... Then, do you have a gospel book with Takarion's personal signature...?"
"Old man, are you perhaps a fan of Takarion?"
"Ahem! Hmph! No! What do you take for! How could I possibly like such a frivolous and preposterous gospel!"
"..."
"M-my granddaughter is quite fond of Takarion's gospel..."
Ian rummaged through his belongings and pulled out [The Gospel of Marcus].
It was a book that Takarion had forcefully given him as a nto before leaving the Blue Key Monastery.
dieval books were expensive and rare, so Ian had been carrying it around as a refundable item.
"No! This is! A first edition of the Gospel of Marcus?! And with Takarion's own handwriting!"
"Old man?"
"I-I rember it because I hate it so much! Tsk tsk! Young people these days treat faith like casual entertainnt!"
"Ah. You hate it? I was going to give it to you as a gift..."
"... I hate it, but my granddaughter really likes it..."
Ian smiled and held out the Gospel of Marcus.
"Then take it for your granddaughter."
"... Ian, my boy. Have you ever thought about marrying my granddaughter? If it's a son-in-law like you..."
"Oh co on, I said no."
Ian thought as he watched Salvador grinning from ear to ear.
Takarion, you terrifying bastard.
You've even turned a Sword Master into a fan...!
It wasn't that strange for Salvador to like the gospel.
If he wasn't interested in faith, he wouldn't be traveling with the monastic order of Saint Santiago.
The reason for accompanying the monastic order was likely a strong sense of atonent for sins committed in his youth.
After exchanging greetings, Ian soon got to the point.
"So, Salvador? What brings you to Baron Vincent's domain?"
As far as Ian knew, there were no famous monsters in this area.
There was no reason for Salvador and the Knights of Saint Santiago to visit.
It was even less likely that they ca because of the war.
The Knights of Saint Santiago were an order dedicated to serving humanity, after all.
At Ian's question, Salvador's expression turned serious.
"I was planning to return to my holand after finishing my hunt in the south."
Salvador's holand would be near the Coral Sea, further south.
"But... a certain wizard warned of a threat looming over the Empire."
"What wizard?"
"A wizard nad Gerard."
"..."
Damn. Space-ti wizards again.
Ian felt a throbbing in his head.
Gerard. Where the hell are you wandering around and what are you doing?
"Ian, my boy. Are you aware that the Duchy of Araz is under attack right now?"
"...? This is the first I'm hearing of it."
'Duchy of Araz' was a general term used by imperials to refer to Duke Araz's sphere of influence.
Ian briefly recalled the map of the Empire.
The forces bordering the Duchy of Araz were limited to the barbarian forces in the north and the Kingdom of Roland in the west.
Of course, if you include the Empire's Five Dukes, the Duchies of Fargar and Gazous would also border it.
But the Empire's Five Dukes are allies, right?
Since he hadn't heard any news of a civil war breaking out, the forces that could attack the Duchy of Araz were extrely limited.
"Don't tell the Kingdom of Roland has invaded?"
Ian offered a rational conclusion through the process of elimination.
Barbarian attacks were a regular occurrence, so there was no reason for Salvador to make a fuss about it.
That left only an invasion by the Kingdom of Roland.
"No, that's not it."
However, Salvador shook his head.
"The one attacking the Duchy of Araz is... a dragon."
"???"
Ian was so surprised he slightly opened his mouth.
F*ck, a dragon?
What is this, so old fairy tale? A dragon invading a kingdom?
Salvador spoke gravely.
"The black dragon of calamity is attacking the Duchy of Araz."
"Is its na Mila... sothing?"
"...? No, it wasn't a na like that."
I almost told him to summon the Blue Star[1].
As Ian was having these bitter thoughts, Salvador spoke.
"Right. Predius... that was the na."
"Predius...?"
Ian tilted his head.
That na, I feel like I've heard it sowhere before.
"Ah."
Ian recalled a mory from the end of his northern journey.
The being that stole the Mountain King's treasure and ultimately led to the Mountain King's death.
The black dragon Predius.
'Has that bastard crossed over to the Empire?'
Coincidentally, it was a monster within Ian's range of interest.
The treasure it stole after killing the Mountain King contained power that could strengthen Anor-lsil.
"It's a cruel and greedy beast. Already three baronies and one county have fallen victim."
Salvador's voice lowered.
Ian instinctively recognized the ominousness in that voice.
"... Are there any domains I might know?"
Salvador nodded heavily.
"There's the County of Catina."
That was, as expected, extrely ominous news.
---
---
The County of Catina was the land where Ian and the Knights of Saint Santiago had been invited after defeating the manticore in the past.
It was also the land ruled by Lucy Talian's uncle.
'Catina... has fallen?'
The news Salvador brought was certainly shocking.
To think that the County of Catina had been plundered by the black dragon Predius...
Ian asked, hoping against hope.
"Salvador. What about the Barony of Talian...?"
"I haven't heard any rumors yet."
So, rumors of it being plundered haven't spread yet.
It's just that rumors haven't spread, but it might have already been attacked by the dragon.
"Right. You were close with that cute young lady."
"..."
The face of a certain noblewoman flashed through Ian's mind.
Her with beautiful dark blue hair and bright yellow eyes.
Lucy.
The girl who took Ian's first kiss, as close to a lover as one could be.
The Barony of Talian was located close enough to the County of Catina to be called neighbors.
Moreover, Talian was where the fairies contracted to Ian were producing Fairy Silk as a specialty product(?).
And now, to hear that the County of Catina had been attacked by a black dragon.
"Salvador. What about the County of Edward?"
"I haven't heard anything about that place either. I suppose it's probably safe?"
The County of Edward was Ian's true holand.
The land where his father, mother, siblings, and little sister lived peacefully.
'... That's a relief.'
Ian could easily calculate the black dragon's range of activity.
It must have made its lair near the [Golden Mountains] where he had once built a house and lived with Eredith.
If so, the County of Edward should be safe for the ti being.
The problem was the Barony of Talian.
The probability of it being attacked by the black dragon was too high.
'Lucy.'
Ian had promised Lucy he would return once his journey was over.
But if he went back to Talian...
Would a pile of ashes greet him?
'...'
Just imagining it pissed him off.
'F*cking black dragon bastard.'
No, in this vast empire, why the hell did it have to build its nest in the Golden Mountains?
And what did that dragon-headed bastard plan to do after collecting all that treasure? Could it buy pizza with it?
Ian felt his hostility towards the black dragon growing rapidly.
If it had ssed with lands unrelated to Ian, he might have considered turning a blind eye.
Dragons were MAX level dangerous lunatics, and it was generally better not to ss with them if possible.
But if it touched Lucy's and his parents' lands...
He was more than willing to pluck its wings and make dragon nuggets.
"Ian, my boy."
Salvador paused for a mont before speaking.
"I'm thinking of heading up to the Duchy of Araz like this and eting with Duke Araz."
"The Duke?"
If an aging rcenary said he was going to et an Imperial Duke, he'd imdiately beco a laughingstock.
But Salvador was the Empire's greatest warrior, honored with the title of [Sword Master] by the late emperor.
Duke Araz would certainly et with Salvador.
"Then Salvador is..."
"That's right. I intend to vanquish the black dragon along with righteous young people."
"...!"
Salvador and the Knights of Saint Santiago were an order of knights specializing in hunting monsters.
And now, they were about to challenge a dragon, which could be considered the apex of monsters.
"Fighting a dragon will be extrely dangerous. We certainly can't guarantee our lives, and every mont will be fraught with peril."
"..."
"So Ian, I know it's an unreasonable request."
Salvador extended his hand to Ian.
"Would you lend your magic to the young people who will shed blood and sweat?"
Ian imdiately grasped Salvador's hand.
The advice of the space-ti wizard Gerard didn't even cross his mind.
This was a golden opportunity.
Salvador and his knights. Add to that the substantial support of Duke Araz, and it was enough to take on even a dragon!
'I'm going to take that dragon's head.'
Let's beco a dragon-slayer while we're at it. F*ck yeah.
"If my magic can be of help, by all ans."
When Ian answered decisively, Salvador broke into a broad smile.
'As expected of a righteous young man!'
---
[1. raei: anyone know what Mila and blue star is a reference to?]s
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