Chapter 148

Chapter 148

Dragon.

The strongest lifeform acknowledged by all.

A single Red Dragon once obliterated the capital city of ‘Tempern’, the legendary empire ‘Hairan’ that enjoyed glory long ago, in a single day, setting the empire on the path to ruin.

Because of this, humans have feared dragons since ancient times, often equating them with gods and offering sacrifices.

To conduct an in-depth study of such dragons, this author endeavored to examine the dragon species from multiple angles while objectively investigating various historical records, dragon legends passed down through numerous kingdoms, and actual dragon habitats.

…(omitted)…

Dragons are classified by age.

1–500 years old: Hatchling

500–2,000 years: Elder Dragon

2,000–5,000 years: Worm-grade

5,000+ years old: Ancient (Ancient Dragon)

This classification is based on the significant increase in a dragon’s mana reserves upon reaching certain milestones as it ages.

While some regions further subdivide these grades or place little significance on them, my research indicates they are generally classified as above.

Their strength has been established to a certain degree through cross-verification of thousands of documents, as follows:

Hetzling: Equivalent to over 30 knights with aura user-level power and over 5 formal mages.

Seongryong: At least one Master-level knight, over 100 Oru User-level knights, and at least 10 Advanced Mages.

Worm-class: At least one grand master-level knight, at least ten master-level knights, and at least one hundred aura user-level knights. At least one archmage and at least fifty formal mage-level individuals.

Ancient: Unmeasurable (For Ancient Dragons, only the name appears in some sources with no proper information available)

…(omitted)…

‘The book’s information was relatively accurate.’

Dojae was crossing the plains with Titan Harques.

Judging by the mountain range visible in the distance gradually drawing nearer, they should reach the foothills before sunset.

‘Back then, he said Briasilius’s skill hadn’t quite reached the level of a newly hatched dragon. In his current state, challenging a full-fledged dragon might be a bit much.’

Dojae recalled the conversation he had with Briasius after their fight and compared it to the dragon they were seeking.

According to Harques, the dragon dwelling in the mountain range was a Sacred Dragon-class.

They were clearly far stronger than the current Briasius.

However, dragons also varied in strength depending on their species.

Red dragons like Briasius are adept at fire magic and primarily use destructive spells, while green dragons and gold dragons are relatively skilled in nature-based magic.

Particularly gold dragons, to borrow Briasius’ words, were said to possess a strong ‘otaku’ disposition. Their personalities were exceptionally individualistic, to the point they didn’t get along well even within their own species.

“Well, I wasn’t fighting at full strength either. Back then, I didn’t want to risk getting hit by magic and shattering a magic stone, so I didn’t pull it out.”

Even if a battle against a dragon-class Gold Dragon were to occur, he wouldn’t fight like he did against Briasius.

The golem armor in its giant form was merely a demonstration. Considering various efficiencies, it remains a capability too burdensome for practical combat use at this stage.

Dojai had golems that offered far better cost-effectiveness. Had he deployed them then, even accepting some damage, he could have won the fight much more easily.

“Harkes. Any other information you know? Like his personality?”

“He didn’t say. Just that he’s vicious.”

“No, not that. Like, is he more lenient towards certain races? Or does he favor any particular race?”

“I’ve never heard. Information on dragons is extremely scarce. Just knowing a dragon exists here is immense intelligence. I never neglect my warrior training, but I also constantly strive to build my knowledge. That’s why I know where dragons dwell—another warrior wouldn’t have known.”

Dojae listened quietly to Harques’ words, then lifted his head to look up.

Clunk.

“…You’re not nervous, are you?”

“No way. Gulp.”

“Looks like you are nervous after all.”

Dojae grinned and leaped off the Giant Horse.

“What are you doing?”

“You, can you fight on top of the Giant Horse?”

“…Yes.”

An obvious lie.

There was no way a Titan of that size would fight while riding a gentle animal like a horse, and the violent Giant Horse would be difficult to control at will.

Ultimately, it meant the Titans weren’t a race accustomed to mounted combat.

“You really suck at lying. Get down. We’re about to start fighting.”

Dojae drew his black-scaled sword and began advancing.

The creatures sensed in the distance were monsters of at least Grade 5 or higher.

Dragging the Giant Horse along would only make us their prey.

“What are you doing! Aren’t you coming?”

“Wait! If we leave this guy behind like this…”

“Even if we take it, it’ll only be a dragon’s snack.”

Dojae stopped and waited for Harques.

He watched the giant horse for a moment, then, as if resolved, loosened the reins.

Thwack!

He struck the giant horse’s hindquarters hard, and it bolted off in the opposite direction of the mountain range.

Harques walked over to Dojae with a displeased look.

“How did you tame that beast… Do you know how much it costs to raise just one?”

“Here.”

Dojae pulls a pouch from his pocket and places it in Harques’ hand.

Harques struggled to untie the string with his thick fingers, then peered inside the pouch and gasped in shock.

“This… this much gold…”

Dojae handed Harques all the gold coins he had left behind from his previous visit.

Judging by his reaction, this amount seemed more than enough to raise a giant horse.

“Is that alright? Now, let’s leave our regrets behind and go.”

“Hmph. Can I truly trust you?”

“If you want to make the village safe as soon as possible?”

“Let’s say, for the sake of argument, we somehow make it to the dragon. Then what?”

“We ask. Ask it to use teleportation magic.”

Dojae said it as if it were nothing.

Because, truth be told, he had no plan at all.

He never planned to meet the dragon in the first place.

If they met and the conversation went well, they could get teleportation help to quickly meet Elatra and head north to meet Eurabia.

If not, they could flee. If that wasn’t possible, they’d have no choice but to fight.

‘If push comes to shove, I’ll make a golem with the dragon heart. It’ll be a massive beast.’

Dojai entered the densely forested area with confidence.

All the while listening to Harques’ pointless worries.

“I don’t care! If the dragon refuses my request, I’ll run straight away. No matter what happens to you! I have a village and a child to protect! I can’t die here!”

“Alright, alright.”

***

Grrrr-.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Inside a vast cavern.

In the dark hollow, only heavy breathing sounds regularly.

Flutter-.

Occasionally, the tip of its curled tail twitches, lightly tapping the floor.

Is it dreaming of something?

Beneath the tightly closed eyelids, the pupils dart back and forth.

How much time had passed like this?

Its body twitches slightly.

“Grrr…”

A loud cry escaped from the slightly parted lips, echoing through the hollow.

The twitching muscles stopped, and the body slowly rose.

Thud!

“Grr…”

Its head slammed into the ceiling, causing the cavern to shake violently as dust and rocks rained down.

Startled, it snapped its long neck back and tightly folded its wings, which had been awkwardly spread.

Whoosh-.

Bright light filled the hollow.

Its tightly packed body gradually shrank, and its thick, long tail retracted completely. Its short arms stretched out, reaching down to its waist.

Soon, the body that had been a dragon’s form was complete in human shape.

“Haaam…”

Herteias, the dragon who had polymorphed into a human.

He stretched his limbs fully, then muttered in the continent’s common tongue as he opened a door mounted on the wall and stepped into the wide chamber.

Inside was a space of a size comfortable for an ordinary human to live in.

Of course, judging by the luxurious furniture and decorations made of gold and silver, it resembled the home of a wealthy merchant or noble rather than an ordinary human.

“Hmm… just as I remembered…”

Herteias, having brewed the tea, inhaled its subtle aroma and wore a satisfied expression.

Though nearly 500 years old, the tea leaves preserved by magic still held a rich flavor and aroma.

“I should be searching for new rare items… but it’s such a hassle…”

Herteias gazed into the hall through the open door.

The moment he awoke, torches placed throughout the chamber lit up, flooding the space with bright light.

However, given its sheer size, most areas remained shrouded in shadow.

“Still, if I just curl up a bit, it should be usable for a while, right? And finding a rare this good is hard enough. If I bring a few of those guys over and just do a little expansion work, it should last another two thousand years.”

Herteias nodded and lifted his teacup again.

Building a rare wasn’t something he did himself; he could bring in dwarves and have them work for a few years, and they’d whip up an even bigger one in no time.

But finding a space suitable for a lair was work in itself, and he didn’t particularly fancy moving, given how much he liked the climate here.

“Anyway, who the hell is messing around in my territory?”

Hertheias sipped his tea, reading the mana outside the lair.

Before entering hibernation, he’d released monsters around the rare to deter troublesome pests, then fallen asleep. Now, some audacious creature was hunting down his familiars.

“One is a nobody, but the other… a Hetzling? It feels somewhat familiar too…”

Two distinct, alien auras permeated among his familiars.

One possessed mana so weak it wouldn’t even scratch his claws, while the other wielded mana on par with a Hetzling.

If it was born while he slept, it might not know who the master of these mountains is.

Still, a Hetzling should be under its parents’ care, receiving training. They wouldn’t send it out alone outside the lair. So why is it wandering around by itself?

Herteias decided he had to see this child with his own eyes.

“Who the hell is its father that it hasn’t been properly trained? Anyway, what a brat! Disturbing an elder’s peaceful sleep? It needs a good scolding.”

Herteias rose from his seat, his voice tinged with irritation as he spoke after finishing half his tea.

It was almost time for him to wake from hibernation, but he still had about a year or two left.

Being woken up right before you were about to rise was the most irritating and infuriating thing.

Herteias used teleportation to head toward the uninvited guests.