Chapter 149

Chapter 149

“What the hell kind of monsters are appearing all mixed up like this?”

“They’re not just monsters. They’ve become the dragon’s familiars.”

Dojae and Harques conversed while swinging their swords.

If Dojae’s sword strikes were sharp and precise, Harques’ were wide-ranging and heavy.

Whoosh-!

Harkes’s pole-sized greatsword sliced through monsters, trees, and rocks indiscriminately.

Swoosh-!

Doja sliced through the monster that had been flung away with his black-scaled blade.

Their battle was less about hunting the swarming monsters and more like carving a four-lane highway through the mountainside.

“But will the dragon really appear if we do this?”

“Wouldn’t you go out if someone was causing a ruckus right in front of your house?”

Dojae said this as he began tearing up the ground.

Trees were uprooted, and rocks firmly embedded in the ground tumbled down.

You’d have to make this much of a racket for some lunatic to come out and see what the hell is going on.

“Whoa, watch out!”

A boulder the size of a house rolled toward Harques at high speed.

CRASH!

“Harkes?”

The boulder rolled right through Harques and kept tumbling down.

Dojae called out to Harques in disbelief, but his worry was unfounded.

Roll-roll-roll-.

Thud- thud-.

After rolling down a few more meters, the boulder gradually split into two pieces, then completely broke apart and came to a stop.

Then, looking back at where Harques had been, it stared at him, asking why he had called.

“No! Keep going!”

Harques, gripping the handles tightly with both hands, was a formidable warrior capable of cleanly splitting even a massive boulder in two.

Indeed, the greatest warrior of the Titans was different.

He had cleaved the rock with pure strength, without any aid from mana.

“How long must we keep doing this? Grr!”

As Harques swung his sword, he slipped slightly, allowing a monster to claw a wound into his chest.

While most monsters couldn’t even scratch a Titan’s skin, the claws and grip strength of a Grade 4 monster, the War Bear, could tear even a D-rank Hunter in half.

“Just hold on a little longer. Need help if it gets too tough?”

“I’m fine!”

“That wound looks pretty deep.”

“A wound like this is nothing!”

Dojae asked, noticing Harques looked slightly fatigued, but he firmly refused.

Titans seemed to have surprisingly little stamina for the power they possessed.

Dojae shrugged and refocused on the monsters before him.

Surprisingly, fighting amidst such a variety of monsters was beneficial for growth.

The experience points were quite substantial, and it was also good for boosting resistance. By mixing and using the skills appropriately, all skill levels rose by one stage each.

“Should we call it a day here?”

The surroundings had grown pitch-black before I knew it.

The number of monsters appearing had also dropped sharply, and still, no dragon had shown up.

“Huff… huff… I see.”

Harkes gasped for breath, his sword hanging limply at his side as if he might collapse any moment.

Monster corpses piled up like mountains just in front of him.

Somehow, the spot where Dojae and Harques had been standing had become a wide clearing, as if the mountainside had been carved away.

“Let’s spend the night here.”

Dojae plopped down anywhere.

Harkes approached and sat beside him.

“If we’d kept riding the Giant Horse, we would’ve reached the Kingdom of Jacques by now.”

Harques grumbled as he pulled a bottle of sticky liquid from his bag.

He dipped his fingertip into the liquid and began smearing it all over his body.

The blood droplets that had been slowly rising stopped immediately.

“Where is the Kingdom of Zak?”

“It’s the kingdom closest to our village. It’s one of the few places that maintains friendly relations with the Titans.”

“So if we make it there, we won’t have to sleep rough?”

“Of course. It would have been better than just sleeping rough. Better than wasting a whole day like this, wouldn’t you say?”

“It’s fine. I think we’ll see a dragon soon.”

“Same old line! Isn’t that just wishful thinking?”

“This time it’s real.”

Dojae gazed into the forest, where deep darkness spread out.

Moments ago, he had sensed a great power stirring.

It must have been the dragon’s.

It was certain he would meet the dragon soon.

“Anyway, how about we fill our bellies and catch our breath before that? It’s been quite a long day for me.”

“Understood…”

Dojae retrieved the provisions he had stored from Harques and handed them over, then slipped on the robe given to him by the Grey Elf girl, Sari.

This thick, warm robe was also perfectly suitable for use as a blanket.

***

Flash-!

The hour when dawn’s light began to brighten.

When darkness had not yet fully retreated.

Harques opened his eyes wide and slowly rose to his feet.

“…Something is coming.”

Harques gazed intently beyond the thick fog and removed the robe covering him.

Then, he slowly wiped the dew from the hilt of his greatsword inside the robe.

Having wiped it clean, Harques gripped the hilt tightly and called out to Dojae in a quiet voice.

“Kuhthan, rise.”

“Stay awake.”

Dojae was already leaning against a tree, arms crossed, gazing in the same direction as Harques.

Even with Harques’ keen senses, it was impossible not to feel the unfamiliar, immense energy emanating from Dojae, who now kept his golem nerves extended beyond a certain radius even during rest, let alone in his usual state.

“If it’s emitting such a ferocious aura… it can only be a dragon.”

“So, about that. I get that it’s scary, but how about putting that sword down? If I were them, seeing that wouldn’t exactly make me happy.”

“You have a point… I understand…”

Harques slowly lowered his sword.

Most humans would struggle to keep their wits about them in front of a dragon.

It was only because he was someone like Harques that he could think rationally and lower his sword.

Thud.

A small figure began to appear through the mist.

The figure approached neither slowly nor quickly, and gradually its form became clear.

“Human…?”

“No. Dragons possess magic that allows them to transform into other races.”

As day broke, the sunlight grew stronger and the fog slowly lifted.

Soon, the dragon arrived before Dojae and Harques.

“You’re not a Hetzling? What are you?”

The dragon spoke in the continent’s common language.

Dojae spoke to the dragon on behalf of Harques, who couldn’t understand.

“O exalted being. A lowly High Elf offers greetings.”

Doja bowed his head deeply toward the dragon.

One thing he’d heard from Briasilius.

That all dragons fall for flattery.

“High Elves? Hmph… Why do you stir up trouble within my domain?”

The dragon’s stern voice pressed down on Dojae and Harques.

The immense mana carried in each word made Harques flinch, and he did his best to avoid meeting the dragon’s gaze.

“We had no choice but to act thus. We humbly apologize for the somewhat drastic measures taken to seek an audience with your exalted presence. This is a small token of our respect.”

Dojae handed over the items he had prepared beforehand.

It was a camera.

A product of science that did not exist here.

“What is this?”

The dragon took the palm-sized camera and examined it from every angle.

Dojae slowly approached and showed him how to use it.

“You use it like this.”

Wheee-.

When Dojae turned it on, the LCD lit up, and soon the scene beyond the lens appeared.

“And when you press here…”

Click.

The scene captured Harques sweating profusely with a tense expression.

Dragon looked at the photo and said in a voice full of fascination.

“How marvelous. Such a clear image appears inside this small piece of iron. And in the blink of an eye!”

“We humbly ask for your gracious forgiveness for the wrong we have committed.”

“That is a matter I must consider. Killing my familiars is not something easily forgiven.”

The dragon feigned anger, glaring at Dojae.

Dojae bowed his head slightly, averting his gaze as he spoke.

“O exalted being. Before you punish us, may I speak one word?”

“Granted.”

The dragon replied while fiddling with the camera.

“Does Your Majesty know the Seekers?”

“Indeed. I am their agent and friend. How could I not know them?”

– Of course! Dragons have great memories, right? See? I was right. Herteias is an old friend of mine. It’s been ages… Tell him I’m glad to see him!

Luiden said in a cheerful voice.

The moment the dragon appeared, Luiden had spoken.

Since it was a dragon he had been close with, he suggested it speak of him.

“Seeker Luiden asks you to tell the Supreme Being it’s been a long time and that he’s glad to see him.”

“Is that so? That explains why you felt familiar. So you have brothers like Haydn and Louis behind you, do you?”

“That is correct. I humbly ask that you look upon the faces of the seekers and grant them forgiveness.”

“…Very well. I forgive you. What brings you to me?”

Dojae sighed in relief and raised his head.

Fortunately, thanks to Louisden, it ended without much fuss, but he had been prepared to fight Herteias in the worst-case scenario.

If it came to that, not only would time be wasted, but his life could have been in danger.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Would you consider traveling with us?”

Herteias flinched at Dojae’s words.

Harkes, standing behind him, also wore a look of profound bewilderment.

“How audacious! How dare a lowly being spout such preposterous nonsense!”

Herteias roared in anger.

The mana he had been subtly emanating surged even more violently, causing everything around him to tremble.

As the wind blew and the grass and trees trembled, Harques stumbled and took a step back.

“This is no nonsense. Does Your Highness not know how the continent currently operates? I am a subordinate of Gelahan, traveling to kill the renegades.”

“What? You mean those traitorous bastards have been resurrected?”

Whoosh.

Herteias’ mood instantly cooled.

The blowing wind stilled, and the surroundings fell silent.

“That is correct. I have heard that dragons are beings who protect the continent when it faces crisis. I implore you.”

Doja bowed his head once more.

The story that dragons protect the continent is actually a lie.

What was verified through Briasius was merely that they reluctantly step in when losing their living space becomes too bothersome.

It was merely a convenient justification created for appearances.

“Guardians… You know quite a lot.”

“Because I have a close dragon friend.”

“Oh? Is that so? What is his name?”

“His name is Briasilius. He’s a red dragon.”

“Oh…!”

Herteias’ expression brightened.

“Briasilius is also my friend! We roamed the continent together, enjoying our games. To be friends with that fellow… I’m starting to warm up to you a bit. Where is he now?”

Dojae cheered inwardly.

He never dreamed that dragon, who ate his meals and drained his money every day, could be of such help.

“I can explain that in due time. That is why I ask you to travel with us.”

Dojae looked straight into Herteias’s eyes, deep as an abyss, and spoke.

After a moment’s thought, Herteias gave a slight nod and replied.

“Very well. Human. I shall accompany you.”

“Thank you!”

Thanks to Louisden and Briasius, the matter of traveling with the dragon was resolved without major issues.

Dojae looked at Harques with satisfaction and gave him a thumbs-up.

But Harques merely tilted his head and muttered to himself.

“Human…?”