Chapter 129

Callius and Serena came out of the forest and walked back towards the town.

The night sky was dark.

The only sources of light were the lit torches inside the town, the pale moon and the scattered stars.

And in that darkness only the two of them walked.

Serena was pretending to be calm, but she wasn't the only one feeling awkward.

'Why did she suddenly want to become my servant?'

Callius was quite out of sorts.

Knowing someone was eavesdropping, he'd used Sullivian's divine magic to try out his newly acquired power, but when he caught the intruder, what exactly happened?

Why did he suddenly get another servant?

Glance.

When he looked back, Serena the elf was walking far behind, as she'd exclaimed she'd never even dare step foot on her master's shadow.

Callius was stunned at the sight of her that resembled nothing but a gentle sheep.

She'd declared that she'd become a servant, and he'd been left speechless, so he was just going back to the town...

She'd apparently considered this tacit permission on his part.

At first, he'd been wondering if she knew his true identity.

But a mere count of Carpe was not somebody who deserved this level of respect.

'I think she's misunderstood something.'

Callius didn't bother explaining.

Why stop a hero of the future from following him?

It was definitely more convenient than her becoming an obstacle.

Now, he was more interested in dealing with the magical power he'd acquired so recently.

'The fairies entered my elixir field.'

The fairies, who'd been dancing around Callius as if intoxicated by the scent of his magic, had begun to permeate into his body.

From there, to his divine passage, and finally to his elixir field, where they now lay dormant.

They didn't even sign a contract with him or anything, beforehand.

And that was what Callius was focused on.

To have the fairies in his possession without signing a contract - that was a very significant event.

They found satisfaction residing in Callius' body, and in return he could wield their power.

This was obviously an important variable, and it could make up for the lack of strength Callius was feeling so keenly.

Although his elixir field was getting crowded from how much stuff got keeping stuck inside it, there was no point in worrying about that.

[Instinctive Intuition] would sound the alarm if it ever got truly dangerous.

'Of course, the fairies who entered my elixir field won't be mine forever.'

They'd only taken shelter for a while, intoxicated by the bewitching scent.

Similar to a traveler who might take refuge under the eaves of your home to avoid the rain.

So Callius wasn't sure about when they might decide to leave.

Lesser fairies were children whose forms were unclear and whose egos had not yet been established.

Intermediate level fairies would fix their forms.

Each would have their own individuality.

As well as attribute.

'Serena's fairy must be intermediate level.'

The flames wrapped around her bow didn't spring from the power of God. They were created by natural energy.

So Callius had hope.

That he too could live in harmony with the fairies who'd decided to take up residence inside his elixir field, and grow together with them.

Then, like Serena, he too might one day be able to assimilate the power of the fairies into his swordsmanship.

But that would take a period of growth.

"Master."

"... What is it?"

"You probably already know, but a gloomy shadow has covered the town."

Callius looked over the town visible in the distance.

Even Callius, who was inching ever closer to the power of a Master, wasn't feeling anything.

That was how distant and how faint the disturbance must've been.

The elves' ears were special, so that might be how Serena was feeling it.

"Maybe it's the army coming to subdue the dragonkin people."

"They're faster than I thought."

Callius said very lightly.

Seeing this, Serena hurriedly knelt down on one knee.

"O Lord of the Skies. Please lend us your strength."

Lord of the Skies.

Callius wasn't ignorant enough to not know what it meant.

'Ah.'

The elf, Serena -

Had apparently mistaken him for a dragon.

She was making such a request that could be seen as quite rude.

Nevertheless, she was stalwart, because she thought Callius was a dragon.

'A dragon does not waver.'

Dragons didn't break their promises.

If one made a 'promise' after receiving a 'reward' -

The dragon would unflinchingly fulfill it.

Perhaps that mistaken impression now coloured all of Serena's actions.

'Hmm.'

But it didn't matter all that much.

Callius also wanted to try out his newly acquired power.

'Time to collect some of the debt the empire owes me.'

Besides, he was confident that he could at least protect himself in case danger arrived.

He even had the ring of Leteti, a relic of the Vira Tribe, so he could simply take to the skies and fly away whenever he wanted.

Above all, Callius wasn't about to reveal his identity here no matter what transpired, so it didn't matter.

"I'll go to the forest."

If he was going to have to fight, Callius decided that it'd be better to join the dragonkin tribesmen.

"You, bring Aldo over."

"Understood!"

A small look of joy flashed on Callius' face as he turned his back to the town.

Near the turn of dawn, when the night's dew was beginning to fall -

And even the moonlight had dimmed -

The grand princess put her legs up on the table inside the tavern, and folded her arms.

"Looks like he's already run away."

The knight giving the report was Bethan, from the principality.

Called Bethan the Guide.

"Even though I carefully hid our tracks, he noticed it first and disappeared. He's quicker than I thought, and smarter."

Princess Rebecca, sitting next to the princess, nodded her head as she commented.

Her face looked a tiny bit satisfied.

The grand princess' eyes narrowed.

"Are you feeling happy about that?"

"Grand Princess, please! It must be a matter of great regret to fail to catch a potential criminal of the empire and the principality."

Hmph.

That wasn't an explicit denial either.

"Do you really think that I can't tell?"

"Tell what?"

"... Forget it. Tch."

It was almost obvious.

It'd been like this since their childhood.

Even if she had nothing to hide, Princess Rebecca had an acquisitive fixation who'd resist having her toys taken away even if it killed her.

She must've been content that the man had run away.

Grand Princess Lavian didn't care for it, but it was hard for her to say anything.

Even though the other party was of a lower rank, she was still a princess of the principality. And Lavian wasn't exactly swimming in friends either. So she had no choice but to leave Rebecca be.

The grand princess rose from her seat and moved, her knights falling in place around her.

After that day -

The empire had decided to strengthen its internal order.

If she successfully completed this expedition, her position would become firm enough to withstand the coming turbulence.

Besides, the original purpose of coming here was to exterminate the lizards, not anything else.

'He must have some connection with the lizards.'

An eviction order has already been issued in his name.

Along with the saying that if he kept wandering around here, his head would be propped up on the tip of a spear.

But even so, the man didn't obey, and stayed only depending on the status as a pilgrim.

'If he's really connected with them, he must -'

Inevitably appear in her path.

Princess Rebecca's attitude made Lavian even more curious about the man's true identity.

"Sort yourselves out, you lot. The lizard hunt begins now!"

There didn't seem to be any harm in moving things a little faster.

In the first place -

If the man acted like a pilgrim, his level wouldn't be comparable with a Master.

So there was no need to be afraid.

"Woooooooooooooooooooooo!"

The shouts of the knights and soldiers resounded through the sky.

And they started running, straight towards the forest.

At the break of dawn, a large army, carrying a seemingly endless procession of torches, headed towards the swamp.

Pit-a-pat!

Crunch!

"Chief Philo!!"

A meeting of the tribal court, which had convened at dawn, was in progress.

But suddenly one of the tribesmen rushed into the cave, shouting.

"Balabune! What do you think you're doing?"

"There's trouble! Big trouble!"

His serious face made the tribal elders change their expressions.

"Surely not?!"

"The imperial princess is here with a large army!"

"How could that..."

"There must be traitors among us! How did the princess come to know of this place?"

That was then.

The clan chieftain -

Philomatour, spoke.

"It's not that important anymore. Since they've found us first and attacked our home, we should repay them."

"Oh, ooh!"

"As expected of the chieftain!"

"A model for young dragonkin everywhere."

The old men of the tribal court admired the cold rationality and incisive wisdom of the chieftain.

"Immediately form a team of elites, block their path, and dig a trap to lure them into. We can't compete in pure numbers. Drive the fear of the swap deep into the imperial princess' heart."

At Philomatour's solemn command, Balabune and the people of the court thumped their spears upon the ground.

"For the sake of our lost pride -

"I bid you, go!"

Pit-a-pat!

Philomatour's eyes, as he watched the crowd disappear, quietly began to droop.

Soon, his upright posture also relaxed to the fullest, and all strength seemed to escape him.

"My philosophy has always been to live as peacefully as a flowing river and to one day pass as calmly as a lamp is blown out..."

But why did the world have to bother him so much?

Philomatour took a deep breath.

Why was the clan always raring to fight?

Wouldn't it be nicer and more comfortable to just live in hiding somewhere else?

With that thought in mind, Philomatour stood up.

'My only chance to escape is now.'

Would he stand by as his clan died?

Did he not send them like lambs to the slaughter?

What a joke!

It was the people of the clan themselves, not him, who were eager to rush to their own deaths.

'The most annoying part was how I had to pretend I've forgotten everything.'

He had majestic scales, and two horns adorned his head.

But compared to the average dragonkin, he could truly be considered somewhat closer to humans. Because the shape of his arms and legs were closer to humans than a dragon.

As a result, he'd been secretly ostracized within his own clan.

As a being with thicker human blood -

His existence had been a mark of shame from the viewpoint of the clan members who were insecure about their diluted bloodline, about not being fully endowed with dragon blood.

He'd been called a disgusting abomination, more of a symbol of degeneration than a product of evolution, and that had been his place among the tribe.

But things had changed.

A great number of the clan's champions had been killed in successive battles, and Philomatour had come back from his pilgrimage as a powerhouse.

It was the clan that had degenerated.

They'd tried to ridicule him, but they did not doubt that Philomatour's power was the power of their ancestors, the dragons.

As if it was natural, he'd become the clan chief, burdened with the duty to lead them.

"It's not even a good joke. I'm just a criminal with a history of escaping."

Of course, he had the qualifications to lead them.

But he had no reason to.

So, the dragonkin people -

"- Will be destroyed."

Philomatour didn't feel any familiarity or a sense of belonging with these people.

He was neither a dragonking nor a human, and he didn't belong anywhere.

'I shouldn't have come back.'

He should've just kept adventuring with them.

He shouldn't have halted his pilgrimage.

He'd come back here for no reason.

Indeed, and therefore -

"Let's go."

It didn't matter what happed to the tribe.

There was no luggage to carry along.

Just a spear.

That was enough.

Philomatour came out of the cave.

His determination was firm, and his steps were light.

He could go anywhere his feet took him -

"Chief..."

"I-, it's the chief!"

"Chief, have you seen Uncle?"

A gaggle of children rushed at him, squealing.

These little children were the future of the dragonkin people.

Soon, they'd face a cruel reality.

"You idiots, the enemy is already here!"

"What enemy?"

"I don't know either. Chief, who's your enemy?"

"..."

"It'll be fine, the chief will deal with then. Uncle told me, the chief is our greatest and strongest warrior!"

Philomatour's face wrinkled.

"Damn it all."

Creeeeak.

His spear groaned in protest under his tightened grip.

"You lot, hide!"

Step!

As he jumped off the slope of the hill, Philomatour's form vanished in an instant, and he quickly passed the forest and headed for the swamp.

The strength of his legs far surpassed human norms, no matter how they looked.

The spear in his hand blazed with power so fiercely as if it could pierce anything.

But there was still hesitation in his heart.

Just -

As usual -

"I want to run away."

Like a lizard running away after cutting off its own tail.

He just wanted to escape.

He wasn't a human, he was just a lizard, right?

But now in front him was a choice.

Whether to remain as a lizard, crawling upon this earth?

Or to soar as a dragon?

"Are you thinking of running away? Not that I care."

"...!"

Flinch!

Philomatour's form, which had been speeding through the bushes, came to an abrupt halt.

Screech!

A furrow was dug into the ground along his trail as he bled off his momentum, and his spear reflexively stabbed out.

Woooo...!

His blow tore through the air.

Spang!

The shockwave headed unerringly towards the source of the voice.

Claaang-!!

A great hammer stopped the blow in its tracks.

"Philo!"

"Aldo!?"

Why was he here?

A smile appeared on Philomatour's face despite all his confusion.

Aldo and Serena -

Seeing their faces relieved some of his tension. But he didn't fully lower his guard.

Because beside the two, there was a third, arrogantly surveying the scene.

'... What?'

The divine power Philomatour could feel from the newcomer was weak.

However, somehow his presence felt like a font of immeasurable power.

Although the newcomer's whole body was covered in a pure white robe that hid his identity, Philomatour instinctively realized that this was by no means a weak existence.

"He is the one who will help you."

"He's like a colleague."

Philomatour's throat twitched at the sight of Aldo and Serena grinning.

- Aaaaaaahhh!

Claaang!

The battle was already in full swing.

"Nice to meet you. But I don't think now is the time for a chat."

"Yeah, that's why we..."

Just when Aldo was about to say something -

"I will keep my promise. I've been paid for it."

The newcomer's hand moved.

An unsettling purple energy drew elegant letters in the air.

"Venerating Treasure of the Three Beliefs - Web Edict (網敎)."

Crackackackackackackack!

The whole swamp was dyed with a purple hue.

Something hidden in the swamp emitted an intense purple light.

The burst of purple energy quickly spread out, becoming a net that covered all directions.

"Ugh!"

"Wh-, what is this!"

The imperial knights were now drowning in the swamp. The dragonkin people did not miss this opportunity. They aimed their spears and stabbed any enemy they could reach.

Aaaaahhhh!

The imperials' screams echoed.

"Impossible..."

Lost for words to describe this grand reversal, Philomatour turned his head to the progenitor of this tragedy.

"If you want to run away, go. A stumbling ally is more dangerous than any enemy could ever be."

Rustle.

The hood came off.

Purple eyes looked down on him, bearing a frosty chill that seemed like it could freeze everything in sight.

The moment he witnessed them -

Philomatour felt a strong urge.

He now really wanted to run.

Editor's Notes:

None for this chapter.