Prologue
Duchess Corasell's manor is quite big; a half square kilometer. Everyone's first time visiting this place could get lost in minutes. Following the red carpet will only lead you to the main office of the duchess. There are plenty of rooms in the hallway, which makes me wonder one thing; which one is the rest room?
There are dragon statues everywhere. Two beside the stairs, one after each door alternately, and the sigil of this house is a golden dragon silhouette in a red background. Duchess Corasell is known for being kind to dragonoids. All her household assistants are dragonoids, including the butler beside me.
"State you name." He asked me. He glared me with his red eyes, maybe because of some suspicion. This butler is an old man with white hair and mustache.
"Amphere Harrison, Dragon Knight 3rd Class."
"It's not obvious that you are one of those glorious dragon knights." He said. This guy is grinding my gears.
"If you don't want to believe me, you can return me back to the academy immediately." I'm slightly pissed that a dragonoid like him thinks lowly of me.
The butler ignored me and walked forward, and I followed him. We reached the door of the duchess office in no time. The gigantic three feet wooden door has their golden dragon sigil molded in it. The butler opened it slowly and it revealed the office: just a regular tidy place which comprises of bookshelves on the walls, and a desk on the center.
A girl that looks like in twelve years of age was there, dressed with glamorous pink childish gown. She has hazelnut brown hair and eyes in a childlike face. She is indeed the young duchess, Marieflorine Corasell. You can call me redundant, but did you know that the duchess was a child!?
"Is this the dragon knight Sir Wraith recommended to be my bodyguard?" the duchess asked the butler.
The butler bowed in a gentleman-like manner and said. "Yes, milady."
"You must be Sir Harrison." She stayed on her seat, ticking her fingers on the table impatiently. "I requested the Dragon Knight Academy for a temporary replacement to my Dragon Knight, which is currently ill. You will have to stay here for one or two weeks, until my Dragon Knight fully recovers." That lady is just as arrogant as I know her from rumors.
"I-It will be an honor for me to protect you, milady…" I bowed.
"Yeah, it is! You should be proud of yourself just by letting you disgusting dragon knights inside my office!"
I already concluded that I will never enjoy working in this place.
"By the way, where is your dragonoid?" the duchess asked curiously. "Aren't you supposed to come with your partner?"
"P-Partner?" I stuttered.
Bollocks! I forgot that my dragonoid was buying fish pancakes in the square, and I left her thirty minutes ago! I hope she won't get lost… I also hope that the duchess won't think of me as a terrible dragon knight…
"She's doing some errands, and she should be here in any minute…" I forced a smile.
"Well then…" The duchess cooled herself with a brand new pink fan. "Sebastian, please tour him inside the mansion."
"Yes, milady!" the butler bowed again.
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion! The ground shook for three seconds, and little debris from the ceiling fell down.
"W-What was that!?" the duchess shrieked.
The duchess, the butler and I dashed out of the room and went to the main hallway. There are four guards firing their rifles to a mysterious man in a black cloak. He is wearing a magician's hat, and he got a white mask covering the upper part of his face. The mysterious man flapped his cloak, which made a gust of wind that slowed and finally stopped the bullets from reaching him.
The bullet shells clinked to the porcelain floor. Beside the cloaked man's feet are several dragonoids bathing on their own blood. They don't seem dead, but their wounds appeared to be fatal due to some pierces on their body that has been oozing with red liquid.
Then, the cloaked man ran towards the guards. He withdrew his sword; a golden rapier from his waist and he is ready to pierce the first guard so I made my move immediately! I bolted forward and blocked his attack with my sword that has been stuck on my back; a glass-like sword which is covered by bluish laser on its blades.
This is my sword as a knight. The photon sword.
Our blades clashed and made an echoing clank. From this distance I sensed an enigmatic aura flowing through him. His strength is not normal.
"Heh!" the masquerade smirked. "Judging from your uniform and your impressive reflexes, you are a dragon knight!"
It should be obvious that I'm a dragon knight. I am wearing a white tuxedo having the sigil of wings and sword – the sigil of the Dragon Knight Academy. But… judging from this guy's ability, there's no mistaking it. This man is a dragon knight too!
The masquerade stepped back. His sword glowed in golden light and then made a blinding thrust towards me! In the nick of time, I parried his rapier with my sword. Then he dashed backward again, now with a safe distance.
"Now let's see if you can block this!" He shouted.
He bolted forward again with his shining rapier and made consecutive extraordinary thrust! Hundreds of golden streaks flew through me! I managed to parry and block other attacks, but I can't keep up with his fast strikes! He managed to scrape my cheek, my left leg and my right arm! If this continues, I will be caught off-guard and get killed!
I have to use this!
In a split second, I drew out the second photon saber hidden on my back and deflected the rapier to the side. With my right sword, I made an uppercut slash to send his rapier flying! He jumped backward to evade my third hack and went back to his safe distance again.
His rapier stuck in the ceiling. Seeing that, the masquerade clapped his hands and laughed.
"Bravo, mister dragon knight! Truly splendid! This is the first time I've seen someone like you!"
I sheathed my two swords back on my back. The duchess and the butler were impressed with my swordsmanship skills, but now they are wondering why I stopped pointing my sword towards the enemy. I sheathed my swords because I know that this guy is just playing with me. If it comes to it, I can use my fist for a close quarters combat because he's unarmed. It's a knight's honor to fight fair after all.
"I see. You're not the talker type." The masquerade was pertaining to me.
"Who are you!? What do you want!?" Duchess Corasell shouted.
"My apologies, young duchess." The man held his magician hat making a mystery pose. "I am the infamous Black Phantom. I was hired by a mystery man to bring your head to his office."
"Tell me, who is your client!" the duchess shouted with more passion. There is a hint of ferocity on her voice.
"I'm sorry madam, that's not part of my job. My job is to KILL YOU!!!"
The walls broke open, revealing a gigantic white claw. Gazing to the windows, I concluded this building was being scratched by a giant arm of a seven-meter tall white lizard-like creature to our side!
I immediately carried the duchess and jumped out the windows. Luckily, we landed in a soft bush. His butler followed me as well, so he didn't have any major injuries and just had scratches on his body.
The dragon has ice shards as its scales and it have two bat-like wings. Its white body reflects light like a blurry mirror. And its mouth gave off a cold white smoke. I am certain that this is an ice dragon!
The Black Phantom retrieved his rapier and jumped to the ice dragon's head. The ice dragon began flapping its wings and gained altitude.
The guards in the scene readied their assault rifles and fired numerous bullets to the dragon, but it seems like the dragon is also bulletproof! The flying lizard charged a ball of ice on its mouth and launched it to the guards. Unlucky guards that got hit became ice sculptures in a matter of split seconds.
Then it turned its gaze towards us.
"Bye bye, Duchess Corasell!" The Black Phantom laughed as his dragon charged another ball of ice in its mouth.
Then the dragon launched the projectile with an unbelievable speed.
There's no way I can dodge the incoming ice ball with the duchess on my arms. This is a hopeless situation. Is my life going to end here!?
"Hyaaaa!!!"
A red-haired woman flew from the sky and kicked the ice ball, deflecting it and returning it to the owner of the attack! There was a huge explosion and the flying dragon backed off because of the sudden impact!
The woman landed in front of us.
"W-Who are you!?" The duchess asked, now being dumbstruck because of the turn of events.
With an attractive smile on her face he looked at us with her enthusiastic crimson eyes with joy. She placed her hand on her hips and made an arrogant but charming blush. I know her. I very much know this woman more than I know myself.
"I'm Airelina Frembell, Amphere's adorable dragonoid! Totally!"