"I can say with absolute clarity that this isn't one of Doctor Babylon's
creations."
"Seriously, Cesca? It's not from the Storehouse or anything?"
"That is correct." A Wyvern had attacked Reflet. It had a strange needle in its
brain, so I decided to show it to Cesca. She immediately shot down my theory.
Rosetta then took the needle into her hand, and carefully studied it.
"Sir! This appears to be a Dominant Resonance Needle! Surely the handiwork
of Professor Elks, yessir!"
"Uh... Elks?"
"Professor Deborah Elks. In the days of Partheno's glory, she was known as a
master of magecraft. Several degrees inferior to our dear Doctor Babylon,
however."
Huh... Guess it never occurred to me that there might be more people like her.
Still, I'm glad to know this didn't come from the Storehouse. I feel a little less
responsible for this, now. At the end of the day, a tool is only as wicked as its
holder, so the one to blame here is obviously whoever stuck this thing inside that
Wyvern's head!
The Blockbracer, the Drainbracer, and that freaky jewel that made people
immortal... They were all wielded by wicked people who ended up being
consumed by their desires. The Lestian Holy Sword, on the other hand, was justly
wielded by a righteous king who came to be beloved by all those who followed
him. It's really just a matter of the person behind the item. Still, even if that's the
case... it's not like I'll chew out the Terminal Gynoid at the Storehouse any less.
It's her fault for being so negligent to begin with!
"There's a lot to say about Professor Elks, sir! She held Ma'am Babylon in the
lowest of esteems, yessir she did! She made plenty of artifacts, and Ma'am
Babylon always said that they were strong, but she always neglected safety
features, or imbued them with strange effects that ended up causing trouble
for their users! Whenever Professor Elks brought stuff to Ma'am Babylon, she'd
tell her that her stuff was interesting, but uninspired!"
"Yes, Doctor Babylon had a tense relationship with Elks. The doctor's
creations were always of a far higher quality, much to Elks' chagrin."
That's probably just how that damn Doctor was, though. She probably got a
real kick out of teasing Elks. Kinda reminds me of the case of Akechi Mitsuhide
and Oda Nobunaga. A genius and a prodigal up-and-comer aren't really in the
same class at all. Babylon probably didn't even regard Elks as an opponent or
rival... Must've sucked to be the lesser of the two.
"So what's with this dominatey resonance needle thing?"
"Ah, yes sir! A Dominant Resonance Needle is an artifact designed to take
control of magical beasts, sir! It's filled right up with magic and stabbed right
through the skull, then the user can control the affected creature at will! It
brings out the greatest potential of the affected creature, but also rapidly
diminishes its lifespan. There were also risks associated with harming the user's
mind, since it forces a mental link between the two, sir! That's why it was
ultimately tossed into the trash!"
I see... It's strong, but also extremely unsafe. I get it. Anyone that tries to use it
would end up taking an incredible burden. Then again, I don't really think
Babylon was in a position to judge, considering she made that gross immortality
jewel... But wait, does that mean the person who was controlling the Wyvern
didn't know what they were doing? Or maybe they're still aware of the risk.
Even so, controlling a Dragon is bad. They're supposed to be the strongest
things around, so getting a bunch under your control spells danger for sure... If a
Red Dragon like the one we met back in Mismede came under this mysterious
guy's control... That'd be terrible. Still, I don't think an intelligent creature like
that could be so easily influenced, artifact or not.
"Am I interrupting?"
"Huh? Kougyoku? What's up?" Kougyoku came flying in through a nearby
window. After perching herself down on the table, she turned her head toward
me.
"If I may be so bold, might I suggest we call upon the Azure Monarch and
inquire about matters of a draconic nature?"
Wait... Azure Monarch? Like... another one of the Four Monarchs? The Azure
Dragon of the east, wasn't it? Kohaku rules over beasts, Sango and Kokuyou rule
over scaled and aquatic creatures... and Kougyoku is the master of birds,
right...? Together they make up the Heavenly Beasts, but I don't think they
control magical beasts...
"Dragons are not actually magical beasts, if we are speaking strictly. They are
independent creatures and are all related to the Azure Monarch. Offshoots of
their species include lizards, crocodiles, and so on... But those creatures fall
more into the domain of the Black Monarch. At any rate, I thought we might
wish to call upon the Azure Monarch if we are opposing Dragons. I also haven't
seen their face in quite some time, so it might be a pleasant reunion."
"Lord, I humbly refuse!" Kohaku suddenly charged into the room, slamming
the doors open full-force in White Tiger form.
Come on, man! I told you not to grow to that size in the castle!
"Lord Touya can absolutely solve this problem without having to call upon
that wretch, Kougyoku! My lord, I humbly request you reconsider."
Whoa, calm down! A-And don't get so close to me in that form with those
eyes! You're terrifying right now! Don't eat me!
"Come now, the Azure Monarch would aid us well, would they not?"
"Ssseemss the little kitty isss sstill on bad termss with Bluey-wuey, hm...? How
delightfully desssperate, darling... Hehehehee..." Sango and Kokuyou were
quick to follow, gracefully swimming in the air. Suddenly, I understood why
Kohaku was freaking out.
"Ghh... I-It's true, but still... Things would be bad if that stupid scalebrain
came between us, my lord! They're nothing but a wistful chatterbox, do you
understand?! Even remembering the Azure Monarch boils my very blood!"
Kohaku reduced in size, but didn't get any less angry. Looked like a kid throwing
a huge tantrum, honestly... I was amazed to see Kohaku bring personal feelings
into this, especially after usually being so cool and collected.
"The Azure Monarch is wise and rational... A terrible mix for the brash and
impulsive Kohaku. The two of them are as water and oil. Though I do think it's
more that they find it hard to co-operate, rather than the two of them being on
bad terms. They surely recognize the positive attributes that the other holds,
and they are both equally stubborn individuals."
"Enough, Kougyoku! The only thing I recognize about that stupid blue idiot is
their total inability to read the mood!" Kohaku hopped up on to the table and
started yelling at Kougyoku.
...Alright, that's enough. We're not gonna get anywhere like this.
"Kohaku, I understand your feelings... but I'm going to try the summoning
anyway."
"Nooo!"
"Yes. I'm not going to force you to get along, so you don't have to be friends.
But I want to take this chance, so at least tolerate one another. I'll get mad if
you two fight, got it?" I headed out to the courtyard, Kohaku quietly followed
with tail between legs. There was nobody around, so I started the summoning
immediately.
I drew the summoning circle using a spellstone as chalk, and poured dark
elemental magic into it.
A black cloud formed and gradually began to thicken. As that happened, we
mixed in magic from Kohaku and the three others. With that, the preparation
was well and truly complete.
"The ruler of spring, of trees, of the eastern domain and the wide-berth
rivers... Heed my call. Appear before me!" In response to my words, the black
fog began to swell and then dispersed. In its place was an enormous Azure
Dragon. Its scales were like sapphires, its eyes were the deepest of blues. Unlike
the Wyvern, it was clearly four-legged, and had magnificent wings protruding
from its back. Given its mythological similarities to the legends of my world, I
half expected it to be a Chinese-looking Dragon, but it was a more typically
western-looking one instead.
"...Hmhm. I did think I felt a sudden burst of nostalgia washing over me. To
think it was you... Why have you four called me here, then?" The Azure Dragon
spoke in a calming, serene voice. She sort of sounded like a gentle female
teacher. Or at least some woman in a position of power.
"It's been some time, Azure Monarch."
"Long time no ssseee, bluey."
"You're looking well, Azure Monarch." Sango, Kokuyou, and Kougyoku
greeted the new arrival, but Kohaku turned his head and grumbled quietly.
Come on... Isn't that a little rude?
"Hm, well then... It seems there's a quiet voice that won't speak up. But it
matters not. I am one that rises above such matters."
"Shut up! You insolent blue lizard! You're not above anything, understand?!"
"Hm? It decided to speak after all? Shame... If you have nothing nice to say,
you shouldn't say anything at all."
"What?!"
"Alright you two, settle down." I sighed, picking up mini-Kohaku. The Azure
Dragon's eyes were intense, but she didn't move. Eventually, she turned to me
and spoke.
"Are you the one that summoned me here, human? Name yourself, if you
would."
"I am Mochizuki Touya. I'm the grand duke of this nation."
"Interesting. I might understand the case of Kougyoku here, but I do wonder
how you managed to gain the co-operation of the White Tiger and the Black
Tortoise duo."
"It'sss not a matter of co-operation. Thisss darling is our lovely massster,
underssstand?"
"...Excuse me?" The Azure Dragon stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at
me with wide, curious eyes.
In a flash, she started to exude an intimidating aura. It didn't really affect me
very much, but I felt the atmosphere changing. It reminded me of the force I
had felt when I'd first summoned Kohaku. Eventually she stopped, and let out a
small sigh.
"...To resist my spiritual pressure to this extent... Just what are you, boy?"
Before I had a chance to reply to the Azure Dragon, Kohaku suddenly spoke up.
"Why don't you find out for yourself, lizard lips? Our lord here wants to make
a contract with you, after all. Don't you want to taste the power that we're
obeying for yourself?"
"Hmph... As much as I loathe your prattling, little kitten, I'm certainly curious.
Very well. I shall test your abilities, human." I didn't miss the grin forming on
Kohaku's face. I could tell the exact outcome the little tiger was hoping for.
It was a bit cramped in the courtyard for anything major to happen, so I drew
another summoning circle in the western plains and called out the Azure
Monarch.
We decided that we'd face one another in combat. The plains were far
enough from town to not bother anyone, and the only people here were the
other Heavenly Beasts.
"Alright, this good? You ready?"
"Hmph. I do suppose I am. All I wish is for a measure of your skill, anyway. Do
not worry, human. I won't kill you." In response to the Azure Dragon's bold
declaration, the spectating Heavenly Beasts burst into laughter.
Oh man, that's pretty good, actually. Amazing, even...
"Alright then, let's do it. I'm coming for you. Sure you're prepared?"
"No need for further delay. Come at me, human."
"Alright. I won't hold back, then. [Accel Boost]." I kicked off the ground and
ran full-pelt toward the Dragon. I didn't want her flying off, after all. I decided
to end the battle as quickly as I could.
"Wha—?!"
"[Gravity]."
"Gwuagh?!" I touched the Dragon's body and triggered my weight alteration
spell. In a matter of seconds, she was pinned to the ground, shuddering
violently. My strategy was sound. I simply beat her before she could beat her
wings. Easy as pie.
"Guh... Wh-What kind of... m-magic is this...?! How can you... w-wield
something of this... level?!"
"Gaahahahaha!!! You really misjudged him, lizard lips! Didn't you think to
read the mood? We're all here, we're all materialized, and we're all maintained
by our lord's magic. Are you so stupid that you don't realize what that means?"
"Oh...!" The Azure Dragon opened her eyes wide in shock. Kohaku continued
to tease her while running circles around her immobilized body. Seemed a little
too pleased, in all honesty.
"C-Come to think of it... No, this can't be! To keep all of you materialized in
the mortal realm... and I as well...! Just how much magic does this man have?!"
"Huhuhu... Lemme tell you something, scalebrain. Our lord's magic doesn't
even go down a little bit even with all of us here. Even if there were hundreds of
us, it wouldn't make a difference at all!"
"I-Impossible...!"
"Bwahahaaa! You sure look sorry now! That's the power of our lord! Lord
Mochizuki Touya! What was that you were saying about not killing him?!
Bwahaha! Idiot, idiot!"
...I mean, it's true, but... you're being a jerk about it, come on. You shouldn't
be grandstanding like you're the one with the power, anyway... I mean, I guess
you have got a lot of power yourself, but still!
"You sseem happy, little tiger... Heheh..."
"Well, your feelings are certainly understandable, Kohaku."
"I think you should calm down a tad. Leave her alone, eh?"
See? Even the others think you're going a little too far.
The Azure Dragon seemed frustrated by Kohaku's constant teasing, so she
made a further attempt to get up. Slowly, but surely, her knees and tail quaked
as she rose to her feet. I was impressed.
But then I applied more weight, and she crumbled again like a wet paper
towel.
"G-Gaaah!"
"So, do you give up yet?"
"...Y-Yes, I do... I yield. Let us form a contract, human." As soon as she spoke, I
released the bonds of [Gravity]. Freed from the crushing weight, the Azure
Dragon slowly stood up.
"...It was my mistake for underestimating you. Very well, Mochizuki Touya.
Grant unto me a name, and I shall be bound to your service."
"A name... Oh, that's right. Kohaku, Sango, Kokuyou, and Kougyoku are all
named for precious stones and minerals, so... let's call you Luli."
"...Luli? I... see."
"Yup. It's a contraction of Lapis Lazuli. It's a precious blue stone, understand?"
I'd briefly considered Seigyoku, which meant Sapphire, but it sounded a little
too close to Kougyoku for my liking. Luli really was best.
"Very well, from now on, I am Luli."
"Mhm... Welcome aboard. Just don't butt heads with Kohaku too much,
alright? I'll get mad at the two of you."
"I shall endure that tiger's presence as best I can, don't worry."
"You?! I'll be the one enduring, lizard lips!" Kohaku immediately snapped back
at Luli's snide comment. I had a feeling they'd be a real handful.
Luli suddenly changed into a tiny little Dragon, matching the small appearance
of the others. I let out a small sigh as the intense staring match between her
and Kohaku persisted.
"Why are you two like this, anyhow?"
"The enmity between women is sssomething natural. Even you'd come to
harm if you ssstepped between them."
"Geez... Females sure are scary, summoned beasts or not..." Kokuyou let out a
little giggle at my comment, and I nodded my head. But then something clicked
in my brain.
Wait. What did he just say?
"Uh... Wait, between women? Uh, wait, what gender are you?"
"We're all girlsss, obviousssly."
"Don't lie to him, Kokuyou. You're the only one of us that is male." Sango shot
down Kokuyou's remark. But that was a little odd... I understood that Kokuyou
was a bit of a feminine guy, but... the others were girls? No way... I thought
Kohaku was a guy this whole time! I didn't even think about the others. I mean,
Kohaku's voice is a little high, sure, but... I just figured that was part of the tiger
aesthetic!
I'll... keep quiet about that for now, I guess. I wonder if Yumina knew the
whole time... Yeah, she probably did. I'll ask her later to confirm... At least I
know Kohaku's a tiger, and not a lion. I'm not that stupid.
◇ ◇ ◇
"There are a lot of different types of Dragon, so it's hard to generalize them."
Luli began talking, just as I'd asked her. She told me she couldn't do anything
about that dominating needle thing, even if Dragons were being controlled by
it.
But she also mentioned that the powerful Dragons, known as Elders, would
be able to exert enough will to prevent themselves from falling under its
control.
Dragons didn't grow conventionally. Instead, they underwent evolutionary
transformations. In the beginning they were Infant Dragons, then Young
Dragons, then Adult Dragons, and then they went on to become Elder Dragons.
Apparently the stage of power beyond even that was a type known as the
Ancient Dragon.
But only certain draconic species can evolve into Elders. Lower-tier creatures
such as Wyverns could never reach that level.
The difference in intellect was also pretty vast. Young Dragons, like the one I'd
killed back in Mismede, could understand human speech, but they couldn't
speak it. The needle would be able to work on any Dragon lower than Elder,
meaning only the two highest tiers of power would remain unaffected. That
was frightening.
"There aren't a lot of Dragons to begin with, so I'm sure it'll be fine."
"Even Young Dragons are mighty, so it takes much to defeat one. It is for this
reason that they do not need to breed as much as you land-dwelling beasts. It is
true that they are not numerous, but it would be foolish to leave them be for
that reason alone. Is your mind clogged with fur, little cat?"
"Why I oughta...!" Luli and Kohaku began squabbling again, so I ignored them
and started to think to myself.
This is a little concerning... The Wyvern didn't exactly seem like it was being
manipulated. It felt like it was moving of its own volition. Still, I guess if it's part
of the unintelligent lower caste, it might be more appropriate to say that I
thought it was moving on its own instincts.
"I think I should investigate this a little more. That Red Dragon from
Mismede's sanctuary might be able to help." The Red Dragon seemed to be an
Elder Dragon, so he probably wouldn't be under anyone's control.
I decided to teleport to Mismede with Luli. Then, I headed to the Dragon's
sanctuary with my [Fly] spell.
"If I recall, the forest at the base of this mountain is the sanctuary, isn't it?" If I
remember right, that means we should already be there. Just as I was thinking
that, I noticed something in the distance.
I stopped in mid-air. What I saw was an enormous Red Dragon coming toward
us. I recognized him immediately as the Red Dragon that had appeared after I
defeated the Black Dragon back in Mismede.
Luli, who was flying alongside me, grew to her original size. The Red Dragon
and the Azure Dragon both nodded to one another.
"I am here to welcome and congratulate you on your manifestation, o Azure
Monarch."
"I was only manifested due to the strife amongst your people, young one. Do
you understand why we have come?"
"Yes... Please accept my most profuse of apologies." The Red Dragon bowed
his head and closed his eyes. We went down to the ground and began
discussing the situation with him.
Apparently Young Dragons had been rampaging recently. What I was told
reminded me of the brash behavior of the Black Dragon I'd killed so long ago.
From what I understood, Dragons were wise and mighty, but that often
transformed and surfaced in the form of arrogance due to their status in the
world. Dragons were said to be the apex of natural evolution, after all.
Even though they lived in the safety of the sanctuary, some of the younger
Dragons would go out into the world to terrorize humanity.
Even if you could just write it off as a youthful mistake, such outbursts often
ended up in catastrophe.
It seemed that no matter what the species, there were always unruly brats
who defied their elders. Even so, things were worse now than ever.
I was quickly informed that it all began after I killed the Black Dragon.
"What? I caused this?"
"The Black Dragon you killed was nothing special, even amongst his peers, yet
they cried voices of injustice after he was slain. Many of the Young Dragons
amongst us rallied for justice, and demanded we retaliate."
"What the hell? He was the one that left the sanctuary and attacked them to
begin with!"
"Indeed, and for the most part we agreed that it was a justified killing. Only a
portion of the youngsters were rallying and crying. Most said that quarreling
with mankind was a mistake. So, the troublesome youth amongst us reluctantly
silenced themselves." But the story didn't just end there. Dragons had nests and
sanctuaries all over the world. Mismede was but one colony.
One such place was far to the southwest. Past the Sea of Trees and between
the Kingdom of Ryle and the Kingdom of Sandora, was a small landmass known
as Dragoness Island.
One day, a messenger from Dragoness appeared in the sanctuary. He stated
that the Dragon King had made his home on Dragoness, and that all should
become his subordinates.
"The Dragon King? I thought Luli was the one that controlled the Dragons."
"That's how it should be, yes. This situation is fairly abnormal, on a whole. I
was the one who originally decreed that Dragons not war with humanity, and
the species has been following my laws for many years. This is the first time I've
ever truly been defied."
"It has been thousands upon thousands of years since you passed from this
world, o Lady Azure. Some of the Young Dragons are unaware of you, even."
Kohaku and the others, the Heavenly Beasts, only manifested once every few
centuries. Right now they were in the world because I had summoned them,
which was rather rare. My summoning of Kohaku was purely coincidental, but
every time after that I'd called upon the Monarchs specifically.
It seemed that Luli, ruler of Dragons, manifested even less frequently than the
others. That made sense though, since Dragons lived long and reproduced
infrequently.
"So who's this Dragon King? Is he one of the Ancient Dragons?"
"No, he's a man. A demi-human of the Dragon Clan. He appeared on
Dragoness Island, took control of the younglings, and massacred every Elder
Dragon living there. Then, the remaining adults were forcibly subdued."
A demi-human... Then there's no doubt in my mind. This guy used the
Dominant Resonance Needle to take control. He probably used the younger
Dragons to kill the older ones, since they couldn't be controlled by him.
"All of our younglings fled to Dragoness Island after hearing rumors of the
Dragon King's power. They were tempted by strength and the promise of no
longer being bound by the laws of our sanctuary. Some of them returned, even
more powerful than we had expected. There are a few that haven't come back
yet, but we fear they could begin rampaging around the world at any moment."
I'd already seen examples of this in Reflet, and heard about it from Sandora.
The Young Dragons were running rampant. They killed indiscriminately, as if it
were a game, doing whatever they wanted to innocent people. They were just
like that Black Dragon.
"What a miserable story... It has only been a few thousand years. Are my
brood truly so weak of heart?"
"I-I'm sorry, Lady Azure... There is little I can say in our defense..."
"Hm... Well, I think I get the gist of it. The Dragon King is calling the shots, but
the ones running rampant wanted to hurt people anyway, right? So you won't
have a problem if I wipe them all out."
"...A Dragon who discards his pride is no more than a lizard. This is the mantra
the Azure Monarch left to us before she passed. Those young ones are no
longer our own. Dispose of them as you will."
"Pride easily begets arrogance. These Young Dragons are not my kin, they're
simply looking down on the world. I recently was foolish enough to look down
on this human, and I paid the price in shame." Luli spoke quietly as she looked
over to me. There was a saying that said 'the boughs that bear most hang
lowest,' meaning that the ones with the greatest strengths were often the most
modest. I didn't think the phrase really applied to the Dragons.
Still, humanity wasn't so foolish. No matter the might of a Dragon, humans
could still stand against them. Dragons, unlike the Phrase, were still affected by
spells. A talented wind mage could even bring a Dragon down to the ground.
Even so, the damage done would be immense. Captain Garm of Mismede
once told me it took around a hundred soldiers to bring down a rampaging
Dragon. I didn't want lives to be lost because of this stupid situation. Still, if
there were skilled soldiers or talented mages amongst them, they might have
an easier time of it. But you would find less of those people in small towns
compared to places like the capital cities.
Maybe if they were lucky they'd have good adventurers at their guilds, but
there was no defending everywhere. People with the Dragon Slayer title were
awarded it for killing them in a party of five or less. To manage that, you'd need
at least five Red adventurers, and they were few and far between.
"...Now I'm just a little confused, though. It sounds like they have a stupid, but
legitimate, grudge. So I'm wondering if they're even being mind controlled by
the needles..." It seemed like the affected Dragons were just doing whatever
they wanted, rather than actually being dominated by a singular entity.
It might have just been that the Dragons were having the needles embedded
to draw out the absolute brink of their power... Whether they were aware or
not of the needle draining their lifespan was another question entirely, though.
Then again, Dragons lived for thousands of years, so it may have been a trivial
trade-off.
"The easiest solution would be to take care of the Dragon King, right? But will
killing him actually calm the rampaging Dragons?" It wasn't a case where the
Dragons would all die if he died. If anything, they'd escape from his control and
probably just go berserk. But still, dominated or not, I'd kill any that threatened
humanity, so I guess the order in which I took care of them didn't matter all
that much.
"Let's trace the Dragons for now..." I pulled up my map and searched for
Dragons. Whoa, that's a lot! Geez, more than I expected. Even if there aren't as
many Dragons as there are humans, that's still a fair amount. Hm... Guess I can
narrow it down... I tried a different approach. Instead of just Dragons, I
searched for Dragons with the Dominant Resonance Needle embedded in them.
The Dominant Resonance Needle kind of resembled a marking pin. Since its
head was exposed, I'd be able to identify it from the outside if I got a look at a
Dragon's head. Thanks to that little detail, I was able to successfully run a
search.
Even with the search refined, there were a lot... They were quite spread out
across the world, flying around at their own leisure, and naturally there was a
concentrated group on Dragoness Island, too.
Huh? What's that...?
"Wait a sec...!" A group had flown out from Dragoness Island. It was a fairly
big one, as well. Then, I noticed their destination.
"They're on a direct flight path to Brunhild!" What the hell?! Are they trying to
get revenge for the Black Dragon?! But why would they even know about me?
How?!
It clicked in my mind that they were probably informed by the Dragon King. It
wouldn't be hard at all to ask around about who the famous Dragon Slayer who
saved a village in Mismede was, which meant that their goal was incredibly
obvious.
"Luli. We're in trouble. We need to get home, now!"
"As you wish."
Are these stupid Dragons seriously doing this? Fine, then! Bring it! I don't care
who you are, Dragon or human or anything else! Nobody attacks my home.
I'll crush every last one of you arrogant bastards!
◇ ◇ ◇
"So yeah, there's a horde of Dragons on their way here right now. I'll wipe
them out though, so don't worry."
"...Baba-dono, I have no idea what to say to this young man right now."
"Well, Yamagata. That makes two of us." I was in the conference room with
Yamagata and Baba. Both old men turned to me in sheer shock.
I gathered all the major members of my knight order and briefed them on the
situation. I'd gotten back to Brunhild using a [Gate], meaning I still had a good
lead on the Dragons. Everyone looked at me, unsure what to say. Eventually,
however, Nikola broke the silence. He sighed slightly and stood up.
"Y-Your Majesty, please... Uh, well... When you say Dragons, are you referring
to the creatures that fly in the sky and breathe fire from their mouths? Those
Dragons?"
"Yep, that's the ones. Apparently some of their young ones got all cocky, so
now there's a horde of them heading our way."
"A... horde, you say. Just how many?"
"About twenty regular Dragons, give or take. But there are about a hundred
lesser Wyverns traveling with them too. Barely anything compared to the
Phrase we faced recently, right?"
"W-Wait, wait, wait!" Commander Lain had spoken up to ask about how
many Dragons there were, but after I answered, she and Nikola both started
freaking out.
"It's gonna be fine, right? Boss-man'll take care of them no problem, like he
usually does... Right?" Norn grumbled with mild concern as she spoke up. Her
lupine ears were shuddering slightly.
"I thought about it, but then I realized this is a golden opportunity."
"An... opportunity?"
"Yep. What better training exercise could there be for our knight order?
These Dragons will make perfect targets, don't you think?"
"Excuse me?!" Lain looked at me in utter disbelief. To be honest, I thought my
country's knight order was a thing of beauty. We were strong, but we also lived
in a land with few monsters, and we were situated directly between two
friendly territories. It would be good for them to get a proper training exercise
done.
"O-Our knight order doesn't even have a hundred people in it, and that's
including our intel corps! We can hardly pair one person to one Dragon, either!
How are we meant to fight airborne enemies, anyway?"
"I'll bring down the airborne ones. After that, you just need to focus on
avoiding their deadly breath. You should be able to do it, sort of... I mean, your
shields can resist fire!"
"Sort of, huh...?" I'd employed safety measures. I wasn't going to risk their
lives, after all. Plus, my fiancees and the Monarchs were to act as backup. I
didn't think the Dragons would be pushovers, so that was only natural.
Even if it was a tough fight, it'd be good to do this. We were a newlyestablished country, so we were likely being regarded by prying eyes. If word
spread that our knight order managed to fend off over a hundred Dragons, we
probably wouldn't get any trouble from countries like Yulong again.
"W-We'll be able to beat the Dragons easily with the Frame Gears... Right?"
"We won't be employing the Frame Gears for this battle."
"What?!"
I want to show these arrogant lizards the power of humanity. I'll show them
just who it is they decided to judge by their covers. After all, they're attacking us
out of some misplaced anger. Let's shove it back in their faces.
It'd be far too easy a victory if I called out the Frame Gears, anyway. We
wouldn't get much in the way of real combat experience. I didn't want my
knight order mistaking the power of the Frame Gears as their own power, after
all.
"And here's the most important thing of all."
"Hm?"
"We'll be able to harvest the Dragon corpses for rare materials, and profit bigtime."
"..."
Damn right. Leather, bone, horns... If it's draconic, it's worth a lot. One Dragon
alone is a fortune in itself, so killing over a hundred is an incredible chance to
make a ton of dough.
"It'd help the country a lot if we had that money."
"..."
"I'd also be able to use the proceeds to pay out a huge bonus to all my
hardest workers."
"Booyah!"
"Let's go get those Dragons!!!"
So easy to manipulate...
"I see them in the distance. They look about three minutes from arriving." Luli
warned me, so I used [Long Sense] to see for myself. There were a lot of
Dragons for sure. We were in the southern plains, just outside Brunhild Castle
Town, waiting for the Dragons to arrive. We wanted to avoid any real damage
to our nation, so we chose a wide open space as the battlefield.
"They're noisy..."
"They're speaking draconic, saying things such as 'kill them all' and 'roast
them alive'... A lot of obnoxious laughing, as well. Truly, these beasts are not my
kin. They are far too lowly for that. Or perhaps their minds were infested by
that cursed artifact..." I didn't speak draconic, so I had Luli translate. I was glad
she had such a good sense of hearing. I was a little irritated to hear what they
were saying, though... Still, it gave me good cause to go all-out in killing them.
There was no room for discussion here, so I decided to knock the wind out of
their sails.
Once you've identified your enemy, defeat them before the battle begins.
That's what my grandpa always said.
"Come forth, o Storm! Million Blades Borne of Air: [Tempest Edge]!" I
invoked an ancient wind spell I'd learned from a book in the Library.
A great storm suddenly appeared, sucking the Dragons into the heart of it. It
shredded their wings to pieces.
"GRAUGUUUUUUH!!"
"GUYOOOOOOGH?!" The Dragons, screaming horribly, all tumbled to the
ground. If I was being serious, I could've killed them all then and there, but I
only wanted to maim them for the time being.
Kougyoku, who had taken her regular phoenix form, cast a rain of fire down
upon the grounded Dragons.
"Brunhild Knight Order, chaaarge!!!"
"HOOOAAAAAAH!!!" My knights brandished their crystal swords and shields,
charging forth in response to Commander Lain's order.
The Dragons suddenly turned toward them, breathing out a torrent of flame.
But suddenly a wall of water appeared between the two forces, massively
reducing the heat.
"Tough luck, darlingsss... Try again, hm?"
"We're indeed masters of defense, let us show you." Kokuyou and Sango
were in charge of defending against the fire breath. I stood atop Sango's shell,
since they were both back in their original forms, and watched as my knight
order charged in against the Dragons.
Kohaku was in her original form too, charging toward a group of Wyverns. She
roared out, releasing a shockwave that knocked everyone caught up in it
backward.
"I'll go as well. I can't leave it all to that fuzzy fool, after all."
"Try your best to support everyone evenly."
"As you wish." Luli spread out her wings, letting out a deafening roar as she
took to the skies. Almost in response to it, the Dragons looked over to her and
froze. If I had to guess, I'd say she shouted something at them, but I couldn't
begin to know what.
Even my translation spell couldn't decipher draconic, probably because it was
an animal language. I'd probably need a telepathy spell to understand what
they were saying. And to be honest... I bet I could find a spell like that if I
looked.
Luli flew off, firing blasts of fire at the clustered Dragons. A few Dragons were
blasted off into the distance.
Hey, that's my money! Don't launch too many too far!
Luli didn't have anything to say about my plan to sell the corpses either, so I
assumed she had really given up on them. I thought it was a little cold of her,
but she just had a very strong survival of the fittest mentality.
"We'll support everyone as well."
"Indeed." Linze and Yumina turned to me before chanting some wide area of
effect spells. They'd been doing more reading in the Library than I had.
"Come forth, Fire! Burning Barrier: [Fire Resist]!"
"Come forth, Winds... Blessed be the Updraft: [Tailwind]!" Everyone in the
knight order found themselves engulfed in red and green lights. The two spells
had granted them heightened resistance to flames, and increased their agility.
"Tower corps! Front lines! Assault corps, right behind them!"
"Understood!" Ten soldiers with large shields formed a row and tanked the
breath of a Dragon. From behind them, several knights wielding crystal spears
poked their weapons through the shield gaps, stabbing the beast.
"Gwaruuugh?!" Dragonscale, which was harder than steel, was still no match
for phrasium weaponry. The Dragon was more confused than hurt, but not
knowing why it was dying wasn't going to save it.
"Haaa!" Lain, using her innate rabbit qualities, leaped over the tower knights
and landed on the Dragon. Her crystal sword was plunged right into the
Dragon's head, putting an end to its flames.
The Dragon spasmed and convulsed two or three times, then lay still. Lain
pulled the sword from the creature, and relayed more orders.
"On to the next one!"
"Aye!"
Good work, Lain... and good work, knights! Support magic aside, around ten
people taking out a Dragon is no less than incredible. Plus, the needle in their
brains makes them stronger than Adult Dragons, too. I guess my 'sister' training
these guys is finally starting to pay off.
"Touyaaa... Y'mean I really can't go in too?"
"Moroha. It's not gonna be a training exercise if you go in and wipe them all
out in a few seconds, is it?" The God of Swords stood beside me, clearly angry
that she couldn't fight. She wanted to fight, but she didn't even have a crystal
sword. Her weapon would just get all scuffed up. That being said, I had a feeling
she'd just bash all the Dragons to death with her sword's hilt or something...
She was that kind of girl.
"You never know, Touya. Could be some kinda worst case scenario situation.
Wouldn't it be better if I was in the fray?"
"Ugh... Fine, whatever. You can go over... But only as a support, alright? Just
watch! Don't you dare go all-out on them!"
"Ahaha! Fine, whatever! Just give me a sword already!" I sighed, opened
[Storage], and passed a crystal greatsword over to Moroha.
She merrily skipped over to the Dragons, slicing open the legs of any unlucky
beast she passed by. I had just told her not to overdo it, and she was already
causing them considerable injury... Still, at least it meant we had no chance of
losing. I'd just sent out our most lethal weapon, after all.
"We seriously can't help...?"
"Now that my sister's out there, definitely not. None of the knight order
would be able to do anything if you all went out there." Elze, Yae, Lu, and Hilde
were all sulking nearby. But my mind was made up, and their grumpy faces
wouldn't sway me. Moroha was way, way more than enough.
If I just sent whoever over there, the fight would quickly become a crazy freefor-all. I had Kougyoku giving fire support, Sango and Kokuyou protecting
everyone, and Kohaku and Luli were leading knights to their targets. That was
more than enough.
As for me, I was tracking the wounded and fixing them up with recovery
magic. Since Sango and Kokuyou were suppressing the fire breath, I couldn't
imagine anyone getting injured too badly unless they took a direct hit from a
swipe or something.
"Hm?" I saw a Wyvern trying to fly with its tattered wings. It got about ten
meters before being socked in the face by one of Kougyoku's fireballs. Heh.
Nice.
"HAAAH!!!" Old man Baba roared like an animal as he plunged a spear into a
Dragon's head. He had crushed it in a single blow.
He was old, so I wanted him in the rear as support... but he completely
ignored me and charged into the front lines. Yamagata was nearby, swinging his
greatsword at a Wyvern as he slashed the heels of a Dragon beside him.
"Hey, hey, hey! Get over here, you scaly twerps! Feel the might of a real
man!" The fight had been going on for a while, so things were getting pretty
tense.
The two old men refused to board Frame Gears whenever we used them.
They had said that they didn't feel like it was a real fight when they piloted
them, but they really seemed to enjoy getting up close and putting their lives on
the line. I was a person who put safety first, so I didn't really understand their
reckless attitudes.
"Fuh!"
"Hiyaaah!" Nikola shook his halberd, and Norn slashed with her twin blades. I
had prevented them from bringing in their mounts, and naturally that extended
to Lain as well.
I wanted them to see the battlefield from the ground. If they had ridden a
Griffin or a Pegasus, they'd have better vantage but poorer defense. They'd be
able to deflect the breath attacks with their shields easily, but their mounts
would have taken the full hit.
Before I knew it, most of the Dragons were down for the count.
One of the remaining Dragons seemed to be screaming something, but I had
no idea what they were trying to say. I asked Kokuyou, who was coiled around
Sango's legs.
"What's that one saying?"
"Jussst a tirade of abussse, sssweetheart. It'sss calling you inferior
creaturesss, and criticizing you for attacking them in groupsss. Missserable, if
you asssk me."
Geez... They're the ones that came to attack us in a group in the first place!
Luli suddenly turned to the wailing Dragon and unleashed a torrent of blue
flame that burned it to ashes. Well, there goes my profit.
"Little Luli is posssitively furiousss. But that'sss only natural... I too would be
enraged if my kin acted in sssuch a manner." Kohaku smacked away a Dragon
that was about to bite a member of my knight order, then slashed out its eyes
with her claws. After that, she left it unable to fight, but still alive. It was almost
as if she was calling it unworthy to face her.
"It'll be over sssoon."
"Are these guys really stronger than Adult Dragons? They seem too weak."
"Perhapsss they're sssimply ssstronger in a cassse of one versssus one,
darling. It may be that they aren't any good againssst groupsss. They aren't
working in tandem, ssso they're jussst attacking however they like. Great
ssstrength hasssn't tempered their weak mindsss. There isssn't a cure for idiocy.
If there wasss a single Elder Dragon amongssst all of thessse, they might have
had a fighting chance." Dragons weren't creatures that hunted in groups, so it
made sense. They were simply uncoordinatedly attacking like this.
Just as Kokuyou had said, it was pretty much over. The Dragons that remained
were being put down one by one.
Eventually, they were all dead. Our side suffered minor injuries at best, as
well. It was a complete and utter decisive victory.
"Raise your war cries, victors!"
"HOOORAAAAAAH!!!" A victory cry exploded across the plains.
Well, we won. I can't help but be a little disappointed at how much of a
cakewalk that was, though.
I hadn't noticed during the fight, but we ended up gathering a crowd of
spectators. It wasn't too surprising, since our battle had generated a lot of
noise. They were mostly people from town who had come out to see the
commotion. I recognized a lot of adventurers from out of town amongst the
crowd, too.
"Y-Your Majesty... Just what happened here...?" Guildmaster Relisha ran over
to me from out of the crowd. Several guild staff members followed close
behind. She briefly glanced at Sango and Kokuyou, fear painted on her face.
After a moment she realized who they were, and calmed down a little.
"I went to the castle because we'd gotten word about a horde of Dragons
heading toward Brunhild, but you weren't there... Neither were the knights, so I
had no idea what to do!"
"Ahaha... Sorry about that. Seems we just missed one another. But don't
worry, we took care of it."
"I... can see that, yes." Relisha looked over the field of dead Dragons with a
look of awe on her face. I decided that I'd have the adventurers play their part
in this little story, too. They'd be able to spread stories to other countries about
what had happened this day.
"Yep, we did it well. So, will the guild be able to buy these?"
"Wh— You mean all of them?! I... I mean, we can definitely purchase them,
yes... But please let me arrange funds before I buy them all... At a glance, I could
probably pay for ten of them using our current Brunhild treasury..."
"That's fine. I'll store the rest of them. For the time being, at least." I invoked
[Storage] to prevent them from decomposing in the meantime. All that was left
was to cut up a few of the dead bodies and cook them. Roasted Dragon meat
was supposedly a delicacy, so I wanted to share it with all the people of
Brunhild.
I used my smartphone to project an image of myself above all the knights in
the field.
"Good work, everyone! You've proven yourself as great knights of Brunhild
this day. I'll roast up a bunch of Dragon meat, so eat to your heart's content!
And naturally, I'll be putting in a little financial bonus for you all, too."
"Hurray! We did it!"
"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"
"Man, I'm starving..."
"Thank goodness, now I can pay off my gambling debts."
"Brunhild Forever!!!" The knights cheered out in joy. I was happy for them,
too.
"Also, we'll all be taking the Frame Gears to Dragoness Island tomorrow. The
plan is to exterminate every last Dragon there, so make sure to get a good
night's sleep, and I'll see you all in the morning."
"WAIT, WHAT?!" All of the knights looked like deer in headlights. Honestly, it
was pretty damn amusing.
◇ ◇ ◇
Dragoness Island.
It was a little bit smaller than Brunhild was. Dragoness Volcano sat at the
center of the island, spewing out ash. For the most part, it was an uninhabitable
wasteland.
The Dragons mostly lived on the beaches that lined the island. They tended to
eat large fish, or aquatic magical beasts. Occasionally they'd leave the island to
hunt game in dense forests, away from civilization.
But things were different now. They'd been attacking farms, making off with
livestock, raiding fishing boats, and running rampant.
There wasn't a single Elder Dragon left on Dragoness Island, so there was
nobody to keep the young ones in check.
Luli and I arrived on one of the sandy beaches. The moment we arrived, she
let out a furious roar that echoed across the entire island. You trying to burst
my eardrums?! In response to her cries, several screeching roars came back
from the distance. Dragons then began to show up in droves. Wyverns, Sea
Dragons, Earth Dragons... All kinds of subspecies were on their way to us.
"We're surrounded."
"What'd you say to them just now?"
"I called them lowly beasts that have shed their pride. And then I asked them
if they were ready to die."
Well... I guess that's fair. I did come here to wipe them out, after all. But still...
subtlety is a lost art to you, huh?
"Enough screeching! My ears are gonna give out...!" I had no idea what they
were saying, but it was obvious they were protesting her comment. It just
sounded like a bunch of crap to me, though.
"Ohoho, goodness gracious! What manner of Dragon tamer is this?" A
draconic humanoid walked across the sand, pushing his way past a few Earth
Dragons.
The Dragon Clan had a lot of tall, sturdy people in it, and this man was no
exception. He was about two meters tall. His armor was beautiful, too, as was
the flowing cape coming down his back. He had red hair and golden eyes. He
also bore horns and a tail, easily recognized characteristics of a Dragon demihuman.
"I take it you're the Dragon King?"
"Ohoho? I see that word of me is spreading already, lovely. And you are?"
"I'm the grand duke of a small nation known as Brunhild." I saw the man's
brow quirk slightly. Seemed he knew just who I was.
"...Ohoh. Welcome to my humble abode, then. You seem to have done well
against my subordinates."
"Done well? They were hardly even interesting enemies. By the way, that
Dominant Resonance Needle of yours is defective. It's better to throw an
artifact like that in the trash."
"Wh—?!" The man adopted a panicked expression on his face. He probably
had no idea I knew about his secret, after all.
"So, just in case I'm wrong... let me ask to be sure. You're the one
manipulating the Dragons, right?"
"Manipulate? How quaint. I've liberated them from bondage, that's all! From
the chains of their elders! From the shackles of their laws! A Dragon is mighty,
noble, wise. Why must dragonkind distance themselves from humanity, when
they are the apex of evolution?"
"Noble? Wise? Every Dragon here's an ignorant dumbass."
"I concur," added Luli. I was glad she agreed. After all, if they were actually
clever, they'd have run away long ago.
So in the end, this guy was exactly what I expected. A racial supremacist. A
draconic supremacist. From what I understood, the Dragon Clan of demihumans was a prideful bunch who went off into the world to hone their own
bodies and minds. They forged their own paths.
But as we saw, pride easily turns to arrogance. Just like Dragons themselves,
draconic men and women were susceptible to the same pitfalls.
"Didn't those mighty Dragons of yours lose to some puny humans?"
"Silence! It's impossible for a Dragon to lose in a one-on-one battle with a
lesser creature! Measly little humans have only one advantage, they breed
faster. Like insects, almost. You have no right to talk of us that way!"
"If you're arguing like that, then you could say fertility is humanity's strength,
and we should be more than within our rights to fight in numbers. Not that it
matters. I could kill all these Dragons by myself." To be fair, I was technically a
Demi-God at this point, so it was arguable if you could call me a human... Still, I
was still pretty sure Yae or Elze could defeat Dragons alone too, so I wasn't
totally off base.
"And you've come to my island for this reason? Impressive, human. You have
a lot of guts. But it's misplaced bravado! Do you not see the power I wield? I
could take over the entire world! You dare defy me?" The Dragon King yelled at
me, but he was sweating profusely. Really, now? I mean, sure... there are over
five-hundred Dragons here and all, but... can you really conquer the world with
this much? I don't buy it.
"Well, how about it? Join forces with me, child, and I shall grant you half of
the world. We must—"
"Snrk...."
"What are you laughing at?!"
How could I not laugh?! You're a dumbass, Dragon King! Who the hell says
that kinda cliche crap in real life? I'm not exactly a hero or anything, but my
answer is a hard no.
"Right now your Dragons are just an angry mob, isn't that right? They're a
useless gathering of idiots without any direction. Do you want me to tell you
what I think, Dragon King? I think you aren't commanding them, you're just
drawing out their power and sending them out without any kind of
coordination. You talk big, saying you can command Dragons at your will, but... I
bet you can only control one or two before the strain's too much for your peabrain to bear, am I right?"
"Guh!!!" Bullseye. Seems Cesca was right about that needle being a shoddy
product. Looks like this guy's relying more on bravado than actual power.
"Ha... Hahaha... Fool. Why would I need to directly manipulate these ones,
anyway? You're an enemy to our kind, Dragon Slayer. All these Dragons here
are awaiting my command. I need to say but one simple word, and they will ki—
AHGUGUUUHGHAH!!" In a flash, the man's upper body vanished from sight. It
was engulfed in the maw of a Black Dragon. And then I heard a crunch.
Holy SHIT. His lower body slumped to the ground, trickling blood from its
oozing wound. It was disgusting. The beach sand dusted his sticky organs as
they splattered out. These Dragons couldn't speak human languages, but they
could certainly understand what was being said.
They were arrogant, after all. It was only natural to assume they'd be
reluctant to serve under a demi-human, even if he made them stronger. But it
seemed like they were going along with him because they thought he could
control them at will. However, once they found out the fear was baseless, there
was no reason to keep him around anymore. That was the most likely reason
for the Black Dragon's actions. The Dragon King had revealed his own fatal flaw.
"Well, I guess he got what was coming to him, but... that doesn't solve the
main problem."
"They're already starting to yell things about spilling blood, and killing
humans... What a terrible sort..."
"Man, what a pain. Let's take out the trash already." I snapped my fingers,
and a [Gate] opened up. A loud series of thuds heralded the arrival of several
Frame Gears on the island.
The Dragons turned their attention to the sudden invaders. I could sense their
irritation. I'd summoned fifty Frame Gears in total. That was only about a tenth
of the number of Dragons here, but I felt it was enough.
"Everyone, listen up. Don't hold back, go all-out. We'll have a Dragon BBQ
cookout tonight!"
"Hoorah!!!" I spoke through my radio and informed all the pilots of the plan.
This would be a much easier battle than the last. Dragons weren't nearly as
strong as the Phrase, and magic worked on them just fine as well.
I was actually more worried about fifty Frame Gears being overkill. If we
mashed the Dragons into paste, we wouldn't be able to sell them... Still, we
couldn't exactly afford to go easy, either.
Well, it was too late to worry about that anyway. We were fighting for the
sake of the humans who had been put at risk, as well as that of the real noble
Dragons who wished us no harm, and to also line Brunhild's coffers with
bountiful gold. We couldn't afford to hold back. It would be disrespectful to
those that had already been victimized.
"Brunhild Knights, charge!"
"HOOOAAAAAAH!!!" At my command, the Chevaliers marched forward. The
Dragons unleashed flaming breath and balls of fire, but they were easily
shrugged off by shields. In a matter of moments, several Dragons lost their
heads.
The Dragons started trying to fly away, apparently having realized the power
of the mechs. But it was too late. Several of them released wind magic and
brought the airborne creatures crashing to the ground.
The Ether Liquid that fueled the Frame Gears also transmitted magic all over
the surface of the mech, allowing spells to be channeled through them. This
didn't really work for restoration spells or anything like that, but it allowed
them to cast spells while piloting. This was because Ether Liquid held the same
properties as spellstones.
The Chevaliers descended upon the fallen Dragons, making quick work of
them. I didn't really mind seeing heads fly due to decapitation, or their flesh
being pierced by spears... but I had expressly forbidden the use of maces and
hammers for this fight. Mulched Dragon meat didn't really sell so good. Wait,
don't trample them! They're valuable, damn it! The Black Dragon who had
eaten the Dragon King (I didn't even catch that guy's name), was restlessly
glancing around the battlefield. He watched his comrades die one after the
other, and I could feel the fury emanating from him. Luli noticed too, and took a
step toward him.
"Luli?"
"Allow me to punish this child. He discarded his pride as a Dragon. I will show
him the true power of my kin."
"Uhh... Alright, I guess. I see where you're coming from."
"I am in your debt." Luli turned and let out a deafening roar. If there were any
wine glasses nearby I was sure they'd have been broken. Damn it, my ears! The
Black Dragon roared in response, but compared to Luli its voice was miserable
and weak.
I wondered if it understood its predicament, but then it suddenly shook its
head and fired a fireball directly at Luli. She tanked the hit, didn't even flinch.
I was a little surprised that she was completely undamaged. Not a single one
of her azure scales seemed out of place.
The Black Dragon panicked and took a few steps back. However, it was too
late for that. Luli charged forward and took its throat between her jaws. The
creaking sound of splintering scale and bone rang out across the beach. Urgh...
That's... I'm gonna puke...
The dead Dragon fell on to the sand. Luli reared her head, roaring a deafening
tone once more.
Suddenly, various Dragons stopped their protests, and fearfully huddled on
the ground. A message came through on my radio.
"Your Majesty... Many of the Dragons have stopped fighting...."
"Luli... Is this a surrender?"
"It is. I just told them all to give up if they value their lives. I told them that
resistance is futile. I told them that, if they didn't wish to become ash, they
would give up in the name of the Azure Monarch."
You think I'd let you turn them into ashes? They're too valuable for that!
All jokes aside, it seemed there were a few Dragons among them that knew
about the Azure Monarch. But not all of them. There were still some trying to
attack.
"Don't fight the Dragons that surrendered. But feel free to kill the ones that
are still being aggressive. There's always the chance they might pretend to
surrender, so don't let your guard down either."
"Understood!" After a while, we had killed three-hundred-and-fifty of the
five-hundred or so that were originally there. Then, we took the needles out of
the living and dead ones alike. This artifact was a real pain in my ass, but I was
sure we'd gotten all of them. It was possible that back in the old days, they'd
been gathered somewhere for disposal, but weren't able to be destroyed for
some reason. And then after thousands of years, someone came across them all
and figured out what they could do... I did want to know more about the
needles, but the only guy who had figured them out was half the man he used
to be, so I was out of luck. I buried the Dragon King, or his lower body at least,
by the coastline. I also buried the Black Dragon that had killed him nearby. I
didn't do it out of some sense of honor or compassion or anything, though... I
just didn't want to bring the Black Dragon back and deal with the gross halfcorpse in his belly.
If you misuse something powerful, you may fall victim to it in the end. That
was the lesson I took from that incident.
With great power comes great responsibility. If you don't recognize that, you
may already be dead.