"Aaaahhh!"
A cry of pain erupted from the mouth of the Dragon Half-Blood Nine.
"My, my hand, my hand!"
Nine felt overwhelmed by fear as he saw his right hand pierced by Choi Han's sword.
Thud.
The sword he held in his right hand had already fallen to the ground. Choi Han calmly pulled out the sword.
Clang~
Red blood splattered on the white snow.
"Ugh, Ah!"
Nine could barely moan correctly as he trembled all over, clutching his right hand with his left. He tried to stop the bleeding, but it wasn't easy.
Thwack~
Choi Han kicked Nine's abdomen. Nine's body writhed miserably on the ground.
"Argh! You, bastard..."
Nine, who had momentarily looked at Choi Han with a grimace on his face, lowered his gaze downward.
"..."
In Choi Han's calm eyes, there was no emotion reflected towards Nine. Nine couldn't keep looking at them.
"Ugh..."
He just clenched his aching hand. However, unlike before, he couldn't perform the act of trying to heal the wounds on his hand. He simply stayed there, crouched on the ground, looking at Choi Han's feet instead of his face.
"Are you done already?"
Choi Han nodded at the incoming voice.
"Yes, and what about Witira-nim?"
At that question, Witira smiled.
"Soon."
At that moment,
Baaaang-
A roar echoed as the snow accumulated where Witira was shot up into the air. The white snow instantly covered the place where she was.
Rustle~
But Witira had already retreated backward. Her gaze turned to where the attack had flown.
"Ho, ho."
Wei, the Dragon Half-Blood Mage, looked at her with a hostile gaze as he breathed heavily. Wei bit his lips.
"Darn it! What should I do?"
Even if he used Force, she would escape. Wei tried various magical spells, but she easily dodged them or dissipated them with her water whip.
So, in the end, he even tried teleporting to escape.
'I need to find an opening.'
Somehow, she noticed his intention and attacked relentlessly. Earlier, she only defended and dodged, or blocked Wei's escape.
'She's toying with me.'
However, Wei couldn't express his thoughts aloud.
"Ahh, ahh."
Nine's painful groan reached his ears.
"Darn it! What should I do?"
He had to conserve his Force. He spent his Force and Mana too quickly, and his stamina was rapidly depleting.
"Darn it!"
Wei, the weakest member of the Knights, couldn't hide his frustration. Even though she was soaked in sweat, the woman in front of him maintained the same posture as at the beginning.
"I know your identity now."
He had discovered the true identity of that woman.
"Oh, really?"
Witira wasn't surprised to hear that. Moreover, it would be strange for someone who seemed intelligent not to think of it, despite her mentioning the Beast People several times.
"Do you know who I am?"
Wei responded confidently.
"You are..."
The identity of that woman.
"You're an elf, aren't you?"
At first, he didn't notice because she had normal human ears.
"That water whip must also be the power of a high-level water spirit that I couldn't sense."
"..."
The woman said nothing.
Wei caught his breath and straightened his posture.
"Moreover, it seems you've experienced some fights while serving the Dragons, so you know how to deal with Force."
Wei's gaze shifted slightly to the side.
Not towards Nine, but towards Choi Han in front of him.
"The fact that a human comes and uses Force on himself is evidence that the Dragons are involved in this matter."
Although the woman looked disdainfully at the Dragon blood, as if she could get rid of both Dragon Half-Bloods and Dragons, could that be true?
"I don't know why the Dragons are doing this, but interfering with the Holy Knights Division for that entertainment will not be tolerated by the Lord."
At first, Wei thought it was a trick perpetrated by the Har Kingdom, not the entertainment of a Dragon.
But that was wrong.
'Because they defeated us too easily.'
This makes no sense.
There wasn't a single case where the Knights Division was defeated after its creation.
There were humans with astonishing abilities, but there was no one who trampled on them like toys, as they did.
"So, the answer is the Dragons."
Which Dragon is doing this?
And why are they doing it?
But it makes sense.
Sometimes they had deep meaning, but sometimes they played cruel jokes.
"… If you get rid of us, the Lord will punish you."
That's why he mentioned the noble name of the Dragon Lord.
In reality, the Dragon Lord wouldn't pay much attention to the deaths of Nine and Wei.
The Lord was generous with the Dragons and strict with other beings.
But to live, he could only say that.
"Ugh, Argh."
Because he didn't want to suffer like Nine, Wei uttered the noble name.
And the blue-haired woman in front of him reacted.
"Ha!"
Witira looked up at the sky.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
Her laughter, which burst out like a sigh, soon spread everywhere.
And she shook her head.
"This is something I could never have imagined."
Elf?
Servant of a dragon?
Me?
Witira finally realized.
The reason why the Dragon Half-Blood couldn't think of the word "Beast People" when seeing Witira.
'This is a world where Beast People cannot be so strong.'
That is the truth of this world.
That's why the Dragon Half-Blood mentioned "Elf" despite it being a ridiculous assumption.
"Ha, ha!"
She just kept laughing.
"What, what's wrong? Why are you laughing?"
Wei's face hardened.
Something wasn't right.
There was anger within that laughter.
Wei's pupils trembled, and he couldn't look away from Witira.
Yes, he stared constantly.
But-
"..."
Witira's laughter stopped. And her gaze turned towards Wei.
Tap.
When she lifted her foot slightly.
Boom!
The ground shook, and at the same time, Wei could see Witira running towards him.
"S-shield!"
Barely, Wei shouted "shield."
This time, he would also stop her.
I won't spare any strength, but...
At that moment, he thought.
Baang!
Instead of a water whip, her fist collided with the shield.
Crack~
So easily, the shield shattered.
In that moment, he even forgot to use his power.
"Cough, argh!"
Wei's neck got caught in Witira's hands.
The arm that was covered by the robe was now exposed.
An arm full of small wounds was revealed.
It was then that Wei realized.
This woman's natural way of fighting is to fight like this instead of stepping back and wielding a water whip.
But the price of that understanding was severe.
"Ugh, cough, cough!"
Wei was choking.
At any moment, it seemed like his neck would break in this woman's hands.
Without him realizing it, tears filled Wei's eyes.
It seemed like he was going to die like this.
At the same time, he realized.
This woman is not an Elf.
Elves don't have this strength.
And Elves-
'Don't have that look.'
He had seen Elves several times. Beings who served the Dragons. Their eyes weren't as fierce.
This woman's gaze was more like that of a predator about to kill its prey, which was him.
"Oh."
Wei finally realized.
At the same time, it was hard to believe.
He shook his head.
"No, that can't be."
No, it can't be!
'Could this woman be, could be-'
A presence he couldn't even properly recall with his thoughts.
Smile~
The corner of the woman's lips lifted.
"Now do you know who I am?"
Wei felt the tension in the hand gripping his neck loosening. He also understood that the reason for this was for him to answer her question.
But he couldn't say it.
"That, that can't be-"
Yes, it couldn't be like that.
That's why he couldn't say it.
"Why? Why can't it be?"
Witira asked softly. But Wei felt short of breath even when her hand wasn't strangling his neck.
"How can the tainted blood-"
How?
"A Beast People like you-"
How can 'Beast People' be like this?
Wei had another reason why he thought Witira was an Elf.
She seemed noble.
Although he had spoken of Elves as mere servants of Dragons, Wei envied them when he saw them. That was because Elves were proud and had a distinctive bearing even when facing him, who had Dragon blood.
That nobility.
And from her emanated an unyielding firmness that couldn't be easily overcome.
That was the reason he mentioned Elves.
But 'Beast People' are like this?
Those unpleasant and wild types, who are neither beasts nor humans?
"How old are you?"
Witira asked Wei.
"Have you lived for 200 years?"
Of course, Wei hadn't lived that long.
He was the third generation of Dragon Half-Bloods, after all. Although he looked like a teenager, Wei was around fifty years old.
"It seems like you haven't lived long enough."
Without even waiting for the answer, Witira continued speaking as if she had guessed the response.
"I am from the Whale Tribe."
Whale.
"My name is Witira."
Witira, from the Whale Tribe, revealed the truth.
"And 'Beast People' are originally like this."
Witira smiled.
"Just like you, with blood as hot as that of the Dragons."
Witira, from the 'Whale Tribe,' released her hand from Wei's neck.
The moment Wei staggered...
"Cough!"
Wei was punched in the face and flew away.
Thud!
Crashing into a wooden fence, he fell to the ground.
Witira approached him, lying on the ground.
Witira watched as blood flowed from Wei's mouth and stained her eyes red. Despite the scene, Witira spoke calmly.
"Look. Isn't it the same?"
'Cough, cough!'
Wei trembled.
Because he was enveloped in shock greater than the pain.
That gaze of the Beast People.
It looked like Wei was about to face a lot of trouble.
But he didn't have time to worry about the chaos.
"!"
Witira rendered him unconscious with a casual touch.
She grabbed Wei's back and lifted him. Blood continued to drip from him.
She looked up and saw the blood.
Then, she looked at the gray sky with falling snow.
"Hah~"
She exhaled briefly.
Otherwise, she thought she would have a hard time keeping her anger in check.
"I'll tie them."
"Thank you."
She tied Nine and handed Wei to the approaching Choi Han.
And then she turned her head.
"Knight, what is your name?"
"Ah-"
Knight Sam, who was observing the whole process, suddenly shivered.
He couldn't believe what he had before his eyes.
So, even though he knew he should answer Witira's question at this moment, his mind went blank, and he couldn't speak.
"Knight."
At that moment, he felt a touch on his shoulder.
Turning around, he saw the village chief nodding at him.
Although he didn't understand the meaning, at that moment, seeing the warmth on his shoulder and the firm face of the chief, he regained his senses.
"I am Sam."
"Ah, are you a knight from Har Kingdom?"
"Yes."
"Did you come as a guide?"
"Yes."
"Do you know the way here well?"
"Oh, yes, I know it well."
He didn't know with what mindset he was giving answers, but Sam responded diligently.
Thump, thump.
His heart was beating strongly.
'Were they suppressed so easily?'
Really?
Who are these people?
What is their identity?
'No.'
Their identity was already more or less revealed.
A human who is a Sword Master and can use Force.
And an aquatic Beast People from the Whale Tribe.
But these two things were hard to believe.
"Sir Sam."
Meanwhile, the woman's voice sounded.
"So, is the eradication team arriving now?"
Before he could respond to that question, a friendly voice continued.
"Sir Sam, can you return by the path you came?"
"...What?"
Thud, thud.
Steps were heard approaching from behind.
It wasn't just one.
There were the sounds of several steps.
Sam spoke without daring to look back.
Had he interpreted those words correctly?
"I-it, that-"
"Witira."
"So, is Miss Witira asking to be taken to where the eradication team is?"
Sam spoke, and his heart beat even stronger.
He felt like his heart was going to explode.
He understood the reason for this clearly.
It wasn't fear or panic.
When he saw these two suppress the Dragon Half-Bloods so easily, Sam felt tremendous relief.
And he realized that, at least to some extent, they were allies.
He also realized that their enemy was the approaching eradication team.
Thump, thump.
Sam's heart was beating.
It was clearly anticipation.
No, maybe it was joy.
Or it could be hope.
It was at that moment...
Smile.
Witira smiled brightly.
Sam clenched his fists tightly.
And she looked beyond Sam's shoulder and spoke.
"Sir Cale, isn't it true that Sir Sam here is someone you can communicate quite well with?"
Sam turned his head.
A man with red hair stood out amidst the white snowstorm.
In an instant, Sam recalled a story.
Since he joined this expedition, he was supposed to remember the story of this place.
'The Snow Great Duchy-'
He remembered the extinct family.
The sword of the Har Kingdom.
The moment he thought of their existence, Sam could see those who were by his side.
A white-haired man with green eyes and a small figure with a hood, even though he pressed the hood deeply, carried a sword at his waist. Additionally, a man walked slowly from behind.
- Human, can I go like this?
Cale vaguely nodded at Raon's question, who had become transparent.
- Mmm.
But Raon was worried.
- ...Witira and Choi Han are good. But if we add Clopeh and Hannah as well. Um, a bit, um. And if we also add Rasheel...!
Raon, who even mentioned Rasheel, a dragon with the Attribute of being indomitable, couldn't continue speaking. But Cale was calm.
He told the people in front of him.
"Let's go."
He looked at the houses where the villagers seemed peaceful but were holding their breath.
"We can't fight in the village. We can't destroy everything."
He said kindly to Sam.
"Well, will you lead us to the eradication team?"
* * *
The leader of the eradication team and First Division Commander, Jenyu, stopped in his tracks.
"...."
Although they had not yet reached the village.
There were people blocking them.
"...."
Next to those people, Nine and Wei could be seen, tied up and bleeding.
"We have been waiting for you."
And also, a red-haired man who was smiling and telling him that he had been waiting.
Cale greeted the eradication team in the vast snow-covered field with covered eyes.
* * *
If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.
Thank you for reading!
[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]
[Translator – Anowa]
[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]