Chapter 445 (2/2)

I’m definitely not going to forget that .

「Yeah, I beat that thing up . 」

The voice becomes increasingly angrier .

『――that was me . How truly aggravating . Challenging me with swords and arrows is one thing, but to use that metal tube, grrr . 』

The dragon’s name was certainly Lindbloom……wait, isn’t this strange?

『When your pierced my heart, my soul transferred into the blade . Mithril is a material highly capable of interfering with spirits . That was how my soul came to reside within the sword . Having lived for thousands of years, my soul is strong . It would take more than the destruction of my physical body for my soul to disappear . 』

「So something like that happened back then……?」

『With my great soul stored in the sword, the color should have changed considerably . 』

I only noticed a slight change .

「How come you didn’t speak to me at that time? Why did you speak only now?」

I’ve never heard his voice after swinging my Dual Crater around so much .

『Due to the circ.u.mstances, I felt tired . I was thinking of sleeping for several decades . 』

Decades, huh?

Well, I can’t speak to the lifespans of dragons, but it hasn’t even been two years since then .

『There was an unexpected stimulus, you see . First, it has to deal with that sword called the dragon’s blade . Although it is merely another sword made of mithril, there are traces of the scale of a dragon that I once paired with for a short amount of time hammered in its blade . 』

Acevedo’s sword?

That’s right, he only started to talk once the Dual Crater made contact with Acevedo’s sword .

『Then, there is the blood that wet the blade . Half belongs to that one and half belongs to me . How could I not awaken after that?』

Hm? It was Pochi’s blood that got on the Dual Crater .

「Are you saying Pochi is your child!?」

『Indeed . Such a resounding feeling to my soul could not possibly be mistaken for anyone else . 』

Pochi should be born from an egg Pipi happened to pick up somewhere and brought back .

It’s a wonder how fate connects such unrelated incidents .

「This is quite an incredible story…… hmm . 」

I make a contemplative face .

This voice in my sword is male and the scale in the dragon blade belonged to a female…… which means Pochi’s mother pa.s.sed away long ago .

And in killing Lindbloom, I murdered Pochi’s only living relative .

It occurred before Pochi was born and I couldn’t have known, so I don’t really regret it .

However, I still feel sorry for the lonely lizard .

「Hey . 」

『What is it?』

I pull out the Dual Crater from the ground and lay it across my lap .

「Your child is growing up nicely」

It knows how to clean its own living s.p.a.ce, do laundry, and trim the plants in the garden .

Just recently, it also created and submitted a menu of desired meals .

「Compared to the time it was born, I would say it has gotten much bigger . It won’t die a dog’s death any longer . Sometimes, I still hear crying at night though . 」

There is a limited time Pochi can be separated from Pipi, but it’s not scared of any beast or monster .

「So don’t worry . If you have anything to say to your child, I will relay the message for you . 」

I’m not going to mourn this guy’s death, however, I can act as a messenger for him .

With that in mind, I show him genuine sincerity .

『What are you saying? I don’t care about some kid . 』

「……what?」

Weird .

Didn’t he wake up because of the parental relations.h.i.+p between him and Pochi?

『I just said I received a jolt . It’s similar to being splashed with cold water . 』

“In the first place,” he continues .

『That girl did not perish . There is but a fragment of the scale within the sword . It’s likely that it naturally fell off and a little one picked it up . 』

I’m getting confused .

If she didn’t die, then why was this guy deep in a cave in the mountain by himself? Wasn’t he grieving the loss of his mate?

The voice ignores my bewilderment and happily talks further .

『I met that girl only two hundred years ago, wapph . 』

I stab the sword into the ground again .

He’s still Pochi’s father, so he should be nice .

『She was happy when she met me sleeping in the cave . She was about 150 years old and still just a child . She innocently frolicked around after meeting someone of the same species for the first time . 』

This has turned into a time of reminiscing .

It sounds like a pleasant story though . Dragons don’t get to meet their kind very easily .

『She would live together with me in my nest and cheerfully bring me small animals and monsters as prey . 』

The movement of dragons is equivalent to a calamity to the people in the vicinity, but it’s not like they can go without eating .

『This sort of family lifestyle continued for some time . 』

What a heart-warming tale .

I ready a cup so I could have alcohol to accompany this entertainment .

『At 150 years old, when her body was grown, but the inside was still that of a child-』

「Hey . 」

I don’t like where this is headed .

『I mated with her as a joke . After all, it had been decades since the last time I did so . Despite the crying and screaming, I didn’t stop . 』

Even though I poured my alcohol on the Dual Crater, the voice remained sidetracked .

『Dozens of years went by as I kept mating with her . 』

Judging by his voice, I can tell his eyes looking into the distance .

I asked because I thought he had an interesting story, not a series of rape .

『One morning, I saw she had disappeared . There was an egg laying in the corner . I could not mate with an egg, so I went back to sleep until you people woke me up . Therefore, I don’t care about some kid which resulted as a product of l.u.s.t―― wapphh . 』

I kick over the Dual Crater .

And then I hastily pick it back up .

「If you weren’t in Nonna’s precious sword, I would have broken and destroyed you . h.e.l.lfire dragon, my a.s.s . You’re just a rapist dragon . 」

I can’t inform Pochi of this guy’s existence . I would feel sorry .

『Now, hold on . Breaking the sword would really trouble me . At least wait until I regain more of my power . 』

The Dual Crater once again glows after he finishes talking .

「Hey, don’t do anything unnecessary . 」

『What do you mean? I’m saying that I will turn this mithril rod into a magic sword, a vessel suitable for myself . 』

The Dual Crater gradually changes shape .

『All the lives you reaped with this sword will become the sustenance for my soul . 』

The blade elongates and increases in weight .

『I will shroud the sword with the magic you deflected . 』

A complicated magic seal forms and encompa.s.ses the sword from its tip to its hilt, then an intricate design decorates the entire sword .

『I will bind it with my soul . 』

The faint red light emitting from the sword intensifies into a vibrant and deep crimson .

「It became something completely different . 」

I can’t show this to Nonna .

I don’t think she would like the gaudy decorative addition resembling thorns or a snake .

『Now, the item which houses my spirit has become a true magic sword . It should possess strength incomparable to that of a mithril sword . 』

The rapist dragon glimmers proudly .

「I guess it’s easier to use now that it’s longer and heavier . Mmm, who would have thought the shape would change this much . 」

I’m mainly concerned about Nonna getting upset . No, she’ll cry .

『With that said, it doesn’t come without a price . This sword is――』

At that time, a commotion started outside the tent .

「That’s an enemy spy! That person tried to blend in with the supply corps!」

「Give chase! Don’t let ‘em escape!」

I didn’t have time to think before footsteps rushed toward the tent .

「d.a.m.n! Now that it’s come to this, I’ll set this on fire and spread chaos―― kuh!?」

The man who ran in the tent draws his sword and attacks when he discovers me .

Of course, this situation is not enough to fl.u.s.ter me .

I promptly ready the new and improved Dual Crater .

「Dieee!!」

「Why don’t you?」

He wasn’t very skilled with the sword and I was able to easily parry his slash, then stab him in the stomach .

That’s definitely a fatal injury . But it’s not one that will kill instantly .

I don’t take pleasure in letting someone suffer, so I pull my sword out to decapitate the man, but then the rapist dragon’s voice booms .

『I guess it’s faster to show you . 』

The Dual Crater s.h.i.+nes a dark red, causing the skewered man to scream .

It was as if the man’s very life force was being drained from his body .

It only took a few seconds .

When the man dies, the sword stops glowing .

I quietly withdraw the sword from his corpse .

「What did you do?」

『Power is needed to sustain this sword and my soul . I absorb the appropriate amounts of life, soul, and magic energy . 」

In other words, I have to constantly kill somebody?

「What a ridiculous cursed sword . I’m not a murderer who goes around killing randomly…… no, nevermind . 」

I ponder briefly . If I think about it calmly, I actually do kill a lot of people . I guess I won’t have too much of an issue .

『It has been a while since I’ve eaten . Now I’m going to sleep . 』

Almost simultaneously to the dragon falling asleep, allied soldiers come running in .

「d.a.m.n, he ran in here―― p-pardon me, Lord Hardlett!」

「You mean this guy? I took care of him . I couldn’t keep him alive . 」

After wiping the blood off my sword, I exit the tent .

It won’t fit in the sheath anymore . I’ll have to figure something out .

「Sir, my apologies for the incompetence! d.a.m.n, this guy was unlucky to encounter Lord Hardlett…… hiiiiih!!」

「W-what the heck is this!? There’s a hole in his stomach, yet there is not a drop of blood…… and his internal organs are gone!? His eyeb.a.l.l.s are sunken in too, how did this……」

I walk briskly to remove myself from the soldiers’ presence .

I don’t know what this sword has become, but it’s gotten even harder to use it in public .

The enemy is already calling me a demon too .

I tried asking Lindbloom to do something about the sheath, but I didn’t get any response, so I guess he really went to sleep .

I find a tattered cloth to act as the sheath for now and keep the blade hidden .

On the way, I b.u.mp into Brynhildr, who stares at me for approximately ten seconds, and then leaves without doing anything else because the sun hasn’t completely set .

I can sense that she’ll summon me soon .

「Lord Hardlett . 」

「What? Nothing is wrong with the Dual Crater . 」

Oh, it’s just Leopolt .

He gives the sword a glance, then throws a rock at me .

「What, are you picking a fight?」

I catch it without difficulty, slam it into the ground and break it into pieces .

「That rock is a fragment of the city wall . As you can see, it’s not anything special . 」

Leopolt points to the perimeter of the city .

「There wasn’t anything special constructed on the inside either . It is the same as when Goldonia left it . 」

Fumu, that’s strange .

Trisnia’s walls definitely endured cannonb.a.l.l.s and repelled battering rams .

If we didn’t use the dwarven cannons or the naval rams, which can be considered unfair, I don’t know if we could have broken through though .

「It’s weird that no changes were made . 」

「Yes, If the materials and construction are normal, then I speculate normal means were not used to strengthen the walls . 」

Outside normal, in other words, magic and things of that nature .

「It’s hard to determine detailed information if we are dealing with unknown magical phenomenon, so until we prove for certain it is the case, we have no other option than to a.s.sume all of South Yuguria’s fortresses have the same durability as the walls of Trisnia . We can’t avoid the disadvantage we’ll face during our attacks on their bases . 」

That’s truly annoying .

We can’t make any progress no matter how far south we advance if we can’t bring down any of their bases .

「Is there any way around it?」

「That is currently undecided . 」

I smile unconsciously .

He could have said “I will do my utmost”, but he decisively said “undecided”, that’s very characteristic of him .

「Well, do your best . And what about the west coast of the river?」

The enemy’s western army has already arrived so they should only have the double-crossers left .

「We’ll ignore them . That area is no longer the main battlefield . Since they don’t have transport s.h.i.+ps, there is no possibility of them posing a threat on the east coast . 」

「That’s fine then . Those traitors have no clue, huh . 」

There are plenty in Trisnia, but the city fell and the ones who cooperated with the occupiers have been recaptured .

The scary part comes after .

「The feudal lords and n.o.bles of the western coast are already asking constantly for their messengers to provide us with excuses . 」

I’m sure they are .

「Like I said before, that region is no longer a strategically important point . We’ll ward them away and quietly give them hope, then wipe them out in one fell swoop once the battle has been decided . 」

「Sounds about right . 」

They can only lament their poor choice .

I’ll have to be careful that I don’t make a mistake myself .

In the worse case scenario, I have to be ready to take the girls and flee .

「Well then, there is also an example over here of a judgement being mistaken . 」

I sigh as I observe the scene in front of me .

「You mean the trial for the eastern n.o.bles who were annihilated as a result of Lady Hyuutia’s decision to violate orders which led to her partic.i.p.ation . 」

It’s funny how Leopolt deliberately emphasizes Myla’s actions as a violation of orders .

He might unexpectedly be the type to hold a grudge .

They are under Erich’s supervision and are being sentenced one after the other in a temporary court .

「Lord Negael . Extenuating circ.u.mstances will not be taken into account . You will receive the death penalty and your family inheritance will be forfeited . Lord Uraigir, you will also be sentenced to death and――」

「P-please have mercy! My family was deceived by Lord Uraigir!」

「What are you saying!? My family was the one who was tricked by you!!」

I shake my head in disappointment and sit down on the chair Leopolt brought .

「I see numerous familiar faces, but I don’t feel like protecting anyone . And why don’t you sit as well . I can’t calm down with you standing next to me . 」

Leopolt, who felt like there was no need to interfere, simply nodded .

Somebody notices me in the audience and shouts to get my attention .

「Lord Hardlett! It’s me!! I met you in one of the banquets hosted by your wife!! Please! Please help mediate!!」

The man’s shrill voice is truly shameful .

In the corner of my eye, I catch Celia hopping uneasily .

She probably wants to tell me not to do anything unnecessary no matter what .

「Unfortunately, I have no reason to save you . How can traitors be allies?」

A small smirk forms on my face .

Seeing a small hope in my expression, the traitors lean over the spears of the guards blocking their way and shout desperately .

「W-well, Uraigir-dono――」

「What are you implying, Lord Negael!? No, to begin with, it was Lord Hanrown’s messenger who introduced……」

Is it about time?

I draw my new Dual Crater and strike the ground .

Because of its increased weight, it caused the earth to shake a little .

「How unsightly . If you’re going to betray, do it from the beginning . Doing it in the middle of a decisive battle is an act more vulgar than a dung beetle, and dung beetles get squashed . 」

I purposely widen my eyes and speak in a low voice, silencing everyone including the judge and Erich .

Intimidated by the blood l.u.s.t, the traitors collapsed on the spot .

I’m sure they won’t squeal anymore .

Honestly, I don’t care if they betray or double-cross us .

I just want them to take responsibility for their actions . If it works out, fine, but if it doesn’t, then own up to it . I don’t hold a grudge against anybody .

Maybe they were just unlucky they ran into Myla when they were about to betray us .

Anyway, they should give up and obediently go to the otherworld .

In my peripheral vision, Celia pats her chest in relief .

What is she worried about? Did she think I would cover for them?

Impossible .

「Next, Baroness Escaote . Similarly, your family will be executed and your inheritance will be forfeited . 」

「Baroness, you said?」

Celia bounces twice as high as before .

The next person to stand trial is a woman in her mid-thirties whose lips are trembling and turning pale .

Her eyes are fixed on the judge, but tears are endlessly streaking down her face .

I remember seeing her at one of the banquets Nonna hosted .

Back then, she came with her husband, but around the time we went to war with South Yuguria, I remember hearing about him suddenly pa.s.sing away .

「If I may say, the standing of my house is dependent on Lord Haurown……I cannot make any decisions on my own…… if you could be satisfied with my life, at least spare the rest of my family and the inheritance…… I beg of you……」

Baroness Escaote prostrates, her face grinding against the floor .

Her pretty face gets dirty and the rough surface cuts into her lips and forehead, causing blood to trickle .

Erich and the judge remain cold .

「Lift your head . The result won’t change regardless of your disgraceful plea . As a woman of n.o.bility and now a feudal lord, conduct yourself as such . 」

「This will conclude the trial . The execution will take place tomorrow morning . Write your wills and ensure your affairs are put in order . 」

Cruelly forsaken, Baroness Escaote collapses in tears, her face still on the floor .

「Not good . This isn’t good . 」

Celia falls down and holds her face in pain when I stand up .

And then it happened .

「Don’t move!! If you don’t release my mother, I will kill this man!!」

A male voice, before it deepens during p.u.b.erty, shouts out and a dagger is held to my throat .

My eyes s.h.i.+ft to the owner of the knife and I discover it is a young man of about 15 years of age who has an extremely furious expression on his face .

Protagonist: Aegir Hardlett . 25 years old . Summer .

Status: Goldonia Kingdom Margrave . Great Feudal Lord of Eastern Area . Mountain Legend .

Friend of the Dwarves . Friend of the King of Aless . Dragon Slayer Hero .

Elf Mediator . s.e.x King of White City .

Subordinates:

Myla (militia commander), Leopolt (staff officer A), Tristan (staff officer B), Celia (jumped)

Yakov (bandit), Irijina (commander), Luna (bow cavalry commander), Gido (pervert), Pochi (chivalric lizard)

Others:

Ivanna (sulking), Brynhildr (rage), Annette (princess of the 105), Sekrit (training)

Piris (crying), Harty (motivated), Nonna (sneezed)

Army – Southern Goldonia

Under Protagonist

Escort Unit: 60

Infantry: 4500

Cavalry: 670

Archers: 670

Cannoneers: 380

Bow Cavalry: 7000

Independent Celia Squad: 400

Conscripts + Security Unit: 17 000

Cannons: 40, Large Cannons: 23, Dwarven Cannons: 16, Field Artillery: 20, Chariots: 45

Reinforcements / Allied Forces

Aless Soldiers: 13909

105 Army Corps: 3500

Fleet

Battles.h.i.+p Suvorov, Battles.h.i.+p Aless of Aless, and others: All grounded .

Transport s.h.i.+ps: 20

Ally Forces: Frontal Warfront – Royal Army: 50 000

Conscripts: 35 000

Enemy Force

Frontal Warfront – Regular Soldiers: 2・50 000

Conscripts: 40 000

Cavalry Army: 25 000 ???

Magrado Local Army: disorganized .

Meldora: insignificant

a.s.sets: -10 000 gold

s.e.xual Partners: 786, children who have been born: 69 + 567

Current Location: Trisnia (adjusting military force)