—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
However, I knew it wouldn’t become commonplace even in ten years.
“The kingdom is likely to propose a secret alliance.”
Now I understood why Kriang had brought up Annelise.
“A formal envoy will be arriving, and it seems some of Annelise’s kin will be among them.”
While officially a formal envoy, they would initially operate in secret.
Someone with considerable authority would be coming.
“…They wish to meet with me.”
“Indeed.”
I had expected as much.
For them to contact another kingdom, despite their distant relationship, suggested they wanted to meet.
“…It would be difficult to refuse, considering the circumstances.”
“Yes. And if possible, we’d also like to request your presence.”
“My presence…?”
It was a difficult request.
The Barren Lands were a constant battlefield, practically a warzone.
High-ranking underground monsters occasionally appeared, and even some of the surface monsters were comparable to them, requiring constant vigilance.
Even my presence here at Desert Shield wasn’t ideal.
I had been communicating with Prina, the lord of Lineta, through letters.
If it weren’t for the royal messenger, I wouldn’t have left the tower.
“Frankly, I don’t have the time.”
“Is it truly impossible?”
I shook my head at Kriang’s question.
“It’s extremely difficult. Even coming here wasn’t an easy decision. I have to return as soon as possible.”
I explained that I was even communicating with the lord through letters, highlighting the impracticality of my leaving.
“…It seems the Barren Lands’ reputation isn’t unfounded.”
“Indeed. And there are still unforeseen variables…”
Even after stabilizing the area, monsters had suddenly emerged from unknown locations.
With the monster population in the Barren Lands rapidly decreasing, there was no telling when such an incident might occur again.
‘And it’s about time to excavate the dragon’s corpse.’
Therefore, leaving my post was both practically difficult and personally undesirable.
Kriang seemed quite troubled.
It seemed the Six-Kingdom Alliance considered the Demihuman Alliance’s visit important.
Therefore, I made a suggestion.
“Then how about this?”
“The ones seeking Annelise are dark elves, correct?”
“I presume they’re not seeking Annelise for some grand purpose. They simply want to assess her current situation and discuss matters.”
“That’s likely the case.”
“Then please send one person to Desert Shield to meet with her.”
“I’ll bring Annelise here at the appointed time. While this isn’t the safest place…”
“Lineta County has started hiring mercenaries, and the danger level in the Barren Lands should have decreased considerably by then. And with only one visitor, the escort requirement wouldn’t be too high…”
It was a manageable task.
I could make such a proposal because I had earned a certain level of recognition.
“That wouldn’t be a problem.”
Relieved by Kriang’s agreement, I breathed a sigh of relief.
If it hadn’t worked, I would have had to send Annelise alone, which I didn’t want to do.
‘She knows too much.’
I wanted to keep my information as hidden as possible.
Therefore, I hoped my request would be accepted, and my efforts seemed to have paid off, as Kriang agreed.
“Then I’ll inform you of the schedule through House Lineta.”
“I’ll be here.”
“I’ll visit you again then. I’d prefer to meet regularly, but… seeing the situation, it seems difficult.”
It was difficult for him to travel here regularly, and having him visit my tower was too risky.
“It can’t be helped. We’ll see how the situation develops.”
Having achieved so much, the treatment I received was different, which was convenient.
In this class-based society, a royal messenger wouldn’t normally make such concessions.
Furthermore, as a commoner in name, such consideration was a privilege.
Normally, I would have to travel to meet him every time, despite the circumstances.
Therefore, I expressed my gratitude to Kriang for his consideration, and he replied that I deserved such treatment, exchanging polite pleasantries.
As promised, I returned to the tower immediately after our conversation.
Thea seemed disappointed, but she had to remain here until House Lineta officially expanded into this area.
With Thea and Entin, the Knight Banneret, seeing me off, I returned to the tower.
“Several factions are making their moves simultaneously.”
I nodded at Kayla’s words.
“The Earth Mother Religion’s actions were also unexpectedly swift.”
“While the royal family is protecting you, Master, we can’t avoid the Goddess Religion’s attention forever.”
“Probably not.”
Especially with the Demihuman Alliance envoy.
While they would operate in secret, the Empire wasn’t foolish.
The Demihuman Alliance was their greatest concern.
They wouldn’t be able to completely conceal the visit.
“Especially since we’re inviting one of them, they’ll become aware of our existence.”
While phrased as an invitation, it was practically a favor.
“We need to secure the dragon’s corpse as soon as possible. Specifically…”
“Before the visitor arrives.”
The visitor was likely from Annelise’s former house.
‘Dark elves.’
My master in the previous iteration was a dark elf.
Elves were rare.
And outside the Demihuman Alliance, they were rarely seen.
Dark elves were even rarer.
While they were once as numerous as elves, their numbers had dwindled considerably.
‘That’s why their status within the Demihuman Alliance isn’t what it used to be.’
They had been overshadowed by the elves.
Therefore, dark elves were a rare sight, and aside from my master, I had barely seen any in my previous life.
‘Even if there were any, they would be traded as slaves in secret.’
While most demihumans belonged to the Demihuman Alliance, they weren’t entirely absent from human kingdoms or the Empire.
Most were slaves.
Mutre was a prime example.
“Excavation… will we have time?”
I inwardly agreed with Kayla. I had known this was necessary since inviting the visitor.
However, the unexpectedly swift developments made me uncertain.
With House Lineta making its move, I couldn’t afford to have the oases fall while I was away.
Therefore, the forces I could mobilize were limited.
“While mobilizing a large force is difficult, with the monster population in the Barren Lands significantly reduced, a smaller group should be sufficient.”
“We also need to escort Mutre.”
Mutre was essential.
The dragon’s corpse was buried underground, the area was dangerous, and time was limited, requiring swift action.
Therefore, Mutre’s skills as a dwarf were indispensable.
“Wouldn’t it be fine if he went with Golun?”
“It can’t be helped. As you said, we need to secure the dragon’s corpse as soon as possible.”
The underground laboratory had been completed for a while, but I hadn’t been able to utilize it properly.
While I felt somewhat pressured by the circumstances, it was the best decision given the rapidly changing situation.
I discussed the matter with Kayla and selected a minimal team.
Kayla and I would definitely go, and Athena was also likely to join.
‘Golun, Orie, Mutre…’
I also intended to borrow a Centurion from Gagar.
‘Assigning a large number of Skeletons to an artifact wouldn’t be a bad idea.’
I would also have Orie bring some of her Specters.
We reached the tower and, after explaining the situation, summoned the selected members.
“Excavation… I see.”
Mutre pondered, having heard about the task and the approximate location.
“With Golun and the Skeletons you’re providing, the excavation itself shouldn’t be difficult, but I can’t guarantee how long it will take.”
“We need to find it as quickly as possible.”
“Considering the location, that’s understandable. But what are we looking for?”
“A dragon.”
“…Pardon?”
“There should be a dragon’s corpse there.”
Mutre looked surprised but quickly composed himself.
“A dragon… that’s… better than I expected. A dragon in this area suggests a lair nearby, and dragon lairs are usually quite large.”
While it was possible the dragon died in battle here, there was no reason for a dragon to fight in this remote location, so Mutre’s assumption was likely correct.
“If it’s a lair… we might find it quickly.”
“In an ideal scenario, we might find it within a day.”
“…Is that possible?”
“Yes. It’s just a possibility, so please don’t get your hopes up.”
While he said it was a possibility, Mutre’s eyes held a certain conviction.
“How is that possible?”
“It’s simple. If it truly is a dragon’s lair, it was likely built by dwarves.”
“Dwarves?”
“It shames me to say it, but we dwarves were slaves coveted not only by humans, but also by dragons.”
“If it was built by your kin… there should be traces.”
“…But it must be incredibly old.”
“It doesn’t matter. Even if it’s a thousand years old, the basic techniques used by dwarves are largely the same.”
While a tragic story, it was fortunate for me. I needed to find the dragon’s corpse as quickly as possible.
Of course, this was only possible if it was indeed a lair.
I informed them that we would depart the next morning, and Mutre said he would prepare immediately.
I considered how to summon the forces from the other oases.
‘I can use the Lake of Blood for Gagar… I’ll have to take a detour for Golun.’
That night, I used the Lake of Blood to summon Gagar, and as soon as dawn broke, we set off for the third oasis.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
-Master, I follow. I will kill all who approach.
“Yes, yes.”
Golun seemed pleased to be accompanying me without his subordinates.
He seemed to think it meant I trusted him.
“A dragon’s corpse… I’ve heard about it before, but it feels strange to actually be searching for one. I wonder what it looks like?”
Athena’s words piqued my curiosity as well.
I had only heard stories, I had never seen one in person.
“Legends say they’re as big as houses. They’re often described as filling the sky when they spread their wings.”
Athena nodded at Kayla’s words.
“Yes, I’ve heard similar stories. But aren’t their wings mostly for show?”
“Perhaps. While they aid in flight, they’re ultimately secondary. Legends say dragons could still fly even with torn wings.”
They were known as masters of magic. I doubted the presence or absence of wings significantly affected their flight.
I listened silently to their conversation.
Having not been born in this world, I wasn’t familiar with such legends and folktales.
My knowledge was limited to the descriptions of dragons that spread after the Septran Kingdom discovered a dragon’s corpse in the previous iteration.
And much of that information aligned with their speculations.
“Not just their bones, but their scales are also incredibly valuable.”
“That’s documented. Armor and shields made from dragon bones and scales are said to be impenetrable, even by Masters. Though now they’re mostly stored away in royal treasuries.”
“Then do robes made from their membranes really exist?”
“So they say. Come to think of it, your daggers and Master’s staff are made from dragon parts, aren’t they?”
“That’s true, but it doesn’t really feel real.”
“…I suppose it doesn’t. They just look like equipment made from unusual materials. Master’s staff is more noticeable for its appearance than its material.”
It was difficult to discern with the naked eye.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Your Text Here]
