Chapter 12: Dragon Rider

A silence that felt like a thousand years, making us incredibly uncomfortable, hung around us.

‘He wants an introduction?’

It was a strange request.

If it were Marquis Reith, who already had continental fame as a Sword Master, there would be no problem introducing him to anyone.

But it was different for these priests.

The revolutionary army members were basically wanted by the Empire.

As people treated as criminals, politely introducing each other and reciprocating was a bit… well…

‘No, let’s just put all that aside for now, they’re assassins!’

And he calmly asked to be introduced to such people?

This was truly ridiculous.

However, Marquis Reith was staring at Varmilo with impudent eyes.

“…My apologies. This isn’t a place for us to be involved.”

“Hmm, I guess I should go watch some teleportation magic. Hahahaha.”

Varmilo and Irgal muttered with extreme awkwardness, attempting to leave the spot.

Then the Marquis narrowed his eyes.

“Hmm.”

In most cases, the revolutionary army doesn’t retreat against the imperial army.

If the forces were of the same rank, the elite revolutionary army was usually a bit stronger than the standardized imperial army.

However, given the current power difference, a battle was completely out of the question.

Because of who their opponent was.

‘Even though he got swept away by me ridiculously, a Sword Master is still a Sword Master.’

So, Varmilo Dimarque tried to play it safe, even if it meant a slight blow to his pride.

In a situation where he couldn’t simply state his name and rank, nor could he pick a fight, the best course of action was naturally to run away.

But Marquis Reith didn’t just stand by and watch.

“Very well, if you have no intention of introducing yourselves, there’s nothing I can do. Instead, let me ask you for this.”

“Me?”

“Would you mind conveying my regards to ‘Archbishop Handel’ at your church?”

“Please also tell him that I will soon come to retrieve the right arm I left for him before. You can do at least this, can’t you? Just as a greeting, you see.”

“…Oh, dear.”

Varmilo’s back, which had been turning, froze, and I almost clapped my hand over my mouth.

‘You crazy old sword-maniac!’

He promised my safety if I won, and now he’s attacking me with his words?

The ‘Archbishop Handel’ whom Elon Reith just mentioned was the highest-ranking clergyman of the Eolem Church, who commanded the Vengeance Priests.

In other words, he was Varmilo Dimarque’s direct superior.

However, he was a figure with quite a painful story.

‘In the past, he came very close to the Nine-Star realm, but he lost an arm during a battle with Imperial Knights and retired from the front lines.’

From the revolutionary army’s perspective, it was an incredibly unfortunate loss.

It was one of the achievements the Marquis accomplished in his younger days.

In other words, Elon Reith pulled out one of his old memories like a dagger and subtly thrust it at Varmilo Dimarque.

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. It’s just a greeting, nothing else.”

What kind of greeting involves going to cut off someone’s arm!

“…Yes, I understand perfectly.”

Varmilo, who had turned back, had a very angry expression.

“I will certainly convey your regards, Marquis. His Eminence the Archbishop will also be curious about your well-being. And I will tell him that your great and magnificent swordsmanship… has not rusted in the slightest.”

“Hmm, even if you can’t introduce yourselves, you certainly know how to mock.”

Sparks seemed to fly between their eyes.

Caught in between, I sighed.

‘What kind of introduction?’

There was no need for it at all.

Marquis Reith already knew which church they belonged to and just faked asking me for an introduction.

As expected of a seasoned veteran, he was a cunning individual.

“Ugh.”

A groan escaped Varmilo, who was glaring at the Marquis.

Even though he was furious, it seemed he couldn’t endure the Sword Master’s presence any longer.

The old man, who had been clenching his teeth, finally turned sharply to me with a pale face.

“Very well, I’ll give you ten minutes starting now. The teleportation gate will open soon, so Your Highness the Third Prince, prepare to move to Aurax!”

He issued that warning and then turned around and left with Irgal.

This time, Marquis Reith didn’t stop Varmilo either.

Instead, he motioned to the surrounding knights to clear the area.

The ice-thin situation passed, and now only the Marquis and I remained.

Elon Reith’s expression, after just finishing his skirmish, was very complex.

“…Your Highness, since you’ve achieved victory over me, I will not impede your will as promised.”

“That’s very much appreciated.”

I sighed.

It felt like we stabbed each other once or twice, even if no actual swordplay occurred.

If I hadn’t won the duel against the Marquis, everyone would have become raw meat in a butcher shop.

“Your Highness, I honestly don’t know how much you know about me, but…”

Elon Reith began.

“I am still someone who deeply loves this country. So, even if I may not get an answer, I cannot help but ask Your Highness.”

Eyes remarkably similar to Karls’s stared intently at me.

As if meticulously dissecting my soul that had suddenly possessed Gilloshian’s body.

“Please tell me. What exactly do you intend to do by going into enemy territory?”

I suppressed my pounding heart and grinned.

“Is that your first question? Why am I going to Aurax? Is that it?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yes, he would be curious.

What exactly does the Third Prince of the Empire intend to do by going to Aurax, the revolutionary army’s city?

The Marquis was very serious.

“Your Highness, in my younger days, I carried out several secret missions there. That was thirty years ago. So I know the place reasonably well. Aurax is fundamentally a very dangerous place.”

“…Ugh, a tiresome lecture.”

This was exactly that ‘back in my day’ kind of talk.

“So, it’s different from Kertion, the city where our Imperial Palace is located…”

I wasn’t about to tolerate any of that.

“Yes, yes, you could say it’s the exact opposite of Kertion. I know, Marquis.”

“Pardon? Your Highness knows Aurax?”

“Yes, I do.”

I started to speak, addressing the Marquis who was flustered at having his words taken.

“A massive, chaotically built fortress teeming with petty thieves. Dangerous goods that wouldn’t dare be displayed in Kertion are spread throughout the market. And on top of that, it’s a chaotic city where even life and death are bought and sold in the black market.”

I can tell a ‘back in my day’ story too, you know.

“There are six armed factions in Aurax, including two churches. And there’s a leader of the revolutionary army who unites all of them.”

“Let’s see. If I remember correctly, his name is probably…”

At that moment, Marquis Reith flinched and raised a hand.

“Stop, please stop! His name is not clean enough for Your Highness to utter!”

At his shout, I obediently closed my mouth.

In the Empire, merely mentioning his name was a serious crime; the leader of the revolutionary army was that dangerous a figure.

Some NPCs even said that a curse followed his name.

Anyway, this was my conclusion.

“Marquis, I know enough about Aurax.”

Why go there?

“And I also know that there is a ‘unique opportunity’ in Aurax.”

When I mentioned ‘unique opportunity’, the Marquis’s eyes widened significantly.

“…Surely not? Are you referring to the Dragon’s Nest, Your Highness?”

I slowly nodded my head.

“Yes, that’s right. The ‘unique opportunity’ for a human to control a dragon. I will challenge that.”

Watching the Marquis’s expression turn serious, I quietly smiled.

“Perhaps it will also be an opportunity for a useless pig prince to overturn everything at once.”

In the Blue Mountains surrounding Aurax, there’s a dungeon called ‘Dead Dragon’s Lair’.

It was a terrifyingly set deep place where sometimes violent dragons would kidnap and abandon a rival’s hatchlings.

‘And if you pass the special quest given here…’

You can literally control a dragon.

Of course, it wasn’t a simple process.

“Your Highness, those who challenge that place overflow every year. But those who succeed and become Dragon Riders are extremely rare. The last one to succeed was…”

“Farrell Karas, nineteen years ago.”

“Yes, seventeen years ago.”

Ah, at this point, it would be seventeen years. I confused the timeline.

Anyway, it means that it’s not entirely impossible, as some people occasionally succeed.

‘In fact, it’s a sufficiently possible quest for players.’

Although it was tough, it wasn’t a quest designed for everyone to fail and give up.

From my perspective, if I was well-prepared, it was a dungeon I could clear at any time.

But the Marquis, unaware of my true intentions, was very pessimistic.

“Since Farrell Karas disappeared in the far eastern region ten years ago, there are no Dragon Riders on the continent now. And you’re saying Your Highness intends to challenge that place?”

Intense doubt filled his blue eyes.

His expression suggested it would be more hopeful to challenge becoming a Sword Master instead.

But I quietly smiled.

“Farrell did it, why couldn’t I?”

“Your Highness! This is not something you should rush into with mere competitiveness. Farrell Karas was no ordinary human!”

“But he was human.”

“Think logically. Not only is the possibility extremely low, but it’s excessively dangerous, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. But wasn’t it also illogical for me to defeat the Marquis? Though it was slightly less dangerous than the Dead Dragon’s Lair, of course.”

When I retorted like that, Elon Reith tried to respond again but soon gave up.

“My goodness, the Dragon’s Nest…”

He was quietly staring into space as if something was there.

He had been staring intently into my eyes, wanting to dig me out, but now he was just lost in thought, his face revealing nothing.

It felt as if I could hear the thoughts from his handsome features.

-He’s certainly not the Third Prince I knew. Not that good-for-nothing who was rotting away in the imperial palace.

-How did he know about Kalus?

-And where did he learn that swordsmanship?

-Did His Highness the Third Prince have any way of acquiring information about Aurax?

Various questions flowed beneath his cold expression.

But I couldn’t let him think as he pleased.

I wasn’t that kind.

“Marquis.”

I broke the silence and spoke.

“I’m not waiting for your permission now. I merely answered because you, as a subordinate, were curious; I have already decided my path. Isn’t that right?”

Then Elon Reith nodded heavily.

“Yes, Your Highness. I understand well. Because Your Highness was victorious.”

I am different from Gilloshian.

Even though I was wearing the skin of a good-for-nothing NPC, the core inside was a completely different human.

I was a traveler of this world and a strategist.

Also, a player.

Therefore, I would choose a path completely different from Gilloshian, the exact opposite.

“Now, ask your second question. What else are you curious about?”

To the first question of what I would do in enemy territory, I answered that I would ‘conquer the Dragon’s Nest’.

Now it was the second question.

I mentally anticipated a few questions and prepared perfect defenses.

‘How did he know about my hidden son, who taught him Haeu swordsmanship, how did he defeat me… He’s probably curious about these things, right?’

I had thought about it earlier while washing with Kalus.

However, the Marquis completely defied my expectations.

“What should I report to His Majesty the Emperor, Your Highness?”

He suddenly threw a question I had not anticipated at all.

“Yes?”

I asked back with a blank expression, but the Marquis was extremely calm.

“I’m talking about the content of the report I should present to His Majesty the Emperor after Your Highness crosses over to Aurax. I can’t tell His Majesty the truth, can I?”

“Ah, that, that’s right? I can’t tell the truth…?”

“That’s correct. That content is my second question.”

My mind went completely blank.

A question I had never even thought of came up.

But it was a very important point.

‘Right, if I can’t properly persuade that psycho, I’ll definitely be tracked.’

This person, Gilloshian’s father, was one of the craziest characters in The World Forsaken by God

…It’s one problem after another.