Chapter 547: Preparation for the march 1
With more dragons, there was no shortage of guards and pursuit checks and we left Broll and Julene in charge of the cliff top (the remaining dragons and the captured heroes) and went down to the valley for a rest and strategy meeting.
“How is Special Duty Commander Becker doing?”
“He and Keiron and the others are working with Bauz and Sahul as messengers. I’ve asked Bauz and the others to help with the transport, but I can’t go in alone with a dragon I don’t know”
“Yes……indeed”
So that means it’s not all there yet. I’m not sure what to expect. I’m a little nervous about what’s going to happen next.
“Tetes-chan! I thought you were dead!”
“Ahaha……well, come to think of it, you could have died at any time”
“You did your best”
“I trusted you. I had more faith in that man’s bad luck than in Tetes”
The Gauntlet Knights, reunited for the first time in a while, were naturally happy to see each other and rejoice that they were safe. Other than Maia and Neia, she was the only other person who could be considered a combatant and when it comes to being in a sensitive position in a dragon’s den, the view that she is hopeless……is correct.
“I thought Andy would keep it well maintained”
“It’s Andy-san, isn’t it?”
Anzeros and Aurora had full confidence in me. ……I was curious about the slightly different impression of Anzeros and when I touched the collar of her cloak, Anzeros tensed up a little. ……Her hair had been shortened to her shoulders.
“Anzeros, this hair…….”
“A, Ahaha……I wonder if it will look good on me……”
Anzeros laughs, unable to hide her anxious tone.
“What’s wrong?”
“……I’m just a little”
I’m not sure if it’s a proactive reason, because she doesn’t seem to want to say much.
“I’m not going to force you to tell me if you don’t want to. I like your hair like this”
“……Andy. ……I, It’s not like there was that much of a problem. It was my mistake and it got burnt, so Selenium cut it for me”
“Did you burn it……?”
“…………”
Why did she burn it? Because now I’m asking about it in depth……I don’t think that’s the kind of atmosphere.
“Please tell me the details soon. What happened while I was gone?”
“Yeah”
Anzeros was also quite active in the battle against dragons. Although her deciding factor was given to Aurora’s slashing wave, her movement and destructive power were not inferior to the skilled Great Sword Saints of the Sword Saint Brigade. That alone makes me think that she must have had a lot going on in her own way.
“Angelina-san”
“……Ector. Thank you for this time, for accompanying us”
“No, I could hardly do anything”
Ector Randall spoke to us and our circle was joined by the Sword Saint Brigade.
“I was hoping to have a leisurely chat with you. You must be Sir Bonaparte’s favorite, that dragon rider. I am Joseph Bay. This is my apprentice Abel”
“Abel Dingir”
“Ah, I feel like I’ve heard of Dingir before……”
“Hahaha, he had a bit of a name at the end of the war, this guy. Have you ever heard of the fastest Trot person, Gale Dingil?”
“Please stop, it’s embarrassing. I’m famous just for being fast”
“It is good to be the best at everything”
The sword saint who was active with twin swords introduces his apprentice to me. I looked at Aurora and saw her sparkling eyes.
“Could it be that both of you are awesome famous……?”
“It makes me wonder why Andy, a Trot guy, is reacting like that”
Sorry. When it comes to sword saints, my knowledge stops with 100-man commander Grants whom I know directly or old man Bonaparte, who is the most famous man in the country.
“Remember the man in the blue cloak there. He stands out and since he is relatively young among the great sword saints, it will be good for both of us in the future”
“If you’re going to introduce me, I’d like to be introduced properly. Balt Dean III. Feel free to call me Third”
“Is that the point of being casual, Sir Dean? ……I’m Kain Gold. Well, nice to meet you. I thought we might have one of these festivals someday, after all the fuss the dragons put up a year ago, but it turned out to be a lot more spectacular than I expected”
Balto Dean III is a handsome man who looks both elegant and wild, a middle-aged man with a rough-looking yet well-kept beard and reasonably long all-back hair. In the fight just now, he was teaming up with the twin-sword master and apprentice, Sir Bey. He was carrying a halberd and was in some way brilliant in his carriage. Following him was the man who was first partnered with Sir Bonaparte. He had several scars on his face and neck, including a large scar running over one eye, although the eye was not crushed. The same face scar reminds me of Berga, the protector of Sharon and her brother, but this one had a scary scar but he himself looked lighter. But if he has that kind of wound only on his face and neck, his whole body must be a lot more amazing.
“May I say hello to you too?”
“I guess it’s my turn. I’m next”
“He’s wounded and after a long period of deprivation, boys. Can’t we go easy on him?”
The sword saints tried to greet me one after another and Sir Bonaparte, unable to bear the sight, restrained them.
“Sorry, young man. We all had a lot of free time on our hands. I thought that if I kept a close eye on you, I would be able to poke my head in if something happened”
“That’s a terrible thing to say, Commander. Just because you’ve been summoned by name!”
“That’s right!”
You guys are booing, but you don’t want to deny it.
“I’m not the Commander. Gilbert took over that role”
“I’m not going to accept it!? I was only forced to take the place by the king’s order”
100-man commander Grants grumbles in dissatisfaction and the sword saints start to laugh. Why are you guys pushing the commander around so much?
“Well, now that we’ve finished greeting each other, let’s check on the current situation and talk about our future prospects
The former king Ulysses comes out to take the opportunity. Dianne and Neia also came and nodded.
“Okay. I’ll ask you to follow the steps again, Andy
“……Yes”
As I nodded, the flash sword also flashed at Neia’s waist.
“I’ll join you”
“Are you sure?”
“There are some issues that concern me. It would be irrational to avoid it”
I take the flash sword from Neia and while looking over at the sword saints and all my friends sitting on the rocks in the carriage, I decide to explain from scratch what I’ve been saying so far.
“……I see. The Mad King was dead and the times were about to change without waiting for us……”
“I had expected this, but……it’s a form of governance only possible in an environment where external pressure can be completely ignored. Interesting”
“How is it that the schism did not occur?”
“With this system, the king is always almost completely naked. And could be overthrown at any time if the people were so inclined……no, is it impossible due to the topography……?”
“In a land where the only way to survive is through food production in less affluent areas, overthrowing the king and attempting to monopolize the food supply would be a sure-fire way out”
“But the people are uneducated and if they cannot endure exploitation, their future is irrelevant”
“But if even the composition of the family, which should be protected, is controlled, a self-serving revolution will not make waves. It is only if there is something left behind that people will lay down their lives”
“Ummm. The thinness of the preparedness against monsters and the susceptibility to famine. The sense of complicity, the specialization of the population due to the narrow width and extremely long distances of the country……and the resulting obstacles to the dissemination of information. All of these work against the revolution”
“Very well put. It’s nauseating”
“But it will end there”
While the sword saints were understanding each other, King Ulysses and Irina were thinking together.
“I’m a little troubled”
“Hmm. I’ll leave it like this”
……?
“What do you mean, Irina?”
“We’re in good shape. But there is little reason to continue fighting”
“But we have to end this now”
“What?”
“The king who ruled them is dead. We have already retaliated for the initial encounter and recaptured Smithson-dono and the others, the reasons for our attack. If we continue to attack the palace, Dianne and by extension, Smithson-dono, will be in a bad position. All the countries outside……are paying attention to this country and they all think it is important. When a problematic regime is replaced and a new administration opens the door to a new way of running the country, it would be politically unwise to attack and destroy it before it has a chance to produce results”
“Young man. Are you and the war god ready for the time when you will be blamed for it after this war?”
“That is……”
“If you read that far and act accordingly, it is best to accept peace offers from the other side when they come here. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to take their place and establish a dictatorship of dragons ourselves to silence the international community”
“It will be more than just helping people. Neia the hero may be willing to do so, but are you willing to give up the rest of your life for this one place?”
“…………”
I want to answer immediately, but it’s hard to put into words. I have seen so many people. And I am keenly aware of the need to help them. But I can’t deny that part of me thought that if I gave them the technology and trade routes available to them, the rest would just sort of fall into place. Neia and Dianne are staring at me. Should I nod vigorously at this point? It would be cool if I could do so, but at the same time, it might be unwillingness on the part of my colleagues. It’s not an easy decision to make. Seeing me silently biting my lip and deep in thought, the former king Ulysses and Irina’s expressions softened for a moment.
“……That’s fine. If you decide lightly, I’ll have to yell at you”
“Leave it to me. That’s what we old people came for”
“Eh……”
……Really, why? What do they mean? They looked at me dumbfounded with amusement, but didn’t say anything else.
——————————–
“Yes, this is fine☆ Take your medicine morning and night, after you eat. Just to be sure, come to me once a day to show me your condition”
“Th, Thank you……I’m sorry I can’t give you anything back.”
“Sick people are supposed to get well”
Hilda-san was examining the villagers while we chatted and by nightfall everyone had been given a full treatment. Even though we had given them first aid, there were dozens of people who were sick or injured and she did it all by herself. Once again, I was reminded of the capabilities of a doctor in her own right.
“Thank you, Hilda. This time, it was Hilda who I wished had been here the most”
“Oh, more than Dianne and Laila?”
“……To be honest, Hilda-san is better”
“Iyah, it’s worth all the effort☆”
Hilda-san pats my chest. Then she gently stroke my right shoulder.
“……Actually, I wish I could cure this too”
“I can’t help it. I threw it away myself. I know it will heal when I get home”
“It’s hard to just watch someone you care about get hurt”
Hilda looks sad. Being a doctor, she would probably want to do something about it, but for now she can’t do anything about it because the treatment policy is set to leave the condition fixation (I don’t understand it, but it is a magic that stops bleeding and prevents necrosis even if the wound remains exposed in the air, making the wound as if it were not open) applied by Neia. It seems that it will be easier to regenerate if you leave the wound as is than if you clumsily close the wound by turning it into skin until Breakcore can heal it.
“I’ll stay with you and take the place of your right hand until you heal”
“Ah, everyone will help me, I’ll be fine……”
“……Buu”
“……Thank you”
I almost said something tactless, but I corrected it and Hilda-san smiles. She is a lovely person after all, I think.
The dinner was much richer than before, using the food that the blue dragons had packed in their spare carriages. But what was more problematic was the dragons themselves.
“H, Hey, that’s…….”
“O, Ooo……this is, how can I say this, an exquisite view……”
The sword saints were in raptures. Yes, it is. The dragons of Misty Palace would walk around naked if left alone. And since they have a much gentler and more sexy demeanor than Maia, who has had some problems with her friendliness up until now, the villagers of the craftsman village also look sad when Asti, Michela, and Airi treat them kindly.
“I wonder if that……blue dragon is a very nice dragon”
“Much kinder and more beautiful than the silver dragons…….”
It doesn’t change the fact that a beautiful naked woman anywhere makes a man feel dreamy. The women of the village are also bewildered and cannot be blamed for it. However, there is a sharp objection to this.
“That kind of talk is uncalled for!”
What? ……When everyone turned around to hear the unfamiliar voice, there was Broll-san with a troubled look on his face and an unfamiliar silver-haired girl…….
“Broll-san, let her go”
“Umm, I was going to, but……”
She was somewhat larger than Maia, but not quite an adult. The girl protested adamantly to the villagers who made the comment.
“The silver dragons aren’t any uglier than the blue dragon and it’s not that they’re causing people to suffer. They just happen to be in a position where they can’t be nice, when in fact they are very nice!”
“No, what else are you doing? If you want to do something more than this……”
I signaled to Maia, Dianne-san and Anzeros who were nearby. Ready to be arrested at any time. The silver-haired girl kneels down and bows her head to me as everyone immediately takes up their weapons.
“I have no more will to rebel. rider. However, could you please leave me alone for a while? You can even use me as a hostage against the Palace”
“……Ha?”
“We are not all in love with Rainer. However, there are still stories of the treatment done to our compatriots during the Fire Dragon War, the arrogance of humans and the stories of riders and dragons who were chased out of the human world as a result. It is true that there are many people who have become a source of anger. And so, I cannot apologize for raising my hand to you”
“……Ah, yes”
Dianne-san was completely crestfallen here as well, so I didn’t expect it to be such a disaster. Well, in the first place, I never thought (personally) that a fight could ensue in such a situation.
“In the face of a dragon that bares its fangs, it is not too much for a small person to do too much. I understand that. However, I do not know how many times the tragedy will occur due to lack of understanding if this situation continues. I ask you to use me to stop the slight against our brethren in the Palace”
“……I wonder if that will stop it?”
“I swear I will do everything in my power”
Considering Maia’s persuasion was kicked to the curb, I can see why it’s important to get as close to them as possible.
“Maybe she’s trying to reassure you and get revenge from behind our backs”
Anzeros has a point. It’s hard to imagine that when she woke up, she didn’t think anything of it when she saw the dead bodies of her friends lying around her. I look at Broll-san and ask her about it. Broll-san sighs.
“My great niece Maia must have warned you. You people who laughed it off and were in the battlefield are not so easily trusted by others. Do you understand, my silver and gold brethren?”
“…………”
The silver dragon girl nodded mysteriously. Broll-san shrugged his shoulders.
“Yes, I do”
“……No, yes. I don’t trust you”
“If you know you do, then there is only one thing a dragon is prepared to bear witness to”
Then Broll-san looked down at the girl and whispered.
“He’s inexperienced as a rider. He won’t understand unless you say it”
“……Ha”
The silver dragon girl took a few steps while crouching down.
“I am prepared to follow you as your mount for the rest of my life, this silver dragon Ledo”
“No, that would be even more troublesome!?”
I hope you don’t come up with such heavy choices. Today is already the right time.