Chapter 560: Pursuit 1
In this operation to attack the detached palace, the dragons who had given their support to Rainer’s side until the end were cut down by the knights and were neutralized by the silver dragons themselves who had joined us, resulting in no deaths. Although 1/3 of the heroes were dead or incapacitated, there was nothing more that could be done about it. The fact that only one-third of the heroes died in the first phase of the battle was due in part to the effect of the deaths in the first phase of the battle.
“I think it’s safe to say that the Kalwin pacification campaign has largely achieved its goal”
Dianne concluded.
“Wait……no, we missed Rainer”
“Strategically, it’s already worthless. Now that the majority of dragons who revere you, not Rainer, are in the majority, what Rainer can do against this country is limited to terrorism. This is a man who was troublesome because he was the head of dozens of dragons. He has only two remaining pawns: the handcuffed Shario and Leyla. Given the particular circumstances of this valley, there is no way he could be a political force”
“……That means they are no longer a threat?”
“Not in this place. Of course, just having two dragons would normally be a force that can’t be underestimated, but right now, you’re in control of most of the dragons in this valley. In contrast, having just two dragons is not worth it”
I don’t mean to say that I’m in control, but only that the 14 dragons (and seven elders) who came with me from Crystal Palace are actively cooperating with me, and even the former Rainer side dragons whom I had defeated in battle have not switched sides. However, Dianne does not see that as a problem. Because no dragon can object to my request. As long as Shario and Corti had released their breath against me in the last attack, those two dragons were already considered evil dragons. They were in a position where they could be killed at any time, not only by us, but even by their own people. Also, Rainer, whose life has been saved by helping in situations where dragons should not be touched, is now in a position where his stock continues to fall. My reputation as a dragon rider has been reversed and I am now seen as the legitimate dragon rider in the Crystal Palace. If this happens, there is no way that Rainer will be able to sneak in and make up for it.
“From this point on, defeating Rainer will not be a major operation with the cooperation of many countries, but rather a hunt for the remnants of the dragon rider. Before moving on to that, we should break the ice”
“……I agree. I understand”
When I backed down, the other people who had heard of the Sword Saint Brigade, Ace Knight Corps, Gauntlet’s three major knight commanders, as well as King Ulysses and Irina showed satisfied expressions.
“I am happy that all of the heroes of each country were able to complete this battle without a single loss. With this, the operation to pacify Kalwin as a military action is over. From now on, I would like each force to act according to its own judgment. We, the Dianne Special Duty Force, will be responsible for arranging dragons as a means of transportation. Finally, I would like to express my unlimited gratitude to all participants”
All the knights returned Dianne’s salute with cheers.
“I guess that means we’re the only ones in Rainer´s chase”
“If you ask me, of course. ……It’s too spoiled to say that we all will be there until the end”
Leaving the detached palace, still hot from our complete victory, Neia and I look at the sky in the wilderness. The only enemies are Rainer and two dragons. With Dianne, Anzeros, Neia and the rest of us in full force and the dragons cooperating fully, there is no need for us to band together any more. ……And now I feel that there is room for some cooler heads to think about whether or not I have to defeat Rainer.
“Did Rainer really……intend to conquer the continent with you?”
“……I don’t know if he was serious or not, but I can understand his reasoning”
“……Is that so?”
“Laila told me something once. Dragon riders destroy society. If you want to avoid that, you have to hide or bring them to their knees……either way, if the dragons weigh the riders in the balance, they don’t mind burning everyone but the riders. It’s something they can’t live with normally, they say. ……One way to answer that is to use the dragon’s power to its fullest and also to gain enough 『Human status』 that no one will complain. Rainer is being very serious and he’s talking about possibilities that are worthy of him”
“……It’s loneliness”
“Yes. But it’s also reasonable. Dragons look for good uses of power and they want riders as masters of their values, but they also want power to accomplish something. It’s not really about going into hiding. ……He wants to wield power, even if it’s only the power of destruction”
“…… I, too, am not unaware of this. I was inclined to think that if I had the power to be brave, there were things I had to do……that needed to be done”
Neia says this with a slight push down of her hat, as if ashamed.
“Plus, I suppose there’s also the fact that Rainer didn’t want to fit in as Master of his own little world. If you knew the outside world, you’d think you were too poor to be the king here, no matter how much you wanted to be”
“……So that leads him to the idea of conquering the outside world? ……So that means you, Smithson-san, will eventually……?”
“I’m in a good position now where I don’t have to worry about that”
The position is not easy to fit in and it cannot be said to belong to any one place. I guess those are the efforts of Dianne’s military name, who was called the war god, Irina and others who adjust the consciousness of the elf territory, the baron, Minister Ashton and many others, who let me be me. I’m blessed, even if it’s only because it’s 「Convenient」 for them.
“No one knows that Rainer better than the guy himself. No one understands what he wants, what he wants, how he wants to live……and no one wants to let him know. No one can get along with someone like that and the only way is to fight. Maybe he’s clumsy and pathetic when you think about it that wa…….”
“……Even if he is”
Neia held down her hat.
“I don’t think we’ll be compatible. As a man of overwhelming military might and a dragon user, he even went so far as to corner Smithson-san and force a confrontation with him. ……Smithson-san may feel sorry for him, but he will never give up his ambitions and he will never forget his defeat to you”
“……I wonder if I should fight him”
“Do you want to sweeten the pot?”
“………….”
I sighed.
“I have to admit, I may be pushing it a little too hard to find something to be sympathetic to Rainer himself”
“……After all?”
“I’m just concerned about Corti and Leyla”
I’m going to be honest and come clean. Leyla is on the run with Rainer and Shario. The only one who can fly now that Shario has an unhealed wound on her wing, so you could say that Leyla is the lifeline for Rainer’s group right now. And Corti was seized and captured by Laila and her group after that……and is now in human form and under the watchful eye of the silver dragons.She released her breath knowing that it would directly harm me as a dragon rider, and since she was already branded as an evil dragon, she could be killed at any moment. Even though I had only had contact with her so far, I felt bad that a beautiful girl would be killed by her comrades, so I asked Lado to hold off on her execution.
“Shario can’t be helped. She seems to be at peace with Reiner. However, Leyla doesn’t seem to understand Rainer and she’s even been on our side to some extent. And I have a feeling that Corti is just going along for the ride and if we don’t have to kill her, so much the better”
“But the contract between the dragon and the rider is not something that can be overturned by 『Being tricked』, is it?”
“So, I was wondering if we could make a drop-off point that the actions of the original Rainer are not in themselves so badass……”
“It’s absurd. ……Or perhaps a little too lenient on the women”
“……I think so myself”
But if you kill her, that’s it. It’s too late to regret it later. As soon as I can afford it, I think it’s worth it, as I overlook the fact that there are quite a few deaths among the dragons and the hero alliance, thinking that it can’t be helped…….
“I wonder if it’s too late to let him make a dry decision on that part of things now”
“Flash Sword”
“He is not what this country calls a hero. If his devotion to humanity, which Rainer and you could not reach, has led him to this current strength, I do not disagree with his judgment”
“You say that, but if……then how do you settle the matter? We can’t pretend that we don’t see Rainer”
“Of course, you can fight. What about Rainer? And there’s no way his claims will conflict with you
“……That’s true, though”
The real intention and the front. Neia sighs, as if taken aback by the complicated excuse.
———————————————-
Corti and the Hero Alliance were being watched by dragons in the same place.
“It feels like a prisoner of war camp……”
“Hi”
Brian raised his hand when he saw me and Neia. He was apparently nursing Beatrice.
“Is she awake?”
“Just now, yeah. So she was distraught to see her left hand missing and I just asked one of the dragons to put her back to sleep……”
“……How do you plan to treat Beatrice from now on?”
I ask Brian, for what it’s worth. Brian pauses for a moment before answering.
“Beatrice was loyal to the state that promoted her, only to be betrayed. I will continue to try to convince her to work for the center of Kalwin as well”
“……I see”
Kalwin no longer has royalty and even intellectuals are few and far between. If this place is to continue as a municipality from now on, Brian and High Priest Duke will have to take the lead. If that were to happen, Beatrice could not be lost here, even if she was a brave newcomer to the position and her abilities were low. But more than that, Brian is looking out for her as his senior. His judgment is more than calculated and calm; it is filled with emotion.
“When it comes down to it, it’s hard not to have a hand in it, isn’t it?”
“……Yes, it is”
“If you have a hand that’s been cut off, it’s pretty easy……”
“Easy……what do you mean?”
“No, you know why I cut off my own right arm so easily. In my hometown, there’s a miraculous spring that heals wounds and a holy beast that can heal anything more than that”
“……I see, you can heal her! Beatrice will be happy to know that!”
Brian smiles as he looks at her. ……And Beatrice woke up, perhaps because of the noise, or perhaps because the hypnotic magic was too weak.
“……Hands, too, are important, but…my…sea king bracelet……”
“Beatrice”
“……!! Rainer, I’ll never……forgive you……!”
Beatrice, while holding her arm, spits out her vindictiveness in a low voice.
“Even though it’s something important……Evander……proof of the life of the sea king knight up to me……!”
I am sure that with her strength, she would have been easily beaten, her arm cut off, and ripped off. Still, she doesn’t let her fighting spirit fade. She was truly admirable……and I realized that her pride in having inherited the Sea King Knight was that much stronger. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Richard just sitting quietly, looking anxious. He was frightened by Rainer’s sheer strength. He was smart to not go against Rainer and to not go against him here. But Beatrice, foolish though she may be, appears more desirable.
“Leave it to me. ……I’ll get it back”
When Neia says this, Beatrice grits her teeth but says nothing. She is not able to say anything now that she does not have a dominant hand, even if she wanted to be cheeky. I guess it’s because she has no choice but to leave it to us. Corti, who was standing a little distance away from us, suddenly called out to us,
“……Hey, you. ……Andy Smithson”
I turn around. Corti’s voice comes from beyond the silver dragons, who were blocking the line of fire with their bodies so as not to do anything strange or sudden like a breath attack, but Corti raises her voice as if to throw it.
“……You’re going to fight Rainer-sama?”
“Yes, I am. ……Rainer no longer has authority as a dragon rider. I’m not going to fight him directly, but I’m going to save face, right?”
“Right. ……I and Shario are evil dragons, aren’t we? But my sister is not”
“……Are you saying that she still stands between me and Rainer?”
“My sister was skeptical of Rainer-sama. But since she signed a contract, she has no choice but to protect Rainer-sama. She has no choice. But my sister……”
Corti, a bit at a loss for words, then put on her voice with emotion.
“My sister is not an evil dragon. She probably even tried to make things easier for you and the others. She was just smarter than any of us. Shario and I may be dragons that should die, but my sister is different!”
“Shut up, Corti. What now?”
One of the silver dragons tries to silence Corti. I move in closer to control the silver dragon and then face Corti directly.
You don’t want Leyla to die, do you?
“……There is no sin in my sister that would require her to be killed, that would require her to take her life. I’m just saying that. I hope you understand that. No. It’s a battle, and I understand that I don’t have the right to say things like that
I stare into Corti’s eyes. Corti stares up at me, too. After a moment, I smile. I smile, perhaps a smile that looks evil to others.
“I have a condition. You have to cooperate”
“……Wh, What……?”
“I’m going to convince Leyla. I also thought it was tricky that there are still two of them. I don’t want any of my people to get hurt”
“……For that reason, I made a contract with Rainer-sama, so……are you telling me to betray him?
“It’s up to you to decide which you want to do. If you don’t do it, Leyla will die. I’m telling you the conditions that will allow you to avoid killing Leyla”
If Corti is needed for the operation, I can avoid the risk of her being executed by her own comrades for the time being. It seemed like it was for Leyla, but it was actually a proposal for Corti herself.
“You’ve been abandoned like this. You’ve been given the conditions to be brutally killed as an evil dragon, so there’s no need for you to be obligated”
“…….The contract of power is absolute. If I am going to die in the field, it’s for my master’s sake, I want that”
Corti says, but the other dragons tell her to cut it out.
“We have to keep our pact. Attacking a rider is forbidden by a higher priority than the contract of power. Otherwise order cannot be maintained”
“…………”
Corti is silent. I appeal to her again.
“Even if I don’t want to kill her, if Leyla protects him, I have no choice but to eliminate her. If I want to take advantage of that and end it, I’ll need a trigger”
“…….But”
“I say it again. The choice is yours. You have one chance and it’s now. If you do it, you have a chance, but if you give up, Leyla dies. Just another evil dragon”
“…………”
Corti raised an eyebrow, gnashed her teeth and then.
“……I get it, okay”
She nodded, small.