Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Breakthrough
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If one were to discuss the strongest species among the many races of the Demon Realm, the first to be mentioned would undoubtedly be the dragons.
Kings of all winged creatures and beasts of the land, dragons were descendants of the sole king who inherited the mythical ley lines, born a class apart from other races.
A dragon's hide and scales were themselves the finest armor, and the overwhelming pressure and monstrous strength radiating from their colossal bodies were more powerful than any other beast's.
With their physical bodies alone, they were a species that could vie for the top spot in the Demon Realm, yet dragons also possessed immense magical power. Unlike other races that had to learn magic, dragons acquired it as naturally as breathing. As some would say, the very existence of a dragon was magic; they were born in magic and lived with it their entire lives.
Therefore, dragons were the strongest species. When discussing the average strength of a race, none in the Demon Realm surpassed them.
However, the race known as the strongest combat species in the Demon Realm was not the dragons, but the Sura.
The Sura were few in number.
Nor were they transcendent beings of a different class from birth, like dragons.
But among them existed monsters who seemed to have shattered the limits of their species.
Demon King Mitra.
The undisputed strongest being in the Demon Realm.
The Sura elders who raised him.
Ishgard, the strongest swordsman who represented the era before Demon King Mitra.
Unlike dragons, not all Sura were powerful.
But among them were true transcendent beings, and that was why the Sura were called the strongest combat species.
&
After placing his order and leaving the smithy, Ingong sighed the moment he boarded the carriage. It was because of his two thoroughly excited subordinates.
“Calm down.”
Karak, at least, was merely letting his eyes sparkle with immense interest—though even that was a first, making it subtly burdensome—but Karma, who, contrary to her usual composure, was prone to excitement, was practically hyperventilating.
At Ingong's remark, Karma forced herself to take a deep breath, but her face remained flushed red. She asked, her voice tinged with a slight gasp,
“Do you think the Sword Duke has taken a liking to you, Your Highness?”
Sword Duke Ishgard.
The strongest swordsman of the previous generation, who had left behind so many tales he could be called a living legend. He was one of the Demon King's masters and, until the Demon King surpassed him, was known as the strongest among the combat species, the Sura.
The very fact that his title was none other than 'Sword Duke' spoke volumes about the kind of person he was.
The greatest swordsman in the Demon Realm. A legend of the realm who could supposedly cut through anything with a single sword.
He had been in seclusion for over twenty years, but many still remembered his name and his legend—just like Karak and Karma before him.
And this Sword Duke Ishgard had sent a gift to Ingong himself. Dragon hide and scales, no less.
No matter how legendary the Sword Duke was, it wasn't something one could send lightly. Dragon hide and scales were among the highest-grade materials, difficult to obtain even in the Demon King's castle.
“If the Sword Duke becomes your backer, Prince, you'll be real secure.”
Karak said with a grin, and Karma nodded with fervent enthusiasm.
“Well, that would be nice.”
He was already in a disappointing situation with no support from his maternal family. If support were to come from the Sura, who might as well be his paternal family, he wouldn't envy anyone else's maternal connections.
But why all of a sudden? In *Knight Saga*, receiving support from the Sura was virtually unheard of. It wasn't that Ingong had needlessly focused only on his maternal family and never considered his paternal side.
Because it was so unusual, suspicion reared its head amidst his joy.
*'Is he just showing interest because the Demon King did?'*
It was the simplest reason and, at the same time, a plausible one. After all, it was true that the Demon King had shown him an interest that could be called unprecedented.
It wouldn't be out of the question for Ishgard, who was like a master to the Demon King, to become intrigued by 'the very fact that the Demon King showed interest' and, in turn, show interest in Ingong himself.
And on second thought, it wasn't as if he had the support of the entire Sura race yet. Sword Duke Ishgard had merely expressed his personal interest privately. Something like this could happen anytime.
*'Ah, whatever. It's a good thing, either way.'*
It was bewildering because it was something he'd never experienced in *Knight Saga*, but after considering it piece by piece, it wasn't that strange, and it was a good thing regardless.
Moreover, since this gift was given privately, it wouldn't draw unnecessary attention from the Demon King's other children.
“Shouldn't you at least go and thank him?”
“I'll have to prepare for it.”
The problem was that no one knew where the Sword Duke lived. After going into seclusion, rumors said he wandered like the wind, but his specific whereabouts had never been revealed. Even when he sent the gift to the Demon King's castle smithy this time, he hadn't left any message or trace, so there was no way to express his gratitude even if he wanted to.
*'If he's truly interested, he'll contact me again.'*
Having sorted his thoughts, Ingong turned his mind to something else.
*'Gandharva.'*
Where in the world were they, and what were they doing?
*'I'll have to get it investigated.'*
Asking Felicia directly was, no matter how he thought about it, a bad move, so it was time to use the multi-talented Karak. If he had him ask Delia or Daphne, framing it as Karak's personal interest, he should be able to get some answers.
Having finished reviewing his various considerations, Ingong let out a long breath and relaxed his posture. He thought of something pleasant, as if to soothe his weary mind and body.
*'I can't wait for pickup day.'*
Greaves made from dragon hide and scales. They would surely turn out to be even more magnificent than he had first anticipated.
*'I can at least expect them to be B-rank, right?'*
No, maybe they'd even be A-rank.
Ingong grinned, and Karak and Karma grinned along with him. Feeling a strange sense of exclusion among the three, Green Wind thought about the praise she would receive upon their return and was naturally able to join in their grinning.
&
Upon returning to the mansion by carriage, Ingong headed straight for the drawing room. Flora, who had come out to greet him, had told him that Felicia had arrived.
Opening the drawing room door, he saw Felicia and Delia sitting in elegant poses, drinking tea.
Felicia saw Ingong and tilted her head slightly as she asked,
“Did something good happen?”
“No, not really.”
Wiping the lingering grin from his face, Ingong sat across from Felicia, and Karak, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, took a seat beside him. Karma glanced around nervously before mustering the courage to sit on the edge of a seat in a corner, noticing that both Karak and Delia were seated on the sofa.
Once everyone was seated, Felicia set down her teacup and spoke.
“Delia did some digging, but it seems there's no more information than what we heard from the Office of Meritorious Service. It looks like our best bet is to go in thoroughly prepared.”
Intermediate General Kashval died from poisoning by a toxic gas that seeped out from underground.
It was, as expected, impossible to find out more from the Demon King's castle instead of the site itself. As Ingong nodded, Felicia leaned toward him and asked again,
“Shutora, how much do you know about Thunder Doom Fortress?”
Her voice held a certain subtle expectation. For a moment, Ingong wondered why Felicia was acting this way, but he soon understood. He had acted like he knew a lot about ruins during the Anvil that Births Thunder incident. It seemed her curiosity as a fellow ruin expert was piqued, wondering if he knew anything this time as well.
*'Fellow hobbyists are always precious, after all.'*
Ingong chuckled softly and answered with a slight shrug.
“Just that they were some hot-blooded dwarves who fought against dragons?”
“Huh? What's that supposed to mean? They fought dragons? Weren't the dwarves treasure keepers under Enkidu?”
Karak asked, his eyes wide. Delia, who would have previously scowled at his rudeness, now wore a placid expression—whether she had grown accustomed to it or simply given up—while Felicia, on the other hand, looked pleased by Karak's active curiosity.
“There were several dwarf kingdoms. The ancient dwarf kingdom that Thunder Doom Fortress belonged to fought dragons to protect their cities and treasures. They actually managed to slay several dragons.”
Ingong's answer made Karak's eyes grow even wider. He was the very picture of astonishment.
“D-dragons, you say?!”
His expression was one of utter disbelief. For a moment, Ingong wondered why Karak was reacting that way, but Felicia immediately saw the reason. She added with a gentle smile,
“Karak, dragons and Elder Dragons are different. They're so different you could almost call them separate species. Of course, that doesn't mean dragons are pushovers, but they're not impossible to defeat, either.”
Karak had seen the phantom of the Great Enkidu in the ruins of the Anvil that Births Thunder. It was only natural for him to be so shocked if he equated ordinary dragons with Elder Dragons, who were said to possess god-like power.
“Ooh... Then can you catch a dragon too, Princess?”
As Karak's eyes sparkled, Felicia subtly averted her gaze. She opened her fan to cover her mouth and answered in a small, muttering voice.
“Well, if I were given enough time and budget...”
“So you can't.”
“Shutora, I don't like him.”
At Felicia's cute display, Delia wore an unidentifiably fond smile, while Karma struggled to hold back her laughter.
Ingong, who just laughed openly, explained to Karak for the sake of Felicia's bruised pride.
“Fighting a dragon is no ordinary feat. Even if they're not on the level of Elder Dragons, they're enormous and highly skilled in magic. The ancient dwarf kingdom of Thunder Doom Fortress ultimately fell while fighting dragons.”
“Hah, still, they were a manly race. I'm seeing dwarves in a new light.”
To not bow to the strong and burn everything to fight back.
Just as Karak said, they were indeed a manly race.
*'Which is why they went extinct, though.'*
Ingong swallowed the bitterness along with the tea Flora had served.
Felicia, who had also taken a sip of tea, spoke again.
“Thunder Doom Fortress must have been one of the most powerful fortresses of the ancient dwarf kingdom. Its name has been mentioned several times in relics related to the kingdom. If we can excavate it properly, it'll be a huge score.”
Felicia's eyes burned with ambition. And Ingong's did as well.
*'Yeah, it's definitely a huge score.'*
Thunder Doom Fortress. One of the so-called 'honey pot' dungeons in *Knight Saga*.
A fortress city whose location had remained unknown for ages because its entrance and various other parts were buried during the battles with dragons.
They weren't struck down while preparing to migrate, either, so the fortress was still filled with high-quality dwarven armaments, as well as gold, silver, and other treasures, all perfectly preserved.
It was a high-difficulty dungeon, but the rewards made it a jackpot.
Moreover, for the current Ingong, it held a value even greater than it had in *Knight Saga*.
*'Dragon Slayer-type weapons.'*
The dwarves of Thunder Doom Fortress were experts in anti-dragon combat. Having fought dragons until the very end, their armaments were naturally specialized for killing them.
Among them, the most special were the Dragon Slayers. Special weapons that were fatal to those with the Dragon Factor.
Zephyr was a Draconian, so he naturally possessed the Dragon Factor. If he was to plan for a battle against Zephyr, Thunder Doom Fortress was a place he absolutely had to conquer.
*'And just in case, I might have to fight Locke, too.'*
The human hero, Locke, was the bearer of a Dragon's Soul. Dragon Slayer-type weapons were a perfect counter to him as well.
And, strangely enough, this was also a measure to protect himself, as Ingong also possessed the Dragon Factor. The standard procedure was to collect any weapons that could harm him in advance. In fact, that's what he did when he played as Zephyr.
*'If I don't clear out Thunder Doom Fortress, Chris and Silvan will show up with Dragon Slayer weapons.'*
Ingong nodded silently, and Felicia, thinking he was on the same page as her, smiled brightly and nodded along.
Then, on the afternoon two days later.
After retrieving the Dragon Scale Greaves from the Demon King's castle smithy, Ingong left the castle with his party.
Their destination was Thunder Doom Fortress.
&
< Chapter 10 - Breakthrough > End