Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Princess's Proposal
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Arietta laughed heartily, genuinely delighted. It wasn't greed, nor was it timid hesitation—she was boldly asking for just that much.
"I'll grant what you desire. And... do you have any thoughts of becoming a knight?"
"A knight?"
"If you wish, I will knight you myself. I haven't appointed anyone yet, so I still have the authority. I won't treat you poorly."
It was an extraordinary offer. Being knighted by Arietta, the Dragon Princess, meant becoming a royal knight. It was a status that would never be disrespected anywhere.
But Azel shook his head.
"It's a gracious offer, but I must decline."
"Why is that?"
"Because I don't know much about myself."
"Is it because you've lost your memories?"
"Yes."
His real reason was that he didn't want to be tied to the royal family. He still didn't know how the world had changed over the past 220 years or the current state of the continent. While securing a proper status was appealing, he wanted to roam the world freely for now.
'I don't even know which country the Marquess Karzark is affiliated with.'
Azel had been single until he fell asleep, and as a war orphan, he had no relatives. Even if he had inherited the Marquess Karzark title, it should have ended without heirs.
But Azel had children. Not blood-related, but children he had taken in during the war and adopted. He had asked Kallos to be their godfather and manage their inheritance rights.
'Surely the line hasn't died out? If it's continued to this day, I should check it out.'
There was more than one or two things he needed to investigate.
Arietta showed her regret.
"If that's your will, it's a pity. Then, will you not grant me a favor?"
"What favor?"
"I'm planning to stay here for about four days and then return to the capital. It would be good if you accompanied me."
"Me?"
"Yes. The Western Border Guard has never been well-staffed to begin with. And we've suffered heavy losses this time."
"Hmm."
There had been many casualties at the ruins excavation site. So many innocent soldiers and laborers had died...
"So, it's difficult to draw many troops for my escort. The commander would love to send more, but I've instructed him to send only the minimum."
"You're asking me to serve as Your Highness's escort."
"Exactly. I'll hire you as my escort for a set period and pay you handsomely."
"Understood. I accept."
There was no reason for Azel to refuse this offer either. Rather than wandering alone without knowing how the world had changed in 220 years, traveling with someone who could guarantee his status was far better.
'And those Dragon Shadow bastards are a concern too...'
If they targeted Arietta again, it would be a hassle. But now that he knew they were Dragon Demon Worshippers, he needed to clash with them to gather more information.
'Atein...'
Azel recalled the Dragon Demon King Atein's final moments, dying before his eyes.
'You will die with me.'
Atein had used his own dying body as a sacrifice to curse Azel.
Perhaps the curse had lifted when Azel awoke in this era not because he had mimicked the dragons' dormancy...
'But because he was revived.'
Somehow, that felt right.
If so, this situation would be unexpected for Atein as well. He must have prepared a revival method, believing Azel would die from the curse while he was 'dead.' Even if much time passed and he revived to find the curse gone, Azel being dead wouldn't change.
'It won't go as you planned.'
If Atein had revived, Azel would defeat him again. This time, thoroughly, so he could never rise again.
And if Atein's revival was still in progress, Azel would crush everyone hiding in the shadows of the world, working on it.
4
"Hmm. Not bad for a fortress library."
The next day, Azel obtained permission from Arietta to access the Western Border Fortress library.
Of course, it was far from classified materials—just publicly available books. "Library" sounded grand, but there were fewer than 100 books here. If he wanted real reading, he'd be better off visiting a noble house obsessed with collecting tomes.
Azel knew this well and hadn't expected much. Still, the selection here was limited and predictable, which was why he'd come.
'Just as I expected.'
Most books were on martial arts, tactics and strategy, and military history. Exactly what Azel wanted. To understand how the world had changed in 220 years, he needed to study history first.
'The Nadik Empire has completely fallen. And the Lurein Kingdom... hmm. As expected, founded by Duke Lurein.'
The Lurein Kingdom had been established about 140 years ago. Its territory corresponded to the southwest of Azel's homeland, the Nadik Empire.
After the Nadik Empire's fall, its lands split into seven nations. There were minor states, but those seven covered nearly the entire continent.
'I thought at least the lineage survived despite losing its glory... but total annihilation.'
When the Nadik Empire collapsed, the imperial bloodline was completely severed, allowing other nations to divide the territory.
The process was far from peaceful. The seven nations fought fiercely for every scrap of land.
It took nearly 20 years to establish borders and achieve a semblance of peace. Countless died in the chaos, leaving all seven kingdoms devastated.
Later wars between them were of no interest to Azel.
'Great Darkness? What's this?'
Sixty years ago, a calamity called the Great Darkness struck.
An unidentified plague swept the continent. It killed uncountable numbers, nearly collapsing nations—showing its severity.
Cults proliferated amid the madness, and human civilization regressed greatly. Much knowledge was lost, including Spirit Order secrets...
'Ah, so this was the cause?'
Azel had been puzzled that Spirit Order practitioners and mages in this era lacked basics he took for granted. And that after 220 years, their average level hadn't risen.
Reviewing the history made it understandable.
'And the church's downfall...'
The churches' corruption peaked during the Great Darkness. They couldn't cure the plague fundamentally, offering healing only to the wealthy and powerful. Healing secrets were hoarded; even priests were discriminated by background, not talent.
'What a mess.'
Azel sighed. He was glad he hadn't awakened then.
Around then, the sage Biyan, whom Rick mentioned, appeared.
He not only replicated healing elixirs but provided a fundamental cure—and shared it not with the churches.
Instead, he allied with disillusioned priests to train civilian healers. This birthed the Medical Association, whose healers ended the 30-year Great Darkness.
'The churches' authority was shattered...'
Their corruption and healing monopoly destroyed them.
Faith persisted, but with diminished authority and political power stripped away.
'Biyan, truly remarkable.'
Azel admired the man anew. Whatever his motives, he was a hero who overcame despair and changed the world.
'Hmm. Nothing else stands out.'
Thirty years ago, relative to the Lurein Kingdom, a monster horde called the Alliance of Darkness appeared in Ballan Forest. Led by Dakan, a far stronger and wiser orc variant, they unified the forest and threatened the kingdom.
This led to the fortress's expansion and heightened vigilance in Ballan Forest.
'Ho, Dakan was exceptionally intelligent for an orc.'
Azel read about him with interest.
His strength was unremarkable—strong variants were common in the Dragon Emperor War era.
But Dakan acted like a charismatic human hero. His force was called the 'Alliance of Darkness' because it was organized like a human army.
'Hmm. I'd like to know more about this guy... but no detailed records.'
As Azel regretfully browsed,
"There you are."
The library door opened, and a familiar voice sounded.
Azel turned without surprise.
"Sir Zail. Glad to see you're safe."
"Likewise."
Zail smiled, looking haggard.
5
Zail's visit forced Azel out of the library. It wasn't just a greeting—he had business.
"You look unrecognizable. Honestly, I thought you were someone else in the library."
"Everyone says that."
Azel gave a wry smile.
Last night, after meeting Arietta, Enora had grabbed him and trimmed his hair. His unkempt locks now looked neat; in good clothes, he'd pass for a noble's son.
'The little miss has skills.'
Young, but as the princess's lady-in-waiting, she had to. Otherwise, Arietta wouldn't have brought her here.
Walking the corridor, Azel asked,
"By the way, dragon corpses fetch quite a price, don't they?"