Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Dragon Sword Duke (2)
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Arietta greeted him as he caught his breath.
“Master!”
“Oh, Arietta. I’m glad you’re safe….”
Kairen lit up with joy, but upon seeing Arietta’s state, he flew into a rage. She had no deep wounds, but battling Niberis had left her battered and bruised.
“These bastards dared to injure the noble body of Arietta, whom I raised like precious gold and jade!”
“…No, honestly, you didn’t raise me like precious gold and jade.”
Arietta sighed in response. He was acting like an overprotective dad with a daughter now, but when training her, Kairen had pushed her like a demon.
Kairen grumbled.
“That was all to help you improve. Even the most precious child must be treated without personal affection when teaching martial arts, as a warrior. Anyway….”
Kairen looked around. He muttered as he eyed the spot where his strike from moments ago had landed.
“If I’d had just a handful more breath, I could’ve landed a proper hit. What a shame.”
Kairen wasn’t an idiot firing an attack the enemy could anticipate. Though he hadn’t said it, from the moment he sensed Arietta’s group trapped in Niberis’s curtain of darkness, he had sprinted over fifty kilometers in a straight line, crossing mountains and rivers. His lungs burned to his throat, and worry for Arietta left no room for careful calculation.
Azel couldn’t know that far, but he was still impressed by Kairen.
‘Panting like that and still pulling off such an attack. Impressive.’
Kairen had announced his presence from afar with a thunderous shout. It was to find Arietta and instill fear in the enemy.
As the distance closed, he deliberately unleashed a powerful but counterable attack. Instead of showing his fatigue, he dominated from hundreds of meters away with a ferocious strike, forcing them to retreat without other thoughts.
The technique he displayed was equally admirable.
When attacking from three hundred meters, it wasn’t a reckless burst of power. The initial strike was like a thin thread. The mana, condensed to ultra-high density, accelerated terrifyingly before unfolding right in front of the enemy, erupting as a tidal wave of light.
He had precisely controlled it for minimal mana loss until the moment of impact, to strike from long range. The timing of deployment was so exquisite that the explosion focused exactly on Niberis and Durang.
‘Even if he’d been born during the Dragon Demon War, he would’ve made a name for himself.’
Kairen’s single move was that striking.
‘And that sword….’
Azel eyed the sword at Kairen’s waist. There were two black blades, both gently curved like Arietta’s.
‘It’s emanating Dragon Demon aura.’
That was why Azel was interested. Weapons that channeled mana were common, but only Dragon Demon Armaments channeled Dragon Demon aura. Yet Kairen’s swords did so without being Dragon Demon Armaments.
Kairen clicked his tongue.
“Tch. Should’ve brought a healer along. For now, apply this at least. No scars that way.”
He pulled a wooden vial from his bosom and handed it over. It was a healing potion made by alchemists.
Arietta took it and asked,
“But, Master.”
“Hm?”
“I’m truly grateful for your timely aid, but… how did you know to come here?”
All eyes focused, sharing the same curiosity. Kairen answered.
“The Dragon Demon Queen Consort asked me.”
“Mother did?”
“Didn’t you head toward the capital with minimal escorts and get attacked by a suspicious group near the Western Border Guard?”
“Yes.”
“Knowing that, the Dragon Demon Queen Consort asked me to check on you.”
“That’s all?”
Arietta asked, unconvinced.
The Dragon Demon Queen Consort worrying for her daughter sounded plausible at first, but Arietta knew it didn’t make sense.
She could make such a request. But Kairen wouldn’t leave his domain for that, no matter what the Queen Consort asked. If he’d rush over just because a disciple was in danger, the royals would’ve exploited him endlessly.
Kairen smiled.
“As expected, my disciple isn’t a fool.”
“Even a fool knows her master well enough to guess that much.”
“Right. As you suspect, I wouldn’t have moved without a special reason. Dragon Demon Worshippers were involved this time. Very powerful ones.”
Kairen didn’t know their group name, Dragon Shadow. Still, he noted they were Dragon Demon Worshippers with warriors strong enough to threaten Arietta, unlike the usual rabble.
“What does that mean?”
“Regrettably, I can’t say more now. But know this: Dragon Demon Worshippers were motivation enough for me to act.”
“But….”
Arietta stopped, meeting Kairen’s eyes. They held the stern gaze of a master allowing no further questions.
Instead, she asked something else.
“How did you know I was in danger?”
“Your signal cut off.”
The palace treated the Dragon Demon Princess as a valuable asset, with a magic device tracking her life and location. Kairen had borrowed the royal tool for that and come here.
When Arietta’s location signal suddenly vanished, he judged her in peril and raced full speed.
Arietta said,
“Ah, back then….”
It seemed Niberis’s curtain of darkness was the cause. She’d deployed it to conceal thoroughly, never imagining it would summon Kairen.
Kairen said,
“Now that the mystery’s solved, let’s leave this place. Not ideal for camping.”
The group followed.
3
The group camped some distance from the original site. It was night, unfit for a long journey.
“We’ll need to buy more than a few things in the next village.”
Azel muttered while tending the fire. The chaos had killed all their horses. Magic blasts and melee scattered their luggage badly. But gathering what remained sufficed for one night.
Azel usually volunteered for hard watches, but they gave him the first, easiest shift. Everyone fell asleep quickly. Relief from surviving sapped their tension, overwhelming them with fatigue.
‘I’m not in shape to complain either.’
Azel was exhausted enough to sleep instantly. He kept alert only via Spirit Order.
‘Need to temper this body soon….’
Azel sighed, eyeing his forearm.
Purely physically, his fatigue outstripped Zail or Boer’s by far. His body was so weak. He compensated with exceptional mana control, but bodily frailty hit harder than mana shortage.
“Why the sigh?”
A leisurely voice came from the sleepers. Azel replied without surprise.
“Quite the roundabout method.”
It was Kairen.
He’d seemed asleep, fooling the group’s eyes. But not Azel’s.
“You’ve sharp instincts.”
“Something like that.”
Azel shrugged.
It was eerie. They spoke at normal volume, yet no one stirred. Considering the group—barring Enora—had heightened senses, it was impossible.
Both used special techniques. Restricting voices to reach only the intended target.
Kairen rose silently, approaching like a cat despite armor.
Azel asked as Kairen sat by the fire.
“Why such a hassle?”
Azel knew Kairen wanted to talk. But why pretend to sleep until all slumbered?
Kairen said,
“You’re unflappable.”
“I just accept what happens.”
“Good attitude. I taught her that too.”
“The Princess?”
“Yes. To answer your earlier question… I wanted to talk without her hearing.”
“Hm.”
He meant avoiding Arietta’s attention more than others. Even hiding the conversation itself….
‘Why?’
Was there a reason Arietta mustn’t know? Azel, ignorant of royal secrets, couldn’t grasp it.
Kairen asked,
“What do you think of Arietta?”
“In what sense?”
“You think I’d ask you to critique her looks now? No need—she’s a kingdom-toppling beauty, no, continent’s finest.”
“…….”
“Not denying it?”
“No, well… she is beautiful.”
“Right? So that’s not worth asking. I mean as a warrior. You’ve fought alongside her plenty, so be frank.”
“Frankly?”
“Yes. No flattery. Though if you want to grovel, go ahead. Won’t help.”
“Exceptional potential, and skill beyond her years.”
Honest assessment. For her youth, Arietta’s mental and physical prowess was astonishing.
“Sounds like….”
Kairen grinned.
“Looking down from on high. Implying you have the skill to judge her so?”
Azel admitted the hit. Kairen used Arietta to probe Azel’s insight.
Hide strength as one might, talking of others reveals inner standards. Bravado belittling others is common, but Azel spoke of Arietta naturally, without such airs.