Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Dragon Armament Creators (3)
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5
Crafting a dragon sword was no easy task. It wasn't something Kairen and Mirkel could handle alone, so Kairen gathered the manpower within his territory and began preparations.
Kairen asked,
"When are you going to start sparring with my knights?"
"I have plenty of interest, but for the time being, I'd like to focus on my own training."
"Fair enough. I've got a backlog of work myself, so I'll leave you to it for now."
"'Leave me to it' has a bit of a harsh ring to it..."
"Once I clear my schedule, you'll have to spar with me regularly, at least."
"Your Grace, anyone overhearing that might get the wrong idea."
Azel snarked.
Kairen ignored him and continued,
"Once we start crafting the dragon armament, there won't be any spare attention for other matters. Especially not in the early stages."
"How long until it's complete?"
"We're aiming for about half a year. It could be faster, but I doubt it'll be much quicker than that."
"Then I can plan my training around that timeframe as well?"
"Go ahead. Just don't forget to spar if I drop by midway."
"I can manage that much."
Azel smirked. Kairen said,
"Let me know if you need anything. I'll provide whatever I can, as long as the budget allows."
"Hmm. How much budget are we talking?"
"Unfortunately for you, the Tarantos ducal house is filthy rich. We have so much that even if I slack off on my duties and focus on training, our wealth just keeps growing."
"I see. In that case..."
Azel thought for a moment before listing his needs.
"Since this will ultimately benefit you as well, Your Grace, I won't hold back. As many weapons and suits of armor as possible, mana recovery potions, healing mages dedicated solely to me, and a place where I can make as much noise as I want."
"I'll lend you one of the villas I hole up in during my own training. Weapons make sense, but armor?"
"There's a use for it."
"And multiple healing mages? Do you need that many?"
"The more, the better."
"Why is that?"
"Because I'm planning to get hurt a lot. One healer won't be enough."
"I have no idea what you're up to."
"Well, if you're curious, feel free to visit. Or assign someone to watch over me. Since you're investing in me, I can handle that much scrutiny."
"That's..."
Kairen smiled.
"A tempting offer. And you're confident I won't steal your secrets in the process?"
Just as mages were sensitive about revealing their spells, Spirit Order practitioners were extremely guarded about the secrets they'd mastered. In fact, anyone who had learned such life-or-death techniques felt the same. From that perspective, Azel's proposal was remarkably bold.
Azel said,
"I won't deny it."
"Very well. I'll assign you a valet—who'll also spy on you to pry out those secrets. You'll need time to prepare, so head to the villa tomorrow morning. We'll let you know when you're needed for the dragon armament crafting."
"Understood."
Azel headed to Kairen's villa on Rance Mountain, which backed Tarantos Castle. Kairen often secluded himself in the mountains for training to avoid prying eyes, so he had prepared multiple such spots. Rance Mountain was the closest, and thus the one most equipped for civilized living.
But the person Kairen assigned him was unexpected.
"I'll be attending you for the time being."
That evening, the one who came to Azel and said as much was Hasban.
Azel stared at him with a stunned expression.
"Aren't you the head butler of this house, Hasban?"
"Indeed."
"And you're coming to wait on me?"
"The castle runs fine without me. It did when His Grace was away, and it does now. Tarantos Castle is full of capable people."
"Hmm..."
"And please don't worry about status. I'm a dragonkin hybrid and a noble, but I've served human guests for years without issue. Besides, I won't be going alone."
"How many?"
"I was thinking around thirty..."
"..."
"Don't give me that look. That's how many are needed to maintain the villa."
"It must be pretty big."
"Some of His Grace's training spots are primitive huts perfect for living like a savage, but this one's close to the castle, so we made it comfortable. Still, figuring you dislike crowds, we'll bring just fifteen."
"That's still a lot."
"It's not just you who needs attending, Sir Azel. We've secured three healing mages as well."
"Understood."
Azel accepted without protest. He could manage alone, but he couldn't impose discomfort on the healers too.
Azel said,
"So that means you're the spy His Grace is sending, Hasban."
"'Spy'? I feel like I've been dragged into quite the amusing prank. His Grace said there was no one else suitable and sent me. After listening to my nagging for so long, he probably needed an excuse to get rid of me for a bit."
Hasban grinned. Seeing that smile made Azel think of Lugen repeatedly, which unsettled him.
Azel masked his feelings and said,
"I figured you'd be skilled. I can sense the training in your dragon soul qi alone."
Dragonkin and dragonkin hybrids had the same vast gap between those who trained in magic or dragon spirit arts and those who didn't, just like humans. Azel saw the marks of a practitioner in Hasban.
"May I ask why someone like you is serving as head butler? You seem in your prime as a dragonkin hybrid... Isn't it too early for a knight to retire?"
"As you guessed, I was a knight in the past. Until about ten years ago."
Unlike pure dragonkin, dragonkin hybrids grew at a similar pace to humans until secondary sexual characteristics developed. But their youth lasted longer than humans', so Azel estimated Hasban to be in his mid-to-late fifties or early sixties.
"But it just wasn't for me. It wasn't about talent. After life in the knight order, I found myself more interested in how the organization ran than fighting on the front lines—fixing odd inefficiencies. So I told them I wanted to retire and become a butler, and they immediately handed me off to the previous head butler as his successor."
"..."
"It's true. Once His Grace decides on something, he pushes it through."
"That does sound like him."
Azel gave a wry smile. At the same time, Lugen came to mind.
*It wasn't just the looks after all.*
Lugen had been a powerful dragonkin warrior and a trusted comrade of Azel's third master, Riglen. But rather than fighting on the battlefield, he focused on organizing and planning operations. He was indeed more gifted at it. Azel recalled his occasional grumbling.
*"Azel, what are you going to do once this damned war ends?"*
*"Never thought about it."*
*"What good is a young man like that? You need dreams."*
*"Sorry, toppling the Dragon Demon King is the biggest dream I've got. You?"*
*"I'm going back to my wife's hometown to become a merchant. The kind everyone looks up to."*
*"That's... so you. Others might say it's not a very dragonkin dream."*
When the Dragon Emperor War ended, Lugen did as he said and returned to his wife's hometown. Azel didn't know if he became the revered merchant of his dreams. But it was clear his descendants carried on the tales of fighting alongside Azel even two hundred years later.
Hasban said to Azel, lost in reminiscence,
"It's my first time playing spy, but I'll do my best. So please don't feel uncomfortable if I stare."
"It's not exactly pleasant getting such intense stares from a man, but I brought this on myself, so no helping it. Looking forward to working with you."
6
The next afternoon, Azel ascended Rance Mountain with Hasban. He was shocked to learn the initial group numbered seventy. But Hasban remained nonchalant.
"They'll porter the luggage up and head back down. You requested so much, Sir Azel."
...Azel had asked for as many weapons, suits of armor, and mana recovery potions as possible, and Kairen had sincerely gathered everything left in the castle stores. It was far too much for just fifteen people to carry.
Rance Mountain was quite large for a "back mountain." By the time they bypassed the peak and reached the villa in the valley, the sun was nearly set.
As the group bustled unloading and organizing, Azel was stunned by the villa's facilities.
"What era is this ruin from?"
Kairen's Rance Mountain villa was as large as a typical noble's manor. But what surprised him more was that it connected to ruins built into the mountainside.
Hasban said,
"It's about four or five hundred years old, from what I hear. We cleared out the dangers after excavation, preserved the usable parts, and renovated it as an emergency shelter... Then about thirty years ago, His Grace added facilities suitable for solitary training."
"I see."
Azel had assumed it was just a villa amid untouched mountains. But no—it linked to ruins with a training ground? It didn't have dedicated training facilities per se, but it had impressive magical treatments.
*This should hold up without breaking easily, and the mana circulation setup is incredible. Building this must have cost a fortune... It far exceeds my expectations.*
Releasing mana inside the training ground allowed it to absorb and recirculate it. This provided excellent conditions even for Spirit Order practitioners. Just to check, Azel asked Hasban, who confirmed the control device could adjust absorption rates and more.
"I hadn't even considered something like this. I'll have to thank His Grace again later."
It was genuine admiration. This facility was incredibly useful for Azel right now. He'd requested tons of mana potions for rapid recovery, but with this, he could progress far faster than anticipated.
Hasban said,
"He's thorough about things like this, if nothing else. He doesn't skimp on the spending, which is the problem."
The group made a fuss settling the villa, and with night fallen, even those scheduled to return stayed the night. But Azel began training immediately. The villa wasn't fully ready, but the wild mountainside alone made a fine training ground.
*I need to build my body.*
Azel prioritized that over increasing his mana reserves.
Two months after awakening, he'd recovered from a complete wreck to stronger than an ordinary human. But that wasn't enough. He needed to infuse mana into every corner of his body to surpass human limits.
Spirit Order practitioners amplified physical abilities with mana. But amplification worked best with a strong base, and a robust body could handle greater amplification.
Eat well, train like a madman, rest deeply.
Easily overlooked, but eating well and resting deeply mattered more than mad training. Without food, you couldn't build the body. Overworking without nourishment just broke you down.
Without deep rest, training stress didn't convert to strength—it just broke you.
Some claimed to grow stronger through combat, but that was experiential at best. A single injury in battle could set a warrior back.
Over the past two months, Azel hadn't had the leisure to recover leisurely and train properly. He'd repeatedly pushed to his limits against powerful foes in a deficient state—progress was miraculous; regression wouldn't have surprised. Compared to before his long sleep, it was negligible.
Now, finally in this environment, Azel gratefully reviewed the fundamentals his past masters had taught him, drilling them thoroughly.