Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: The Kingdom of Dina
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'The Kingdom of Dina, is it? Those magic perverts have caught the scent.'
A prestigious magic lineage passed down for 500 years. They were the ones who had made Beonald frown even back in the Magic Tower, fanatics who worshipped and researched magic to an extreme degree.
Beonald, for his part, was strongly pragmatic, treating both magic and alchemy as mere 'tools.' In contrast, the Magic Tower housed a mad faction obsessed with metaphysical truths, the laws of the world, and such things. The head of that very faction was the Dina family.
"You miserly wretch, seeking to use magic for personal gain instead of searching for truth! What kind of Master Alchemist are you?!"
An old man pointing his finger at Beonald 500 years ago, criticizing his practical side.
With a completely bald head, a face full of wrinkles, a sharp nose, and a murderous gleam in his eyes, he was none other than the head of the Dina family, a professor at the Magic Tower, and the sole holder of the title of Archmage, signifying a mage who had surpassed the 9th Circle—the old man named Dalken Dina.
"That damned old geezer, seriously!"
And facing him was Duke Beonald in his late thirties. Pushing his glasses up, he threw a thick stack of documents at Dalken Dina and began to argue.
Though he had only recently gained power in the Empire and attended this high-level council as a Master Alchemist from the Magic Tower, his influence was immense, proportional to the enormous donations and materials he poured into the Tower.
"No! Don't change the subject! How are you going to handle the receipts for this magic crystal usage? I said if you're going to experiment, submit a report and get budget approval, didn't I? Huh? Please! Shouldn't the man who calls himself an Archmage set an example? Ah, please, let's just follow the rules. Okay?"
"Eeeeeh! Shut up! With something grand right before our eyes, why bother with trivialities?"
"Then shall I teach you the value of those trivialities by cutting your donations? Perhaps the Archmage should learn about the truth of austerity."
Because he was like that, he could talk back to the Archmage Dalken Dina—whom other mages only watched warily, not daring to speak—and demand he follow the rules.
The colossal donations Beonald provided accounted for over half of the Magic Tower's operating costs. If he reduced them, it would be a fatal blow to the Tower's operations. Thus, in the end, Archmage Dalken Dina had no choice but to yield to Beonald.
"Grrrrr! You! Damnable wretch! Magic... originates from the structure of the world and its truths. Yet you use it merely as a tool, seeking no value beyond that......"
Of course, even if he yielded, his position as Archmage allowed him to gossip about Beonald to his heart's content.
His magical prowess, theory, and wisdom regarding spells and formulas, standing at the pinnacle of the Magic Tower, were unmatched by anyone.
He possessed such great wisdom that he could understand complex spells and structures at a mere glance, things Beonald wouldn't comprehend even after hours of study. Yet he was a foul-tempered old man who would look down on others, saying, 'Kekekeke, kid, want this old man to teach you a thing or two?'
"Couldn't you gossip somewhere people aren't around?"
Even now, they could have gossiped where he wasn't present, but doing it right beside him meant Beonald, carrying a bundle of documents, ended up bumping into him.
"I said it for you to hear! You brat! Maybe I should just drop a meteor on Benofis!"
"Go ahead and try. Then you won't get any donations... I wonder how wrecked your research funds will be? Ah~ Or have you perhaps perfected an alchemy to turn lead into gold? No, even if you mastered that, do you know the word 'inflation'?"
"Shut up! Get lost! You Golden Corpse! I don't know about that!"
Still, at this level, it was a stage of bickering while mutually acknowledging each other's skills and coexisting.
However, such a relationship eventually collapsed about ten years later, when Beonald turned 45.
"What on earth has this crazy old man done? He's out of his mind!"
The research-obsessed Dalken Dina caused a 'major accident due to some experiment' at the Magic Tower, completely shattering their already strained but mutually respectful relationship.
And Beonald, deeming he couldn't leave the Dina family alone, seized and subjugated them, forcing their submission by taking the 'legacy they used to cause the accident.'
'But in the end, after the civil war, they've now revived... and taken on the bizarre form of a Kingdom. Truly, human affairs are unpredictable. Anyway, that tracker... probably came because of the Black Drake, right?'
Surely, news of the 'Black Drake' being captured had reached the branch in the Kingdom of Dina via the Adventurer's Guild, and the Kingdom had immediately sent people to investigate the whereabouts of the 'Black Drake,' its magic crystal, or the adventurer who caught it. That was his speculation.
'Will they find out about the Magical Armor? Hmm, it's possible. I didn't exactly order the knights to keep it secret.'
In truth, there was no particular need to order secrecy.
At this stage, the Magical Armor was hard to see as anything beyond a magical tool with spells engraved on armor—simply magic-enchanted armor.
Unless one was a true genius, it was difficult to discern the structure of spells engraved separately on the frame and armor sections, the efficiency of the embedded magic crystal, and the functionality of the spell structure. Most would simply think of it as a somewhat oversized magic armor or a magical tool and move on.
'Hmm... Well, leaving them be isn't bad either.'
From Beonald's standpoint, the best outcome would be to use whatever incident arose from the Kingdom of Dina's actions.
After all, he still had no clear faction of his own.
He was merely clinging under the Valderian family. If the Kingdom of Dina created conflict, causing problems that he then resolved, his standing would rise. Therefore, Beonald had no reason to interfere with them.
'Besides, the Magical Armor isn't something that can be easily replicated anyway...'
Even if one understood the concept, the spells engraved inside required incredibly precise craftsmanship to function—it was his ambitious masterpiece.
Though it started as a toy for the Emperor, the research funds and time invested were extraordinary. To comprehend it, one would probably need to be on the level of Archmage Dalken Dina.
Thus reassured, Beonald, while continuing to sense the tracker's presence, returned to the Valderian mansion to prepare for hunting the Land Drake.
The next day.
The Land Drake was a gigantic lizard-like monster about 15 meters long. Its back, head, and legs were covered in thick scales. With its powerful brute strength, it preyed on other large creatures like orcs, ogres, and trolls, or scavenged dead bodies in the forest.
This tyrant of the forest, roaming mercilessly while felling trees, was a despot that did not hesitate to fight other monsters daring to invade its territory, like any apex predator.
Grrrrrrr…….
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
And to the Land Drake, which had just finished hibernation and was roaming in spring to fill its hungry belly, came a long bird cry resembling a flute's sound.
Provoked by another predator's audacious invasion and proud roar within its domain, the Land Drake, the original lord of this territory, felt instinct for survival coupled with the emotion of rage. It opened its eyes wide and began charging at full speed.
The ground shook, and trees in its path made creaking sounds as they fell helplessly.
Krrrrrrrrrr!
To declare itself the true master of this territory, the Land Drake let out a massive roar and confirmed the presence of the intruder, crying out vigorously from a small clearing beyond the forest.
A griffin. A cheeky creature that flies through the sky, swiftly swoops down to snatch its prey, and flies back up. The Land Drake, thinking it had come to steal its food, resolved to kill it and increased its charge speed.
"Now."
'Imperial Knight Order Martial Arts, Second Form—Demonic Wolf's Swift Charge!'
'Valderian Family Sword Style Third Form—Interlocking Fangs!'
And just as the Land Drake, focused solely on the griffin, was about to exit the forest, two knights enveloped in golden and red auras burst from the bushes on either side. Each wielded their weapons, thrusting towards the Land Drake's neck and head, both accurately targeting the weak point at the neck joint.
Krooooooo!
Screeeeeeee!
"Good! Alterio! Fall back! Other knights and soldiers, block its escape route! Lord Haidy and Lord Kedron, take up other weapons and keep targeting the head!"
Perhaps its vitality was stronger than the Black Drake's, for the Land Drake thrashed madly even as blood spurted from its neck.
Beonald, who appeared beside Alterio, took full command, preventing the Land Drake from fleeing or even making a final desperate struggle.
"Oh, so this is how it's done. With this, it's no wonder three people could take it down."
"Even so, please be careful, Lord Kedron."
"This is truly thrilling... Hup! Oh... This is absolutely amazing."
Kwaaaaang!
As the Land Drake struggled and swung a foreleg, which was firmly blocked with a shield, Kedron couldn't help but marvel.
The knight's romance—a situation fit for myths heard from parents or tutors in childhood or heroic tales of champions—was something he was now physically embodying. How could he not be delighted?
"This is really... whoa."
Krooooooooo!
"Yes, come on! Come on! Woooooh!"
The pressure and weight pressing down on his entire body. A mass that would crush an ordinary human to pulp, yet he was holding it back.
How joyous it was to have an enemy against whom he could fight with all his might—aura, physical strength, everything?
To the point where it felt truly regrettable that Beonald had been enjoying this thrilling hunt alone, Kedron was now having fun facing this Land Drake.
"Well done!"
Krrrrr... Gulp!
Kuuuuung!
But that joy did not last long. While Kedron held it off, Haidy drove his sword deep into the Land Drake's crown. Piercing through to the brain, the fatally wounded Land Drake trembled violently before collapsing to the ground with a tremendous crash, like a great ancient tree falling.
"Waaaaah!"
"They really caught it like this!"
"Incredible! This easily?"
"Even with the Black Drake, I was skeptical... but now I have no choice but to believe. Yikes!"
"Don't approach! It's not completely dead yet. A blind tail swipe could kill us instantly!"
The soldiers and knights blocking the rear, excitedly shouting, were shocked to see the Land Drake still twitching.
They had thought the Black Drake was a fluke, but seeing the Land Drake captured like this, they could no longer say that.
And considering the value this dead Land Drake would bring, they thought Beonald's standing would rise even further.
"Alright, its breath has completely ceased, so let's start work. First, Alterio worked hard, so let him eat a bit. Haidy and Lord Kedron, keep watch for other monsters approaching. Messenger, return immediately and request preparations for transporting this Land Drake... In the remaining time, let's clear a path."
Once the Land Drake was completely dead, Beonald immediately began giving orders, sensing the gaze monitoring him gradually fade away.
It must have been a shocking sight for the observer. Anticipating how the Kingdom of Dina would act from now on, Beonald naturally picked up an axe and went to help chop trees.
'Anyway, it won't be boring.'
While a 'food crisis' approached from the south, Beonald was pleased that an incident to solidify his position was coming.
His previous life had been interesting, but this life was even more dynamic, with no room for boredom as events kept unfolding, bringing a smile to his face.