The Rank of the Soul
The energy that had been coiled up in a deep sleep raised its head.
I had vaguely known that this energy was not entirely my own.
But I had never dreamed that the energy itself would be alive.
Scaly skin shifted smoothly, like a crack spreading across a surface.
A sharply elongated head, reminiscent of a crocodile's snout, emerged.
My eyes locked with slit-pupiled golden eyes.
—...So, it is you?
We recognized each other instantly.
It was only natural.
After all, we were the very ones who had choked the last breath out of each other in our past lives.
"...Tirmisia."
When I uttered the evil dragon's name, it replied in an amused voice.
—Indeed, human child. You have been quite bold, stealing and wielding my power.
"You already died by my hand."
—And the same is true of you.
How on earth did the evil dragon's energy and its consciousness take root inside my body?
As the most horrific imaginable scenario became reality, my mind began to descend into chaos.
—Because you so greedily chewed and swallowed my heart.
—My heart was a gift from the ■■. Since you swallowed such a heart, it is only natural that I and my power itself would take root within you.
The evil dragon answered, as if reading my thoughts.
—It feels as though I have awakened from a long dream. Quite refreshing, indeed.
The evil dragon's mad laughter echoed inside my head.
It slowly rose and began to stretch, as if waking up a stiff body.
And then came the pain.
I barely managed to hold back a scream, but there was nothing I could do about the cold sweat drenching my entire body.
—What a truly pathetic vessel. I merely stirred a little, yet your container looks ready to burst.
Well, my deepest apologies.
Fortunately, having realized the limits of my body, the evil dragon clicked its tongue a few times before coiling back up and lying down in its place.
"What do you want?"
In any case, now that the beast had awakened, drawing out the energy within my heart at will was out of the question.
Now that my weakness was exposed, even the slightest offense to the dragon's mood would likely cause it to run rampant again. Having not even stolen a tenth of its power yet, I had no choice but to walk on eggshells around it.
I had felt it bone-deep during this battle.
To hunt the beasts, I needed more power.
—Nothing.
"...What?"
But the creature merely sighed, as if asking why I would even bother with such a question.
—Since you consumed my heart, you and I are no longer so different. The moment your heart stops, mine will stop as well. Thus, there is absolutely nothing to gain from threatening you.
Well, that's wonderful news.
I had worried about what I would do if it forced me to turn against humanity, but it seemed to have no such intention.
It was an answer that felt completely disconnected from the evil dragon I had known in my past life.
But I couldn't let myself be fooled.
Even if it acted amicably right now, I must never forget that its essence was the remnant of the evil dragon that had once led armies of beasts to annihilate humanity.
—However,
Of course. There's always a catch.
As if to prove my point, the dragon continued.
—If you fail to meet my expectations, I might grow a bit weary of you.
Expectations?
—It seems I have been asleep for quite some time, yet you cannot even wield a hair's breadth of my power.
—I cannot tell if you are simply devoid of talent, or merely foolish.
I don't even know the exact criteria for drawing out the energy, so what am I supposed to do?
The dragon's attitude—seemingly wanting me to take its power instead—was baffling.
—I shall grant you a week's grace.
—If you cannot raise your Soul Rank within that time, I shall reclaim every drop of the power you have stolen so far.
With those final words, the evil dragon, Tirmisia, fell silent.
Seven days remained.
A time that was long if considered long, but short if considered short.
It was clearly far too little time to achieve the sudden goal of raising my Soul Rank.
'Raise my Soul Rank... huh.'
The dragon wouldn't have said that without reason.
It had essentially given me the answer: I had to show results that met specific conditions to be allowed more power.
It had told me that to obtain more power, a higher Soul Rank was required.
Come to think of it, I had only known how to swallow the hearts of beasts to accumulate the power within them; I had never thought about how to build up even greater power.
The answer was surprisingly simple.
In the first place, I had lacked the qualification to accumulate any more power than this.
Then, how could I raise my Soul Rank?
My energy had increased only twice so far.
Once when I hunted the wolf beasts in a trance, and once when I defeated the skin-peeler beast.
Conversely, when I helped the refugees ward off the wolf beasts, or when I swallowed a new beast's heart, the total volume of my energy did not increase. Which meant...
'Does this mean I have to hunt progressively stronger beasts?'
Literally, the rank of the soul.
Only by achieving a feat that was nearly impossible to bear would the rank finally rise.
'Could I ask for help...'
"We will arrive at the Dornen Territory soon."
"...Yes."
Just as I was agonizing over how much of the situation I should share, Gyal, sensing my gaze, spoke while pointing beyond the path.
Did he think I was wondering when we would arrive?
Having just survived a near-death experience, it was a perfectly reasonable assumption.
Rosia, who was following behind, was in exactly that state.
She was barely walking, clutching the hem of my clothes with a hollow expression.
"Are you alright?"
"...Yes? Ah, I'm fine..."
Rosia, suddenly snapping back to reality, lowered her head deeply.
There was no way she was fine.
I didn't know how long Rosia had been stationed in the Dornen Territory.
But the sight of the soldiers she had known for a significant amount of time dying so horribly would remain in her memory for a very long time—perhaps for the rest of her life.
"Open the gates!"
Spotting us from afar, the soldiers busily opened the gates.
Only the three of us had returned.
A few soldiers looking toward the forest closed their eyes tightly and spat out curses.
"And the monster?"
At the question from Hanson, the guard captain I had first met here, Gyal handed over the leather pouch slung across his back.
Discovering the beast's face inside, Hanson let out a low groan and tied the pouch shut again.
"What happened to the soldiers who went with you?"
"They were all devoured."
"I see."
The two fell silent for a moment.
Gyal didn't seem to think much of it, but Hanson looked as if he were swallowing his words.
It was clear he had deeply cared for the men drafted into the subjugation force.
They were elites who had leveled their spears in perfect order even amidst a terror they had never experienced before, so perhaps it was only natural.
But who could be blamed?
One couldn't even blame the lords who had driven them to their deaths despite Gyal's warning that no more men were needed.
Leaving behind Hanson, who was swallowing his regret and anger, we headed to the lord's audience chamber.
"I express my deepest gratitude for your hard work."
Having apparently already received Hanson's report, Count Dornen, who had been resting his forehead against his clasped hands as if praying, stood up and offered his thanks.
"It was something that had to be done, even without your request, Count."
"Even so, the fact remains that we owe you an immense debt. If there is anything you need, please speak. I will mobilize every possible means to repay you."
"Decent rations and a place to sleep will suffice."
Hearing Gyal's request, Count Dornen was greatly taken aback.
It was only natural.
Such things could be resolved with a single document bearing the royal seal, without even needing to ask.
Wondering whether Gyal truly needed only those things or if he was indirectly telling him not to demand anything more from us, Count Dornen asked once more if there was anything else they required.
Gyal thought for a moment before continuing.
"If possible, some horses would be appreciated. Even spare pack horses would suffice."
"Must you leave immediately?"
"No date has been set, but we are in no position to idle away our time."
"...By any chance, is your destination decided?"
At Count Dornen's hesitant demeanor, Gyal looked down at me briefly before shaking his head.
"Preferably, a route leading toward the capital."
"Hmm..."
Despite Gyal's cooperative response, Count Dornen furrowed his brow, seemingly lost in thought.
Before long, he spoke again.
"I know this is incredibly shameless of me, but the situation has become complicated. I only ask that you at least consider it..."
"Speak."
His mind eased by Gyal's reply, Count Dornen handed over a letter that had been sitting on his desk.
"...We must go west, then."
As if frustrated, or perhaps embarrassed, Count Dornen walked toward the window.
Although it was just before noon, the sky remained dark.
The light drizzle grew heavier, beginning to pelt against the windowpane.
"It is a bit of a detour, but after what happened, I know for certain. We have no way of stopping those monsters called beasts on our own. But with the power you possess... with that power, we could save so many more people."
Then, as if making up his mind, he turned to face us directly.
"You may condemn me as shameless for asking when we are already in your debt. I won't even dare ask you to share that power. But too many are dying in vain. Strange things are happening, and the scouts we send to investigate never return."
I figured he must feel like a blind man stumbling in the dark.
Even so, we couldn't just blindly hand out the hearts of beasts.
In this era where even wars between humans were rare, there was no way to verify how many people had built up a suitable Soul Rank.
Gyal, seemingly of the same mind, spoke flatly.
"Such is the nature of the times."
Gyal's objective was clear.
To guide me, whom he had found following the Prophet's oracle, to the capital.
Even if unexpected events occurred along the way and disrupted the schedule, it wasn't a major issue, but he would never do anything that deviated from his primary goal.
"We cannot save everyone. We can only reach out to those within our grasp. That is all."
"...I understand."
Lost for words for a moment, Count Dornen nodded.
Lightning flashed, momentarily dispelling the shadows dancing in the firelight of the hearth.
A grim, desperate smile.
The agonizing expression of a man trying to hold back a collapsing dam all by himself caught my eye.
"I have kept those who have already performed a great deed for too long with my personal ramblings. If you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask. The things we discussed earlier will be prepared by today."
I understood both sides.
Gyal, after all, belonged to the Magic Tower of Tyrancia, not the kingdom.
He had absolutely no reason to grant the Count's request.
But then again...
"Wait a moment."
I took the letter from Gyal.
And I began to look for a reason to help.
I didn't need much.
Just one.
If there was just one clear clue, I was more than willing to help.
For dozens of seconds, I scanned the short letter, which barely filled a single page.
Raking my memory as best as I could, I reread it several times to find what I was looking for. The result:
'...Found it.'
I couldn't hide my excitement.