Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Somewhere Between Black Flame Dragon and Blackening
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As Sion and his group entered the village, the gathered villagers hurriedly bowed their heads.
Among them were a few of the men who had been locked in fierce battle with Nudia just recently.
With the knights escorting him, Sion paused and scanned the village once, at which point the village chief approached and offered another greeting.
“Y-Young Lord.
To think you’d grace such a humble place with your presence—we’re unworthy.”
“I need to see how the territory’s people are faring, every last one.
Peering only inside the castle walls doesn’t count as overseeing the whole domain, does it?”
“Please, no need for such words!
How could you, of all people...”
“You’re the one leading this village well, aren’t you, Chief?
How could I treat someone like you casually?”
These weren’t empty words for the sake of public image management—this was Sion’s genuine belief.
Anyone could dismiss the rest, but the leader of a group deserved respect fitting their role, no matter how shabby the group itself might be.
‘That way, they’ll cooperate better, and even if temptations come from elsewhere or they hear rumors slandering us, they’ll brush it off and manage their own house just fine.’
People naturally craved recognition for their efforts from others.
Meet someone who acknowledged that and showed respect, and you’d feel gratitude toward them—then strive even harder for more praise later.
Relationships between people had to be built up in advance to pay off when needed.
Scrambling to forge them after trouble hit was like building a sandcastle at best.
“Young Lord.”
A group of men approached Sion and snapped off not the usual civilian bow, but a proper military salute.
Spotting them at once as comrades who’d fought beside him in the recent war, Sion greeted them with the brightest smile he could muster.
After finishing greetings with the villagers and handling all the public image work, Sion finally cut to the chase.
“By the way, I don’t see the friend I brought along.”
“Ah, Jimmy? He must’ve headed home.
He dotes on his little sister so much... Please wait a moment—I’ll fetch him right away.”
“No need, Chief.
I’ll go myself.
Might as well take in the sights.”
With that, Sion dismissed everyone except one volunteer guide, sending the rest back to their routines.
Crowds made movement awkward and complicated escort duties, so it was only natural.
“You fought alongside us too, didn’t you?”
“Yes, sir.
I was the one watching with my own eyes when you rushed off to save Jimmy.”
His identity: another young man who’d tried charging after Jimmy to rescue him.
But his squad leader had held him back, nearly forcing him to abandon his friend.
That was the moment Sion had bolted ahead and somehow pulled Jimmy out.
“Jimmy’s one thing, but I owe you big time too, Young Lord.
I almost lost my best friend.”
“I saved him this time, but next time it’s on you.
Remember that.
Once is luck—twice is pushing it.
Don’t count on miracles like a fool.”
“I’ll remember!”
Like Jimmy, the young man bellowed his reply loud and clear.
Had these villagers all swallowed train whistles or something?
Every last one had lungs like foghorns.
Sion grumbled inwardly.
But Risikida and the knights showed no annoyance—in fact, they were smiling.
From their perspective, raising their voices was the only way these commoners could show loyalty and gratitude to Sion, and they were pouring their all into making it the best damn show possible.
“Anyway, you and Jimmy are friends?”
“Yes.
We’ve been tight since we were kids.”
“Huh.
Just out of curiosity, then—what kind of guy is Jimmy?”
“Hmm... He was always upbeat, quick with a smile.
Even after losing both his parents, I never saw him mope or break down.
Probably trying to stay strong for his sister.”
“His sister, huh.”
Once again, the answer edged close to what Sion wanted to hear.
He deliberately stayed silent to draw out more, and Jimmy’s friend continued with a wry smile.
“The way Jimmy treasured that little sister... Even watching from the sidelines, I was impressed.
To her, he was mom, dad, her whole world—the only family she could lean on.”
“...Losing a brother like that must’ve wrecked her.”
“Wrecked? That’s putting it mildly.
Honestly... I don’t even want to imagine.”
The young man shook his head vigorously.
By then, Sion and his group had reached a house.
No mansion, but cozy enough for a pair of siblings.
“Then I’ll head in and let them know you’re here, Young Lord.”
“Tell ’em they’ve got ten seconds flat.
Sweep the place clean.”
“Haha!
Got it!”
With that, the young man dashed inside.
As Sion watched his retreating back and turned to say something to Risikida behind him—
“Gahhh!”
Not playful screaming—real, startled terror.
The instant Sion whipped around with an “Huh?”, Risikida and the knights had already drawn swords, snapping into alert formation.
“Master!
Fall back!”
“Young Lord, hurry!”
The knights scanned every direction, ready to swing at a moment’s notice.
But Sion had no time for that.
‘Shit, no way?’
Jimmy wasn’t even dead—had Trisha awakened as a Saik already?
A chill raced up his spine, but he had to see for himself.
Ignoring Risikida and the knights calling for him, Sion rushed inside.
“Master!”
He’d probably catch an earful from Risikida later, but stepping in, Sion blinked.
Even in broad daylight, the place was pitch black.
From outside, windows dotted the walls—how could it be this dark?
“Ugh!
J-Jimmy!”
Glancing over, he saw the young man collapsed on the floor, trembling.
What the hell? Then, in the faint light from the doorway, something sprawled motionless on the ground.
A very familiar head.
No doubt—that was Jimmy, who’d been riding in the carriage with him just minutes ago.
“Master!”
“Young Lord!”
Risikida and the knights piled in after Sion.
They tried dragging him out, but with him refusing to budge, they fanned out swords drawn, wary in the gloom, braced for anything.
“Kuh.
Heh heh heh...!”
A laugh slithered from somewhere, utterly repulsive.
A shadowy figure twitched, and the knights trained their blades on it.
“Guests have arrived.
Yes, come in.
I shall welcome you with joy and grant you your final day!
Ahahaha!”
Shit, things had gone seriously sideways.
Sion muttered to himself, glancing at the door.
By now, Lily and Kim Yuhyun would’ve noticed something was off.
If those two attacked, no Saik—especially not some larval stage without real power—could hold out.
“Risi.
Right now...”
He turned to order combat prep, but Risikida’s face was off.
She tilted her head in confusion, her sword tip dipping despite herself.
The other knights too—all wearing vague expressions, like “What the hell’s going on?”
‘Did the Saik have hypnosis? Some mind-muddling ability?’
He racked his brain, but recalled no such power.
If it did, he’d be affected too.
So why were Risikida and the knights acting weird? As he opened his mouth to ask—
“Master.”
Risikida finally spoke.
She wasn’t about to swing at him suddenly, was she?
Sion braced to bolt solo if needed.
“I can barely sense it.”
“Huh?”
“Their mana.”
What bullshit is that!?
He nearly shouted, then caught her meaning.
In this world, mana reserves scaled with power output.
Strong foes had vast mana; weak ones, scant.
Risikida’s words meant the one cackling “Heh heh heh!” up ahead was just pathetically weak.
“Young Lord?”
Another voice yanked his head around.
There sat Jimmy, propped up with a dumb “Uh...” groan.
“...Weren’t you dead?”
“Pardon?”
“Why were you face-down on the floor?”
“Well, you see.”
Sion eyed Jimmy’s awkward grin, sensing something off again.
He gestured Risikida’s sword down, then ordered the knights opposite.
“You remember where the windows are, right?”
“Yes, Young Lord.”
“Check ’em.”
Two knights advanced swords out, inspecting the interior.
Moments later—shwaa!
Thick curtains blocking the windows were yanked aside.
Noon sunlight flooded in.
The revealed interior: utterly ordinary home, nothing special.
No corpses, no bloodstains as Sion had feared.
As light poured in, a woman at the table clutched her head.
“Grahhh!
Y-You bastards!
To see through my weakness—sunlight!
Impressive!
No choice but to retreat, then.
Ahaha!
But next time, no chance!”
“...”
Sion shot Jimmy a what-the-fuck look.
Jimmy just scratched his head with an embarrassed chuckle, no real answer.
Meanwhile, the woman wrapped herself in a pitch-black cloth—quite the dramatic flourish, attempting a triple axel.
(Note: that black cloth was one of the curtains.)
Spinning like a figure skating queen, she hopped to perch on the windowsill.
Then, flashing what she no doubt thought was menacing grin, she spoke.
“Ahaha!
Remember this.
I am Trisha!
Trisha Darkdragon!
Though I withdraw now, next time there’ll be no—Kyaa!”
Thud.
Perched dramatically on the sill, she naturally lost balance and toppled backward.
“Tr-Trisha!”
Jimmy bolted up and dashed outside.
The sheer absurdity left Risikida, the knights, and even his friend frozen, staring slack-jawed.
“Ow ow ow!
I-It hurts!”
“Trisha!
You okay?”
“...O-Of course!
I am direct descendant of the Darkdragon who shall burn the world!
Th-This is nothing... Ow!
It hurts, you idiot!”
“S-Sorry.
Uh, looks like a bump on your head.
Good news—no blood.”
Listening to the siblings bicker outside, Sion suddenly craved a cigarette like mad.
“Risi.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Go grab those two.”
“Yes, sir.”
Risikida snapped to at his icy tone and marched out.
As she went, Sion sighed.
Thank god—no Saik awakening.
Yeah, huge relief.
‘...So why does this hit so goddamn hard?’
He buried his face in his hands.
No matter how he turned it over.
Fuck, this was too much.
Oh, damn. God.
No—fuck you, author.
The terrifying girl he’d fretted over endlessly, agonizing what to do.
Turned out she was just deep in chuunibyou mode, possessed by Black Flame Dragon delusions.
“You called for me, Master...”
“Trisha, it’s Young Lord Sion Klauzen.
Come inside...”
“Do you think I go running whenever someone calls!?
I am an omnipotent being with the power and right to incinerate this world...”
Yeah, it clicked instantly.
A Black Flame Dragon edgelord like that, losing her brother and blackening on top?
She’d be a true “King God General Emperor Black Flame Dragon” even her allies couldn’t handle.
‘...Should I kill her?’
For the first time, Sion seriously considered offing someone.
――――――――Author's Note――――――――
The King God General Emperor Black Flame Dragon howled!
Sion, let’s make a baby!
The effect was tremendous!
Sion out!
Sion out!