Beautiful and Noble

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come in."

Creeeak…

The former emperor's villa.

Adela Measis, Knight Commander of the Legion Kingdom, had received a summons from the former emperor and rushed to the villa without delay.

She didn't know the reason, but when the former emperor — the hero who had saved the world — called for her, how could she possibly hesitate?

Adela set aside every appointment on her schedule and arrived at the emperor's chambers in a single breath. After receiving permission, she stepped inside.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

One might have expected the former emperor's room to be plastered with ornate furniture and gold-encrusted jewels, but the interior was surprisingly ordinary. It felt cozy rather than luxurious — though that was by no means to say it looked shabby or worn.

"Your Majesty."

"Ah, come in. I do hope I haven't needlessly stolen a promising Knight Commander's time."

"Please do not say such things. Your Majesty is a man worthy of the highest respect."

"Haha. Well, I appreciate you saying so, at least."

"…I was told you summoned me."

Adela dropped to one knee and waited for Bahamart to speak. In one of his hands was a cup of tea; in the other, a letter written on fine parchment. Looking at that letter, Adela felt a flicker of familiarity.

"A letter arrived."

"From the Fire Dragon, Your Majesty?"

"Indeed. A letter that thoroughly chewed me out, no less. Quite a novel experience at my age."

Hahaha…

Listening to Bahamart's easy laughter, Adela felt a sudden surge of indignation. To dare write a letter that "chewed out" the emperor who had laid the foundations of the kingdom — the hero who had saved the world — how unspeakably rude was that?

She wanted to drag the offender in for punishment that very instant, but the other party was a dragon. A supreme dragon recorded not only in the kingdom's history but in the history of the world itself. A being known to share a personal friendship with the former emperor. Adela had no standing to dictate anything regarding her. All she could do was listen quietly to Bahamart's words.

"I called you here because there is something I wish to ask."

"If it is something I can answer, I will answer anything."

"How are the heroes these days? Do they seem decent to you?"

"……"

Heroes. The saviors of the world, chosen to hold back the evil Demon King's army. From childhood, Adela had immersed herself in the biographies of Bahamart and the heroes of previous generations, reading them with deep reverence — but reality had proven different. The heroes of this new age that Adela had encountered were thoroughly disappointing. In both power and character, they fell far short of the heroes of old. Frankly speaking, they weren't heroes at all…

"Disappointing, aren't they?"

"Ah — no, Your Majesty."

"You may speak freely. It's only the two of us here, after all."

"…The heroes are champions chosen by the Goddess. Who are we to judge Her will?"

Even those shortcomings must ultimately be the Goddess's design. Private grumbling was one thing, but this was not something to say before Bahamart, the greatest hero of all. Bahamart shook his head.

"Come now. There were worthless ones in my day as well. Some even worse than the current lot."

"……"

"The Goddess does not always choose perfect heroes. Sometimes She picks the inadequate, and sometimes the thoroughly ordinary."

"Is that so."

"Which means, does it not, that the Goddess embraces all people?"

It was not only the gifted and the exceptional who became heroes. Even the inadequate, the weak, and the will-deficient could become heroes if they simply possessed the qualifications. Of course, Lea — and the Goddess — might think differently. But at least, that was how Bahamart saw it.

"Speak freely. Neither I nor the Goddess will hold it against you."

"…If I am to be honest, Your Majesty."

"Go on."

"I find myself wondering whether they could ever reach even the tip of Your Majesty's achievements."

"Hahaha… You lay the gold leaf on rather thick."

"I do not, Your Majesty. They are weak — they cannot even match a knight. And more serious still is their attitude."

"Their attitude…"

"Their immortality is a power that even the Demon King's army would rightly fear. But I worry that their arrogant, insolent demeanor may become a poison instead."

The heroes were weak. But with their sheer numbers and the peculiar trait of never truly dying, their combat effectiveness might not be so poor after all. No matter how many of them dropped, if they kept charging, the enemy would eventually fall.

Bahamart set down his teacup.

"Indeed — that is precisely the point the current emperor and his ministers have been watching closely."

"For now, their power is still weak, so they restrain themselves to some degree. But if their strength continues to grow…"

"They may grow even more arrogant."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Clink.

"…Your Majesty."

"Speak."

"Has something happened? The Fire Dragon sending a letter, and all of this…"

"There were heroes who tried to steal Lea's treasure. That is why she is angry."

"Pardon?"

Adela doubted her own ears. Who tried to rob whom? This wasn't some noble's mansion — this was a dragon's nest. She simply could not comprehend it. Had anyone other than the former emperor said such a thing, she would have dismissed it as nonsense. Raiding a dragon's nest was something only a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠madman would attempt.

Unless they had no life left to lose… Ah.

"Because they are immortal. That is why."

"Heh heh… And that is precisely what makes it so amusing, is it not? We are hardly the only ones feeling this way."

"…I am not sure I understand, Your Majesty."

"You will, once you reach my age."

Bahamart chuckled and looked down at Adela, who still knelt on one knee. He bade her rise with a word, then asked:

"What would you do with them, if it were up to you? The heroes who dared provoke a dragon's temper."

"…Rather than execution or torture, I believe the weight should fall on imprisonment."

"Why do you think so?"

"They do not die even when killed. Moreover, they feel little pain. Killing or torturing them is meaningless."

This was how Adela had seen heroes punished until now. Not every hero committed crimes, but a number had, and most of them had either been killed or imprisoned. Even the longest sentences had capped out at six months — a limit born of the heroes' special nature. Because they were the world's saviors, holding them for extended periods was deemed unwise. Most had simply paid fines or been executed. Immortal or not, being killed still carried a certain cost.

"Therefore, I would place bounties on the heroes who raided the nest, sentence them to imprisonment ranging from one year at the short end to three years or more at the long end — and apply far longer sentences than before to any heroes who commit crimes going forward."

"Then do so."

"Understood… Pardon? By — by my own judgment, Your Majesty?"

"Indeed."

Bahamart rose from his seat with a soft chuckle.

"At my age, personally hunting down my ministers to bark orders at them would be a rather ridiculous sight. But if it is the will of a promising Knight Commander, will they not all welcome it?"

"……"

"I shall lend you my seal, so do not worry overmuch."

"Ah — yes, Your Majesty…"

Creeeak…

"One more errand for you, if you would."

"Leave it to me."

"Pay a visit to Red Mountain."

Heeheeheehing~

At the foot of Red Mountain.

Having ridden without rest from the royal capital, Adela arrived at Red Mountain with the former emperor's letter tucked against her chest.

"So this is where the Fire Dragon resides…"

Having a busy Knight Commander deliver something a messenger bird could have handled looked a bit odd, but Adela did not mind. No — if anything, she was looking forward to it.

The Fire Dragon, Lea.

A figure she had only ever encountered in history books. Wings that blotted out the sky, fire that incinerated demonkind, and an intellect and beauty that even the heroes had marveled at. To the young Adela, Lea had been an idol — a great hero on par with the champions themselves.

"She must be a truly beautiful and noble lady."