Beautiful and Noble

Knock knock knock, beautiful and noble. "Come in."

The former emperor's villa. Adella Measis, knight captain of the Legion Kingdom, hurried to the villa at the summons of the former emperor. She didn't know the reason, but how could she hesitate when the man who had once been emperor and saved the world called for her?

Adella set aside all her schedules and arrived in a flash at the room where the emperor resided. With permission, she entered.

One might expect a room fit for a former emperor to be decked out with ornate furniture and jewels like gold, but the interior was surprisingly ordinary. It felt cozy more than luxurious. Of course, it wasn't shabby or worn in the slightest.

"Your Majesty."

"Come in. I hope I'm not wasting the time of a promising knight captain for nothing."

"Please don't say that. Your Majesty deserves all respect."

"Hoho. I'm grateful even for those words."

"...I heard you summoned me."

Adella knelt on one knee and waited for Bahamut Legion to speak as he sipped his tea. In one hand, he held his teacup; in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the other, a letter written on fine parchment. Adella felt a sense of familiarity looking at that letter.

"A letter arrived."

"From the Flame Dragon?"

"Yes. It was a letter really giving me an earful. Quite ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the novel experience at my age."

Hohoho... Adella felt a surge of emotion hearing Bahamut chuckle. To dare write a scolding letter to the emperor who founded the kingdom's foundations and the hero who saved the world—what incredible rudeness. She wanted to drag the culprit in and punish them immediately, but the sender was a dragon. The supreme dragon recorded not just in the kingdom's history but the world's. Known to be on friendly terms with the former emperor, she was no one Adella could presume to judge.

All she could do was listen quietly to Bahamut's words.

"I called you because I have something to ask."

"I'll answer anything I can."

"How are the heroes these days? Do they seem decent in your eyes?"

"......"

Heroes. Saviors of the world, chosen to stop the evil Demon King's army. Adella had immersed herself deeply in the legends of Bahamut and the previous heroes since childhood, revering them. But reality was different. The new-era heroes she encountered were utterly disappointing. Their power and personalities were far from heroic.

Honestly, they weren't even...

"Disappointing, right?"

"N-no, not at all."

"You can be honest. It's just you and me here, after all."

"...Heroes are chosen by the Goddess. Who are we to judge Her will?"

In the end, even their flaws must be part of the Goddess's design. It was one thing for Adella to lament alone, but not in front of the greatest hero of all, Bahamut.

Bahamut shook his head.

"Well, even in my time, there were duds. Some worse than today's heroes."

"......"

"The Goddess doesn't always pick perfect heroes. Sometimes flawed ones, sometimes utterly ordinary folk."

"I see."

"Doesn't that mean She embraces everyone?"

Not just the talented and exceptional become heroes. Even the flawed, weak, and unmotivated can become one if they have the qualifications. Of course, Lea—and the Goddess—might think differently. But at least Bahamut believed so.

"Speak freely. Neither I nor the Goddess would mind."

"...To be honest."

"Go on."

"I wonder if they could even touch the hem of Your Majesty's achievements."

"Hohoho... You're too kind."

"No. They're weak, unable even to face knights. Worse is their attitude."

"Attitude, hm..."

"Being Immortals gives them power even the Demon King's army fears. But their arrogance could prove poisonous."

The heroes were weak. But leveraging their numbers and immortality, their combat potential wasn't bad. No matter how many fell, if they kept charging, the enemy would eventually drop.

Bahamut set down his teacup.

"Indeed, that's what the current emperor and his ministers are watching closely."

"Right now, their weakness allows some leeway. But as their power grows..."

"They'll get even more arrogant."

"Yes."

Clink.

"...Your Majesty."

"Speak."

"What happened? The Flame Dragon sending a letter, and..."

"Some heroes tried to steal Lea's treasure. That angered her."

"Pardon?"

Adella couldn't believe her ears. Who robbed whom? This wasn't some noble's mansion—it was a dragon's lair. She couldn't comprehend it. If it hadn't come from the former emperor, she'd have dismissed it as nonsense. No sane person would raid a dragon's nest.

'Unless they survive to try... Ah.'

"Because they're Immortals. I see..."

"Tsk tsk... Makes it all the more interesting, doesn't it? We're not the only ones feeling this way."

"...I'm not sure I follow."

"You'll understand when you're my age."

Bahamut chuckled as he looked down at Adella, still kneeling on one knee. He told her to rise and asked,

"What would you do with them? The heroes who dared provoke a dragon."

"...Rather than execution or torture, I'd emphasize imprisonment."

"Why?"

"They don't stay dead. Nor do they feel pain well. Killing or torturing them is pointless."

From what Adella had seen, punishments for criminal heroes were like this: Not all committed crimes, but those who did were mostly killed or jailed. The longest jail time was six months, due to their special nature. Heroes were world-savers; locking them away long-term was unwise. So fines or execution were common. Even Immortals suffered losses from death.

"So for the lair raiders, put a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bounty and sentence them to one to three years. And for future crimes, much longer terms than before."

"Then make it so."

"Understood... P-pardon? My way?"

"Yes."

Bahamut chuckled as he stood.

"At my age, it's silly to go bossing ministers around. But a promising knight captain's proposal? They'll welcome it."

"......"

"I'll give you my seal. No need to worry."

"Y-yes, understood..."

Creeak...

"One errand for me?"

"Gladly."

"Head to Red Mountain."

Ehehehe~ At the base of Red Mountain. Adella, who had ridden nonstop from the capital, arrived at Red Mountain with the former emperor's edict tucked in her bosom.

"This is where the Flame Dragon resides..."

It might look odd for a busy knight captain to handle what a messenger could do, but Adella didn't care. No, she was actually looking forward to it.

'Flame Dragon, Lea.'

The figure she'd only read about in history books. Wings that blotted out the sky, flames that incinerated demons, intellect and beauty that even heroes admired. To young Adella, Lea was an idol, a great hero like the champions.

"Surely a most beautiful and noble being."