Chapter 15
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Dragon Calamity (1)
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The sudden emergence of the 'disaster' plunged the mountains into such profound silence that only the chill wind whistled through.
"Retreat."
It was Duke Gail who shattered the heavy quiet.
Possessing the Appraisal Eye, he sensed the enemy's danger before anyone else.
"Retreat! Retreat right now!"
At the duke's desperate roar, the knights and soldiers of Talua Kingdom hurriedly pulled back from the battlefield.
The Kainzel Kingdom forces, however, reacted differently.
"K-Kill it! What are you waiting for? Kill that monster now! The one who slays it gets ten thousand gold!"
Marquis Aldin screamed like a madman after his secret weapon, Kario, fell.
It was an unforgivable blunder for a commander, but soldiers' lives meant nothing to him anymore.
Reflexively obeying his order, the soldiers charged at the monster before them.
The Dragon Calamity's gaze shifted toward the moving figures.
"────."
Her lips twitched faster than before.
Her words vibrated with mana, shaking the air.
Kwarung! Kwarururung!
Snow piled around Riya Asktalin, the princess of the Dragon Calamity, surged into the sky.
The entire mountain range quaked as the ground split open, sweeping all humans before Riya Asktalin into the shockwave.
"Argh!"
"Ugh, s-save me! Please!"
Knights and soldiers alike collapsed in the hellish chaos. I was at a loss for words.
This was the power of a disaster not yet fully awakened.
Even I, who had some inkling of its might, felt my mind reeling at the sight.
'It's truly... a disaster, just as the word implies.'
Something no human force could ever hope to contend with.
That abstract terror had taken form right before my eyes.
As I stared blankly, Gransesia spoke up.
[That's impressive.]
'Enough to neutralize half the army in one go.'
[Not what I meant. Look closely. Not a single fallen human is dead. That's what's remarkable after an attack of that scale.]
'What?'
Thinking it nonsense, I scanned the downed Kainzel Kingdom soldiers.
Countless lay with wounds and broken bones, but none seemed on the brink of death.
"A-ah. N-no, stay back. No. Don't come near me!"
The princess still clung to some shred of reason, clutching her face and staggering as she spoke.
"Kill her! What are you doing? Now! Strike while she's weakened!"
Marquis Aldin, thrown to the ground by the shockwave, trembled and bellowed.
He'd have been better off fleeing with his tail between his legs, but instead, he screamed that this was their chance.
"I-Is that true?"
"She does look off right now..."
Unable to flee, the soldiers and knights advanced on the princess at his command.
Her wavering pupils turned toward them.
'Well, now.'
Who knew the enemy commander would be this incompetent.
'I can use this.'
Carefully assessing the situation, I quietly called for Michel.
"I have one favor to ask."
In times like these, every advantage had to be exploited.
"Don't come closer, please."
While I made my request to Michel, the princess stumbled away from the soldiers.
A faint trace of her human reason remained.
"Why's she acting like that?"
But her sobbing voice failed to reach them.
If anything, her weakened state eased their fear.
"She must've used all her strength just now! Kill the monster!"
Emboldened by a knight's shout, the hesitant soldiers and knights slowly encircled her.
The ten thousand gold bounty Marquis Aldin promised spurred their feet.
"N-No."
The princess's trembling pupils stilled.
Her round eyes narrowed into reptilian slits, igniting crimson.
Boom! Kwaboom! Kwakwaboom!
A battle—not quite a battle—erupted between the princess and the Kainzel Kingdom forces.
The soldiers charging like moths to a flame had snuffed out her last thread of reason.
'Now's the time.'
With her attention fixed on the Kainzel soldiers, this was my chance to approach.
I dashed forward without hesitation.
"Sir Banheart! What are you doing?!"
Duke Gail, right beside me, cried out in shock at my actions.
Moving without orders was insubordination, but I'd already planned an excuse, so it wasn't a big issue.
"I'll be the decoy, Your Grace! Pull the army back as fast as you can!"
"W-What are you saying?!"
"You must survive, Your Grace!"
I shouted as if sacrificing myself to save my superior.
Before anyone could stop me, I raced toward the princess. Any excuses would waste precious timing.
'Setting Check.'
==
[Riya Asktalin]
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Role: First Princess of Asktalin Empire, Seventh Calamity (Major Antagonist)
Abilities: Dragon Word, Dragon Eye, ……, ……, Magic (6th Circle)
Notes: Seventh Calamity, Dragon Calamity.
A fallen dragon, and the one who fells dragons—known as the Dragonfall King.
Not fully awakened yet; faint remnants of human reason suppress draconic instincts and power.
==
==
[Dragon Word]
The dragon's authority to manipulate the world's rules and laws through language.
Unlike typical dragons, Riya Asktalin's Dragon Word can only target those seen through her Dragon Eye, but it wields greater power as a result.
==
Even unawakened, it was an outrageous setup. The Dragon Word especially caught my eye.
From the description, her version differed in usage from other dragons.
'Is breaking the horn really all it takes?'
[Yes. Given her current state, snapping the horn should restore her reason.]
'Alright then.'
Gripping my sword tightly, I took a deep breath and faced the princess.
Though she'd lost her reason, an inexplicable sadness emanated from her.
'I'll end it soon.'
In the original story, she annihilates the Talua Kingdom army here, becomes the Dragon Calamity, and ultimately dies at the protagonist Fabian's hands.
But in the tale I'm rewriting, it'll be different.
Whether tragedy or comedy, who knows...
'One thing's certain.'
The Dragon Calamity ends today.
* * *
"Gransesia, do you know a way to cure the Dragonization Curse?"
[Huh?]
The day before the operation began, I asked Gransesia about the curse.
As a saintess, she might know something.
Legends said she performed miracles healing countless curses and diseases.
'Her track record's a bit dubious, though.'
At least she likely had the knowledge.
[I do.]
Fortunately, she confirmed casually.
"Does it involve Divine Blood?"
[Obviously, but timing matters. Elixir might work too?]
The legendary elixir that could revive the dead.
Her nonchalant tone implied nothing less would cure the Dragonization Curse.
[Why the sudden question? From that Synopsis future you saw?]
She half-accepted my unexplained knowledge, linking it to the current crisis.
Not fully believing, but not dismissing it either.
She was halfway convinced about the Dragon Calamity too.
'Divine Blood is a must, then.'
As expected.
But her reaction suggested it wasn't that simple.
"Have you treated it before?"
[Well, ages ago.]
Treading carefully, I probed.
"You mentioned timing earlier. What does that mean?"
[Simple. The target must still be human when you use the Divine Blood.]
Human?
The Dragonization Curse afflicted Asktalin royals, who were human by nature.
[Think of an invisible scale. One side holds the dragon heart, the other the human heart. The curse tips it toward the dragon.]
"So... once afflicted, they're no longer human, but dragon?"
[Exactly. Using Divine Blood then would make the faint human reason vanish, treated as part of the curse.]
No cure, then?
If afflicted, it was too late.
Hence the timing emphasis.
Use Divine Blood just before onset.
Or...
"Tilt the scale back toward human."
[Scammer, huh? You're sharp.]
She'd never let go of that scammer label.
"Anyway, how?"
[Break the dragon's horn.]
"The dragon's horn...?"
A top-tier material.
Incredibly tough, highly mana-resistant—perfect for relic gear.
Impossible for me to snap.
Reading my thoughts, Gransesia quickly added,
[Dragon horns harden after maturation. No matter how talented this Dragon Calamity is, she hasn't had time for that power.]
Onset timing unknown, but recent.
[If she's unawakened as you say, the horn's not fully grown. You can manage it. Probably.]
That 'probably' irked me.
Heeding the implicit warning, I asked again.
"Cutting the horn definitely reverts her to human?"
[Briefly, yes—draconic instincts vanish in that moment. Short window, but human then. Abilities remain, so watch out.]
If she uses Dragon Word or resists, it's over.
[Without Divine Blood, it's pointless anyway.]
Right, that was key.
No Divine Blood meant all effort wasted.
If the plan failed...
'Hope it doesn't come to that.'
At least, I wanted her to die as a human.
Not a mindless dragon, but one person.
* * *
"Shatter! Fly away! All of you, begone!"
Each of the princess's cries sent soldiers tumbling.
Remarkably, no deaths even then—but that fueled the fire. The fallen rose to attack again.
'Weaker than expected.'
'We might actually kill her.'
Marquis Aldin's ten thousand gold.
A curse driving them mad. One hundred gold sustained a commoner for a month.
They'd long forgotten the Talua Kingdom foes nearby.
Those cowards fled at the sight; slay this monster for riches and return heroes.
"A-aaah."
They didn't know.
Her fragile reason teetered on the brink.
And when it snapped, all here would perish.
"─────!"
The dragon's fury finally erupted.
Not human-tongued Dragon Word, but pure draconic tongue.
A league beyond before, the linguistic power engulfed the mountain's edge.
Kwarururung! Boom!
"W-Wait! This is... Arghhh!"
Too late when they realized.
Earth flipped, trees uprooted, sweeping soldiers away.
A bloodstorm unlike before ravaged the peaks.
'Now.'
Ground quaking threw off balance, but Dragon Word aimed opposite—minimal damage.
Holding breath, Clay slowly bent his knees, raising his sword high rightward.
Mana cycled, faint silver light flowing over his body.
The form of wielding Silver Star Sword's mana.
Silver rings formed in his eyes; Clay kicked off.
"……!"
Toward the princess, panting after her massive Dragon Word.
Sensing him, she whipped her head around.
"B-Brea...!"
She tried Dragon Word, but ragged breaths garbled it.
As expected.
I'd waited for this exact scenario.
Dragon Word was language. Constant mountain sprints and shouts winded anyone.
Even her—a law of nature no life escaped.
Proof she wasn't yet beyond common sense.