Chapter 314: You Are a Formal Disciple of the Twin Dragon Sect (2)
Chapter 314: You Are a Formal Disciple of the Twin Dragon Sect (2)
“Thr-three months?”
A look of extreme displeasure crossed Patrick’s face. Seeing this, the Blue Dragon spoke urgently.
“Even so, three months? You’re telling me to just sit around here for three months, drinking and loafing—actually, that sounds okay.”
“No, no. I’m a busy man. If that’s the case, I’m going home. You guys can come find me in three months.”
As Patrick made a move to leave, the Four Calamities frantically stopped him.
From their perspective, Patrick was the Prophesied Human they had long awaited—the one they had staked their destiny on to liberate them. They couldn't just let such a person wander around recklessly.
“Ugh…. I’m busy, though.”
“A favor? For me?”
“For free?”
“I mean, hunting down the Heavenly Demon is something I’d do anyway as a righteous(?) hero of the Jianghu, so let’s count that as a given.”
“But this favor is unrelated to that, isn't it? You’re just going to ask for a favor when there’s no profit in it for me?”
“Tsk, tsk. How can a person(?) be like that?”
Hearing Patrick’s words, the Four Calamities all had the same thought.
What kind of human is this?
Indeed. Regardless of whether he was the Prophesied Human or not, it was only natural to feel that way. Eventually, faced with Patrick’s attitude that unpaid labor was absolutely out of the question, the Blue Dragon spoke.
“Well, obviously.”
Patrick grinned.
“Oh, and for the record, acting all high and mighty while offering a measly amount of money is the nineteenth thing I hate most in the world. You wouldn't do that, would you? Hmm?”
The Blue Dragon let out a deep sigh and continued.
“…Everything? You mean….”
“…….”
“…….”
“Oh my, why even ask? What do you need me to do?”
Patrick clasped his hands together and gave a silly, beaming smile. The Blue Dragon, who had initiated the conversation, was actually the one taken aback by Patrick’s sudden character shift from a thug to a sycophant.
“What is this favor you speak of? Just leave it to me. I, Patrick Schneider, will serve you with all my heart and soul, sparing no effort!”
Seeing Patrick’s eyes practically turn into gold coins was unsettling. However….
There is no one else to entrust this to but this man.
“Huh? A child? Are you married?”
“Hmmmm….”
“Well, alright. Leading people onto the right path happens to be my specialty.”
The Blue Dragon didn't believe him for a second. Regardless, Patrick nodded and asked.
“So? Where is this kid I’m supposed to teach?”
“I will guide you.”
The Blue Dragon then moved somewhere with Patrick.
They passed the volcanic region where Patrick had first met the Blue Dragon and reached a slightly more distant, rocky mountain area. This was a place the Blue Dragon had recently declared a forbidden zone. He had personally issued orders to ensure no being could approach.
And what he showed Patrick after bringing him there was….
There, a woman was swinging a massive longsword.
Dressed simply in leather trousers and a white shirt, her black hair tied back tightly momentarily reminded him of Isabella. However, upon closer inspection, her physique was much larger. She was significantly taller than the average woman, with impressively long, lithe limbs.
Despite her great height, her body was perfectly balanced. This woman was swinging a sword that was even larger than herself.
She has natural talent.
Based on her skeletal structure alone, she had the optimal physique for mastering martial arts. Curious, Patrick asked the Blue Dragon.
“Who is that lady?”
The Blue Dragon then called out her name.
“Uncle?”
Had she been so focused on the sword that she hadn't noticed anyone approaching? Only now did she turn her head, allowing Patrick to see her face.
She’s a peerless beauty, just like my wife.
Beauties were always welcome. Certainly more so than a bunch of crusty men.
She called the Blue Dragon "Uncle" and approached to give a polite bow. Then….
“Who is the person beside you?”
“……!”
Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. It seemed she knew exactly what the Prophesied Human represented.
“Then…. this person will face the Outer God…”
At that, she immediately knelt before Patrick, bowing her head.
“I greet the Great One. I am Persona, daughter of Arcana.”
“Uh, yeah. That’s a bit much, so lift your head.”
Wait. Whose daughter did she say she was? That name sounded familiar.
“Ah?! Arcana.”
Patrick was notoriously bad at remembering names, but he managed to remember this one. After all, it was the catalyst for him making a name for himself on this continent.
“Sword Dragon Arcana?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“Then, young lady, your identity is perhaps…?”
The Blue Dragon answered in Patrick’s stead. He then let out a low lament.
“…….”
Patrick scratched his head and spoke.
“I… think I should hear the details of that story.”
It seemed like something he needed to listen to. The Blue Dragon sighed and began to speak. He explained the tragedy that had recently occurred among the dragon race—how the Dark Mages had invaded the dragons' secluded strongholds and how most of the dragons had been slaughtered there.
“…I see. The stories all connect.”
After hearing the full context, Patrick nodded. According to the story, the time the Dark Mages waged war against the dragons coincided with the time Patrick had entered the Holy Kingdom. That explained why the Dark Mages had left the Holy Kingdom in such large numbers back then. They had committed all their forces to the war against the dragons.
The timing happened to overlap.
He felt like he finally knew the truth.
“But the dragons lost to the Dark Mages?”
“Does that even make sense? The Dark Mages are fairly strong, sure, but these are dragons we’re talking about.”
The strongest race in the Middle World. The guardians created by God. That was what dragons were. Yet, not just one or two, but nearly the entire race had been wiped out.
Does that make sense?
Patrick had fought the Dark Mages himself. Their power was formidable, but they weren't at that level of strength. The Blue Dragon answered Patrick’s doubt.
“What does that mean?”
“And?”
“…….”
Indeed, the story matched up again.
Come to think of it, the most popular theory in history was that the dragons vanished after exhausting their strength in the war against the Demon Clan.
It was something he had heard during the liberal arts lessons Butler Lawrence gave him when he was a child.
“What are those?”
“Ah….”
He realized it immediately. The Plum Blossom Swordsman who had appeared when he killed the Dark Mage named Rust. At that time, the man had said his last memory was being defeated by the Heavenly Demon just before his death.
So there are more like him.
“How many of those Outer God’s familiars were there?”
“There were three.”
It was Persona, who had been listening quietly beside them, who answered Patrick’s question.
“What were their characteristics?”
“Well… one used a sword, and another used a single-edged, oddly shaped weapon. The other didn't use a weapon, but he was bald and….”
Persona explained the combat situation at the time in as much detail as possible. After hearing the full explanation, Patrick pressed his hand to his forehead as if he had a headache.
“Wudang, Peng Family, and Shaolin?”
A sigh escaped him involuntarily. If those three were at a similar level to the Plum Blossom Swordsman he had fought before, they were at least in the Profound Realm. If there were three such people….
This is going to be a pain.
Just thinking about it was stifling. Then Persona spoke to Patrick.
“My father was defeated while fighting one of those Outer God’s familiars one-on-one.”
“Which one? Sword? Blade? Bare hands?”
“It was the swordsman.”
“Wudang, then.”
In a sense, the most troublesome opponent. The Wudang’s sword style was "Softness Overcomes Hardness." Those who didn't understand that principle and didn't know the counter-methods would end up destroying themselves by trying to push through with raw power.
Then the Blue Dragon spoke.
“……”
The Blue Dragon spoke as he drifted into old memories. Originally, dragons were a long-lived race that lived for over ten thousand years with great power. When living for such a long time, it was natural to develop various hobbies. Some devoted themselves to art, others sought to satisfy their thirst for knowledge, and some even enjoyed unique hobbies like cooking or gardening.
And Arcana was a dragon obsessed with the sword.
[Hey, Blue Dragon. Tell me more about what we were talking about before.]
-
[Reign of Terror is too long. Anyway, tell me more about this place called the Jianghu.]
The reason he became obsessed with the sword was actually his friendship with the Blue Dragon. While listening to stories about the world the Blue Dragon came from out of curiosity, he became deeply interested in the Jianghu and the Martial World.
[Ho…. You can build divinity through martial arts and ascend to a Divine Rank? Is such a thing truly possible?]
[Splendid. A Sword Immortal… Hmm….]
And from some point on, he became obsessed with the sword and began training. Then, after hearing about the internal energy methods of the Jianghu….
[Accumulating mana in the body through breathing to create an energy organ like a Dragon Heart…. It might be possible if I research it well.]
It was a reckless challenge attempted with only the knowledge that "such a thing exists," without even basic knowledge of meditation. Fortunately, as a dragon with nothing but time, he was able to create a method to accumulate aura in his body through various trials.
Having thus become the first in the world to create Aura Blessing, he realized there were limits to researching alone….
[From now on, you all shall be the disciples of me, Sword Dragon Arcana.]
He took in humans as disciples to research Aura Blessing in more diverse ways. That was how the legend of Sword Dragon Arcana, the object of reverence for all swordsmen, began to spread.
“…….”
The Blue Dragon’s face showed unhidden pride for his friend. Then, Persona, who had been listening, spoke in a determined tone.
“I will surely avenge my father.”
What showed on her face was fighting spirit and resolve. The Blue Dragon looked at Persona with pride and then spoke to Patrick.
“…….”
“…….”
At the Blue Dragon’s words, Patrick let out a deep sigh. The words themselves were correct. Yes, they were right. But….
“Hey, young lady. What did you say your name was again?”
“I am Persona, daughter of Arcana and the one who holds the position of Lord leading the current dragon race.”
“Right. I’m Patrick Schneider.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”
“Yeah. Persona, let me ask you one thing.”
“Please speak, Prophesied Human.”
“How long has it been since you picked up a sword?”
“…….”
At that, Persona hesitated, faltering. Her father was called the Sword Dragon and was a powerhouse who had achieved a high realm not just as a dragon but as a swordsman. But his daughter….
“It has been… two months now.”
She had lived a life that had very little to do with the sword. In the first place, her father hadn't forced the sword upon her, and she hadn't been interested.
I figured as much.
He could tell at a glance just by the way she had been swinging the sword earlier. The clumsiness unique to a beginner was evident here and there.
“You’ve never learned from anyone, have you?”
“There was… no one to teach me.”
She had just been swinging the sword on her own, self-taught. While the physical strength of a complete novice swinging a heavy two-handed sword was impressive, since when did being strong make someone a master?
Her frame is good, but….
Patrick let out a sigh.
“The sword is something that requires time. Even if you train hard starting now, there’s no telling how long it will take for you to become strong enough to be useful in a battle against the Dark Mages.”
“…….”
“Wouldn't it be better to fight as a dragon instead?”
Patrick made a proposal that was rationally correct. Even if the dragons had declined, manifesting in a massive true form to fight would be stronger than clumsy swordplay in a human body. However….
“I cannot defeat them that way.”
“…….”
“With no telling when God will be resurrected, our race’s power has become too weak.”
“…….”
“As the Lord who must protect the race right now, I need power. Like my father.”
“…….”
“So I also….”
“Ah, I get it. I understand the circumstances, but….”
He understood her desire to train with the sword to gain another power now that her power as a dragon had declined. In the past, elves had also trained in aura as a power to replace spirits. Yes, he understood. He did, but….
“If one could become strong in a day or two, who would ever struggle?”
“…….”
At Patrick’s words, Persona’s face also flushed. She knew it too. But there was no other way, was there? Then the Blue Dragon spoke.
“So what?”
“…….”
At the Blue Dragon’s earnest request, Patrick let out a sigh and spoke.
“Well, if it’s just the basics….”
And so, Patrick tentatively accepted.