Chapter 176
Chapter 176
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 176
Chapter Title: What Did I Do? (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Uwawaaaaah!”
“Hero, hurray!”
“Please defeat the evil dragon!”
The entire populace of the capital was cheering for the hero.
The hard work of spreading money around and planting rumors was paying off.
The moment we arrived at the royal castle, what I did was simple.
Create a one-on-one matchup between the hero and the dragon!
No matter how many people you bring, it just means more soldiers to protect.
So, elite few—no, actually, set it up so it’s a pure one-on-one duel between the hero and the dragon.
We worked hard to shape public opinion that way, and thanks to my rumors, the hero’s abilities were hyped up so much that calling him the greatest hero in history wouldn’t even sound off.
We invested money here and there, spreading those rumors beyond the castle to the entire kingdom.
As a result, the royal family, nobles, and commoners alike had no doubts about the hero’s power!
Of course, there were skeptics, but in a kingdom with no swordmasters and only one great mage, no one could voice doubts about the hero.
Through countless groundwork and some political tightrope walking, we pushed until no reasonable doubts could be raised!
In less than ten days, the dragon raid party was complete.
“Is this really okay……?”
The middle-aged man sitting beside me sighed softly.
Yukellis, the kingdom’s strongest, the great mage.
“I told you, even a crowd would melt under one breath attack.”
“Yes……”
He was the great mage, called this kingdom’s mightiest man.
This man, guardian of the Nayden royal family, had seen it with his own eyes.
The evil dragon Arketai, flying freely over the capital, toying with everyone in Nayden Kingdom.
The castle walls that had stood for centuries melting pathetically under a single dragon breath!
So, of course he was scared. That was the normal reaction.
“The hero dispatched by the God of Nature to save this kingdom. Have faith.”
“It seems I spoke out of turn. My apologies.”
He bowed his head slightly, reflecting on his words.
An enemy at peak morale was already hard to beat.
In that situation, lowering allied morale was something you absolutely shouldn’t do.
For a commander-level noble like him to do it and immediately self-reflect like this—it wasn’t very aristocratic.
“There it is. That’s the lair of the evil dragon Arketai!”
To scout that place, I got kingdom support and hired people.
A cave that anyone could see was artificially made.
That was the evil dragon Arketai’s lair!
“That’s a dragon’s lair…….”
“Gulp.”
Every one of the hundred or so prepared for the operation swallowed dryly.
Dragons.
The strongest creatures on land.
Their immense power was so great it didn’t even need divine aid.
The only race among all living beings on the continent that didn’t believe in gods, except the Creator!
The only exception: dragons acknowledged the Goddess of Compassion and Devotion, who alone sacrificed herself to save the world from the Evil God.
A battle with such dragons was now upon us.
Nayden Kingdom, one of the northern kingdoms made up mostly of weak nations after the great war.
How much pressure did these people, mostly lacking real combat experience, feel fighting a dragon?
“Just follow the plan. We’ll focus solely on supporting and assisting the hero.”
“Yes!”
“Understood, Sage!”
“Ahem!”
The hero cleared his throat loudly, but ignore him.
What was needed now was morale for the soldiers to play their gear roles in the plan.
To ease the pressure, sell out the hero.
You guys won’t have to fight anyway. The hero will handle it all!
- Of course, the moment the hero loses, you’ll have to fight for your lives?
- That’s why we brought them.
Of course, they were more likely to just die than fight desperately, but it was fate—they had to fight anyway.
The king could sacrifice the princess for the greater good.
But even if the dragon kidnapped her because of her famed beauty, how long would that last?
He’d get bored quick and demand something else from the kingdom.
Better to bet everything on that one ray of hope called the hero than get stripped bare bit by bit until the kingdom withers!
“Alright, let’s execute the plan!”
“We’re counting on you, Hero!”
“Please!”
“Ah, got it.”
“Hero…….”
The hero nodded awkwardly amid the cheers from knights and soldiers.
Only Hill Shuttle, the saint of the same church and Hill’s superior, looked at the hero with pity.
Who told you to pick a troublesome job like hero?
That’s just what heroes are?
The ultimate pushover job that can’t say no to requests!
And the pay? Barely anything!
Even if he slays this evil dragon, the corpse won’t go into the hero’s pocket—the kingdom will swallow it.
At best, a massive “donation” to the Church of Nature?
Sure, the hero could get church support funds, but those come from local branches, not headquarters, so it’s a pittance.
Just enough for the hero party to cover food and inn stays.
Where else do you find such a top-tier sucker!
From this angle, the gods seem more evil than Howling’s boss back when it was an evil organization.
- The gods must feel super wronged right now.
- They don’t even know what I’m thinking, right?
There was a time I couldn’t badmouth gods carelessly.
Not anymore.
Now, I believe in neither gods nor demons!
Or more precisely, I’ve realized they’re no help to me!
So, if I can just ship off that damn hero and his party far away, I can get back to a comfy life with the young lady!
“Preparations complete!”
“Good, then……!”
As my resolve hardened, word came that everything was ready.
Alright, time to kick off the dragon raid!
“Go, Batmon!”
“Ar! Ar!”
The iron bat that had smacked gods, demons, and even hatchlings was heading into the lair to thwack a great dragon.
#6 Their Circumstances: The Circumstances of a Certain Evil Dragon
Day after day.
Pointless time passing.
Such meaningless days piled up, and the dragon grew slothful.
Not all dragons, of course.
Some obsessed over gold, others over knowledge, some over hobbies.
But those were mere pastimes.
Even a dragon talentless at smithing—after 1 year, 10, 100, 1,000 years of melting ore and hammering iron—would effortlessly surpass the dwarves hailed as master smiths.
Things they once devoted everything to.
Once they reached the end, even the least slothful dragons grew lazy.
I was an elder among them, a great dragon.
A being who had lived 20,000 years.
But death never approached.
Close my eyes, and memories flood back—events humans call ancient history from a millennium ago!
Yet here I still was, perfectly fine!
How boring was that?
So, I sought death.
I broke clan law, became an evil dragon, and acted as I pleased.
Only fellow dragons could end my near-immortal life!
I honestly expected it.
I believed the many clanmates sunk in the same deadly sloth would risk their lives to stop me.
I anticipated battle with a clan that danced between life and death!
But the clan just watched.
Choosing to live meaningless lives sleeping away!
How pointless a dragon life!
What does the strongest race, fearing no gods, even do?
Spending most of it in sloth and sleep!
So, I decided to bet my dragon life’s end on humans.
The lowest tier by lifespan and power, yet occasionally birthing heroes who slay even our kind.
Living across most of the continent except the demon continent, with unmatched vitality anywhere!
Only they could cure my ennui, I thought.
But humans are among the weakest races.
They usually yield to a dragon’s overwhelming might rather than fight.
What could make humans challenge me?
After endless pondering, I gathered intel in human guise and heard a rumor.
About the beauty of Nayden Kingdom’s princess, Vera Rick Nayden!
A stunning beauty with snow-white skin, fitting a northern kingdom!
Slender yet spirited, her looks and personality made her the north’s top beauty—no exaggeration!
Hearing that, old memories surfaced: tales of humans fighting dragons.
‘One of Red Clan’s kids died by human hands, I heard.’
‘Disgrace to the clan.’
‘Died fighting arrogant humans at just 1,700 years old.’
‘What? 1,700? We just let a kid that young die?’
‘He kidnapped the princess first, so we couldn’t intervene.’
‘Hm…… He struck first…… Clan has its pacts.’
‘If gods move, even we get annoyed.’
‘Arrogant horde, huh. Pretty big turnout. Don’t humans all have similar-sized armies now? What nation could mobilize that?’
‘Oh, not regular troops—irregulars who gathered.’
‘Possible?’
‘Princess was a beauty, they said. King offered her as prize. Savior from the wicked evil dragon becomes her husband!’
‘Kya, rallying a dragon-slaying force on looks alone. Impressive.’
Yes…… A princess!
A beautiful one!
Snatch her, and humans would swarm like bees!
Evil dragon kidnaps beauty; heroes risk lives to save her!
Through bloody clashes, the hero claims glory atop my corpse!
How many would come for my head?
How many would fall to my power?
And which hero would stand victorious amid the slaughter!
Just imagining it thrilled me.
The ultimate thrill in this meaningless dragon life!
Time was plentiful anyway.
It wouldn’t end this life.
10 years, 100, 1,000!
Eternal for humans, but not for me.
So, I notified Nayden Kingdom to prepare my slayers.
But when I returned, they were pathetically weak.
Did they underestimate my warning?
I upped it: kidnapped the princess for real.
Left a maid I brought to relay my intent on a mountain path—soon, rumors would spread.
[Beautiful princess taken by evil dragon!]
Now, heroes true and false would charge for the beauty.
I cast sleep magic on her and dozed awaiting the day.
Lair warded with spells—I’d sense any intruders.
Thus, sleeping in my makeshift lair……
“Kuwaaaaaaaaagh!”
Agony jolted my hazy mind awake.
“Gaaahhhhh!”
A scream escaped.
Me, born the strongest race on earth, dragon—never screamed before!
“Gaaaahhhnng!”
Tears welled.
I panicked.
Tears? Like from yawning?
Humans’ tales of pain-bringing tears were true……
“Gueeeehhh!”
It hurts. Hurts. Hurts. Hurts!
Screaming and wailing from nonstop pain.
End this torment!
Where? Who dares inflict this?!
“There!”
I sensed a mana pulse.
Only living thing here: the princess.
The culprit probably teleported away.
“I’ll rip you apart!”
Better death than this pain!
I’ll tear this wicked human myself, burn their kingdom to deny even rats survival!
“You?!”
Tracking teleport residue, I found one human.
A small one with golden hair. I glared, roaring hate.
“Die!”
Hearing that, the wicked human looked utterly wronged and said,
“I-It wasn’t me……”
He truly seemed innocent.