Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Dragonkin Hunt
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" Hunting, you say?"
The war had only just ended, and now suddenly a hunt? I tilt my glasses up slightly, puzzled.
"From what I know, the orcs have wiped out the surrounding beasts and magical creatures. If the North is short on food, it would be more efficient to contact the merchant caravans that will arrive soon."
"You're such an efficiency nut."
"Efficiency... nut?"
"No, that's not it. It's not about food shortages. There's another reason."
"What is it?"
"I want to hunt down the magical beasts that could become future threats. If left alone, they'd cause headaches for the North. Interested?"
"If you're telling."
But his demeanor showed little interest. It was just a magical beast, after all.
That was his level of reaction.
It was the attitude of someone making an effort to listen because Kallias was the eldest son of House Jerban and officially designated as the heir.
Kallias twisted the corner of his mouth and tossed out a topic that would change his impassive expression.
"Ever heard of dragonkin blood?"
"Dragonkin blood!"
Raiven's face changed dramatically.
Dragonkin blood (龍芽血).
Descendants with dragon blood flowing through their veins.
We collectively call humans or beasts mixed with dragon blood "dragonkin."
"The hallmark of dragonkin with dragon blood is their ferocity and savagery."
And they are incredibly powerful. Just having a trace of dragon blood makes them so.
These creatures grow into threats that endanger villages or even entire nations.
"But they fetch a high price."
Dragonkin are worth money, proportional to the danger.
Even if mixed, it's dragon blood.
Horns or claws bearing traces of dragon heritage.
Or skin or eyes.
Byproducts tainted with dragon essence are rare and hard to obtain, even for those with deep pockets—harder than plucking stars from the sky.
Countless people would pay fortunes for them.
So naturally.
"Now you're interested?"
"Of course. If the prey is dragonkin, that's a different story."
Even a Heretic Inquisitor doubting him couldn't resist.
Raiven, pushing up his glasses, immediately summoned the other captains.
"A hunt? Suddenly, you say?"
"We're not that free..."
The summoned captains grumbled at first but lit up at Kallias's follow-up words.
Dragonkin. Thunder wyrm dragon.
Not yet fully grown adult.
Their eyes changed at these details.
"I love it! No, sounds good! Let's go! Right now even! The carcass ritual's been so boring, I've been bored out of my mind for a whole month!"
It was a place lacking entertainment to begin with.
Third Company Captain.
Orkal's excitement was understandable.
"Let's go quick!"
He stomped his feet like a child, urging them on innocently.
"Are you sure? Dragonkin aren't pushovers. They could hide or flee, so without solid intel, it's a waste of time."
Sixth Company Captain.
Druma started with skepticism.
"The intel is solid."
A quest had appeared, after all.
"I can't reveal the source. But if you doubt it that much, just stay here. Right?"
"Yeah, Druma, you stay! Me, Raiven, and Sir Kallias can go without you."
"If you're that confident, I'll trust you this once."
Quick to pivot.
Silent Druma.
Kallias nearly laughed at the switch from his reputation.
"The orc carcass ritual finishes in a month. The sooner we prepare for the hunt, the better."
"We could go right now."
"We'll prepare thoroughly. A thunder wyrm dragon isn't easy prey, and I want to go in fully ready."
However.
"If you want to head out now, I won't stop you. First to find and kill it keeps the full share. I need to prepare, so I'll depart in three days. Go as you please. Destination's the same anyway."
"So, where's the thunder wyrm dragon?"
"There's a forest pretty far even from the northern areas the orcs swept through."
The North has three famous forests.
One is the White Forest beyond the border.
Then the Sinking Forest, which had given even Kallias trouble.
Finally, a forest not large in size but the darkest and most ominous.
"The Black Forest."
That's where it is.
* * *
While Kallias prepared for the hunt.
Elverton flinched at Nohtel's report.
"The Judgment Sword, you say?"
"Yes."
"Of all swords, that one."
"Yes. He said my guidance wasn't needed at all and picked that sword."
Nohtel empathized with Elverton's uneasy expression.
Because that sword's history wasn't exactly pristine.
"Any changes in Kallias? Like growing suspicious?"
"None yet."
Elverton, leaning back deeply in his chair, recalled documents passed only to family heads, furrowing his brow.
"Mida... a fine woman she was. But her death was by betrayal. Not the most honorable end. I'm worried her lingering grudge in the sword might harm Kallias. Of all things, he takes the one I feared most."
That's why he'd assigned Nohtel to guide him.
Who'd have thought he'd refuse.
Foolish, or perhaps he had other plans... No way to know.
But it was done. Irreversible.
If he'd chosen it, then that was fate.
"The boy will learn why spirit swords are spirit swords. This chance will teach him well."
* * *
A cave inscribed with strange runes.
A place where thick divine power glimmered faintly, swirling in ecstasy.
Patalite's sanctuary.
There, Kallias sat calmly, holding the sword with both hands.
One hand on the blade.
One on the hilt, breathing in the pure divine power rippling around him.
[Judgment Sword - Mida]
Grade - Spirit
Indwelling Soul - Mida von Jerban
Unique Ability - Discernment of Lies
Ninth head of House Jerban.
Mida von Jerban.
A great knight who heralded the North's prosperity in a woman's body, lord of the North.
After death, she became a sword rivaling her beauty. A blade of transparent material, indescribable.
Yet its edge could slice through steel like butter, and its blade wouldn't break even struck against rock.
But now.
Kyaaaaaaaah!
That beautiful sword screamed endlessly.
"The price for daring to toy with me."
A few days ago.
The woman central to the Judgment Sword.
Mida von Jerban's consciousness kept invading Kallias's mind.
It wasn't too bothersome.
Just her grudge-filled emotions or fragmented memories seeping into his dreams.
Swords long as carcasses accumulate lingering thoughts.
Spirit swords even more so.
'The intent of a spirit sword.'
An awakened soul.
A sword with an awakened soul, by definition.
Normally, using it would let the thoughts burrow deeper, causing torment. But this time, he had the upper hand.
"Purification isn't just a word. The main house leaves them be since the thoughts become the head's own."
Not Kallias.
Kyaaaaaaaah!
A ghostly wail like a banshee's shriek.
A woman's scream echoing through the cave.
Hearing it from the sword made it even more chilling, but now it was over.
Sacred domain.
In Patalite's sanctuary with her statue, no room for foul thoughts.
"Now then."
The nagging thoughts in his head were gone. Mida von Jerban's lingering grudge in the Judgment Sword had vanished.
The soul wasn't gone.
Just the impure energy purified. No worry there.
"Normally takes quite a while... As expected of a sanctuary."
Usually at least a week.
Sometimes years.
But bathing it in pure divine power here melted the latent thoughts away like snow.
"Valterus's Tears will soon sprout seeds too. Smooth sailing. Good."
The Valterus's Tears he'd planted had flowered, borne fruit.
Left alone, they'd drop, germinate, multiply.
Planting Valterus's Tears in Patalite's sanctuary was brilliant.
Just one regret.
"Will take some time."
Time needed for flowers to bloom again. Natural, but without holy water now, it felt uneasy.
Valterus's holy water, with its cheat-like power, was like an extra life.
It had proven useful many times; lacking it now stung.
'After succession as heir, I'll have to leave the North for a while.'
Have to hurry finding a way to refine troll blood.
Tried with the sanctuary's divine power, but failed.
Probably need a skilled holy alchemist.
'The church is in the royal capital.'
Plenty of skilled holy alchemists there.
Or meet Sullivian, Carp's top holy alchemist. Not a bad idea.
"If her lifespan hasn't ended."
No word of Esther meant she lived.
Her death would herald a new holy sword in the kingdom.
"Now, just this one left."
The Judgment Sword had its uses.
For public purposes with clear justification.
Not great for battlefields crossing life and death or skirmishes.
No reason not to use, but no real merit.
Judgment Sword's unique ability: Discernment of Lies.
Other sub-abilities existed, but useless in combat.
So before hunting the thunder wyrm dragon.
Kallias came to the sanctuary.
Purifying the Judgment Sword was incidental.
The real purpose was this.
The burly warrior's corpse before Kallias.
The Orc Warlord's body.
"The carcass ritual's core is the sacrificial flesh. But an essential secondary factor is."
The caster's divine power.
Its purity and effort determine the sword's quality subtly.
'Past northern heads' carcass rituals used church bishops.'
Founding head Kallis von Jerban's was famed: the pope himself prayed over his carcass for a hundred days.
Such influence inevitable; Kallias awaited doing the Orc Warlord's here.
"Not just a great warrior, but a warlord."
Done right, maybe a holy sword?
'Unlikely, of course.'
Spirit sword as baseline.
Even among spirit swords, grades vary.
Realistically, not hoping for holy. Holy requires top-tier influence, potential from sacrifice.
All considered.
Warlord not that level.
But top-tier spirit?
"That's worth expecting."
The one who plunged the North into chaos.
United orc tribes into a legion for invasion.
Its own power nearly master level.
Without Elverton weakening it, Divine Possession Sword, Storm Sword, cheat trait Death-Time Insight, Bernard's sacrifice—unwinnable.
Expectations justified.
"Reverently..."
He calmed his mind to clarity.
His slowly opened ash-gray eyes held no other emotion.
Erasing personal feelings, envisioning turning the warlord's flesh to sword, he called to god desperately.
"O God."
Great God of Swords.
"Here I offer this foolish heretic's flesh to You."
Embrace it in Your bosom.
Let fallen dusk rise as dawn, repent sins. Then it shall nourish Your verdant blade.
"Rise."
New sword of the god.