Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Thunder Wolf Dragon
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Kwajijijijik!!
"Dodge!"
Lightning poured from the beast's entire body.
The radiating blue bolts mercilessly shot out in all directions.
Kwang! Kwang!!
I hurriedly rolled my body, but I felt an indescribable chill on my left arm.
As I quickly twisted away.
Kwajijik! The Thunder Wolf Dragon's claws tore through the empty air.
Kwaang!!
The ground was gouged exactly along the path of its claws, and the trees caught in the enveloping lightning exploded and burst into flames.
Carried several meters by the shockwave, I immediately sprang to my feet.
My blood ran cold. If I'd been even a moment slower, my left arm would have been torn off.
I swiftly drew the Tyrant Sword from my waist.
Kung!
Gravity intensified in a radius around me.
The ground sank in a circle, and I circulated the first, second, and third breaths of the Myriad Transformations Demonic Flesh through my meridians.
I completed my full preparations.
A hushed silence crept over the surroundings.
But the Thunder Wolf Dragon's assault ended unexpectedly anticlimactically.
"It fled."
The beast's presence had vanished.
It had hidden itself long ago.
I released the gravity and scanned the area.
I spotted Brans trembling in the underbrush, and Helena and Alfredo covered in dirt.
"That thing just now... it was, right?"
"Yes. A Thunder Wolf Dragon."
"Whoa, insane. You're going to hunt something like that? You can even catch it?"
Its speed suited the phrase "bolt from the blue"—it was like lightning itself.
The destructive power of its claws swung at such speeds, infused with lightning, was beyond imagination.
Honestly, I hadn't expected this level of strength. Without the trait I recently acquired, 「Instinctive Intuition」, it would have been hard to even detect its ambush.
'I heard it was just a juvenile.'
Bernard, that old man, must have seen wrong.
"We have to catch it."
"Why?"
"If we leave it alone, the damage in the north will only grow. Magical beasts will gather around it."
Leaving it be would breed disaster.
And capturing it would strengthen the lightning in my Thunder Azure Sword.
With the orcs drastically reducing the numbers of other magical beasts, now was the time—there might not be another chance.
'The quest deadline isn't clear either.'
Do it while I can.
It was stronger than expected, but victory wasn't impossible.
"It's overconfident."
Its competitors in the north.
All the notable powerhouses in the north had been wiped out en masse.
With the forest's apex predators gone, it must feel like its own kingdom.
Otherwise, it wouldn't reveal its power so arrogantly.
"Ah! Kallias! It killed a horse and took it! Where'd one go?"
"Probably carried it off."
"So that's why it attacked—to steal our horses."
"My saddle?"
"Huh? Uh... it probably took that too?"
Crunch.
The horse it snatched had Humasis's saddle on it as well. That just gave me one more reason to catch it.
"Arrogant beast..."
Its actions were downright cunning.
"But it's really ferocious. We have to subjugate it, but I didn't expect it to be this savage."
"Probably because someone provoked it."
"Huh? Who?"
"Didn't I mention? There are people who went hunting it before me. Not sure if they're still alive."
"They are."
Speak of the devil.
Raibun emerged from the forest, having pursued the Thunder Wolf Dragon.
His condition wasn't great, though.
"You look rough."
Raibun had clashed with the Thunder Wolf Dragon several times, judging by his wretched state that no one could call "fine."
His trademark glasses were shattered, so he was squinting hard, and his armor was cracked and scorched black by lightning.
"Did you engage it?"
"Twice."
As expected of a captain.
He'd clashed twice and didn't seem to have major injuries.
"How was it?"
Raibun let out a deep sigh.
"First time, I couldn't respond to its ambush and took a bad hit. Second time, we ambushed and waited, but we were the ones who got played. It's a born hunter. It scattered lightning and toyed with us at speeds we couldn't match, without ever properly fighting."
Raibun and his captains had encountered the Thunder Wolf Dragon from day one but couldn't even manage a proper battle.
Whenever a fight seemed underway, it fled, draining their strength before ambushing when they let their guard down—repeating the cycle.
"It's cunning."
"Wolf with dragon blood, after all. And wolves are clever beasts to begin with."
Turning the tables on hunters by playing to its strengths.
Worthy of a quest, indeed.
'And its blue lightning.'
The power of the Thunder Azure couldn't be underestimated.
"Paladin Helena. What brings you here?"
"I had business in the north. Didn't expect to find you here."
Just die already.
Raibun gave an awkward smile at Helena's whisper loud enough for all to hear.
"You two know each other?"
"Long ago, he dug into our family on suspicion."
A Heretic Inquisitor's suspicion leads to interrogation and damage to the family.
For the Volibian Merchant Group, engaged in commerce, it was catastrophic.
"You know how much we lost when families cut ties because of you? My hands and feet still shake thinking about it."
"I was just doing my duty."
"And compensation for those hurt by your bullshit duty?"
"I did offer my own apologies and compensation at the time."
"A few swords and a letter? You don't seriously think that squared it, do you?"
"I..."
"Quiet. Right now, priorities are the Thunder Wolf Dragon, not petty grudges. Save personal talk for later."
Helena scowled, clearly displeased, and turned away sharply.
"Where are you going?"
"You said we need to catch it? I'll scout its position my way."
She patted the twin swords at her waist as she walked off with Alfredo.
Helena's twin swords.
「Whisperdeath Sword - Rosetta」
With her shadows, tracking the Thunder Wolf Dragon wasn't impossible.
"I'll let you know if I find it."
Helena waved at my shadow and vanished into the forest.
"Where are your other captains?"
"Scattered searching. It's so elusive, traveling together wasn't working."
"Could get picked off one by one."
Easy to ambush that way too.
"They trust their skills. If they fall to it... nothing for it but avenge them with the sword."
No camaraderie among them.
Not surprising. Expecting brotherhood from church affiliates was foolish.
All they had was faith in the divine and obsession with the sword.
"Sir Kallias. Or should I say Count Jervan now?"
"Whichever you prefer."
"Count, when you faced the Thunder Wolf Dragon, how was it? Any chance of victory?"
I nodded.
There was a chance.
As expected of dragon blood—it was stronger than anticipated, but the Thunder Wolf Dragon was a fledgling ruler of this land.
Its arrogance pierced the heavens.
The ambush on us just now proved it was drunk on its own power.
Normally, it should have been more cautious.
So, victory was possible.
One odd thing, though.
'It took a horse...'
Taunting me? Unclear.
But what needed doing was clear.
"My sword didn't pierce it. Scales are tough."
"Poison didn't work either?"
"Yes. My poison on its scales..."
Iron Heretic Inquisitor.
Even Akasha the poison-spreader failed.
"I see."
Raibun wouldn't be much help hunting the Thunder Wolf Dragon.
The moment that thought crossed my mind.
As if it were natural, he drew a sword from his waist. With a soft slide of cloth, it revealed a beautiful blade.
Judgment Sword - Mida.
I pressed it to Raibun's throat.
"What is this, Count Jervan?"
"Do you know this sword's name?"
"What does that—"
"It's the Judgment Sword. It judges its target. Answer my questions truthfully—one lie, and you die."
I'd suffered hiding in Trista because of him.
He'd helped since, but my feelings toward him weren't good. That was natural.
Regardless.
If his roots were rotten, I had to kill him—for Carpe, for the church.
"The wrath of the gods doesn't scare you? Making an enemy of the Heretic Inquisition! Of the church!"
"I'm laying the foundation to cut out Carpe's rotten roots."
I infused holy power into the Judgment Sword.
Its faintly glowing tip touched Raibun's throat.
"Raibun. Have you ever been an enemy of the Empire?"
"Not once!"
If he lied, the blade would turn black.
If truth, no change.
I secretly hoped for a lie. Unfortunately, no change.
"Pity."
As I lowered the sword, Raibun scowled and vented his frustration.
"What was that?!"
"Judgment Sword - Mida. Heirloom of House Jervan. It discerns lies. If you'd lied, the blade would blacken, and your head would roll."
Honestly, slim chance anyway.
The Iron Heretic Inquisitor I knew.
Raibun du Vallus was a devout Valterus faithful. But I decided not to blindly trust my knowledge, so I tested.
Result as seen.
"...Rude. But I've heard of the Judgment Sword. Lie detection. Church records mention requesting it from Jervan once."
Oh, that happened?
"Naturally refused."
"Yes..."
No way they'd lend a sword forged to protect Jervan forever.
"Your faith is vouched for by me and the Judgment Sword."
"..."
Raibun's frustration boiled but stayed unspoken.
His title was now count. Heir to the north. And above all.
'He didn't react.'
Until my sword touched his throat.
Exhausted or not, all he could do was tremble.
'Not truly a holy artifact's power?'
Unclear.
Unclear meant I had to take him along.
The one needing church interrogation and faith verification wasn't him—it was Kallias.
"Let's go. I have a rough idea where the Thunder Wolf Dragon is."
"Yes, my lord!"
Watching Kallias enter the Black Forest, Raibun touched his throat.
As his Adam's apple bobbed and he stepped forward.
Kallias's squire ahead.
Brans smirked.
"..."
Raibun narrowed his eyes and gripped his beloved sword, Akasha the poison-spreader.
"I'll take the lead!"
He used Kallias as a shield.
Raibun followed, feeling inexplicable irritation.