The Shadow of the Red Dragon
Mikhail, the escort knight, had witnessed the scene unfolding in front of him.
Luke, cradled in his mother’s embrace, was being hugged closely. “What? Are you afraid?” Mikhail thought. “I should reassure the young master.” He adjusted his shoulders slightly and spoke to Luke, the very picture of a knight. “Master Luke, you need not fear with me as your escort.”
Mikhail tapped his own chest, trying to calm Luke with his words.
At those words, Luke nodded, but in his mind he wondered.
“Why is he like this?”
Leaving Mikhail beaming with pride aside, Luke sank back into his own thoughts.
“Stygna…”
The slum fortress of Stygna.
As previously mentioned, it was the trash can of the Repelheim Empire, the most backward nation on the continent, a symbol of its failure. Situated near the imperial capital, this was known as the empire’s worst city. It was a den of every kind of crime, a place where countless criminals converged. It was terrifyingly dangerous, yet it was also a neighborhood Luke, a high-ranking noble in the past, knew all too well. He had frequently visited, poking around whenever he had free time.
And above all else, an important figure existed here.
“…Among the Eight Talents, one of them is here.”
The genius who would later be called the Calamity of the Single Sword, once known as the Grass-Clothes Tongue Sword. Nia.
The mission he was on required bringing her along. That was Luke’s purpose.
“In the beginning of the game, she had already lost everything and been taken by the evil god, becoming a calamity. But now this is the world before the game began. Therefore, she can still be saved.”
Only Luke knew her potential. Her talent was none other than…
Sword Debate. And the radiant martial skill that supported it. With nothing but her tongue, she had broken the Empire’s top swordswoman. She had been called the First Sword of Sword Debate, and if she had been given a weapon, she would have been the empire’s greatest swordsman, the one who had slain even that legendary figure.
Luke intended to bring her back with him.
If he nurtured the talent of one of the Eight Talents, she would shine in seven years’ time, when the Serverki family faced its fall.
But to claim her, there was still one task.
“…I must defeat that woman who was so good with words…”
Luke’s worries deepened.
***
The slum fortress of Stygna lay near the capital Bertona.
As they approached the entrance of Stygna, the carriage belonging to Luke and Mikhail finally halted at the transitional town of Molton.
“Master Luke, Stygna is an extremely dangerous place, so the carriage cannot proceed further. We must walk from Molton.”
“I understand. Mikhail.”
“Haha, feel free to speak comfortably. Call me Mikhail in casual speech.”
“…Understood. Mikhail. Then let’s walk slowly from Molton.”
“Very well. As you command.”
Flipping his short blond hair, Mikhail stepped down from the carriage, offered Luke his hand, and helped him down.
Luke looked around once he had left the carriage.
Molton was not quite a city and not quite a village—its development was ambiguous at best. Surprisingly, this town had very few poor or criminal incidents. Why? Because the black hole of Stygna drew every criminal away.
If one were to compare Stygna to a city in the real world, it was like the war-torn regions of Africa or the piracy-infested waters of Somalia. If that place were mountains, countless bandits would swarm; if the sea, countless pirates. Stygna was exactly that.
Despite being a slum city near the capital, it endured because it served the same purpose as a garbage dump. The twisted worldview of both the ruling class and the ruled class of the empire: it was better to gather all the empire’s garbage in one place.
That was Stygna.
Luke walked the road with only one escort, Mikhail.
Far in the distance loomed a colossal, fortress-like city—precisely the Kowloon Walled City from the real world. That was Stygna.
“…There it is.”
While Luke narrowed his eyes to gaze at Stygna, Mikhail spoke.
“Master Luke, do you know anything about Stygna?”
“…I know it’s a place where every kind of criminal, exile, and beggar gathers.”
Luke nodded at Mikhail’s confirmation.
“That is correct. Stygna is the slum fortress. But did you know? Despite being the gathering place of countless crimes, the crime rate there isn’t as dire as one might expect.”
“…Really?”
Upon reflection, it did make sense.
It was a place of rampant crime syndicates, yet the poor somehow maintained their own ecosystem.
“That’s right. Master Luke. The truth is, there the criminals are roughly balanced. If they clash, it would explode, right? Bam!”
“Indeed.”
“So they each claim their own territory and maintain order. That is why the poor can still survive there. They engage in various livelihoods and commerce, apparently.”
“Hmm. I see. They only provoke each other at their own expense, so they stick to their territories and live within them?”
“Precisely, Master Luke. Therefore, we only need to move back and forth within the appropriate territories and deliver the goods.”
“Hmm. That makes sense.”
Even as he spoke, Luke felt a question forming.
What could the Serverki ducal family possibly be delivering in a place like this?
Luke touched the wooden box in his pocket, then dismissed the thought.
“If necessary, I can inspect the recipient first. I’ll look into it then.”
As he walked, already planning for the events to come, the two reached the entrance of Stygna.
***
No checkpoints existed in cities like Stygna.
The slum fortress only had rough-looking men glaring at passersby, watching them.
No one inspected goods or extorted tolls. Luke recalled the customs of Stygna.
Because the people who passed through Stygna were too poor or too vicious to collect money, and to prevent incidents, the local powers had stationed their own people to patrol. That was why Luke and Mikhail could pass without worry.
The two, dressed somewhat plainly, began to slip through the crowd.
A few men clicked their tongues at Luke’s refined appearance, but upon seeing Mikhail’s gaze, they immediately lowered their heads.
Mikhail’s subtle pressure had done its job.
As their eyes met in warning, the two had already passed the entrance and entered Stygna’s interior.
“Master Luke, keep a close eye on your belongings.”
Mikhail muttered while gazing at the rundown, neon-lit buildings of Stygna.
“This place can be picked clean at any moment. There are far too many strange people. Stay glued to my back. If you slip up, you might lose your head before even mentioning the name Serverki.”
With Mikhail’s warning, the two walked deeper into Stygna’s fortress.
***
The basic appearance of Stygna was impossible to describe—a forest of buildings stretching toward the sky. Were they built with magic? Or did some incomprehensible principle apply? Luke could not tell. Stygna had always existed in the shadow of the empire’s darkness. It was the repulsive trash can of the shining Repelheim Empire.
“…”
Luke walked in silence.
Luke knew where the delivery was to be made, and Mikhail knew as well, so Mikhail led the way while Luke followed.
As he walked, Luke scanned his surroundings constantly.
People moved around them occasionally. Each with their own purpose. Yet Luke felt an immediate sense of unease.
“They are watching us.”
Among the crowd in the scenery, their gazes occasionally swept over Luke and Mikhail. The looks were subtle, as if they had done this many times before.
“In the game, if one slept here, the game would end right there. Displaying the tragic death of the character…”
Thinking that such a dangerous city was before his very eyes made Luke’s spine chill, but he continued walking.
During that time, Mikhail spoke casually.
“Master Luke, did you know that?”
“…I don’t know how many times I’ve heard you say ‘did you know that?’ Mikhail.”
“Haha. Well, these are words that turn flesh and blood. Anyway, Master Luke. Do you know that Stygna has Nine Dragons?”
“I know. It means the nine bosses who rule Stygna.”
“That is correct. At this moment, those Nine Dragons are probably all watching us. Your appearance must be concealed well. Everyone likely knows that the youngest young master of the Serverki family has come.”
“…We might actually come out unscathed. If all nine bosses are watching, no one will dare act rashly.”
“That is correct, Master Luke. Though I doubt it will happen, if a specific boss kidnapped you, the others would consider it an opportunity to move in. Then they would contact the Serverki family claiming to have rescued you. Perhaps the Nine Heads are secretly hoping someone else will make the first move. They would eliminate the rival power and put the Serverki family in debt—two gains at once.”
Even in this gutter, there existed strange alliances.
Facing that fact calmly, Luke asked Mikhail.
“Mikhail. Then which Dragon’s territory are we in right now?”
“This area… belongs to One-Armed Jack.”
“…One-Armed?”
“The man whose right arm was cut off. What’s even weirder is that he fights with a sword in his severed right arm. His skill is outstanding; he was once a knight or mercenary. His swordsmanship is so fierce that he has claimed one of the Dragon heads in Stygna.”
One-Armed Jack.
Luke knew of him as well. His swordsmanship was formidable, and he fought like a madman. He was a boss with a tragic backstory.
At that moment, a new fact surfaced alongside the name One-Armed Jack.
“If we are in One-Armed Jack’s territory… then she is here.”
The instant Luke thought of someone, a figure began running toward them from afar.
A small girl, around eight years old, passed beside Luke.
Clink!
Luke immediately grabbed her wrist.
“Waaaaaaaah!!!”
“Stop pretending. If I held you properly, your bones would have been crushed.”
She looked about eight. In her left hand was the gold-coin pouch Luke had been carrying.
“H-how? We didn’t even bump into anyone!”
“Luck. Pure luck.”
Luke took the gold-coin pouch from the little girl’s hand and placed it in his own.
Then he smiled.
“From what I know, the youngest member of the Riana Family has a peculiar innate ability. Judging by her face, she must be that little one.”
The Riana Family.
A group of five slum orphans. And among them was the one Luke sought.
The Calamity of the Single Sword, Nia. The First Sword of Sword Debate, the legendary genius who would one day defeat the empire’s top swordswoman with nothing but her tongue. She was connected to this family.
Therefore, Luke naturally had to find her.
“Little one, lead the way. I need to see your leader and that girl named Nia.”
“Eh?! H-how do you know Nia…!”
“Luck. Mikhail, let’s go.”
“Eh? Master Luke? Oh, I see. I will protect you.”
The moment the three stepped forward with Luke at the front.
“Tsk. Bana, didn’t I tell you to watch your hands?”
“Oh my. It’s Riana’s youngest.”
A group of rough-looking men emerged from between the buildings of Stygna.
Soon they surrounded Luke and Mikhail. The leader, who appeared to be in charge, waved his hand casually.
“Leave the kid here and get lost. We don’t want to get involved with you lot.”
“…That would be difficult. I have someone I need to meet through this child.”
“Hmm. Then we have a problem too. Blood is needed, isn’t it?”
The leader licked his lips, as if ready to draw his sword at any moment.
Clack.
Luke drew his sword first.
“Waaaaaaaaah! Uncle!”
He pressed the blade against the neck of the pickpocket Bana.
“See? The situation is already a bit interesting now.”
Still holding the blade to Bana’s neck, Luke smiled.
“First, let me ask you this. Take me right now to the place where Nia is.”
Mikhail, watching the bold action, unconsciously touched his forehead.
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