[No title provided]
"A banquet against a dragon... You're out of your mind. Don't you ever think about dying? There can't be another human like you."
"That's why you need to stick close. I've set the perfect stage for forging the legend of the Liberation King."
"Liberation King...?"
Karono flashed a wry smile at the title that would one day become his epithet.
"Cut the embarrassing talk."
Whoosh...!
He summoned Garon's flames and followed behind Adel.
"Hup...! At least I'm not one to just grab a spoon at someone else's table."
Pouring strength into his thrusting kick, the ground cratered beneath him. His body exploded forward with unprecedented speed.
Just as I thought. Table Sword and Blazing Flower have good synergy.
Adel nodded as he watched Karono.
In truth, giving Karono Garon's power wasn't just to bolster their numbers for the dragon hunt.
In his previous life, Karono was a skilled warrior but never gained a god's contract due to his destiny as a dragon slayer.
He had mastered sword ki, the secret art of the Sword Tiger's Continental Swordsmanship, marking him as exceptionally talented. Yet without a contracted god, he was sidelined from the final war.
If Karono can fully wield Garon's power...
He would undoubtedly become their finest asset.
"Raaargh!!!"
Karono charged at Shan with all his might. Sword ki surged from his greatsword, merging with Garon's flames to form a massive vortex of fire at the blade's tip.
Splat—!
Whoosh...!
The greatsword plunged into Shan, sending chunks of flesh flying. Garon's infernal blaze scorched the wound.
[Is that all you've got...!]
Shan ignored the encroaching flames and whipped his tail at Karono.
Crack...!
Crunch...!
His tail sliced through the air, whipping up whirlwinds that ravaged nearby buildings.
[You devoured gods, yet this is all you manage, Shan.]
The whirlwinds towered twice the height of buildings—at least 8th-class magic. But even after witnessing dragon spellcraft, Kalderet dismissed it with boredom.
Thwack—!
As if to prove his point, Adel's arrow pierced the vortex, shattering it like a burst balloon.
Grrr...
The surroundings lay in ruins like a bombed-out wasteland, but Adel approached unfazed, strolling toward Shan.
[...You bastard!! This can't be!!]
Shan couldn't believe his magic had failed against a mere human. His mana should have crushed even a god's contractor.
"Shan, you don't know. Or rather, you can't comprehend it. Dragons are the continent's apex predators, but they can never surpass that."
[What...]
"Dragons are mere servants of the gods. They can never exceed them. Which means dragons are innately incapable of wielding divine power."
Crunch—!
Light erupted once more from Adel's Lion Bow. The eerie death qi seemed to herald doom.
"You're right—I'm not yet worthy of Kalderet's blessing. But killing an old dragon like you? The Lion Bow's blessing is more than enough."
Kekeke... Kekeke...
Laughter echoed from somewhere. Shan realized it emanated from the Lion Bow.
"The Lion Bow is an artifact inscribed with a blessing. But if it were just any artifact, the Ulan tribe's vaults would be full of them. It wouldn't be Hien's third treasure."
[I-Impossible... A high god's blessing?!]
"High gods lend their power to only one contractor each. Yet astonishingly, every one of Hien's treasures bears a high god's blessing."
Each artifact was engraved with a high god's power.
Hien has fifteen treasures in total. Wielding them all is akin to commanding fifteen high gods.
That was why the White Ghost dominated the desert.
[Insolent fool...! A human wielding high god power without a contract? Fine, fire away! It'll consume your soul!!]
"We'll see about that."
Adel slowly drew upon divine power. The bow's runes glowed, and its skull motifs began opening their jaws one by one.
"Shan, you know one truth but not the full picture. Devouring gods doesn't grant their power—it's the opposite."
[...What?]
"Worship them and beg for their strength."
Kekeke— Kekeke—! Kekehehehe—!!
As the skull motifs on the bow's grip fully opened, bizarre laughter rang from the weapon.
"Or offer a substitute sacrifice."
Adel addressed Shan.
"I'm offering you as the sacrifice. And it seems the bow likes you."
[You...! You filthy cur...!!]
Boom—!!!
In that instant, an arrow shot from the Lion Bow. It screamed with a piercing wail, trailing wisps of black qi like clinging ghosts.
[...Gah!!!]
Shan spread his massive wings with all his strength. Sensing the arrow's deadly power—even for an ancient dragon—he tried to flee.
[...?!]
But as he beat his wings, his massive body refused to lift. It hovered briefly before tilting backward.
"Where do you think you're going, lizard spawn."
It was Karono. Astonishingly, his Garon-flamed greatsword was embedded in Shan's tail like a stake. His hand gripping the blade was charred black, as if he'd exceeded his limits with divine power.
[Y-You... Damn you!!]
Shan opened his jaws in rage, ready to devour Karono.
Crack—!!!
But before his maw could close, the Lion Bow's arrow pierced the dragon's throat precisely.
[...Gurk!!]
With a death cry, Shan hastily chanted a spell. But the arrow twisted with a will of its own, piercing his throat again.
Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh...!!!
Like a needle through fabric, it riddled Shan's neck dozens of times, punching holes through the nape.
[Guh... Guhuk...]
Shan shuddered in agony.
"Karono."
Adel called his name softly, gazing at the staggering dragon.
"Raaargh—!!!"
Karono leaped onto Shan's back and swung his greatsword horizontally with all his might.
Slash.
The tattered neck, ravaged by the Lion Bow's arrow, split cleanly in half under the blade.
Thud...
Shan's head hit the ground.
Splurt...!!!
Blood gushed from the severed neck, and the colossal dragon body toppled forward like a felled tree.
"...We won."
Karono murmured in a trembling voice, the sensation of severing the dragon's neck still lingering.
[You left the kill for him on purpose.]
Kalderet remarked, eyeing Karono's shaking shoulders.
Experience matters. There's a world of difference between hunting and just watching.
[You speak as if you need no such experience yourself.]
"Well..."
Adel chuckled at the comment. Then, with casual indifference, he stowed his bow, drew a dagger, and began peeling off Shan's scales.
"What are you doing?"
"What else? Butchering the dragon."
Adel deftly stripped scales and carved out chunks of flesh. The tough membranes tore with wet rips, exposing bloody red meat.
"Dragon organs rot the instant they die—too much mana soaked in. Even without using mana, it's great as a tonic."
[Kekeke... Even a mighty ancient dragon is just meat to you.]
"Dragon meat tastes damn good. And it's top-tier stuff that's hard to prepare. You're lucky, Karono."
"...You're saying I should eat this?"
"Why let it rot? If we had a mage for preservation spells, maybe—but neither of us is worth a damn at magic."
Adel plunged his arm into a hunk of flesh and rummaged around.
"Dragon liver. Try it—perfect for stamina recovery. Too big to eat whole, though."
Karono stared as Adel sliced off a piece, popped it in his mouth, and offered the rest. The boy didn't feel 14 at all.
"Hunters don't waste their kill. That's the first rule you never forget."
[Not wrong, but dragon-eating hunters are a different breed.]
Plop.
Adel tossed a slab of dragon meat before Kalderet.
[What? I'm not some pet...]
Gulp.
Despite his grumbling, Kalderet swallowed it whole.
[Wh-What?! This... is delicious?!]
"Knew you'd like it. You did before. Dragon meat tenderizes with age—no need for curing."
[Insane... A god like me eating meat.]
"Want me to stop?"
[N-No, that's...]
Adel smirked at Kalderet's reaction and peeled off more flesh for him.
"We'll stick around a few more days. Can't haul fresh meat, so we'll dry it into jerky."
"Even as jerky, that's a massive dragon. Too much for one person."
"No worries. There's something else to devour the rest."
"...Huh?"
"This wasn't Shan's lair originally. The previous dragon got booted by this greedy old bastard. It'll be the first to know Shan is dead."
[Ah, so when you said you'd ride a dragon back, you meant the displaced one, not Shan.]
Kalderet recalled their earlier talk, letting out an involuntary sigh.
"Still, some will remain. Karono, gather all the surviving slaves in the city. We're holding a feast tonight."
"What? You're feeding dragon meat to slaves?"
Karono couldn't hide his shock. Dragon parts were priceless, yet Adel was handing them out like nothing—to strangers, no less.
"A full belly breeds goodwill. Did you stick around here just because dragon-slayer blood called to you?"
"...What?"
"If so, you could've skipped the gladiator grind. Plenty of dragons hole up alone in mountains. But you stayed because..."
Adel glanced around.
"You saw yourself in these slaves, didn't you? You wanted to free them."
He could sense it. Despite the dragon battle raging in the city, plenty of presences lingered nearby.
"But freedom isn't just handed out. It requires self-reliance to be complete. Karono, you've given them freedom, but that's not the end. You have a duty to become their king."
"..."
"And they'll give you strength in return. So a discarded bastard like you can stand tall as their leader across the continent."
Karono fell silent, as if Adel had pierced his soul.
"Anyway, you'll figure out how. I think you already know."
Adel didn't mention building an info guild with the slaves.
My part ends with the dragon hunt. He needs to grow on his own from here.
Mission accomplished. Time would have eventually killed Shan, crediting Karono anyway—but Adel accelerated it. Letting Karono land the killing blow would yield even better results than his previous life.
And it left Karono indebted—a positive outcome.
"...I can't keep up. My head can't even fathom your thoughts."
"Figure it out. You've got eyes across the continent now."
"Ahem..."
"So embrace it."
Crack...
Adel extracted something from Shan's gut.
Hummm... Thump— thump— thump—
The Dragon Heart. Shan was dead, but the god's lingering essence kept it pulsing vigorously.
"Let the feast begin."
Adel gripped the heart, licking his lips.