The Mad Dragon Subjugation Expedition

It had been a week since I received the proposal from Jeral Schuhartz. Just as he had suggested, I joined the Mad Dragon Subjugation Expedition. The Spring Water of Life and the Subspace Pocket I had prepared for this occasion were perfectly in place. All that was left was to survive and return with achievements in hand. As I sat atop my ghostly steed summoned from my Night Parade of a Hundred Demons and calmly composed my breathing, a fully armored knight approached me. It was the Vice Commander of the 2nd Knight Order.

"Sir Yohanes, is this your first expedition?"

"Yes. I am trying not to be nervous, but I cannot help it."

"It is always like that the first time. Even a Sword Saint is only human, after all."

The stocky knight, seemingly bursting with pride for the expedition, launched into an explanation with a spirited expression.

"The expedition is basically divided into three units. The first unit is the 1st Knight Order led by Commander Tesada Edelian, the second unit is the 2nd Knight Order, and the third unit is a party centered around the Great Swordmaster."

"Am I assigned to Lord Schuhartz's party, by any chance?"

"That is correct. You are a Sword Saint, after all."

A party with the Great Swordmaster. Not bad. Since it was a gathering of transcendent beings, I would surely have much to learn from their wealth of experience. Jeral Schuhartz probably brought me along with the intention of nurturing my growth, hoping I would become the new sword of the Empire to replace his aging self.

But too bad for him, I have absolutely no interest in being the 'sword of the Empire.' My ultimate goal is a blissful harem life with my villainesses.

Thinking of the future I would share with them, a chuckle escaped my lips. "Pfft."

"It seems your tension has eased?" the Vice Commander remarked.

"Yes. I was just thinking about how quickly I want to slice off that dragon's head."

"Despite your young age, you walk the Path of the Sword Saint. Your caliber is truly on another level."

Well, of course my caliber is different. I am someone who walks the Path of the Sword God, after all. On top of that, I had the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, the black magic of the Six Paths of Rebirth, and Aeterna. On my own, I possessed the military might of an entire legion.

Just as I was feeling intensely proud of myself with a touch of narcissism, Apel Cloud's voice echoed from the heavens.

This time, the knights, along with their mounts, began to be teleported one by one. The knights remained perfectly composed, as if this were just another day on the job.

I guess veterans really are different.

I felt somewhat relaxed, but in truth, I was terrified. I did not know what would happen to me if I died. Above all, the greatest fear was that I might never see them again.

But if I could not overcome this fear, I would not be able to protect them. To change this devastating, angsty world, I had to do this. Even if I did not know every single event in this world, I possessed at least a baseline knowledge of the future. This was a task only I could accomplish.

A blue light enveloped my body. It was my turn.

When I opened my closed eyes, the black sky greeted me once more. From the distant storm clouds, a dark, filthy rain of Contamination was pouring down. The faces of the people here were even darker than during our purification training, and the atmosphere was far more dismal. An ominous, dark energy emanated from the ground, the people, and the buildings.

There was widespread starvation. No matter what tragedy befell these people, they simply endured it. They could not speak. They could not vent. The unexpressed resentment continuously accumulated in their hearts, eventually hardening into deep-seated grudges. Perhaps that was why the storm clouds looming over Garhirst in the distance appeared even thicker and darker. Consequently, the silent screams echoing from their hearts were incredibly sinister. It was a profound, agonizing sorrow.

Beholding this, I steeled my resolve like never before. After all, I was the savior of my villainesses—and of this world.

As I closed my eyes and meditated to steady my mind, the Commander's voice boomed.

"Advance!"

Clatter, clatter. The ground rumbled under the weight of countless horse hooves. The fierce clanking of armor and helmets echoed sharply. Above us, the imperial banners fluttered in the wind.

Riding without pause, we arrived before the dark storm clouds. It was the exact location where we had conducted our purification training. The imperial army halted, waiting for the High Priests to chant their incantations.

After a brief wait—shing! A golden aura enveloped the entire expeditionary force.

"All preparations are complete! Knights, raise your voices!"

"Waaaaah!"

Once the preparations were fully complete, the voice of the vanguard commander, Tesada Edelian of the 1st Knight Order, echoed once more. The roars of his knights and the 2nd Knight Order followed in turn.

As we advanced, the expedition split into three paths: the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠1st Knight Order, the 2nd Knight Order, and our independent unit, the Great Swordmaster's party. The Mad Dragon would likely be handled by our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠party. The Empire's knight orders were merely clearing the path for us.

"Do not tremble. Steady your hearts. We are the party tasked with facing the Mad Dragon," Jeral Schuhartz said.

"I am not trembling, sir."

"Despite your words, are your hands not shaking?"

No, seriously, if someone's hands aren't shaking in a situation like this, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are they even human?

"...It is just your imagination."

Smack! Someone slapped my back hard.

"How about now? Did that loosen you up a bit?"

It was Reinhardt Eriksen, the Paladin of the Empire. With his striking, long white-gold hair, he possessed the face of a refined noble despite his robust, muscular build. If one were to define a living saint, it would undoubtedly be this man.

"Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself properly. I am the Sword Saint, Hound Egil Yohanes."

"Your name is quite long. Did you receive a baptismal name?"

"...My parents reached a mutual agreement that resulted in me having two names. Hound Egil is my given name."

The Paladin laughed heartily.

"Haha! What amusing parents you have. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The honor is mine, sir."

Reinhardt Eriksen looked at me with a pleased expression. It seemed he, like the others, was highly curious about the Empire's rising superstar.

"Let us end the idle chatter here. We are nearing Garhirst," the Great Swordmaster said, his resolve hardening.

"I will begin tracking mana now. The Mad Dragon must be hiding somewhere nearby," Apel Cloud chanted.

Whir! A small magic circle formed, and his eyes began to glow with a brilliant light.

"I sense a massive surge of mana. It is undoubtedly the Mad Dragon."

"Let us move quickly. The knight orders cannot keep the path clear forever."

It was then.

Thud! A massive tremor shook the earth.

Rumble! Blue lightning split the sky, and countless screams echoed through the resonance of Aura.

"A massive wave of mana is coming from the direction of the 2nd Knight Order! It's the Mad Dragon!" Apel Cloud shouted, his voice laced with urgency.

"I am aware. I heard it through the resonance of my Aura," Jeral replied.

"It begins."

Looking at Jeral Schuhartz, the resolute expression he wore moments ago had vanished, replaced by a grim pallor. The others looked no different. My own face was likely twisted in a similarly tense grimace. Now that the moment was finally here, even swallowing felt difficult. My muscles trembled, and my throat tightened. It was the result of extreme tension.

"Yah!" Jeral Schuhartz spurred his horse forward. We quickly followed suit.

Upon entering Garhirst, the 2nd Knight Order, which was supposed to have cleared the path, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the area swarmed with monsters. Legions of Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, and even Trolls that regenerated endlessly unless their heads were severed. There were countless other beasts as well—man-eating wolves, skeletons, and liches. They were all monsters spawned by the Contamination.

Crackle! A deafening, ear-splitting roar echoed. Apel Cloud's blue lightning surged forward in the shape of a dragon, obliterating the oncoming monsters. The spell was so devastatingly powerful that they vanished without a trace.

Not to be outdone, Jeral Schuhartz drew his sword, and Reinhardt Eriksen readied his massive iron mace. We dismounted our horses.

"Sir Yohanes, from this point on, do not take the lead under any circumstances," Reinhardt warned.

"Why is that?"

"It is the Mad Dragon. It would be wise to follow the President's instructions," Jeral added.

I see. Well, it doesn't matter to me. Just watching them fight would be highly beneficial. I would use my Eye of Clairvoyance to capture every single movement and copy it. That was my style of combat. Just as the Flowing Water Sword was a derivative of the Edelian swordsmanship.

I nodded silently.

"Let us proceed," Jeral said.

Splash, splash. The sound of dark, contaminated water splashing beneath our boots echoed. The swarming monsters were easily dispatched by Apel Cloud and Jeral Schuhartz.

As we continued forward, a shocking sight met our eyes. The bodies of the 2nd Knight Order lay strewn across the ground. A literal parade of corpses stretched out before us. As if death itself had swept through, not a single survivor could be found.

"...Judging by their state, they encountered the Mad Dragon."

"The mana reaction is incredibly strong. The beast is nearby."

Jeral Schuhartz approached the fallen knights, closed their eyes, and then—slice. He severed their heads, which rolled onto the ground.

"...Watch closely. That is the only way to grant them a peaceful rest," Reinhardt Eriksen said.

"That... is?"

"Corpses corrupted by the Contamination turn into monsters, and humans consumed by it become Demonic Humans. Those afflicted by the Contamination leave this world feeling as though their entire bodies are burning alive. That is the reality of the Contamination in this world."

Reinhardt's face was a storm of complex emotions. Having just witnessed the slaughter of comrades who were alive only moments ago, it must have been incredibly difficult to maintain his composure.

Beholding this scene, it was hard for me to keep a level head as well. A cold shiver ran down my spine at the terrifying thought that my own name might be written at the end of this trail of death.

Is this the true reality of this world?

In that moment, the world that had once felt somewhat welcoming suddenly felt like a sharp blade flying straight at my throat.

The corpses of the 2nd Knight Order whose heads had not been severed rose as ghouls. Their flesh melted away, and they returned as skeletons. We laid those restless souls to rest. A lump formed in my throat.

The moment he finished speaking, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠eyes of both the Paladin and the Great Swordmaster widened in sheer disbelief.

"The Flame Dragon has been consumed by the Contamination?! That divine beast!"

"This is madness... Igreet?!"

The Flame Dragon Igreet. Although there hadn't been a detailed explanation in the original novel, I recalled seeing it in a history book Mikaris was reading. Igreet's roar brought down thunder, and anyone struck by its breath vanished without a trace. A single flap of its wings conjured raging tempests, and merely walking caused the surrounding area to burn and melt from its sheer aura. That was the Flame Dragon Igreet.

Gulp.

The sound of everyone swallowing hard echoed in the tense silence. Our senses were heightened to an extreme degree. Adrenaline surged fiercely through my veins.

In this place, there was absolutely no guarantee that any of us would make it back alive.