Gravekeeper Knight (2)
I'd rushed back as fast as I could, only to immediately start preparing to head right back to the city. No time to rest.
"I'll zip over, hear what happened from Susan, and come straight back."
My stomach was rumbling a bit, so I grabbed a quick slice of bread and a glass of milk before leaving the orphanage.
The city wall got blasted away. By what we suspect is that dungeon's boss.
That was all the info Branche had brought back. To dig deeper, I'd have to go myself—it'd be faster that way.
What I really wanted was a nice bath, then maybe an hour or two lounging in bed before heading out. I'd been carrying Gia on my back since dawn, running back and forth for over five hours total. Even I get tired running with Internal Aura Technique constantly active, slashing monsters mid-stride while hauling her along.
But given the situation, heading out now—while it was still a reasonable hour—put my mind at ease. If I ignored stamina drain and just sprinted, the round trip wouldn't even take two hours.
"Branche!"
"Y-Yes!"
I'd finished prepping and stepped outside, turning to Branche who'd followed me out.
"Eat lunch with the kids. Watch over them while I'm gone."
"Of course! Hehe."
She nodded with a goofy grin. But she looked like breathing was a chore—she must've gotten thoroughly worn out playing with the kids without me or Gia around. Breaking up fights between Epia and Serelda wasn't easy. And since this wasn't her first time, she knew it better than anyone.
"Here, take this."
Ding.
A gold coin flicked from my fingers landed neatly in Branche's hand with a clear chime. I was a generous director. I'd grabbed it knowing this might come up while prepping to leave again.
"It's an old gold coin from the Dragon War era. Worth six times a current one."
"Whoa, what is this!"
Branche loved money and info. And info was money in its own way—you could trade valuable intel for cash.
"Hehe, with this I can finally buy that thing I've had my eye on~"
She perked up like nobody's business at the sight of money—that was Branche for you. That's why I'd made her a teacher, too. We'd known each other forever, and someone who loved money wouldn't betray you if you kept lining their pockets.
"Hehe, take as long as you need! It's a direct request from you, Director, so Kasel won't chew me out!"
I left the satisfied Branche behind and set off, channeling aura to strengthen my body and kicking off with vigor.
More people heading out of the city than usual today.
To avoid drawing eyes on the road at this pace, I ran parallel to it, eyeing the travelers. Their faces looked grim—whatever happened really must've been bad enough to blow away a city wall.
Guess I'll find out when I get there.
Over an hour of sprinting later, I reached the south gate of Drakanscale. The gloomy mood hit me right away.
Lots of people leaving the city—commoners, merchants, nobles, no discrimination. Everyone's faces were etched with anxiety.
"Halt. Those entering will be inspected... Whoa, ah, Lady Aren!"
The guard who'd been staring off elsewhere snapped to attention upon recognizing me, fumbling to straighten up.
No one in the Drakanscale guard didn't know me. Ever since we started building the orphanage's main building, I'd been coming to the city often. And I showed up in outfits way too casual for a noble lady.
Each time, I'd tossed them a few silvers for drinks after their shift, so they liked me well enough.
Probably more because a pretty noble girl chats them up casually than the booze money, but hey, the other guys stare the same way.
This was the life I'd been born into as a woman. Better to be pretty than ugly, obviously. It made buttering up whoever I dealt with a breeze. And so far, the benefits had outweighed any downsides.
"You're working hard. No need for inspection, right? Here on the same business as yesterday—visiting the lord."
"Yes! Of course!"
"You look down. The east wall?"
The guard sighed softly and nodded.
"Best see it for yourself, Lady Aren. Never seen anything like it in my life."
Fear laced his words. I tossed him three silvers like last time and entered the city.
Murmur murmur.
The inside buzzed with uneasy chatter everywhere.
"What the hell even did that...? How does a wall just end up like that?"
"God's wrath, no doubt."
"Some Demon King remnants still lurking?"
Passersby spilled their guesses. One thing in common: all pale as ghosts. Merchants with their wagons, nobles in fine clothes, even adventurers and mercenaries—no exceptions.
Following the familiar streets toward the mountains, the east gate came into view.
...Damn, "blasted away" was spot on.
From my vantage, the left section of the wall had vanished like it'd evaporated. Not flung into the sky—just gone. No debris, no rubble. Only a smooth crater left behind, eerily hollow.
"Lady Aren!"
A guard recognized me like the gate one and gave a light salute. They were blocking access, but when I said I wanted a closer look, he stepped aside readily.
Let's see.
I descended into the crater myself.
Smells a bit like scorch marks, and those wall traces are freakishly clean...
And the residue felt familiar to me. Pretty much confirmed.
Dragon's breath.
The infamous main attack dragons used, called dragon breath or breath. Any adult dragon could've pulverized a wall like this with a full-power shot, element be damned.
No way a real dragon showed up. Something that size would've been spotted. So, yeah—that Dragon Fang Soldier.
A Dragon Fang Soldier using dragon breath. Not quite adult dragon power, but close.
Usually they get weaker the farther they stray from the core deep inside...
Two possibilities. Either it came close enough to see the wall and fired despite degradation, or it sniped from long range near the dungeon.
"No witnesses? Someone had to see a spell or technique that strong."
Back on the road, I asked the guard. He replied deferentially, like addressing a superior.
"It was late, so not many around. Most just registered a beam of light crashing down—hard to make out with the naked eye."
No one saw the Dragon Fang Soldier itself, huh?
"Aren!"
Susan approached from afar with a few knights in tow. Her face looked utterly distraught—like her headache had tripled overnight.
"I rushed here when I heard about the wall. What happened?"
"That dungeon's boss did it!"
She was pissed—thorns in every word. She waved off her two knights and drew close to me by the vaporized wall.
"I figured as much, but how?"
I'd even talked to the knight who'd survived the dungeon last time. He'd sworn on the gods he never told it the city's location.
So either it figured it out itself, or someone tipped it off.
Susan's next words cleared that up.
"Some mercenaries from the subjugation force—over thirty who'd joined early and were waiting in the city—found the dungeon on their own and attacked!"
Her explanation followed. Out of 196 applicants when I'd visited before, that early group had pinpointed the dungeon. Their leader was strong even by my standards. Top-tier among mercenaries. Official record of soloing an ogre. Veteran who'd survived the Demon King war. Internal Aura Technique master, sword aura wielder, even sword threads—an Expert through and through with External Aura Technique. Leagues above the scrub who'd tried kidnapping Gia.
He could've gone toe-to-toe with a decent active vice-knight captain.
Looks like he and his crew got greedy. They knew the average haul from mountain dungeons. Figured they could handle it solo, especially with the lord overstaffing the force. Claim most of the loot, pay a breach penalty, negotiate with the eager Susan—easy money.
"...Naturally, only one or two survived?"
"Just one this time. Their leader got killed by the Dragon Fang Soldier."
"Lemme guess. It let him live to learn the city's location?"
"Spot on. Sigh, my luck..."
Susan sighed deeply, out of place on her refined face. She looked even thinner today, dark circles heavier—clearly beat.
"Interrogation says it released him once it could glimpse the city from the highlands. Then soon after, that intense beam hit the wall..."
"And poof."
I ran my hand over the cleanly erased section.
"Your luck sucks. This blows up right after I leave?"
"Tell me about it. Sigh... I undersold the dungeon's danger. My mistake."
Another heavy sigh from her.
"I've got eyes. This was probably its final warning. Blasting the wall as a show of force, not a population center."
"Same here. If it meant business, it'd have hit homes or your manor."
"Losing a top merc like that, plus the wall? Morale's in the gutter."
Merchant caravans were bailing, even breaking contracts—losses piling up. Subjugation force halved. Too risky; they'd pay penalties to flee.
"...Please. Aren. No—Countess Aren Parates."
Susan grabbed my hand. I felt her emotions: pain, fear, worry.
"It's a Dragon Fang Soldier. Born of dragons, tied to the dragon concept itself..."
We'd known each other over ten years. She knew my exploits, what I'd achieved.
"I need the Dragon Slayer, Silver Reverse Scale, death of dragons—you."
Not sneaking in amid the force. Lead them openly, as a knight—not orphanage director.
"Whatever you want, I'll make it happen. Discounts on Parates shipments, lower trade route fees, and..."
She hesitated, listing favors for me and my house. I cut her off.
"Don't need any. Never planned on getting paid to help."
"......"
"We've known each other a while. Still mad about that old tea party fiasco, annoyed when your horse race scheme put me in a spot—even if you didn't mean it. But we're friends enough to say it outright, right?"
"Ah..."
Susan shut her mouth, nodding shyly but readily.
"Can't sit idle with something that strong rampaging near the orphanage. I'll handle it."
"...Thank you so much."
She bowed her head in gratitude, face gloomy. I patted her back—this is what friends are for.
No need to rub it in that the Dragon Fang Soldier's her fault for poking the graves...
Felt a bit bad for her, so this time I'd go all out.
Two days passed. The day the subjugation force was set to assault the dungeon.
"...Pleased to meet you. Subjugation volunteers and Tremorn house knights."
I wore proper armor, magic sword Eseldra at my side—long unused.
"I'm Aren. Aren Parates of the Parates countess house."
In the square where the departing force gathered, I stood before the prepped team and knights.
Switching to noble lady knight mode, I began my speech.