Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Unscheduled Transfer Exam (3)
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***
The outskirts of the Manchu base.
A luxury sedan sped down the road toward the military warehouse.
At the wheel inside the smoothly gliding vehicle was Darulma Dun. He boasted driving skills uncharacteristic of a dwarf as he raced toward the warehouse.
Of course, being a military road, he couldn't push the speed too far. Checkpoints dotted the route nearly every three minutes.
'Already the fourth checkpoint.'
Darulma sighed as he spotted the rising barricade with the stop signal.
'The Korean military doesn't know the meaning of moderation.'
He understood the temptation, given the extraordinary items in the warehouse, but... wasn't this a bit too blatant?
He gave a casual wave to the approaching sentry, then glanced in the rearview mirror.
—Ah, seriously. They say Lord Howe Academy has everything under the sun.
—Is that so.
—There's even a waterside train connecting to Sydney, an airfield, and temporary dimensional gates in the upperclassmen dorms. It's just...
The Saintess passionately recounting academy tales, while Cheon Yeomyeong fiddled with his phone without so much as a glance.
Watching the two, Darulma recalled what had happened just dozens of minutes ago.
The Saintess handing over an enrollment application, insisting they attend the academy together, and Yeomyeong turning it down.
She hadn't rattled off excuses. Just a single "No need" was all.
The rejected Saintess showed no surprise or disappointment. If anything, she chuckled as if she'd expected it...
But Darulma, witnessing it firsthand, felt differently. Question marks flooded his mind.
Why? No matter how he thought about it, there was no reason to refuse.
Yeomyeong wasn't lacking in skill for the academy, too old, or short on funds.
Enrolling alongside the Saintess was a golden opportunity. It guaranteed current fame and future glory!
Countless corporations and governments would be lining up with offers... and he was passing it up.
Darulma subtly adjusted the rearview to sneak a peek at Yeomyeong's face.
'...Not detached from desire.'
He'd swallowed the World Tree Crystal in one gulp and claimed ownership of the expedition's spoils...
Reviewing Yeomyeong's actions one by one, he was far from a desire-free hero.
If anything, just a bit less greedy than average superhumans or mercenaries?
Impressive in its own right, but distant from a fate-promised hero.
A promised hero should be free from desire...
'...Hero?'
Why am I thinking this? Darulma shook his head unconsciously.
Fatigue? Heroes? What nonsense...
Just then, his eyes met Yeomyeong's in the mirror. Sunken golden pupils scanned him through narrowed lids.
Darulma flinched and looked away. Had he been caught staring? Feeling awkward, he cleared his throat.
—Clear. You may proceed.
The checkpoint ended right on cue.
As the sentry waved and the barricade lowered, Darulma floored the accelerator.
For some reason, Yeomyeong's gaze lingered in his memory.
'What's with that?'
Darulma focused harder on driving to shake off stray thoughts.
"Darulma."
After accelerating for a while, Yeomyeong suddenly spoke.
"Y-Yeah? What's up?"
"Are you alright?"
"What's alright...? Oh, the checkpoints? Don't worry about it. I've known the Korean military's like this for ages."
"Not that. Any health issues or..."
"Been too busy these days to sleep. That obvious?"
Darulma averted Yeomyeong's gaze as he answered. Yeomyeong looked puzzled but didn't press.
"...If anything feels off, tell me right away."
With that, the group arrived at the warehouse.
***
Security around the warehouse was airtight. Thick steel doors, high outer walls, and heavily armed soldiers greeted them.
As they stepped out, an officer approached.
"Welcome to Manchu Base Warehouse 4."
"Been a while. Colonel Jeong."
"Darulma, sir, likewise. And Saintess, a pleasure. I'm Colonel Jeong Min-cheol, in charge of warehouse security."
The officer saluted the Saintess crisply, who nodded lightly in return.
But to Yeomyeong, last out of the car... he didn't even spare a glance. Utter disregard.
"Darulma, sir, a heads-up would've brought the commander. Apologies, but I'm all you've got."
"No need to notify for the owner checking his goods."
"Owner... Yes, the goods belong to you, Darulma, sir."
"Lead the way. I want to inspect first."
Unlike dodging Yeomyeong's eyes earlier, Darulma now exuded chaebol authority, ordering Colonel Jeong.
The colonel guided them with a reluctant expression.
Creak.
Escorted by armed soldiers into the warehouse, the "goods" Darulma mentioned greeted them.
Red scales, wings, and a massive body spanning the warehouse, tail coiled.
Bound in enormous iron restraints, pumped full of anesthetics and sedatives, it was familiar to Yeomyeong and the Saintess.
Orse Tabul, the red dragon that tried to torch Manchuria.
The dragon still breathed. Deep in stupor, but its tenacious vitality had nearly healed its wing and leg wounds.
'...Isn't this dangerous?'
Yeomyeong frowned slightly at the sight.
He'd heard the government kept it alive, but regeneration too?
Colonel Jeong, unconcerned, led them to the observation tower above the dragon's head.
Overlooking the beast's full form, he pointed proudly to the office window.
"What do you think? The Korean military's dragon capture gear?"
"Dragon capture gear?"
With dragon hunting banned ages ago, they still had this?
It screamed "We're dead serious about dragons!" Darulma shook his head.
"Well... impressive, I suppose."
"Glad you think so."
After formalities, Colonel Jeong spoke slyly.
"Darulma, sir. If it's not too bold, shall we discuss the dragon's shares? The Saintess is here too."
"Shares? What are you on about?"
"The byproducts from butchering it. The military asks little. Just the entire tail... that suffices."
Blatant demand. Darulma raised an eyebrow in disbelief, glancing at Yeomyeong, whose expression mirrored his.
"Darulma, sir, this is truly the bare minimum."
"...Minimum? Sounds like the most absurd thing yet."
"Remember the treasures around the dragon?"
A soldier dashed out and returned with a box marked [Strict Storage].
Inside: Pasun's treasure bag, the jade seal, and Uragan's Hilt.
Darulma's face soured.
"...Why are these here? We requested return."
"Darulma, sir, the military secured these. Unlike the dragon, we have shares."
"Shares? All earned fighting our mercenaries, some owned pre-expedition. No law grants shares here!"
Darulma argued fiercely, but Colonel Jeong smiled.
"If you wish, we can settle in court."
Court? Darulma snorted.
"Not international—your courts. Drag it to the Supreme Court, waste time. That it?"
"Only if you insist. Yield the tail, and we relinquish all treasures immediately to your unit."
"...Think Dungan Heavy Industries will tolerate this outrage? We covered your full deployment costs!"
"Darulma, sir, this is our maximum concession."
Colonel Jeong turned to the Saintess.
"Saintess, no threats like last time will work."
Still bitter over Kahal Magdu's ribs? Subtle hostility gleamed.
The Saintess ignored it.
"Anyway, Darulma, sir. Think carefully. The military wants good ties with Dungan Heavy Industries and the dragon-slaying Seljuk mercenaries..."
Mid-sentence, Colonel Jeong paused, sensing oddity.
Darulma and the Saintess ignored him, eyes on some mercenary.
As he gauged the mood, Darulma spoke.
"Yeomyeong, your call?"
"...Knew you'd drag me here for this. Disappointing, Darulma."
"No, misunderstanding. I figured claws or teeth at most."
Twirling his long beard, Darulma added,
"But the whole tail? For mere transport? Shameless. How could I predict?"
Only then did Colonel Jeong realize the conversation's weird turn. Why so deferential to that mercenary?
Who was he?
Looking closer, a familiar face. Golden-eyed young mercenary... no way?
"Uh... Darulma, sir? That mercenary?"
"You know him. Cheon Yeomyeong. The one who did most to fell the dragon."
Cheon Yeomyeong. Hearing it, Colonel Jeong clenched his fist unconsciously.
The punk who stole the military's dragon ribs, severed his purebred horse's arms.
The funds spent healing them... rage surged at the memory.
Suppressing it, he said,
"Ah, the rising star. I didn't recognize. But... most contribution?"
"Kwon Mongju says all wing, leg, eye wounds are his work."
"..."
"Simply put, Colonel, most dragon shares are his."
Most shares his? Colonel Jeong blinked in absurdity.
Some reporters called a rookie the dragon-slayer, but... true?
'Unbelievable bullshit. Damn half-pint dwarf prank.'
Swallowing racial slurs, he played along.
No matter the prank, military gets the tail.
"Ahem, then we deal with him."
Coughing dramatically, Colonel Jeong addressed Yeomyeong arrogantly, unlike with Darulma.
"Cheon Yeomyeong, military's stance is as stated. Yield the tail. We part smiling."
Yeomyeong didn't reply. He tilted his head, eyed Colonel Jeong, then the dragon outside.
"Again, this is our utmost concession. Delaying won't change—"
"Release it."
"...What?"
"Dragons are protected internationally. Just let it go, no?"
"..."
Is this lunatic serious?
Colonel Jeong glanced at Darulma in panic, but he stroked his beard admiringly.
The Saintess grinned, alternating looks between Yeomyeong and the colonel.
"I'm for it. My shares go to Yeomyeong."
As she agreed, eyes turned to Darulma. He eyed Colonel Jeong slyly.
"Well, if the Saintess shows mercy, the unit concurs."
"Dragon talk ends here. Prepare for court."
Threat? Sincere? As Colonel Jeong pondered, Yeomyeong turned away.
"W-Wait!"
Grabbing them at the tower exit, Colonel Jeong pleaded.
"Darulma! This can't be! Legally subjugated dragon! And release it?"
"...Precisely, he said release."
"You call that talk? That brat felled it? Don't mock the military!"
Shouting drew soldiers' stares.
Despite the armed glares, Darulma shrugged.
"What's true to do? Doubt it? Ask the dragon. Oh, wake it first. Then ask. Right?"
Only then did Colonel Jeong realize Darulma's brazenness was genuine. Really?
He swallowed hard.
If true, and released?
Military seeks a scapegoat.
And it'd be him, the provoker.
No forgiveness. Dishonorable discharge minimum, maybe purged at northern front.
'...Can't let that happen.'
Eyes darting anxiously, he spotted soldiers behind the group.
Forces assembled to guard the dragon's warehouse.
Visible ones weren't all; with outer perimeter, near triple digits.
Triple-digit troops. A realization flashed.
'With this force... we can do it?'
Saintess and dwarf chaebol death fallout? Gone from mind.
Just don't kill, right?
Die here or there, better fighting.
'Take out Yeomyeong, restrain Saintess and Darulma.'
Cornered, Colonel Jeong acted.
He drew emergency bell remote and pistol, aiming at Yeomyeong's head.
As Yeomyeong turned, sensing wrong—
Bang!
The muzzle flashed.
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