“Welcome.”
“Has something happened already?”
“Not quite. It’s just…I have something to pass on to you.”
Principal Merlin said this and placed a small box in front of me.
“This is…”
“I’m not sure how helpful it will be, but I’ve scraped together every bit of mithril that has been put out on the market.”
“Wha— such a precious thing…”
He’s saying he gathered all this mithril? If it’s enough to fill a box worth at least a gold bar or two… Did he dip into the academy’s budget?
As I stared at him with questions in my eyes, Principal Merlin chuckled and answered.
“This old man has been frugal with his savings. How much longer do I have left to live, anyway?”
“Principal…”
“Ha ha, don’t get too emotional. Isn’t this all an investment? If we can’t stop the Dragon Lord, the academy and everything else will be finished, so increasing our chances, however slight, is the best I can do.”
“Aren’t you participating?”
“Of course, I plan to. The faculty and student council will protect the remaining students and their families in the academy.”
As expected, that’s how it would be.
Unlike the original story where everything went haywire as the seal was broken, this was running much more smoothly due to the thorough preparations by the royal family.
In the original story, the village near the volcano where the Dragon Lord resurrected was wiped out without a trace. Just counting the human casualties, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to think that hundreds of thousands perished.
Preventing such a scenario ahead of time was a stroke of luck.
Even if I didn’t know them at all, dying was still a bitter pill to swallow.
“I will make good use of the mithril. It will help in crafting weapons to kill the Dragon Lord.”
“A weapon to kill the Dragon Lord… Are you trying to recreate the legendary Dragon Slayer?”
“It’s a modified version. I would love to turn all the soldiers’ weapons into Dragon Slayers, but we’re short on time and budget, so I can only manage to make two or three.”
“…The fact that you can make multiple Dragon Slayers is impressive.”
Well, I’ve used them endlessly in the original story and have analyzed them for nearly a year here, so I’ve found a way to make them. The royal family didn’t even know that fragments of the Dragon Slayer were sitting in their warehouse.
From a glance, it just looks like a bizarre piece of metal, so it’s no wonder they were oblivious…
“As soon as the Dragon Lord awakens, I plan to shove a Dragon Slayer right into its head. No matter how much of a dragon it is, it should feel pain if a Dragon Slayer sticks into its skull.”
I’m not wishing for an instant death; I’d be satisfied with a serious injury.
After all, that’s what the Dragon Slayer is meant for.
“I hope it all ends without any casualties…”
It wouldn’t be feasible, but I should try for that. That’s the knowledge I gained from the original story. I picked up the box and stood up.
“Principal, I’ll head off to use this mithril for now. If anything seems off, please contact me through Millia.”
“Understood. Then, you may go.”
One chunk of mithril. What a priceless gift. I left the principal’s office, pondering how to utilize this mithril.
————————-
“How’s the status of the seal?”
“Your Highness Killian! The seal is currently quiet, but it’s gradually weakening!”
“Is the Dragon Lord about to awaken…?”
Prince Killian looked at the volcano with concern. Once the Dragon Lord awakens, the scale of damage will be immense. If the Dragon Lord is allowed to escape the volcano, the entire empire, no, the whole continent could be engulfed in flames.
This isn’t just any normal dragon; it’s the immensely powerful Dragon Lord. It could easily lead to that catastrophe.
‘Evacuations are almost complete, but…perhaps we should push the evacuation sites further back.’
The information about the Dragon Lord is just from hundreds of years ago, so I can’t accurately gauge the damage when it awakes.
We’ve evacuated everyone within a 100 km radius, but once the Dragon Lord starts rampaging, it might not even stay within that distance.
But this isn’t something I can decide alone.
‘I should bring this up during the meeting.’
It’ll require manpower, but since the Dragon Lord hunting should prioritize quality over quantity, it should be fine for the regular soldiers to stay back.
Having gone through a tense atmosphere in the meeting room multiple times, he assumed his opinion would resonate with some.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Yes! Your Highness! Please take care!”
Receiving the wizards’ send-off, he departed the barracks. His next destination was the camp where the elite of the continent gathered. He needed to get to know the warriors who would become the core members of this hunt.
Even if he wouldn’t participate in the battle, as the commander, he could at least promise some rewards to those risking their lives against the Dragon Lord.
“Sir Kalintz.”
“Prince Killian, you’ve arrived.”
“These people…”
“That’s right. They are skilled warriors from across the continent.”
Prince Killian scanned the warriors around the barracks with his two eyes. From young men to old men, even someone inexperienced in combat like him could tell these were exceptional warriors gathered in one place.
‘Impressive. That one there is Hakon, known as the master of the great sword. And that one is Ulan, a master of spear skills… many distinguished names are gathered here.’
“Such remarkable individuals!”
“Indeed. They’ve gathered here upon hearing the news that they can fight the Dragon Lord. Each one is worth a hundred men. They will surely assist in the hunt.”
‘Though I doubt they’ll inflict meaningful damage, it’s better than nothing.’
After all, the only things capable of inflicting significant damage on the Dragon Lord are the Dragon Slayer or weapons of equal caliber; the rest would merely serve to distract the Dragon Lord.
Yet, many skilled individuals come here to earn the glory of having fought the Dragon Lord, to protect their homeland, and to confront a strong enemy.
“Prince Killian, if you have anything to say, I will gather everyone.”
“Alright.”
Sir Kalintz immediately called the warriors with the booming voice of a former commander.
Despite being undisciplined and free-spirited, when the widely known former imperial knight commander Kalintz called out, they began to gather one by one in the spacious open area between the barracks.
Among them, Geren, who stood at the front with a casual expression, threw a question at Kalintz.
“Eh? What’s up? What’s the matter?”
“His Highness Killian has come to visit.”
“Hmm? This person is Prince Killian?”
“Show some respect to the Prince, Geren.”
“I don’t know about respect; I grew up in the mountains.”
Geren, who had tossed common sense out the window ages ago, spoke nonchalantly. Seeing his impudence before the Second Prince made Kalintz’s beard tremble, but Prince Killian was unfazed and addressed Geren.
“And you are Geren, the famed warrior?”
“That’s right. I’m not very educated, but I came running when this old man said a Dragon Lord was about to awaken.”
“Geren, can’t you just show a bit of courtesy?”
“I’ve never had any connections with that in my life!”
Kalintz’s face earned another wrinkle. Whether Geren was aware of it or not, he laughed heartily.
“Hahaha! Your face is quite worth looking at!”
Kalintz sighed deeply. Expecting logic to reach someone who functions on a different wavelength was foolish. It was better to introduce him to other warriors.
“Your Highness Killian, please ignore Geren and let me introduce you to the other warriors—”
Just then.
A tremor shook the ground with enough force to make everyone lose their balance. Naturally, all eyes turned toward the volcano. The dormant black pillar was now leaking a red liquid, unlike before.
“Sir Kalintz!”
“We need to check on the seal!”
“Oh! Is it the Dragon Lord?”
Geren stared at the volcano with a face full of excitement. As a born warrior with zero social skills, the terrifying presence emanating from the volcano thrilled him beyond reason.
“Everyone, get ready to fight!”
“Is it really waking up…?”
“Out of nowhere?”
“Oh God.”
“I wonder if my spear can reach the Dragon Lord.”
The warriors gripped their weapons and gazed at the volcano. Prince Killian, who was watching the scene in a daze, turned his gaze to Sir Kalintz.
With a serious expression, Kalintz spoke to Prince Killian.
“Your Highness, please retreat to the rear. I will…bring it back.”
The crux of this battle.
And the empire’s hope.
Whether he could arrive before the seal broke would be a pivotal turning point.
Kalintz gathered mana at his toes and stomped the ground.
To summon the empire’s elite forces to the volcano.
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