Chapter 20

[Proofreader – Prøks]Chapter 20: The Strongest in the Demon Realm (1)

Dragons.

They are the successors of divine blood, the closest beings to the creators.

Rare and noble creatures that are hardly seen in a lifetime, exuding an intimidating presence that lesser beings dare not approach.

“…!”

All eyes on the ground turned to the sky.

A majestic dragon with wide-open wings gracefully soared through the stormy winds.

Its serpentine body stretched out like a snake, large enough to engulf a mansion, with sharp claws protruding like daggers from its four feet.

The dark horn growing on its forehead emitted a chilling aura, leaving everyone, including knights and even the duke who had seen countless battles, wide-eyed and speechless.

“Is that… a dragon, Wilius?”

“Yes. Despite its size suggesting it’s still in its growth stage, it’s undoubtedly a Demonic Dragon.”

“Is it common for them to appear?”

“Highly unlikely. This is the first time I’ve personally encountered one within our stronghold.”

While the Lemea Valley is known to harbor numerous demonic creatures, dragons were not among them.

Very occasionally, only the faint silhouette of something soaring high in the distant skies of the demon realm was glimpsed, but it was almost unheard of for them to venture into the valleys.

The Demonic Dragon was flying at a relatively low altitude, its size and appearance clearly observable, and it seemed to be circling around without departing anywhere.

“Kieak!”

It seemed to be in some kind of distress, emitting pained groans.

Everyone, unsure of what to do, remained frozen momentarily, observing the dragon’s behavior.

Then, amidst the tension, Princess Arin suddenly exclaimed, her voice clear and urgent, pointing towards one side.

Her finger indicated the area near the Demonic Dragon’s ankle.

As all eyes followed her gesture, they soon noticed a familiar presence near the dragon’s right ankle.

Despite the limited visibility due to the stormy winds, there was something hanging precariously on the dragon’s foot, resembling a young child.

“…?!”

The Duke, who had momentarily withdrawn to refocus, suddenly widened his eyes.

It was none other than his own son dangling there.

“Cy…Cyan?”

“Tha… That’s your son, isn’t it?”

As the Emperor and the other knights each confirmed the presence, their gazes turned unanimously towards the Duke.

“Wh… Why is he there?”

The same man who had evacuated the princess and lured the monsters alone, for some reason, was now leisurely traversing the fierce night sky with the dragon.

It was an inexplicable turn of events.

Though the situation had become incredibly complicated, the Duke quickly raised his head.

Now was not the time to dwell on the circumstances.

In any case, what had appeared before them was undoubtedly a colossal-class monster.

As all invading demons needed to be eradicated, it was his duty to slay them, even if it was a dragon.

With determination, a vast amount of mana manifested from the Duke’s right hand.

“Let the sword of conviction soar into the sky!”

With the incantation, a blue magical circle was drawn in the sky.

One by one, five radiant swords materialized.

The tips of these dazzling swords were all aimed at the Demonic Dragon soaring in the air.

***

It’s perplexing.

It’s not just perplexing; it’s a highly bewildering situation.

More than a hundred eyes are staring at me from below where I’m floating.

I must be going crazy.

From the frontline and the knights of the imperial army to the Emperor and the Duke at the center, to Emily crouching in the corner, and even to Princess Arin with her complex and subtle expression of laughter or tears.

It was a situation where I encountered everyone I shouldn’t have met.

[Hey! Why are you suddenly turning into a statue again? Aren’t you gonna catch this guy?]

“I might end up being caught if I try to catch this guy right now!”

Exactly ten minutes ago.

After dealing with the troll’s corpse at Blood River, I came face to face with the greatest creature of the earth, a dragon.

At first, I was briefly confused about why this creature had appeared here.

It was so unusual for a creature of such great power from the depths of the Demon Realm to cross into the front lines that it was almost unheard of, to the point where it was an understatement to say it was a first-time occurrence.

But my confusion was only momentary. Soon enough, I grabbed Kaeram and rushed straight towards it.

With the blood of a colossal monster right in front of me, there’s no way a fool wouldn’t take advantage of it.

A noble being?

They’re considered the races directly below the creators, but that doesn’t mean each of them is overwhelmingly strong.

Just as humans are classified into strong and weak individuals, not every dragon is powerful just because they’re dragons.

Moreover, the one I’m grappling with isn’t even a fully matured one; it’s still in its growth stage.

It’s ridiculous to struggle against a greenhorn with no experience, even if it’s a dragon.

Initially, it might have shown interest in me for rushing at it boldly, but it quickly slipped away before long.

Despite resorting to dirty tactics to grab onto its ankle, it’s utterly absurd that I ended up facing these annoying folks.

[What the hell, you’ve been watching those guys for a while now?]

“Well, do you want me to put on a show for them?”

[Well, what else can we do? Are we just going to keep going around in circles like this?]

Keiram was extremely frustrated as she had gone as far as manifesting the Demonic Sword, but still couldn’t finish it off.

While I could sympathize with her feelings, if we were to bring the creature down and cut off its airway right here, we’d likely be carted off to the imperial prison.

Just as I was contemplating whether it might be better to appear as if I were kidnapped by the dragon, a familiar blue light shimmered from below.

*Wooong*

A high-level magic circle for casting advanced magic.

And the one casting the spell was none other than my father.

Wait, isn’t that magic a bit dangerous?

“Let the sword of conviction soar into the sky!”

As the incantation was uttered, five radiant swords aimed towards me—or more precisely, towards the Demonic Dragon—flew at rapid speed through the air.

The 8th-grade light-elemental magic, ‘Swords of Celestial Void.’

He’s aware that his son is on board, yet he’s unleashing such dangerous magic?

I guess even if it’s a dragon, it’s still a beast that needs to be dealt with?

He truly embodies the protector of the continent.

Sensing another danger, the Demonic Dragon swiftly twisted its body to evade.

*Thunk!*

However, the last sword shot along an unavoidable trajectory and pierced the Demonic Dragon’s leg.

“Eeek!”

With a scream, the Demonic Dragon thrashed its body violently.

…! sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ NøᴠᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

In an instant, the grip of my hand, unable to withstand the aftermath, loosened, and the creature’s ankle slipped from my grasp.

With nowhere to rely on, my body became a helpless wanderer in mid-air.

*Whoosh*

Even in the midst of excruciating pain, the Demonic Dragon, upon confirming my fall, didn’t bother to look back and flew off into the distance.

Ah, I let that one slip right in front of me…

But now wasn’t the time to lament the prey that got away.

If I spaced out and fell like this, I’d be greeting the grim reaper without a second thought.

Down below, knights were rushing to catch me, but in reality, it was a futile effort.

[What are you doing? Planning to kiss the ground? Hurry up and fly!]

“If you were me, could you fly in this situation?”

[Do you want to die twice by falling down like this? Once now, and once when I get my hands on you!]

So, does that mean three deaths in total, including my past life?

It’s a joke, but deep down, I know this is a dire situation.

But using magic to escape in front of so many eyes is out of the question.

As I pondered what to do, with my eyes closed for a moment,

*Swoosh*

My eyes snapped open at the sound of rushing water echoing in my ears.

A torrent of crimson light flowing directly beneath where my body was falling.

It was a tributary of the Blood River, where I had disposed of the troll’s corpse.

Seeing the river’s form, I couldn’t help but smile.

“So, dying isn’t the only option after all?”

[Hey, master! What are you thinking? You’re not planning to fall down there, are you?]

“It’s about time for a bath! Don’t think so negatively!”

[Are you crazy? You want to wash yourself in that filthy water?]

Despite Kaeram’s boiling rage echoing in my head like a volcano, I ignored it all.

This method currently occupying my mind seemed like the best course of action available to me.

To avoid accidentally kissing the ground, I spun my body several times and moved towards the center of the Blood River.

*Splash!*

In no time, my small frame met the chilling waves of blood in a dramatic reunion.

* * *

*Whoosh*

Suddenly, a Demonic Dragon, likely in its growth stage, flew swiftly overhead.

Watching its passage from the ground, Velcarion raised an eyebrow in puzzlement.

“A Demonic Dragon flying over from that direction. Surprising, isn’t it?”

The dragon was heading towards the Lemea Valley.

“It seems to have suffered some injuries. Looks like a young dragon that hasn’t fully grown yet took a wrong turn and ended up in trouble.”

As the middle-aged demon beside him added, Velcarion showed an intrigued response.

“Hmm, really? While they may be a bit arrogant, it’s not common for dragons to flee with their tails between their legs. Are there strong demons beyond there?”

“Well, if they did, it would be more likely to be humans than demons.”

“Human? Those weaklings not even worth mentioning? Rogers, your humor has improved, hasn’t it?”

Despite the mockery, the middle-aged demon remained unfazed.

“If they were as weak as you say, they wouldn’t have failed to conquer the land beyond there. While they may start out insignificant, humans possess unparalleled potential among all races.”

“Oh! Rogers, you seem to know more than I thought. Have you seen humans firsthand?”

“Impossible. I’ve lived here all my life…”

“What? Then why pretend to know…”

“I’m just speaking based on past history.”

Velcarion stretched his lips as if struck by a revelation.

Although he tried to turn his gaze away and return to his original path, somehow his head kept turning back towards the valley.

It felt like he was being drawn by some mysterious force.

“Is something bothering you?”

“No, strangely, I sense a peculiar aura coming from that valley. It feels unfamiliar yet strangely familiar.”

The middle-aged demon also glanced towards the gorge, but felt nothing.

“I don’t sense anything…”

“Ah, but there is! Just wait a moment!”

Ignoring Velcarion’s indifference, the middle-aged demon kept staring at the gorge.

As he continued, he felt an inexplicable urge to go there, sensing that something interesting might happen if he did.

“Rogers, I have to cancel our plans for now. Something urgent has come up.”

“It’s alright, but please, if anything happens, handle it calmly. Don’t go smashing everything in sight. Otherwise, it’ll be a headache for me.”

Knowing his words would likely fall on deaf ears, the middle-aged demon just offered a cautious warning.

Yet Velcarion, oblivious to everything, remained fixated on the valley, his eyes turning red with excitement.

With a sudden flutter, his black wings spread wide from his back as Velcarion soared into the sky.

Even as he departed without a glance back, it seemed he had found something compelling.

“Please, just don’t cause any trouble… my Lord.”

The middle-aged demon watched him disappear into the distance, hoping for his safe return.

[Proofreader – Prøks]