Chapter 771

The Empire’s first airship, “Tears of the Tower Master,” crashed and was destroyed.

And not just a simple crash—it smashed through the walls of someone else’s territory like a siege weapon.

For us, who had been eagerly awaiting the airship’s return, this was the worst possible news.

“So…uh…how are we supposed to move this…?”

Ophelia muttered with a look of despair as she stared at the neatly stacked remains of the dragon.

No one had an answer. We were all thinking the same thing.

With the airship shattered, the only way to transport this mountain of dragon bones back to the Empire was…well, it was so absurd that it felt like the only option was brute force.

“…We’ll have to drag it down.”

“That…thing?”

Like Santa Claus stuffing children into a sack and dragging them to the North Pole, we had no choice but to wrap this mountain of bones in cloth and haul it down.

There was no other way.

The only silver lining was that once we got down the mountain range, we could load the pile onto carriages.

“Since the airship has crashed! We need another means to transport the remains! In the name of the Church Order, I’ve requisitioned as many carriages as possible!!”

Adamante had gathered several carriages at the base of the mountain range.

“That’s a relief. Good job.”

“It’s an honor!”

The Judge was sharper and more competent than expected. Seilon’s praise wasn’t an exaggeration.

—

From then on, we began preparing to drag this pile down the mountain range.

“Damien and I will cut the bones into manageable pieces, so you guys dismantle the barracks and make some sacks to hold them.”

“Ha-shalleur. Don’t cut the rib parts. We’ll use them as supports for the sacks.”

Asha shouted, shaping her hands like a bowl.

Judging by her gesture, it seemed she planned to weld the dragon’s spine and ribs together, spread them out, and fill them with the other bones.

“Got it. And…oh, right. Ophelia. Any magic to reduce the weight of this pile?”

“Hmm…I could use Levitation Magic to lift a couple of people, but this is a bit too much.”

Ophelia frowned. Magic isn’t omnipotent, after all.

Even if she used Gravity Magic to lighten the remains, her mana would only last about ten minutes.

“Milia, what about your compression ability?”

“Something this big is impossible. I could compress it by about 20%, but…if it reverts while we’re moving, it’ll be a disaster.”

Milia’s Heroic Tale wasn’t suitable for this either.

Seeing how her arrows instantly returned to their original size, carrying something like that would be like carrying a ticking time bomb.

“Sigh…”

I sighed in frustration and swung Durandal to chop the dragon’s remains into pieces.

As expected, nothing ever goes smoothly. In the end, we had no choice but to drag it down with manpower.

—

Forty minutes later, we finally finished preparing to descend the mountain range.

We filled the rib-made bowl with finely chopped bone pieces, covered the surface with leather cloth, and tied it tightly with ropes to create a massive bone sack.

“We have to…move this?”

Looking up at the pile, now reduced from the size of the Imperial Palace to that of a mansion, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

It reminded me of a TV show where about thirty people dragged a giant passenger plane with ropes.

At least that had wheels. Can this thing even move…?

“…Let’s give it a try. I’ll pull from the front, and you guys push from behind.”

I grabbed the rope sticking out from the sack, as thick as my forearm, and pulled with all my might, taking a step forward.

“Grrr…!”

I pushed my entire body’s strength and the Power of Feats to the limit, pouring every ounce of energy I had.

– Thud thud thud!

To my amazement, the massive pile of remains began to move, following my pull.

It was unbelievably heavy, but with all of us working together, we could somehow drag it!

Truly, nothing is impossible for humans.

“Good, keep pushing like that!”

I shouted encouragingly as I pulled the sack, which was gradually picking up speed. Since all I could see behind me was a giant cloth bundle, I focused solely on moving forward.

“Hey…Ha-shalleur?”

That’s why I didn’t notice.

“We haven’t even touched it yet…?”

The shocking truth was that I was the only one moving this massive pile.

“What…did you say?”

The shocking revelation. I stopped pulling and turned around, my mouth agape.

Wait, so I was dragging this pile of bones, almost the size of a mansion, all by myself?

Breaking it would’ve been easy, but pulling it was possible?

“…I knew you were strong, but this is…how are you doing this alone…?”

Ophelia muttered in a dazed tone.

“Even if you gathered ten trolls or ogres, it would be impossible. Are you secretly a dwarfed giant or something?”

“……”

I had no retort. Even I couldn’t believe it.

Being strong is one thing, but this was on a whole different level. At this rate, I could wrestle a dragon and have a chance of winning.

—

Anyway, thanks to my absurd strength, we managed to drag the dragon’s remains down the mountain range in just a day and a half.

Once the others started pushing the pile I was dragging, we practically slid down like a sled.

Except for the occasional uphill stretches.

“Phew…it’s finally warm.”

Nigel, who had descended the Sky Mountain Range and stepped onto the plains, smiled as he basked in the warmth.

…It seemed he had lost his sense of temperature after spending so long in the mountains.

Even though the plains near the range were still freezing, his face was so relaxed it looked like he was spouting nonsense.

“-Yes, divide the bones like that…oh, tie those to that carriage over there!”

Asha improvised the carriages’ frames and axles on the spot, giving various instructions to the gathered workers.

Considering the load and durability of the modified carriages, she distributed the dragon’s remains appropriately.

It took about an hour to finish preparing for the journey back to the City of Exra-shapel.

“Phew…we can finally head back to the City of Exra-shapel…”

“Right. This was truly an ordeal I never want to go through again.”

“…This is my second time, though.”

Meanwhile, Milia and Ophelia chatted away, relieved, while the others also looked like they could finally relax.

“Oh, by the way. Only you six are heading back to the City of Exra-shapel. Damien and I need to go to Pailoon Castle.”

“Huh?”

“What did you say, sister?”

“Wait, why me…?”

The group all tilted their heads in confusion, staring at me.

Oh right, I forgot to mention this earlier.

I sipped my warm black tea and explained in detail.

“Well, there’s something we need to find in the Sky Mountain Range. Since we’re here, we might as well look for it while we have the time.”

“What are you looking for…?”

I didn’t reveal the truth about searching for the Holy Sword but slightly altered the story.

I said that Rotholandus, an ancestor of the Median family, had told me about a lost family heirloom somewhere in the Sky Mountain Range.

[Our family? From the sound of it, you’re planning to find Carolus’s Holy Sword or something…since when was that our family heirloom?]

‘Leopold said the Median family is related to Carolus. So…it’s not exactly a lie to call it our family heirloom, right?’

[You’re such a scammer.]

I planned to keep the fact that I was searching for Carolus’s sword a secret.

Why?

Just the revelation of me being a Saintess had already caused chaos, with people trying to make me a queen. If Damien, who’s technically my subordinate, started wielding Carolus’s sword, who knows what would happen?

Ignoring the sword’s capabilities, just its symbolism alone would cause unimaginable repercussions.

Think about Knut.

Even though he wasn’t related to the Dane royal family by blood, just demonstrating Dainsleif’s abilities made him a legitimate heir to the throne.

Even those who opposed Knut’s ascension only used his alliance with the Empire as an excuse, never questioning his lineage.

The Holy Sword is the same.

The moment Damien wields Carolus’s sword and demonstrates its power, the Empire’s people will mistake him for a hidden descendant of Carolus.

Even if Damien denies it.

Moreover, if it’s revealed that Damien can wield Carolus’s sword while Leopold, a direct descendant of Carolus, cannot…

…People might start questioning the Emperor’s legitimacy.

You know, rumors like:

‘The current chaos is because Emperor Leopold ascended the throne by spilling his brother’s blood, incurring the wrath of the heavens!’

‘Look, Carolus the Great’s sword rejects him. It’s proof he’s unworthy of the throne!’

‘No wonder he’s going bald—it’s the heavens’ wrath!’

Nonsense like that.

Considering the chaos the sword’s symbolism could cause, it’s wiser to keep its identity a secret.