The capital of the Astes Empire, Varnoch.
Duke Yuma and his party stepped off the magical train.
As Yuma passed the station platform and arrived at the central square, he encountered a brown-haired man approaching him.
The man bowed his head.
“I am Baron Bennett. Sir Yuma, I have come to greet you at Princess Brigitte’s command.”
Yuma slowly nodded his head.
“Nice to meet you.”
“I regret to inform you, but you must head to the imperial palace immediately. It seems that His Highness the First Prince is planning to gather the nobles to criticize you. It appears he has some sort of scheme in mind. Something not good for you.”
At Baron Bennett’s words, Cloney’s eyes sharpened.
“Hmm… Meow.”
Hestia stood by, still drooling as she slept.
“Let’s go.”
Yuma spoke nonchalantly.
“The carriage is ready.”
Yuma and his party rode in the carriage to the imperial capital.
*
Prince Schwarze was in a very foul mood.
Clearly, he had more nobles supporting him compared to Princess Brigitte. However, recently, his position within the noble assembly had been crumbling.
And it was quite clear who was to blame for this mess.
Yuma.
That being, who suddenly plopped down from the sky was not only narrowing his position but was outright trying to crush him.
Why was it that the well-known rule that in a crisis the prince’s side would naturally take precedence was now turning its back on him?
“I have to find a way to restrain him.”
His status.
His authority.
He needed to make sure that he would no longer receive honor.
And that’s why he had arranged this gathering.
Even if that guy achieved tremendous merits on the southern front, he had to ensure that he would no longer be a threat.
Thus, he gathered every noble eligible to meet in the imperial conference room.
Prince Schwarze gazed at the nobles surrounding the round table.
There were a total of 18 nobles gathered in the conference room. Their ranks varied from barons to marquesses.
The fact that he could gather 18 nobles on the very day in the capital demonstrated that Schwarze’s authority was still alive and well.
Schwarze let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
“Is everyone here?”
The blonde prince looked at the nobles and began to speak. Schwarze wore a stern expression; what he was about to say was very important.
“This meeting is for the purpose of finding fault. A commoner, not a noble, named Yuma, running rampant in the Astes Empire. As the prince, I find this quite displeasing.”
Schwarze, having set the mood, continued.
“He has incapacitated half of the empire’s military core, the Ten Commanders. This is precisely why reinforcements aren’t being sent to bolster the southern border. Shall we leave this unidentified man as he is? I don’t think we should.”
Several nobles nodded vigorously in agreement with the prince’s words. Of course, most of them were part of what was known as the ‘Schwarze Faction.’
“Even if that guy achieves something remarkable on the front lines, it doesn’t mean he should be treated like a hero. There must be a legal restriction. I think we need to put some kind of magical constraint on that unpredictable guy.”
Right after the First Prince Schwarze finished speaking.
Creeeak─!!
The door to the conference room swung open violently.
“Which impertinent individual has the audacity to!!”
Noble Ardolt of the strong ‘Schwarze Faction’ stomped to his feet in anger but soon slumped back into his chair with a stupefied expression.
“…Princess Brigitte.”
Brigitte didn’t even glance at Ardolt and marched straight toward the blonde prince.
“You’re having quite an interesting discussion, dear brother.”
Brigitte looked at Schwarze with her striking blue eyes.
Schwarze’s brows furrowed tightly.
“Brigitte….”
Brigitte towered over Schwarze, who was sitting cross-legged in his chair.
“I clearly told you last time. My agent. My sword breaking your sword was merely for self-defense. It was your sword that initiated the attack.”
Schwarze’s lips twisted in agitation.
“So you’re saying that decimating the empire’s military centerpiece, the Empire’s Ten Knights, was just an unavoidable situation? Take some responsibility. At the very least, you should swear loyalty to the country. You can pledge your mana to prove it. That way, you won’t rebel against the imperial family.”
A mana pact.
A vow sealed with mana.
However, the ‘mana’ needed for the mana pact didn’t even exist for Yuma…!
Of course, no one in the room knew that.
“Well.”
Even the beautiful Brigitte’s brow slightly furrowed.
“If you can handle him, brother, that’s fine, but I can’t really recommend saying such things in front of him.”
Schwarze grimaced.
“After all, he’s just one of my subjects….”
Before the regal bloodline grandeur of Schwarze could finish, someone interrupted him.
“I too would like to humbly add to Princess Brigitte’s statement. Prince Schwarze, the God of War Yuma. It would be wise not to provoke his mood.”
Schwarze quickly turned his head to see who had dared to interrupt a royal.
The red-haired man standing there was someone even First Prince Schwarze was well aware of.
“Red Tower Master, Eldrie.”
The 7th Circle Archmage Eldrie, despite being over forty, maintained the appearance of a young man.
He was someone who lived like a brother with the lord of the Sepiton estate, situated above the city of Arkan.
Often referred to as an eccentric genius in the fire magic domain, the reason for this label was simple. While fire magic was his specialty, he was also obsessively interested in magical engineering.
It was quite unusual for a fire mage, known for their destructive power, to take such an interest in the most intricate field of magical studies.
However, since he had already achieved significant research results, no one dared to call him an eccentric genius in his presence— they only praised him as an unparalleled prodigy.
The surveillance sensor systems throughout the imperial estate were all products of magical engineering created by the Red Tower Master, Eldrie.
The security sensor system scattered throughout the actual building was the product of magical engineering crafted by Eldrie, the master of the Red Tower, right before their eyes.
Schwarze slightly eased his anger. It was to avoid mistakes with one of the few talents within the Empire.
“Is there something you’ve seen with those eyes? Master Eldrie.”
Schwarze instinctively knew. He sensed that Princess Brigitte and the grand mage Eldrie were about to bring up the story of how they defeated the Black Dragon.
Schwarze was also aware since he was the one who received a report from Yumir, the mercenary king’s apprentice. However, he still remained skeptical.
How could a mortal, a mere human, capture a dragon? Such a transcendent being.
Eldrie let out a gentle smile.
“I haven’t seen it with my own two eyes.”
Eldrie pulled something out.
It resembled a magical device that modern people would instantly recognize as a “drone.”
“I haven’t officially named it yet, but… how about ‘Magical Scout’? It’s a magical engineering device that can glide through the sky and capture images of the ground. It’s quite the glutton for magic stones.”
“Oooooooh!!”
“Oooooooh!! A magnificent invention like this…! If deployed in warfare, it could infiltrate enemy territory and scout their formations! Truly, you are Master Eldrie!”
“Yes, everyone. Once I’m done with my work, you’ll be able to handle it.”
Eldrie, ignoring the two noblemen who were among his fervent fans, placed the Magical Scout in front of the First Prince.
Standing beside him, Eldrie pressed a series of buttons in quick succession.
Soon, a rectangular window appeared above the Magical Scout.
“I would never dare to deploy this Magical Scout in the capital. That’s why I’ve only operated it around my residence in Sephiton. But something strange appeared in the sky.”
Inside the rectangular window, a certain scene began to play.
No one was surprised by the black-and-white footage. Magical visual devices were already famous among nobles.
The screen was in black-and-white, and although there was no sound, silence enveloped everyone.
All eighteen nobles gathered in the room were struck with shock.
Even in black-and-white, even without any sound, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t recognize the presence that appeared on that dark screen.
“…Dragon!!”
Despite the black-and-white footage and the subpar quality filled with noise, no one dared to underestimate that dragon. Even through this poor video, its overwhelming presence was palpable.
With fierce yet noble eyes.
The mouth of the dragon, grotesque yet stunning.
The sheer majesty of the black dragon, nearly 100 meters long, was breathtaking.
The silver armor of the knights could hardly be compared to the solid black scales.
“It can truly be called the most perfect being in the world…”
At the words of Count Venosetian, owner of the Magical Train [Halo], the nobles nodded their heads unconsciously.
Even from a distance, its overwhelming presence was felt.
Only two people were not awed by the dragon’s might. Eldrie, the owner of the Magical Scout, and Princess Brigitte, who had previously shown the video.
It was Princess Brigitte, the First Princess, who showed the video in advance before Eldrie.
The screen zoomed in as much as possible.
Unlike the people in the distance, one man stood firmly on the ground, facing the Black Dragon.
“Is he not collapsing…? The overwhelming pressure from the Dragon Fear must be crushing him,” remarked Viscount Kamart, who had reached the Advanced Sword Expert level. At that, the Sword Master, Michael, standing next to Princess Brigitte, swallowed hard.
It was as Count Rubelt had said.
There was fear and pressure that couldn’t be described in words weighing down on his body. Yet that man, the one named Yuma, was overcoming it.
He stood there with both feet planted on the ground.
The screen pulled back again. And—
“What, what’s that!”
“Dragon Breath!!”
Something was coalescing from the mouth of the Black Dragon.
Even in black and white, the vicious heat radiating from it was palpable.
The distorted noise on the screen seemed to testify to its ferocity.
The screen momentarily turned white.
“Hiieeek!”
And when it returned, the terrifying shape of the incoming Dragon Breath was visible to all.
And there was the man standing firm on the ground, wielding his sword.
Nobles and knights alike gaped in astonishment.
All the noble eyes turned to Michael, the highest-ranking swordsman present.
“… While I cannot say for certain, it seems he managed to counterattack by striking with his own lethal blade while deflecting the breath. That’s the only explanation I can give. Not only did he withstand the Dragon Breath, but his sword energy is so supreme that he could push it back towards the enemy…!!”
Then the next scene was even more horrifying.
The Black Dragon hit directly by that sword energy vanished without a trace. Not a bone or a piece of skin remained.
The video came to an end.
Eldrie, the Scarlet Magic Tower Master, surveyed the nobles and the First Prince.
“This man single-handedly took down a dragon. Can you handle the consequences of provoking someone like him, Your Highness, the First Prince?”
As the eighteen nobles, caught in a shiver, continued to sit in their chairs,
Thud—
The sound of footsteps echoed on the ground.
The nobles turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.
From beyond the open door, a man with ash-gray hair slowly stepped in.
Royan, the chief attendant of the First Princess’ palace and an attendant to Brigitte, opened his mouth.
An introduction was necessary for this man.
“Behold, the one who defeated the former Ten Lords and the Sword God Chronos, saving the city of Arkan from evil.”
Thud—
The man took another step forward.
“And the one who vanquished the Black Dragon, saving the Rubelt territory.”
Thud—
The man stepped into the conference room.
His languid blue eyes fixed directly on the nobles and the two royals.
“It is Duke Yuma.”
