231. Sea Road, To the Dragon City (4)
#231
It was impossible to confuse the vicious presence. It was the mana of the black man I saw in Aurora Skal. Goosebumps ran down the arm holding the hilt of his sword.
‘Is he still around?’
If you don’t know what it is, it could be very dangerous. Ronan said, urgently looking back at Asher and Schlieffen.
“Just do some research around here. hurry.”
“Ji, now?”
“okay. Urgent.”
Although the two were puzzled, they followed the instructions. In addition to Adeshan, the two most powerful detection nets in Phileon Academy spread out in all directions. Asher, who had his eyes closed, stammered.
“Well, there’s no one within a 5km radius. Are you sure.”
“3km radius… ugh.”
Schlieffen, who was about to continue speaking, closed his mouth. She glanced at Asher in exasperation, which seemed to indicate that Asher’s detection ability was better.
“Thank goodness.”
Ronan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that report. It seemed like he had already finished his business and left somewhere. He frowned as he looked down at Drahavier’s body.
“What the fuck, what happened to you?”
The part where the neck and body connect. Blood and seawater were gushing out from inside the hole, which was so wide that it felt cool. It looked like it had been hit by a single blow, as there were no wounds other than the hole.
Judging by its size and the thickness of its scales, it is a dragon so strong that it cannot be compared to Lando Heisel, but I couldn’t believe that it went away so easily. It was the car he was trying to put a little closer to.
【Big… Wow!】
“Shit, I’m surprised.”
Drahavier’s head, hanging in the distance, twitched. Ronan, embarrassed by the sound similar to a whale spouting water, let out a curse.
I thought he was definitely dead, but it seemed like he was still breathing. He stepped on Drahavier’s neck and leapt onto the wing on the other side.
Since the left wing was placed in front of the face, I was able to compose it as if they were facing each other. Looking at it like this, it was a really big dragon.
Bright yellow eyes as big as a palm fruit were staring at me. It was important from here on. Ronan cleared her throat once and opened her mouth.
“Mr. Drahavier. Are you okay?”
【Yes. Are you a member of the organization?】
“That’s right. “What on earth happened to you to be injured like this?”
【Ahhh. Hehe, that’s good. Did he leave…】
Ronan calmly imitated a Green Tusk member. Asher and Schlieffen swallowed her dry saliva.
Drahavie, who was lying down, had not yet noticed the condition of his son, who was lying on his wing. He continued speaking after coughing up blood.
【My son…tell Landoheidel…to run far away from Adren…that spear, that spear…】
“yes? “A window?”
【He…is planning to assassinate Your Majesty with that…and maybe even do something worse…】
“your majesty? Are you talking about the Dragon King? “Please speak a little louder.”
Ronan asked, but there was no answer. Soon, Drahavier began rambling like an old man with dementia.
【This poisonous dragon…the butterfly of the sea…ah…】
It seemed as if death was imminent and I was losing my mind. window? It’s a window. Suddenly, the incident at Aurora Skal came to mind.
‘The box.’
According to Didican, the man in black requested a weapon that was confusing as to whether it was a pillar or a spear. The box containing the weapon could only be moved by six men. Ronan remembered how he had blown off the heads of two Green Tusk members with a drop of blood on a box.
‘Did you get hit there?’
I wasn’t sure because I hadn’t seen the inside of the box in person. However, if the hypothesis is correct, it was truly a vicious weapon.
To cut through dragon scales, which are known to be one of the hardest substances in the world, like a piece of paper. Ronan asked with a hint of impatience.
“Do you know the name of that black guy? “Who is it?”
【Great job… right in front of your eyes… but it’s filled with regrets…】
“Hey, poisonous dragon!”
【Lando…Heidel…】
Ronan asked, but there was no answer. The light faded from Lyn de la Javier’s eyes as she chanted her son’s name for the last time. Ronan, who had been scratching his head, spat on the floor.
“What on earth, what the fuck…”
It was difficult to understand the current situation. A man in black, an unidentified weapon, and even a plan to assassinate the Dragon King. I couldn’t come to my senses because so many stories were pouring in that I couldn’t take in one by one.
One thing was certain: I had to go to Adren first. At that time, Schlieffen, who was examining Landoheidel, shook his head.
“This person died instantly. “Seeing as there was no heart, there must have been no time to scream.”
“okay. “I guess I should be glad that I didn’t see my son die…”
Landoheidel’s heart and the surrounding area had been completely cut out. He was much smaller than De La Javier, but the hole was the same size, so he looked relatively more serious. Ronan, who was looking at the corpses of the two dragons, clicked her tongue.
“Oh, shit.”
It was a luxury that the opponent who was supposed to turn into an enemy had disappeared, but I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable. And the father and son died together. Even considering that he was an enemy, it was a very tragic death.
Of course, that’s it and I’ll do my job. Ronan, who was examining the corpses and making an estimate, opened his mouth.
“Asher. “If you have any empty bottles or containers, please move them here.”
“Yes? “Why are you sick?”
“I need to get some poison. I also pulled out my teeth. “When I saw it earlier, it seemed like it would be very useful.”
“Ah, devil…!”
“Then will you at least hold a funeral?”
Asher’s face turned pale. Anyway, Ronan picked up his sword and began to dismantle the poisonous dragon that had reached the end of its life. How many opportunities will there be to obtain the dragon’s materials?
Because the poison was boiling on the sea, Ronan was the only one who could work. He took five oak barrels’ worth of venom, teeth, leather, and other miscellaneous by-products. Someone’s voice was heard from behind Schlieffen, who was blowing away poison with the wind.
“Hmm. “It’s interesting too.”
“hmm?”
It was a small voice that could be considered an auditory hallucination. Schlieffen quickly turned her head, but there was no one on her deck. It was the same even when I sharpened my senses.
“···Did I hear it wrong?”
“Hey, keep the wind blowing. “A venom is rising.”
Schlieffen looked forward again. The work was completed about three hours later. There was no sign of the black man until the Red Whirlwind set sail again.
****
The Red Whirlwind carrying Ronan and his party continued for two more days. Due to a sudden storm, the time was delayed by a day.
Still, the messed up hull became a little cleaner. The strong rain and wind washed away all the blood stains on the deck and mast.
After the storm left, it was a clear day. It was the evening of a week since the voyage began. The boat, which was moving with a favorable wind, suddenly stopped.
“What, why are you like this all of a sudden?”
“It looks like we’ve arrived at our destination.”
“Arrived? “There’s nothing?”
Ronan looked around. But no matter how hard I strained my eyes, I couldn’t see anything that resembled land. There was only a huge southern sunset on the horizon, setting the sea on fire.
“···Did I drink too much poison?”
Ronan and the others looked at the map drawn by Itargand again. Unless all three of them were blind, it was clear that this was the place. The blade of doubt was slowly turning towards Itargand.
“wait for a sec.”
Suddenly, one fact passed through Ronan’s mind. Almost all dragons had wings and could fly in the sky.
He slowly raised his head. An enormous cumulonimbus cloud covered about half of the sky. Although it seemed to be floating quite high, it was difficult to even properly gauge its actual size at that scale.
“···no way.”
“Ro, Ronan. “It’s not what I think it is, is it?”
“I think that’s right.”
The three people who sensed something looked at each other in turn. It was an absurd idea, but no matter how much I thought about it, there was no other option. Ronan tapped Asher on the shoulder.
“Everyone’s lives are at stake, so please do it delicately.”
“Hey! “Really?”
“Then there is no other way. “I really wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t brought you.”
Asher looked like he was going to cry, but Ronan was stubborn. He thought there would be an entrance exclusively for outside guests, but it was a mistake to expect such consideration from the dragon.
“Well, then I’ll try my best…”
Asher soon gave up and let out a sigh. He trudged along and sat cross-legged under the mast.
It seemed like a preparation for precise manipulation. As he closed his eyes and chanted the spell, the ship slowly began to rise. Ronan said, looking back at Schlieffen.
“Then let us do our thing.”
“hmm.”
Schlieffen pulled the hilt of his sword as if responding. The sloop, which was ascending, soon entered the cumulonimbus cloud. Nothing was visible in the thick clouds.
The two men were alert in all directions with all their attention. If Asher’s concentration was broken by being attacked in the air, it would have ended very badly. Their weapons were ready to fire sword energy at any moment.
“Ugh…”
We had been ascending for about twenty minutes. Asher, who was concentrating, moaned softly. The rising sloop swayed slightly.
“what’s the matter?”
“Okay, I sense powerful presences. “I think it’s true that Adren is beyond here.”
Ronan concentrated his mind after hearing those words. Indeed, I felt that the air current around me had changed. Conversation, flapping wings, small roars… the sounds coming from beyond the cumulonimbus clouds were tapping on my sensitive eardrums.
Fortunately, there was no threat. A few more minutes had passed. Suddenly, the veil of clouds covering all directions disappeared and an open space appeared. The stagnant sunset poured over the deck. Ronan and Schlieffen’s eyes widened.
“Oh, fuck.”
A huge island was floating in the middle of the sky. The majestic buildings that rose up were shining in the sunset.
It was a sight reminiscent of the Drimoore that Ronan had once seen, but it was dozens or hundreds of times different in scale. Dragons of all kinds were roaming freely in the air around the island. Asher, who only then opened his eyes, was amazed.
“Three, oh my…!”
“Good job. Asher.”
Ronan ruffled Asher’s hair as if he was proud. It was a scenery I never got tired of seeing. I never thought dragons would have such an aesthetic sense. Asher, who was moving his boat in a daze, stuttered and said.
“Where are we going now?”
“I’ll have to go through immigration. “I know where this is.”
Itargand said the only immigration checkpoint is on the north side of the island. Asher moved his hand and the bow turned. The young hatchlings flew around the boat and laughed.
“Ahaha, it’s human! human!”
“Hello, hello!”
After sailing above the clouds for a long time, they were able to arrive at their destination. As expected, a long, wide stone pier reminiscent of a bridge was sticking out in the middle of the northern face.
A pure white obelisk that appeared to be five stories high indicated that this was a special place. It was an immigration checkpoint that checked people coming from outside.
At the dock, there was a line of vehicles using animals such as airships and griffons. A huge gate that even non-polymorphed dragons could pass through stood at the end of the dock leading to the island.
Asher landed his ship on the dock. It was ugly to see the stomach tilted like it was lying down, but it wasn’t an airship and it couldn’t be helped. They disembarked after a week and slowly walked towards the main gate. Ronan shrugged his eyebrows.
“There were more than us.”
In front of the gate, there were five or six people who appeared to have arrived first. Judging from the flashy and unfamiliar attire, it seemed as if he was a messenger from another country.
Two large men who appeared to be sentries were blocking the gate. An old man with a long crown on his head was sitting next to him. It seemed like the old man was the judge. Schlieffen, who was watching them closely, opened his mouth.
“The mood is not very good.”
“ok?”
Ronan tilted his head. When he concentrated a little, he could hear the sounds of arguing following his words.
“Go back. “We are not currently receiving outside visitors.”
“Well, that can’t be possible! “It’s a promise we made six months ago!”
“That’s too bad. But I can’t let you in.”
“This is nonsense! “I will file a formal complaint!”
The man who appeared to be a messenger began to vent his anger. The judge must have been a dragon or one of its servants, so it seemed quite unfair to see him do that without fear.
But the guards just kept repeating the command to run like a machine. After a few minutes, the worse examiner stood up. He walked out between the guards, looked at the messenger, and said.
“Judge Vanartier. “Are you not planning on going back?”
“Well, now someone I can communicate with has appeared. “I told you, I received orders directly from our king!”
The messenger who saw the examiner raised his voice. The old man named Vanartier quietly listened to his complaints. The messenger was even making gestures and complaining about his injustice.
“This is not a simple problem. It is clearly an act of disrespect between nations. To our king…!”
“okay. “I understand.”
Suddenly, the examiner’s mouth opened wide. The sentries turned their heads back. Quaaaaa! Flames poured from the examiner’s mouth and engulfed the messenger. Ronan and the others froze in place.
“Hee hee hee!!”
Asher screamed. The flames that poured down like molten metal died out in less than three seconds. The upper body, which had been moving so lively just a moment ago, had disappeared without a trace.
thud. The messenger fell silent and fell to the floor. The tanned lower body could no longer speak.
The people who appeared to be the messenger’s party looked as if they were about to faint at any moment. After freezing for a long time, they screamed and ran away.
Because no one had taken care of the body, the burned lower body was still there. The judge looked back at Ronan and the others and said dryly.
“next.”
“…I’m killing you.”
Ronan laughed. It was indeed an entry screening worthy of notoriety. He said, looking back at Asher and Schlieffen.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of. “We have an imprint.”
“Oh, right? “I guess that’s it?”
“okay. We are servants of the famous Itargand. “Don’t be scared.”
Asher asked, crying. Schlieffen nodded his head calmly. Ronan tapped the two on their shoulders and opened her mouth.
“Then let’s just check before we go. “Please show me the engraving.”
“W-here…!”
Asher rolled up his sleeves. Schlieffen silently showed the back of his hand. A pattern symbolizing Itargand was clearly engraved. Finally, Ronan lifted his shirt.
“Okay, then me too…”
I wanted it to be inked on my back because I wanted to keep it in shape. The examiner’s face suddenly hardened when he saw Ronan’s back, who was attacking him.
“···ah?”
“Is it clear that it was engraved here?”
“What do you mean? “You all saw it until yesterday.”
For some reason, the expressions on both of their faces were not good. Ronan frowned at her and reached for her back.
The engraved area was so slightly indented that its presence could be detected even by touch. He raised his eyebrows as he fumbled with his back.
“Eh?”
The imprint was not touched. Only the feel of the skin and the muscles beneath it passed through my fingertips.
Asher and Schlieffen were staring blankly at Ronan’s empty back. The examiner couldn’t stand it anymore and opened his mouth again.
“Didn’t you hear? next.”
