Volume 4:Dark Prince and Tyrant (Part 2)

Chapter 46: Betrayal of the Evil Dragon

“Lucius, at this rate, you’ll die.”

The spears of Lucius and Yu, the leader of the temporary headquarters, clashed.

The hard oak staffs collided, creating a loud sound.

“Lucius, your concentration is scattered.”

“Yes.”

Lucius and Yu were in the midst of training at the dojo since morning.

Although it was called a dojo, it was merely an outdoor training area with a roof for rain protection.

A small town called Fumoto in the eastern Tact Territory.

They had been living in the temporary headquarters for two years now.

Lucius was 12 years old.

While his youthful features were still prominent, he was gradually becoming a young man.

“Today, I’ll win for sure.”

“Come.”

Yu easily evaded Lucius’s shallow thrust. At the same time, he counterattacked with a thrust.

-As expected.

Lucius avoided Yu’s attack and made a large step forward.

For the first time, Lucius’s spear captured Yu.

Just before it hit his chest, he stopped the spear.

He hadn’t moved much, but he was out of breath.

Lucius, savoring his victory, declared, “I win, don’t I?”

“Yeah, you do. There’s no need to teach you swords, bows, or spears anymore.”

Yu happily placed his spear on the ground.

At the same time, his long gray hair flowed down to his shoulders.

Of course, Yu didn’t think that Lucius had surpassed his skill level.

Yu had enough composure to point out Lucius’s mistakes during training.

It was probably because he had only mastered the basics.

“Yu-san, Lucius-san, breakfast is ready.”

Lauren’s clear voice echoed in the garden.

Turning their faces towards the source of the voice, they saw a slightly grown-up girl walking towards them.

Lauren didn’t have fox ears on her head.

They would occasionally appear if she let her guard down, but they were not always there.

“Thank you.”

“I’m sorry.”

While laughing, Lauren stopped just in front of Lucius.

“Lucius-san, did you grow taller again?”

“I wonder.”

“You’re already so tall that I have to look up.”

Lauren’s face, standing on tiptoe, was almost at his nose.

Her long black hair cascaded down to her violet eyes, which seemed to suck him in, causing him to instinctively step back.

Lauren sometimes had a strangely close sense of distance.

He hadn’t been concerned about it until recently, but as Lauren grew more feminine, Lucius became more embarrassed by it.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing!”

Lucius became flustered, and Yu called out to him from behind.

“Lucius, you’re worrying too much. Listen to the person behind you. It sounds more serious than before.”

Yu’s voice had changed from the delighted tone earlier to a slightly more serious tone.

“Lucius, your skills are sufficient, but you seem a bit confused with the spear. Is it because of that incident?”

“That’s right. Honestly, even if I’m told that I’ll ‘die if things continue like this,’ I can’t really feel it.”

The Orléance family, a clan responsible for the records and research of ceremonies.

Those were the words spoken by the elderly lady, Gufel, the former head of the family, last week.

Lucius shifted his gaze to his left hand.

On the back of his hand, a black crescent-shaped pattern was floating.

“Although the evil dragon is starting to abandon you, there is still time.”

“Yes, according to Gufel-sama, I have until this crescent turns into a circle.”

The black pattern on the back of his hand was the mark left by the evil dragon.

When a contract was broken between a person and a magical creature—a ceremony—the creature would show various signs of severing ties with its master.

Among them, marking something on the body was a common method, according to Gufel.

That’s right, Lucius was on the verge of being abandoned by the evil dragon.

The pattern first appeared on his hand about two weeks ago.

At first, it was a thin line that could be seen with a close look.

But it gradually thickened day by day, and now he could clearly see the pattern.

The question of why this was happening at this timing remained, but the reason was clear.

By forming a contract with Chiyou, the supply of magical power that could be provided to the evil dragon had drastically decreased.

In addition, the battle with Chiyou, where Lucius forcefully stopped a fight that was as significant to the evil dragon as its existence itself, may have also been a factor.

For a while, there was nothing unusual, but just like water overflowing from a cup with a droplet, the situation had reached its limit.

According to Gufel, the evil dragon’s judgment was exceptional, and she believed there was a grace period of at least ten years.

Within just over two years since forming the contract, the time had come, which surprised Gufel more than anyone else.

“But there are still options.”

After much consideration, the Orléance family presented two strategies: one was to evolve the evil dragon through a pledge, and the other was to provide enough magical power to the evil dragon.

They concluded that either one was necessary for Lucius’s survival.

Evolution was the more reliable option, but there seemed to be a possibility of supplying enough magical power as well.

“Yeah, I’ll help too. I plan to go to Mount Kouron today.”

Yu’s intention in heading to Mount Kouron was, of course, to explore the method of the evil dragon’s evolution.

Mount Kouron was a place where many cases of ceremonies evolving had been reported.

However, even though the Orléance family, responsible for the study and records of ceremonies, had thoroughly searched the area, they couldn’t find any clues.

The hope was slim.

Yu understood that as well. However, they were still taking action.

For the past two years, Lucius had also searched for signs of evolution and visited Mount Kouron numerous times, but there was no trace of it.

The Orléance family had also gone all out, deciphering their precious books and searching for clues to evolution.

“I’m sorry, you have work too, right?”

“It’s not that busy right now. Besides, don’t worry too much. Lucius may seem mature, but you’re still a child. It’s okay to rely on adults.”

“Thank you.”

Yu’s words were not a lie, but they were not entirely accurate either.

Although it was not a busy season as the fields were resting in winter, administrative work as a deputy was ongoing throughout the year.

In fact, Yu had left for Mount Kouron alone yesterday and worked late into the night to finish the remaining tasks.

The three of them proceeded to have breakfast.

After finishing their meal, Yu quickly left the house.

Lucius tidied up with Lauren and prepared to leave.

-While Yu-san and the others are searching for the method of evolution, I need to do my best too.

Lauren wore a worried expression.

“Lucius-san, starting from today, right?”

“Yeah. I’m going to the Knights Brigade.”

While Lucius was away, Yu and the Orléance family were searching for the method of evolution, and he had already made arrangements to visit the Knights Brigade.

“Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Despite Lucius’s smile, Lauren looked at him with a gaze that seemed to say she couldn’t believe him.

“Alright, I’m going then.”

Lucius left the temporary headquarters.

-Now, should I hurry?

It was mid-winter.

He felt the cold air biting at his cheeks.

As he exhaled white breath, he walked quickly through the familiar town.

Along the way, he was frequently approached by the townspeople.

Since the incident with Chiyou, even the cold-hearted people in the town welcomed Lucius with gratitude. They were not bad people at heart.

He passed by the newly rebuilt government office building.

In the center of the burned-down town, there now stood a splendid mansion.

Although he considered moving there, he decided to stay in the familiar temporary headquarters, which the deputy Yu visited every day.

However, the master of that mansion, who had recently become absorbed in exploring Mount Kouron, exuded a somewhat melancholic aura.

-If I don’t hurry, I’ll be late.

Leaving Tact town, he reached the tea fields and started running, gradually increasing his speed.

He entered the road that led to the forest.

It was the road that he took when he first came to this town two years ago.

After running for about an hour, a stone fortress in the middle of the forest caught his eye.

It was something that didn’t exist two years ago.

“I’ve arrived.”

Although he had seen it several times during construction, it was his first time entering.

He approached the gate that was built towards the road.

He called out to the guards.

“Lucius Norris Dragon. I have an appointment with the brigade commander, Shaulia-sama, today.”

The moment the guards heard Lucius’s name, their shoulders moved.

There was surprise, but judging from their tense expressions, there seemed to be more to it.

-What’s going on?

After a brief pause, the guards saluted.

“…We have been waiting for you. Please come this way.”

The huge gate opened, urging him to enter.

Although he felt a sense of incongruity, Lucius stepped into the fortress.

-It’s much bigger than I thought.

A watchtower, if you could call it that, surrounded the outside.

Buildings were constructed to enclose the outer perimeter.

Inside was a courtyard, and at the very back stood a castle-like structure.

The courtyard was filled with sturdy knights.

They were all training with a sense of urgency, completely focused on their exercises.

“It feels intense here.”

Lucius spoke to the guard who was guiding him.

“…This is the 9th Division. They are led by the youngest brigade commander. Everyone is desperate not to be left behind.”

The Knights Brigade was a meritocracy.

Although factors such as family background and experience were considered to some extent, strength, that is, the amount of magical power and the rank of the ceremony, determined most of it, unless there were significant personality or leadership flaws.

There was a time in the past when bloodline was the main factor, but apparently, the Empire could no longer maintain the front line with just appearances alone during the prolonged war with the Empire.

“Wow, she must be an amazing person.”

Lucius and the guard were guided to the largest building in the center.

Then, the two stopped in front of a rough door.

The guard knocked on the trembling door with his shaking hand.

And he raised his voice.

“Brigade Commander! I have brought Baron Lucius with me!”

“Allow him to enter.”

A loud voice echoed from the depths of the room.

When the door opened, a woman in her mid-20s sitting behind a large desk came into view.

She stared at Lucius with a piercing gaze as her lavender-colored hair swayed.

“So, you’re… Lucius.”

“Hah, thank you very much for your cooperation.”

“I’m only doing it because it’s a royal order.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t understand anything. If you truly understood, there’s no way you would have the audacity to show your face here.”

-Quite the greeting.

Lucius pondered his response to her prickly words, but it seemed better to hear it directly rather than misunderstanding.

“…Is there something that bothers you?”

“Yes, I’m deeply bothered.”

The brigade commander smiled, but her eyes showed no signs of a smile.

She stared at Lucius with an icy gaze.

“Because you… killed my brother.”

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