King Schubert is waiting for you in the next room.

　Fedonia-san announced that and bowed.

　I was led to the top floor of the Holy Shumurian Castle.

　In front of me, there is a long corridor.

　At the front of the corridor, two knights in stern armor were standing like gatekeepers.

(These guys seem to be quite skilled at it too.)

　I feel a great 'pressure'.

　I take a deep breath, with three adults looking at me.

(Okay.)

　Determined, I started walking to the end of the hallway.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　At the end of the corridor was a magnificent balcony.

　It offered a panoramic view of the city of the royal capital, Mulia.

　There stood a mature man wearing a heavy cloak and a gleaming crown.

(King Schubert)

　His blue eyes looked back at me, shaking his platinum hair.

'You're here.'

　Sharp eyes.

　His well-trained body was so unworthy of his fifty years of age.

　I nodded yes.

　The last time I saw him, he told me he was disappointed in me. That memory still lingers, which is why I get a little nervous.

''Well..........''

　The king stared at me like that.

　And without saying anything, he turned his gaze out of the balcony.

　My gaze goes in that direction as well.

　Phew!

　A cool breeze blows.

(Wow....)

　Once again, I was amazed at the grandeur of the landscape.

　You can see the full extent of the city of Mulia, the royal capital of 300,000 people.

　The statue of the goddess Shrean in the cathedral.

　The main street of the royal capital.

　Ah, the building over there that looks like a white tower is the Adventurers' Guild Gekko no Kaze.

　I wonder if the orphanage Po-chan was staying at is in that area?

　Benas Armor Store is near that street.

　Iltimina's house is on that side of the hill.

(It's a nice view.)

　It's like being a bird.

　Beyond the walls, the land of Shumuria stretched farther and farther away.

　I had a glint in my eye and the king said to me, "Do you think it is a beautiful sight?

Do you think it's a beautiful sight?
Yes, sir.

　I nodded heartily.

'Right.'

　The king replied.

To me, it's a very frightening sight.

(What...?

　I couldn't help but look back at him as the unexpected words continued.

　He stared, staring out at the landscape outside.

"I must protect the 300,000 people who live in this royal city and the people of Shumuria. I can't help but feel the weight of that responsibility.
..........

　Zachariah.

　King Schubert turned himself around.

　He moved to the center of the balcony and looked back at me.

'Draw your sword, imperfect 'divine dog,'

(Huh?)

I am a warrior. It is more fitting for us to talk with each other as we cross swords rather than just talk.

　shrimp

　As he said this, King Schubert pulled out the sword that was held at his waist.

　It's a very beautiful sword.

　The decoration was beautiful and the magic stones were shimmering, I thought that it was probably also a Thanatos magic armament.

(............)

　I stare at him in surprise.

　There's just a quiet fighting spirit, no strong 'pressure' or killing spirit.

　Let's make a light hand match........something like that.

''I understand.''

　I nodded and slowly pulled the 'fairy sword' out of its sheath.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　Kin Kin Kin.

　We keep our blades lightly aligned with each other.

　Not to hurt the other, but just to communicate our intentions and to understand the other.

(............)

　King Schubert's sword was a very basic sword.

　But that basic movement was mastered to great heights.

　Simple and robust.

　Such is the image.

　Because it is basic, there are no unexpected moves, but there are no gaps at all.

　I understood that the person in front of me was that kind of person.

　...I wonder if King Schubert is sensing something from my sword as well?

　Quinn, Quinn, Quinn.

What do you think is the most important thing for the country?

　Suddenly, he said.

　I didn't have a quick answer to his question as I put my swords together.

'Force of arms,'

　The king continued.

'The weak are taken away by the strong. The weak come together to protect what is dear to them, and what is formed by the pacts made by the weak to protect what is dear to them is a nation.
..........
'It is the good guys who do greater violence that stop the bad guys from doing violence. That's what knights and nations are for.

　Whew.

(!)

　Suddenly, a different and sharper swing came.

　Gakiyin.

　Barely catching the blow.

　A clash of wits.

　King Schubert stares at me from the other side of the clashing white blades.

'Right or wrong, it's all about brute force.
..........
'You must claim your will as righteousness, and you must have absolute force to carry it out.

　giggle

　The force of the push is strong.

　Without a doubt, I am painfully aware that this king is a warrior.

　His blue eyes pierce me.

''Imperfect Godgu, do you have the martial strength to do yourself justice?''

　cooing

　I tilted my sword and deflected the power of the king's sword at an angle.

　Shariin.

　Sparks fly and the blade slides.

　I heal King Schubert's pressure, switch positions, and hold the sword in my right eye again.

'I don't know,'

　I replied.

　The king also turned to me and slowly raised his sword.

''But I'll do my best to scramble.

　tat

　He stepped in and unleashed the stroking sword Kirt had taught him.

　Kickin'

　The king defends himself well.

'I'm missing too many things. But that's no reason to give up.
..........

　Kin Kin.

　Sparks scattered and the pause was clogged up.

　As if to strike the void, I let out a 'hilt strike'.

　Gasp!

　Easily caught by the hilt of the king's sword.

　With the recoil, my sword jumped up.

　-- that is, the upper stance.

　King Schubert's expression changed as he realized.

'I will continue to reach for what I seek.
I'm not sure...

　Hu-Con

　King Schubert dodged with a quick spin.

　But　

　callan

　The crown on its head was cut off and fell to the balcony floor, along with a few strands of platinum hair.

''..........''
..........

　Both men had stopped moving.

　King Schubert exhaled heavily.

　Kashan.

　I put the magic sword of Thanatos in my hand and put it away in its scabbard.

"Greedy God's dog, huh?

　I muttered.

　........Ah.

　There, I finally came to myself.

(Oh, I slashed the crown!)

　I finally realize that I've done a terrible thing.

　Bad, bad.

　Will they kill me for disrespect, as Soltis predicted?

　He hurriedly tucked the 'fairy sword' into its sheath.

''Oh, I'm sorry for slashing your crown!

　He bowed his head with a gabber.

　King Schubert looked surprised.

　Then.

Ku......
?
'Hahahahaha!'

　Suddenly, he started laughing out loud.

(Huh?)

Utterly incomprehensible creatures.

　Well...?

　He stifles a laugh and exhales heavily.

'The power to connect with people...?'
..........
Surely it was you who brought things to a head today, but somehow it was all you.

　............

I have defended Shumuria for more than thirty years. This is a lifestyle that can no longer be changed.

　His blue eyes look at me.

"But that's fine with you.

　His voice is unwavering, the very voice of a king.

'Seek justice with power that I cannot understand, and justice that I cannot reach.'
..........
We'll see how that ends up here at Schubert Greig ad Schmulia.

　with a thud

　In front of my astonished face, the king turned his head.

　His luxurious cloak fluttered.

"I hope you make it out of this next battle alive, Ma-lu-lu.

　With those words, he walked to the end of the corridor.

　.............

　My chest felt hot and my heart trembled violently.

　The great King of Shumuria.

　I bowed deeply, deeply to that back that was leaving, with great respect and gratitude.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.　


　The next day, we left the royal capital, Moorea, for the Dollar Continent.

　The Dollar Continent is located in the western part of the Albac Continent.

　In order to get there, we had to take a two-month boat trip from the southernmost military port in the Kingdom of Shumuria.

Wow ... that's great!

　Oh, my God!

　We were now on a flying trip to that military port.

"Are you having fun, Jingu-dono?
Yeah!

　I nodded broadly to the amused Amieukel-san.

　Because now I was riding the 'dragon'!

　Yes, to our surprise, the "Shumurian Dragon Cavalry" was going to carry us to our destination, the military port.

　Guoong.

As if the joy of the 'dragon knight' was felt, the 'dragon' howled.

　The one riding on it is a red dragon that is 10 meters long.

　If you include its wings, it's at least 20 meters long.

　It had long horns sprouting from its forehead, and on the saddle trimmed into its head sat Mr. Amyukel, wearing a helmet with goggles, holding the reins.

　An improvised seat was fixed on his back.

　Me, Illtimina-san and Solstice were sitting there.

　Huoao.....

　Through a gap in the white clouds below, the land of Shumuria could be seen.

　In the same air, about three hundred meters away in the sky, Reidl-san's dragon, one size larger than our dragon, was also flying.

　On his back, there are three of them, Kilt-san, Colontude-san, and Po-chan.

(Haha, that's cool.)

　I reach out and touch the dragon's scales.

　Is it because it's a creature that breathes fire?

　The red scales, each one the size of the palm of my hand, are hot enough to burn.

　And I can feel the pressure of the condensed muscles beneath them.

(Hmmm, awesome ya.)

　Also, the scales on the dragon's entire body had many large and small scars left in white.

This could be the proof that the dragon of the Shumurian Dragon Cavalry had also performed many combat missions.

　According to Mr. Amieukel, the eight 'dragons' of the Dragon Cavalry are all capable of defeating the 'Red Fang Dragon' on their own.

(That's a hell of a lot of strength, right?)

　A massive body weighing several tons.

　An overwhelming life force.

　On its own, it is the ultimate creature of strength, located at the top of the ecosystem.

(-- That's a 'dragon'!)

　Solstice says in a dumbfounded manner to my eyes shining.

''........you're not afraid of me, right?
What?
You're standing next to a dragon. Aren't you afraid of the sky with nowhere to run?

　.........

This dragon is on our side, right?

　At my answer, Solstice was at a loss for words.

　Instead, her sister, Illtimina, said

''We're 'demon hunters', you know. In my experience, I can't help but feel uneasy about approaching a dragon so unprotected.

　He told me that it was complicated.

(Really?)

To me, I'm just happy to be around a dragon like this.
..........
..........

　The sisters give him a subtle look.

''Well, Merle is a boy.

　Illtimina-san laughed as if she was so troubled.

''Haha, you know Jingu-dono!

　On the contrary, Mr. Amyukel's voice bounces with joy.

　Guoong.

　The dragon also howled in response.

　Well, I've fought a black flying dragon before, so I know how scary dragons are too.

(But that's why I also feel the dependability of having a dragon on my side, deep down.

　At least that's what I think.

　Mr. Amukel laughed at me and said

I like you, Jingu-dono. I'll give you a little service.

　in one go

　And I pulled the reins.

(What...?)

　Instantly, the giant red dragon dared to do a backward somersault.

(Oh, oh?!)

Huh.
Oh, my God!

　Mr. Illtimina grits his teeth and Solstice screams.

　But I'm not.

'Hahahahaha!'

　I couldn't help but laugh at the fun.

(It's like a roller coaster!)

　I was also impressed by the ability of a dragon that weighs several tons to move lightly, and its ability to do so.

　Mr. Amieukel also smiled with satisfaction.

Fool!
Huh?

(What?)

　Suddenly, Raydor's angry voice rang out from Amyukel's helmet.

''Even though you're wearing a lifeline, what if you let him fall!　Don't get carried away, Amyukel!
Excuse me, sir!

　It looks like the helmet has a communication device.

(Come to think of it, there was a voice communication crystal called the 'celestial voice device'.)

　Is there a smaller version of that embedded?

　The scolded Mr. Amukel is slumped.

　I sneakily called out to him.

I'm sorry, but I had a good time. Thank you, Mr. Amukel.
"Jingudan...

　Mr. Amieukel looks surprised.

　As if immediately embarrassed.

Hey. Thank you, Mister Merle.

　He laughed.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　That evening, we arrived at our destination, the military port.

(Wow, the ocean.)

　Our eyes were drawn to the ocean, which glowed in the setting sun.

　Below, there were buildings and forts that looked like warehouses, and a harbor had been built in the part of the city that faced the sea, where ships of all sizes were docked.

'We're landing. Brace for impact.

　Mr. Amieukel warned.

　We held on tightly to the seat railing.

　Thump, thump, thump, thump.

　The wings flap, and then the two dragons land in a square with the 'flying dragon' symbol on the grounds.

　It's quite a strong impact.

(Phew.....)

　I'm glad I was warned.

　And when I got off the seat and onto the ground.

Ohhhhh, it's such a relief to be on the ground where you don't have to worry about falling.

　Solstice exhaled in relief.

　Iltimina-san also stepped on the ground as if to confirm it several times.

　Haha.........

　I smiled bitterly and looked back at the 'Red Dragon' who had worked so hard to get here.

　Amieukel-san is lightly tapping its neck as if she is working hard.

　I walk up beside him.

Thank you, Mr. Ryu.

　I thanked him for that.

　Amieukel-san looks a bit surprised.

　Of course, the red dragon didn't say anything, just looked back at me with its clear blue eyes.

　Soon, the knights of the military port arrived and carried our luggage, which was piled on the dragon's back, to the ship we were to board.

''I'm indebted to you,''

　Mr. Kilt shook hands with Mr. Reidle.

'I wish you all the best of luck in your martial endeavors, Kilt Amandes.　　

　He said that as he looked straight into the face of the 'Golden Mark Demon Hunter'.

　Kilt-san nodded.

''Please be safe, Marle and the others.
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Hi.
Hmmm.
..........

　The captain of the dragon cavalry shook hands with me, my sisters, Mr. Colontude, and Po-chan as well.

　And the dragon knight girl behind him.

When I come back alive, I'm going to show my dragon to Lord Marl up close and personal.

　I said, scratching my cheek with my fingers.

(Yeah, okay!)

　It may be Amieukel-san's way of encouraging me, but I can't help but be happy.

　Kirt-san and Reidl-san smiled serenely at my joyful appearance.

　Solstice was dumbfounded, and Mr. Colontude and Poe didn't look particularly interested.

　And Iltimina-san.

..........

　Although I was staring at the profile of Amukel-san as if I was somewhat suspicious.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　The two 'dragons' soared into the evening sky.

'Goodbye!'

　buzzing

　I waved as loudly as I could to the smaller shadows.

　Everyone else waved their hands as well.

　The two 'dragon knights' sitting at the head of the distant dragon also waved back at me.

　''Guoong.''

　The roar of the dragons.

　Then the two dragons circled once above our heads and flew away into the northern sky where the royal capital was located.

(That's fast.)

　The figure became a small dot and quickly disappeared from view.

　Really, it's an amazing flying ability.

''Well it wasn't something I could really be proud of, even if I beat her without the dragon.

　Suddenly, Illtimina-san next to me muttered.

　I couldn't help but look up at her profile.

　............

　Feeling the 'dragon power' up close, there might have been a change in her evaluation of Amieukel-san in her mind.

　The Shumurian Dragon Cavalry.

　That dragon knight and dragon.

(When I come back to Shumuria again, I'd like to talk about a lot of things.)

　I thought to myself.

　We stared at the red sunset sky for a while as two beautiful and mighty dragons disappeared.

　Eventually.

So, let's go.

(Yes.)

　At the sound of Kilt's voice, we started to move.

　Guided by the knight of the military port, we started walking towards the port where the ship we were to board was located.

　Miah, Miah.

　I can hear the cat-like sounds of sea birds.

　I can also smell the tide on the sea breeze.

　Eventually, when I arrived at the tidal harbor, there was a huge ship docked in front of me.　

(Ugh...)

　I was taken aback.　

　The total length of the ship was about 250 meads.

　It was a bona fide warship with cannons loaded on the front and sides.

(Are we going to get on this one?)

　They all have the same look on their faces as I do.

A big boat.
..........

　Mr. Colontude muttered, and Poe vaguely looked at the ship in front of him and nodded coyly.

'Your Majesty, you're getting serious,'

　Mr. Kilt smiles as he feels his way through.

(?)

　We look back at you.

This is the Shumurian Royalty's 'Royal Ship'. It cannot be moved by Princess Reclear alone.

　He told me.

(.........)

　Remembering the king from yesterday, I got a kick out of it.

'Come on, let's get in.'
Yes.

　We nodded broadly.

　There was a long staircase set up between the harbor pier and the warship.

　We put our feet up on those steps.

　Cann.

　Step by step, we walked up the long stairs.

(............)

　A two-month boat trip is about to begin.

　Our destination is the Vega country on the dollar continent.

　In this foreign land, we will fight against a resurrected demon.

　...in battle with the Children of Darkness.

　Click.

　My feet stopped.

　Without a second thought, I looked up at the red sky that was tinted with dusk.

　Huoao.

　The sea breeze fiddles with my hair.　

"Merle?

　Illtimina-san, who was following behind me, called out to me.

　A worried gaze.



　Not knowing how to respond, I shook my head slowly.　

　I feel a white hand on my back.

"-- It's okay. I'll definitely protect you,

　A calm, gentle voice.

　The part of my back that was touched is very hot.

　..............

''Yes.''

　I smiled.

　Illtimina smiled gently too.

　So we began to climb the long staircase again and boarded the big "King Ship".

　Zazaa.

　Soon, the ship begins to move with a splash of white waves.

　Our destination is the dollar continent.

　The big ship with us on board is sailing through the glowing reddish-blue ocean towards a new continent that we have not yet seen.