I Married the Dragon I Killed

The scandal between Perda and Olivia.

Valdrova did not learn about it until today.

‘Why didn’t Ruri tell me?’

The reason Valdrova had not known until now was simple—Ruri, her primary source of information, had never mentioned the matter.

‘Although, to begin with, she doesn’t usually tell me about those kinds of things…’

Ruri filtered out anything she thought might worry Valdrova.

Valdrova vaguely knew that.

‘And it’s probably nothing more than a ridiculous rumor.’

Perda had always been completely devoted to her.

Valdrova had never doubted that.

However, a feeling of unease continued to grow somewhere in her heart.

‘Olivia Arken.’

She kept hearing rumors about her.

A woman praised as the perfect marriage candidate, blessed with talent, beauty, social skills, and elegance.

Valdrova had never seen her in person.

Though she had once had the opportunity.

She had heard that Olivia would visit Castle Valdrova.

But Valdrova had paid no attention to it.

Or rather, even if she had been interested, she had been too focused on building the village at the time.

To her, it was more important to feel the satisfaction of hard work in a place filled with the smell of sweat.

‘Maybe I should have gone to see her back then?’

It was something other people would have abandoned their work to rush and witness.

Should she have gone to take a look?

How beautiful was she to receive so much praise?

And above all.

Did she truly suit Perda?

‘Sir Perda is far too good for me.’

Perda had built all of this.

He had met countless people.

Although he occasionally received criticism, he heard far more stories describing him as a benevolent ruler who cared for his people.

By contrast, what was she?

A Red Dragon locked away in her lair.

A dragon who feared showing herself to people and hid behind armor.

A miserable dragon incapable of properly showing her face even to her fiancé.

‘He is… far too good for me.’

From anyone’s perspective, Olivia, whose beauty was praised throughout the Empire, seemed far better suited to him.

With her heart weighed down, she absentmindedly began digging at the ground with her fingers.

She needed something to interrupt those depressing thoughts.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

At that moment, an alarm bell began to ring.

It was connected to a monster detection device.

That meant monsters were approaching.

The workers jumped to their feet in alarm.

“Looks like monsters are coming?”

“Just when everything seemed peaceful, they suddenly decide to attack.”

Monsters.

The thought that she needed to protect the people made Valdrova stand up.

But the workers stopped her.

“Ah! Sir Knight! There’s no need for you to intervene.”

“…?”

“Leave this to us. Please, have a seat.”

Their faces were filled with absolute confidence.

What could ordinary humans possibly do?

The workers hurried off somewhere and brought something back.

They were staffs.

No.

Calling them staffs felt strange.

They looked more like a shaman’s tools, covered in strange hanging ornaments.

Everyone moved with near-military discipline.

They climbed the wall under construction and knelt in unison, aiming those staffs outward.

Their posture resembled that of crossbowmen.

Judging from that, something must be fired from those objects.

But what exactly?

Then it happened.

Inside those staffs, she felt a force so powerful that it made all her worries seem ridiculous.

‘How is that possible when they aren’t even using mana?’

Since she didn’t truly understand magic, Valdrova had no way of solving that mystery.

Soon afterward, the women who had been gathering food in the forest appeared.

Although they seemed surprised, they were not panicking.

“Why aren’t you running faster? Do you want to get eaten?”

“Those monsters were crawling along so slowly that we came back at our own pace too.”

“Crawling? What did they look like?”

“I don’t know. They all looked like shapeless masses and moved very slowly.”

“I get it! Get inside quickly!”

Upon hearing that, one of the men spoke as though he recognized them.

“They’re Melteds.”

Soon afterward, the monsters appeared.

“Grrrrrrr…”

Unlike other beast-shaped monsters, these resembled deformed masses.

They had been exposed to so much contaminated mana that their bodies had mutated excessively, turning them into indefinable monsters.

That was why, although their strength was unknown, their speed was comparable to that of zombies created by dark mages.

But they were still monsters.

Even to kill a single Melted, an entire unit of spearmen had to stab it hundreds of times.

And even then, one or two men would usually die in the process.

And now there were six of them.

One of the foremen raised his arm and shouted.

“Aim!”

The workers rested the staffs on their shoulders and lined up their sights.

The foreman lowered his arm with the force of a guillotine blade.

“Fire!”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A deafening roar echoed everywhere.

Valdrova could see it perfectly clearly.

Something shot out from inside those tubes at a speed comparable to light, piercing through the monsters’ bodies.

“Grrrrrrr…”

The Melteds’ bodies were perforated.

And they collapsed on the spot.

“Wooooooh!”

“We killed the monsters ourselves!”

They roared like soldiers who had just achieved a great victory in battle.

Even if they were slow and clumsy monsters, they were still monsters.

Realizing that they now possessed the power to protect themselves, they felt overwhelming exhilaration.

Valdrova was completely stunned.

‘Can such ordinary people really kill monsters…?’

No matter how simple it might seem, she had lived for thousands of years.

She had witnessed countless wars and battles.

And she had never imagined a situation like this.

No.

Who could have imagined it?

Even when the demons appeared, most believed they should surrender to Godwin.

But humans did not.

And they ended up shattering the predictions of those immortals who believed themselves to possess absolute wisdom.

Humans were truly astonishing beings.

When strength was not enough, they compensated for the difference with ingenuity and courage.

And through that, they obtained a power greater than anyone else’s.

Valdrova felt incredibly proud of Perda, the man who had made that power possible.

At the same time, the question she carried in her heart continued to grow.

She tightly clasped the hands resting against her chest.

***

The night before the Spring Commencement Festival, Valdrova went to see Perda.

As always, she was wearing her armor.

Perda knew that she had gone out today.

But he also knew that if she didn’t have an excuse like that, she would never come to see him.

“Do you need mana?”

Normally, she would have answered yes.

But today was different.

“No.”

“Then…”

“I just wanted to talk with you for a little while…”

Perda felt as though someone had struck the back of his head.

It was the first time she had come simply because she wanted to talk to him, without looking for an excuse.

His heart began to pound.

It was as if they had truly become a couple enjoying secret meetings.

Since Perda said nothing, Valdrova nervously began moving her fingers.

“Am I bothering you?”

“No. Please, come in.”

They sat down.

She removed her gauntlets and placed them on the table.

“I want… to hold your hand.”

“…Yes.”

She was being unusually direct.

He liked seeing her this way, but at the same time, he was worried.

After all, most of Valdrova’s actions stemmed from insecurity.

Perda gently placed his hand over hers.

He could feel that she was more tense than usual.

“I-it’s just…”

Valdrova gathered her courage to start a conversation.

“Today… near the wall… monsters approached.”

“Yes. You watched from the top, didn’t you?”

“Huh? Ah, yes. That’s right!”

Valdrova nodded repeatedly.

“And there… ordinary people killed monsters.”

“I didn’t see it personally, but according to the reports, they defeated six Melteds. Even if they were Melteds, they’re still difficult monsters for ordinary people. It must have been an unfamiliar sight for you. What did you think?”

“It was… incredible. That’s where I realized once again how extraordinary you are, Sir Perda.”

Even through that helmet, he could feel the admiration in her eyes.

Perda replied,

“That wasn’t my achievement. It was Vernell who worked hard to create all of that.”

“Even so, if you hadn’t been here… those people would never have imagined they could kill monsters. Isn’t that right?”

“No. After hearing it put that way, I suppose I contributed a little too.”

If Perda had not taken the initiative, it would have been impossible.

Even in this era, monsters were still considered impossible enemies for ordinary people.

“Sir Perda… is changing many things here.”

He was building towns.

He was creating the strength people needed to protect themselves.

And that had awakened something inside her.

To express it, she opened her mouth with difficulty.

“I… am practicing the jumble.”

“…Do you mean the waltz?”

“Yes! That! I said it wrong again…”

It didn’t matter.

Seeing her so nervous was far too adorable.

Even wearing that terrifying dragon-shaped helmet, Perda could perfectly imagine the young woman hiding inside.

“Tomorrow… right? The day we’ll dance.”

The day we’ll dance.

We’ll dance.

Us.

Perda and Valdrova.

“That’s right.”

“I… will wear a beautiful dress and proudly stand by your side. A-as… a hostess?”

“Hostess…”

“Yes! As a hostess!”

It seemed she had made an important decision.

Perda knew how much courage it had taken for her to say that.

And he was glad to be the first person to hear it.

He smiled faintly.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

***

The entrance to Hestia Village was busier than ever.

Even before the sun rose, an endless line of carriages arrived carrying young nobles from every corner.

There were exactly 250 guests.

But they weren’t the only ones coming.

Each arrived accompanied by coachmen, servants, and at least a dozen guards and elite knights.

Two hundred and fifty young nobles meant more than two thousand five hundred attendants.

A village that barely had a few hundred inhabitants suddenly found itself crowded with several thousand people.

And where there were many people, there was a lot of money circulating.

Stephan perfectly demonstrated the power of a merchant.

Under the joint organization of Pascal Company and Hestia Company, numerous events and charitable activities were prepared.

They even used vacant land to hold martial tournaments and athletic competitions, promoting the region’s image and attracting merchants.

The Far East Alliance deployed troops to maintain order, so everything proceeded without incident until evening.

The night of the Spring Commencement Festival was when the nobles truly began to enjoy the banquet.

Chandeliers shining as brightly as daylight.

A luxurious atmosphere.

As the residence of a dragon, the castle had nothing to envy from Arken’s Imperial Palace, and the visitors could not hide their admiration.

As socializing among the guests reached its peak, Perda also began making preparations.

At that moment, Isabella informed him of several matters.

“After verifying the defense results, they will officially begin numbering the rifles.”

“Numbering them?”

“According to what I was told, while they adapt them for mass production, they will begin assigning numbers. The goal is to produce several dozen per day.”

“I see.”

The defense results had been extraordinary.

Several ordinary people had defeated six Melteds.

That meant commoners could wield a force comparable to that of a mage.

“Allow me to remind you of something. It’s possible that the young nobles will try to steer conversations toward the rifles. I recommend that you not provide too much information.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

If he couldn’t help, he should at least avoid becoming an obstacle.

Perda repeatedly promised himself not to ruin the delicate balance Isabella had built.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Seeing Ruri appear, he instinctively asked,

“And Her Grace the Duchess?”

“……”

Ruri did not answer.

Seeing her lower her head in silence was enough.

The answer was obvious.

Valdrova would not be attending tonight.

Perda finished fastening the last button.

“I see. I suppose she has her reasons.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

He never thought he would hear an apology come from Ruri’s lips.

That meant she also wanted Valdrova to attend.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s always been like this, hasn’t it?”

“I’m sorry that my Lady always leaves you waiting.”

Or perhaps she was simply annoyed?

Saying he wasn’t disappointed because this was something common would have been a lie.

He could still clearly hear the words Valdrova had spoken to him the previous night.

Even when he woke up that morning, the first thing he remembered was Valdrova’s hand.

His empty hand still remembered the feeling of her right hand resting on his.

But tonight, that hand would cross paths with those of other women.

‘…Don’t think stupid things.’

Perda clenched his fist in the air.

Just because she wasn’t present today didn’t mean she wouldn’t be present tomorrow.

And if that was the case, he couldn’t waste the present.

With that thought, he headed toward the banquet hall.

***

“His Excellency Regent Perda Valdrova, Consort of the Grand Duchess of Fire, makes his entrance!”

The organizer sent by the Empire announced his arrival in a powerful voice.

The music stopped.

The young nobles bowed their heads one after another.

Perda walked across the red carpet and stepped onto the platform.

“Welcome, everyone, to Castle Valdrova.”

His clear voice immediately captured everyone’s attention.

“Today, we have gathered here to celebrate the arrival of spring after overcoming a merciless winter. Hestia Village is a small community whose construction began at the end of last autumn. As a ruler, I have probably spent less time carrying out my responsibilities than any of you.”

Perda eased the atmosphere by downplaying himself.

“Even so, all of you accepted this novice lord’s invitation and came all the way here. What does that mean?”

Everyone knew the answer.

Olivia Arken.

The burning ambition to meet the Imperial Princess.

That was precisely why everyone listened attentively.

“It means that you still carry hope in your hearts.”

Perda continued.

“It has been one hundred and fifty years since the end of the Demon Dragon War. Yet the territories of the Far East continue to shrink, and the Demon Lands remain untouched. Godwin, the Evil Dragon, died. The Demon King also died. But their will endures, and their ambition continues to manifest itself.”

Perda swept his gaze across the hall, meeting the eyes of each person present.

“As human beings of Serdes and as nobles who do not tolerate injustice, today I have been able to confirm that all of you sincerely desire the prosperity and peace of the Far East. This new spring has become a spark capable of reforging worn-out armor.”

He picked up a glass and spoke his final words.

“That is why I ask you tonight to laugh, converse, and dance for that flame. As long as love and friendship exist, our will shall remain united.”

Perda bowed his head.

Applause erupted immediately.

At the same time, the orchestra began playing a cheerful and elegant melody.

The banquet had begun.