I Married the Dragon I Killed

In reality, there was no reason for the Arken Empire to be so surprised.

According to Olivia, they should have already had the exact numbers and types of monsters recorded.

They surely knew perfectly well that the giant monsters that had suddenly appeared were producing more monsters.

And they also knew that the higher the numbers grew, the more unfavorable the situation would become.

While recording the figure that had already reached twenty thousand monsters, they were probably calculating how to profit politically from it.

However, both they and the alliance of the Royal Principality of Valdrova had failed to foresee one thing.

Who would have imagined that, despite having the Royal Principality surrounded, they would attack the Empire first?

— Explain this to me! Why the hell are they heading toward us?!

Perda answered as follows.

“We don’t know.”

— What do you mean you don’t know?! What the hell do you mean you don’t know?! In a situation like this! It’s absurd that they didn’t attack you first!

The way he shouted sounded like a small child who had not been bought a toy.

Setting the situation aside, Perda could not help but enjoy the moment when misfortune and fortune had reversed places.

He explained the situation on his side.

“I know it sounds irresponsible, but we were preparing for a defensive war. We already had more than twenty different defense scenarios, and Count Consilus was prepared to die.”

— And what does that have to do with us?!

“Wasn’t it you who asked why they were heading there? I merely replied that we don’t know the reason.”

— And that means you bear no responsibility?!

Perda did not understand what else he wanted him to do.

Did he expect him to slam his head into the ground and stroke his ego?

Perda was much better at smashing other people’s heads than his own.

He was about to insult him outright.

But Olivia, who was listening to the conversation, gently touched his shoulder.

When he turned his head, he saw her smiling at him with her eyes while discreetly adjusting the communication crystal.

She had increased the volume so that the entire strategy room could hear.

Moving her lips, she said.

It’s time to go on the offensive.

“I really don’t understand why you’re so angry. You were supposed to be sending reinforcements here, so you should have already been preparing them. Couldn’t you simply use those troops to defend yourselves or launch an extermination operation? Why are you yelling at me?”

— Why?! Because if the Far East cannot stop the monsters of the Demon Land, that is a failure in border defense! And yet you dare act as though you’ve done nothing wrong!

The strategists, startled by the sudden increase in volume, turned their heads toward them.

“How are we supposed to react instantly to giant monsters suddenly being summoned? That is precisely why we requested Imperial reinforcements, and you were the one who said it would take two months.”

— That was a problem on our side! Right now I’m talking about the obligations of the Far East!

The obligation of the Far East was to eliminate monsters coming from the Demon Land.

But that was only possible when they physically appeared.

If they were transported through magic, it was impossible to react in time.

— Eliminating monsters of that size is the Grand Duchess’s responsibility! You had the ability to resolve it! The ones who let them act were you, not us!

“Then should we have acted even if it meant allowing this entire region to be destroyed?”

— I cannot understand how someone can abandon their duty just to protect a useless village!

A useless village.

Perda bit his lower lip.

He did not know what kind of insult would come out of his mouth if he spoke.

At that moment, he felt something soft as silk against his hand.

It was Olivia’s hand.

Beneath the table, she had lightly brushed against his.

As if telling him to calm down.

Surprisingly, that simple contact was enough to pull him away from his anger.

After all, everyone present was listening to the conversation.

Perda observed their expressions.

And none of them seemed to be on the side of that spoiled child demanding a toy.

— Immediately inform the Grand Duchess to fulfill her duty! Because otherwise…!

“Otherwise what?”

Alexander’s voice abruptly stopped.

Even through the transmission, his killing intent could be felt.

— There will be consequences! And I’m not talking about simple consequences! Even now there are those who suspect that you’re collaborating with the demons!

Collaborating with demons?

That was taking things far too far.

Just as he was about to reply with a “go ahead and try,” Olivia intervened.

“Big brother, you should be a little more careful with your words~.”

— W-what? Who’s speaking?

“Who else could call the Crown Prince big brother?”

— Olivia? What are you doing there…?

Alexander was completely bewildered when he heard her voice.

She smiled broadly.

“You know what they say—words spoken during the day are heard by birds, and words spoken at night are heard by mice. Do you know how many birds are listening to what you’re saying right now?”

— What?!

Alexander became even more agitated.

Every strategist present had heard every word of the conversation.

And their faces reflected disbelief.

When they heard the accusation of collaborating with demons, hostility began to grow.

Stammering, Alexander asked,

— R-Regent… Did you set a trap for me?!

“I merely held a conversation. It was Your Highness who lost control and started shouting.”

— You… you…

“If you had told me from the beginning that you wanted to speak privately, I would have gladly agreed. But you let your emotions take over before I could even suggest it. How was I supposed to imagine you would react this way?”

Nothing remained of the shouting child.

Now only muffled sounds could be heard, like a pig hanging before slaughter.

Olivia took the opportunity to add more fuel to the fire.

“All the people present here follow us because they believe in your honor. Don’t you think it’s a bit much to treat them as if they were demon leftovers?”

— No! What I meant was that Regent Perda might be involved! I wasn’t talking about the others!

“Oh, really? How curious. Because we all just heard it. You called them people without honor. You said the response was slow. Honestly, I think this is more than enough reason to file an official protest.”

With a triumphant smile, she continued.

“That the Crown Prince of the Empire caused this entire situation by attempting to subjugate the Far East.”

Although those on the other side could only hear her voice and not see her expression, Alexander reacted as though he could see it.

— You! Why is an Imperial Princess involving herself in this matter?! What if something happens to you?! Return to your room immediately and focus on your own safety! Regent, send that girl back right now!

It was essentially a declaration of, go away because you’re hurting me.

“That would make sense if she were speaking as a princess. But now things are different.”

— And what’s different?

“She is currently the Chief of Staff of this Temporary Far Eastern Alliance.”

— What?!

“Why, you ask? Because everyone recognized her abilities and elected her.”

No answer came from the other side.

Alexander was probably trying to organize his thoughts.

If he said, “Since when is that woman competent?” the others would reply, “Then are you calling us incompetent?”

Trapped in that situation, he did the only thing he could.

Click.

He cut the communication.

The crystal lost its glow.

Seeing that, Olivia calmly commented,

“It seems the mage on the other side made a mistake.”

And she let it pass with a light giggle.

However, the strategists could not hide their uncomfortable expressions after witnessing that unpleasant truth.

“I had always heard that the Crown Prince was a man obsessed with himself, but I never imagined it was to that extent.”

“When we needed help, he told us to wait two months. But now he wants us to act immediately. Does that make any sense?”

Everyone began criticizing the Crown Prince.

Olivia allowed the indignation to build just enough to strengthen morale and unity before stopping the conversation.

“My elder brother’s mistakes are his own mistakes. Let us set them aside for now and seek a new way forward. After all, this Duchy is still part of the Empire. Therefore, we must respond to a threat that affects the Empire.”

“Yes.”

A map of the continent lay on the table.

Olivia turned all the pieces representing the monsters toward the opposite direction.

“As you can see, the monsters are advancing toward the Empire. That means those of us who were originally going to defend ourselves now have the opportunity to strike first.”

“Do we really have to attack?”

Defending themselves already seemed difficult enough.

And now she was proposing that they go on the offensive.

The other strategists looked at the man who had asked the question with expressions of disdain.

Olivia smiled.

“In fact, this is the best possible moment. All the monsters are heading toward the Empire, correct?”

“Correct.”

“That means their main base is more vulnerable than ever.”

The identified giant monsters lacked any ability to defend themselves.

Their only ability was reproduction.

And they used it to create more monsters.

But if they had produced monsters and then sent them away.

What remained?

Nothing.

Furthermore, reproducing meant dividing their own life force.

Even for a monster, that left them in an extremely weakened state.

Attacking an enemy when they were at their most vulnerable was a basic rule of strategy.

The man who had raised the objection withdrew it with an embarrassed expression.

Olivia continued.

“Why did both the Empire and we assume that the monsters would attack us first?”

“Because, by forming a blockade line, they were much closer to us.”

“Exactly. That would have been the logical decision.”

Just by looking at the positions of the pieces on the map, it was obvious.

The distance to the Empire was three times greater than the distance to Hestia.

“We estimated that it would take them about two days to reach us. That means it will take them six to seven days to reach the Empire. Therefore, we will wait approximately two days before beginning our march.”

Their own advance would also take two days.

If the monsters continued advancing during that time, they would have already traveled about three days’ worth of distance.

That would place them slightly beyond the halfway point.

And once they reached that position, turning back would become difficult.

“Then we will reach the interception point. We will attack their empty base when they can no longer return easily.”

“That means the Empire will have been attacked by then.”

“You do not need to worry about the Empire. If they are incapable of stopping an attack of that level, then they do not deserve to call themselves an Empire.”

The Arken Empire had concentrated all its resources in the capital.

Its military forces and magical defenses were dozens of times stronger than Count Consilus’s Castle, the last fortress of the Far East.

There was no reason to worry about them.

“Assuming we manage to get close to the monsters, how are we supposed to kill them? I have heard that the body structure of giant monsters differs from that of smaller ones.”

“According to the available information, their skin is far tougher and their muscles are stronger. I doubt conventional magic will be enough.”

“Regarding that point…”

Olivia smiled.

“Allow me to explain.”

At that moment, Eri, the Platinum Adventurer, stepped in.

“Just as we die if we lose our hearts, monsters die if they lose theirs. The greatest natural enemy of Junk Mana is pure mana. In other words, if we cause an explosion inside their bodies powerful enough to destroy their hearts using pure mana, we can kill them.”

“How much mana is required for such an explosion?”

“A 5th Circle Supernova should be enough. I confirmed it a long time ago—I mean, I read it in some documents.”

If the 4th Circle had Magic Blast, then the 5th Circle had Supernova.

A spell specialized in pure destructive power and, above all, composed entirely of non-attributed mana.

For monsters, for whom pure mana was practically poison, it was the perfect technique.

“I’ve heard their skin is as hard as rock. Will a single Supernova really be enough?”

“That is why we will need the help of elite knights. They must manifest Aura, carve their way through the monster’s flesh, and penetrate its interior. If they can pierce it deeply enough to expose its internal organs, then the inside will be as vulnerable as a human body. At that point, a single Supernova cast inside will kill it.”

“Assuming the method works, what do we do about the fact that perhaps nobody knows Supernova?”

“If they do not know it, I can teach them. And if they do not want to learn it, I can always draw a magic circle for them so that all they have to do is inject mana.”

Naturally, the mages wanted to learn it.

No fool would reject the offer of a famous adventurer and high-level mage willing to teach advanced magic.

“How many 5th Circle mages do we have?”

“Including Count Consilus’s territory, we have identified five.”

“Administrator Isabella is also a 5th Circle mage. That makes six.”

Eri, the Platinum Adventurer, knew a suspicious amount about other families’ affairs.

There were twelve giant monsters.

And they could eliminate six at a time.

“Would it be too optimistic to think we could destroy all of them in two days?”

“Yes. Considering marching speed and all the factors involved, even under optimistic assumptions we would need at least four days.”

Four days.

It would be ideal if there were some revolutionary way to shorten that time.

After hearing that, Perda discreetly looked at Ruri.

She noticed his gaze and turned to look at him.

With a cold expression, she clearly conveyed her opinion.

I am not your transportation service.

“Even if we cannot guarantee victory, we cannot simply sit and do nothing.”

If there was an opportunity to eliminate them, they had to take it.

“If anyone objects, I will listen to your opinion as well.”

As expected, no one spoke.

Just in case, Perda also contacted Count Consilus and explained the plan.

The count’s response was as simple as it was predictable.

— As the Regent wishes.

And thus, the expedition was decided.

As the strategists left to relay the orders, Perda made a request to Erika.

“Captain Eri.”

Erika turned her head.

“If it is not too much trouble, could I ask you a favor?”

***

It was one of the open areas of the castle.

Ruri had erected a barrier, completely isolating it from the outside world.

“This is certainly a surprise.”

After carefully confirming that the area was fully sealed, Erika spoke.

“I never imagined the Regent would ask me for a duel.”

“You are known throughout the world as Goldy Hand. Wouldn’t this be a good opportunity to test myself?”

“Rumors are always exaggerated.”

Although she said that, her shoulders and nose seemed pointed toward the sky from sheer pride.

“Tell me. What is the purpose of this duel? I will adapt accordingly.”

“There is something I want to confirm. Fight me as though this were a real battle.”

“Hmm, if we’re talking about a real battle…”

Erika smiled slightly.

“I suppose the first thing would be to provoke your opponent, don’t you think, fiancé of the Foolish Dragoness?”

“That is still better than a water lizard who does nothing but sleep as though she were dead.”

“…Oh.”

She had tried to throw a jab and ended up receiving a perfect counterattack.

“We should stop there. If we continue, we will end up wagering our honor in a duel to the death.”

“Isn’t that exactly what a real battle is?”

“Hehe, don’t regret it later.”

Erika deployed a magic circle and took the initiative.

Unlike classical duels where both sides remained stationary, they constantly changed positions.

This was a true battle between mages.

Creation of magic circles, analysis, countermeasures, feints, traps, inducement maneuvers.

In barely a minute, they exchanged more than forty moves.

And Erika could not help but be impressed.

‘Amazing.’

Perda was already at a disadvantage from the beginning due to the difference in level.

Therefore, Erika had assumed he would lose.

With that in mind, she gradually increased the power of her attacks to measure his true level.

She started by fighting on equal footing.

Then she steadily increased the pressure.

She wanted to find out exactly where Perda’s limit lay.

‘What kind of experiment is he trying to conduct?’

With that question in mind, she continued the battle.

“I surrender.”

Finally, after pushing him to his limit, Perda raised the white flag.

She had won.

Yet Erika still praised him sincerely.

“It is impressive. I am not exaggerating when I say that you are among the five best mages I have ever fought.”

“You flatter me.”

“You make no unnecessary movements. Nor are you at such a low level that I need to give you advice. Honestly, you said you wanted to test something, but I still do not understand what it was. Did you obtain the answer you were looking for?”

Watching her fight, Perda realized something.

She truly had not noticed what he was doing or what he was hiding.

“Yes. Thanks to you, I did.”

Yes.

With this.

Perhaps it would work.

***

The night before the expedition.

Perda was about to go to bed as usual.

But this was not an ordinary night.

Luri appeared and told him.

“My Lady wishes to see you in the Lair.”

Perda blinked.

They say that when a person receives too great a surprise, they become incapable of speaking.

That was exactly what happened to him.