I Married the Dragon I Killed

It was a season so hot that even the morning dew could not remain visible for long.

As soon as the blazing summer sun began to rise in the east, its heat made itself felt immediately.

‘And yet…’

Despite that light and heat, which seemed capable of piercing through everything, the land stretching beyond remained shrouded in darkness, as though sunlight could never reach it.

They said that when Godwin was still alive, that place had been even darker than it was now.

Perda found it difficult to imagine.

Why had Godwin wanted to create such a land?

Why had he tried to return everything to the Void?

‘A land of mysteries…’

That was the name it had been given because magic impossible to understand through the magical knowledge established in the modern era was used there.

Most mysterious elixirs came from the East, yet, for some suspicious reason, almost no records of that land existed.

Perda had also dismissed it during his search for the Ninth Circle, so it was only natural that he had shown no interest in it until he declared that he would conquer it.

“Do you really have to go there?”

The one who asked was Ruri, who stood one step behind him.

“Because the happiness she desires may be found there.”

“Do you know what Lady Valdrova truly desires?”

“I do.”

Valdrova’s dream had always been to live a simple life.

“And even so, you’re willing to risk your life.”

From Ruri’s point of view, that reason was far too trivial.

But Perda had no other choice.

He knew that a terrifying monster still remained within him.

And he was certain that, someday, that monster would try to devour Valdrova again.

That was why he needed the magic of the East.

The force that drove elven magic was emotion, a system similar to the humans’ Red Circle.

The people of the East had learned to use the Red Circle from the elves, and ever since then, they had researched methods to control it, amplify it, and improve its efficiency.

Perda could amplify it whenever he wished.

What he needed was control.

He gazed silently toward the east before asking,

“Lady Valdrova…”

“She still doesn’t wish to see you.”

“…I see.”

This was an expedition in which they would be risking their lives.

Although he would be accompanied by veteran adventurers, they too were risking their own lives.

The mere possibility of not living to see the next day weighed heavily on Perda’s heart.

He wanted to ease that tension, even if only a little.

‘Eleanor…’

Perda had given her the name Eleanor.

However, since that day, he had not had the opportunity to call her by that name, so even within his own heart, it was beginning to feel increasingly unfamiliar.

“Isn’t it better this way?”

Ruri said.

“If you don’t come back alive, you won’t be able to see my Lady again, will you?”

“…That’s true.”

He shouldn’t think of this as the last time he might see her.

He had to return alive so that he would have a reason to see her again.

Thinking of it that way, he felt part of his tension gradually transform into courage.

“Thank you.”

Perda’s hand reached toward Ruri’s head.

Ruri flinched when she saw it approaching, but she said nothing.

“Lord Regent Perda!”

Just as he was about to pat her on the head, a voice full of energy called out to Perda.

It was Lizera.

The confusion had still not disappeared from his face.

“You took quite a while to get ready.”

“I’m sorry! The spirits kept begging me not to go…”

“The spirits tried to stop you?”

“Yes. They said the demonic energy was too dense and that they couldn’t enter…”

The beings most vulnerable to the corruption caused by demonic energy were those especially sensitive to mana.

In other words, spirits.

Although those three seemed adorable, when they combined their strength, they became creatures of a ferocity that was difficult to imagine.

If they were also corrupted by demonic energy, they would undoubtedly become a genuine calamity.

“They said I would die if I went there. They kept making a fuss and pulling on me to stop me from leaving…”

“And that’s why…?”

Lizera hesitated before silently turning around.

The back of his clothes had been torn open, exposing his fair skin and the delicate curves of his back.

“We’d better ask at the guild if they have any spare clothes.”

“Yes…”

Lizera nodded, his face flushed red.

Even now, Perda still had difficulty remembering that Lizera was actually a man.

***

The expedition was to gather at the eastern gate of Hestia Village.

Normally, there were hardly any people there.

But that day, not only had the guild members gathered, but numerous curious onlookers had also stopped to watch.

After making their way through the crowd, they saw several men who looked like scholars and technicians working around a massive object.

Lizera’s eyes lit up when he saw it.

“Wow…! That must be the vehicle called the Magic Car?”

“That’s right.”

“At first glance it looks like a carriage. It’s just that where the horses would normally be harnessed, something is sticking out instead…”

It looked very similar to the prototype Perda had once seen in a future that no longer existed.

However, since it had to transport twelve people, this vehicle was considerably larger.

Nor was it exactly the same.

Its design was far more refined.

The former Rector of Escolea’s dream was clearly reflected in it.

‘It seems he put an absurd amount of effort into this just to annoy people who still use carriages.’

Since Perda knew the history behind the project, he found it rather ridiculous.

But he couldn’t say it was useless.

After all, it was raising the morale of both the adventurers and the guild members.

A banner flew above the Magic Car.

It bore an emblem and the following name.

— Flint Expedition.

Flint meant flint stone.

While other expeditions chose flashy names like Golden Wings or Eagle, this one had chosen the name Flint.

‘Since it’s an expedition departing from Hestia, I suppose it represents the determination to light the first fire…’

Thinking of it that way, the name didn’t seem so bad anymore.

“You’re here early.”

Erika welcomed Perda.

After looking him up and down, she said,

“I see you’ve come well-equipped. I don’t have anything to criticize.”

“This is an important mission. I couldn’t allow myself to become a burden.”

“I really wish you’d said that the last time.”

“But that’s exactly what I said last time.”

“No matter how I think about it, it sounded more like you were telling us to worry about ourselves.”

“That meaning was included as well.”

“Well, well. The great noble has arrived. As for Lizera…”

Erika looked at the torn back of Lizera’s clothes.

“Judging by the state of your clothes, it looks like you’ll need to change.”

“Yes…”

“I’ll check whether we have something in storage. Come with me.”

Erika left together with Lizera to find him something he could wear.

Meanwhile, Perda, like everyone else, checked his own equipment.

At that moment, he sensed someone watching him.

When he turned his head, he saw the Armored Knight standing in front of him.

He couldn’t see the face beneath the armor, but he knew that gaze was directed at him.

“…”

“Do you need something from me?”

The Armored Knight slightly raised her head.

Then he slowly shook it from side to side, as though thinking about something.

He nodded.

Then he handed Perda a sheet of paper.

Only a single sentence was written on it.

— I look forward to working with you.

“…”

Did those seven words really require that much time to think about?

Perda examined them carefully, wondering whether they concealed some hidden meaning.

‘He has rather elegant handwriting.’

That was the only conclusion he could reach.

Had a scribe written it for him?

Or had he practiced it himself?

Had he come all this way just to hand him that greeting?

It couldn’t be that he had come with the innocent intention of having someone praise his handwriting.

“Very well. I also look forward to working with you.”

Perda returned the greeting as he handed the paper back.

Although the Armored Knight didn’t seem entirely satisfied with the response, he did not press the matter.

Shortly afterward, Erika returned and began speaking with the scholars and technicians.

“We’ll be departing in a moment! Everyone to your positions!”

“To your positions!”

At the sound of her energetic voice, the adventurers who had been seated stood up and took their places in the rear seats.

Perda was about to head to the back as well.

“Wait a moment.”

The one who stopped him was Erika.

“Would you mind sitting beside me, Lord Regent?”

Erika tapped the seat next to hers.

Perda frowned instinctively.

“May I refuse?”

“You’re an important person. You should have the best seat.”

“I can hardly call it the best seat when it’s the driver’s.”

“True enough. It’s rather strange that the head of an Adventurers’ Guild branch is the one driving. What do you think people would say if they saw the Master of the Blue Eyes Magic Tower sitting here?”

How was he supposed to know?

Probably, they would think that the Magic Tower had fallen so low that its Master was now driving carriages.

However, standing in the back chatting and doing nothing did not suit his personality either, so he ended up sitting beside Erika.

“Let’s see… First, pull this lever down and keep this button pressed…”

After completing the complex activation sequence, a sound began coming from the front.

Vmmmm.

It was the hum of the vacuum tubes.

The engine had just started.

After performing a few more operations, Erika set the vehicle in motion.

The wheels began to turn with remarkable smoothness.

“It’s moving!”

“It’s working!”

The scholars and technicians burst into cheers as they watched the wheels spin.

And when the vehicle slowly began to move away, some of them even ended up crying with emotion.

Perda tilted his head slightly.

“I don’t understand why they’re so happy.”

“Neither do I.”

“Until the day before yesterday, they were still saying the vehicle couldn’t support the weight of twelve people. They hadn’t even taken the armor and additional equipment into account.”

“So what did you do?”

“I gave them twenty-four hours.”

“I assume you didn’t simply give them twenty-four hours.”

“Of course not.”

It would be a lie to say that he disliked how directly Erika had solved the problem.

With that, they left the village and headed toward the Demon Lands.

They crossed that border whose colors were so sharply divided that it seemed to separate life from death.

“We’re entering. Everyone, prepare yourselves mentally!”

Following Erika’s warning, everyone checked the Anti-Demonic Talisman hanging around their necks once more.

The moment they crossed the border, everyone felt the change.

“Hmm…”

“Mmh…”

Those being exposed to demonic energy for the first time reacted immediately.

The mages, who were especially sensitive to mana, were the most affected.

The others felt a pressure weighing down their entire bodies.

Perda was no exception.

‘If I didn’t have a reason to come here, I probably would’ve already left.’

He slowly rotated his Circles while regulating his breathing.

He reminded himself once again that this was his own domain, a place where demonic energy could not penetrate.

‘This brings back memories.’

Erika’s voice echoed through telepathy.

‘Back then, we managed to get through thanks to the blessings of all the dragons and the gods.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. One way or another, we gathered a group of twelve people again, just like back then. I was also the one who assembled the expedition that would go to defeat the Demon King.’

‘I see.’

‘Sorry for bringing up a topic that probably doesn’t interest you. But listen to me for a moment. The truth is, I don’t have anyone else to talk to about these things.’

Perda considered blocking the communication for a moment.

But doing so might create an opening for demonic energy to seep in, so he decided to let her continue.

Lost in her memories, Erika went on.

‘Back then, nobody believed it was possible. Not even I, the one gathering the expedition. We had to cross the demonic energy, venture into the East, the so-called Land of Mystery, which had been completely destroyed, and kill the Demon King. Honestly, it sounded impossible.’

‘It did.’

‘That’s why everyone thought the right thing to do was coexist with Godwin and accept his demands. But there was one person who never accepted that.’

‘Valdrova?’

‘Yes. She believed in humanity’s potential. To be honest, back then I thought she was truly…’

‘Naive?’

‘I was going to say it was an irrational idea driven by emotion, but you expressed it much more harshly. I didn’t say that, all right?’

‘Go on.’

‘In any case, nobody expected much from humans. We thought a race that did nothing but fight among themselves was destined for extinction.’

‘But the result was different.’

‘Yes. In the end, they saved the continent of Serdes. And humanity’s power has continued to grow ever since. In the end, she was the one who was right.’

‘You already knew all of that?’

‘I did. But by then, there was nothing I could do. The last incident changed everything.’

Godwin died.

Silverwind also died.

Countless people perished on the battlefield.

Among them were Dragonspawn as well.

Dragonspawn shared the death of their progenitor.

After experiencing what Valdrova had felt, it became impossible for them not to hate her.

Even now, Silverwind still wished to wage war against Valdrova.

‘Since she never tried to justify herself or explain anything, I thought she was simply a shameless dragon.’

‘She simply couldn’t speak about it.’

‘No one even considered that possibility. What dragon would ever do something like that? We’re a race that punishes anyone who talks back to us.’

After saying it out loud, even she found herself speechless.

‘That’s why I made a decision.’

‘What decision?’

‘When the day comes that Lord Lorga can once again hold his head high, we’ll formally apologize for the disrespect we showed him.’

An apology.

Perda found it strange to imagine a dragon, other than Valdrova, apologizing to someone.

Concealing his true thoughts, he replied,

‘As the Master of the Magic Tower, I can only be grateful that you think that way.’

With that, they ended their telepathic conversation.

Erika spoke again, this time aloud.

“To be honest, this is more comfortable than I expected. You just keep the pedal pressed, and the vehicle moves on its own.”

“Really?”

“Sky Carriages and mana-powered carriages are fairly complicated to operate. If you don’t take into account the condition you’ll be in on the return trip, it’s very easy to end up falling out of the sky on the way back.”

“That’s true.”

“Traveling comfortably for an hour is already a huge advantage, but if we found a way to supply more Magic Stones while completely blocking the demonic energy…”

“If we applied the principles of magical weapons to develop a vehicle insulated against demonic energy, the efficiency would be much higher…”

And so they began exchanging all kinds of ideas related to magical weapons.

Seated in the rearmost seat, Valdrova never took her eyes off them.

She listened attentively to their conversation.

‘I don’t understand a single thing they’re talking about.’

The two of them carried on a conversation filled with concepts that were far beyond anything she could comprehend.

Watching that scene, Perda seemed more brilliant than ever.

***

After two hours of travel, the roar of the Magic Car’s engine began to weaken.

At the same time, the wheels gradually lost power until they came to a complete stop.

The energy in the Magic Stones had been exhausted.

At the same time, it proved just how accurate Erika’s estimate had been.

Before them stood the foundations where the great gate had once stood.

They had arrived at the Palace of Radiant Prosperity.

Erika climbed down from the driver’s seat and raised her voice.

“From this point onward, the real mission begins! Stay alert!”

“Huff… So it begins.”

Everyone present was a veteran with more than five years of experience as an adventurer.

But in that profession, being a veteran did not guarantee survival.

They were all fully aware of that.

Erika, leader of the Flint Expedition, began issuing orders.

“Formation A. Move out.”

As they crossed the entrance of the Palace of Radiant Prosperity, a vast courtyard opened before them.

Despite having been abandoned for so long, it had preserved its structure in an eerily intact state.

The archer’s keen eyes immediately detected the danger.

“Enemies in sight!”

They were not hiding.

They themselves slowly began to emerge before the new prey that had willingly walked into their domain.

They had vaguely human appearances.

In a way, they resembled ghouls.

But unlike the beast-like creatures they usually encountered, these were lean and agile, moving on all fours.

“Kieeeek!”

“Kieeeek!”

Their shrieks served as a signal to call the others of their kind.

As though awakening from a long slumber, they began to move.

“There’s fifty of them!”

It looked like an easy fight.

“No… a hundred!”

Still a battle they could handle.

“No… two hundred!”

It was beginning to turn into a demanding battle.

“Three hundred!”

No one continued counting after that.

The palace courtyard became completely covered by those ghouls.

Their purple skin and the green glow of their eyes made it obvious, even at a glance, that they were no ordinary enemies.

“Looks like making easy money isn’t going to happen.”

“Since when has anything in this world been easy?”

Even in a situation where they could die, everyone smiled.

Because that was the best attitude an adventurer could have.