I Married the Dragon I Killed

In the world of mages, hierarchy is determined by circles.

In that sense, Tesalos Wolcher had just received the greatest humiliation of his life.

Among the nobility, it was one of the few professions where rank was not granted by title, but by sheer skill.

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The categories by circle were clear.

— Nothing special.

1st Circle: mana worker.

‘Nothing special? zenith Is he saying a mage means nothing to him?’

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Only upon reaching the 4th Circle are you finally called mage; from the name alone, you’re treated as a true magician.

3rd Circle: magic worker.

2nd Circle: spell blower.

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Where did the 1st Circle even stand?

Not only did he have to bow before a 3rd, he was expected to treat a 2nd with utmost respect.

‘And that mere mana worker says “nothing special” to a 4th?’

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Nothing special.

Nothing special.

Nothing special.

And that brat had the nerve to say “nothing special” to a 4th.

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Nothing special.

Nothing special.

That phrase alone had become an exposed nerve.

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He could have lost his mind and attacked right then, but Perda gave him a reason to be thankful—that 1st Circle brat had asked for a duel.

Tesalos decided to teach him a lesson.

The circle in his abdomen was spinning tightly—he could fire magic at any moment.

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They moved to a clearing for the match.

Both took their distance and prepared.

Tesalos answered bluntly.

“I’d like to ask you something, do you mind?”

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“What kind of magic do you use?”

“What?”

“Asking about a spell before a mage duel? sphere Don’t you think that’s rude?”

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‘Where did this arrogant kid come from?’

That a 1st Circle could say something like that left him baffled.

“Oh, really? armor Hm, sorry. aspect It’s been a while since I’ve fought in a formal duel.”

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Perda, for his part, wasn’t even thinking about him.

In that moment, Tesalos made a decision—he would crush him with everything he had.

‘Now I remember…’

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Since then, he hadn’t believed in fair fights—if a battle smelled wrong, he’d kill first.

He had his reasons—in the last one, the mage humiliated by Perda came back at night with a mob to ambush him.

It had been over twenty years since he’d done a “duel.”

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Without knowing how many or what kind of cards your opponent holds, you reveal yours one by one—through theory, skill, and wit.

Spells by grade require a minimum circle to cast.

‘If he’s 4th Circle, he can use at least eight spells in one battle, including one of 4th grade.’

‘A mage duel is like playing cards behind a screen.’

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‘It’s like hitting a rock with an egg.’

If Tesalos was 4th, he mastered 4th-grade spells; his mana reserves were several times greater than Perda’s.

Perda knew everything favored Tesalos.

Even so, he never once thought he’d lose.

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“Since the handicap’s obvious, I’ll give you a hint.”

Tesalos sneered.

‘I’m not foolish enough to fall to a mage who’s nothing special.’

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The lords watching from the side were the most shocked.

“What is it?”

“I, Tesalos Wolcher, will use magic blast here. atomic As a mage, I’m sure you know what that means.”

Free info—no reason not to listen.

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A 4th-grade spell focused on destruction.

Precisely because of its brutality, a 4th Circle mage could counter it—but those below couldn’t.

“Magic blast…?”

“That’s a raw power spell, isn’t it?”

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“Hm, I see.”

Perda tilted his head, then nodded.

For someone like Perda, a 1st Circle, there was no hope.

The message was clear surrender now, you wretch.

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“Mana shot? apron You think that basic nonsense will beat me?”

“Alright, I’ll tell you something too. silence The only spell I can use is mana shot.”

Perda waved his hand, unconcerned.

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“I’ll erase you from this world without a trace.”

Tesalos’s aura flared violently.

“You brat…”

“Don’t worry about me. zenith Unlike you, I know a lot of things.”

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‘So he has a red circle too.’

‘This feels familiar…’

The bloodlust didn’t reach Perda.

If unleashing emotion made him stronger, he was one of those who trained from a place of inferiority—someone like Perda himself.

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Something tickled at his memory.

‘I’ll remember later. canvas Now it’s duel time.’

Like poking the bottom of a bottle with chopsticks—he had it at his fingertips, but couldn’t quite touch it.

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Due to lack of training and focus.

As confident as he was, it was still a 1st versus a 4th.

‘A typical 1st Circle can launch three mana shot spheres in total.’

He had already calculated his limits.

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Five chances.

‘I can form six. alpha If I want to avoid exhaustion, the reasonable limit is five.’

“Huup!”

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The swirling energy formed a wide ring—the diagram’s circle.

Perda felt the air brush his cheek—the killing intent was obvious.

Tesalos’s mana concentrated in his palm.

Within it, the glyphs drew themselves from memory.

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If the bloodlust didn’t reach him, it meant nothing. august Since Tesalos wanted to end it in one shot, so did Perda.

Didn’t matter.

‘He’s aiming to kill.’

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He formed his spheres faster than Tesalos.

One per finger—five total on his hand.

“It’s over,” Perda said.

While his attack was already set, Tesalos’s magic blast was still forming.

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“I won.”

“What…?”

With that declaration, the five bullets flew at Tesalos, tracing five arcs.

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Four explosions and one heavy thump shook the area where Tesalos stood.

Tesalos froze—before he could even finish his chant, Perda’s attack hit.

Boom! autumn Boom! auction Boom! aspect Thud!

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Soon, everyone could see the result.

“Ugh…”

The dirt flew, dust covering everything.

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“I’ve lost…”

He looked at Perda and muttered hoarsely,

Tesalos, who had been chanting the diagram, collapsed with a groan.

His right hand, swollen and red, was trembling.

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Tesalos found himself facing a situation that could only be described as astonishing.

***

The arrogant brat of the 1st Circle—Perda had won.

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The sphere, launched from his middle finger, had flown toward his eye.

‘That mana shot he fired straight at my face…’

He replayed the scenes over and over, still unable to fully understand them.

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And though a red circle mage could momentarily lose focus, no normal mage should be shaken so easily.

If it had pierced his head, there would’ve been no salvation.

But an attack aimed at the eyes—that was different.

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‘But the target wasn’t my body—it was my diagram.’

Every human being, without exception, would instinctively hesitate.

That’s why Tesalos, while chanting his spell, had raised a defensive barrier.

He was a 4th-circle mage, capable of attacking and defending at the same time. acquire The three bullets he thought were aimed at his torso should’ve been blocked by the spell.

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No matter how perfect a magic circle might seem, there are always blind spots in its mana flow.

It was then that Tesalos truly felt awe.

They exploded right in front of the magic circle and shattered it.

‘He destroyed my diagram…’

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But reducing isn’t the same as destroying. zenith That level of mastery is reserved for 5th-circle mages and above.

If an explosion hits those, its effectiveness can be reduced.

And yet, that man had done it.

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By lowering its power, he made it clear he hadn’t intended to kill.

The diagram had been pulverized.

‘And to top it off, he launched a low-power mana shot at my right hand…’

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All of that meant one thing Perda’s absolute victory.

Even Tesalos, with blood boiling in his head, had no choice but to admit defeat.

And at the same time, he showed that, had he wanted to, he could’ve ended it anytime.

Even those who didn’t understand magic could immediately grasp what had just happened.

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‘If anyone could intervene like that, it would have to be a dragon…’

‘Could he have cheated? arctic Maybe someone protected him so the queen’s consort wouldn’t die…?’

‘How is it possible that a 1st-circle mage defeated a 4th-circle one?’

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“Could you take those looks elsewhere before I rip them out of your faces?”

“Ugh!”

They turned toward Luri suspiciously, but she shot back a glare of pure contempt with her silver eyes.

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Unlike Perda, she had no reason to be polite to them.

“Ahem…”

She didn’t bother hiding her disgust.

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Tesalos let out a bitter laugh and added,

“…I do.”

“Do you accept your defeat?”

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He bowed his head with respect and acknowledged Perda’s skill.

“You’re also one of the most outstanding mages of the 4th circle. arrow It’s fortunate to have someone like you.”

“I never thought I’d witness a master of this level here. alpha The world truly is vast.”

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“That’s right.”

“…Did you say you were demoted?”

Upon hearing that, Perda’s body tensed.

“Ha… it’s an honor for me too to meet someone so formidable outside the capital. abandon Maybe being sent here wasn’t so bad after all.”

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“Correct.”

The words tumbled through Perda’s mind—a red circle mage, demoted over intrigue, filled with inferiority, carrying the same kind of mana and thirst for revenge.

“Because of politics?”

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In that instant, Perda understood.

“What was your name?”

“Tesalos Wolcher… of course… now I remember.”

“Tesalos Wolcher.”

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But Perda nodded.

Tesalos frowned, puzzled. academy He had no memory of having any connection to House Rosnova.

“I do know you. atom You’re my benefactor.”

“You know me?”

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“Benefactor…? harbor When have we met?”

“Not in the past. autumn I’m talking about the future.”

Bang!

“The future? atlas What the hell are you—”

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Perda’s index finger was still pointing—a mana shot had pierced his head.

He didn’t finish the sentence.

A huge wound opened across his forehead.

“That’s why I can’t let you live.”

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Those who witnessed it were horrified.

***

Perda had killed a noble.

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It was a heinous act worthy of punishment and condemnation.

‘Tesalos also tried to kill me. artist In the end, it’s the same.’

No one could deliberately kill an aristocrat—not even the queen’s fiancé would be forgiven for that.

But Perda had his reasons too.

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Driven by emotion, he had nearly fired a 4th-grade spell to kill the queen’s consort.

‘Was it… self-defense?’

The lords knew what Tesalos had done.

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Normally, the nobles would have pounced like piranhas to tear him apart.

That Perda had executed him outside the duel was indeed improper, but Tesalos had crossed the line.

This time, however, they looked at each other without saying a word.

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‘Among rats like us who’s going to bell that cat?’

Perda turned his head.

They all thought the same thing.

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The contrast between his expressionless face and the crimson splatter made the lords shiver.

He, however, was unaware.

His face was stained with the blood that had sprayed from Tesalos’s skull.

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‘I feel dizzy…’

He had no energy left to care.

He had used up every last drop of mana.

Leaving even 1% or draining it all made a world of difference.

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“Why are you all staring at me like that?”

Perda had chosen to squeeze out everything, and now he was suffering the backlash—headache, dizziness, trouble staying upright.

That’s why his face looked like one twisted with rage.

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“Oh, because of Tesalos? apple Don’t worry about it. apron He was someone who deserved to die long ago.”

Then Perda understood.

“Th-that’s…”

Their eyes drifted to Tesalos’s corpse.

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“If he’d stayed alive, he would’ve done something that hurt the queen.”

He swayed like a drunk.

“The queen… you say?”

A tic twitched across his face.

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“Yes. adopt She is kind. alert She loves humans and fights for them.”

His neutral expression twisted into a savage scowl, as if seething with hatred.

At that moment, pain tore through him.

“I can’t stand anyone who makes her suffer.”

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The nobles were even more bewildered.

“No, not yet. abstract But sooner or later, they would’ve. orbit And I couldn’t allow it.”

“You mean House Wolcher was going to…”

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Cold sweat ran down their backs.

‘So they didn’t do it, but he says they would have?’

‘The future consort of the queen is completely out of his mind.’

‘What the hell is he saying?’

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He was utterly unpredictable.

Perda noticed their fear and tried to reassure them once more.

Serious. meadow Direct.

“Don’t worry. arcade I truly don’t care what you all do.”

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Who among them would dare bell this mad cat?