I Married the Dragon I Killed

Stephan spoke passionately and only then regained the breath he had been holding back.

His face was drenched in sweat, and droplets were also falling from the fists he kept tightly clenched.

Herman silently watched Stephan.

Herman Pascal.

The man who would whip him even if he missed a single question on an exam, and who acted like a tyrant saying that one must never let their guard down around numbers.

When he opened his mouth again, he said this.

“Then do it that way.”

“…Huh?”

Stephan blinked like an idiot.

Was this not like fully preparing for war only for the enemy to suddenly surrender?

“Wait a moment, Father. I-is this really going to end that simply?”

“What do you mean simply? What exactly were you expecting me to do?”

“Doesn’t it feel strange for it to end like this? If you plan to scheme behind my back—.”

“As you said, I’m just an old man locked away in the depths of the house. What could such an old man possibly do? I told you to do whatever you want.”

“Until just now you acted as though you were going to devour me if I didn’t let everything go. So why are you allowing it now?”

“Didn’t you ask me earlier?”

“That’s right.”

“And I simply told you to stop.”

“What’s different now?”

“At that time, you were asking as an employee. Just now, you informed me as the owner of this place.”

Herman turned around.

“If the owner does not want it, what could I possibly do?”

He said that and disappeared.

The heavy air once again pierced deeply into Stephan’s lungs.

“Hah.”

Everything felt empty.

As though a massive explosion had detonated near him and his ears were still ringing.

“The owner…?”

Stephan repeated those words from his father in his mind.

Then he saw something on his desk.

Two apples that had rolled to the floor when he slammed the table.

There were two things he needed to hold.

But only one hand to do it with.

“Haha…”

Suddenly, an absurd thought crossed his mind.

No.

It was not absurd.

Stephan, who had always lived under pressure, had just had the smartest and brightest thought he had ever had.

He picked up the two apples with both hands.

“My hands were originally two.”

Then he placed them back onto the fruit tray.

Everything that had been pressuring him disappeared.

Stephan smiled in relief.

***

Herman left the main headquarters and climbed into his carriage.

Inside, a muscular man was already seated there, someone who looked twice as large as Herman.

Merchit Pascal.

Herman looked at him and said,

“Let’s go home.”

“Yes.”

Merchit gave the signal, and the carriage began to move.

Noticing that Herman seemed different than usual, he asked,

“Did things go well with my younger brother?”

Herman nodded.

“I didn’t like it, but it was satisfying.”

“Ohh. So now Stephan will become the president?”

“I still need to observe him a little longer. If I hand it over too quickly, he’ll end up relaxing.”

“Haha! I never thought I’d see that bastard earn our father’s recognition.”

Merchit burst into amused laughter, and Herman clicked his tongue.

“Watching him yell at his father like that makes me feel like I’m seeing a rebellious teenager who hit puberty far too late.”

“It’s not puberty. He always had a strong personality. Aren’t we all like that in the Pascal family?”

“Then are you really fine with this?”

He was referring to whether Merchit was truly willing to hand the Pascal Guild over to Stephan.

Normally, the family business was inherited by the eldest son, so it was an awkward situation.

But Merchit waved his hand and laughed carelessly.

“The mercenary company is enough for me. I don’t have the head for moving numbers around, right? I’m the body, and Stephan is the brain. Better for him to think for me so my head hurts less.”

“Really?”

“Though it’s not like I lack ambition either. Looking at how my son behaves, it seems he inherited his mother’s brain. If I train him properly as a successor, in the end I’ll recover everything anyway.”

“Are you planning to sabotage his life so badly that he can’t even get married?”

“Hahaha! I wish there were at least something to sabotage! He has no eye for women and no initiative either! It’s pitiful to watch! His mother is even begging young noble ladies from good families to pay attention to our brother!”

It was impossible to tell whether he truly wanted to take everything from Stephan or hand it over to him.

“Even so, I think that bastard should at least open a path for me to live better. Father, you should do something about it.”

Herman shrugged.

“Talk to the owner. What would you gain from talking to me?”

“Hah. Judging by the way that bastard has been using his head lately, even yelling at him would be pointless. I’ll definitely have to make my son smart enough to take it all back.”

Herman let out a small laugh.

One way or another, the battle over the succession of the Pascal Guild had ended.

And so, the carriage continued moving back toward the mansion.

***

“Did you hear that news?”

“Judging by the way you’re talking, it sounds like you heard about the Dandolo Guild.”

“That’s right. Who would’ve imagined that the Dandolo Guild would end up in someone else’s hands?”

“Rico Dandolo died, and Henri Dandolo renounced everything. Nothing could be stranger than that.”

“And wasn’t it that Perda from the eastern frontier who received everything? He definitely used some kind of trick.”

“There are suspicions, but Henri was already famous for not enjoying his work long before this, wasn’t he? The moment his father’s yoke broke, he simply abandoned the guild.”

“Even so, didn’t he give up too much? Why would he abandon a fortune enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life?”

“There was probably some sort of deal among the big players.”

“You can’t ignore prestige either. All those executives voted unanimously in favor. They must have considered him the right person to hand it over to.”

“I’d support Regent Perda too. They just discovered western mines and rare earth veins, so everything is on the rise. And now they’ve also gained that rising star called magitechnology.”

“So the Dandolo name will still exist?”

“How could it? They say they’ll change it. It’ll become the Hestia Guild.”

“Won’t it be Valdrova?”

“If they keep using the name of that terrifying evil dragon, people believe it’ll bring a curse. So they’ll use the name of the village they’re building instead.”

“The village is called Hestia? Sounds like a woman’s name.”

“And that’s exactly why it’s good. Jejeje.”

“But if so many people and so much money are gathering in the Grand Duchess’s territory, is the Empire really going to sit by and do nothing?”

“There’s the excuse of conquering the eastern frontier. Besides, Lorga declared his support and announced they’ll build a village to accept adventurers.”

“Adventurers? Why would they go to a place like the eastern frontier?”

“It seems the Adventurer’s Guild plans to seriously explore the Demon Lands.”

“What?! Do they actually have the power to enter the Demon Lands?!”

“Apparently they found a method to resist demonic energy.”

“Then that means there’s finally a way to extract the eastern mysteries!”

“There are strange things there in both medicine and magic. It seems we’ll finally be able to see with our own eyes things that previously only existed in legends.”

“Grrrr… It can’t be! I’ll have to change my caravan’s route!”

“You’re thinking of going to the eastern frontier?”

“Where people gather, money gathers! How could I not go?! I’ll try selling food and whetstones there!”

“Ohhh, then let’s go together!”

“Brother, save a place for me too! I want to come with you!”

***

A wind called the gold rush was blowing through Hestia.

It attracted people, and even the stagnant winter began to move in search of a place to settle.

With so many people arriving, the streets came alive.

“Come on, come on! Only for today! Thirty pieces! Thirty pieces of the famous roasted western catfish!”

“Bracelets that bring good fortune! If you wear this bracelet, you’ll have eternal health! Luck in everything! And not only that! In exactly one hundred days, you’ll receive an enormous fortune!”

The spaces that should have been empty were now filled with street stalls.

There was work there.

And where there was work, people gathered.

And where people gathered, money began to move.

Street vendors ignored in the big cities began settling there one after another and making money, so everyone started copying them.

The refugees, even though they received money, did not have much to spend it on, but the street stalls at least allowed them to slightly improve their quality of life.

“A huge number of people are gathering.”

Isabella observed the place from afar as she spoke.

She was not merely reviewing it through documents; she was evaluating it with her own eyes.

“Expand the streets a little more and regulate the wandering merchants.”

“Yes.”

“Do not forget to properly collect the stall fees. And while this is still unstable, do not try to enrich yourselves unnecessarily.”

“Yes!”

It was a warning not to accept bribes disguised as stall rent.

If it were an ordinary administrator, they would ignore her with disdain, but she was a Dragon Spawn.

Her meticulousness was terrifying, and her strength was exceptional as well, so no one dared line their pockets in front of her.

The tax collectors began moving, and a man in armor stopped before her.

He wore half plate armor and had an insignia on his shoulder that read “Captain of the Guard.”

It was William, the cavalry cadet who had led the refugees.

“Administrator. William, Captain of the Guard, reporting patrol duty. Aside from three theft cases, there were no major incidents.”

“Good work, Captain. I thought there would be problems with so many people arriving, but it seems nothing happened.”

“That’s correct. We ordered the guards to organize the flow of people to prevent problems, so nothing serious should happen.”

“Excellent work. Then there is no need to give further orders.”

William walked beside Isabella and asked,

“Um… Administrator Isabella…”

“What is it?”

“Is it really okay for me to be the Captain of the Guard?”

Isabella adjusted her glasses and answered,

“Of course. I imagine you may not be satisfied with a rank lower than cavalry cadet, but the Regent said he will consider granting you a knighthood later, so there is nothing to worry about.”

“No… that’s not what I mean…”

For William, this was complicated.

Being a cavalry cadet, having achieved great merits under Duke Yurei.

All of that belonged to the past now.

William had arrived in Hestia prepared to live as a refugee.

‘But… Captain of the Guard…?’

What Exactly Was a Captain of the Guard?

Practically the second-highest position of authority after the administrator.

He commanded the guard and, if necessary, could legally exercise force within the village.

Because of that responsibility and privilege, it was far too important a position to hand over to just anyone.

“It was the Regent himself who appointed you, so the only thing I could do would be dismiss you. But personally, I also think you work well, so I have no objections. And besides…”

“And besides?”

“If you resign, I’ll send you straight back to Duke Yurei, so don’t even dream about it.”

“Ugh… those are such cruel words…”

That alone was enough to make him turn pale, yet he did not feel bad.

The woman known as the ruthless witch was saying she needed him, so it actually felt embarrassingly pleasant.

“Then I’ll go draft the report. Good work.”

“Yes, good work.”

The village was stabilizing thanks to the guard.

But if only everything were good news.

Where there is one person, there is one concern.

And where there are a hundred people, there are a hundred concerns.

Isabella forcefully suppressed the urge to sigh.

“Hey, little horns.”

An arrogant voice caught her attention.

“So you abandoned the Magic Tower just to end up cleaning up after humans? Well, maybe you’re doing that because they kicked you out.”

Although Isabella was rational, she was not a saint capable of listening to insults against Dragon Spawn without getting angry.

“How insolent—?!”

But just as she was about to explode in fury, she turned around and her expression changed.

Even without horns or a tail, that elegant face was familiar to her.

She had worked under her for centuries.

There was no way she could fail to recognize her.

“Lady Erika?”

“It’s been a long time, Bella.”

Erika Iorga.

She greeted her cheerfully with a wave of her hand.

Isabella quickly scanned her entire body with her eyes and asked,

“Are you enjoying some sort of game?”

“A game? You speak as if I’m wandering around for fun.”

“You’re acting like a human in a way that does not suit you.”

“What nonsense. I’m not spending my time playing around, you know? Even if it doesn’t look like it, I came here as platinum adventurer Eri.”

Erika showed her adventurer’s plate.

A badge granted only to those who possessed top-level achievements within the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Are you not ashamed that someone known as the Wisdom of the Twelve Expeditionary Group is acting among humans? These days, that would be called newbie slaughter.”

“Anyone listening to you would think I’m some complete scoundrel. I only ended up like this while solving problems.”

Although she claimed it had not been intentional, the pride she felt while holding that plate was obvious.

Erika felt slightly uncomfortable and decided to change the subject.

“How have you been lately?”

“I’ve been well. It’s pleasant hearing fresh things instead of the complaints of those old men.”

“Fresh things? Did you just call Valdrova’s maids that?”

“Is there a problem?”

At that response, Erika spoke as though she were stunned.

“Do you realize that girl is also several centuries old?”

“But she’s still younger than me.”

“And what about the title Frost Giant’s Nightmare?”

“I understand it perfectly. That delicate beauty alone is enough to destroy anyone’s mind.”

Isabella murmured with a captivated expression.

“Ahh, if only I could hug her tightly just once, all this accumulated exhaustion would disappear.”

Erika stared at her in disbelief.

There was something in her words she simply could not ignore.

“But you said things. Is there someone else? Another fresh one?”

“A girl named Morida. A beautiful young woman who looks as though she stepped out of a painting.”

“And you do not touch her either?”

“It seems the damned witch residing in the castle is keeping watch over her.”

Isabella spoke with a face full of jealousy.

Even Erika, who had spent centuries alongside her, rarely saw so many emotions gathered together.

“…Does the Regent know you’re like this?”

“I think he vaguely suspects it, but he doesn’t seem to care.”

“Then I suppose there’s no problem…”

Isabella decided to change the subject of “fresh things.”

“Leaving that aside, let’s talk about something constructive.”

“Did Lady Erika come here as an adventurer?”

“I felt I needed to personally check how the Adventurer’s Guild situation is going. What do you think about the adventurers who arrived here?”

“They’re the worst.”

Isabella sighed.

“The ones who think they have spirit are simply immature, and the adventurers of the rank we actually need do not even seem interested in coming near this place. Rather, it seems they came here to behave like gangsters.”

“After suffering so much to climb the ranks, it’s normal for them to act like that.”

Accumulating merits was difficult.

Dying only took an instant.

So once they reached a high level, it was natural for them to become cautious.

“I’ll have to speak with the central guild. They need to awaken a sense of urgency in those golden idiots.”

“Do you not think there will be opposition?”

“Then let them protest if they want. Do they think I have no right to speak after risking my life countless times to help save this continent?”

Erika bit her lip and let out a curse.

“Damned bastards. I don’t pay them to sit on their asses and stuff themselves with expensive food.”

“Lady of the Tower, mind your dignity.”

“What are you saying? I’m not Erika, I’m Eri, platinum adventurer. I don’t need dignity. I can say vulgar things anywhere. Want to hear a vulgar girls’ talk from Eri?”

“At moments like this, I truly feel proud of having abandoned the Magic Tower.”

Erika let out a playful laugh.

“Is the Regent here?”

“He’s probably still in his office today as well. Do you wish to see him? I’ll send a message.”

“It feels strange showing up without warning, but I bring some good news, so I suppose it’ll be fine. Can you notify him?”

“Understood. I’ll inform him beforehand so he can prepare himself.”

Just as she was about to send the message—

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The alarm bell installed in the center of the village suddenly began ringing violently on its own.

Everyone stopped and looked toward it.

Erika also raised her gaze.

“What’s that? An alarm?”

“…It’s connected to a monster detection device. It rings automatically whenever it detects something.”

“That means…”

“That if it’s not malfunctioning, then a monster has appeared.”

The alarm continued ringing without showing any sign of stopping.