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Chapter 250

“Dragon Knights are a sort of tamers.”

“Tamer?”

“Oh, is that not a thing here? Monsters… or as we call them in this world, magical beasts. Hunters who can tame those magical beasts.”

“Ah, we have something like that. It’s not that impressive, though.”

“Well, there’s definitely a huge difference in ability. We had a guy called the Beast King on our side, and he was something else. He could tame all sorts of monsters right on the spot.”

“Oh… then there might be some outstanding tamers who just haven’t made a name for themselves yet.”

“That could be. But honestly, it’s hard to say.”

As Lucrecia was smoothly weaving the story, she started to rub her temples, looking troubled. Yeon-woo raised her eyebrow in question.

“What’s wrong? Is there a difference?”

“Of course there is. The contract part is different. It’s my first time seeing another Dragon Knight besides me, but I never expected someone to contract with their heart.”

“Is that a big difference?”

“It’s a huge difference.”

Lucrecia nodded at the innocent-looking Noel, who was curious. She lightly tapped her eye patch and continued speaking.

“I contracted with my eyes, and even so, I gained incredible power. But with a heart, I can’t even imagine how much stronger that could be.”

“Wow, is the difference really that dramatic?”

“Definitely. The dragon’s eye is formidable, but compared to the heart, it falls short.”

As Lucrecia said this and gazed at Yeon-woo, Noel’s eager eyes turned in anticipation towards her. The problem was that it would be tough for Yeon-woo to meet those expectations.

“Um, the truth is, this is something only our teacher knows.”

“Oh, what is it? Is it an interesting story?”

“Actually, I’m incompatible with mana, but I was able to use it because of the contract. Maybe the power I gained from the contract allows me to use mana?”

Upon hearing those words, it was like cold water had been splashed on the two, who fell silent. Tentatively shifting their gaze to the two, they were gaping as if they had heard something unbelievable.

“Why are you reacting like that?”

“It’s nothing, yeah. But can I ask how old you were when you made the contract?”

“It’s been about nine months.”

“…What?”

At Yeon-woo’s answer, the two’s reactions changed bizarrely. What’s happening? Did I say something weird? But then she realized she had indeed said something odd.

They must see her as a mana incompatible person, yet here she was running around like a genius in the mid-Aura Expert rank in just nine months.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

As Yeon-woo thought this and her eyes spun around, Lucrecia sighed deeply, placing her hand on Yeon-woo’s head, pressing down.

“You must have struggled. Anyway, the important thing isn’t that. The important thing is whether there’s anything that only a Dragon Knight can do, right?”

“Um, that’s true. Whether I can differentiate myself from others is a pretty significant matter.”

“You really are a dull child! When someone shares something like this, you should ask if there’s a deadly move that excites you!”

Was that how she was supposed to respond? Since performance is relatively important, had she been overly serious in her assessment?

“If I had to find something similar, it would be Divine Invocation or Spirit Armament. You know what those are, right?”

“Heh, I thought it was just going to be something somewhat impressive, but those names are way more significant than I expected!”

Surprised by Yeon-woo’s remark, Noel nodded vigorously in agreement.

Divine Invocation was literally summoning a god into one’s body, the pinnacle of Divine Arts, while Spirit Armament was the ultimate of Spirit Magic that only Spirit Masters could use after building a sufficient rapport with their spirits.

For instance, there was one Spirit Master working in the Colorless Division of Harmony City’s Magic Tower, Cha Jinsu, whose Spirit Armament had wiped out an entire elite squad of the Violence Cult.

Of course, he had been bedridden for weeks afterward.

Additionally, the Divine Invocation used by the Saint, Na Yang-ho, had the power to heal allies even when a blade was embedded in their hearts, while also unleashing rays of sunlight that annihilated enemies.

Even though her specialty was healing, she had been raining down such ridiculous power.

Could there be a hidden technique that stands shoulder to shoulder with those? Yeon-woo’s heart began to race. If such a thing existed, it would bring her one step closer to slaying Demon Kings.

“Of course, the side effects are horrific, but the power you can gain is just insane. My dragon calls that Dragonization. Just from the name alone, you can get an idea, right?”

“Dragonization…!”

In fact, as she had suggested, some semblance of reasoning had crossed her mind. Contracting with a dragon began by sharing parts of their bodies, so this technique of stepping into the realm of a dragon through those attributes seemed right.

As if reading her thoughts, Lucrecia nodded and crossed her arms.

“Yeah, you’re spot on. Through the contract, you don’t just become a part-dragon, but you can also pull that power to transform into a state that’s almost like a true dragon for an instant. The power you can gain from that is just tremendous.”

“Wooow…! Doesn’t a Dragon Knight have something like that?!”

“No.”

“Oh…”

Noel sank into despair at Lucrecia’s cold rejection while Yeon-woo felt a strange emotion watching Noel’s excitement diminish.

“The issue is that I don’t have a dragon to contract with, so I can’t demonstrate, plus it’s not something you can master in such a short time. You can only use it if both of you believe you can entrust your body to the other person. But you and Shar should be able to use it soon, right?”

“Do you think so? I hope so.”

“Well, let’s put aside the talk of Dragonization for now. Shall we get moving? I’ll just watch from the side.”

“Sounds good!!”

Wow, that big dog! Look how excited it is to rush in.

With that thought, Yeon-woo pulled out White. She briefly considered using Doppleganger, but given Noel’s straightforward fighting style, it seemed more fitting to be honest and go ahead.

‘…Wait? Can I use Spirit Armament too?’

Divine Invocation might not please Dawn, so let’s skip that, but Tae-oh’s Spirit Armament might be possible…?

“Can you focus on me and not get distracted?”

“Oh… I wish Nea would say something like that to me.”

“Still getting along well, I see?”

At Yeon-woo’s joke, Noel grinned as she lunged at her with incredible speed that was still hard to visually track.

However, while Noel was getting her body ready, Yeon-woo wasn’t idle either.

The tiny insight she gained from her fight with Edward had unexpectedly made a significant impact.

A true hero is not someone who weighs and measures every situation before charging into battle but is a being who must fight even while accepting drawbacks.

‘To come to that realization against someone like Edward was pure luck, no doubt.’

There are times when you have to overwhelm your opponent, even if your realm is lower. There are situations you can evade but others you cannot, and there are moments when you must throw yourself into the fire knowing you could die.

Noel’s charge was the embodiment of what it meant to be a hero.

A confident, straight thrust. No sidesteps or retreats. There’s simply no time to waste when it comes to saving someone in danger.

As Yeon-woo lifted White and balanced the blade with her forearm, she rushed towards Noel.

Mimicking the technique she had once seen from Claire wasn’t enough anymore. It was time for growth.

Boom!!

The clash of two fighters erupted with a thunderous noise, and the dust cloud that rose was torn apart by the continuing strikes. Neither side had any intention of backing down. While matching speed was tough, they could engage in a nail-biting exchange of attacks.

“Those novice heroes have some serious skills!”

Watching this, Lucrecia smiled contently, thinking that if left alone, these two emerging heroes would end up sorting everything out on their own.

*

Edward, having abandoned everything related to the Noblesse Guild, had come down to a rural village.

Staring absentmindedly at the drifting clouds and lush green mountains felt oddly comforting, even though it was rather strange.

Though he was overflowing with money, he had no desire to do anything with it. Living simply like this until death didn’t sound too bad.

“…It’s not too bad, actually.”

Perhaps his vanity had ended in his youth. Maybe he had just been coasting along on momentum.

The rivalry that he had once burned with was supposed to have ended when that guy disappeared.

Their reputations had become immortal. Having died, they transformed into some aloof, unreachable existence.

Carefully, the old man whispered words he should have said decades ago.

“You won, Icarleos.”

As the old man uttered that, he leaned back in his rocking chair. It was a trivial statement, but it felt relieving.

With a more comfortable heart, he closed his eyes to enjoy the sounds of nature when a strange noise mixed in.

– P-please… save me…!!

It was the scream of a child. The widely expanded perception swept up surrounding information and presented it to its master.

There was a rookie who had stepped into the field without even a proper weapon and was being chased by a pack of wolves.

Suddenly, he remembered the supplementary clause written in the contract. Even with a Gear Scroll, it was a vague string that couldn’t provide compulsion.

He couldn’t say he was intrigued; it was simply a whim. In an instant, the old man’s form, which had been seated in the rocking chair, shot out.

There was no need to use an axe to deal with such trivial wolf monsters.

After quickly resolving the situation, the old man turned around.

“Didn’t you learn not to step into the field recklessly, kid?”

As he looked down, the child’s eyes sparkled as if witnessing a hero.

Just like the gaze of the child he rescued during the war decades ago. The same gaze that had stared up at him in admiration back then.

“Th-thank you for saving me, sensei…!!”

“It’s nothing; once you’re calmed down, don’t do something so reckless next time. It’s a hassle not just for you but for everyone else.”

Coldly saying this, Edward shook off his bloodstained hands and began to turn back home when he heard a soft thump.

Shifting his gaze, he saw the rookie, with his head buried in the grass, pleading towards him. Edward let out a scoff.

“Sensei, please accept me as your disciple!!”

“No way. Go home, wash your feet, and get some sleep.”

“Please, sensei!! I beg you…!!”

With the rookie gripping his ankle, the old man burst into laughter. What a brazen fellow. It reminded him of his first encounter with Icarleos, and he opened his mouth.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Achilles, Achilles!!”

“…How interesting.”

Is it a coincidence that their names are so similar? With a chuckle, Edward turned without hesitation and took off. The stunned Achilles heard a voice ringing in his ears.

He was told to come to the top of the mountain every morning, the old man’s voice resonating in his mind.

(Continued in the next part)

 

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