Chapter 100: The Dragon Princess and the Apprenticeship
“Well then, today’s course ends here.”
“Thank you for your hard work!!”
When the dismantling course ended, the dismantlers bowed at a 90-degree angle to bid me farewell. Even the adventurers who participated did the same. Ever since I gave them the knives made from Black Dragon materials, everyone has been acting like this; it feels kind of ticklish.
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“Everyone has gotten quite used to dismantling Green Dragons, so it might be okay to let them dismantle the Black Dragon soon.”
“Eh? Already?”
Liliera picked up on the mutter I let slip on our way back.
“Originally, Black Dragons are just plain dragons like Green Dragons, only with a different strength level. If they repeat the dismantling of Green Dragons and lose their excessive fear of dragon materials, they can dismantle it as a normal monster material without any problems.”
“Is that how it is?”
That is how it is.
“Come to think of it, I have a question.”
Mina joined the conversation.
“In the town of Togai, the dragon Rex hunted was bought by the Adventurer’s Guild, right? How was that one dismantled?”
Strictly speaking, it was the people participating in the Royal Capital’s auction who bought it.
“Eh? Did that happen?”
Ah, I hadn’t met Liliera yet back then.
“Yes, I happened to encounter a Green Dragon and had them buy it.”
“The whole guild was in an uproar at that time. Shouting about how a Dragon Slayer had appeared!”
“Ah, that was the fateful encounter between me and Big Bro. I still remember it, Big Bro’s majestic figure!”
Is he talking about when we first met? Or when I saved him from the Evil Boar? Jairo began recounting the excitement of that time with enthusiasm.
“Heh, so something like that happened. Well, if it’s Rex, it’s not strange at all, but back then when you knew nothing, everyone must have been quite surprised.”
“Oh yeah! Surprised wasn’t the word for it! He hunts a dragon, takes down an Evil Boar in one hit. And on top of that, he instantly kills a Demon!”
“Ah, I can picture it.”
Perhaps imagining the scene, Liliera let out a dry laugh.
“Oh, right, about the dragon dismantling. I think the auction officials from the Royal Capital came and dismantled it. Rare materials gather there, so I hear they possess several precious magic items to dismantle special materials.”
Heh, so they used such precious tools to dismantle a Green Dragon. As merchants, they probably have a passionate commitment to selling it for even one copper coin more. In that case, the auction venue likely has many amazing magic items I’ve never seen before. I’d like to see them sometime.
Chatting like that, we walked through the town dyed in twilight.
“Even so, the commotion seems to have died down in the last few days.”
The commotion Norb mentioned refers to the Dragon Princess uproar that occurred when Liliera defeated the Green Dragon. Come to think of it, what exactly was the Dragon Princess?
“Ugh, let’s drop that topic. It seems the Guild was tactful regarding the dismantling matter and moved to keep our identities hidden from the dismantlers, but it’s still better not to talk about it openly.”
Wearing her hood, Liliera sighed. Apparently, if she walks outside with her face exposed, she still gets called Dragon Princess, so she still can’t take off her hood.
There seem to be other female adventurers with spears, but when it comes to a female spear user who came from outside the town, the number narrows down. That’s why I occasionally see a blonde female spear adventurer being surrounded by townspeople calling her Lady Dragon Princess. Yeah, she’s serving as a nice decoy.
“In that sense, Rex was lucky. It was twilight and dim, so aside from the gatekeeper we spoke to directly, few people saw Rex‘s face clearly. Plus, at that time, the Golden Dragon was shining brightly and stood out more.”
Ah, in that sense, I might have been saved. Should I be grateful to the Golden Dragon? Maybe I’ll bring it a gift next time.
“More importantly, let’s eat quickly, Big Bro! I’m starving.”
Unable to endure his hunger, Jairo called out for us to eat soon.
“You’re right. Then let’s enter a nearby shop.”
And just as we were about to enter a suitable shop, it happened.
“U-Um!”
Someone called out to us from behind. Wondering who it was, I turned around and saw a familiar figure.
“You are… Ryune?”
Yes, it was Ryune, who had also come to my dismantling course. She was panting heavily, as if she had run to catch up.
“Y-Yes! Actually, I have something I earnestly wish to discuss!”
“Discuss?”
I wonder what it is? Was there something she didn’t understand about dragon dismantling?
“Actually…”
Ryune corrected her breathing, straightened her back, and put on a serious face.
“Please… make me your apprentice!! I beg of you!”
Saying that, Ryune bowed deeply. Towards Liliera.
“…Eh? Me!?”
It seems so?
“Please! I want to become strong like you!”
“Eh? I-Is that so?”
Being told someone wanted to be strong like her, Liliera looked somewhat pleased.
“Yes! I want to become strong like you, the one called the return of the Dragon Princess!”
“Huh?”
“LADY DRAGON PRINCESS!?!?”
The moment they heard Ryune‘s words, the townspeople turned around all at once.
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“Wow, hahaha, that was scary… no, seriously.”
“I-I thought I was going to be crushed by a wave of people…”
After that, fearing we would be crushed by the townspeople rushing towards Liliera, we hurriedly flew into the sky to escape. Since it was obvious Ryune would be injured if we left her there, we took her with us.
And so, we returned to our room at the inn while hiding with magic. Perhaps as a reaction to the relief, Norb and Meguri were shivering as they recalled the scene just now. Yeah, that was scarier than a clumsy horde of monsters.
“Um, I am sorry…”
Realizing her remark caused the commotion, Ryune bowed her head with words of apology.
“Ah, no, please don’t worry about it. More importantly…”
I directed my gaze toward Liliera but asked Ryune.
“Why do you want to become Liliera‘s apprentice?”
Ryune had said it. That she wanted to become Liliera‘s apprentice.
“Y-Yes! I want to become an apprentice to that person, who possesses strength worthy of being called the return of Lady Dragon Princess!”
“Hey… what exactly is this Dragon Princess?”
Liliera asked in an exasperated tone at Ryune‘s words. Come to think of it, we don’t know who exactly the Dragon Princess is.
“Eh? You do not know of Lady Dragon Princess?”
Ryune showed an expression of disbelief.
“Yeah, we don’t know.”
“B-But, you are the successor of the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts, aren’t you!?”
“Eh? No, I’m not?”
“Huh? …N-No, that cannot be! That spear handling was undoubtedly our school, the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts!”
Ryune strongly denied it, saying it couldn’t be. Or rather, did she just say “our school”?
“Lady Dragon Princess is the name of the last Dragon Knight of this country.”
Ah, the explanation has started.
“Long ago in this world, humans and Demons were at war. It seems this country was no exception. In fact, it is said that the battles against Demons were more intense in our country than in others.”
Ah, that’s true; even in my past life memories, Dragonia was a fierce battleground.
“That is because our country was a nation of Dragon Knights who fought alongside dragons. Dragon Knights fought dragons and demonstrated their power to make them submit. And the Dragon Knights riding dragons displayed such strength that they were called the knights among knights who ruled the sky.”
Well, their actual strength wasn’t that special, but a knight riding a dragon looks impressive. In that sense, Dragon Knights were a popular profession, the stars of the battlefield even among knights.
Above all, simply because powerful beings like dragons were on the side of humans, Dragonia was viewed as dangerous by the Demons.
Ah, but it’s not like the Dragon Knights were just for show. Compared to knights of similar rank in other countries, they were reasonably strong, and the high-ranking Dragon Knights, starting with the King of Dragon Knights known as the Dragon Emperor, fought battles so spectacular they could truly be called knights among knights.
Well, there were plenty of monster-like people among the knights and professions of other countries too. Like the Magic Knight Order of the Magic Kingdom or the Magic Swordsman Division of the Sword Emperor Kingdom.
“Lady Dragon Princess was the favorite consort of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, the strongest Dragon Knight who ruled over such knights, and she herself was an excellent Dragon Knight.”
Hmm, so the Dragon Princess was a Queen or a consort who lived in this country long ago? Since she was a knight, she might have been in the mistress category.
“His Majesty the Dragon Emperor and Lady Dragon Princess loved each other very deeply, and it is said they were so harmonious that everyone envied them.”
“It sounds like a romance story.”
“However, the sweet days of the two did not last long. A massive army of Demons advanced upon this country. To counter our country which fought alongside dragons, the Demons attacked leading a horde of powerful monsters.”
Heh, so such an incident happened after I died.
“The Dragon Knights went to battle together with the dragons. Of course, Lady Dragon Princess, who was also a Dragon Knight, wished to go to the battlefield with them.”
Uh-huh. Before I knew it, not just me, but Liliera, Mina, and the others were listening intently to Ryune‘s story.
“However, His Majesty the Dragon Emperor did not allow Lady Dragon Princess to go to the battlefield with him. Lady Dragon Princess was indignant, asking why she alone was forbidden to go when those who could fight, even women, were heading to the battlefield. She asked His Majesty the Dragon Emperor why, arguing that even if she was called the Dragon Princess, she was a knight. Therefore, it was natural for her to go to the battlefield for the sake of the people.”
Yeah, the Dragon Princess is right here. In the era we lived in, both men and women who had the power to fight went to the battlefield to fight against Demons. Also, regardless of gender, strong people were strong without distinction. They were really strong.
While I was reminiscing, Ryune‘s story continued.
“That was to be expected. In fact, Lady Dragon Princess was carrying His Majesty the Dragon Emperor‘s child in her womb.”
Ah, well, in that case, she certainly couldn’t fight together. If the Dragon Emperor in this story is the same as the Dragon Emperor I know, that means he was the King of Dragonia back then. A favorite consort carrying the King’s child can’t go to fight on the battlefield. No, even if it wasn’t the King’s child, a pregnant woman fighting on the battlefield is bad news.
“And His Majesty the Dragon Emperor said to Lady Dragon Princess: ‘In this battle, perhaps not a single one of us Dragon Knights will return. But if you are here, if only you survive, the successor to the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts will not be lost. So please, preserve the Dragon Emperor Style for future generations.'”
Hmm, asking the Dragon Princess to do that means the Dragon Emperor was convinced they wouldn’t return alive from that battle.
I don’t know how much time had passed since my previous life ended, but I understand very well that a significantly large war took place.
“And so, Lady Dragon Princess remained in the country and continued to wait for the return of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor who went to war. However, His Majesty the Dragon Emperor and the others never returned, and Lady Dragon Princess became the last Dragon Knight of this country.”
When Ryune finished her story, the room fell silent. Everyone had deep, solemn expressions, realizing such an event had happened in this country’s past.
Huh? But doesn’t that make things inconsistent?
“…Hey, if that story is correct, there should be Dragon Knights who use the Dragon Emperor Style in this country, right? So why are you asking to be my apprentice?”
Yes, exactly. Everyone seemed to harbor the same doubt, nodding at Liliera‘s words.
“Yes, that doubt is precisely the reason why I begged to become your apprentice.”
Ryune straightened her posture, looked straight into Liliera‘s eyes, and explained the reason.
“Actually, hundreds of years ago, a nasty epidemic spread in this country, and it seems many Dragon Knights died from the disease.”
“From an epidemic!?”
Not expecting a disease to be the cause, everyone gasped.
“Yes. It seems the survivors were still in the middle of their training and had not yet mastered the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts. The Dragon Knights of subsequent generations inherited an incomplete Dragon Emperor Style. Because of this, the weakened successors were defeated in battles against powerful monsters, and the techniques were lost further… Finally, the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts techniques left to my generation are less than half of what they were in their prime.”
And due to weakening after weakening, finally, they couldn’t even defeat a Green Dragon, leading to the current situation, Ryune explained.
“So please! Please teach me the Dragon Emperor Style that you have inherited!”
Ryune rubbed her forehead against the floor, begging Liliera.
“Even if you say that…”
Liliera shrugged, wondering what to do.
“I’m not a successor to the Dragon Emperor Style or anything, and I can only barely defeat a Blue Dragon. I definitely can’t teach anyone.”
“E-Even so! Even so, you are stronger than me! I can’t even defeat a Wyvern, let alone a Green Dragon!”
No, I don’t think that’s something to say with pride. Or rather, isn’t it bad that a Dragon Knight can’t even beat a Wyvern? When we came to this town, they said Dragon Knights were fairy tales; just how much have the Dragon Knights of this era weakened?
“Besides, if your story is true, wouldn’t that make you royalty? Surely the people around you wouldn’t allow a mere adventurer to teach a royal, right?”
Ah, come to think of it, that’s right. If Ryune is a descendant of the Dragon Princess, it means she inherits the blood of the Dragon Emperor, who was the King.
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that. The direct lineage was wiped out by the epidemic hundreds of years ago, and my clan itself doesn’t know how much blood relation we have to Lady Dragon Princess. Mother said there’s a possibility we might be descendants of a disciple with absolutely no blood ties.”
I question that in its own way. However, if many Dragon Knights, including the successors, died in the epidemic, the possibility that the ones left were disciples with no blood ties is certainly high.
If it was a child of a disciple living far from the main house where the successors lived, that would certainly explain how they escaped the damage of the epidemic. It was common for skilled high-ranking disciples to live near the successor’s estate, while disciples with mediocre skills lived far from the dojo.
“…Even so, I must refuse to teach you. I am still immature myself and am in the middle of learning techniques from my master.”
“Master… you say?”
And then, Liliera flashed a nasty smirk.
“Yes, that’s right. I have a master who taught me the Dragon Emperor Style.”
Ah, I have a bad feeling.
“D-Does one exist!? A successor who has mastered the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts!?”
No, that’s wrong, I’m not a successor. However, Liliera ignored my feelings and pointed at me.
“Yes, Rex here is the master who taught me the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts!!”
“…E-Ehhhh!? Th-This person!? B-But this person was doing a dismantling course just a moment ago, right!? I completely thought he was a servant taking care of the Dragon Knight‘s personal needs!?”
Ryune raised a voice of surprise as if she couldn’t believe it. Hmm, this is the first time I’ve been mistaken for a servant.
“Did you not hear the conversation during the dismantling earlier? That guy over there said he is an S-Rank adventurer, the best of adventurers, didn’t he?”
Liliera pointed to Jairo. Jairo, you don’t need to smile meaningfully either.
“I-I completely thought that was a cover to hide your identity…”
“Hmph, to misjudge an opponent’s ability shows you are still immature. He is a genuine S-Rank adventurer and our master, Rex!”
Stop it, Liliera! Ah, Jairo and the others, you don’t need to kneel and bow to me pointlessly either. Everyone gets too carried away at times like this! Ah, even Norb too!
“E-Ehh… Then this person is the true successor of the Dragon Emperor Style, and furthermore, the only other inheritor of the Dragon Emperor Style besides me, a descendant of Lady Dragon Princess, which means…”
Ryune, trembling uncontrollably, looked at me with an expression as if she had seen something impossible.
“Don’t tell me, you were the reincarnation of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor—!?”
“No, I’m not.”
Really, I’m not.
“That’s right, I don’t know much about Dragon Emperors, but Big Bro defeated a mess of dragons on that mountain!”
Ryune‘s eyes widened looking in the direction Jairo pointed.
“Don’t tell me, Dragon Peak!? Then did His Majesty the Dragon Emperor finish the Rite of Dragon Selection and subjugate a dragon!?”
“I don’t really get it, but probably!”
Hey, hey, don’t agree randomly. Also, I’m not the Dragon Emperor.
“Hah!? Then could it be that the one riding the Golden Dragon that came to town the other day was also His Majesty the Dragon Emperor!?”
“Ah, that was Rex.”
Hey Norb, don’t tell her on your own!
“Man, I thought I was going to die back then. Or rather, I thought I was going to die every second during that whole time.”
“Yeah, with the swarm of dragons, the Black Dragon, the Wyverns, and the Golden Dragon, it wasn’t just a little bit, I really thought I was going to die.”
Huh? is everyone holding a grudge? Are you?
“But then Big Bro blew those dragons away! Even the Golden Dragon got sent flying with Big Bro’s one punch.”
“That was surprising. A dragon’s huge body flew through the air.”
“The Golden Dragon… was blown away? The strongest King of Dragons…?”
Hearing everyone’s stories, Ryune trembled uncontrollably, and then knelt before me and bowed her head.
“Please, Lord Dragon Emperor! Please grant me the Dragon Emperor Style Aerial Spear Arts!”
I told you, I’m not him.
“To participate in the Dragon Princess Rite!”
Wait, another weird term just popped up!?
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“Is it true that the Dragon Emperor has appeared?”
Receiving the report from my brethren monitoring Dragon Peak, I involuntarily asked back. If the Dragon Emperor has appeared, it means those detestable Dragon Knights will also revive!?
“Yeah, it seems a Golden Dragon carried a human and descended to the human village.”
“Unbelievable. For a Golden Dragon to carry a human again. I thought we destroyed all the Dragon Knights hundreds of years ago…”
That’s right, with that epidemic, the Dragon Knight bloodline should have been completely severed.
“It seems there were survivors.”
And impudently, they kept the existence of survivors secret and prepared against us, is that it? Perhaps behind the recent failures of our brethren lay the shadow of the lurking Dragon Knight remnants.
However, Dragon Knights are a bunch who only demonstrate their true value when they have dragons. I highly doubt they can oppose us without relying on dragons. Does this mean they have obtained a new means to oppose us?
“What shall we do?”
My brethren asked for my opinion anxiously. Fools, why are we frightened of humans?
“It is decided. We will destroy them. We cannot simply watch in silence as humans and dragons join hands again.”
“But the Golden Dragon is troublesome, you know?”
True, dealing with the King of Dragons, the Golden Dragon, is a bit tedious. But fighting head-on is not the only way to fight.
“No problem. We’ll let the gathered monsters handle it. We will dispose of the Dragon Emperor during that opening. If the Dragon Emperor and the Dragon Knights are gone, there will be no reason for dragons to lend a hand to humans again.”
Yes, if the Dragon Emperor is gone, the Dragon Knights are just a disorderly mob. Rather, now that he has shown himself is the perfect opportunity!
“To ensure the success of our comeback, we will crush the uncertain element right here!”
Kukuku, I shall teach you humans true fear!
