Chapter 3 : You can’t trust rumors (1)

Ah, I really don’t want to do this.

I properly adjusted the military uniform specially made in the Empire along with the cap, but still, my military spirit seemed to have no intention of returning. 

Did I even have any to begin with?

With a genuinely unwilling expression, the dog tag on the woman soaring in the sky read “Wolfgang Leonhardt.” If people were to find out about this, most would not believe it.

To the citizens of the Empire, Wolfgang Leonhardt was a war hero who led them to victory in the Winter War and a savior of the nation. 

Naturally, they must have held grand illusions about his name.

To them, Wolfgang’s image soaring through the sky with no motivation at all would not match the heroic image they had of him. 

However, unfortunately, she was indeed Wolfgang Leonhardt.

To put it more grandly, the war hero who led the Winter War to victory. 

The national hero who saved the Empire from the Winter of Doom. 

The great hero Wolfgang mumbled to himself.

“I really don’t want to do this.”

It seemed that simply muttering in her mind was not enough, as she eventually let her true feelings slip out loud. 

At least it was fortunate that no one around her could hear it.

However, she did have her reasons for complaining. 

The dreary, ash-gray sky further dragged down her already gloomy mood, robbing her of any remaining motivation.

Indeed, she seriously wondered if someone had placed a curse on the sky.

That so-called curse that steals motivation!

Muttering about this absurd conspiracy, she looked up. 

Her one sharp golden eye, hidden beneath her cap, caught sight of a monster soaring ahead.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Wolfgang did not forget to take out the comms device from her pocket.

It was closer to a crystal ball. 

Just then, a familiar voice emerged from the device.

“This is Nest, this is Nest. Do you read me, Eagle? Over.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s a call sign! What if the kingdom is eavesdropping?”

“Let them listen if they want.”

“Honestly. So, do you have any peculiar findings?”

A hint of resignation mixed into the voice coming from the comms device. 

Perhaps because she knew Wolfgang’s personality, the resignation came sooner than expected.

Thanks to that, Wolfgang was able to get straight to the point.

“I found the wyverns. I’m commencing extermination. Over.”

“What?! Just a reconnaissance mission, right…?!!”

Click.

Not wanting to hear any more of her subordinate’s nagging, Wolfgang immediately turned off the comms device. 

Just then, a massive shadow began to cover her.

The creatures draped in ominous purple scales resembled dragons from legends, yet unlike those legends, there was no trace of wisdom in these creatures.

The sky was still an area humanity had not yet conquered. 

Naturally, assumptions about the future were meaningless. 

In the sky, the creatures that ruled it were nothing but pray for humanity.

Wyverns.

That was what people called the predators of the skies.

Although the Winter of Doom, the Empire’s eternal enemy, had finally come to an end, that didn’t mean the Empire was entirely safe. 

Threatening monsters still roamed freely, and due to the Empire’s particularly vast territory, the situation was much more severe. 

Even more so in winter, as the monsters began to raid humans more frequently due to an absolute lack of prey.

However, now that the Winter of Doom had ended, the Empire had no intention of turning a blind eye to this situation. 

The Vendetta Corps was moving this time specifically to exterminate the wyverns. 

Even though they had fallen into beasts due to being consumed by evil, they were still descendants of dragons.

The breath of flames they unleashed, dominating the skies, was powerful enough to make one acutely aware of the strength of the dragons from legends. 

Naturally, not only ordinary citizens, but even well-trained elite soldiers could only turn into a meal in front of the wyverns. 

The damage was so severe that even the Emperor personally issued an imperial decree.

Indeed, she felt sympathy. 

To be eaten by such monsters was, a thought that could make one writhe in agony just by imagining it. 

However, regardless of that understanding, she could not help but feel displeased about having to personally step in on this serious matter.

After all, what was the reason she enlisted in the first place?

Not for the future of the Empire or pride as a hero, but simply for her own survival.

Of course, she had gained the ultimate power through the Winter War, but that didn’t justify why she had to stick her head into dangerous places, not now at least.

Still, there was a reason she was compelled to head into dangerous territories. 

It was because she was a “soldier,” who had a duty to protect the citizens of the Empire.

Naturally, the wyverns, monsters that devour people, had to be exterminated first and foremost, and it was only natural for her, whose skills were verified as a hero, to receive the extermination orders.

And that was considerably far from the peaceful life she longed for. 

In fact, she had originally intended to retreat to a less dangerous position once the Winter War ended.

If she couldn’t be discharged, then at least she wanted to move to the rear to minimize the risks. 

However, the higher-ups prevented her from doing so.

“Your abilities are essential to our Empire. Is there really no way to reconsider?”

“If you have any complaints, please let me know at any time. I will fix them as much as possible.”

“For the sake of the citizens who regard you as a hero, please reconsider once more.”

“……”

With not only the Prime Minister and Dukes but even the Emperor himself coming to persuade her, she couldn’t possibly say in front of them that she wanted to retreat to a life of leisure.

Thanks to that, she was still serving in the military, and whenever commands came down from above, she had no choice but to risk her life.

Wolfgang sharply increased her firepower and soared higher.

Soon, she spotted something flying in the sky, roughly the size of an island. 

It was none other than a wyvern. 

A truly gigantic creature that could be compared to a mountain.

That was the homeland of the wyverns.

Moreover, it was the mother of all wyverns.

That island-sized massive wyvern was the nest of the wyverns.

To be precise, the nest was located behind the gigantic wyvern. 

The nest was constructed from branches and steel frames, and even from clay made by chewing up the bones of beasts or humans.

The clay mixed with the wyvern’s saliva boasted a sturdiness far exceeding that of steel made by humans. 

In other words, penetrating the wyvern’s nest was not only difficult but also hard to destroy.

“Seeing it in person makes it even scarier.”

A wyvern as large as an island flying in the sky, and the nest made of human bones. 

After observing everything with her own eyes, Wolfgang honestly expressed her feelings.

Monsters were ultimately creatures that far surpassed humans. 

Thus, every time she fought, she felt fear. 

What if my strength doesn’t work? 

What if they are stronger than me?

Paradoxically, that was the reason she fought alone. 

If her strength did not work, she thought of turning her head to escape.

What? 

Pride as a hero?

 Ego? 

Does that feed me or help me live? 

In the end, dying would mean a meaningless death. 

And where until now her top priority was survival.

However, even so, now to give it all up and run away? 

She had built up so much until now. Honor, wealth, power—though not more than her life, it was not easy to give up.

Ironically, that became the reason she fought this hard. 

She didn’t want to give up the things she held in her hands. 

Yet she also disliked danger, which is why she desired to be discharged.

If she were to be discharged, she would inevitably distance herself from power, but she could surely possess honor and wealth. 

Money that could allow her to live without working for the rest of her life, and the honor that surrounded her.

Extremely selfish, and for her personal goals. 

She fought again today.

Her body, now touching another sky, plummeted toward the wyvern’s nest. 

There was no option for her to conserve her strength. 

From the very beginning, she was going all out.

Accelerate.

Endlessly accelerate.

Faster than anyone.

The flames burning beneath her feet instantly spread throughout her body. 

Like a person on fire, her nearly invulnerable body fell toward the nest like a meteor.

However, it wasn’t merely a descent. 

Utilizing the acceleration from her fall, she swiftly changed her posture. 

A fiery kick from the highest sky.

Its power was no less than that of a meteor.

Meteor Strike

As her flaming kick struck the wyvern’s nest, a tremendous explosion erupted, threatening to tear through the sky. 

It was indeed a scene close to hell.

The destructive force created by the impact of the meteor was vividly replicated in the sky. 

Consequently, the only victims of this destruction were the wyverns.

Both the adults and the hatchlings turned to ash.

As she calmly watched the wyvern’s nest engulfed in flames plummeting to the ground, she knew without a doubt that she had given it her all.

“Ah, that was scary. Should I hurry back and rest now?”

If the opponent were human, it would have been different. 

Against monsters, she poured out her strength from the beginning. 

To prevent the opponent from using any strange moves. 

That was the survival method chosen by her, who was quite fearful.