Chapter 108 : Dragon Knight 2

The Hero’s Party swiftly responded to the sudden attack by the Dragon Knight. 

They briefly seemed startled, but the moment passed quickly, leaving no trace.

“Prepare for battle!”

At the hero’s shout, a wyvern thrust its head toward the group. 

The hero and Agnes immediately leaped aside, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws that closed on their previous position. 

Almost simultaneously, they dashed forward and swung their swords.

Their blades traced crimson lines across the wyvern’s neck. 

The cuts were shallow, thanks to the naturally tough scales of dragonkind. 

Still, their attack was enough to provoke the wyvern into a frenzy.

With a loud cry, the wyvern soared back into the sky.

Meanwhile, Artorius lifted Bliss and me, swiftly retreating to safety. 

Olivia was chanting a spell, her magic circle radiating ominous energy in front of her. 

Judging by its power, her magic could potentially deal significant damage to the Dragon Knight.

The hero and Agnes clicked their tongues as they looked up.

The sky was out of reach for their swords. 

Being specialists in close combat, they found the flying wyvern an unattainable target. 

With no effective ranged attacks, their best option was to guard Olivia until her spell was complete.

Otherwise, they could only wait for the wyvern to dive again. 

But for a wounded wyvern to descend a second time seemed unlikely.

At that moment, the wyvern, flying high, suddenly folded its wings and accelerated toward the hero and Agnes in a steep dive.

‘Strange…?’

Lowered from Artorius’s arms, I watched the scene unfold with confusion. 

Typically, when faced with a strong ranged attack or a mage, Dragon Knights would keep their distance in the sky—standard combat tactics for them.

The reason was clear: magic was not only stronger than ordinary attacks but harder to dodge the farther away one was.

However, the Dragon Knight before us was different. 

Despite Olivia’s spell nearing completion, he recklessly descended, courting danger.

This was not the behavior I knew of Dragon Knights.

It was almost…

‘Beastlike.’

Charging mindlessly like an animal, without thought.

Boom! 

The wyvern’s massive body struck the ground once more.
 

At that moment, Olivia’s spell was complete. 

A few droplets of water began spinning around her, quickly transforming into a giant spear.
 

“[Pierce the enemy!]”
 

With a gesture, the massive water spears surged toward the wyvern. 

The sudden attack elicited a startled cry from the creature.
 

Most of Olivia’s spears hit their mark, but they didn’t deliver a fatal blow. 

Once again, the naturally robust scales of dragonkind were to blame.

Still, her magic wasn’t without effect.

Crack! 

The sound of shattering glass rang out. It came from the wyvern, where the water had frozen due to the low temperatures.

The wyvern nonchalantly moved, breaking the ice off its body. Soon, it succeeded in shattering all the ice and began flapping its wings to take flight again.

At that moment, Olivia’s magic proved fatal. 

As the wyvern tried to ascend, it suddenly plummeted to the ground. 

While dragonkind’s bodies were hard to wound due to their scales, their wings were a different matter.

The wyvern let out a thunderous cry. 

Its continued flapping and human-like cries of frustration gave the impression of a petulant tantrum. 

The Dragon Knight on its back tugged furiously at the reins.
 

The wyvern seemed unable to fly again. 

It flapped its wings repeatedly but failed to lift off, the weight dragging it down.

This was our chance.
 

The hero and Agnes dashed forward almost simultaneously. Another round of close combat began. 

This time, however, the wyvern could not escape to the skies.

“It’s afraid…”

Hearing the voice from below, I turned my gaze.

“Who is?”

When I asked, Reina pointed at the wyvern. 

Watching it, I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

The wyvern is afraid? What could she mean?

“It’s too angry? Why?”

Reina stared at the wyvern, murmuring softly as if trying to understand. 

Her shifting expressions and muttered words made it seem like she was having a conversation.

‘Her ability…’

Indeed, she had a power akin to the Demon King, allowing her to converse with monsters. I stood quietly, listening to her dialogue.

The exchange seemed smooth, but the content did not. 

Reina’s complexion grew paler.

“No, that can’t be…”
 

Shaking her head in disbelief, Reina looked aghast.

“Is there a problem?”

Startled by her change, I asked cautiously. Reina opened her mouth hesitantly.

“It keeps repeating the same thing.”

“What does it say?”

After a moment of hesitation, she answered softly.

“It’s asking to be killed.”

The unexpected response widened my eyes.

“It’s still saying it… over and over.”

Reina’s face looked on the verge of tears as she spoke.

“No…”

I muttered, pulling the trembling Reina into my arms. 

She had been like this ever since the earlier events.

This was a temporary tent. We were spending the late night in a makeshift campsite.

Ultimately, we couldn’t finish off the Dragon Knight. 

Despite the hero and Agnes attacking together, getting close to the rampaging wyvern proved nearly impossible. 

They failed to deliver a decisive blow, and time slipped by until the wyvern broke all the ice, taking flight with many wounds before fleeing.

The hero, Agnes, and Olivia pursued the injured Dragon Knight but struggled in the dark forest and snowy terrain, eventually returning empty-handed.

They decided to resume the search the following morning.

For me, it was fortunate. 

As much as survival demanded it, watching knights from my former side die before me was unbearable. 

Most importantly, it bought me time.

“Time to go.”

Carefully detaching myself from Reina, I stood.

It was the perfect moment to move.

With everyone asleep except for those on watch, I had ensured my turn wouldn’t come, allowing me to leave unnoticed unless someone checked the tent.

I felt uneasy about leaving Reina, but I planned to make it a quick trip.

Moreover, the hero’s party would protect her.

I slipped out of the tent and evaded the watchful eyes of those on duty, distancing myself from the campsite.

The wyvern was already marked with a tracking spell.

Its movements had been static for some time, likely due to its injuries.

If I followed its current position, I could uncover its base of operations.

“Why is it here…”

I had anticipated Redros’s forces before coming here, but I hadn’t expected a Dragon Knight.

I thought it would only be an orc unit.

Dragon Knights were entirely different from ordinary soldiers. Unlike regular troops, they were elite warriors.

The disparity in cost and training time was overwhelming.

Thus, their movements were carefully planned and managed, always with purpose.

This explained everyone’s shock.

Currently, this was human territory.

While it was possible for the suspected orcs to have wandered in from the perpetual snowfields, a flying Dragon Knight would never lose its way.
If they did, they’d lose their qualification long before reaching this point.

“Where are the expected ones…”

Frustration bubbled up.

I had come to redirect the lost orc unit, but this unexpected arrival muddled my plans.

After some time, I finally arrived at the spot marked by my magic.

“Now, let’s see… Wait, what?”

I froze, my words cut off as my eyes widened in shock.

Before me was a scene that defied reason: orcs and a Dragon Knight, together.