episode_0186

Hit.

In the middle of the night, the sound of fireworks flying is unusually loud.

“It’s time to change shifts.”

“Has it already happened?”

“Yeah, you too, get some sleep. You’ll be returning home soon, so make sure you arrive in good health.”

“My hometown… .”

At the woman’s words, the man carelessly touched the campfire with the branch he was holding.

“Why are you looking like that? If the world knew what you’ve accomplished, you’d be treated like a hero.”

“I did it not because I wanted to be a hero, but because I was greedy.”

“Yes, yes, I guess so. Our Dragon Slayer.”

The woman walked over to the seat next to the man and sat down with a thud.

Then I looked at the face of the man who was just staring at the campfire.

His black hair was long and messy, but thanks to his handsome face, even that looked cool.

“No matter what you think, you are the hero who saved our tribe.”

“I would be grateful if you think so.”

“At first I thought you were crazy. Remember when you asked if anyone wanted to go catch a dragon with you?”

“Of course. I was so lucky to have met you back then.”

Dragon.

It was the strongest being that dared not be compared to dragons, to the point that it was said that no other race on the continent was inferior to them.

Such dragons are few in number, but even that small number had a great impact on the continent.

For example, when a red dragon that was nesting in a volcano woke up from a long sleep, the area around it would become a sea of fire and no life would be able to survive there.

The green dragon, known as the guardian of the elves, is said to be able to make the devastated land green again with just one breath.

But among those many types of dragons, the one with the most rumors and notoriety was the black dragon.

The Black Dragon, known to have the most ferocious personality of all dragons, was a dragon that directly intervened in the world, unlike other dragons that showed little interest in other species.

Of course, if it was on the good side, the notoriety wouldn’t have spread, so I got involved on the bad side.

Because of this, the races living in the Black Dragon’s territory were forced to live a life like slaves.

However, running away was not easy, and if the Black Dragon discovered them while running away, not only the person who ran away but also the tribe they belonged to would have to endure the dragon’s wrath.

-I will defeat the Black Dragon. I need someone to give me strength!

A man comes to the tribe of the cat people, one of the races living in despair without even a single ray of light.

The man, who identified himself as Edric, declared in front of everyone that he would defeat the Black Dragon.

Of course, the tribesmen were worried that they would get in trouble for messing with the black dragon, so they shouted at him to get out.

Just one person.

A cat who had lost his family to the tyranny of the Black Dragon in the past was drawn out as if by fate by Edric’s cry.

“It’s been a long time. I’m ashamed to face my family and friends.”

“How great of a family are they that a dragon slayer is worried about that?”

Mule, a cat-man woman, has been curious about Edric’s true identity for some time.

Alexander, who was hard to believe was a priest among his colleagues, seemed to know his identity, but did not tell him anything that he had not already revealed.

“My family would be heartbroken if they saw this.”

Mule patted Edric’s right shoulder.

A hollow appearance with an empty space where an arm should be.

It was Edric who lost his arm while trying to save Mule who was in danger during the battle with the Black Dragon.

So, every time Mule saw Edric’s right arm, he couldn’t help but blame himself.

“Don’t worry, I told you. This can be replaced with a golem prosthetic arm when you get to the empire.”

“Is that really possible?”

Mule tilted his head in disbelief at Edric’s answer.

“Do you think that’s all? The animation of moving pictures is one of the things I really want to show you.”

“Lies! You’re trying to make fun of me because I’m always stuck in a tribe and don’t know anything?”

“Yes, in fact, I am also the prince of the Borus Empire.”

“Really… .”

Mule couldn’t help but laugh at Edric’s words.

Edric always told Mul stories about the Empire, the place where he was born and raised.

He said that there were a lot of new and interesting things there, like storybooks and comic books.

Mule’s favorite story was the one Edric told.

Mule was even more drawn in because he had never heard such beautiful, fantastic, and sometimes tragic stories before.

Moreover, Edric also said that the pictures were animated and that some paper had pictures that popped out and moved.

Of course, Mule thought it was a story made up to make fun of his ignorance of the outside world.

Even now.

‘If you’re a prince, then you’re part of the royal family. Why would a prince come all the way to a remote place like this to hunt dragons?’

Among my colleagues, there were many particularly strange people.

First, Alexander, who claims to be a believer in God, crushes the devil’s head with a hammer.

Alchemist Harun always boasted that he was called the Alchemist of Light in the empire.

Yustaf, who bickers with Harun every day, but uses magic just as well as a dragon.

Garland says he is the prince of the elves, but no matter how you look at it, it seems like a lie.

Dwarf Noel, who bravely wields a giant axe.

In addition, Mul, who was a member of the Suin tribe, thought that such a strange combination of adventurers would probably not be found even if he searched the entire continent.

‘When you arrive at the Empire…’

The adventures with them are numbered.

It ends when you arrive at the Borus Empire, which is Edric’s hometown.

Mule hated that moment so much.

So much so that I want to wander the continent with them forever.

Whether he knew Mule’s feelings or not, Edric was still just staring at the campfire with a hazy look in his eyes.

“Elsa… It’s almost here.”

Mule was also looking at Edric with a hazy look in his eyes, who was mumbling to himself in a small voice.

***

“No matter how many times I watch Heart of Steel, it never goes away.”

“So, what on earth did the seniors create these works?”

At the Imperial Academy, in the manga club room, two students were watching animation on a projector.

.

It was a work presented at the closing ceremony by the first comics club members who were their seniors and are now legends.

“When I was young, I saw this and decided that I would definitely enter the Imperial Academy.”

“You too?”

“Well, it would be quicker to find someone among our comics club members who isn’t like that.”

The two were now the most competitive students in the Imperial Academy’s art department.

“If you don’t make any work and just play around like that, you might end up being embarrassed at the next graduation ceremony.”

“Professor Adrian!”

A man suddenly appeared behind the two.

Ten years later, Prince Adrian of Sylvania became a professor at the Academy’s Department of Administration.

“Professor, how did you create these stories and characters?”

Adrian, who had become the advisor of the comics club following Rupert, looked at the student who was asking him a question and was lost in thought.

“This is not just my work.”

“Of course I know. Legendary seniors!”

As the names of his friends who had been in the comics club with him were mentioned one by one by the student, Adrian became lost in memories.

Kyle, the Iron Count, is now the Northern Margrave.

Amelia, who became the Empire’s greatest magic engineer and the person in charge of technology development at the Somerset Workshop.

and,

“What kind of person was His Highness the Third Prince?”

“Are you talking about that guy, Edric?”

“You made this together!”

People’s interest in Edric, who disappeared without a trace several years ago, was extremely high.

There were all sorts of false rumors going around, such as that he was a victim of the imperial family’s intrigue, or that he was joining hands with dark forces to usurp the emperor’s throne and biding his time.

-I’m going to catch the dragon.

Adrian was one of the few people who knew the real reason why Edric left.

Adrian, who saw Edric going to catch a dragon and called him crazy, but also earnestly tried to stop him.

But in the end, I couldn’t stop him and I never heard anything from him after that.

“I made up the story and he made up the characters in the story.”

Whenever Edric complained that the story was too monotonous, Adrian would grumble at him, saying that he was just rushing the plot.

Although the two had been bickering throughout their time at the Academy, they trusted each other’s abilities more than anyone else.

“The characters he creates are always filled with sincerity.”

“So the characters that appear in this steel heart… .”

Adrian hasn’t made any comics since Edric left.

-See you soon, partner.

But now it seemed time to create something new, Adrian thought, recalling the anonymous letter he had received some time ago.

Although he didn’t know who sent it, Adrian knew from the single sentence written on it that it was from Edric.

“I miss you, partner.”

As Adrian thought about Edric’s letter, he suddenly remembered another letter he had received not long ago.

“Oh, come to think of it, is it already next week?”

Adrian couldn’t remember the exact date, so he hurried back to his office and opened his desk drawer.

There were letters gathered there that had been carefully kept.

Among them, I took out one letter that had a particularly ornate pattern and checked its contents.

Adrian thought that this was probably the first wedding that would attract the attention of not only the Empire, but the entire continent.

The story of Rupert and three women, so famous that it has already been made into a novel.

“I can’t miss this.”

The wedding that had taken ten long years was approaching.