First Reunion (7)

Although I had entrusted the work to the grandfathers, I had no intention of just twiddling my thumbs.

However, rushing into the bugs’ lair without a plan would surely lead to disaster.

I needed to prepare somewhat before going in.

“Camille, I want to use the Holy Dominion’s armaments. Can you guide me?”

“To fight those bugs?”

“No, this time it’s for exploration. Still, I think I should bring one or two for self-defense.”

Camille pondered for a moment, then spun around.

“Follow me, I’ll guide you.”

“Okay.”

The path led down into the cathedral’s basement.

Upon reaching the entrance of the armory, Holy Knights stood guard with stern expressions.

“We greet Saint-nim. But that child…?”

“Watch your words. They are not a being you dare to even look at carelessly.”

Seeing the pair of horns on my head, the Holy Knights were startled and immediately knelt.

“Oh, great Dragon-isiyeo!”

“Please forgive our disrespect for not recognizing you…”

I approached the Holy Knights guarding the armory…

and took their shoulders, helping them to their feet.

“It’s understandable not to recognize me. It’s partly my fault for walking around in this form.”

“Dragon-isiyeo.”

“I came because I need some weapons for a moment. I’ll use them well and return them. Could you lend me some?”

The Holy Knights looked troubled, unsure of what to do.

It seems these guys don’t have much authority.

“This won’t do. Who’s in charge here?”

“I am.”

At that moment, a man with a gloomy aura stepped out from the shadows.

Black hair poked out from beneath his pure white Holy Dominion robe.

“Captain, the Dragon wishes to use weapons, but…”

“This brat is a Dragon…?”

The man didn’t seem to have any intention of changing his attitude even after hearing I was a Dragon.

Camille frowned.

“You, how long are you going to be so stiff?”

“What, there’s even a little Saint here.”

“Hah.”

For some reason, even knowing Camille was a Saint, he showed no deference.

Rather than annoyance, I felt intrigued.

In cases like this, it’s one of two things.

Either he’s simply a genuinely crazy human.

Or he’s skilled enough to back up such behavior.

“D-Dragon-isiyeo. We will explain.”

Unable to simply watch the situation, the Holy Knights quickly approached me and whispered.

“Please forgive the Captain’s rudeness. He wasn’t like this originally.”

“What kind of person was he originally?”

“The Captain was originally the leader of the Holy Knights Division of the Holy Dominion. He was a highly promising talent, counted among the top three.”

The Holy Knights Division.

I knew about them.

An elite unit boasting the Holy Dominion’s greatest military power.

In my past life, they had fought against Vivian and defended the capital, Alesia, until the very end.

“However… he went through a tragic event and changed like this. He became a complete wreck.”

“Really? What happened?”

“His younger sister recently passed away, they say.”

“Doing what?”

“We don’t know, we only heard she was a promising Holy Knight-nim…”

What, was he a terrible sis-con?

And after his sister died, he just stopped caring about anything?

“But if you guys are defending him like this, he can’t be that bad of a person, can he?”

“Yes, he’s a good person, despite being jaded about everything.”

“Hmm…”

This man is definitely strong.

He might be useful for catching the bugs.

Since I’m still a young Dragon, I’m a bit lacking to fight alone.

Alright, then, shall I try to persuade him?

“What’s your name?”

“Vilkes.”

“Instead of just wasting time here, why don’t you come with me?”

“No.”

“…”

His firm, immediate refusal caught me off guard.

No, I’m still a Dragon, you know?

A symbolic being in your country?

“You said you had nothing to do?”

“I must protect this place.”

“Why?”

“Because Tia’s sword is here.”

Tia?

Ah, he’s talking about his younger sister.

“Then I’ll use that sword.”

“I refuse.”

“Well, your opinion doesn’t matter much. If I tell the grandpas, everything here is mine anyway.”

Dragons are naturally greedy.

I don’t know what his sister’s sword is, but…

If I touch them one by one, I’ll find the sword that changes his expression.

“Let’s see, is it this one…?”

Shing!!

“That’s the one.”

Watching him point the sword at me, a Dragon, I let out a hollow laugh.

Wow, I didn’t expect this much.

“This is my final warning, Dragon. Take your hand off it immediately.”

“Are you going to cut me with it?”

“Why, do you think I can’t?”

“No.”

I obediently took my hand off the sword.

There was no need to provoke him any further.

“The sword is nice. But are you going to let it rot here forever?”

“It’s Tia’s only memento.”

“Nothing else? Besides that sword?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing…”

Sadness was etched in Vilkes’s eyes.

By the way, how did a promising Holy Knight get killed without a trace in this Holy Dominion?

Something smells fishy.

“Why couldn’t you find your sister’s belongings?”

“I don’t know. We found nothing but Tia’s bloodstains.”

“Did she die in the line of duty?”

“Yes, everyone was annihilated while clearing out an underground organization of the Holy Dominion.”

I felt a sense of wonder at Vilkes’s words.

This guy, despite being so prickly earlier, is telling me everything so readily.

He might want something from me.

“What a coincidence, I was just about to clear out an underground organization myself.”

“…”

“Do you know what your sister’s sword is made of?”

“I don’t know.”

I cautiously reached out my hand to the sword again.

It smelled of fresh wood.

A scent like my mother’s.

“This is made from the World Tree.”

“A sword made of wood?”

“Yes, to be precise, when the sword was cooled, it was cooled with sap, not water.”

“How… how do you know that?”

“Because I’m a Dragon.”

At my words, Vilkes pressed his lips together.

His eyes held an utterly complex gaze.

“Your sister was probably connected to the Forest Clan.”

“…”

“Otherwise, there’s no way the Holy Dominion would have a sword like this.”

That Holy Knight, Tia, must have been fighting the Termites even before me.

And she must have received support from the Forest Clan who noticed her.

However…

‘This wasn’t the time to be complacent.’

The fact that she died despite having such a good sword meant that dangerous Termites were already running rampant.

I thought I was moving as fast as I could…

But their power already exceeded my expectations.

“Did your sister have World Tree faith?”

“I’m not sure. But she used to pile up various branches at home, calling them branches of the divine tree.”

“It’s obvious. Your sister was a Holy Knight with World Tree faith.”

It must have been difficult for her to tell her own brother, also a Holy Knight.

World Tree faith isn’t fundamentally an evil religion, but…

She was still a Holy Knight, after all.

“Do you know about the incident concerning Cardinal Videlio?”

“I’ve heard of it. That a monster had taken over the Cardinal’s body…”

“That’s right. Those monsters are highly likely to be the culprits who harmed your sister.”

At that moment…

Even without using ice magic, the air around us grew chilling.

Vilkes exuded a murderous aura like a bitter cold.

‘For a human, he’s quite impressive…?’

To be able to make even me, a Dragon, feel a tingling sensation on my skin.

As expected, I do have an eye for talent, don’t I?

Of course, my eye for wives has always been terrible.

“Can you take responsibility for those words?”

“No, I can’t take responsibility. What if I’m wrong? Why would I take responsibility?”

“There must be a reason you think that way.”

“There’s no concrete evidence. It’s just a hunch in the end. But… circumstantially, the culprit is likely the bugs.”

“Hmph…”

Vilkes let out a painful sigh.

The vitality returned to his eyes, which had been like dead fish, filled with despair.

It was a flame fueled by vengeance.

Sadly, the moment that fuel of vengeance burns out, that flame will be extinguished forever and never ignite again.

“You said you plan to exterminate those bugs?”

“Yes.”

“I will cooperate.”

“Yeah, I thought you’d say that.”

Vilkes stroked his sister’s sword as if it were precious…

Then carefully lifted it and entrusted it to me.

“If you handle it roughly, I won’t forgive you.”

“What do you take me for?”

“By the way, the sword is too big. Can you handle it with that body?”

“Oh, that? I can just do this.”

Vwooom!!

I used Polymorph, changing my appearance from that of a young girl to an adult woman.

“How’s this?”

“…”

“Why no answer? Did you fall for me? That would be a bit problematic.”

Vilkes silently shook his head…

Then he smiled wistfully, as if recalling someone.

“You resemble Tia, in that form.”

“Oh… really…?”

“Yes, you resemble her very much.”

His deep gaze was so burdensome that I subtly averted my eyes.

Hmm, I might have inadvertently triggered Vilkes’s trauma.

But this form is also a venerable appearance I took while living in Elf society during my third reincarnation…

“Why do you only transform into a woman…?”

“Huh?”

I turned my head at the sharp voice from behind me.

Camille was staring at me with narrowed eyes.

Ah, right.

Camille was here too.

She was so quiet I completely forgot.

“Suspicious… I feel like there’s something more I don’t know.”

“No, what’s suspicious? Isn’t it more reassuring if I’m in a female form?”

“I used to think that, but I don’t anymore.”

Camille crossed her arms, looking at me with a suspicious gaze.

“Helix is a Dragon, after all. You don’t have a gender identity, do you?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Do I have to be wary of men too, not just women? Haa…”

“No way.”

Camille let out a deep sigh.

What, was that the reason?

Well, honestly, having lived as a male for so long now, the chances of that are extremely low.

Spending time with six wives has somewhat solidified me in that direction.

“Dragon-isiyeo.”

“Hm?”

“When going into battle, please refrain from taking Tia’s form if possible.”

“Ah, did that upset you? I guess it would. Sorry.”

“That’s not it.”

Vilkes carefully touched the sword in its scabbard.

“If you were to get hurt in Tia’s form… I feel like I would lose my reason and go berserk right then and there.”

“…”

“If that happened, I’d fall before I could even finish my revenge on them. I’d rather not.”

He certainly has a cold personality.

Rather than raging in anger, he seeks sustainable revenge, huh?

I like it.

I smiled brightly at Vilkes.

“Alright, then get ready and come out tomorrow. We’ll start exterminating the bugs.”

“Understood.”

Well, now that I’ve got a reliable ally.

And I’ve got my weapons.

Shall we start exterminating the bugs?