Chapter 119

Chapter 119
## Chapter 119

Lucian fixed Helen with a look of pure astonishment.

“Are you suggesting this ‘dragon’ is the actual beast from the myths? The supreme apex predator that soars through the clouds, exhales incinerating flames, and possesses an intellect far surpassing mankind?”

“Indeed, that is the case.”

“…As far as I’m aware, dragons were entities that even the ancient paragons, armed with artifacts of legend, struggled to withstand. How am I supposed to successfully hunt such a thing?”

Their talons could rip through the strongest plate as if it were parchment, and their cry instilled a primal dread in every living soul.

The name itself was a hallmark of terror—monsters whose very breath could liquefy mountain peaks and who could stomp the most gallant champion into the dirt like a common bug.

If even a fraction of the chronicles were accurate, a solitary dragon possessed the power to bring a whole empire to its knees.

“Wait, aren’t dragons extinct? I recalled the scholars of this age being in total agreement that they vanished during the era of the Empire’s founding. Are you claiming a survivor exists?”

“No dragons have endured.”

“What?”

“Every dragon transitioned back into the natural cycle long ago. Their past glory can only be seen in ancient texts or through whatever physical remains were left behind.”

Lucian knit his brows at Helen’s dispassionate clarification.

She had told him he needed to acquire a Dragon’s Heart, yet now she was saying the species had been dead for centuries?

“Are you playing games with me?”

“A Dragon’s Heart is distinct from other biological matter. It is effectively an eternal engine. Provided it isn’t willfully smashed, it does not decompose or return to the soil after the beast perishes; it persists.”

“…So the dragons are gone, but their hearts remain? And I don’t actually have to slay a dragon; I just need to salvage the heart from its corpse?”

“To be precise, you must wrest it from those who protect it. They are merely scavengers who stumbled upon the prize by luck, but because they have guarded it for generations, they fancy themselves its rightful owners. They will not surrender it peacefully.”

Lucian’s eyes widened at this startling piece of information.

What exactly was a Dragon’s Heart?

It was a foundation stone of the world, an inexhaustible well of mana frequently whispered of as the core of eternal life.

And yet, there were people out there currently holding and utilizing it.

“Who exactly is in possession of the Dragon’s Heart?”

In response to Lucian’s inquiry, Helen lowered her head and whispered.

“The leaders of the clans residing past the frozen wastes—those who identify as the Sons of the Blue Dragon.”

—

Following his dialogue with Helen, Lucian intensified his efforts to stabilize his lands.

However, shifting his previous strategy, he focused on mentoring Hans and keeping him close rather than personally managing every minor detail.

Intimidated by the gravity of the tasks being thrust upon him for the first time, Hans pleaded with Lucian, “My Lord, I’ve barely adjusted to my role as Chief Steward. Tasking me with such monumental administrative burdens is simply more than I can shoulder.”

“It will be grueling, but it’s necessary. There is no one else I trust enough to act in my stead.”

“Excuse me? In your stead? Are you implying I should serve as the Acting Head of the Family?”

“Exactly that. Typically, when a Lord is absent, it is standard for the lead administrator or the head steward to step in as the Lord’s representative.”

Hans’s mouth hung open at the suggestion of being the proxy.

While the reasoning was sound, it was a crushing weight for a man who had only recently stepped into the role of Chief Steward.

Under normal circumstances, a head steward only took on such a role after serving the Lord for decades, slowly absorbing the necessary knowledge over a lifetime. To be shoved into the position so abruptly was unprecedented.

“I—I’m not capable of it!”

“Relax. I’m not asking for miracles. The other bureaucrats will manage the paperwork well enough, and you can delegate the defense and soldiers to Sir Gareth. You just need to intervene and settle disputes if things get heated.”

“That’s exactly what’s difficult! Settlement requires prestige. Who is going to listen to me!?”

“If that’s the case, enlist Sir Eisen. Ask him to simply stand beside you to provide some weight to your presence. He understands our circumstances, so he won’t decline.”

“But…!”

Lucian spoke over Hans as the man tried to continue his protests.

“My expectations aren’t sky-high. Even if the province is a bit of a mess when I get back, I won’t hold it against you. As long as we don’t have a civil uprising and Asagrim isn’t stolen from us, that’s plenty.”

“Ugh…”

Hans groaned at Lucian’s uncompromising tone. He saw that regardless of his arguments, his master was set on this path.

“I understand. However, I can only promise to keep your chair warm. Please do not berate me later if I’ve diminished Your Highness’s hard work.”

“I told you. That’s all I ask.”

“In return, tell me one thing. Where are you heading this time?”

“To go retrieve a dragon’s carcass.”

“…Beg pardon?”

“It’s a complicated tale.”

Lucian dismissed the question with a wry grin.

Truthfully, Lucian himself remained somewhat skeptical of Helen’s claims, so he couldn’t provide a certain answer.

Whether a dragon’s skeleton actually sat out there, and whether a tribe in the wastes was using its heart…

He would only be certain once he witnessed it with his own eyes.

—

Six months had passed since Lucian began grooming Hans to function as the Lord’s proxy.

The population settling in Asagrim swelled with each passing day, and half of the previously desolate territory was now vibrant and active.

Traders who smelled the scent of gold flocked in to set up routes, and the number of local storefronts grew alongside that commerce.

With the province’s foundations finally solid, the civil servants were at last able to catch their breath as their overwhelming duties began to normalize.

And the land wasn’t the only thing that had transformed during those six months.

“Hugo has achieved mastery over the Lion Sword.”

“Already?”

Lucian, who was savoring a rare moment of peace after completing his own lightened schedule, was caught off guard by Eisen’s report.

While anyone in service to the Valdek line was permitted to learn the Lion Sword, that privilege was strictly for knights.

Because Hugo hadn’t held knighthood until recently, he hadn’t been eligible. Lucian had planned to teach him once he was knighted, but to think he had reached the summit in a mere six months.

“I sensed he had potential, but it appears his skills have surged now that his inner burdens have been cleared. If he keeps up this pace, he will likely outstrip Sir Raymond before too long.”

“Well, that’s a wonderful surprise, if a bit shocking…”

If the Sword Saint himself declared that someone had ‘mastered’ it, it meant the student had nothing left to learn regarding that specific style. Lucian couldn’t stop a satisfied smile from spreading across his face at the news of his subordinate’s blossoming talent.

But Eisen had more to say.

“And I have concluded Felicia’s instruction as well. We held our final practice yesterday, and there is nothing further I can show her. The rest is for her to forge through the fires of actual battle.”

“…!”

Lucian’s eyes went wide.

Unlike Hugo, Felicia was Eisen’s own daughter and his premier student, intended to inherit his entire martial legacy.

If Hugo’s ‘mastery’ was limited to the Lion Sword, Felicia’s ‘completion’ meant she had grasped the entirety of the swordsmanship Eisen had spent his life perfecting.

Essentially, in Eisen’s estimation, Felicia had now reached a stage where she could be considered a Sword Saint in her own right.

“Since Your Highness has rectified all my past idiocy and errors, this old man has no more regrets. I can move on peacefully whenever the Eight Gods decide to call me. I can’t thank you enough.”

“…Don’t talk like that. Shouldn’t you stay around to watch Felicia make a name for herself in the world?”

“Haha, I suppose you have a point.”

Lucian felt a flicker of concern at Eisen’s peaceful expression.

Unfinished business can weigh a soul down, but it also serves as an anchor that keeps a person tied to the living world.

Now that Eisen had resolved his regrets through Felicia, he might depart this world even earlier than he had in Lucian’s former life.

*I need to move faster.*

After parting ways with Eisen, Lucian went to check on Ian and Raymond.

Predictably, Ian was submerged under a mountain of herbs retrieved from the vaults, joyfully pursuing his experiments.

“I’ve cataloged nearly all the properties of these plants. The sheer power in just one leaf is staggering. I can’t fathom how much more effective a potion would be if I integrated these…”

Ian, who had been rambling excitedly, trailed off into a daze, staring at nothing. It appeared that being granted the freedom to research to his heart’s content was paradise for him.

“The only letdown is that there’s no specimen here to replace Moonlight Grass. That remains the critical component.”

“Hmm, that’s unfortunate. Regardless, what about the Nectar I requested?”

“Due to the Moonlight Grass scarcity, I could only produce two more. They informed me it’s impossible to source any more, no matter how hard I push the suppliers.”

“That will suffice.”

Because of the Empire’s instability, Moonlight Grass was becoming rare, but it was still nothing like his previous life, where it was virtually non-existent even for the crown.

Since he could still find some if he looked hard enough, Lucian was satisfied with the count.

Slipping the two bottles of Nectar Ian provided into his clothing, Lucian went directly to Raymond.

“Your Highness? What brings you by?”

“Just checking in on you. How have you been lately?”

“Well, things are so peaceful it’s actually a bit of a problem.”

Raymond offered a casual smile.

In terms of tranquility, there had never been a time quite like this. The issue was that while everyone else was busy, Raymond had nothing to do.

He had been promised the title of Knight Commander of the Royal Guard, but he couldn’t lead an order that didn’t exist yet.

Sensing Raymond’s frustration, Lucian grinned and handed him a bottle of Nectar.

“Here, take this. It’s Nectar.”

“…My turn has finally arrived.”

Even when looking at the shimmering blue liquid, Raymond stayed composed. He had anticipated receiving it eventually after becoming Lucian’s right hand.

To Raymond, Lucian added a surprising remark.

“Yes, it’s your turn. It’s about time we began assembling the Royal Guard.”

“Pardon?”

“The Royal Guard Knights. You can’t be a Knight Commander without a knightly order indefinitely, can you?”

“…!”

At those words, Raymond’s sleepy eyes snapped wide open.

His presence became incredibly sharp, as if his prior boredom had been a mere mask.

“I thought I was going to rot away from boredom while waiting.”

“I thought you said things being peaceful was the problem?”

“That is exactly the problem. Is it fair to stir a man’s ambition and then leave him idle for six months?”

“…Ahem!”

Caught off guard, Lucian looked away.

Observing his Lord’s reaction, Raymond gave a short chuckle.

“Well, regardless, I’m relieved I can finally behave like a real Knight Commander. Where do you intend to find these knights?”

“The nomadic tribes living beyond the snowy plains.”

“…There is something living past the snowfields?”

“Barbarian clans.”

Lucian calmly briefed Raymond, who looked as though he was hearing a ghost story.

He explained that there were warrior tribes beyond the wastes that were once part of Lucian’s ancestral line. That those he had assumed were extinct were actually surviving. And that once Helen cleared the way, Lucian intended to find them and recruit them as his personal legion.

“From what I’ve gathered, they value strength above all else, just like any Northerner, and they even possess a Dragon’s Heart. If I can bring them to heel, I’ll secure both a powerful army and the heart simultaneously.”

“Can that sorceress be relied upon? She’s telling you exactly what you want to hear; it feels like a setup.”

Suspicion clouded Raymond’s face, fearing a trap.

Lucian smiled at his knight.

“What would she achieve by betraying me? The second I come to harm, the dark ages for magic users will start all over again.”

“That’s a fair point, but…”

Raymond trailed off, unable to argue with the facts.

Lucian was the individual who had allowed mages, who had been hunted for centuries, to return to society.

Would they truly double-cross and ambush Lucian, their protector, so early on?

The nobility would revert to their hatred of sorcery, and a purge would undoubtedly sweep the continent like a plague.