A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 100

Hoooo!

The sandstorm retreated.

The figures of two people emerged, and surprisingly, Sieg had Bahamut pointed at the throat of the Ishtar warrior.

Sieg spoke to the warrior.

"It seems the God of Earth has delivered a verdict."

At Sieg's words, the Ishtar warrior nodded quietly.

When Sieg sheathed his sword, the warrior slowly stood up.

As the two emerged from the pit, another Ishtar warrior rushed over with a surprised voice.

"Milady!"

The tall Ishtar warrior who had fought Sieg gestured to convey something.

The approaching warrior looked shocked upon receiving the message.

"W-What, the lady lost?"

He seemed quite taken aback.

As Sieg sheathed his sword, he spoke.

"The God of Earth has ruled. You can no longer accuse us of breaking the seclusion order, so make way. We need to get to the Central Continent as soon as possible."

At that, the tall warrior gestured again to convey something to another warrior.

The short warrior was once again startled.

"Y-You're inviting them to the family?"

Even Sieg, standing nearby, was surprised at this.

'The last time the Ishtar family invited guests was, what, 150 years ago?'

That showed how secretive the Ishtar family was.

At that point, the short warrior said to Sieg.

"... The lady will open a portal to facilitate your quick transport to the Central Continent, so follow me."

Sieg was astonished once again.

"A portal? Does the Ishtar family have its own portal?"

The short warrior did not answer Sieg's question.

Then, the tall warrior gestured for Sieg to follow along.

Sieg contemplated for a moment before speaking to Simon and Boris.

"They don't seem hostile, so let's follow them for now."

In his previous life, the Ishtar family was known for adhering to the laws and judgments of the God of Earth as if their lives depended on it.

Sieg mounted the severely injured Boris on a horse and, along with Simon and Carus, followed behind the Ishtar warriors on foot.

Carus was flushed with a peculiar excitement.

"Sieg, to actually visit the Ishtar family. We're really lucky."

"... I'm glad you think so."

Despite nearly dying, Carus was remarkably calm.

They pushed through the harsh sandstorm and delved deeper until they entered a desert area instead of a wasteland.

The white star-shaped sand spread widely across the desert, creating a mysterious atmosphere.

The Ishtar warriors went further into the desert.

Sieg opened his map and recorded the path the Ishtar warriors took.

Curiously, though it seemed they were just walking straight ahead, the route recorded on the map was erratic.

'Is this the mystery of the desert?'

It seemed there was a secret path only the Ishtar family knew.

At that moment.

Not long before, the desert had seemed empty, yet suddenly something appeared in the distance.

"Oooooh."

Beside him, Carus exclaimed.

He was thrilled at the prospect of finally seeing the main house of the Ishtar family, which he had only heard about in stories.

The short warrior then snapped.

"Outsiders can't get here no matter what they do, so don't waste your time wandering the desert trying to come back."

Just as Sieg expected, there seemed to be a unique way to enter the main house.

Sieg and his companions gradually entered the Ishtar city, built right in the middle of the desert.

* * *

"My God, who would've thought there was such a vast city in the middle of the desert!"

Upon entering the city, Carus couldn't stop marveling.

The Ishtar city, with its atmosphere distinctly different from the Central Continent, seemed rather similar to the styles of the Eastern Empire.

Most inhabitants wore nameless clothes and covered their faces with chadors. Only the ones who didn't cover their faces looked like they were from the Central Continent.

'The entire Ishtar household are devout followers of the God of Earth. It seems only non-believers don't cover their faces.'

Sieg had expected the city to be solemn and quiet due to its isolated nature, but it was surprisingly lively, no different from any other city.

The market was abundant with goods, buzzing with energy.

Sieg wondered how such a variety of goods came into this isolated city.

'They probably wouldn't tell me even if I asked.'

Sieg and his companions wandered through the market, following the Ishtar warriors to the main palace at the city center.

Upon reaching the main palace, the gatekeepers looked suspiciously at Sieg and his companions, recognizing them as outsiders.

The short warrior spoke to the gatekeepers.

"They are the lady's guests. I'll report inside myself."

The gatekeepers slightly bowed their heads with precision before returning to their original postures.

The inside of the palace, unlike the city, was indeed as quiet and solemn as expected.

The people moved soundlessly and there was hardly any trace of anyone actually living inside the palace.

It was like gazing upon the scenery of a monastery.

The short warrior spoke to Sieg's group.

"I will show you to a room where you can rest for a moment. After reporting to the elders of the family, a decision will be made on what to do next."

It seemed they couldn't use the portal immediately.

Sieg and his group entered the room they were led to by another guide.

As soon as they entered, Sieg laid down Boris and examined his condition.

Thanks to the potion, Boris was out of critical danger, although still in poor shape.

Sieg took out an ancient potion from his inventory, which was far more effective than a regular potion.

He applied the potion to Boris's wounds and gave him the rest to drink.

He avoided using healing skills since revealing his healing talents in front of others was something he wanted to avoid.

"Uuuuum."

"Boris, how are you feeling?"

"Boss... I'm dying."

"You haven't died yet, so stop whining."

Boris slowly sat up.

"Ugh. But where is this place?"

"This is the Ishtar palace."

"What?"

Boris was startled and looked around warily.

Sieg reassured him.

"It's alright. We've been invited as guests of the Ishtar family, so there's no need to worry."

Even at Sieg's reassurance, Boris couldn't completely let down his guard at being inside the Ishtar family's main stronghold, known for its deadly arts experts.

At that moment, attendants entered to prepare food.

The meals were modest like those of a monastery but possessed a clean and pure flavor, allowing the natural taste of the ingredients to shine through.

After the meal, Sieg drank the tea brought by the attendants.

"... Hmm? This is a flavor I've never tasted before. Do the Ishtar family cultivate their own tea as well?"

To Sieg's words, the attendant nodded.

"You have a discerning palate. It is a breed developed in the desert region, one can only taste it here."

Sieg nodded as he savored the aroma of the tea.

Condensing the fragrance of rare eastern tea multiple times, it pleased Sieg greatly without being overwhelming.

'I wonder if it's sold as a specialty item in the market. I'd like to take some with me.'

Sieg carefully sipped the unfamiliar tea, savoring every taste.

As Sieg regained his composure, he glanced at his group. Carus was sketching the scenery of the Ishtar city on a small notebook.

Sieg looked at Carus and spoke.

"If you leak that sketch, the Ishtar assassins might come looking for you, Carus."

At Sieg's words, Carus jolted and hiccupped before quietly closing his sketchbook.

He then closed his eyes, trying to etch the city's scenery into his memory.

It was then.

Someone entered the room.

The two warriors who had brought Sieg's group to the palace were there.

The short warrior had shed his earlier arrogant demeanor, bowed politely, and spoke.

"The family elders have officially invited you as guests. There will be a banquet for the guests this evening, and I ask that you attend."

Sieg stood up and bowed to the warriors, speaking in return.

"I am delighted to accept the invitation of the Ishtar family. May the blessings of the God of Earth be upon the protectors of the desert."

In response, the short warrior replied.

"May the blessings of the God of Earth be upon the travelers of the desert. Please forgive my earlier rudeness. My name is Ezgi Ishtar. And this is Lady Yelin Ishtar."

Sieg looked at Yelin and spoke.

"Lady Yelin Ishtar, you must be in a vow of silence."

At his words, Yelin nodded lightly.

Sieg addressed the two.

"My name is Sieg Draker."

Hearing this, Yelin and Ezgi were taken aback.

"D- Draker...? My goodness."

Yelin and Ezgi looked at Sieg with wonder.

"... Is there something wrong?"

Ezgi replied with a dubious voice.

"No, it's just... They say that all Drakers have horns on their heads, have pointy teeth, and laugh like 'Heh heh heh' like devils when they laugh..."

Sieg made a baffled expression and retorted.

"In the Central Continent, they say that people of the Ishtar family drink poison like water at every meal."

At this, Ezgi indignantly exclaimed.

"How could anyone drink poison at every meal! That's so expensive! One might barely drink it once a day. Ah, the lady might've drunk it with every meal."

In any case, it implied they did drink it. Sieg chuckled at the unexpected remark.

After the necessary conversations, Ezgi was pulled away by Yelin, still trying to discern if Sieg had horns or not.

Simon, who had been watching, chuckled.

"I thought the Ishtar family was cold and heartless, but they are indeed human."

Sieg nodded in agreement.

"Indeed. But why are there rumors about Drakers having horns...? Laughing like 'Heh heh heh'... Does anyone even laugh like that?"

Carus remarked from the side.

"Sieg, that's a metaphor. It symbolizes Drakers as devilish. The Draker family has gained many enemies and has some ruthless aspects."

"... Thanks for the explanation, Carus."

Carus beamed with satisfaction at Sieg's acknowledgment.

In the evening, attendants brought plain clothes to Sieg and his companions.

Boris, not yet recovered from his injuries, decided to stay in the room, with Simon staying to guard him.

Only the excited Carus and Sieg donned the plain clothes and followed the guide to the banquet hall.

Upon arriving at the banquet hall, a large circular table was prepared and lined with people in plain clothes seated in front of it.

Yelin and Ezgi, who had invited Sieg and Carus, greeted them from the front and guided them to the circular table.

Feeling a bit awkward, Sieg and Carus took their seats around the circular table.

At that moment, one of those seated slowly stood up.

With their face concealed, it was impossible to discern who they were, but a clear and pure voice echoed through the hall.

"For the first time in 153 years, guests have come to our family. As the head of the household, I wish to convey this joy to the God of Earth."

All the others gathered their hands and offered thanks to the God of Earth.

The head of the household then spoke to Sieg.

"Guided by the God of Earth, Sir Sieg Draker, we welcome you as a guest of Ishtar. Please stand and offer your blessing for this wondrous meeting."

Sieg slowly stood and spoke in ancient Eastern language.

"The God of Earth, who oversees mystery and wonder, has orchestrated this meeting. We give thanks for his wisdom and mystical powers, and wish to engrave the order of the law above all else."

The people of the Ishtar family were moved by Sieg's fluent ancient Eastern and his formal address.

With satisfied expressions, they nodded toward Sieg.

When Sieg finished speaking and sat down, the family head spoke.

"As it is a day of joy, let us all remove our chadors to welcome our guest."

Excitedly, the members of the Ishtar family removed their chadors.

Sieg and Carus were shocked as they saw the faces of the Ishtar family members.

'They're all incredibly beautiful...!'

Although the Graham family was renowned for beauty in the Central Continent, they couldn't compare to the Ishtar family.

With hair of various colors, some had white skin while others had dark skin.

Yet they all shared a common trait of being highly refined and beautiful.

With their appearance, it was hard to imagine that the infamous Ishtar family was known for its deadly arts.

Sieg turned his gaze to Yelin, with whom he had dueled.

Her enchanting emerald hair flowed like waves, her face as perfect as if carved from marble.

Carus, too, gaped upon seeing Yelin.

However, Sieg was struck by a different sort of shock.

He had discovered Yelin's pointy and elongated ears.

'An elf?'