NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27 - Dragon Heart 2
Chapter 27 – Dragon Heart 2
After the rough explanation ended, Integra clapped her hands, making Luther’s model disappear before speaking.
[That concludes the general explanation.]
[There are 49 hours, 12 minutes, and 39 seconds remaining until all the tasks shown are completed.]
It was the longest time required so far, but it was understandable, given the magnitude of the change.
“Thanks, Integra. I’ll leave it to you.”
[Leave it to me.]
Integra tapped her left chest with her fist and disappeared into light. With his vision now clear, Luther saw Aru.
“It seems the conversation is over.”
Aru, who had been squatting and watching with her chin in her hand, lifted the corners of her mouth and asked again, as if to confirm.
“You were talking with that prickly fairy, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
[I’m not prickly.]
[I’m rational, reasonable, and kind.]
Integra protested, but her voice didn’t reach Aru.
Aru continued to smile brightly, a strange expression playing on her lips.
[That’s a dubious expression.]
[She’s a woman whose intentions are hard to read. It would be best to keep your distance.]
Contrary to Integra’s words, Aru’s expression seemed transparent.
‘She’s amused.’
More precisely, should he say she found Integra’s grumbling cute? It seemed they had conversed quite a bit while Luther was unconscious.
“Good. Now that your conversation with the fairy is over, let’s start ours.”
“Ours?”
“Yes, there are stories I must hear. You mentioned Hecatoncheires earlier, right? Those who tried to kidnap me. Can you tell me more about them?”
It was an organization capable of dispatching a true dragon, not just a lesser dragon, albeit the lowest rank.
When Luther first mentioned Hecatoncheires, Aru had thought it was simply the name of an assassin’s guild that dealt in contract killings, but now the situation was different.
‘And…’
Luther’s existence.
Integra said that Luther had been coincidentally caught up in this incident, and her words didn’t seem to contain any lies.
But Luther’s existence was too extraordinary to simply dismiss as good luck.
A mage who carried a fairy, could absorb the power of a Dragon Heart, and wielded powerful magic using the royal necklace as a catalyst.
And an organization powerful enough to mobilize a dragon, which such a mage had mentioned.
If all of this was truly coincidental, wouldn’t it be fate itself?
Aru wasn’t simply asking about Hecatoncheires. Through Luther’s answers, she also intended to gain a deeper understanding of ‘Luther as a being.’
Dawn was approaching. Under the dark blue sky, Aru’s blue eyes seemed to shine brightly.
Exhaling slowly, Luther met her gaze and said,
“Hecatoncheires… seems to be an organization of dragonkin who inherit the blood of the dragon god Helkanes. I only know this much because I heard it from the dragon I fought earlier when it was in its humanoid form.”
[Hmm.]
Integra made a noncommittal sound at Luther’s obvious fabrication, but she chose to observe for the time being, not interrupting.
Aru furrowed her brow.
“If it’s the dragon god Helkanes, could it be the one from the creation myth…?”
“Yes, it’s probably that Helkanes.”
“Wow, the story suddenly seems to be heading into a somewhat unrealistic realm… but it also makes sense. If it truly is an organization of dragonkin, it would have to be something of that scale.”
The biggest difference between lesser dragons and true dragons was the presence of intellect. Some lesser dragons were quite intelligent, but ultimately, they were no more than clever beasts.
But true dragons were different. They, who could be called the ultimate beings of all life, possessed a high level of intelligence befitting their powerful bodies.
And then there were the dragonkin. Beings standing between dragons and humans.
Most dragonkin were inferior to dragons. However, some of them possessed remarkable abilities that surpassed even dragons. This was because they weren’t perfect dragons, but imperfect dragonkin.
The powerful bodies and superior intelligence of dragons, combined with the greed and intense emotions of humans.
Because of this, dragonkin were inevitably imperfect beings, but they possessed ‘potential’ that the already perfect dragons lacked.
The three dragonkin called the First Three, who led such dragonkin. They were the true successors of the dragon god Helkanes.
‘Of course, what Aru is thinking of isn’t the First Three.’
Dragons—those dragons—confined themselves to their lairs and merely observed the world, rarely taking action. Their numbers were simply too small.
On the other hand, while dragonkin were also an extremely small minority in the eyes of other races, they were far more numerous than dragons and, as befitting beings with ‘human’ qualities, they enjoyed being at the forefront of history.
Thanks to this, one could easily find the names of dragonkin while reading history books, and Aru was probably thinking of such dragonkin.
“I understand. I’ll look into it.”
Saying so, Aru tilted her head slightly and stared intently at Luther’s face.
Aru’s gaze, full of playfulness yet also exuding a sense of maturity, was different from Karen’s intelligent gaze or Lilia’s moist eyes.
Continuing to look at Luther, she casually said,
“Luther… you’re a wandering adventurer, right? That’s the setup?”
“Yes, that’s… huh?”
Setup?
When Luther asked back in surprise, Aru narrowed her eyes like crescents and smiled brightly, as if satisfied.
“Mmm, that’s right. A setup. I’ll keep that in mind for now.”
“Princess Aru?”
However, Aru just continued to smile brightly, then stood up and said,
“Unfortunately, it seems we’ve arrived.”
[Multiple life signs detected on the southwest shore.]
At Integra’s words, Luther quickly turned around, and Aru walked lightly towards the river, passing him.
Morning was breaking. The pitch-black sky had gradually shifted through dark blue to the dawn’s light, and the surface of the water shimmered under the sunlight streaming from afar.
The already strong current was churning even more violently.
[The number of life signs is continuously increasing.]
[Extremely strong life signs detected!]
Integra’s voice rose involuntarily. It wasn’t just that there were many, but among them were truly powerful life signs—some even exceeding that of the dragonkin Balboa.
-Splash-!
Just then, Malkuth Kingdom’s elite soldiers began to emerge from the water.
Mounted atop Kelpies, horned seahorses, and wielding tridents, the fully armed elite soldiers looked no different from knights on land.
[Exactly 100.]
Twenty rows of five knights each—fifty formed a single phalanx, and there were two such phalanxes side by side.
And between those phalanxes…
A giant Serpent emerged, parting the water.
The Serpent, a long-necked aquatic dragon, was a particularly powerful being among lesser dragons, possessing the power to summon storms.
One hundred elite cavalrymen of the Malkuth Kingdom and a giant Serpent, whose body length seemed to reach twenty meters.
But this wasn’t all. The owner of the life signs that had surprised Integra still remained.
-Boom!
The water surface exploded with a roar.
A being soared out, shattering the water’s surface. Reaching its apex at a height of nearly 30 meters, it spread its limbs wide and shouted as if roaring.
“Princess Peliaru!”
“Yes, yes, I’m here.”
Aru said, covering her ears with both hands. It was doubtful whether he could even hear her.
But Aru’s smiling face seemed to be enough, as the being that had soared into the air chuckled and descended to the ground.
-Thud!
After performing several somersaults in the air, it landed, striking the ground with its fist. The surrounding sand was swept away in all directions by the shockwave, but Aru had already retreated to a distance from the riverbank as if anticipating this, so she wasn’t harmed.
“A boisterous entrance as always, Sandalphon.”
“Haha-!”
The giant man—Sandalphon—let out a hearty laugh instead of a reply and rose from his spot.
[Estimated height, approximately 5.2 meters.]
[Correction. 4.9- 4.5?]
As Integra said, Sandalphon’s height, which had seemed close to 5 meters when he first appeared, decreased with each step he took.
‘Sandalphon, the Sea Giant.’
One of the future Seven Great Heroes and a key figure in the ‘Southern Arc.’
A renowned warrior of the Malkuth Kingdom, he had the ability to freely control his size.
[Fixed at 2.3 meters.]
[Be careful, Master. The life forms on this planet are blatantly disregarding the law of conservation of mass.]
Integra said in a voice filled with shock and horror.
But Luther felt himself tense for a different reason.
‘Mad Sandalphon.’
Sandalphon in Dragon Hunter Origin was a madman. He had begun to succumb to madness due to Princess Peliaru’s tragic death, and on the day the Malkuth Kingdom fell, he completely lost his mind.
Usually, he was at a level where conversation was somehow possible, but once he entered combat, he became a berserker who attacked anyone in sight, so the number of ground dwellers who died at his hands numbered in the thousands.
To face such a Sandalphon…
‘Calm down, Luther.’
Aru wasn’t dead. The Malkuth Kingdom was still standing. Sandalphon hadn’t gone mad yet.
So, there shouldn’t be any problem facing Sandalphon—
‘No, why is he glaring at me like that?’
Indeed.
Sandalphon, a giant standing at 2.3 meters with an enormous physique and muscles that seemed like armor, frowned the moment he saw Luther and began to glare at him as if he were his sworn enemy.
“Princess Aru, who is this punk?”
[Strong hostility towards Master detected.]
He could tell even without being told. And Aru seemed to feel the same, so she pulled Sandalphon’s large hand towards her and shouted.
“Sandalphon! Luther saved me when I was almost kidnapped! In other words, he’s a benefactor to the Malkuth Kingdom and to you!”
At Aru’s shout, Sandalphon furrowed his brow and asked Luther sharply,
“Is that true?”
His expression suggested he would kill Luther whether it was true or false, but Luther slowly nodded.
“That’s… correct.”
Luther unconsciously spoke in a low voice. This was because the pressure emanating from Sandalphon was truly immense.
Frankly, it felt even stronger than the Dragon Fear Balboa had emitted.
[Master, I will prepare for combat.]
[Although incomplete, the nanosuit-]
But just then…
Sandalphon, who had been frowning deeply, suddenly grinned and burst into laughter, clapping Luther on the shoulder.
“Wow! I thought he was just a pretty face, but he’s got guts too! He didn’t even avoid my gaze! I’ll allow you to be ranked 19th among Princess Peliaru’s marriage candidates!”
“Sandalphon!”
“Uh… what?”
It was Sandalphon, Aru, and Luther, in that order.
Sandalphon, seemingly delighted for some reason, kept slapping Luther on the shoulder while laughing heartily, and Aru, her face flushed, pulled at Sandalphon’s hand.
And Luther, bewildered, looked at Sandalphon’s face.
The sudden change in attitude was one thing, but Sandalphon’s beaming face itself was so unfamiliar.
‘In the game, he was always scowling.’
But the Sandalphon before him was different. His face as he chuckled and looked at Aru was, well, exactly like that of an uncle teasing his cute niece.
[Master, tell him to stop hitting your shoulder.]
[And I believe you should firmly decline something like a marriage candidacy.]
Both requests were difficult to fulfill.
Therefore, Luther naturally stepped back and gave Aru a look that demanded an explanation.
“Sorry, Sandalphon is a bit out of his mind.”
“Hey, Princess. Aren’t you being a little harsh?”
“Then act normal.”
At Aru’s scolding, Sandalphon pouted and started to grumble as if sulking. A man of his size acting like that was enough to make anyone watching lose their mind, but Aru, as if accustomed to it, smiled brightly and began to explain softly.
“So, what happened was…”
She had fallen asleep in the high-class inn in Anus Village, and when she woke up, she was in Luther’s arms. A ferocious dragon was rampaging, trying to kidnap her, and she barely managed to escape to the riverside using the royal necklace, only for the dragon to attack again.
“I thought it was really the end, but Luther defeated the dragon and saved me once more. He’s an amazing hero. Isn’t he?”
As Aru clung to Luther’s arm and spoke charmingly, Sandalphon began staring intently at Luther again, and Integra, expounding on Aru’s cunning, demanded that he remove his arm.
And so, Luther decided to just stand there blankly and nod.
“Hmm, I see. I understand roughly. He’s quite the hero.”
Sandalphon stroked his chin with a satisfied look, as if pleased, then looked Luther up and down again and said,
“I’ll allow you to be promoted from 19th to 10th among Princess Aru’s marriage candidates.”
‘This is driving me crazy.’
He seemed better than the mad Sandalphon from the original story, but the high-tension, doting Sandalphon was just as difficult to deal with.
“Anyway, Princess Aru. His Majesty is very worried. Be prepared for a spanking when you return.”
“Ugh… I can’t help it.”
As Aru slumped her shoulders with a dejected look and sighed deeply, Sandalphon chuckled again and said to Luther,
“Luther, you are a benefactor of the Malkuth Kingdom. If you don’t mind, would you like to come to the kingdom with us?”
“Wow, that’s a great idea.”
At Sandalphon’s words, Aru brightened up as if she had never been dejected.
But Luther had no choice but to shake his head.
“I’m sorry. I have things to do here… and I also have companions with me, so it would be difficult.”
[That’s right. Master needs to find the fragments.]
At Luther’s words, Aru looked openly disappointed, but Sandalphon simply nodded and pulled out a small metal plate from his waist and offered it.
“The merfolk of the Malkuth Kingdom never forget a debt. Come to the kingdom anytime with this token of gratitude. You will be greatly welcomed.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t take too long to visit. Okay?”
After nodding at Aru’s follow-up words, Sandalphon pointed to Balboa’s corpse lying in the distance and said,
“If you don’t mind, we’ll dispose of the dragon’s body. It won’t be easy to transport in that state. Ah, of course, if you want to trade it directly or use it for materials, you can refuse.”
[It would be best to hand it over to them.]
[We’ve already collected samples, and transporting it would be difficult.]
[However, this is only if they offer appropriate compensation.]
After Integra clearly stated her opinion, Luther recalled the market prices in Dragon Hunter Origin and said,
“I’ll hand it over if you offer a suitable price.”
“How about this much?”
Sandalphon clapped lightly, and two of the waiting elite soldiers approached and offered pouches of gold coins. The amount was nearly ten times what he had received for handling the byproducts of the Jogress.
Considering Balboa was a dragon, even if it was of the lowest rank, it was quite a generous offer.
“Not bad, right?”
“Yes, I think it’s a decent amount.”
When Luther accepted, Aru smiled brightly, and Sandalphon also chuckled.
And about 10 minutes later…
After Balboa’s body, tightly bound in a net, sank into the river, only three people remained on the riverbank: Sandalphon, Aru, and Luther.
“Don’t forget to visit the Malkuth Kingdom. The kingdom will always welcome you.”
“See you again, Luther.”
Following Sandalphon, Aru smiled brightly and said goodbye, then hesitated for a moment as if reluctant to part, and suddenly took a large step and nestled into Luther’s arms.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Whispering softly, Aru stood on tiptoe and lightly kissed Luther on the cheek.
“Hee hee.”
Aru turned around with a flushed face, as if embarrassed, and Sandalphon, looking delighted, mentally changed the number 10 to 7.
“Then, I’ll really see you next time.”
“See you later!”
Waving their hands one last time, Aru and Sandalphon jumped into the river.
The sight of the one hundred elite soldiers and the Serpent diving into the river was so fantastic in itself that his heart pounded.
It was definitely not because of Aru’s kiss.
[Master, I feel like you’re making a flimsy excuse.]
“That’s not true.”
[Sigh.]
Letting out a small sigh, Integra appeared next to Luther instead of continuing to grumble. It wasn’t the mini Integra she usually used, but a life-sized Integra.
She stared quietly at the river where Aru had departed, then slowly turned to Luther and said,
[Master.]
“Yes, Integra.”
[Now, there’s something we need to discuss, isn’t there?]
The question that had lingered since last night.
The unknown knowledge that only Luther possessed, which Integra herself didn’t know.
Luther slowly nodded and took a deep breath. He looked directly into Integra’s eyes as she stared at him with a serious expression, devoid of her usual playfulness.
“Integra.”
[Yes, Master.]
“I’ve entered the game.”
[What?]
A straight-up fastball.
Facing Integra’s face tinged with bewilderment, Luther continued his story.
—–CROW—–