Cale immediately opened his mouth.
“Ron.”
“Yes, young master-nim.”
“Let people know.”
Ron responded without any hesitation.
“I will let them know that the enemies have arrived.”
Click.
Silence filled the room once the door closed.
Cale looked out the window toward the village.
* * *
The Chief observed the three people who came to the village.
‘That sweaty knight is the knight from the Haru Kingdom.’
He could instantly tell because of the Haru Kingdom’s crest on the knight’s armor epaulet.
‘He’s completely pale.’
The knight’s face was pale and he was covered in sweat despite it being the middle of winter.
In that case-’
The other two must be from the Holy Empire’s subjugation squad.
The answer came quickly.
‘Both of them are Dragon half-bloods.’
The Haru Kingdom would have only sent knights who were talented or had extremely great attitudes.
For someone like that to be in such a condition, the other two should be Dragon half-bloods or stronger.
As the Chief’s mind became complicated…
“What are you looking at?”
Nine smiled brightly as he asked.
“Do I look like a spectacle?”
The words coming out of his mouth were full of thorns.
‘Oops.’
The Chief urgently bowed deeply again.
“I forgot to properly show my respects for a moment because of such esteemed guests arriving. Please forgive me.”
The Chief bowed so much that it looked excessive.
The Haru Kingdom’s knight, Sam, was relieved at what he saw.
‘I’m relieved.’
It didn’t seem as if the two Dragon half-bloods would get upset because of the Chief’s actions.
Sam was so tense he couldn’t even think about wiping the cold sweat off his face.
‘Fuck.’
Nine and Wei…
The two Dragon half-bloods did not provoke Sam or use violence. In fact, they followed Sam’s guide without saying anything.
However, they bothered him in a different way. No, they gave him a sense of fear that felt as if his blood would dry.
Sam looked down at his hand.
‘Shit!
His hands holding the reins were shaking. His horse was scared as well.
‘Force……!’
Dragon Fear was one of the reasons Dragons were great and mighty.
Dragon half-bloods could not fully replicate Dragon Fear, but they could release something that carried a bit of the pressure that Dragon Fear released.
They called this, force.
This force was the reason that knights of other nations could not easily attack the Dragon half-bloods of the Holy Empire.
‘Sam. Run immediately if you come across force.’
He recalled what his senior knight had told him.
‘You get swept up in a feeling of dread if you come across force.’
You feel suffocated, your heart starts beating wildly…
You feel a sense of fear that something was coming in all directions to kill you.
‘It makes you want to kneel down in front of them and bow your head.’
The scary thing about force was that it made the opponents want to submit.
Sam had never experienced a Dragon half-blood’s force before coming here.
However, once the three of them started moving to scout the area…
‘We should hurry.’
Whenever Sam slowed down even a bit…
‘Why are we going so slow? Hmm?’
Nine spoke in a gentle tone before releasing his force.
Of course, he was not releasing the force at full power.
But it still made Sam feel suffocated.
The mysterious sense of fear smashing over him from his back made his heart beat wild and his mind scatter.
Nine would release his force whenever Sam’s face turned pale.
‘You are slowing down again?’
He would use force again despite Sam moving at the same speed to pester him.
Sam felt as if an endless darkness was chasing him as he ran across the white snowy field. It reminded him of his youth when he would suffer nightmares at night. It was painful.
Yes, he thought he would go crazy because of the pain and anxiety.
However, he could not let it show.
He was no longer a child and was a member of the Knights Brigade representing the Haru Kingdom.
‘Sam, you can’t treat Dragon half-bloods like humans.’
The Dragon half-bloods.
There were three reasons they were strong.
His senior’s words echoed in his ears.
‘First, they have force.’
A power to instill fear and dread into their enemies.
‘Second, they can use magic or aura or sometimes both.’
After the cataclysmic period, although only a portion of people could use magic or aura, Dragon half-bloods were able to use at least one of them, if not more.
‘A knight who can use aura is needed to go against a knight who can use aura. If not, you need dozens of regular knights to fight against one.’
It was the same with magic.
In fact, magic was an even greater source of fear for the regular knights.
‘and finally, a portion of the Dragon half-bloods have carried on a great and mighty power.’
A great and mighty power.
It was clear what that was talking about.
‘Some of them are able to use a Dragon’s attribute.’
Dragon Fear and attribute, two things that only Dragon can use.
Nobody in the Haru Kingdom was able to accurately determine it yet, but, based on what they have heard, some of the Dragon half-bloods in the Haru Kingdom’s First Knights Brigade were able to use attributes.
They may not be Dragons but they were very close.
Dragons.
What kind of existence were Dragons on this continent right now?
They were omnipotent creatures that were treated as gods.
‘Sam. That is why you should not go against a Dragon half-blood no matter what. Hold yourself back and hold yourself back some more.’
That way…
‘That’s how you can stay alive.’
Sam could hear Nine’s astonished voice.
“Hooooo. Esteemed guests? You know who we are?”
He got off the horse and walked up to the Chief.
Sam quickly got off his horse as well. He noticed the Chief looking as if he realized he made a mistake.
‘Why?’
Sam, who had been relieved to see the Chief bow down so low toward the Dragon half-blood, could not understand the Chief’s action.
‘Ah.’
He then thought of something.
‘…How did the Chief-’
How did the Chief of such a rural village-
‘How did he notice that Nine is a Dragon half-blood?’
Dragon half-bloods were impossible to tell based on their appearance.
That could only mean one thing.
‘He knew in advance!’
The Chief knew in advance that the Dragon half-bloods would be visiting this village.
‘How?’
Nine opened his mouth, almost as if to answer Sam’s question.
Ssssssssss-
Snowy gusts of wind were still blowing in all directions.
“The subjugation squad always shows up around the same time, so the village should know that the Holy Empire’s subjugation squad will come around now and prepare themselves to greet us. Such a shabby village would need to prepare long in advance in order to survive.”
Nine’s laughter became louder.
Ssssssssss-
The wind was getting stronger.
Sam felt an ominous feeling and caught up to Nine, who was slowly getting closer to the Chief.
‘…We, no, these Dragon half-bloods came to scout, right?’
Sam wondered if these Dragon half-bloods were really here to scout.
He even started to wonder if he was wrong to properly lead them to the village.
He felt as if something he did not understand was happening right now.
Nine’s voice continued. He still sounded cheeky.
“But how did you instantly know that we were esteemed guests as soon as we got here?”
The Chief’s face turned pale.
He clearly looked anxious because of his mistake.
“Hey Chief.”
Nine was standing right in front of the Chief now.
“Do you call every member of the Holy Empire’s subjugation squad as esteemed guests? You wouldn’t dare to call those who don’t have the blood of Dragons as esteemed guests as well, would you? Well?”
Nine bowed toward the small old man who was much shorter than him. He then observed the old man who didn’t dare to look at him.
“Or is it that you knew we were Dragon half-bloods in advance? Hmm? How did the Chief of a remote and shabby village know that we were Dragon half-bloods?”
“…….”
The Chief clenched his eyes without being able to say anything.
He heard Nine’s voice again.
“Hey. Wei.”
The moment Sam heard Nine calling out to Wei, he had an ominous feeling and got in between the Chief and Nine.
“Sir Nine-”
However, Wei, who was still on his horse, answered Nine’s calling.
“Who are these two?”
It was only then that Sam noticed the robed individual and a young man with black hair standing behind the Chief.
‘Huh?’
He made eye contact with the young man.
He felt as if he would be sucked into the man’s black eyes.
He then heard Nine’s answer.
He was answering Wei’s question.
“Who are they? Are your senses gone?”
It was at that moment.
Nine’s hand quickly headed toward the Chief.
It was directed at the Chief’s neck.
As Sam moved in shock…
“Ugh!”
Sam flinched.
A mysterious aura came out of Nine’s body.
It was force.
The power that spread out in all directions let Sam feel that Nine was one of the Dragon half-bloods who were well-versed in force.
Sam barely managed to raise his head.
Nine was smiling.
After asking Wei if his senses were gone-
“It’s obviously not a Dragon-nim who came out for some fun. Those Haru Kingdom fuckers pulled some crap.”
The moment his hand was about to reach the Chief’s neck…
Nine smiled brightly.
“We can fuck them up first and then hear about it.”
‘No!’
The thought of Nine’s hand snapping the old man’s wrinkled neck appeared like an illusion in Sam’s mind.
‘This is not scouting!
These fuckers planned on destroying the village!’
‘Sam. Those Dragon half-blood bastards are devils.’
His senior’s words echoed in his ears.
‘I would have taken them in the opposite direction if I knew it would be like this. At least I could have bought some time for others with my death. Ah.’
What can I do right now?’
In these few seconds… As all sorts of thoughts filled Sam’s mind…
Baaaaang!
He heard a loud noise.
Sam saw it.
A sword blocked Nine’s hand.
The black-haired young man…
His sword was out of his scabbard and he stopped the Dragon half-blood’s hand.
Sam’s eyes opened wide.
Nine smiled toward the black-haired young man as he spoke.
“You- are not weak?”
The black-haired young man, Choi Han, calmly answered back.
“You- are also not weak.”
As Nine’s eyes filled with rage…
Sam saw a peaceful look on the Chief’s face.
His face didn’t look as if he forgot about his fears.
It just looked like someone who got something that allowed him to overcome his fears. As he was about to subconsciously calm down as well…
“!”
He felt something heat up behind him.
He turned his head.
“S, shit-”
The Dragon half-blood mage, Wei, created a large fire spear in the air.
“Is there a need to chat?”
That was all he said before he shot the fire spear.
It was headed toward the village.
‘No!
This is why mages are scary!’
Sam subconsciously reached toward the spear.
He heard an eccentric noise at that moment.
Chhhhh-
It was the sound of water.
‘Water?’
There was no water here.
What could this sound be?
Before he could even think about that question…
Baaaaang—!
There was a loud noise and the fire spear split in the air.
Chhhh—
He could see vapor starting to rise.
Fire turned into vapor and disappeared in this cold snowy weather.
And the thing that broke the spear-
‘A whip?’
It was a whip made of water.
Sam moved his gaze.
Shhh.
The robed individual’s hood was removed.
Witira smiled as she spoke to Choi Han.
“Shall we each take one?”
Choi Han was not the one who answered her.
“Who the fuck are you guys?”
It was Nine.
Wei was now off his horse and standing next to Nine.
An aura rose up like haze around the two Dragon half-bloods.
It was force.
“I asked who the fuck you guys are.”
The smile was gone from Nine’s face as he asked the question. Choi Han calmly answered.
“Dragon Slayers.”
‘What?’
Sam’s eyes opened wide.
Dragon Slayers. That was a term that could not be mentioned in this land anymore. That title had played a role in sending the Haru Kingdom down the path of despair.
However, Sam could not say anything to this black-haired young man.
Shhhhhhh-
In between the strong gusts of wind…
Sam’s eyes opened wide.
“Ah-”
It was aura.
A violent black aura that looked as if it could even swallow the darkness started rising up from the black-haired young man’s sword.
“H, how-”
The moment Nine said that…
Choi Han gently kicked off the ground.
He then swung his sword toward the two Dragon half-bloods.
He answered in a nonchalant voice.
“Is there a need to chat?”
Choi Han was saying exactly what Wei had said earlier.
He was not someone who would simply quietly listen to the enemy’s bullshit.
“Ha. What?”
Nine pulled out his sword as if he was never flustered and charged toward the approaching Choi Han.
Ooooo—
The moment an odd fluctuation and the force coming out of his body shook the area around him and was about to shoot out in all directions…
The intangible aura followed its master’s will to focus in one direction.
‘That bastard!’
The force was only directed at Choi Han.
‘A human dares to point his sword at me, a chosen one with Dragon blood, because he can use aura?’
Nine was extremely angry right now.
‘I was going to just destroy a bit of this village, but…’
“Wei!”
I guess I have no choice.
“Burn it all! Obliterate it!”
We need to destroy this village from this world.
Furthermore, this was clearly not the actions of a few individuals.
The Haru Kingdom. Those bastards must have done something.
‘I’ll make them kneel with force, and then…
I will destroy that unrefined, crude, and violent aura with my aura.’
“You dare to mention the Dragon Slayers in front of me, a chosen one with noble blood?”
Nine’s force headed toward Choi Han.
This intangible aura was not visible. It didn’t have any smell or temperature changes.
However, the opponent could feel it because this aura of fear and dominance swept over them.
And…
Slash.
That force was slashed.
“……!”
Nine’s eyes opened wide.
‘Our power that is given to us by the great and mighty Dragons, the power that resembles that of Dragons was slashed? Wait, force can be slashed?’
Choi Han started speaking as Nine stood there shocked.
What Nine had said earlier…
‘We can fuck them up first and then hear about it.’
Choi Han was replying to that now, despite it being a bit late.
“Guess we should fuck you guys up first.”
Boom.
Nine felt his heart sink at that moment.
This sword master…
Although this guy was clearly human, he could feel it.
“…Force-”
Force was coming out of a human.
—
Translator’s Comments
Choi Han is a jedi…
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