Chapter 161: The Men in Robes

It had been three days since the envoy of the death god entered the Mineta Royal Capital.

Step. Step.

Prince Rasfer’s footsteps, as if somehow excited, continued toward the Great Hall.

When the large doors opened, Harlan Mineta was sitting on the throne.

“Let us end here for today. All of you may withdraw.”

Was it because he sensed something strange? Or perhaps because he wanted to reduce eyes and ears to the bare minimum?

Even the knights guarding the Great Hall all went out.

Once only the two of us remained, the corners of Rasfer’s mouth stretched.

At that sight, Harlan Mineta sensed that something was off.

“What matter was urgent enough for you to request an audience so hastily? You must barely have enough time to prepare for your return to Moratz.”

Did he intend to consider this a pointless meeting?

Even at such a question, Rasfer’s expression did not change.

“Our preparations are nearly complete. However, strange rumors keep coming from the surroundings.”

“…Rumors?”

Even though he had expected this question, Harlan Mineta kept his expression steady.

“The rumor that several nobles have been kidnapped. It seems to have spread quite widely… Have you not heard of it, Your Majesty?”

He had assumed he had silenced everyone as much as possible, yet he had no idea where the words had leaked from.

Then Harlan Mineta nodded, recalling the corner of suspicion he had kept in mind.

“I merely chose not to mention it, thinking my prince might worry.”

“I heard even Duke Dominus Flomen was among them. I worry whether the dealings between our kingdoms will remain unaffected.”

“What would be the problem? The prince need only take our princess. Perhaps I simply had unnecessary concern for your age?”

The deal was already as good as concluded.

Once Rasfer and Deborah were married in the Moratz Kingdom, they would immediately begin preparing for war.

“Would there be such a thing as unnecessary concern? This is a matter of trust. And if any problem arises because of the kidnapped nobles, what then?”

“You worry too much.”

“I merely wish to offer help. If those nobles were to speak out about our dealings, it would be disastrous.”

What the two kingdoms intended to do was wage war by attacking the Boluzan Kingdom.

Although they would fabricate a proper justification before proceeding, it was never good if someone found out.

Especially if the information reached neighboring countries or the Holy Kingdom, it would be a catastrophe.

Of course, Harlan Mineta was worried about that as well.

But if information had leaked, there would already have been some reaction in one way or another.

“There is no need for help. Let us end this here.”

“There is someone under me who is quite skilled. He is proficient in tracking as well. How about it?”

“…Must I say more here?”

A question that jabbed at the kingdom’s pride.

Harlan Mineta’s eyes flashed sharply.

“I have been discourteous.”

“If you do not wish to create unnecessary noise, then let this end here.”

“I shall withdraw.”

Prince Rasfer slightly bowed his head and exited.

In front of the Great Hall doors, a man wearing a deeply lowered robe stood waiting.

Seeing Prince Rasfer come out, he naturally followed behind him.

They walked quite a distance down the corridor after leaving the doors.

When no one was visible around them, Rasfer spoke first.

“Have you checked the situation?”

“…It is certain that there is no trace of the nobles inside the inner castle. However, there were suspicious individuals in the eastern annex.”

“Did you confirm who they were?”

“They said one was an S-rank adventurer named Raion Dragonia. In addition, there was an S-rank mercenary from the Black Crescent Moon, a man called Turklan.”

“Is it the same Turklan who was called the ‘Blade that Splits the Earth’?”

A fairly well-known title in the northern continent.

Even Rasfer had heard the infamous reputation circulating in the Moratz Kingdom a few times.

“Yes. And the White Flash was also there.”

“…Is that someone famous?”

A nickname I heard for the first time. Judging from the feel of it, he seemed like a mercenary.

Tilting his head, Rasfer thought about it, but nothing came to mind.

So the robed man explained for him.

“He was a mercenary who used to operate in the Moratz Kingdom long ago.”

“Was he very famous?”

“He was only A-rank, but he was known for solving any problem as long as he took the request. And he disappeared about twenty-five years ago.”

“Do you know the reason?”

“I do not. He left no reason, no trace. But seeing him with them, it appears he continued living as a mercenary.”

If he had been that famous, it was difficult to understand how he could disappear so suddenly.

However, Rasfer nodded at the robed man’s words.

“So that means at least one A-rank and two S-ranks. They are keeping that level of strength inside the palace.”

“It will not be a major issue. As long as we stir matters well, we can create enough justification.”

“There should be no setback to the plan.”

“Do not worry.”

“I look forward to it.”

The man in the robe listened to Rasfer’s answer, then walked alone into the shadowed corridor and vanished in an instant.

.

.

.

The Central Square of the Mineta outer castle was crowded with people.

It was no different from usual.

Into that square, five people wearing robes walked in from every direction.

Passing through the people going back and forth, they gathered in the center of the square.

“……”

The five of them stood without saying a single word.

They paid no attention to anything around them.

Once their gazes met from inside their robes, they nodded.

“For you, I shall offer my life! Receive the offering we present to you.”

Their voices flowed out like a prayer.

The prayer did not stop and continued on.

“Please accept our offering and grant us your answer. Then I shall cut my neck and offer it to you—so take my hand.”

Along with their unified prayer, pitch-black energy began to creep up from the floor where the men stood.

The energy did not stop there and spread across the ground in all directions.

People who passed nearby eventually saw what was happening.

“Kyaaaah!”

“What is that?!”

Anyone could tell something was terribly wrong. People screamed and began to run away.

The pitch-black energy that had swallowed the ground surged over the people.

Shwaaaaaa!

“Save me!”

“Aaaaargh!”

Screams burst out everywhere.

The black energy moved as though it were alive. Like murky tentacles, it stretched out, pulled people in, and swallowed them.

“Aaaah! Help me!”

The robed men had already been swallowed.

Above them, the pitch-black energy swelled and grew larger and larger.

The sudden chaos threw the Mineta Royal Capital into an emergency.

Knights and soldiers from each outer castle rushed toward the square.

But they could only stomp their feet helplessly, unable to figure out what to do.

Boom! Kaboom!

The pitch-black energy rose higher than a house, and its shape gradually formed.

“Th-that is… a dragon…?”

A being that remained only in legends. A being that served the goddess worshipped across the continent.

Dragons—existences considered sacred.

But what revealed itself before their eyes now was a pitch-black dragon emitting a ghastly aura.

Kruaaaaaah!

How could mere humans possibly confront a dragon?

There was only one answer.

“R-run!”

“Retreat! Retreat!”

Knights, soldiers, and the people who had failed to flee earlier all hurriedly scrambled backward.

Then those who had come out from the royal castle arrived at the entrance of the square.

At the lead was Luteo Candir, commander of the Royal Knight Order.

He had gathered forces and rushed out upon hearing the urgent news.

And when he saw the scene before him, he could hardly believe it.

“…A d-dragon?”

What had looked like a black mass from afar had now completely formed into a pitch-black dragon.

“S-sir, what do we do?”

The knights standing nearby faltered in fear.

Who could possibly stand against a dragon?

“We must stop it somehow. Archers, use the roofs and alleys as cover and attack!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Swordmasters, follow behind me!”

Along with Luteo Candir, blue aura condensed on the blades of the knights’ swords.

Chwaaaaak!

The attack toward the dragon began.

Knights leapt upward, their swords carving lines across the dragon’s torso.

Chwak! Chwaak—!

But not even a scratch appeared.

Papapapak—! Papapapapak—!

Archers fired dozens of arrows, yet nothing changed.

The knights who had failed to deal damage barely landed safely and prepared for another strike.

“Raise your aura to the maximum! And summon the priests at once!”

Because the dragon’s entire body continued to radiate a sinister, violent aura.

If priests cast blessings, there might—just might—be a chance.

Several knights hurried away.

In the meantime, Luteo Candir’s aura grew even fiercer.

“Do not let the dragon leave the square!”

The dragon, towering ten meters tall, turned its head and opened its mouth wide.

Shuaaaaah!

Around its jaws, pitch-black energy swirled in like wind.

The mass grew to the size of a human head.

“…Evade!”

Feeling dread, Luteo Candir shouted urgently.

But everyone else felt it too.

Even so, they stared at the growing sphere, as if drawn to it.

Then one side of the sphere shot out like the flash of sunrise.

“Aaagh—!”

With a single scream, an entire street where soldiers had stood was wiped clean.

It was a chilling sight.

“H-how could such a thing….”

Among those swept away had even been Swordmaster-level knights who used aura.

Even they had tried to block it with their aura, but it was useless.

A hopeless situation.

Even Luteo, himself a Swordmaster, had no idea how to stop the dragon before him.

Kruaaaaaah!

At that moment, a roar burst from the dragon’s mouth.

A prickling force spread across the area.

“Who flees when the enemy stands before them!”

From the direction of the royal castle—

Before anyone noticed, King Harlan Mineta stood there with Royal Knight Order members at his back.

Even witnessing it personally, he could hardly believe what was happening.

“A dragon that only appears in legends… How monstrously hideous.”

The dragon’s entire body burned with black scales that glimmered like fire.

That energy devoured the fallen on the ground bit by bit.

If left alone, the kingdom might truly be in danger.

“Your Majesty! The priests have arrived!”

“Will it work?”

“There is no choice but to try.”

From olden times, the energy of darkness signified the unclean.

And unclean forces were in direct opposition to the blessings performed by priests.

Soon, priests who had rushed out from the Mineta Temple began praying toward the dragon.

“O Goddess Zigasis, sun of blessing who embraces all the earth… Hear our prayer… Under your sacred ideal… we shall embrace the unclean…”

White light erupted from the priests’ hands and spread across their bodies.

The prayer for blessing had manifested.

At that moment, the dragon, which had been marching toward the priests, stopped.

“Is it working?”

The chanting continued.

The priests surrounding the dragon also seemed to feel the effect and strengthened their power further.

“O Goddess Zigasis! In your holy name, protect us so that the unclean cannot take root!”

With the priests’ fervent prayer, a holy radiance wrapped around the entire square.

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