Chapter 119

Lucian looked at Helen with an incredulous expression.

“Don’t tell me the dragon you’re talking about is the same one I’m thinking of? The most powerful creature that flies through the skies, breathes fire, and surpasses humans in intelligence?”

“That’s right.”

“As I understand it, even ancient heroes armed with legendary weapons could barely face a dragon. How am I supposed to hunt something like that?”

Its fangs and claws could tear through any armor with ease, its roar made all living beings tremble in terror, and the flames it spewed could melt mountains and shred heroes like insects.

Even if only half the legends were true, a single dragon was enough to destroy an entire kingdom.

“Wait… weren’t dragons supposed to be extinct? According to the scholars of the time, they no longer existed when the Empire was founded. Did one survive?”

“No. There isn’t a single dragon left alive.”

“What?”

“All dragons returned to nature a long time ago. Their former greatness can only be confirmed through legendary records and the remains they left behind.”

Helen’s calm response made Lucian frown. If a dragon’s heart was needed, how did that fit with the fact that they were all dead?

“Are you mocking me?”

“A dragon’s heart is different from other remains. It is practically an eternal organ. Unless deliberately destroyed, it doesn’t decompose even after the dragon’s death.”

“…So the dragons are dead, but their hearts still exist? You don’t have to face a dragon, but retrieve the heart from its remains?”

“Actually, you have to take it from those who guard it. They’re mere keepers who acquired it by chance, but after preserving it for so long, they believe themselves to be its rightful owners. They won’t hand it over willingly.”

Lucian’s eyes widened in surprise. A dragon’s heart wasn’t just any object.

It was an infinite source of magical power, an ancient treasure said even to grant immortality. And there were people who already possessed and used it?

“Who is using the heart of a dragon?”

At Lucian’s question, Helen bowed her head.

“Those who rule the tribes beyond the ice field. Those who call themselves the Children of the Blue Dragon.”

***

After speaking with Helen, Lucian returned to focusing on stabilizing the territory.

However, unlike before, he stopped personally handling every matter and began training Hans to act as his replacement.

Hans, horrified by the tasks assigned to him for the first time, asked nervously.

“Your Highness, I’m still not even used to being the chief steward. Being entrusted with such important matters is too much for me.”

“It will be difficult, but there’s no other choice. I have no one else I can delegate to.”

“Delegate? You mean to act in your place? As the regent of the territory?”

“Exactly. When the lord is absent, it’s normal for the administrator or chief steward to act as his representative.”

Upon hearing that, Hans was left speechless. It wasn’t incorrect, but for someone who had only recently become chief steward, the burden was overwhelming.

Normally, someone who assumed that role was a person who had served the lord for decades.

“I can’t do it!”

“Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to do anything complicated. The administrative matters will be handled by the other officials, and the military by Sir Gareth. You’ll only need to intervene when a conflict arises.”

“Even that’s too much! Mediation requires authority. Who’s going to obey me?”

“Then ask Sir Eisen to stay by your side and just impose presence. He understands our situation perfectly—he won’t refuse.”

“But…!”

Lucian interrupted him firmly.

“I don’t expect great achievements from you. Even if the territory is a mess when I return, I won’t blame you. Just hold the position. As long as a rebellion doesn’t break out and we don’t lose Asagrim, that’ll be enough.”

“Ugh…”

Hans let out a groan. He understood that no matter what he said, his lord wouldn’t change his mind.

“Alright. But I really will only be able to keep the seat warm. Don’t blame me later if I tarnish your accomplishments.”

“I already told you. That’s enough.”

“Then tell me one thing. Where do you plan to go this time?”

“To retrieve a dragon’s corpse.”

“…What?”

“Something like that.”

Lucian smiled bitterly and left it at that.

To be honest, not even he was entirely convinced by Helen’s words.

If dragon remains really existed, if beyond the ice there were tribes using its heart—he could only be sure after seeing it with his own eyes.

***

It had already been half a year since he began training Hans to leave him in charge as regent of the territory.

Each day, the number of people settling in Asagrim increased, and half the territory, which had once been empty, was now bustling with people.

Merchants, drawn by the scent of money, rushed in to begin trading, and the number of those opening shops thanks to that commerce also grew.

Once the foundations of the territory were fully established, even the administrators could breathe a sigh of relief as the workload decreased significantly.

And it wasn’t only the territory that had changed over those six months.

“Hugo has completely mastered the Lion Sword.”

“Already?”

Lucian, enjoying a rare moment of calm after finishing the reduced workload, was startled by Eisen’s words.

Everyone who served the Valdeck bloodline had the right to learn the Lion Sword, but that only applied to knights.

Until now, Hugo hadn’t been one, so he couldn’t learn it. That’s why, after being formally knighted, they decided to teach it to him—but for him to master it in just half a year was unexpected.

“I always thought he had talent, but it seems that once he freed himself from the burden in his heart, he blossomed even more. If he continues training like this, it won’t be long before he surpasses Sir Raymond.”

“Wow… that’s as pleasant as it is surprising…”

For the Swordmaster himself to say that he had “already mastered it” meant that, at least in terms of that style, there was nothing more to teach him.

He couldn’t help but smile at seeing one of his subordinates make his hidden talent bloom.

But Eisen wasn’t finished yet.

“And I’ve also taught everything to Felicia. Yesterday we had our final duel, and there’s nothing more I can pass on. The rest, she’ll have to refine through real combat.”

“…”

Lucian’s eyes widened. Unlike Hugo, Felicia was Eisen’s adoptive daughter and direct disciple—the heir to everything he had built.

If Hugo’s “already mastered it” referred only to the Lion Sword, Felicia’s “I’ve taught her everything” meant the entirety of Eisen’s swordsmanship.

In other words, in Eisen’s eyes, Felicia had already reached a level worthy of being called a Swordmaster.

“Your Highness corrected all my foolishness and mistakes. This old man now has no regrets. The day the Eight Gods come for me, I’ll be able to leave with joy. Words aren’t enough to thank you.”

“Don’t say that. Don’t you want to see Felicia shake the world with her name?”

“Haha… that’s true as well.”

Seeing Eisen’s serene expression, Lucian felt a strange heaviness in his chest.

Attachment weighs down the heart, but it also acts as a chain that keeps people alive.

Eisen had let go of all his attachments through Felicia, and that meant he might leave the world even earlier than in his past life.

‘I need to hurry.’

After saying farewell to Eisen, Lucian went to see Ian and Raymond.

As expected, Ian was buried in the medicinal herbs brought from the underground treasury, researching enthusiastically.

“I’ve already identified almost all the effects of the herbs. Each leaf has incredible properties. If I make potions with this, the effectiveness will be…”

Ian ended up murmuring to himself, staring into space with glassy eyes. He seemed to be living in paradise, able to research freely.

“The only regret is that there’s no herb that can replace the Moonlight Herb. And that one’s the most important.”

“Yes, that’s truly unfortunate. By the way, what about the nectar I asked for?”

“Since there was so little Moonlight Herb, I barely managed to make two more. They say that no matter how hard they try, they can’t get more.”

“That’s enough.”

Although the Empire’s situation had made it difficult to obtain Moonlight Herb, it was nothing compared to his past life, when even the imperial family couldn’t get it.

For Lucian, it was more than a satisfactory amount.

He stored the two vials of nectar Ian gave him and immediately went to see Raymond.

“Your Highness? What brings you here?”

“I just came to see how you’re doing. How are things lately?”

“Too well—that’s the problem.”

Raymond replied with an ambiguous smile. He had never been this at peace before.

The problem was that while everyone else worked hard, he had nothing to do.

Even though he had been promised the position of commander of the personal guard, that guard still didn’t exist.

Sensing his thoughts, Lucian smiled and held out the nectar.

“Here. Nectar.”

“…My turn has finally come.”

Despite seeing the nectar glow with a bluish hue, Raymond remained relatively calm.

He knew that sooner or later he would receive it as one of Lucian’s trusted men.

But then Lucian added something unexpected.

“Yes, it’s your turn. It’s time to start recruiting the personal guard.”

“What?”

“The personal guard. You can’t be a commander without a guard forever, right?”

“…!”

Raymond’s eyes, which had been half relaxed, instantly sharpened. As if his carefree attitude had been an act, a sharp pressure emanated from him.

“I thought I was going to die from waiting.”

“Weren’t you just saying you were doing too well?”

“That’s exactly the problem. What’s the point of inflating someone’s ambitions and then leaving them abandoned for half a year?”

“…Ahem.”

At a loss for words, Lucian looked slightly away. Seeing that, Raymond smiled lightly.

“Still, I’m glad I can finally act as a true commander. Where do you plan to recruit the knights from?”

“From the barbarian tribes beyond the frozen wasteland.”

“…What’s beyond the wasteland?”

“Barbarian tribes.”

To Raymond, who had never heard of such a thing, Lucian calmly explained that beyond the wasteland existed barbarian tribes who were once the root of his bloodline, and that although it was believed they had vanished, they were still alive.

He also explained the plan Helen would open the path, and Lucian would go to bring them back and turn them into an army.

“They say they revere strength just like the northerners and possess the heart of a dragon. If I can subdue them, I’ll gain both an army and the dragon’s heart.”

“Can we trust that mage? It all sounds too convenient…”

Suspicion of a trap appeared on Raymond’s face. Lucian smiled at it.

“What would she gain by deceiving me? The moment I suffer, the dark age of mages begins all over again.”

“That’s true, but…”

Raymond couldn’t argue with that. Lucian had been the one who allowed mages, persecuted for centuries, to return to the light.

If someone like that were betrayed from the beginning, the witch hunts would spread across the continent like wildfire.