Chapter 135
di5tBv2Ivar was plunged into utter despair.646Pn
KOa5bIn both the first and second trials, Lucian had demonstrated an overwhelming difference before everyone.6Cj
gRhThe members of the tribe already took it for granted that Lucian would rise to the position of chief.4CoF
B1RVIn such a situation, even if Ivar tried to drag him down tooth and nail, no one would play along.ZkdH2
l943s7Cornered, Ivar decided to play his final card on the day of the third trial.7KEbHjJ
iOYnNQ“The third trial will be a duel. But it won’t be a duel between candidates — it will be a trial where we put you to the test.”6Qa8h
T9k6OLl“…Sounds like I’m the only one being tested.”3STeIT0
QQW2C6D“Exactly.”JAiDj1
zQDOMcAt Lucian’s response, Ivar nodded.alqS
qP9yiig“You’ve already been chosen by the dragon. For someone like that to compete for the position of chief is downright ridiculous. But we also have the right to choose our ruler.”mxAzkX
m1l“So you want me to defeat all of you to prove I’m fit to rule?”lr57
z97RQ“Someone who’s obtained the dragon’s heart shouldn’t have any trouble defeating those of us who’ve only absorbed a fraction of its power. Isn’t that right?”5SsqjN
LLnEghaIf, by some slim chance, Lucian lost to one of them, it would mean the dragon’s choice had been a mistake.yCD3uav
5dZWith that convenient logic, Ivar looked at him with a brazen expression, as if there was no room for objection.r8r
x06YRGFAt Ivar’s last desperate attempt, disguised as calm, Lucian let out a short laugh.EGhfh
lZiGv‘How pathetic. I guess, backed into a corner like this, the only way left for him to deal with me is through a duel.’jg8mh5
2mWWYEverything Lucian had shown up to now had been excessively dramatic.yvFV
yPeCombined with what Marius had prepared beforehand, it gave the impression that a figure straight out of legend or myth had descended to the real world.bWS
VqPThanks to that, he had easily won over the tribe’s hearts, but at the same time, their expectations of him had skyrocketed.5pf
tW38Even if it was an unfair trial for a regular warrior, for Lucian it seemed completely reasonable.SCGE
b70aq3After all, someone who had the strongest warrior under his command and had been chosen by the dragon’s heart should be able to overcome such trials without difficulty.ZjVp
BKZ‘If they try to bring me down by force, the tribe won’t accept it. So they dress it up as a trial — not bad for a last-minute plan.’h4nFKm
LBtPM0sLegends of powerful warriors defeating multiple enemies alone were so common they were everywhere.kM4OB
YFTjzEven if it was a bit unfair, considering the reputation Lucian had built, it wasn’t an impossible test.poTM
eAuzNBMoreover, both Ivar and his two sons had absorbed at least fragments of the dragon’s power.aJh
EqK8JThey probably thought that even if Lucian had the heart of the dragon, if they attacked with everything, they might have a chance.KS9VsH
F8NS6Z“Hmm, now that I think about it, what the chief says makes sense.”xPxPyUe
FOi0a9H“Someone challenging a legend needs a trial that matches that power.”aMpfh
8JM“To be honest, I’m also curious to see how far the dragon’s power goes.”qtu
t0yCMAs expected, the tribe members seemed more excited than doubtful about Ivar’s proposal.7cZwNg
WdzkFeeling the weight of those expectant gazes, Lucian shrugged and said,kIqKjD
O3yZ“Alright. Just in case, let me ask — are you all coming at me at once?”FdXtFe
7E3I“Even someone who’s obtained the dragon’s heart would have trouble facing three warriors at the same time, no?”iPn6a5j
s0Hjry“No, I ask because it would be over quicker that way. Fighting one by one is kind of tedious.”gpFHh
zUBAt Lucian’s confident reply, Ivar clenched his teeth. He didn’t know whether Lucian was genuinely confident in a three-on-one or just bluffing.Kszw8Wi
4iN“Unfortunately for you, you’ll fight one by one, in consecutive duels. A warrior doesn’t strike another’s back.”c3N2Na
jdT3uIOf course.tcvrd
aWVdEzIn reality, they didn’t want to face him all at once because they still didn’t know how he fought.DuTPcbX
Ki3Ool8By watching him fight one by one, they might find a way to counter him.1k1Klnn
IX0ALucian swallowed his sneer and put on a resigned expression.j3DWa9N
s0Al1n“Can’t be helped. When do we start?”sLNTCh
9C6I4“Right now, here.”5ejo
EHvP“I like that. Who’s going first?”Z2QC
79G9E“I am.”PT2a
XbgCLAt the voice beside him, Lucian turned his head and saw Ainar stepping forward with an axe resting on his shoulder. Ainar looked at him determinedly and lowered the weapon.KRcn
PoMKMIn response, Lucian also unsheathed his sword and walked toward him.kuLzgJ
HuAl4yWhen they both stopped a certain distance apart, the tribe members quickly moved back, forming an improvised dueling arena.e0Zl
191TI“Anything you want to say before we start?”uH4Y2b
SsC0At Lucian’s words, Ainar blinked in surprise, then gave a bitter smile.UkKDS
qJiP“What could I say now? I still remember what shame and humiliation are.”WGKl
lHkqFrom the mouth of Ainar, who just days ago treated Lucian as an equal, came words of respect.qG06fp
kKAmIIt wasn’t the fake courtesy of his father Ivar, but genuine respect.B3Y
0YxwQqdLucian observed him silently before replying.om7
n3yZr“If it’s so shameful for you, you can refuse. In the end, you’re still obeying your father.”G5AVbB
0C7“Even so, he’s my family. How could I turn my back on them just to save myself? If I can’t save them, then at least I’ll die with them.”3JVU
g7eBEcO“Even after losing the chance to die together? If everyone else dies and you’re the only one left, would you still make the same choice?”kaU3e
zMvTRr3Ainar’s face hardened at those unexpected words.01n4D2
eOMkNAfter a brief silence, Ainar let out a deep sigh and gripped his axe.tui57xV
ldFm“Let’s begin.”JdthCIK
mGp07pA smile formed on Lucian’s lips. He didn’t seem to have any intention of begging for his life — not out of pride, but because he didn’t feel worthy of doing so.70oEKT
ShlFY‘It would be a shame if he died here.’PyoB6NE
IkWTMVHe was far superior to his father as a warrior, and in terms of character, more upright than most knights in the Empire.JgbS4aq
X7dIf Lucian could bring him over to his side, he could serve as an excellent bridge between the tundra tribes and the imperial citizens.P0j
GYkUGHaving decided to spare him, Lucian lowered his sword to the ground.eHgXVsK
4bK1M1S“Come.”m3bUNPG
mVraP8“Raise your weapon.”GELy
XN2UNSg“Sorry, but you’re not the kind of opponent I need to take a stance against. Don’t worry about unnecessary things and just attack first.”00e79
d2xQWThe words, borderline insulting, made Ainar’s face flush red.4Yc
eEz8SgIt was true that, because of his sins, he had no right to hold his head high with pride — but to have his skill as a warrior looked down on was another matter entirely.J8zXe
OkEmMGq“You’ll regret this!”3qetjVj
LknUWhoosh!Xmxud
rqsqP7Ainar released the dragon’s magic from his whole body and charged at Lucian.xQDawnJ
Q3ZfBHis speed and strength were in no way inferior to the Empire’s top knights.HTbwzZ
pzEQxBtHowever, Lucian didn’t even blink and reached out his hand toward the incoming axe.zFDPr
xfHN“What…?!”U5d
357pQ6The reckless act startled Ainar, but it was too late to stop the strike.nArKg7p
7mm0O6TThe axe crashed into Lucian’s outstretched hand at terrifying speed.Wi7
9T2c5Clang!9jOCr1c
13go1“…?!”AieTT
vwFeF1bThe eyes of those watching the duel widened in shock. What kind of metallic clang was that, when a weapon had struck bare flesh?hcwGx
0i5VA moment later, realizing the source of the sound, Ainar turned pale.FPH78e
tLIL7e“This is insane!”iMtKhq2
RR1Lucian was calmly gripping the edge of the axe with his bare hand.xONhwT
yPdtEven though Ainar had poured all his power into that blow, Lucian didn’t show the slightest sign of strain.jZ2UBr
5UCGShaking the blade as if it were a toy, Lucian smiled brazenly.0mWhnKL
Sh5Btq1“Is that all?”CRAOd
szJnn2“…”RnjuF
IDZgI3XCold sweat ran down Ainar’s forehead.he2
nbNhtA9To the untrained eye, it might look like Lucian had caught the axe before it hit him, thanks to monstrous strength.8WmJQ4m
xnbU0XABut Ainar, as the one attacking, knew the truth.AmCPa38
Uiome‘He didn’t catch it before it hit — he simply took the blow with his palm.’peRf
BdXeoSPThe axe blade had clearly struck Lucian’s hand. And yet, it hadn’t left a single scratch.7jEjkoN
y7jKbW“What the hell did you do?”7Mk
W9zKII“You don’t know? It’s a power you already have too.”l1I
dQJNAs soon as he finished speaking, a wavy mist shaped like flames rose from Lucian’s body.GTjQLwg
xLqq1z7Looking closely, Ainar realized Lucian was covering his whole body with a faint layer of magic.so3xOR
OhkThen he finally understood the nature of the power that had blocked his attack.4GmzN
7DvJ3RV“The power of the dragon…”8Wjv4
kKXAt those words, Lucian gave a deep smile, as if confirming the correct answer.pBM7
KnDYwj***mNcv
z0y“The dragon’s magic is the dragon’s power itself.”kFtyR
RD9wThe night before, Marius had answered Lucian’s question with absolute dedication.R36H15
opkzHe chose each word carefully, reformulating them so that even someone ignorant of magic could understand.mFoniM0
rWPPwgPerhaps because he had trained many disciples, his explanations were remarkably clear.c5qZUV
z4Kjcw“Everything a dragon can do uses the magic of its heart. Your Majesty, having obtained the power of that heart, can be considered capable of reproducing virtually all the authority of the ancient dragons.”fHy
FOoXdX“So I can breathe fire from my mouth?”NqNLlW
aImfAt the half-joking question, Lucian was taken aback when he received a completely serious answer.BgvTwyK
xd7ta“Yes. As long as there is firm conviction, an organ capable of substituting for the fire sac, and the ability to control the flow of manifested magic.”tVIk
ytZCould a human body really breathe fire from its mouth?4Or4x2
hpID“Is that possible?”BMSd
35o6ewj“In theory, perfectly possible. The problem is that Your Majesty was born with a human body and is accustomed to human common sense.”gg2H8
D9mE63lDragons are born knowing what they are capable of, and the dragon’s heart is an organ optimized for them.wvxmd3
3W5mPTherefore, to use that power in a human body, there was no choice but to imitate the dragon, from the way of thinking to the way of acting.yLK
gJOAn organ created for dragons would never adapt to a human on its own.FrnOf
jnPi“The simplest example is the heat generated when magic is manifested. Dragons possess organs from birth that store that heat, so they can accumulate it and release it whenever they wish, but…”A39Cx4
700HSO“Humans don’t have that kind of organ. That’s why magic leaks out as soon as we manifest it.”70Ck
qGdcok“Exactly.”nJQL
zMOA“Then breathing fire or flying through the sky will be difficult. The former is too dangerous to substitute with another organ, and the latter would require wings, at the very least.”LCRiJ
I2p10kDragons lifted their massive bodies into the sky with only two membranous wings and flew freely.1wPO
Or4WtThat mobility came from the power of the heart, but in other words, even dragons needed wings to fly.DiEsv
QpDSIf a human, who was not born with dragon organs, tried to forcefully substitute them, their body would suffer severe damage.bQsVZ
e9TDXG“Moreover, breathing fire or flying cannot be considered natural. They are things we have never experienced since birth.”uoSQCLg
Aox“That’s right. But moving quickly or striking powerfully with arms and legs are common experiences for humans.”CUSK
cNfrCmT“I see. So the physical strengthening that occurs when absorbing the dragon’s magic happens for that reason.”QGCt
AHObFor purely physical reinforcement, it wasn’t even necessary to imitate the dragon; the conditions were already fulfilled automatically.aoy
okZWith a clearer idea, Lucian fell into deep thought. In what way could he imitate the dragon naturally and appropriate its power?sDRPQPB
p9ngHd1Claws could be substituted with a sword. Fangs were out of the question.HDHz0k
6EigqPoison, like wings, required organs that didn’t exist. Among the remaining abilities, only one could be used practically.1Ah4dEK
7bOX“Could a human body imitate a dragon’s scales?”6QubY
BQFAt Lucian’s question, Marius replied without hesitation.TXb
EBoFx1“It’s possible.”v6oEu
h2ygx7***rrG3v8W
sXCRecreating the dragon’s scales turned out to be surprisingly simple.V21rNV
d5FAll it required was adding to physical reinforcement something any knight could do—a layer of magic enveloping the body.pfyXau
AvF5RiThe increase in durability by itself was minimal, but what mattered was that, even slightly, the body became tougher.T6rv
LqBLG‘What matters is that durability increases. If there’s even a small effect, the dragon’s power can amplify it explosively.’lH4hO
yh22LuYAs a result, Lucian’s body, covered in magic, became so resilient that calling it dragon scales would not be an exaggeration.7mEX0KN
KPEVPNNot even Felicia’s sword could wound him, much less Ainar’s, whose skill was far below hers.MydpG2
IEa8b2Lucian looked at Ainar, who still couldn’t come out of his shock, and said calmly,o2aelW
xBZHXAd“Is that all?”ErgO
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