Chapter 257: The Last Piece (1)
8QfivA road in the north, still covered in snow, which was just beginning to melt.s7u
k86There was a carriage traveling along the road, where they say spring is the last to arrive on the continent.Praj
j0xidMt“Giddy up! Giddy up!”GEO
J5bLKnights in gleaming armor escorted a dark brown carriage.St1E2I
sVNYAt first glance, the group seemed extraordinary, but they were now rushing along the frozen northern road as if something was chasing them.rY7Qwje
ntXJ99“Sir Gregory! We must hurry!”wM8G
zNQ2GlThe breath of the exhausted horses grew thicker, and the sweat of the men, frozen by the cold wind, was already sticking to their beards.TFK
GXdHHowever, there was a reason why they couldn’t stop, despite their exhausting march.ItxfB
Mg3“They’ve just spotted the shadow of a dragon over Soara!”z2E07
FMcSnThat’s because the being following them now was a dragon, one only spoken of in legends.Bz35t
OlgTrIt was neither an ordinary enemy nor a cunning trap, but the pursuit of a dragon, which made this convoy, sent from Sturma under Peter’s command, unable to stop.SQO
AFhyxFt“Shit! It’s too fast!”CI5AKz
KELkGregory, the knight in charge of the convoy, pressed his lips together at the sound of Ragmus’s voice coming from inside the carriage.Knd3W
sUAVXUtThe shadow of the ancient dragon, spotted over the skies of Soara.FaOsFR2
K8vLaIt was likely after the dragon piece they were transporting.ELrC
pFA“I knew from the beginning this wouldn’t work!”W2x
J0znTnToday marked the 14th day since they began transporting the dragon piece from Sturma.HEpx60
MQIQGregory had never run this far in his life, but the dragon chasing them had already crossed the northern part of the country and had arrived at the white, pure snowfield.bndJcw
XBBG5“Maxim! How much farther to Deirmar?”qxeBK
9TqUD8“We still have at least 12 hours to go, sir.”n7D
bR15K6“Damn it!”X4IfCN
PcnUNot much was left, but the distance seemed impossible to cover.CiZmCys
JqPRealizing that the mission would be impossible to accomplish, even without calculating, Gregory looked at Ragmus, who was running alongside him.I6Wb
1Ruwf0“Do it.”QRl
B82ir44Just as the rising sun cannot be stopped, a flying dragon is also something that humans cannot stop.QJm2Z
7suThe dragon was like a calamity, but that didn’t mean he could simply sit back and watch the impending destruction.nB3PSj
ivArJE“…We’ll proceed with the second plan.”xqpxlC
OcKZlWtSeeing Ragmus nod as if he was ready, Gregory’s finger, pointing at the knights, became busy.cRoLOby
whe“Maxim! Cade!”bfhTXl
Q4zisGregory’s fingers selected the fastest knights, not the strongest.GQ7
Y52JtiqAs he pointed, the knights galloped closer, their horses running at full speed.rouqXr2
4MNNF“And…”cshNSO
iN0y1Knight Cade, son of a hunter, and Knight Maxim, an expert horseman, were natural choices.C4Y9a
4CKolHowever, unlike before, Gregory’s last finger hesitated slightly.ZWU
WwZO“…Will you help us?”6emar6J
sUokCOBecause where Gregory’s finger now pointed stood a barbarian warrior with colorful cloths tied around his head.hwkc
xZtJSAgge, a warrior of the Budart tribe, who called themselves the Children of the Plains.aVp
37xFHgIn the past, their relationship was one of plundering and pillaging, but among the men present now, none were likely as fast as Agge.DrCzjC7
7PbW“You finally acknowledge me, imperial knight.”uewQ42
z8mqIt was a somewhat nervous question, but Agge’s face remained calm as he answered.A6KLQ7U
WZLX“Don’t worry. I’ve been planning to repay the debt for losing the inner wall.”IYI
Uudg1The Budart tribe, which had lost their home to the Dragon Slayer Knights and Lindworm.tLiX
X8v6r5However, thanks to the wall provided by the young man with dark eyes, they managed to escape the deadly cold.6yjWEPG
o2Sa“In essence, the price of life can only be paid with life.”iFU3
NrUCOtVThe northerners and the barbarians had been divided by the line drawn by the ancient dragon.j4g
WgfQmywHowever, the dragon fragment that Gregory was transporting clearly passed through that divide.Yt9x
3eK***srNE4WA
EunVlad and the knights were heading towards Soara along the northern road that was gradually thawing.6xRiDw2
Oh2lDressed in varied attire and carrying different banners, they rode hard toward the northern city.h22ZN
vcoH2T“I see it! I see it!”iz6MFZ
n6ib9i7“What is it?!”0hBmZy
Kvo8tPPAt that moment, Nibelun’s urgent voice echoed among those riding without pause.xlCIu
r2Ewrw2“A golden dragon!”6AW
9iT84BMNibelun’s vision, cupping his rounded palms over his eyes, looked rather comical.O0KlL
hZdHowever, no one could easily mock the mystery of Nibelun when they saw the eyes drawn on his palms moving wildly.WVo
8tARnu“Over there… Soara. No, the concentration is too strong.”3QJFJ
OXeWNibelun quickly raised a few fingers as if it wasn’t the case, and began to recite the scene before him in detail as though he could see it this time.AB18T
v0Eck“It looks like it’s already passed Soara! It’s flying toward us on the road!”UXeO
t4HThough he didn’t shout loudly, everyone heard his voice.DFu0x
B96iXGThe ancient dragon, flying in the opposite direction, was approaching rapidly, causing several knights to swallow nervously in anticipation of the imminent encounter.LL7kB
aJOtzDI“Is that so?”zggTk
OkT2hHowever, unlike the other knights, Vlad, who was riding ahead, seemed a little relieved.btiJd
NO63o“I guess we’re not too late.”qwECQhW
hzEHaving to be where one needs to be also means arriving at the right moment.INyjv
57uBThe fact that the dragon was descending from the sky to the ground meant that it hadn’t found what it was looking for.CzZZJ
qvHD“Eh?! Oh!”f1Z
nVYHowever, the urgency in Nibelun’s voice now told Vlad that there wasn’t much time left.sWYuSp
1FDp4Z“It’s descending! It’s descending!”YvUzX
Ygv“To where?”HNxTYBH
lDqpPBIt was a sight only he could see, but Nibelun was gasping nervously, raising his voice as if he’d forgotten even that.H4oD
GHkAcbO“…To the carriage!”dcy
w19Through his cupped hands, Nibelun could see the terrifying vision of an enormous dragon descending from the sky, rapidly approaching the dark brown carriage.aJP
fNmh“The carriage has been destroyed!”WtCL
ofAvIogThe knights of Bayezid, who tried to fend off the dragon with their auras, were useless against its hard golden scales.33Ls
W4quxPe“Hurry, everyone! We’re out of time!”V7tLfJ
6bYHPThe fragments of the carriage flew noisily from the dragon’s claws.hwpk
pNgNibelun felt as if his screams could be heard even in the terrible scene he witnessed through his mysterious sight.ssVUTJ
w2ykyjo***pwJLj
h5Rp0m“Ughhhh…”yGc
6xusRed blood was splattered across the snow that had yet to melt.RLDvJ
GECXXThe mangled bodies of horses and the scattered corpses of knights painted a horrifying scene.mff
GN0FUnder Bayezid’s tattered banner, Knight Gregory lay unconscious, as if dead.Wtg1sX
qnUL“You ran quite far.”hCT
js1KGjm“…Isn’t it the duty of a mage to find a way, anytime and anywhere?”uaCXQ
fyRfEwThe roof was shattered, and the mage Ragmus laughed weakly from within the remains of the carriage, which now only retained its shape.HjlvX
M7H“Don’t you realize it’s a futile effort? The more you struggle, the more you’ll suffer.”ny4f
h46p1KcHowever, the Dragonblood Duke, Sarnus, merely scowled as if displeased by his laughter.cQiaJ
9Bfwsy“You should’ve been content with crawling on the ground, as you were born to.”XyFjS1
Wf5QInsignificant humans who, despite being crawling creatures, had caused so much trouble for the northern knights.dBT2
viKhEven after crushing them, Sarnus’s blue eyes were still filled with insatiable anger, as if he wasn’t yet satisfied.uQd4n
GXnq2“Where’s the piece?”mk5g
BCbxVMa“Cough Cough Ughhh…”jGf
T6zK7RVWith a rough yank, Sarnus lifted Ragmus by the collar of his robe and uncovered a black box.aTBmIHU
Yx7MIt was a black box that the old man, covered in blood, refused to relinquish until the end.RMT
ynkka5“Hmm?”pxctfsV
UdUk3wBHowever, in the box Sarnus examined, the silver chains that should have been wrapped around it were missing.FJQfP
fDgkk“…No matter how lowly a creature may be, there’s always room to escape.”976
LEbKxpWhere the chains should’ve been, there were only symbols drawn in blood.w5JqUDa
RxzoYLooking at Ragmus’s wrist, stained red, Sarnus, the Dragonblood Duke, felt he could tell where the blood came from.AX2
0yg7IO“It seems age has finally caught up with you. Can’t you even recognize a dragon’s tracks hidden by an old man?”iNpWEB
pSFGx3ERagmus, who had hidden the dragon’s tracks with his magic, smiled.2zS
jur0sFFHis aged face, full of wrinkles, showed the final smile of his life.qQBs0Q
rfY“Damn barbarians…”vyorKc
XuqoCrack!uk0i
p8w8With a chilling sound, Ragmus’s body, his neck broken, collapsed lifelessly.DQjqkwA
Vaa“Still interfering to the end?”IfyQQNU
FBGDBWBAt the same time, Sarnus’s blue eyes turned toward a pure white forest.gztNv2
QLGrYpNow, without the magic blocking his sight, he could clearly sense the presence of the piece hidden in the snowy woods.wIbdbI
ScYOMq***JD9J3RM
PnZ4Graaahhh!xvG
6ZYAThe roar of an enraged dragon echoed in the distance, and snowflakes gently fell from the branches of the trees.sUFZ
fHIeEven the forest seemed terrified by the fury of the ancient dragon, and that fury was directed at three knights.BalIOpE
YI79“Get up on the road!”S4hOuE
yjI7A hunter’s path somewhere between the road and the forest.EqJt
DZ7jThe trio—Maxim, Cade, and Agge—who were running along a hunter’s trail between the road and the forest, realized they could no longer hide.mcO
XlJiIn a hurry, they began to climb up to the wider road.ZgS9
nYi2Hd1“Have all the others fallen?”2teu
YBtGVK“I don’t know either!”n8KhPth
8bHuCade shook his head, saying he didn’t know, but in his arms was a piece glowing crimson.OYs
9zwUThe piece, wrapped in paper imbued with blood-red magic, had been handed to them by the mage Ragmus, who had cast his final spell over it.TMzKivx
WL3G9z“Either way, it’s just the three of us left now!”4KZfxNS
YtCDACjThe piece, a manifestation of the most perfect possibility, continued whispering temptations even now.m65FK
8iP2However, to Cade, who was not a dragon, it was merely an annoying, sparkling jewel.EaUhGy
pT74Still, the whispers of the piece kept calling out to the ancient dragon in the sky.opjx
3dlj“…I see it!”ic2
CPhI7SBFinally, a green field became visible ahead of the knights on horseback.9A39iz
zeIgXUnlike the northern road, which had yet to thaw, it was a field full of spring, just beginning to bloom.4zNM
22Cr“It’s coming!”EWr0aw
7cJGraaaahhh!vtHlOMU
cvXBut before they could reach the spring, the shadow of a colossal dragon loomed over them.kAN
gumThe shadow of a beast that sought to put all the world’s possibilities beneath its feet.fbYc
3uSi1Yet, even beneath that enormous presence, Agge managed to spot a small flag waving ahead.bRH
8wvuYJu“…I found it.”RDSg
QejUdlA flag that seemed vaguely like a mirage.hY874
c7MzciHowever, the flag was clearly moving toward them.sKKNSN
5Yx“Give me the piece.”mBCCu
WrKN“What?”Ng3
WUqf0“Give me the piece.”Ga3j
zU0The cool breath of the dragon could already be felt behind them.rJQ
9Y21uYet, despite the overwhelming force, Agge calmly placed the glowing red piece into his sling without hesitation.LYVB17T
2Ca0“I’ll tell you this for sure.”CqN7
RPMAfter winter, spring has finally come.B8uwo
TW6kS7ABut as he calculated the distance that still seemed unreachable, Agge began to spin the sling.vyWScqh
LVeRoaaaarr!Itcqk3T
F6YSThe shadow closing in on him grew darker, but it was probably not as dark as the black horse in front of him.kmOF
LWHHkThe descendant of the unicorn he had longed to possess.z5gWa
dMdRjYet, Agge smiled as he looked at the blonde knight ahead of him, appearing far better suited for the task.BBD5cAQ
PV9m“…Yes. I heard he likes the color red.”UMWYo
GqmRoaaaarr!9AruNs
6YbIqThe ground on which the son of the plains trod was already filled with bright green shoots.VvkrwiB
YxOMivKA red light fired by Agge in the direction where the shoots had started to grow.KE2ls2
crkJZThe light flew beyond the dragon’s claws toward the gleaming red reins of Noir, visible in the distance.AC9
5eOfy1o***AW1SJ
YlblBooomm-!9jJQdt
ZAn“No!”sNFY6w8
KxJSTAlong with the loud crash from the dragon, a massive cloud of dust began to rise over the northern road.w9ZwTFy
sSgj1AThe dust cloud, mixed with many snowflakes, came with a cool breeze that ruffled Vlad’s hair.ZALOc
nW2V“Damn it!”hkOnZS
veXIn dust so thick that it was truly hard to see even an inch ahead.gHY8CQ
RsF631But what pained Vlad more was the last vision of the knights running toward him.rUEg
pGAc[Vlad! Look out!]hTQ0
urEacBut the piece they had sent was undoubtedly aimed at Vlad.Emsi
VsxvMw6Thump-!hhF8
YCXaf“…Look out?”JiKkr
apuoVThe beating of his heart pointed in one direction.GNHG
cp1Lifting his head in that direction, Vlad could make out a familiar red light amidst the thick dust.z5KNu
JKkT4“Noir!”y0k7r8l
2SpQ-Stop!6Dlan5H
68zVAmid the dragon’s roar and the commotion, a red light hovered.x6ZcdJu
9LcDThe dragon and the black horse began to race across the green field toward the sculpture floating at the boundary between winter and spring.gZZP3Fm
UcfjGraaaahhh-!B0eS
deTipFThe majesty of the golden dragon before them was truly awe-inspiring, but Noir’s eyes, as he ran, were filled only with the bright red fragment.Y1gxE6
X3QHiiiiiing-!eoB
Ucm2As the horse raced toward the dragon fragment, a white horn began to form on its head.JloIA
s6xPOThat horn belonged to the unicorn, a creature that could only be born in the green meadow.zrpVPE
JeeV8[Go faster!]stm8
1bbA red light lingered for a moment between the dragon’s claws and the boy’s hand, which barely passed by.kb9IY
52E1JIt was the last fragment of the dragon, lost among the scales of the same color and the golden hair, unsure where it belonged.ye2
wKuQwxl“…I’ve got it!”0iAF
KZLmrThe fragment of the dragon, shot by the knights who had endured the winter.ofTX
EhDAnd the one who caught that fragment was the hand of the boy, reaching out at the end of spring.XzGW
6uqTDjTVlad’s hand, arriving just in time, managed to grasp the last fragment of the dragon.xLXrZa
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