Chapter 186: Decisive Battle (6)

The beginnings of the Calderic Monarchy dated back hundreds of years.

And it was deeply intertwined with the history of a species called dragons.

Located in the northwest of the continent where Calderic resides, that place was originally a land covered by an enigmatic barrier, rendering it inaccessible.

Some feared that ancient demons were sealed within that land, while others revered it as a sacred sanctuary where gods existed. Some even believed it to be the realm of the afterlife.

Thun. That was the name by which the mysterious land was known before Calderic’s birth.

Nothing people thought about Thun was true.

In reality, dragons lived there.

Forgotten history from thousands of years ago, a distant ancient era when sentient beings had yet to properly comprehend or harness magic.

In an age predating the existence of even demons, dragons were considered the absolute beings.

From birth, they could instinctively manipulate mana, and the mere act of breathing blessed their bodies with mana accumulation.

Dragons lived freely, empowered by their absolute strength.

However, their freedom came without consideration for other species.

They would exterminate other races at a whim, bring tribes and nations to ruin, and plunge the continent into chaos.

As this era continued, the number of dragons who believed that things could not go on like this grew.

Recognizing the misconduct of their kin, they saw the need for limitations.

Fortunately, among them, there was a dragon powerful enough to enforce these intentions.

This dragon, along with their comrades, subdued all other dragons through might and became the Dragon Lord.

The Dragon Lord established their dominion in the northwest of the continent and erected a colossal barrier.

They compelled all dragons to live only there.

As ages passed, the existence of dragons gradually faded from the world, and all that remained were legends in the lush land.

The dragons spent most of their time within the realm and only occasionally, with the Lord’s permission, could a dragon venture outside to enjoy brief leisure activities.

Of course, any activity causing even the slightest disruption in the world during their leisure was strictly prohibited.

And so, as time passed, a dragon was born.

The dragon’s name was Gark.

Born with qualities surpassing even that of the Lord, Gark was the majestic being that concluded the millennia-long history of the realm.

Gark wasn’t content with the prospect of spending a lifetime confined within the realm’s boundaries.

Thus, eventually, he slew all his kin and shattered the realm’s barriers, emerging into the world.

After experiencing numerous leisure activities, Gark harbored a desire to establish and rule a great nation.

And so he did.

He proclaimed his existence to the world and laid the foundation for his dominion in the realm’s lands.

Though it began with a mere gathering of some primitive tribes from neighboring regions, the word of a powerful leader who treated all races equally drew countless followers.

Amidst the overwhelming might of Gark, the dragon, no force dared to obstruct him.

And thus, Gark forged a massive united nation.

The most exceptional individuals were appointed as nine Lords, while he assumed the title of the Overlord.

This marked the beginning of the Calderic era.

Dragons have genders, but in practical terms, they held little biological significance; whether male or female, they could propagate offspring without the need for a partner.

They also had an infinite lifespan, so they would not die of old age, but once a dragon had sired an offspring, their lifespan would no longer be infinite.

Around a century after Calderic’s establishment.

Although Gark initially had no intention of creating a descendant, he inexplicably did so.

Once his descendant matured, he relinquished the position of Overlord, surrendering his own life to embrace death.

Rashtain, descendant of Gark.

Second Overlord of Calderic.

Rashtain was a dragon born with exceptional qualities, as formidable as Gark, who had been strong enough to kill all of his kind alone.

Just like her father had done, she ruled over Calderic as the Overlord.

Time passed. It kept passing. Hundreds of years went by.

Rashtain seemed to finally understand.

Why Gark had forsaken immortality and chose death.

“It’s boring.”

Everything was just tiresome and dull.

Rashtain was too strong.

If hundreds, thousands of years passed like this, she would become much stronger than she was now.

Dragons were such creatures. They grew stronger just by breathing, and if they set their minds to it, they would become much stronger even faster.

She was a being who inherited the blood of the strongest dragon among such dragons.

Of course, Rashtain knew that there were beings in the world who were strong enough.

The sage of Santea was a mage who transcended the limits of humans and was no less than her in comparison.

And there must be demons in Altelore who could rival her.

But Rashtain didn’t feel much excitement about that.

After a long time, they would die of old age, and even if they didn’t, she would eventually grow stronger.

That was a predetermined future.

Then, what meaning was there in whatever she did?

Should she set a goal to dominate not only Calderic but the entire world?

Trivial. It wouldn’t be much different from ruling over a slightly larger Calderic.

Would she end up like Gark, buried in freedom and boredom?

As more time passed, a great war erupted alongside the demons’ invasion.

With the death of the Sage, one of the most brilliant mages in the history of mankind, Santea was on the brink of total destruction.

Rashtain observed the appearance of the Demon King from afar, not involving herself in the war.

She wondered what kind of demon could be so powerful that he could bring all demons to his feet and unite the chaotic Altelore.

And upon seeing the Demon King, Rashtain immediately realized that this entity stood a dimension higher than herself.

Quite impressive.

For the first time, Rashtain encountered an opponent she believed she couldn’t surpass, no matter how much time passed.

With such a monster, Santea would surely be doomed, and even Calderic might face the same fate.

Rashtain found some comfort in the fact that she could face her end in battle against such a formidable foe, rather than surrendering to fate.

And then, a hero emerged into the world.

Initially, when news of the hero reached her, Rashtain, preoccupied with the Demon King, didn’t pay much attention.

But soon, news arrived that the hero had defeated all the demons and advanced to the Demon King’s castle.

Rashtain’s interest was piqued.

Thus, she decided to take a closer look at this human.

“Ah…”

The moment she witnessed the hero fighting the Demon King alone.

Rashtain felt an emotion she had never experienced before in her life.

An overwhelming excitement that she hadn’t even felt when she first saw the Demon King.

The source of this excitement wasn’t exactly the hero, but rather the Holy Sword she possessed.

Because she felt it instinctively.

The power contained within that sword was not of this world.

The hero finally sealed the Demon King and ended the war.

Rashtain wanted to find out the true identity of the Holy Sword.

In the process, she met the hero several times, but the only answer she received from her about the Holy Sword’s identity was that even she didn’t know.

Were there really beings beyond her own perception in this world?

Rashtain became curious about that.

Very much so.

If the power of the Holy Sword was truly the power of a divine being, she wanted to see that god’s form with her own eyes.

A very clear and intense desire arose in her life, which had been full of emptiness.

***

“Welcome, Seventh Lord. Why have you come here?”

The Overlord asked me. I answered while keeping my guard up.

“…Isn’t that a question that I should be asking?”

“Ahaha, you’re right.”

The Overlord, who had suddenly disappeared, was now on the battlefield of Santea.

I couldn’t understand the situation at all.

“What do you want to do, Overlord? Your sudden disappearance nearly led to Calderic’s annihilation.”

“Oh, I know.”

“What?”

“That’s why I’m surprised. Almost annihilated means you finally defeated him. Did I underestimate the Lords’ power too much? Even with the Chronogear, I didn’t think you’d be able to defeat Azekel.”

The Overlord shamelessly laughed.

“Anyway, I’m sorry. It seemed like I wouldn’t have been able to find the right timing to personally deal with that annoying guy.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Look, Seventh Lord.”

The Overlord pointed towards the distant battlefield where Kaen was fighting the Demon King.

“Aren’t you trembling? The hero was giving it her all in the battle.”

“Hey…”

“You know, I’ve always wondered. What is the true identity of the hero’s Holy Sword? Why did such a transcendent being bestow its power upon a mere human?”

“…”

“So, this is a moment I’ve been anticipating for a very long time. I just hope to find that answer here today.”

She had never been a sane woman to begin with, but the aura the Overlord was giving off right now was that of a complete madman.

I couldn’t quite grasp what she wanted to convey.

I thought further conversation was meaningless and asked, “So, what’s the conclusion then? Are you just going to keep watching here without aiding the hero?”

“That’s right.”

“Well then, I’ll go. I don’t intend to just stand here and watch.”

I was about to sneak past when I sensed an unusual current.

The Overlord flew in front of me, blocking my path. As she shook her head.

“No, Seventh Lord. No one can interfere in there.”

“…Cut the nonsense, Overlord. What do you want to do?”

“I just said, didn’t I? I simply want to confirm the true form of the Holy Sword. If the hero ends up cornered like this, won’t something else change within the Holy Sword?”

As if I wasn’t already confused enough, the Overlord’s words confused me even more.

“Should the hero be defeated, the world will face destruction! Are you trying to stop me now out of mere curiosity?!”

The Overlord chuckled.

“Whether the world faces destruction or not is not my concern. You cannot go to aid the hero, Seventh Lord.”

Asher swung her sword. The gleaming blade struck the Overlord’s protective barrier.

In that moment, I attempted to pass the Overlord, but was sent flying by a sudden gust of wind.

“Ugh…”

I unfurled my floating veil to stop us from flying in the air.

However, at the same time, the Overlord’s barrier enveloped the surroundings.

We found ourselves completely trapped within the barrier’s confines.

“Stay right there. If you attempt any foolishness, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”

Gritting my teeth, I glared at the barrier.

Damn it, I can’t stay trapped like this…

Swoosh!

Just then, an attack launched from behind shattered the Overlord’s barrier.

Quickly escaping the barrier, I looked at the group flying towards us.

The one who had broken the barrier with their attack was the Wiseman. Not only him, but also the Mad King and Thunder Lord were with him.

Why were they here?

“Overlord, why are you here? Why are you obstructing the Seventh Lord?”

Approaching us, the Wiseman held Mastion in one hand and coldly stared down at the Overlord.

The Overlord’s expression cooled slightly as she looked towards us.

“This is an order, Lords. Go back as instructed. I’ll return once the situation is resolved.”

“What? An order? You abandoned us to face Azekel alone and now you’re giving orders?”

The Mad King grumbled in dissatisfaction.

Thunder Lord asked, also struggling to comprehend the situation.

“Overlord, an explanation is needed. What are you doing here?”

The Lord sighed deeply.

“I won’t say it twice. Everyone, leave.”

In the frozen atmosphere, a moment of silence passed.

Facing the direction where the hero and the Demon King were fighting, the Wiseman looked at me and asked.

“Seventh Lord, you said you would help the hero defeat the demon king for sure. Can I believe those words?”

I immediately answered.

“Yes.”

The Wiseman nodded his head. Black currents flowed from the Mastion held in his hand.

The Overlord looked at it and licked her lips.

“You haven’t used more than half of it, First Lord? Are you saying you would die fighting against me?”

“If necessary, I might have to. Rashtain, you are not worthy of being the Overlord.”

Kwaaah!

The power of the Mastion and the Overlord’s magic clashed.

As the Overlord was momentarily held back, I rushed toward the battlefield at full speed.

Flying through the sky, Asher cut down all the demons blocking the path with her sword.

Soon, the battle between the hero and the Demon King came into clear view.

The closer I got, the stronger the pressure became, enough to make my flesh tremble.

It was the aura of the Demon King.

Kaen was alone in the middle of the battlefield, fighting against the Demon King.

Just as I was urgently trying to get closer to Kaen, a demon soared into the sky and blocked our way.

【Level 94】

A demon with four arms and wings attached to its back.

This was an unknown archdemon.

Asher leaped straight from Ti-Yong’s back towards the demon and shouted.

“Go!”

Asher swung her sword and descended to the ground along with the archdemon.

I kept moving forward without looking back.

Toward where Kaen and the Demon King.

When I finally reached my destination, the sight that greeted me was Kaen with a divine shield, bravely blocking the attacks of the Demon King.

“…Kaen!”

I immediately jumped off Ti-Yong’s back.