Chapter 68 - Dragon Weapon Producers (2)
Chapter 68 - Dragon Weapon Producers (2)
Azell asked a question.
“I'm having a hard time remembering the content of the book I read... Do you perhaps know what happened to Rogan?”
“He passed away. It happened before I was born.”
“…….”
Even for the Dragon Demon race, 220 years was a long time. They lived much longer than a human, but their lifespan was between 300 to 500 years.
“I see…….”
Azell put on a bitter smile at the answer. His foolish anticipation had made his heart pound, and he found it to be ridiculous.
At that moment, Havanz spoke.
“You are late, Duke. We were worried about you.”
“I ran into an accident in the middle of the trip.”
“It would have been great if you could have sent word ahead.”
“I wasn’t in the right frame of mind. Moreover, I'm late, because my friend here is weaker than I had anticipated.”
“You are using a guest as an excuse. That is beyond lame. It is very rare for you to bring a guest. I am the one in charge of managing the household of Duke Tarantos. I am the butler, Havanz. I welcome you the the Tarantos castle.”
“My name is Azell Zestringer. I'm a knight. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Azell's voice shook slightly. Havanz's voice also reminded him of Rogan.
Havanz spoke.
“You possess the same name as the legendary hero. It seems your parents were very well versed in history. They named you as a Zestringer.”
“Do you know about that name?”
“I know it quite well. My grandfather had fought alongside the hero Azell Karzark.”
Havanz put on a smile. Azell looked at Havanz with a complicated expression when Kairen spoke.
“Let's head in first. Please ready a room for our friend, Havanz. Please show him that the Dukedom of Tarantos isn't lacking compared to the capital.”
“If I infer from your words, it seems he was a guest of the throne. Understood. Also, we've stocked your office. We readied it for your return.”
“Mmm. Did you put a lot of effort into it?”
“You can probably look forward to it.”
“I don't know why my steward is so insolent.”
“It is thanks to the Duke relaxing the family customs. Now, now. Many people are waiting for the Duke.”
“Those are unwelcoming news.”
Azell couldn't suppress his laughter when he caught sight of Kairen's expression. He looked like a child, who didn't want to do his homework.
However, his expression changed at Havanz's next words.
“Count Michael is here.”
“That old fart is already here?”
“You are of the same age as him. He'll feel very disappointed if you spoke that way.”
“I'm still young, so it's ok.”
Kairen snorted.
3
Azell was able to meet Kairen once again at dinner time. A servant appeared to deliver the dinner invitation, and Azell followed the servant to the dining room.
Kairen wasn't waiting alone in the dining room. After waking up in this era, this magician was the oldest Dragon Majin he had encountered.
Kairen spoke.
“Sit. Today's dinner is something the chef wanted to boast for a fortnight, so you can look forward to it.”
“I look forward to it.”
“This is Count Beorein Michael. He is a foul-tempered old man. He also likes to be called Rulain Kingdom's Eastern Guardian. However, you don't have to remember the latter part, since it is all empty reputation. It'll become tiresome if you humor him.”
“I admit my temper isn't that great, but there is no way my temper is bad as yours, Kairen.”
Beorein let out a snort. He looked at Azell as he spoke.
“Young friend. This is the first time I've met you, but I can already tell we will get along very well.”
“My name is Azell Zestringer. I am a knight. It is an honor for a high ranked magician to speak to me like this. If you don't mind me asking, what basis do you have that we will get along?”
“I heard you gave the inner old geezer a good fight? I'm glad you punched that old geezer, who is always on his high horse. That's the only reason I need to like you.”
“The inner old geezer is…….”
Azell was able to suppress his laughter through great effort when he heard the expression. Kairen countered with his words.
“Isn't it better than looking old on the outside? If you aged gracefully, you won't hear such words from me.”
“This is why I like this friend, who got one over you. I’m like this, because you speak like that. Also, the fact that he gave a bitter taste to Niberis of the Dragon Demon race is a bonus in his favor.”
“You know her?”
“I'm also part of the Guardian Shadow. Do I need to explain more?”
Beorein Michael was a powerful magician, and he was a person of interest to those in the Field of Darkness. He was known as the best magician in the Rulain Kingdom, and he had the title of Archmage.
Beorein spoke.
“I chased after them before they exited our country. Unfortunately, I lost them. I was able to kill two underlings... Their runaway skill were exquisite.”
“Maybe your skills were lacking?”
Kairen spoke in a sarcastic manner. Beorein furrowed his eyebrows.
“Why do you always have to talk like that? Also, didn’t you fail to catch them, when you had them in your sight?”
“My aim was to save Arrieta. My goal wasn't to catch them.”
“Well, the excuse is no surprise, coming from you.”
Beorein clicked his tongue.
Kairen spoke.
“This conversation is making me lose my appetite. Let's talk after the dinner. How's our hospitality?”
“It is on par with what I experienced at the royal palace.”
Azell's compliment was the truth. The Tarantos castle had treated him incredibly well. The guest room that was given to him was nice, and the servants were incredibly meticulous in their work.
Kairen was satisfied with the answer.
“You'll soon find out about our chef's skill.”
His words were true. The Tarantos Castle's chef brought out his secret new item for the main course. Azell felt very happy as he ate his meal.
4
After the dinner, the three of them retired to Kairen's office.
Beorein asked a question.
“Are you really going to make a Dragon Weapon for that young friend?”
“I meant what I said.”
“Well, the ingredients are all prepared, so we can do it... This is the first time I've seen you show favoritism to someone.”
“It isn't as if I want to show favoritism to him. He isn't one of my people, but I lost a bet with him. I have no choice.”
“You are making him a Dragon Weapon just from losing some sparring matches. If this fact was spread, swordsmen from all over the country would come here to find you with their torches lit.”
Beorein was talking about the Dragon Sword Kairen used when he spoke about the Dragon Weapon.
He was one of figures, who had come up with the method of producing the Dragon Sword with Kairen. Moreover, he also had a Dragon Weapon of his own.
Azell had asked for a favor that was equivalent to all the matches he had won against Kairen.
Azell wanted Kairen to make him a Dragon Sword.
This was related to the request he had given to Arrieta. Azell had asked Arrieta to gather all the ingredients need to make a Dragon Weapon from the Dragon's corpse located at the Balan forest. Arrieta gladly granted his request, and the ingredients listed by Kairen had arrived at the Tarantos Castle.
Kairen spoke.
“However, I think it is worth investing in him. I want to verify if what he says is true.”
“Are you talking about the Dragon Slayer's Ritual?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm…….”
“Well, if you don't like this idea, you can always test it out yourself. A Dragon Majin can also be the beneficiary of the Ritual. If it is you, you'll be able to come out victorious against a one-on-one battle with a Dragon. It isn't as if it is impossible. If you are successful, you'll earn the power of a Dragon. Isn't that a gamble worth doing?”
“I'll decline. I can't believe you are suggesting me to do such a crazy thing. It seems you are itching to push me into my grave.”
Beorein was called the strongest magician of this kingdom, yet he wouldn't fight one-on-one against a dragon based on an unreliable information. He grumbled.
“I like this guy, but why does he want to do such a crazy thing? Of course, a Spirit Order practitioner probably has a better chance of winning than a magician. This is assuming the magician and the Spirit Order practitioner are of similar quality.”
Dragons were a very bad opponent for a magician. A Dragon's magic was something that couldn't even be compared to what the Dragon Demon race used. A Dragon had a direct control over nature. This was why their resistance to magic was incredibly high. Even a magician like Beorein wouldn’t be able to use elemental magics like flame, cold air or thunder. It wasn't effective at all against a Dragon. Moreover……
Azell spoke.
“Dragons can steal spells, and it can be used against a magician.”
“Hmmm. You are very knowledgeable about Dragons.”
Beorein was surprised.
Dragons showed an extraordinary amount of intelligence when they faced humans. The Dragons understood the language of humans. They even comprehended the techniques used against them, and they adapted to it.
The problem was the huge disadvantage a magician possessed when fighting a Dragon. When the magician used an element controlled by the Dragon, the Dragon could mimic the magician’s magic. The Dragon would send back the mage’s spell. This was why there was a prevalent theory amongst the magicians that Dragons had the ability to read a human's visual cue.
Azell spoke.
“It isn't too different for a Spirit Order practitioner when facing a Dragon. If one uses a technique that can be mimicked by a Dragon, Spirit Order practitioners can suffer the same fate as Magicians. This is why one has to make preparations from the beginning.”
“Preparations? What kind?”
“If we consider the theory spoken by the Duke to be true, one would have to guard one's visual cue from being read.”
When Azell fought the Earth Dragon, he had a set of rules he followed strictly. Even during the Dragon Demon war, the ecology of the Dragon had a lot of holes. However, the hypothesis of a Dragon reading a human's visual cue existed back then too.
However, Carlos had confirmed this theory. This was why when he went through the Dragon Slayer's ritual, he used several techniques that allowed him a measure of defense against the Dragon.
Beorein asked a question.
“Then one will will be able to win against a Dragon if one uses such methods?”
“It isn't a guarantee. However, it is the minimum criteria one has to follow to win.”
“Mmm. I asked the wrong question. I’m talking about you... If you gain a Dragon Weapon, will you be able to win against a Dragon?”
“I can't win against a Dragon.”
Azell gave a firm answer. Beorein was taken aback, and he looked towards Kairen.
“Isn't this incongruous with what you told me earlier?”
“He isn't done talking. Why don't you just listen to what he has to say until the end? This is the problem with old farts like him. He’s impatient.”
Kairen made fun of Beorein, and Beorein’s face crumpled.
Azell let out a bitter laugh as he asked a question.
“Have you heard from the Duke about our travels?”
“The person called the Keeper of the prophecy, and the Undeads showed up in the guise of carrying out a test.... That's what I heard.”
“Do you have any knowledge about them?”
“I don't have much information about them. However, I've seen the Undead named Delta before. He's the one, who fought with Kairen.”
“Do you mean the Dragon Demon Undead?”
“Yes. Mmmm…….”
Beorein searched through his memories.
“It happened around 20 years ago. I was trying to catch a Dragon Demon, who had stepped out of the Field of Darkness. The Dragon Demon was very strong, and to tell you the truth, I was barely handling him.”
“The fact that you are speaking about it in such a manner means he was that strong?”
Kairen asked in surprise. Beorein nodded his head.
“First, shall I tell you about the woman named Niberis? I was in the position of advantage when I was chasing her. However, the result of a one-on-one battle with her would be a coin flip. If one considered only the Dragon Demon magic, she was almost on par with you. She performed advanced magic, but she was still very inexperienced in how she used...”
“Hmm. I've already heard you tell that story. I thought that woman had nothing to do with the incident 20 years ago?”
“This will be easier if you have a reference point to compare. The Dragon Demon I was chasing was much stronger than Niberis. She couldn't hold a candle to him. If one considered his Dragon Demon Magic, he was almost on par with a Dragon. Can you comprehend what I'm trying to say?”
“What? You are surely over-exaggerating it.”
“It isn't an exaggeration. It was as I said. He fought me, my disciples and 30 other Guardian Shadow Members. He was actually prevailing over us. At that moment, a being appeared, and it was Delta. To be precise, the Keeper of Prophecy contacted the Undeads from afar. After being contacted, three Undeads appeared. It was Beta, Gamma and Delta.”
The three Undeads had left an indelible impression on Beorein. However, even they couldn't gain an upperhand against the Dragon Demon, who was surrounded by ominous Dragon Demon magic.
“In the battle, Beta and Gamma was exterminated. Delta was the only one that survived, and he returned to the Keeper of the Prophecy. That is all I know regarding them.”
“Basically, I crushed the skull of your benefactor.”
“To make up for it, Duke's eye was...”
“Stop right there. Shut your mouth.”
“Ho-oh. It seems you left out something in your story. It sounds very interesting....”
“Don't try to find out more about it. Azell. If you say anything, then I’ll talk about the time you were sleeping... You get what I'm saying?”
“Chet.”
The blackmailed Azell clicked his tongue as if it was unfortunate that he wouldn't be able to tell the story.
Beorein snickered.
“Well, I don't know the whole story, but it seems my friend here suffered some kind of indignity. Well, all right. Even as someone inside the Guardian Shadows, I knew that the Keeper of the Prophecy and his associates were a bit on the weird side. Moreover, you are one of the candidates that they consider to be important.”
“I don't know why. They kept referring me as the person in the prophecy, but I don't know the content of the prophecy.”
“I do not know the content either. That is a problem.”
“If I had my way, I would shake them by their neck to get them to talk.”
“I feel the same way regarding that point. Their curtain of secrecy is a bit too strange. It's been several dozen years for me.”
Beorein grumbled. Kairen was also unsatisfied as a member of the Guardian Shadows.
Azell spoke.
“It seems our conversation got sidetracked. Mmm. The reason I spoke about that... In the end, the reason I lost at the time is the same reason why I won't be able to win against a Dragon. If one wants to win against a Dragon, one needs more than techniques. One needs strength.”
For a Spirit Order practitioner, one had to go through the Dragon Slayer's Ritual to truly break past one's limit.
However, one had to have the power to win against a Dragon without the benefit of the Dragon Slayer's ritual. If one was at that level, one was already at a stage where one would be able to win against a Dragon Demon.
This was the dilemma faced by the high rank Spirit Order Practitioners of Azell's era. To earn the absolute power, one already had to possess what was considered to be absolute power by human standard.
“With my current strength, there is no way I can go through the Dragon Slayer's Ritual. I'll most definitely die.”
“Hmmm. So this won't be solved by you gaining a Dragon Weapon?”
“No.”
“So what are your plans?”
“I have to focus on my training for a short amount of time. I'll continue until I reach an acceptable level.”
“…that's all you need to do? It isn’t that easy to gain the power you lack.”
Beorein started to give council to Azell. He was a magician, but he had a lot of knowledge about the Spirit Order. He knew that the quantity of magical energy for a Spirit Order Practitioner couldn't be increased dramatically.
However, Azell was full of confidence.
“I'll prove it to you through the result. Currently, that is all I can say to assure you.”
For reference, Azell had done a lot of things after we woke up, but it had only been two months.
In such a short amount of time, Azell had made three Rings of Life. Moreover, with his own secret technique, he was able to add the Dual Banding.
Of course, this had been possible, because he went through the Dragon Slayer's Ritual. Moreover, he had absorbed the Dragon Demon Qi left behind by Carlos. Still, he hadn't had the time to really train, and build up his body. His progress had been amazing considering the amount of abuse his body had suffered in battle.
It was inevitable, but anyone who had fought Azell had wondered why he had so little magic. As a Spirit Order practitioner, one’s magic was proportional to one's skill. It increased in a rising curve.
When one moved up the stages of Spirit Order, it meant one's ability to control magic had gone up. It allowed one to be able to control more magic in marvelous ways. This allowed one to strengthen one's Energy Pulse, strengthen the bowl holding one’s magic and increase the number of Ring of LIfe.
In the past, Azell had eight Rings of LIfe. He had been an Octuple Master. If given enough time, he was confident he would be able to exceed his former self even without the Dragon Slayer's ritual.
Beorein spoke.
“Hmm. All right. I'll put my trust in your for now.”
This was how they decided to manufacture the Dragon Sword for Azell.