Chapter 235 - The Best Guide (1)

He had lived alone for almost 500 years.

He witnessed with his own eyes the rise and fall of the dragons that ruled the world, and he also survived the humiliation of the new era of humans.

[Sarnus! Remember the vow you made to me!]

Survival itself is a test.

In a world where one either devours or is devoured, his very existence was proof that he had not been consumed by others.

Thus, Sarnus, the oldest dragon who had survived, had built a position that no one else in the world could reach.

"A vow?"

At Kihano's desperate cry, strange tattoos began to emerge on Sarnus's neck.

Sharp, black thorns sprouted and began to slowly tighten around his neck, responding to the will of their master.

"…Kihano?"

Facing the ancient pact he so feared once again, Sarnus could not hide his confusion.

However, the surprise on his face was not due to the collar that bound him, but because of the blonde-haired knight standing before him.

"Ah, I understand."

The ancient pact, which could only be activated by spilled blood or inherited will.

Through that vow, Sarnus had been loyal to the empire and had protected the imperial family for hundreds of years.

"It was you. It was you."

Crunch!

But now, Sarnus no longer feared the vow he had made.

Calmly, he began to tear off the thorns that threatened him.

"If it was you, then all of this makes sense."

Recognizing Kihano within Vlad, Sarnus started to laugh, finally understanding the entire situation.

A trace of the most noble knight residing in the soul of a dragon.

Sarnus, knowing what that meant, began to laugh without hiding the joy that welled up from the depths of his heart.

"At last, the most perfect dragon has been born!"

The city of Namarka was trembling.

The sound of the city shaking violently, like an earthquake, was akin to the groan of the earth, unable to bear Sarnus's presence.

[...Damn it.]

As Sarnus continued to relentlessly tear out the thorns that emerged from his neck and spread throughout his body, Kihano, seeing him approach while laughing, had no choice but to turn away.

[Everyone, run!]

Kihano had something more important to protect, something he valued above all else.

Ignoring his own pride, he began shouting at his group, who followed him from behind, urging them to flee.

[Return immediately!]

He admitted that he could no longer withstand Sarnus's level, who had reached such a lofty status that not even the most noble knight could match.

"Kihano! Kihano Frausen!"

The more Sarnus gazed at him, the larger and more overwhelming his presence became, like that of the oldest dragon.

Although the thorns of the last pact had momentarily stopped him, Sarnus's gigantic shadow continued to chase after Kihano and his group.

"Finally, you see me and run!"

The thunderous laughter of the oldest dragon echoed across the vast land.

His existence, proven by his survival, and his perfection, elevated by absorbing another perfection, were now so high that not even the most noble knight could withstand them.

***

The group that had gathered with Vlad—or rather, with Kihano—was hurriedly running towards some destination.

Having reached near the city walls with the help of the warriors from the Ruga tribe, they slipped through a small hole, panting from the effort.

"What is this? A dog hole?"

"Just keep going! We should be thankful there's an escape route!"

Nibelun shouted harshly at Radu, who hesitated in front of the hole. Resigned, Radu had no choice but to crouch down and crawl through.

With no other option, Radu stuck his head out, begrudgingly revealing his usual irritated expression.

"What kind of situation have we gotten ourselves into? Damn it!"

Radu lifted his head and saw Pedro waiting for him outside the castle walls, muttering a small curse under his breath.

The strange inquisitor who wanted to take him to the cold north, to the territory of the Iron Duke.

However, unlike before, when he hesitated, Radu's movements towards him were truly swift.

"They're coming!"

The half-dragon, the mage searching for mysteries, and the devout priest—all were terrified.

Although each of them had a strong world of their own, none could be free from the overwhelming presence of the dragon that pursued them.

"…Why is there an army here?"

They had barely exited the city, but there was no time to breathe a sigh of relief.

In the distance, clouds of dust raised by approaching troops could be seen skirting the walls.

"Get on quickly!"

"What is this?"

"Don't ask, just get on already!"

The men standing on a worn-out carpet looked ridiculous, but when Pedro grabbed him by the neck and dragged him on, Radu was shocked to see the carpet begin to rise.

"Why is this thing floating?"

"Now that we're on, let's go!"

Ignoring Radu's unanswered question, Nibelun's carpet began gliding over the wasteland.

Countless arrows landed perilously close to them.

Radu swallowed hard as he saw arrows embedding in the spot where they had just been moments before.

"Why has an army come all the way here? Are they here to capture us?"

Nibelun, who was guiding the carpet while gripping its edge, glanced at the soldiers in the distance, unable to hide his curiosity.

"It's not just for us."

As Nibelun said this, a city became visible in the increasingly distant landscape.

It was a ramshackle city that usually received little attention, but now it was filled with central soldiers who had flocked there, and even with a vague estimate, their numbers were in the tens of thousands.

"They're ready. They're preparing to march north."

Radu, who was wary of the cavalry charging from one side, unsheathed his sword and continued speaking.

Clang-!

The cavalry soldiers began charging towards the carpet as if they had finally seized the opportunity.

Radu, who roughly fended them off, hardened his expression as he looked at the cavalry soldiers still pursuing them.

"The North?"

"They're going to break the northern alliance! Their original plan was to destroy it before the banners could be raised."

The troops that had arrived in Namarka with Sarnus, the Dragon Duke, were part of the central army sent by the imperial family.

Not only the royal family but also all the noble forces loyal to the Empire were gathering to form an army that would march north, assembling in the capital, Brigantes.

"…If things had been different, I might have secured a position there."

Radu voiced his final regrets to the strong wind that passed by, but the sharp blade of the sword closing in directly in front of him brought him back to reality, away from his former glory.

"…Can't you make this thing fly any faster?"

"There are too many people on board!"

When they were in the city of Moshiam, it was a flying carpet.

But now, overloaded with two additional people—Radu and a warrior from the Ruga tribe—not only could they not fly, but it was difficult to even glide along the ground.

"Just get us to that mountain! The horses won't be able to follow us there!"

As if he had found the direction to go, Radu raised his finger and pointed towards the mountain ahead of them.

The mountain, with faint smoke rising as if it were waiting for them, was part of a rugged mountain range that originated in the harsh north, making it a place with unusual danger as well.

"Hurry up!"

As if they had heard what the group was saying, the cavalry that was pursuing them began to grow more aggressive.

It was clear they intended to stop the carpet before it reached the mountain ahead.

Rumble!

A tense pursuit ensued.

In a situation where I would have frozen in place if I had stopped, a loud sound like thunder suddenly began to emanate from the city.

"Aaaah!"

"Gaaaah!"

With that sound, the carpet the group was riding began to shake helplessly.

Even the central army's cavalry that followed them was affected.

Not only were the live horses stumbling, but the magic engraved on the carpet also began to falter, losing its power due to the harsh roar of Sarnus, who had finally broken free from the shackles of the pact.

Crash-! Thud!

Nibelun's carpet dragged through the falling riders, crashing to the ground.

After tumbling across the ground with the same momentum they had while riding the carpet, the group began to fall miserably, rolling across the wasteland unnoticed by anyone.

"Ugh…"

"Haaaah."

Amid the cloud of dust kicked up by the fall, the groans of the group echoed in the air.

"Ack! Ugh!"

However, it was Radu who suffered more than the old Pedro, as the massive roar that emerged from the dragon's world was more fatal to Radu than to anyone else here.

"Father… I'm sorry, father."

Though he could not see him, he could feel Sarnus's presence. Seeing Radu pleading for forgiveness without even thinking of standing up, Kihano unsheathed his sword as if he had no other choice.

[Lend me your power and divinity. There is no other option.]

The cavalry soldiers who had been following them fell in front of them, probably as shocked as the group by the dragon's roar, but the banners visible in the distance were still drawing closer to the group.

[······.]

The oldest dragon, with tens of thousands of troops, was approaching.

As despair loomed over them, Kihano was pondering a plan when he suddenly felt a small groove under his feet coming from the mountain.

"When I walked alone through the valley of the abyss…"

"What am I supposed to do now?"

The pressure from Sarnus on the group was growing more intense.

Now, even Nibelun and Pedro, who were not dragons, could feel it.

His presence, which began as an intangible force, had now taken form and was weighing down on them, so much so that the surrounding earth pressing down on them might not just be an illusion of Kihano.

Thump!

Above the mage, who was reciting a spell, and the inquisitor, who was murmuring a prayer, a small groove that started from the mountain, passing through the bewildered mage, finally reached Kihano's toes.

Kihano, who hadn't noticed its presence because his thoughts were so preoccupied, could only look down when he felt the small presence of something tapping his toe.

[…Hmm?]

It was a tiny creature.

But despite the fierce presence of the dragon that was approaching, the small creature lifted its tiny finger with determination.

Kyu-!

Crack-!

A loud noise was heard, and the ground began to collapse.

It was as if the finger raised by the mole was a signal.

"Aaaah!"

"What's happening now?"

A deep pit, with no apparent end, suddenly opened.

Even Kihano's eyes widened as he watched the ground begin to collapse without warning.

Kyu, kyu-!

The mole smiled as if it was finally time to see its companions fall with it.

A spirit of the earth that had finally descended here along the long mountain chain stretching from the north.

The mole, still raising its tiny finger, shone yellow with its own color, just like in Dobrechi.