Chapter 285

"Aren't foreign festivals quite enjoyable?"

The girl who had sent Kuilan flying with a flick of her finger exclaimed defiantly.

Only then did I recognize her.

Black hair. Golden eyes. A silver crown. A petite stature that didn't look a day over ten, and an archaic way of speaking.

That appearance. That physique. And those actions.

I couldn't help but recognize her.

Unconsciously, I murmured her alias.

"Dragon Lady...!"

Duchess of Bringar.

She had finally arrived at the Crossroad.

***

Grand Duchess of Bringar. Dragon-Blooded Duchess.

The Evening Dragon Queen, Dragon Lady...

A half-human, half-dragon carrying numerous nicknames.

The ruler of Bringar Duchy, a fugitive who had retreated from the war against the Imperial Army, and a daring woman who, despite receiving help from me, had declared war.

Her name, inherited directly from the Ancestral Dragon, was—Dusk Bringar.

At present, she had arranged a separate space to speak privately with me.

"I left my knights behind and came here first for reconnaissance."

Barracks. Meeting room.

Sitting across from me, Dusk Bringar revealed her sharp teeth in a radiant smile.

"Though this frontier at the world's end is a rural backwater, the liveliness of the festival is not bad. I rather like it."

"..."

"So, you're the audacious brat who invited me here, aren't you?"

She might look no older than ten, but in reality, she was a cunning monster who had lived for more than 120 years. I made sure not to let my guard down and returned her smile.

"Ash. My name is Ash 'Born Hater' Everblack. It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

"Hmm~?"

Upon watching me, a satisfied smile spread across Dusk Bringar's face.

"Indeed, you have a strong backbone. You're able to maintain your composure even in the face of my aura."

Just like how the leaders of the Nightmare Legion exude malevolent energy, this half-human, half-dragon also seemed to emanate a sort of life force.

But I had a passive skill to neutralize that.

"I never imagined meeting you like this," I said, pouring cold tea into the cup before her.

"I thought I would meet you at the city walls, considering you declared war."

"I intended to do so. But weren't you the one who left the gates wide open? Thanks to that, I've been enjoying the festival since yesterday."

Dusk Bringar laughed melodiously.

"Enjoying a festival, you say! There's a fearsome evil dragon vying for control of this city, right at my doorstep."

"An evil dragon is still a dragon, yes."

Heh.

One corner of my mouth twisted into a sly grin.

"But a dragon with its teeth pulled."

"...Hoh."

When I mocked her for having lost all her foundation, a momentary flash of intense anger swept across Dusk Bringar's youthful face.

"You are arrogant, just like your father."

"One could say you resemble your distant relative too, Your Highness."

That was code for her being arrogant too.

Neither of us backed down, and the Dragon Lady also twisted her lips into a smile.

It was a malevolent smile that didn't suit the young girl's face, but there was a strange sense of pleasure to it.

With that, I leaned closer to her face and growled.

The country was ablaze, the army decimated, and all that was left were a handful of personal knights. Still, they held their heads high, refusing help and even sending us a declaration of war.

"..."

"If the Imperial Capital Academy ever opens a department of arrogance, you must be appointed as the chair professor, Your Highness."

"Your tongue is smooth, Third Prince. Smooth enough to make me want to rip it out."

"Isn't it Your Highness who showed her teeth despite my polite invitation?"

I had abandoned formalities by now.

"I opened up a path for you, only for you to start a war over command? Challenging me when you don't even have the chips to gamble with? Isn't it you who's ignorant of the world, Dusk Bringar?"

We had already agreed to draw swords against each other. No need for pleasantries.

I planned to commandeer this Dragon Lady and her knights. There's no reason to lose in a skirmish.

Despite my brusque words, the smile on Dusk Bringar's face grew even deeper.

Her gaze felt like she was observing a pet cat acting cute, and it was a bit unsettling.

"So, Ash. Do you not have the confidence? Will you not respond to my formal challenge?"

"I have plenty of confidence. Bring your precious knights and let's have the 5-on-5 duel you suggested."

Thud!

I slammed my hands onto the table and spoke sharply.

"I accept your all-in gamble. The winner takes complete command of the opponent's forces. Do you agree?"

"I not only agree but assure you, young Prince, that I will win. Your Southern Front will serve as a stepping stone for the revival of my Bringar Duchy."

"Adorable dream you have there, Dragon King. We will win. You and your knights will help us clear out the monsters on this front."

Dusk Bringar and I locked eyes for a moment.

Her pumpkin-colored dragon eyes had an unnerving aura, but I stared back without flinching.

My passive skill is totally OP!

"Fine. We shall settle our battle soon."

Dusk Bringar relaxed her intense gaze.

"For now, I'll enjoy the remaining festival. Surely you're not cold-hearted enough to kick out a guest participating in the festival, Third Prince?"

"Of course not. The festival at Crossroad is open to everyone."

This is a monster front.

As long as you're not a monster, anyone is welcome.

"'Open to everyone,' huh... Mmm."

Dusk Bringar downed the tea I had offered with a meaningful smile.

"You seem strong yet have your soft spots. It's youthful and naive, and that's quite charming."

I scowled. Charming? Me?

"Then, I will continue to participate in the martial arts tournament."

Dusk Bringar stood up from her chair and grinned.

"It won't be too bad as a preliminary skirmish to gauge your forces before our war. Ah, of course."

Snap, snap.

Dusk Bringar flicked her petite fingers open and closed.

"I wonder if there's a warrior on this front line who could withstand even a single flick of that overgrown lizard's finger."

I shouted in frustration.

"Hey! My team is super strong, okay?! You'd be like a walk in the park!"

"Hm? They seemed to go down in one hit..."

"No, that's just because that one is a weakling! The others are really strong!"

I trembled, recalling Kuilan, who had a Stamina stat of 5. Kuilaaaaan! Show some authority as the sub-party leader!

"Heh, I hope that's not just talk, Southern Front Commander."

Dusk Bringar flipped back the hood of her robe.

Magically treated or not, her silver crown, dark hair, and golden eyes all vanished into the shadow of her hood.

"If your warriors fall to just a flick or two of my finger, the wars to come will be rather dull, won't they?"

With a sweep of her robe, Dusk Bringar exited the military conference room.

Staring at her retreating back, I yelled out.

"Hey! Call back all my party members participating in the tournament right now!"

Who cares about prizes, festivals, or tourism plans now?

This tournament had become a battle of pride between that dragon lady and us.

I had to break her arrogant snout.

I smirked, recalling Dusk Bringar's in-game specs and skill set.

I will 'conquer' you, you wicked dragon granny...!

***

However.

I had overlooked one thing.

This tournament was purely a hand-to-hand contest, with all magic and skills sealed off.

It seemed fair at a glance, as Dusk Bringar also couldn't use her powers, but—

Damn it!

In a purely physical contest, there was no human who could outclass her semi-dragon physique.

If we were fighting with weapons, magic, and skills, there might be a way, but in a raw physical battle, there was no solution!

In the quarter-finals, watching Verdandi scream as she was knocked out of the ring by Dusk Bringar's flick, I buried my face in my hands. Oh, Dragon God!

"I—I'm sorry, Ash... I dodged as best as I could..."

Verdandi apologized to me, scratching the back of her head.

As an SSR-grade assassin, Verdandi had skillfully dodged Dusk Bringar's flicks until one brushed her shoulder.

That single touch had sent her flying out of the ring.

What's wrong with this game's racial balance? Dragons are OP, aren't they? Where's the patch, devs?!

Swallowing my curses, I patted Verdandi gently on the shoulder.

"It's alright, you did your best. Verdandi. You've done better than anyone else so far..."

"I'm really sorry, Ash..."

Muttering gloomily, Verdandi suddenly brightened up.

"Well then, I'm off! I have to use my free market pass!"

And just like that, she took off toward the city with the Holy Grail Seekers who had been waiting for her.

Hey! You didn't lose on purpose just to get free snacks, did you?! Huh?!

Dusk Bringar's semi-final opponent was Evangeline. Warming up for the battle, Evangeline grumbled.

"Ah~ I wanted to get an unlimited stall voucher after forfeiting in the last match, you know."

"I'll buy that for you instead! No, not just the stall, I'll buy you anything else you want! Just please help me deal with that woman!"

"Huh?! Really?! You promise to buy everything!"

I nodded my head fervently.

If I could just win the battle of pride against Dusk Bringar, what was a mere stall? I felt like I could even give away an entire castle if I wanted to.

And so began the semi-finals.

Two diminutive girls stood side by side in the arena, glaring at each other. Aider, the referee, swiftly lowered his hand.

"Begin!"

Whoosh!

As soon as it started, Dusk Bringar lunged forward and flicked her finger, while Evangeline, her emerald eyes glowing, nimbly tried to dodge—

Slip.

"Ah."

...and suddenly lost her footing.

"Darn it!"

I tore at my hair. Evangeline's 'Error-Prone' trait had activated! When the heck will that thing go away?

Bang-!

"Waahhh!"

Struck by the flick, Evangeline let out a terrifying scream and flew through the air.

I thought she was definitely going to be knocked out, but,

Whoosh!

Evangeline twisted her body in mid-air, correcting her posture, and landed precariously on the edge of the arena.

"I'm okay! I dodged it!"

Evangeline smiled brightly at me. I waved back, annoyed.

"Why are you looking at me, you idiot! Look at your opponent!"

"Oops!"

By the time the foolish Evangeline turned her head, Dusk Bringar had already closed the distance between them.

From beneath her robe's hood, a mouth full of pointed teeth stretched into a wicked smile.

Bang-!

Another finger flick was unleashed.

"I'm sorryyyyy! But I'll still take the Silver Winter Merchant Guild voucher—!"

Evangeline left just those words before flying off into the distance...

I clasped my face with both hands. Ugh! Not a single reliable party member in this world!

"So easy, so simple. Are there no heroes on the Southern Front? At this rate, I wouldn't even need to issue a declaration of war!"

Dusk Bringar mockingly performed a little dance in the arena.

Damn it! I really want to hit her! Smash her to bits! But there's nothing I can do!

"Is there... is there no one? Is there no hero who will take down the enemy general...!"

Muttering as if I were Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms, calling for someone to behead Hua Xiong,

"My Lord."

A voice, somewhat awkward but filled with resolute determination, came from beside me.

"I will stop that woman."

I turned and couldn't believe my eyes.

An SSR-grade hero, the protagonist of the game, my last insurance and bastion.

The final opponent for Dusk Bringar in this martial arts tournament.

"Lucas...!"

My knight stood beside me.

Lucas nodded at me, his face full of determination.

"The first place in the martial arts tournament will be mine, after all."