CHAPTER 187

Elric was shocked.

A dragon?

Why was that suddenly being mentioned here?

[Dragon Tribe Language? Are you talking about Dragon Tongue?]

Naturally, Elric's first thought was Dragon Tongue.

However, as soon as he spoke, he realized that wasn't what Mephistopheles meant.

Dragon Tongue was a type of Soul Speech, and it was one of the highest tiers of that magic. 

Even Elric, who mainly used Soul Speech magic, hadn't yet advanced that far. It was unthinkable that ordinary people could use Dragon Tongue.

That was impossible.

『Those guys aren't Draconians or Dragoons. How could they use Dragon Tongue? Even they wouldn't be able to use it properly.』

Sure enough, Mephistopheles looked at Elric like he was saying something absurd.

Elric scratched his cheek awkwardly, realizing what Mephistopheles meant now.

[So, are you saying... they're using the language of dragons?]

『Something similar.』

[Similar? What do you mean?]

『If it were true Dragon Language, I would've noticed it right away. The reason I didn't realize until now is because what they're using is a degraded version of Dragon Language.』

[A degraded version?]

『Yes. The original form of that language was likely Dragon language. A language close to Dragon Tongue, filled with layers of meaning, containing truth, and capable of subtly altering reality. But over time, it has eroded and decayed into its current form.』

Elric's eyes lit up.

Sailor had told him that the mountain tribes were divided into many groups and didn't often interact. As a result, there were supposedly hundreds, if not thousands, of tribal languages.

The Borfur tribe had only recently risen to prominence, becoming one of the twelve tribes.

Given that they hadn't always been powerful...

'Could the origins of their tribe be connected to dragons?'

Elric thought he might have stumbled upon something quite interesting.

[But how do you know all this?]

『Who do you think I fought against in my final battle?』

[Your final... the Dragon King?]

『Yes. I personally ended the life of the last dragon in this world. I plucked countless dragons' wings and broke their necks. How could I not know Dragon language?』

Elric nodded, finding the explanation convincing.

After all, his mana core was originally created by combining a dragon heart with a demon jewel.

『This place is quite interesting. I thought they were just some primitive fools cut off from civilization, but it seems they had a connection with dragons, who had no contact with humans outside of Melvinger. Although it doesn't seem like they've inherited any dragon blood...』

As they made their way deeper into the canyon, Mephistopheles' gaze remained fixed on the Borfur tribe with growing interest.

***

"Ordinarily, giving land to imperial soldiers would be considered a betrayal of the tribe... but because of Lord Sailor's request, we have decided to allow it."

"Thank you."

"There's some unused land to the north. You may use it. But please, stay quietly and do not cause trouble."

The elder who introduced himself as the village chief spoke fluent enough imperial language, granting permission for the Star's Legion to set up camp.

However, the gazes of the younger men were filled with suspicion.

Their sharp looks made it clear: if you step out of line, we'll wipe you out.

Of course, the part of the Borfur tribe that the Star's Legion had sought refuge with was a small group that pursued peace and had refused to join the war, so they didn't have the power to overwhelm the Star's Legion.

But if they were to poison the wells, that would be a major disaster.

Elric and Isabelle strictly instructed the soldiers not to provoke them, or better yet, to avoid contact with them altogether.

Without Sailor's prior connection to this place, they wouldn't have even been allowed to set up camp. There was no need to stir up trouble.

The soldiers understood this as well and didn't show any signs of restlessness.

After all, this was traditionally mountain tribe territory, a region the empire referred to as "Beyond the Border."

None of them wanted to be isolated and wiped out due to an incident here.

Elric and Isabelle had been expecting resistance from Count Caliger and Viscount Kuransibil, but things were strangely quiet on their end.

In any case, the camp was set up without much difficulty.

While everyone busied themselves gathering water and looking for food, Elric asked Isabelle for some time alone and distanced himself from the camp.

He needed time for himself.

『What are you planning to do?』

"Training."

『Training?』

Mephistopheles looked at Elric like he had just said something ridiculous.

"I've had some enlightenment."

During the war, especially when fighting Sagnard and Judas, Elric had learned a lot.

And he had the growing sense that unless he pushed his strength further, he might not survive this crisis.

They were, after all, in the heart of enemy territory. And there were far too many beings in this world who exceeded human limits.

He had to get stronger, and fast.

『Don't tell me you're aiming for a divine power?』

"Exactly."

『Damn you, you talent-rich brat.』

Mephistopheles' expression twisted into one of disbelief.

And it was no wonder—Elric had apparently already found ways to apply the "Northern Wind" and "Winter Blizzard," the very powers that Gregory had been so eager to obtain.

The power of the Winter Sage was truly extraordinary.

Mastering it would already take normal people years, even just to control and wield it properly.

But here was Elric, figuring out how to tweak it to his own liking.

『So, what exactly are you going to do?』

"I'm going to work on the Northern Wind."

『Not Winter Blizzard?』

"Winter Blizzard is easy. It's basically just an uncontrollable storm of winter that wipes everything out in a huge radius, right? If I can focus that range in a specific direction, it'll be much more efficient."

『A battlefield ability, then.』

"Bingo."

Winter Blizzard turns an entire area into an absolute zero zone in an instant.

If he could control the range and direction, he could overcome the massive mana drain that came with it.

『And how do you plan to reinforce it?』

"I think I can construct a mind barrier."

In other words, he planned to create a mind barrier to lock down the range of the ability. That way, the winter storm would only circulate within the barrier.

However, setting up such a barrier required extensive preparation.

In the chaos of battle, it would be difficult to use.

That's why Elric had come up with the idea of a mind barrier.

A mind barrier, he would project the landscape he envisioned in his mind into the real world, making it a useful tool for controlling Winter Blizzard.

『And you think that'll be easy?』

Of course, it was far from easy.

The very idea of projecting the contents of one's mind into the physical world and making it interact with reality was absurd.

It was something no ordinary magician could even dream of.

"I'm still working on it, but I think I can figure it out with the right algorithm."

Elric had a unique advantage over others.

His Mind's Eye.

And Preta Sense.

Since he could already create mana fields by tracing the flow of energy, he thought he could expand that ability by stabilizing the field through Preta Sense.

『Fine, do as you wish. What about Northern Wind?』

"That's the tricky part."

As soon as Elric found a secluded spot, he sat down on a flat rock and furrowed his brow.

"The key is figuring out how to boost its synchronization rate..."

If it were just about summoning a guardian, Elric wouldn't have been this concerned.

Strengthening the Winter Blizzard would also increase the guardian's power.

But Elric had another way of using the guardian.

Possession. If he could extend that brief moment of possession and draw more power from the soul's former life, how could he do it?

"[Come forth.]"

Sssss—

Elric lightly tapped the air and summoned the ghost he had possessed during his fight with Judas.

A shadow flickered, and a ghost knight emerged from it.

It held a long spear in one hand.

The pressure it gave off was impressive.

Swish!

However, despite its fearsome aura, the ghost knight knelt before Elric, bowing its head.

It was a sign that it recognized Elric, the successor of Otto Han, as its master, and its loyalty was absolute.

"Hey."

The ghost knight lifted its head slightly, as if waiting for a command.

Elric stared at the soul with a serious expression and asked.

"What's your name?"

...Creak?

The ghost knight remained motionless for a long time, then tilted its head to the side.

It didn't seem to understand what Elric was asking.

"I'm asking what your name is."

Creak.

The ghost knight's head slowly returned to its original position.

The blue flames in its eyes flickered wildly.

"Where did you live?"

….

"Did you have a lover?"

….

"Your parents?"

….

"You don't remember anything?"

….

"Damn it. If you can't speak, at least give me some kind of reaction. How am I supposed to figure anything out if you just stay silent?"

No matter what Elric asked, the ghost knight remained still, maintaining its rigid posture.

Elric grew frustrated, feeling utterly exasperated.

It was almost comical to Mephistopheles, who watched in disbelief.

『What are you even trying to do?』

"I thought if I learned more about this guy, I could increase our synchronization rate."

Elric believed that the reason he couldn't fully tap into the ghost's power was because he didn't have a deep enough "understanding" of it.

Unlike Otto Han, Elric didn't have much of a connection with his guardians. He had simply received them as gifts.

So, he thought that if he could build a stronger bond with them, he might be able to increase their synchronization rate.

However—

『That's a foolish notion.』

Mephistopheles was dismissive.

"What? Why?"

『Because you're going about it all wrong.』

"What do you—?"

『Servants, vassals—they're not meant to be handled like that.』

Elric was about to snap at Mephistopheles for nitpicking again when he suddenly felt the overwhelming pressure radiating from him.

Mephistopheles simply stood with his arms crossed, yet his demeanor exuded the authority and majesty of a Demon King who had once made all demons bow before him.

『Your attitude is the problem. A ruler must stand above all others. You must make them submit, worship, and revere you. You must not lower yourself or meet them at eye level like a parent.』

"…!"

『You are meant to build a family and stand above all others. If that is your goal, then carry yourself with the dignity and poise that befits your status. Keep your gaze high and always look down upon the world. Only then will you be able to see all the things of the world in one picture. When you are low, you can only see what is low.』

Elric felt as if Mephistopheles' words had struck him like a heavy blow to the head.

Raise your gaze.

Take in the world as if it were a painting.

Those words resonated deeply with him.

This was the kind of lesson in kingship that Elric should have learned from the elders of his family, yet here he was, learning it from Mephistopheles.

"So, what should I ask here?"

『That's something you must figure out on your own.』

Mephistopheles' lips curled into a faint smile, one filled with amusement.

Elric's face twisted in frustration.

It was clear that Mephistopheles had no intention of giving him a free answer.

But somehow, Elric had a sense of what he needed to say.

Turning back to the still-kneeling ghost knight, Elric asked.

"Hey."

Creak?

The ghost knight's head tilted to the side again.

"Do you truly consider me your master?"

….

A moment of silence.

Then—

Creak!

A thin line appeared across the ghost knight's face, where no mouth had been before. Slowly, it split open, resembling an actual mouth.

One corner of it twisted upward.

It was a smirk.

[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]