CHAPTER 77

Kkad-deu-deuk-

"S-s-stop... Eeeeeeh..."

With a feeble scream, the eyes of the barbarian began to roll back.

Even the last tears he shed froze upon his face in the cold breath.

Intense red splattered across the pristine white snow.

And atop it lay heaps of barbarians.

No, they had not yet become corpses and were desperately trying to crawl away from the white dragon, but their pitiful struggles were in vain.

The arms and legs that were supposed to be moving were cut off and rolling around on the snow.

Crunch-clack-clack-

The dragon, its mouth stained with fresh red blood, raised its head in satisfaction.

Different from the taste of tough orcs.

Different from the stench of monsters.

Lindworm, the White Dragon.

The dragon, which had the taste of humans engraved on its tongue by someone's intention, opened its mouth wide and roared.

It was a thunderous sound that even the scattering snow mist couldn't swallow.

※※※※

"Lord Rutger has arrived!"

"Open the gates!"

With the shouts of the gatekeepers, the heavy gates, hung with thick iron chains, began to descend.

Rutger watched the slowly descending gates before him, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Uninvited guests, the Dragon Slayer Knights.

There must be a reason why they, who had previously shown no interest in the north, suddenly appeared all the way up here in the far north.

And there must be a reason why they raised their flags on the fortress without the permission from the person in charge.

"Lord Rutger!"

"Report."

Rutger crosses the gate over the moat with an unusually stern expression and quick gait.

A knight rushed out to him and began reporting urgently.

"The Dragon Slayer Knights sent from the capital arrived about two days ago."

"The reason?"

Under Rutger's sudden change in demeanor, the knight unknowingly swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth to respond.

"They say it's to subdue the Lindworm."

"······They are quick to get information."

Rutger clicked his tongue at the knight's response, wearing a fierce expression.

Sending armed groups to other territories was not just rude, but almost a declaration of war, but the Dragon Slayer Knights stationed at the Bernhem Fortress had the justification for their actions.

Dragon Slayer Knights.

As the name suggests, they were created to kill dragons and were a group run by the central noble, the Dragon Blood Duke, with the guarantee of the imperial emperor.

In other words, it meant that if it involved dragons, they were guaranteed to operate under imperial law with the Emperor's endorsement.

Since they came in with a flag and a justification, even the knights in the fortress would have been unable to do anything about it.

"..."

Vlad trailed behind Rutger, who was hastening forward, his usual habit of scanning around as he went.

The Bernhem Fortress, built of piled stones without trees around, had a conspicuously straightforward structure with narrow stairs and winding corridors, indicating its purpose.

"The Bernhem Fortress is also known as Bayezid's beacon tower."

"Is there a beacon tower here?"

In response to the question about whether there was a large beacon tower visible from afar, Larmund simply shrugged.

"This place itself is the beacon tower. When it burns, it can be seen from afar."

"Ah..."

Vlad, prompted by Larmund's subtly conveyed words, once again looked around the walls attentively.

Despite efforts to cover them with lime plaster, blackened traces of fire were visible in various places.

Plundered and plundered again.

Rebuilding the fortress that had been burnt black.

Bernhem Fortress was a huge wall for barbarians and monsters, and an indomitable will for Bayezid's people.

"I'll wait up ahead."

"..."

Rutger had no reason to try to hide his boiling anger, as they had raised their flag in a place that was Bayezid's pride without anyone's permission.

"Finally, you've arrived. I've been waiting."

Though the corridors were narrow, the lobby was spacious enough for knights to gather.

At the top, standing on one stair after another, a man greeted the arriving party.

"Pleased to meet you. I am Mirshea, the commander of the Dragon Slayer Knights."

A man wearing shiny silver armor was looking down at the group who had reached the lobby with a relaxed smile, as if this was his home.

While he seemed arrogant, Mirshea's noble appearance was enough to even make others' expressions of disdain seem fitting.

"...A precious guest has come without my knowledge."

The moment Rutger's eyes met Mirshea's gaze, his heart surged with anger at Mirshea's attempt to look down on him, the supposed master.

"Rutger Bayezid. Acting Commander of the Bernhem Fortress."

Mirshea's smile deepened as he looked at Rutger's black eyes, staring directly at him without any hint of retreat.

Thump-

And Vlad, who was also looking at Mirshea, felt his heart fluttering.

Because he felt the same sensation from the man above him as when he saw the deathworm.

The beating of the heart was something that could not be controlled by will.

Because it only moved by instinct.

"······!"

Forcing his heart to calm down, Vlad raised his head and was surprised to see Mirshea, who was facing him.

The boy was not the only one who was driven by instinct.

"Were the corpses outside made by the Dragon Slayer Knights?"

"...Yes. It was necessary."

Mirshea, naturally rearranging his expression at Rutger's question, responded with a relaxed smile.

There were corpses of barbarians rolling on the snowy field, their deaths caused not by savage teeth but by sharp swords.

"Lindworm is the fastest creature among the remnants of fallen dragon. It means we can't catch up with it."

Josef attempted to relay information about the Lindworm to Rutger through Aage. However, Mirshea, without Aage, already possessed information about Lindworm.

The Dragon Slayer Knights, established under the permission of King Frausen, had accumulated their own experiences over hundreds of years.

"Since we can't catch up with it, we have no choice but to lure it. The corpses outside are bait for that purpose."

"You son of a bitch!"

Before Mirshea could finish his sentence, Aage let out a cry of indignation and was already rushing forward.

"Imperial bastards! You think you can chew us up and spit us out without consequence!"

If he hadn't been a prisoner, he would have drawn his sword without hesitation.

And if Larmund, who was watching him, hadn't tripped him up, he would have already leaped towards Mirshea.

"Shut up! Get out of the way, old man!"

"...Say one more word and I'll slit your throat."

Aage's anger was justified.

Who wouldn't be furious at being used as bait?

However, no matter how justified the anger, it needed power to be valid.

The anger of powerless barbarians like Aage was nothing more than the whimpering of insignificant beings on the ground.

"It seems the son of Bayezid raises unruly dogs."

Mirshea looked at Aage, who was shouting wildly, with a cold gaze.

"You also raise a cat."

Dorothea quickly lowered her head upon seeing the chilling gaze that seemed directed at her.

Not because she feared Mirshea's gaze, but because she feared her presence might become a burden to Rutger.

"I'm not sure if you've trained them well. Lowly beings tend to forget their place from time to time."

"... "

Rutger fell silent at Mirshea's words.

The nobles of the central region, and the lords of the central region.

Those who believed they were the center of the world often looked down on outsiders like this.

Not just barbarians or beastmen, but also the people of the north.

"...Still, they stand their ground."

Rutger nodded and exhaled as if he had made up his mind.

Whether it was intentional or not, the nobleman before him had crossed a line, and Rutger represented all the people of the north present here.

The anger that had always been concealed beneath his calm smile was slowly seeping out from deep within Rutger's chest.

Rutger's world was like an active volcano, burning with intense red.

As he approached Mirshea, who stood where Bayezid should have been, a thick, simmering rage akin to lava began to erupt.

"So you must also find your place, Commander Mirshea."

Step by step, Rutger ascends to the highest point by stepping on the stairs made by Bayezid.

With each confident step towards Mirshea, the members of the Dragon Slayer Knights began to place their hands on their sword hilts.

"Whose permission did you receive to raise the flag?"

Finally, standing so close that their foreheads almost touched, Rutger stared into Mirshea's blue eyes without the slightest movement.

"I asked for it. Since no one else was moving, my subordinates raised it."

Rutger simply stood there quietly without growling like Aage or pressuring the opponent with a smile like Mirshea.

"Whose permission did you receive to occupy this position?"

"Well..."

While he hadn't anticipated this confrontation openly, Mirshea smiled with cold indifference as he observed Rutger attempting a direct show of strength.

"The Dragon Slayer Knights, who deal with dragons akin to disasters, have the right to utilize all facilities and personnel under imperial decree according to imperial law."

"On the premise of obtaining permission from the owner, of course."

As their postures clashed, Rutger and Mirshea turned slowly to face each other.

Rutger's well-deserved momentum was pushing Mircea toward the stairs.

"Are you refusing to cooperate?"

"I intend to cooperate."

Rutger pointed his finger towards the lobby below.

"As long as proper procedures are followed."

Bayezid's knights, who understood Rutger's intentions, hurriedly opened the lobby door and began running toward the highest point of the fortress.

"Ask them to raise the flag. Commander Mirshea."

"..."

At the highest point of the fortress, the dragon that was fluttering next to the Bayezid flag carved into the solid wall was lowering its head.

"Please help me kill the dragon in Bayezid's land."

Their worthy, just, and loyal lord bared his teeth at the Dragon slayers.

"Nobody moves."

"The owner of this place has not granted permission."

The knights of Bayezid, issuing sharp warnings, had now surrounded the Dragon Slayer Knights, blocking their path.

Rutger and Mirshea.

The knights of Bayezid and the Dragon Slayer Knights.

The sharp aura they emitted enveloped the lobby with a chill more intense than a northern blizzard.

"Let's start over from there."

Mirshea turned his head to look in the direction Rutger indicated.

In the center of the lobby.

A position that required raising one's head to look at Rutger.

"You'll regret it."

"Life is full of regrets no matter what you choose."

In response to Mirshea's subdued threat, Rutger merely let out a muted laugh.

"And if we're going to regret it anyway, might as well do what needs to be done and regret it later."

The black pupils, descended from the bloodline of Bayezid, stared at the man before them with a thick aura seeping out like lava.

Blonde hair, blue eyes.

And a noble appearance.

Towards a man with a cold heart who uses even living people as bait for the dragon.