The Viscount Wants to Go to the Mill - Chapter 28

The sound of everyone exhaling at once, having forgotten to breathe, merged into one. A man with black hair down to his ankles appeared in front of Lily.

“Amazing. You seem like an ordinary human, yet you aren’t afraid of me?”

The dragon asked. Lily quickly spread her skirt and bowed.

“I am afraid.”

“Hmm.”

Baerba had no intention of scolding a human for withstanding his presence; he was just a bit curious. His business was with someone else.

“Don’t worry. I have no hobby of destroying small human homes. I’m here looking for someone…”

He trailed off. He had come because he heard Revaston and the holy sword were here, but while he felt the holy sword’s presence a bit away, there was no sign of a suitable human. It seemed they were hiding their presence.

So, he thought he’d have to ask the humans here, but everyone was looking at one person.

“Aha. You must be Revaston?”

Baerba asked.

The self-proclaimed Revaston realized there was no way out. He was drenched in cold sweat. He had planned to disappear tomorrow, but why did this have to happen today? He thought there were no dragons in this country, so why was one here?

He had to get through today somehow. Fortunately, from the dragon’s question, it seemed they weren’t acquainted.

“What brings someone as great as you to seek me out?”

Losing his composure would make his lie more likely to be exposed, so he stood tall and spoke as normally as possible. The thought of deceiving a dragon and escaping made him feel like he was going crazy, but he had no choice. Surely, a dragon wouldn’t go to great lengths to chase down a human for a mere lie. People might destroy an anthill out of anger from an ant bite, but they wouldn’t seek out the specific ant that bit them.

Fortunately, the dragon seemed to like his attitude.

“Hmm, you’re more polite than I heard.”

Revaston slightly bowed his head in gratitude. But then Baerba dropped a bombshell.

“Let’s have a match.”

“What?”

Revaston looked at Baerba as if he had been struck. Did that dragon just say…

“I heard you defeated Grid. It’s surprising that a human did that. I’m curious about your skills. Do you truly have the power to kill a dragon?”

“…Well…”

“Don’t worry. I’m not suggesting a fight to the death. Just show me a move here. Even if you’re unprepared and can’t harm me, I can gauge your skill.”

It was an arrogant and absurd demand, but only Lily thought so. Those overwhelmed by the dragon couldn’t even think such disrespectful thoughts and looked at Revaston.

Their gazes held anticipation. Could they really get a chance to see Revaston’s swordsmanship? Sir Wilberg’s anticipation was even greater. Despite traveling together, Revaston had never shown his skills, citing the reason that he shouldn’t draw his sword lightly.

Once again, Revaston desperately tried to find an excuse.

“I’m sorry, but great one, I don’t have my sword with me right now.”

“Ah, the holy sword. Right. You can’t fight a dragon without it. Obtaining a weapon is also an important skill for a human.”

With a snap of Baerba’s fingers, a broad, massive stone appeared translucently before Revaston. Embedded in it was a sword made entirely of white metal, including the hilt.

Anyone could tell it was the holy sword.

“I don’t know why it was placed on that mountain, but pull it out.”

Revaston gritted his teeth. Desperately thinking of a way to avoid this, he finally spoke.

“Great one, I have vowed never to draw that sword again. So…”

So, he had nothing more to say. Baerba didn’t wait for him to finish and roared.

“You, who claimed the title of Dragon Slayer with the holy sword, refuse a challenge from another dragon? I’ll say it again. Draw the sword. Prove the skill that defeated Grid!”

The dragon’s roar shook the earth. Some people, unable to withstand the vibration, collapsed in fear, while others clutched their chests, unable to breathe.

Revaston, too, couldn’t stop his trembling legs and collapsed on the spot. Facing the dragon’s wrath head-on, he couldn’t endure it. Seeing this, Baerba truly became angry.

“How dare someone like you call yourself a Dragon Slayer? I can’t accept this!”

In an instant, his form vanished, and the dragon reappeared in the sky.

Though it had been intimidating before, everyone in the city now realized he had been restraining himself. His anger was like a mountain moving and collapsing, or a river rising and flooding the land. Terrified screams and cries echoed throughout the city.

The dragon opened its mouth as if to roar.

『Show me your power!!』

The world echoed with the sound.

Black emptiness bubbled within Baerba’s mouth. Instinctual fear spread among the people. No one could move, believing that everything would be annihilated. The history of mortals, etched in their blood, screamed that this was the end.

Kuwaaang—!

The dragon’s breath created a terrifying roar as it clashed with the air. Lily watched wide-eyed as the blackness swallowed sunlight, shadows, and wind, approaching her.

And at that moment, a brilliant white light was swung.

Paaaang—!

Light and darkness collided, sending shockwaves that shook the sky.

With one sword strike, the dragon’s breath shattered and scattered like ashes, dissolving into the air. Silence fell as if the void had swallowed sound. Lily, unable to comprehend what was happening, stood wide-eyed.

Breck stood before her, holding the holy sword. The light emanating from the sword soared into the sky, making it seem as if only that spot was illuminated in the dark, clouded world.

“Oh, oh…”

Mayor Arett, in shock, collapsed to the ground. Wilberg knelt and paid his respects, and Lady Ploy, half-dazed, supported her husband as they knelt together. The employees of the mansion, initially standing with their mouths agape, saw the butler trembling and kneeling, and they all prostrated themselves on the ground. Everyone in the city who witnessed the clash in the sky did the same.

Lily couldn’t move. She couldn’t comprehend what was happening. No, she understood, but that made it harder to accept reality, leaving her standing there, trembling.

Baerba’s voice boomed down.

『You are the real Revaston!』

“Ha, geez.”

Realizing his identity was exposed, Breck let out an incredulous sigh. He felt both annoyed and angry. Yet the oblivious dragon continued.

『With the holy sword here, I knew you’d be here too! How dare you send an imposter? Do you think you can mock a dragon and live?』

“Two mad dragons in one era.”

『What did you say?!』

“Breathing fire just to find me, what else but madness?”

Breck said sarcastically, lifting the holy sword.

“A madman needs a beating. Let’s fight.”

The dragon lord would understand, given that this dragon had almost destroyed an innocent city.

Kweeeek!

The sky brightened, filled with a sound like a mountain range roaring.

**

“I apologize.”

In a corner of the garden, Baerba, having transformed into a human, was kneeling. Kneeling before a mere human in human form was an unthinkable humiliation, but after taking a beating, there was no room for pride. He wanted to apologize in his dragon form, but he couldn’t enter Viscount Aiden’s mansion that way.

“But it was a misunderstanding. I didn’t intend to destroy the city.”

Baerba spoke cautiously.

“With the holy sword here, it was clear you would be here, and so…”

“I planted the sword there because I intended to discard it.”

『If you’re going to discard me, let go of me now! It’s shameless to abandon me once and then hold onto me when needed!!』

The holy sword’s ego shouted loudly. If it didn’t truly consider him its master, it would have already struck him with lightning, so Breck didn’t mind.

“And even if I hadn’t discarded it, what were you planning to do if I couldn’t rush over and block your breath? You didn’t even give a 30-minute interval; you just breathed fire immediately.”

“……”

“I’m going to take this matter up with the dragon lord. Even if humans are trivial to dragons, if you’re willing to massacre countless lives so easily, your future is Grid’s. Isn’t that right?”

Baerba couldn’t say anything and didn’t dare to scowl. He thought it was absurd to be compared to Grid, but he knew that saying the wrong thing would only make the disgrace of being beaten by a human even worse. Even if the opponent was the dragon slayer who defeated Grid.

Breck, instead of venting his rising annoyance on Baerba, took it out on the back of the head of the self-proclaimed Revaston, who was also kneeling a bit further away.