Chapter 13: Martina and the Dragonmancer 3
The royal city where we arrived after the carriage ride was nothing like the bustling metropolis that this old man had imagined.
Anghaaaar… Anghia…
Flying dragons buzzed above, and―
Kishaaaa~a~a! Gurururururu~u~u… !
The streets are filled with land-based dragons, and the earth rumbles with a thudding sound.
A massive dome-shaped ward encircled the entire royal city, most likely to keep the large number of dragons out.
A ward so large that it covered the entire city where hundreds of thousands of people lived. One word describes the spectacle: breathtaking.
An army, possibly the Knights of the Kingdom, is encamped outside the wards.
Citizens who had been driven out of the royal city gathered outside the camp and formed a kind of refugee camp.
“What in the world is this?!”
This is clearly an unusual circumstance.
“I’ve visited the Royal Capital numerous times, but I’ve never seen anything like this! Is this the end of the world?!”
“Stop! Stop! Stop!”
A kingdom’s soldier, who had been on the lookout, spotted us and approached us.
“As you can see, you are no longer permitted to enter the royal capital! Sorry, but you’ll have to detour and visit another town!”
“…What do we do now? Ride to another town?”
The coachman asks this old man.
“Don’t worry about it―thank you for your hospitality, but this old man has some important business to attend to and will be leaving here. “
“Oh, okay, all right. I’m sure you’ll be fine, but do be careful.”
This old man exits the carriage after paying the fare on the spot.
Then he addresses the soldier.
“I’m sorry, but I need to speak with his Majesty the King or the former Queen about an urgent report from the Adventurers’ Guild in Kiriya. Please take this…”
I have a letter from the Adventurers’ Guild as well.
This means that this old man is a guild official messenger.
“Huh…? It is, without a doubt, an official letter from the Adventurers’ Guild. But why a kid like you?”
“Ohoho. It’s a long story. “
“?”
I believe he was tilting his head due to the tone of voice rather than the content of this old man’s statement.
But this old man is just that: old. Even if he is told to, he cannot change his way of speaking.
“All right, all right. But, as you can see from the situation, I will try to schedule an appointment, but the higher-ups may be unavailable right now.”
“Yes, that’s all right.”
“Then come with me.”
As a result, this old man is allowed to enter the order’s camp…
“Hey, good for you! His Majesty the King will see you right away!”
“I thank you very much. Is Her Majesty the former Queen present?”
“No…Martina-sama is not here.”
“Huh? Where on earth would she be in such a time of crisis?”
“That’s…I’m sorry, but it’s not my place to say anything.”
―What exactly is going on?
In terms of the atmosphere, there is something wrong with it.
“Please accept my apologies.”
“No worries, let’s go.”
and the soldier leads this old man to the biggest camp tent.
“Reporting from Kiriya, I brought a messenger from the Adventurer’s Guild!”
“All right, come on in.”
“Please excuse me!”
This old man enters the tent after the soldier bows.
A man in his mid-30s stood there with a stern expression on his face.
He looks dignified and graceful in his white armor and cloak with the royal coat of arms.
He is the adopted son of the former Queen of Lacia, King Elfin.
Tina must have seen something special in him if she chose him to be her successor.
And by his side is a stunning woman dressed in a sorceress’ robe.
She’s probably in her late twenties.
“Huh…? Isn’t he still a child? I’ve heard they’re sending us the adventurer who defeated a legendary Demon General…?”
His Majesty the King turns his head at this old man.
“That’s this old man you’re referring to. He may look like this for a reason, but he’s got the skills.”
“I-Is that so…?”
His skeptical expression becomes even more skeptical.
After all, speaking in a way that is inappropriate for a ten-year-old is perplexing.
“If that’s the case, would you like to appraise my status and so on?”
“…All right, let’s do that―please, Erica.”
And he calls out to the robed woman.
“My name is Erica, and I’m a court magician. I’m delighted to meet you. Now, would you please hold still?”
She smiles softly and extends her hand to this old man.
It’s essentially the same as having your guild status appraised.
The information appears as a window with the status displayed on it.
“…Huh! What a huge status bonus! But, how?! His only skills are [Storage] and [Genius]?! What?! 9999 skill proficiency with an added effect?! This is something I’ve never seen before… 9999 proficiency is nonsense!”
She exclaimed in surprise when she saw this old man’s status.
“Oh…! This is absolutely fantastic! I can’t believe such a child exists…!”
“Your Majesty! I don’t think he’s saying anything false…!”
“I agree…!”
His Majesty the Elfin nodded enthusiastically.
“I’m sorry I doubted you. What is your name?”
“Ash. Aberth Ash.”
“You’re a strange talker, aren’t you? But that’s perfectly fine. But killing a demon general is a good thing for our country. Did you bring the body with you? Can I look at it?”
“All right. I’ll take up some space.”
This old man takes Barvel’s body out into the middle of the tent.
“Oh…! This is exactly what I saw in the book! One of the Eight Demon Generals, Barvel…!”
“What a terrifying demon! Even though it’s already dead, I can feel its power!”
“Ah, if this had appeared in the city, the city might have been destroyed…! Ash, your country will lavishly reward you. What do you want?”
If he gets a reward, this old man has only one wish.
I want to see Tina. That’s it.
This old man is about to say it, but…
“Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”
With a ferocious scream, Barvel’s body, which had been lying on its side, rose to its feet!
Barvel’s eyes are a brilliant red light that I’ve never seen before.
