Chapter 74: You son of a X!

“Hooo…….”

Thump.

Kung.

As the tension eased, his legs gave out on their own, even though his body had fully recovered.

He had really died and come back to life several times.

To think that a 6-Circle magician would mobilize several magical tools to try and capture him, who was known to be only a 2~3-Star.

‘Why the hell are these evil cult bastards so obsessed with me?

I'm the one who should have obsession or a grudge, so why?’

Along with the renewed question, anger and irritation surged.

‘Should I have asked before killing her…?’

Looking at the rotting witch's corpse, a belated regret spread, but.

‘No. It's meaningless anyway.’

They are the ones who planted a restriction in the mind of a low-level magician like Moeno.

If a 6-Circle magician self-destructed in that way, he might have gone to the underworld while trying to ask questions.

‘Anyway, if I catch and beat these bastards one by one, I’ll find out someday.’

As he ground his teeth, renewing his grudge against the Demon Cult bastards.

Lick.

Something rough licked his face.

Huh?

“Mya?!”

Miya flapped her wings with an expression that seemed to say, 'Don't make that face.'

Looking at it, his surging anger seemed to subside completely.

“Right, thank you. It’s all thanks to you. I’m alive thanks to you, Miya.”

“Mya!”

Lick.

Seeing Miya waddling over, flapping the small wings on its back, and licking his face again, a smile finally returned.

To think there was such a cute creature.

“Aww, you pretty thing~!”

“Mya!”

Hugging Miya and rubbing against it seemed to relieve all his mental fatigue.

But as he stroked its glossy black scales, reality set in once again.

‘A child that can absorb about half of a 6-Circle level magic from birth. If this child’s mother is…’

What kind of monster would it be?

Just imagining it made his body tremble.

“Mya?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’ll find your mom for you. Let’s go.”

“Mi…ya?”

He stood up abruptly, holding the bewildered-looking Miya.

But as he did, he couldn't help but worry again.

‘Should I continue to the northern mountain range like this? Or…’

Now that he had dealt with the witch who was chasing him, would it be better to return to Drasen, properly prepare, and go with support?

‘The depths of the northern mountain range are said to be a literal demonic realm…’

For a moment, Muno's gaze alternated between the north and the west, and then it turned to the west.

‘…I need at least a minimum of information.’

He wondered if his exhausted self from the all-night battle was unconsciously looking for an excuse to rest, but at least for now, there was no enemy chasing right behind him.

The footsteps led by that feeling of relief.

“Miya?”

“I’ll show you our house. Before we find your mom.”

“Mya!”

Seeing Miya licking his face again, Muno hugged it tightly once more without realizing it.

Perhaps because they had forged a bond of comradeship in the previous battle, the feeling of strange attraction he had for it even before it was born from the egg seemed to have become much stronger.

Yes.

‘For just one day…’

Nothing will happen.

With that thought, Muno headed for Drasen with Miya in his arms.

* * *

“Muno hasn't returned yet?”

A meeting to review the situation of the previous night and prepare for the new day.

The lord who was presiding over the meeting, Ryan Drasen, tilted his head and asked again.

“Yes. He said he would be back before the sun rises…”

At that moment, Ryan’s eyebrows twitched, but he soon became conscious of the surrounding gazes and shook his head.

“He’ll be back soon. Let’s discuss other matters first.”

His son had grown stronger at a surprising rate in a few months.

He wouldn't have any trouble in the south of Drasen, let alone the northern mountain range.

There was just one thing that bothered him.

‘Even the Demon Cult bastards wouldn't try to target him again in Drasen at a time when even the royal family is paying attention.’

Making such a rational judgment, he relieved himself of even the slightest worry.

“Then, next, regarding the castle’s food and budget if this wave turns out to be longer than expected…”

But as the meeting continued for several hours.

- My lord!

Kwang. Kwang.

"…What is it?"

“Who is being so rude…”

At the loud noise, everyone’s eyes turned to the door of the Great Hall.

Kwang!

Soon, the large door was violently thrown open, and Roider, a knight with huge arms, rushed in with a pale complexion.

“My lord, there’s a big problem!”

At the words of the knight who had been taking turns guarding the southern wall of Drasen last night, Ryan’s complexion changed drastically.

He began to have a bad feeling.

“What’s wrong?”

“There have been reports of a series of explosions from the east of the south gate, and that the forests of the plain in the same direction are burning one after another! It seems to be magic…!”

"The south?!"

"This is…!"

Kwang.

"Tell me the exact location! I'll go myself!"

He stood up from his chair at once.

"You can't! My lord, you're still recovering!"

"I will go!"

"No. I will go!"

Gunter, Larry, and other knights began to step forward one after another, worrying about the still gaunt lord.

“No. If it really is the magician bastards, I'm the only one who can deal with them!”

"Then I will join you!"

At the end of an urgent argument(?), it was decided that Ryan and Gunter would go together.

However.

In the short time it took for them to put on their armor and get on their horses.

- It’s Young Master Muno!!

Cheers began to be heard from the unexpected eastern wall.

"…What?"

Ryan, with a dumbfounded expression, soon began to run towards the east gate with a relieved look.

- Open the gate…!

“Don’t open it! It’s a hassle! I’ll just climb over!”

Pak.

Chwareureuk.

The iron chain that shot out as he jumped wrapped around the projecting parapet of the wall, the chi, and launched his body into the air.

“Mya!”

"Yeah, it's great, isn't it?"

Hwiiiing.

Savoring the feeling of being Spider-Man, he was about to jump down into the castle, past the soldiers looking up at him.

But he saw a strange sight.

‘Huh?’

Kung.

After landing, right after pulling out his feet that were deeply embedded in the ground.

He looked at his father in front of him, fully armed, and asked with a blank face.

"…What is it, Father? Are you going to fight somewhere? You haven't fully recovered yet, have you?"

It was a perfectly valid question, but his father laughed with an incredulous look on his face.

“I heard some strange news from the south, so I thought you were in trouble.

I’m glad you’re not. By the way, what’s that black lizard?”

“Mya!?”

Chwreureu.

Was it because of the word 'lizard'?

As soon as Miya saw his father, it bared its teeth and raised its scales.

"Miya, it's okay. It's okay."

“Miya…”

Chwreureuk.

Even as he stroked Miya to calm it down, it seemed to be overly wary of his father for some reason.

No, to be precise.

‘Slayer?’

He had a feeling that Miya's senses were somehow directed towards the beloved sword, Slayer, which was slung on his father's back, but he didn't think much of it for now.

"Muno?"

"Ah…. Let's go inside and talk. I have a lot to say."

"What?"

"The incident in the south, and this one’s matter. They’re both related."

It was a story that was difficult to tell where the soldiers could hear.

Perhaps reading his intentions, his father soon nodded and turned his steps again.

And then.

"Wow, brother, really. Where did you find such a cool little guy…!?"

Lian, whom he met on the way, had his eyes sparkling when he saw Miya.

“Mya!”

“Ah, you startled me.”

“Sorry, Lian. This little one is a bit sensitive…. Let’s talk later.”

"…Yes. But wings…"

“Mya!”

The admiring Lian and the on-edge Miya.

Both of them looked cute, but there was no time to appreciate that.

“Brother, is this child, by any chance, a dragon…?”

Sometimes, his younger brother showed a rather sharp eye.

To mention a dragon right away, not even a wyvern.

But he couldn't respond for now.

"Maybe?"

"As expected of my brother…"

"Sorry, Lian! Let's talk about the details later."

His younger brother, with his eyes sparkling, looked back and forth between him and Miya.

There were many things he wanted to say to the smart Lian, but the immediate matter was more urgent.

And at the Inner Castle, where he arrived, in a private meeting with his father, Muno told him everything that had happened last night.

“…It's good news that you dealt with that witch, but is a lizard this big really an offspring?

And it absorbs magic like you?”

His father's reaction was not much different from what he had expected.

The way he looked at Miya, who was placed on the desk, also seemed uneasy.

But Miya's reaction was more intense.

“Mya!”

"…What's wrong with it?"

It was a little strange to see his father flinch and step back at Miya's unusually hostile attitude.

"Do you dislike reptiles?"

"It's rarer to find someone who likes them!"

…Is that so?

But Miya is cute.

‘Lian also said it was a cool little guy, didn’t he?’

With that thought, he looked at Miya again, but.

“Mya!”

“Get this thing away from me! I might cut it down!”

His father was just disgusted by Miya growling in front of him.

“Miya!”

"This thing, really!"

The scene was somewhat amusing.

“Please move Slayer away.

Then it probably won't be so irritable.”

"What?"

"It seems to be reacting to Slayer's mana. So please keep it away for a moment, okay?"

It was just something he said to end the ridiculous confrontation between Miya and his father.

“Heo…”

At that moment, his father's expression changed subtly.

"Could it be a real dragon?"

"Yes?"

"This Slayer is an artifact known to have killed a dragon in the mythical era.

That's why its name is Slayer.

It is said that dragons instinctively know such things."

"Hoo…?"

He had seen many cases where monsters from the myths he had heard in his previous life actually existed in this world, but it was strange to see that even a treasure with such a legend was similar.

However, then there was something else that was strange.

“Why would such a treasure…?”

Be given to his father.

He blurted it out and then cut himself off, realizing his mistake.

Seeing his father's bitter smile, he felt he had made an even bigger mistake.

‘This damn mouth of mine is always…’

As he was blaming himself and trying to come up with an excuse.

An unexpected answer came back.

"Because it originally belonged to our family."

"…Yes?"

“The Corporeal Arts of Gluttony and the ability of this Slayer, don’t you think they go quite well together?”

“Uh, ah…?”

The Corporeal Arts of Gluttony, which extremely consumes the energy in the body to produce explosive destructive power in an instant.

And Slayer, which converts that energy into mana to exert tremendous power, likewise, in an instant.

Thinking about it, it was truly a perfectly matched user and artifact.

And the reason was.

“Our Drasen family is a family with a long history that has been passed down since the mythical era, known to be the bloodline of dragon hunters.

We lost most of our family treasures and traditions due to our downfall.”

"So…"

"Fortunately, Slayer was among the rewards given during the Demon Cult subjugation 10 years ago, and His Excellency, knowing that, showed me consideration.

Thanks to that, I was able to reclaim our family heirloom."

“…The heirloom you were talking about then was…?”

"Yes. It's not that I made this treasure our family heirloom after I obtained it, but it was originally our family's heirloom.

Now, if we can just restore more of the Drasen Greatswordmanship's secret arts…"

His father's wistful expression.

It was the moment he finally understood the words he had just let pass by during his dull days.

Of course.

“Mya!”

Miya didn't even give his father time to be lost in such sentiment.

"…Please put it away for a moment."

“Mya! Mya!”

"…Alright. This little one's temper, really."

At the baby dragon's struggle, the heirloom was moved far behind the chair for a short while.

“Mya…”

“There, there. Come here, Miya.”

Finally calmed down, Miya jumped from the desk and fell into Muno's arms with a thud.

‘You little brat.’

As he was stroking its chin with a satisfied smile.

The scene seemed quite strange to his father.

"…Do you really find that thing cute?"

“Yes. Why?”

When Muno looked at his father with an expression that said, 'What's wrong with my child?', he shook his head.

"Tsk. Your taste is really…in many ways."

“Let’s talk about countermeasures instead, Father.

First, I need information on the depths of the northern mountain range. Even legends.”

“Are you really planning to enter the demonic realm?”

The depths of the northern mountain range are a demonic realm that humanity has not even attempted to pioneer since ancient times.

It is a dangerous area known to be inhabited by beings as dangerous as the demons that contract with magicians.

However.

“If this one’s mother is really a dragon, it will be a big problem if we keep it like this.

Lian told you about the incident three hundred years ago, didn't he?”

"…That's true. Alright. I'll look for the data. Even if I have to request it from Trian."

"Yes. I would appreciate it if you would do that."

"Support is…"

"I'll go alone."

"What?!"

"The territory's situation is not good, so food and water will be enough.

I don't need much either."

"No, but still…!"

"You know, I can even hunt monsters to replenish my energy.

So information is much more important."

At those words, Ryan looked at his son with a complicated gaze, then soon chuckled and nodded his head.

“I’ll have Esna prepare it.

You should rest in the meantime.”

“Yes. Father.”

He answered and was about to turn around.

"Heup!?"

At that moment, goosebumps ran all over his body.

"…What's wrong?"

"Th-this son of a X!"

"What!?"

"Father, I'm going ahead!! Damn it!"

Wajangchang.

Muno broke the office window and jumped out.

“Muno!!?”

There was no time to answer.

It couldn't be helped.

‘Th-this is crazy…’

From the distant north, a tremendous demonic energy that made his whole body tremble despite the great distance was approaching.