Chapter 660: Dawn

The economic city of Bruche in the Kingdom of Aizen.

This city was established thanks to a large loan from the Pater Church. Currently, dozens of kings, princes, and royals are gathered here, along with the armies they command.

It was inevitable since this was the only place that could accommodate such numbers and forces.

All of this was possible due to the massive investment by the Pater Church.

However, sadly, even such a miracle pales in comparison to the economic cities of the United Kingdom and Gallos.

Despite the pride of the Kingdom of Aizen, Bruche, being a superior city, it’s still just a small rural town compared to the cities of the United Kingdom and Gallos.

It’s a tragedy reflective of an era where faith is waning and gold is worshiped. On the other hand, it means that ‘Bruche in the Kingdom of Aizen’ is a city, no matter how small.

A city with factories, a population in the hundreds of thousands, and an army stationed within.

But a colossal shadow loomed over this city.

As the night’s darkness faded with the morning sun, a new darkness descended upon the city.

Rumble, rumble, rumble…

A massive wind blew from the sky, shaking the buildings of the city. A sign that something was off.

Under the curfew, the inhabitants who were still confined in their homes peeked out of their windows, trying to comprehend the situation.

Normally, such actions would be illegal, and the military controlling the city would have stopped it, but none of the soldiers did.

“What, what, what’s going on…?”

Even the soldiers were staring blankly at the sky.

They were looking at a massive creature floating leisurely above the city.

…

The appearance of the beast plunged both people and animals into silence, leaving the city in a chilling and eerie silence.

The only sounds were the occasional breaths, the swallowing of saliva, and the movement of eyes.

All those eyes were fixed on the massive creature hovering in the sky.

The creature had a long neck and legs, wings, a body larger than a mountain, yet agile like a wolf, and was covered in dark red scales.

To the citizens who had once faced the Pied Piper, this brought a new wave of terror.

Even the soldiers, who had come to defend the city if only nominally, began to tremble and reluctantly lowered their weapons.

Their will was crushed by the overwhelming presence.

This was no exception, even for those of noble blood.

“A dr… dragon…?”

Bruche City Hall.

One of the kings who confirmed the beast’s presence through a window spoke in a dazed voice.

His demeanor sharply contrasted with the previous authoritative stance he had when advocating for the Darksorcerer’s extermination.

But he wasn’t alone; the others were the same, so he shouldn’t be criticized.

“How… how did this happen?! Weren’t dragons extinct?”

“Who summoned it?”

“Is Summoning Magic that easy? Besides, who could summon a dragon… could it be an illusion?”

“It can’t be an illusion, or the city wouldn’t be trembling like this.”

Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik!!

As the group speculated that it might be an illusion, the beast drifting above the sky let out another terrifying roar.

As if resonating with that cry, the wooden windows and stone walls of the buildings shook violently, and the livestock like horses and dogs within the city went into convulsions, running wild.

At that instance, when the city’s survival seemed most threatened, the creature dived rapidly towards the outskirts of the city.

“What should we do?! Archpriest!!”

The kings, who had led their armies, clung to the sleeves of Archpriest Roderick and asked.

Their expressions were uniformly desperate. But contrary to them, Archpriest Roderick wore a faint smile.

“This is good news.”

“W-what?!”

“Good news? Are you out of your mind?”

“What do you mean?”

The puzzled crowd was met with Roderick’s explanation.

“The one we’ve been waiting for has returned. Let’s go and welcome him.”

As he spoke, the ground shook, and a giant cloud of dust rose at the city’s outskirts.

The dragon had landed near the city.

***

Kuhuhuhuhuhuhu…

As the Flesh Cook, having transformed into a dragon, landed, a deep rumbling vibration moved through the ground, spreading far and wide.

Thick, hazy dust rose all around.

For Oliver, whose Warlock’s Eye was more comfortable than his own eyes, it wasn’t much of a problem. Still, the Flesh Cook, now in dragon form, flapped its massive wings to clear the dust.

Thanks to the massive wings, the dust cleared in an instant, revealing people approaching through the gaps.

It was Archpriest Roderick, with a large figure, along with several finely dressed men and the Holy Knights and soldiers escorting them.

“Th-this can’t be…”

Someone who spotted Oliver murmured in shock. The others reacted similarly.

Their faces were turning pale, their pupils dilated and shaky, eyebrows drooping, cold sweat trickling down, slight trembling in their hands and feet, all while their emotions were in turmoil.

The reason was likely because Oliver stood on top of the Flesh Cook’s head.

Right atop the dragon that shadowed the entire city.

It was what he had aimed for from the start.

“Force.”

Oliver called the Child-Force that resided within the Flesh Cook, now transformed into a dragon.

Grrrrrrrr…

Through the Flesh Cook’s mouth, Force responded.

This sight caused further shock among the surrounding people.

Although they had suspected that Oliver might be in control of the dragon, confirming it with their own eyes was something entirely different.

Regardless of their reactions, Oliver continued his task.

“Could you help me descend?”

Upon Oliver’s request, Child-Force let out a low growl and lowered its elongated neck towards the ground.

Because of this, many people unintentionally got a clear view of the dragon’s face.

A dragon they’d only encountered in books and legends.

The dragon-transformed Flesh Cook was massive enough to be compared with an ancient dragon, yet the creature’s horns weren’t short, nor were its jawlines sagging. It looked young and powerful, and with its fiery red eyes and colossal maw, just looking at it made one’s knees weak.

But despite this, a Darksorcerer was using it as an elevator to reach the ground.

Thud.

Everyone’s attention naturally focused on that Darksorcerer.

His attire was neat, yet his figure was excessively thin. One hand was wrapped in bandages, while the other was holding a Quarterstaff. His appearance was striking, to say the least.

What stood out most was his unique hairstyle, with one side of his hair bleached white. Even so, despite his unusual appearance, he wasn’t initially intimidating.

However, whether it was because of the dragon he had ridden, or the strange atmosphere he exuded, no one dared easily open their mouths.

The kings and Archpriest were no exception. No matter how high their positions, they were still just people.

At that moment, someone broke the uncomfortable silence.

“Your Highness.”

It was Oliver. Riding on a dragon, he had now bowed his head and greeted Archpriest Roderick, who stood at the forefront.

He thoroughly adhered to the social etiquette, and thanks to this, those who had forgotten to breathe began to do so again, one by one.

“I apologize for leaving without permission.”

Oliver apologized for his unauthorized departure. Roderick responded to this.

“…It’s alright. I understand that you had urgent matters to attend to.”

Strictly speaking, it was more of a threat than a request for understanding, but no one, including Roderick, mentioned it.

If someone who had easily subdued several Holy Knights and returned riding a dragon says it was for understanding, then it was for understanding.

Instead, Roderick asked a question.

“Did you accomplish what you needed? You mentioned you had something to investigate.”

“Ah…”

Oliver let out a sigh, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

He looked at the finely dressed men standing behind Roderick, the soldiers, and the Holy Knights.

They all seemed to flinch as if burdened by Oliver’s gaze.

It was a strange sight, considering that these were kings of Central Continent nations.

For a king to be intimidated by a Darksorcerer’s gaze.

It was a reaction that didn’t quite fit a Darksorcerer who, unlike Puppet, Flesh Cook, Fen, and the Pied Piper, sought to coexist with the world rather than make an enemy of it.

No matter how powerful they were, those who sought to coexist with the order were supposed to show respect to these kings, who depended on the Pater Church for help.

That was the order of things.

That was why these kings could stand tall, under the order of the Pater Church.

Yet, these kings felt an unknown fear towards the Darksorcerer before them. That fear spoke.

“Yes, Archpriest Roderick. I looked into it successfully… And greetings to you as well, Your Highnesses.”

Oliver replied to Roderick, then greeted the others standing around him.

He was already aware that they were kings, and Roderick naturally pointed this out.

“Oh… you recognize the kings?”

It might seem like a strange question, but in reality, it wasn’t so odd.

In nations like the United Kingdom or Gallos, where kings are frequently exposed in the media, it might be different, but in most small kingdoms of Central Continent, this wasn’t the case.

Unless one was deeply invested in politics or affairs and studied them, recognizing the kings of Central Continent wasn’t an easy feat.

And Oliver fell into the latter category.

It wasn’t because he was lazy or unprepared.

It was simply that he had no interest in random strangers.

Yet, this same Oliver recognized the kings.

“By their attire,”

Oliver pointed to the attire of the kings, princes, and royals who had come leading the army as Roderick called their attention.

For those quick-witted enough, it was sufficient grounds for recognition, yet it felt somewhat dubious.

Nevertheless, no one questioned it. After all, it was merely a slight doubt, and besides, Oliver made a surprising statement.

“I heard you all gathered to exterminate the Pied Piper.”

Oliver already knew the reason for their gathering, even though no one had told him.

Despite some efforts to maintain secrecy, albeit imperfect due to some prideful individuals, it was still relatively kept under wraps.

How did he know?

Oliver answered.

“I just heard it.”

A vague and suspicious answer, claiming he simply heard it.

For a few of the Holy Knights, the sight of Oliver overlapped with that of the Pied Piper. That overwhelming and unsettling feeling they couldn’t put into words.

“Archpriest Roderick… May I ask what happened to the Darksorcerers who surrendered?”

“They are where they were. Moving them carelessly could only cause confusion. They’ve been disarmed and are under the watch of soldiers and the Holy Knights, isolated.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Oliver once again expressed his gratitude to Roderick.

His tone was a bit stiff, overly formal, but because of this, the tense atmosphere softened considerably.

“May I ask what you plan to do with those Darksorcerers?”

“As we discussed before, Your Highness, we’ll investigate with the Holy Knights. The most vicious criminals will be handed over to the Pater Church, and the rest will be managed by us.”

“Wait a moment.”

A third voice cut in, trying to maintain dignity.

It was King Beller of the Kingdom of Aizen, who had previously advocated for the massacre of the Darksorcerers to establish royal authority.

Moments ago, he had been silenced due to fear by the sudden appearance of the woodsman Dave riding a dragon. Seeing Roderick and Oliver conversing, he immediately intervened.

He acted based on his assessment that Dave wasn’t as crazy as previously thought according to his investigation.

‘The woodsman Dave. While called a new butcher, he’s not as insane as rumored.’

Beller recalled the information he had received.

Woodsman Dave. Known for his excellent task execution and for massacring Druids, he was infamous for his adherence to Randa’s harsh labor laws. However, on closer examination, his notoriety seemed somewhat inflated.

Even in Randa, known for its roughness, he was considered a formidable figure, but he was known to prefer conversations over brute force. People even said that he was unexpectedly reasonable.

That’s why Beller intervened.

Even though he appeared on a dragon, as long as he didn’t attack, he was as good as absent, and those who adhered to order should naturally show respect to a king backed by the Pater Church.

Beller intended to exploit this, cutting into the conversation to display his bravery and claim a stake in future events.

After all, he was the ruler of this city, and beyond that, this land.

Under such logic, Beller was about to state his position.

“I wish to express my gratitude to the hero of Randa who came to assist. But as the king of this nation-”

“-Archpriest Roderick.”

Oliver called out to Roderick while Beller was speaking.

He interrupted the words of a king, albeit of a small kingdom. There wasn’t even a hint that it was an accident. He simply interrupted because he didn’t want to listen.

As Beller’s face turned from red to purple in the blink of an eye, Oliver spoke again.

“I happened to overhear something on my way here. There’s a rumor that near where the Darksorcerers are, there’s a place where human sacrifices are being offered.”

The air stilled for a moment as Beller’s face turned deathly pale.

“Human sacrifices? Devil worship?”

“I’m not sure if it’s devil worship, but it’s said that humans were offered up.”

“Do you know where it is?”

Oliver glanced at Beller’s face. He was sweating profusely.

“I’m not sure. I think I heard something on that line, but…”

All the kings of Central Continent, including Beller, kept their mouths shut.