Chapter 113 – Hero (6)

[Something new might appear so I listened, but really just a boring story.]

After the prince talked for quite a while, a heavy voice echoed through the entire underground plaza.

It wasn’t from the dragon’s mouth, but it was clearly obvious the dragon said it.

[Let’s see, first let me question some facts.]

The dragon raised its front legs and scratched its own head. Thanks to the leisurely appearance, it looked like a grandfather lecturing children who invaded his home.

[First, kids advancing downward under my orders is true, but frankly it’s not so different from you human kingdoms fighting among yourselves, right? Well, if I bring up the suffering during this time, I’m more of the victim here.]

“What kind of sophistry! Countless people lost their lives in the war you started!”

At the dragon’s leisurely words, the prince shouted with rage-filled voice.

The mage signaled the prince with his eyes from beside him. The longer the prince bought time, the more the party could recover strength from the battle.

Of course the prince wasn’t speaking with such reasoning in mind, but thanks to that they already recovered considerably.

[War killing people isn’t new… Well, anyway this ‘Mad Dragon’ you mentioned seems right for describing my current state. Over long years I couldn’t understand why occasionally emotional dragons punish humans, but now I finally understand the reason.]

“There’s a reason for becoming a Mad Dragon?”

The mage recovering mana was startled at the dragon’s words and opened his mouth. The dragon’s words were that important.

This world had been constantly suffering from Mad Dragons that appeared occasionally.

Kingdoms fell and countless people died, and especially the magnificent Ancient Magical Empire’s fall was also because of a crazed Ancient Dragon.

Moreover, dragons had strong personal tendencies so even if other dragons went crazy, if it didn’t affect them they tended to just observe.

So the damage was all shifted onto humans.

[Not worth explaining to you, what you call Mad Dragon is just uncontrolled state. Our nature blocked by ethics, rationality, and magic is just revealed outward. Well, beings that don’t grow mentally seem to go crazy during transformation but that’s not my concern.]

True to the dragon’s words, the hero party couldn’t understand his words.

[Thanks to that I could release the trash-like anger toward humans I suppressed with reason.]

“Don’t scorn humans! Since you yourself said you’ve gone mad, apologize through death to everyone who died!”

The Holy Maiden and mage pondered what the dragon’s words meant, but the prince just set aside incomprehensible story and burst only with anger toward the dragon.

“Well, I’ve relieved boredom anyway so should we wrap up? Since from somewhere a rather disgusting feeling is wafting out, getting annoyed too.”

The dragon’s leisurely momentum gradually increased. Looks like the fight was about to start.

Without popcorn, Sun-woo watching from the corner with pounding heart flinched at the dragon’s words.

The illusion technique tried to hide as much as possible but it was imperfect. Using illusion to hide appearance and also tried to hide sound and presence, but again it wasn’t easy.

But fortunately seems like location wasn’t discovered so could at least sigh with relief.

The fight started with the Holy Maiden’s shout.

“Blessings to all!”

God’s blessing, buff strengthening mana and body abilities was infused into the hero party. Simultaneously the prince began rushing forward.

The dragon didn’t sit idle either. Simultaneously with the Holy Maiden’s shout, immediately opened its mouth wide. Looks like was about to use the dragon’s exclusive breath attack.

[It’s a pity the lair I carefully cultivated will be destroyed but everyone die!]

Since the fight started there was no need to waste time. From the dragon’s mouth, green poisonous breath spewed toward the front.

But the hero party was adequately prepared too. The moment breath spewed from the dragon’s mouth, flame spirits appeared before the party pouring out fire.

When the dragon’s breath and the fire the volcano spirit spewed out met, the grass and trees on the ground melted from poison and burned in flames.

If it was ordinary flame spirit’s fire, would have been pushed back by breath immediately, but Alda’s spirit was one with the essence of volcano.

While the dragon spewed all its breath, the spirit’s flame endured.

[Not even a Spirit King yet blocking it!]

The astonished dragon’s voice echoed through the underground plaza and simultaneously the prince burst through the fading flames.

The armor was all charred by flames turning black, but the prince’s eyes shone brightly.

As the prince approached, the dragon shot magics at him, but they were all blocked and extinguished by the protective magic unfurled around the prince.

It was defensive magic the mage put up with perfect timing.

Crack!

Eventually the prince succeeded in swinging his sword at the dragon’s leg and tremendous blood spewed from the leg where the sword passed.

The dragon’s scream was the signal for true battle to begin. The enraged dragon shot magic in all directions and swung tail and claws desperately to kill the prince who wounded it.

And the hero party blocked magic and dodged while supporting the prince and attacking from distance, so inside the lair became a mess with explosions and flames, various magic and divine power.

“Tsk, even watching is tough.”

Sun-woo who had retreated into the opened secret passage blocked the impact of attacks flowing into the passage while making a troubled expression.

But fortunately, beyond his expectation, the hero party fought the dragon well. Whether prepared beforehand to fight the dragon, they avoided and blocked well even the dragon’s breath and magic and attacks using its massive body.

“But looks like it’ll be somewhat short of defeating it.”

Sun-woo who peeped outside the entrance clicked his tongue small.

“Recovery is too fast!”

The prince who had been slashing at the dragon shouted loudly to the party while riding on its back, evading attacks.

Because the prince rode on its back, the dragon became even angrier and crashed its body into the wall and the prince urgently had to get down from the dragon’s body.

Though the prince’s sword passed countless times and flames covered it several times, the wound the dragon received on its leg at first now had only scars remaining and other wounds also recovered quickly.

“Tsk, I thought since Mad Dragon excitement makes them lose mind when fight starts but the recovery magic still works well.”

Mage Graham sighed with tired expression. His mana was nearly depleted from interfering with the dragon’s magic until now.

The mage examined the party with serious expression.

The Holy Maiden also seemed to be revealing her divine power running out as she leaned on her staff, the prince’s movements slowed and even light pouring from his sword dimmed.

Moreover even Alda was sweating like rain despite the flame spirit summoner name. Spirit power seemed to be depleting and exposing her to heat.

Mage Graham clicked his tongue seeing the exhausted Alda. This dragon subjugation started because of Alda, a spirit mage with Spirit King-level spirits.

Thanks to her participation, the prince’s party who remained at decent fame could become legendary hero party.

They solved ancient empire dungeons they couldn’t approach and defeated monsters causing people pain.

Thanks to that the hero party came running to face the dragon with renewed courage.

But even though Alda joined, there were limits.

Past preparations became meaningless as the Mad Dragon’s mana and magic far exceeded his expectations.

“Looks like I need to consider dragon hunting a failure.”

The mage sighed regretfully and took out a small stick from his pocket. The stick appearing made of bone emitted dull grayish light.

This stick was an item sealed after Alda became part of the party. Of course before then rarely used it, and every time it was used the prince would complain noisily.

Graham immediately pointed the bone stick at the raging dragon and shouted loudly.

“Last operation!”

At his words, everyone’s expression darkened. Last operation was the signal for retreat they predetermined beforehand.

Simultaneously black light flowed from the stick surrounding the dragon.

Screeeeech!

From within the black fog came sounds like screaming and soon bizarre-looking creatures began revealing themselves.

They were monsters with dark red skin and four to eight limbs.

“Damn! I told you not to summon these!”

Until then the prince swinging sword at the dragon saw the monsters appearing nearby and spoke unusually harsh words.

Indeed, what the mage summoned were creatures from other worlds also called demons in this world.

Monsters appearing through evil or dark summoning methods, even after summoning finished, crave blood or eat corpses wandering around, so most people hated and feared these monsters.

But Graham was a mage, and moreover a mercenary mage didn’t choose means for results.

“Leave them and quickly escape!”

Graham confirmed the monsters clinging and crawling up the dragon and shouted to the prince.

But the answer from the prince was different from expectations.

“That won’t do! If we retreat, countless people will die. We can still fight!”

Perhaps it was an answer fitting the prince’s character.

“That bastard, starting again.”

The mage sighed at the prince’s objection. It wasn’t the first or second time the party got endangered because of this inconsistent personality.

“Damn! It won’t be easy to knock him out and take him this time.”

Graham began pondering whether to abandon the prince in this difficult situation. But the problem wasn’t just the prince.

Alda began pouring fire to its limits at the dragon following the prince’s words.

“Were there two idiots?”

Looks like this matter was completely ruined. In such situations escape would be difficult too.

True to his prediction, the summoned monsters had their teeth puncture the dragon’s body then disappeared in turn at the enraged dragon’s movements.

The prince was also hit by its tail and bounced far away.

Seeing this the mage was about to quickly escape but seeing the dragon’s mouth wide open toward them, his face turned black.

Since Alda already used spirit power beyond limits, there was no way she could block the breath.

Kwaaaaaah!

Next moment the dragon’s breath spewed toward the party and as expected Alda’s flames were pushed by breath and scattered into the air.

Breath approached the party and at the moment everyone thought of death.

Kwakwakwang!

A wall of earth rose up before Alda like a cliff blocking the breath!

The mage and Holy Maiden looked at the earth wall before their eyes with bewildered expressions and Alda frowned deeply.

Certainly a familiar scene!