Chapter 31
“Regarding this incident, His Lordship has expressed his deepest apologies to the young master of the Vilroct family.”
The one who spoke while bowing his head was Vincent, Wolfgang’s adjutant.
Vincent stood facing Edan inside the lodging prepared for the challengers, his expression filled with embarrassment.
He had no choice but to apologize.
It was entirely Wolfgang’s responsibility to ensure the trials proceeded safely.
Given the gravity of the matter, Wolfgang had sent his adjutant Vincent instead of lower-ranking subordinates to convey his message.
“He also asked me to convey his regret that he cannot apologize in person due to the severity of his injuries.”
“……May I ask what exactly happened?”
Edan still couldn’t grasp the full picture of the situation.
The adjutant hesitated for a moment before answering his question.
He explained everything—from the fact that one of the challengers, Mirati, had turned out to be a black mage, to how she had summoned an evil god.
“Good heavens… such a thing really happened…….”
As the story continued, Edan grew so shocked that he couldn’t close his mouth.
He had wondered what kind of event could cause such an unprecedented accident… and now it all made sense.
In truth, he had felt considerable dissatisfaction that the trial had been forcibly halted.
But if such a catastrophe had been unfolding behind the scenes, getting angry felt pointless.
“His Lordship wishes to discuss compensation with you, Sir Edan, as soon as he recovers.”
“I see…….”
“Please stay comfortably in our castle until then. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Just as Vincent finished delivering the message, bowed politely, and was about to leave the lodging,
Edan urgently called out to him.
“W-wait! There’s just one more thing I’d like to ask!”
“Yes? Ah, yes. Please speak.”
“Since Ruth Fried is a fellow challenger like myself, he must have also been caught up in the unfortunate accident before finishing the trial, right?”
“……Well.”
“Earlier, I caught a glimpse of him and his condition looked just as serious as His Lordship’s. Is he alright?”
Though their only conversation had been that brief exchange in the audience chamber,
The boy named Ruth Fried had given Edan a great deal of inspiration in many ways.
The terrifying dominance Ruth had displayed through the stone slab during the trial still sent chills down Edan’s spine even now.
A warrior naturally admires those with greater talent than himself.
Edan sincerely hoped Ruth was safe.
“We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m certain he’ll be fine. His Lordship gave strict orders to pay even more special attention to treating Sir Ruth than to himself.”
“As expected of the Tyrant of the North—he is truly wise.”
“He is the benefactor who saved his life, and the first person on the continent to fully conquer <Trial of Entur>. It is only natural that His Lordship would cherish him.”
“Yes. I think the same… Wait, what did you just say……?”
For a moment, Edan doubted his own ears.
What did I just hear?
The first person to fully conquer the trial?
With trembling pupils, Edan stared at Vincent and asked again.
“Then… does that mean Ruth Fried completed the entire <Trial of Entur> before the incident occurred?”
“That is what I was told. I was so shocked I nearly fainted when I first heard it. Heh heh.”
“…….”
Right after,
Vincent left the lodging after adding that Edan should let him know if he needed anything.
Even after he left, Edan sat motionless on the bed, staring blankly like someone who had lost his mind.
The shock still hadn’t faded.
‘He… he surpassed the record of the Tyrant of the North?’
A boy who looked younger than him—at most seventeen years old?
During the trial, he had already realized he was falling behind Ruth.
But he had only been slightly outpaced in the early stages and firmly believed he would eventually overtake him.
He had been certain that if the trial hadn’t been disrupted midway, he would have taken first place in the end.
But this?
This was an outcome that completely defied imagination… an overwhelming gap.
‘From the very beginning, he was advancing so far ahead that there was never any room to catch up.’
It wasn’t inferiority or awe.
An emotion he had never felt before crushed his chest.
Edan silently clutched his head with both hands.
And then.
[…….]
There was a single ‘eye’ quietly watching his figure through the glass window of the lodging.
Three days had passed since the trial ended.
These three days were probably the most comfortable and relaxing time I had experienced since possessing this game.
Well, it was also true that I had only gone through absolutely shitty events until now.
Setting that aside, while staying in the castle I received every possible form of utmost hospitality.
From meals to minor conveniences. The castle maids treated me as if I were the lord himself.
Even the castle’s top healers, who should have been attending Wolfgang, took care of me to the point it felt burdensome.
Honestly, they didn’t need to go this far.
<The biggest issue—the aftereffects of the spiritual power—are all being borne by this body, are they not?>
“Yeah.”
<But those healers have no idea and have been bestowing advanced blessings on you every single day. Why don’t you tell them the truth?>
“It’s more beneficial to receive advanced blessings while I can, even if my body is fine. To be precise, it slightly increases the effectiveness of my Paladin-type skills.”
<I see. Then I have one more question.>
“Go ahead.”
<Since when have you started speaking more casually to me? Is this body mistaken?>
Entur, now my subordinate, floated lightly around me like a ghost and asked.
If someone asked why the master speaks casually to his subordinate, what should I even answer?
“On the contrary, I want to ask. You’re the subordinate, so why are you still speaking formally to your master?”
<Because this body is a supreme dragon! There is a clear hierarchical relationship of species between humans and dragons!>
“Before being human and dragon, we are master and servant.”
<What?>
“It’s me who should be nitpicking your tone. I’m just letting it slide because I don’t want to be childish.”
<Y-you…! The one who used to respectfully call me Ancient Dragon, Ancient Dragon—now that we formed a contract, you’ve become completely arrogant…!>
Entur stiffened her tail and glared at me fiercely.
Even in human form after polymorph, she couldn’t hide those horns and tail. Or rather, it seemed like she deliberately didn’t because of her ancient dragon pride.
<Just wait. While you’re sleeping, I’ll drench you with cold air. You’ll feel like dying the next day.>
“…….”
Even though she growled with a face full of dissatisfaction, Entur ultimately didn’t actually harm me.
Whether she liked it or not,
It was proof that she also clearly recognized we were now a community of fate sharing the same goal.
I ignored Entur, who was subtly leaking chilly cold air beside me, and checked my <Rank> value.
Lying still in bed and chatting was far less productive than checking my status window.
<Player Information>
Name: Ruth Fried
Level: 30
Class: Blood Mage
Rank: 971/1000 (5 Stars)
<It is truly mysterious—neither magic nor artifact effect. Even this body, which has encountered countless mysteries, is seeing something like this for the first time.>
“…….”
Entur commented with an intrigued gaze while observing the status window, but it didn’t really register in my ears.
My mind went blank for a moment at the <Rank> value that had skyrocketed beyond imagination.
Yes, it was truly beyond imagination.
‘When I finished the ‘Foot’ trial, I was still 4 stars…….’
Yet after completing all the trials, I had advanced to 5 stars.
Even with the effect of <Authority of Growth> applied, wasn’t this an abnormally fast pace?
‘……Well, thinking about the achievements I pulled off in the trials, it would be strange if it hadn’t risen a lot.’
Not only had I succeeded in the final trial, I had also taken down a Constellation that wasn’t even scheduled.
Although Belgious was the lowest-ranking Constellation, a human had still defeated a god.
The greater the adversity I overcame, the greater the fruit <Authority of Growth> bore. In that sense, this result was only natural.
Moreover,
‘There were additional rewards as well.’
As I mentioned before, the challenger who cleared <Trial of Entur> with the highest score and in the shortest time receives additional rewards.
And that additional reward was none other than stat points.
‘Even I can tell it’s excessive.’
Just how many rewards did I reap from a single set of trials? It was almost overwhelming.
Some of them were surely thanks to the girl floating beside me.
<What are you looking at.>
“Thanks to the trials you designed, I was able to become stronger. I express my sincere gratitude.”
<Oh? Then have you finally developed some respect for this body?>
“No.”
<……..>
Before Entur could make a face like she had chewed on shit and start complaining, I preemptively got up from the bed.
Time to get some night air.
Until Wolfgang fully recovered, I would enjoy this brief peace as much as possible.
***
I strolled through the empty garden, admiring the brightly blooming winter flowers.
After briefly enjoying a walk amid the flower scents that did not wither even in <Argon>’s cold and the tranquil silence,
Whoosh—!
A sharp cutting sound pierced the silence and reached my ears.
Wondering what it was, I realized I had wandered all the way to the training grounds bordering the outer edge of the garden.
“…….”
But that wasn’t the important part.
Normally I would just turn around and go back the way I came, but I couldn’t do that.
The sword technique slicing through the air had produced that cutting sound.
And the momentum that had ridden the wind and touched my senses.
That momentum was so heavy and murderous that it momentarily made my entire body feel weighed down.
In <Argon>—no, across the entire continent—there were few who had reached such a high realm.
“I sensed an unusual presence approaching… so it was you after all.”
“Lord Mayor.”
Wolfgang.
Noticing my gaze, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at me.
Upon closer inspection, two guardian knights were hiding their presence in the shadows on the opposite side of the training grounds.
I almost got angry wondering why he was out here at this hour when he should be focusing on recovery… but I soon understood.
He was shirtless, and true to his veteran status, his solid body showed mostly healed wounds aside from old scars.
Still, I asked out of courtesy.
“Is your body alright now?”
“Why do you keep stealing my lines since last time? Shouldn’t I be the one asking if you’ve fully recovered and are out enjoying a walk in the middle of this cold night?”
“Yes.”
“……You absorbed spiritual power with your bare body and already recovered—hm, no. Well, the healers did report that your condition wasn’t as critical as they thought.”
<This is farewell with that fellow, then. He was quite a good one, fitting for the apostle this body acknowledged. I’ll miss him.>
Entur, who had now left her remains and stayed with me, smiled bitterly.
The fact that her words could not reach Wolfgang added even more weight to that bitterness.
Since she had become my exclusive spirit servant, from now on she would only be visible to my eyes.
“I’m glad you’re fully healed. You came to the training grounds at just the right time.”
“Pardon?”
When I showed my confusion, Wolfgang dismissed the knights instead of answering.
As if he wanted to be alone with me.
The knights hesitated, worried if it was okay, but eventually yielded to Wolfgang’s fierce glare and quickly left the training grounds.
“Come up.”
“…….”
I stepped onto the training grounds as he instructed.
Then soon,
Whoosh—
Wolfgang threw me a well-forged real sword—not a wooden training sword.
Catching the sword, I immediately understood what this sequence of events meant.
“You and I have both returned to our original condition, and I’ve just loosened up my stiff muscles. So now, isn’t it time to pay the ‘price of defeat’?”
“The price of defeat……”
“Yes. I will personally teach you all the forms of our family’s secret sword art, <Frost Fang>—”
Shing.
Wolfgang smiled refreshingly and pointed the tip of his sword at me.
“—not just showing them to you.”
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