“A lot of lizards….that’s the black dragon Fernigesch…..?”
“They…..are underlings. They are much similar to the sub-dragons.”
Responding to a nervous Neferte, Raidorl examined the situation from behind a rock.
They are located on a mountainside, with open space in the shape of a table. As they had reached a much higher altitude, the trees had reduced from the surrounding area and the ground below was bare.
‘No…..It’s not because of the high altitude that there’s no vegetation. All of it, these guys have eaten it.’
There are close to a hundred of them, large lizards.
Their huge bodies, about two metres long, are covered with jet-black scales and their eyes are deep red. With their large jaws, they chew and masticate all kinds of things, both meat and plants.
The voracious monitor lizard devours the carcasses of animals, including humans. Furthermore, grass, fruit and even tree trunks. They just kept on eating, regardless of whether they were animals or plants.
“That’s an amazing appetite……I don’t know why they’re so hungry.”
“It’s not just dead wild animals, there’s people too… so terrible.”
Looking at the giant lizard from behind Raidorl, Neferte’s face pales.
The people being eaten are probably residents of the villages at the foothills. They were attacked and taken away by them and are being devoured by the giant lizards.
“It’s a hell of an appetite. If left unchecked, it’s likely they will swallow up all the surrounding villages. We still have to fight. We can’t let the damage spread any further.”
“…..Yes, let’s take it down. We can’t leave a monster that has learnt the taste of man unattended.”
Neferte nodded deeply.
The young prince, who was filled with righteous indignation, put his hand on the dagger at his waist – the Mistilteinn, the holy sword of 『water』 , ready to fight at any time.
Seeing that Neferte was ready, Raidorl turned to his other companion, the old guide.
“You’ve been working hard.There’s going to be a battle now, so stay away and hide.”
“Ha……I understand!”
The old man’s face had lost its colour and turned completely white.
The old man had been speaking in defence of the black dragon Fernigesh just a few moments ago, but he must have realised that he was being naive when he saw a human being actually being eaten by a sub-dragon.
With a frightened expression on his face, he turned back the way he came and hid behind a tree.
“Well, …… it seems the time has come for you to show me the fruits of your training so far. Your Highness Neferte, may I leave this to you?”
“Your Highness Raidorl……you are not joking, are you?”
Neferte’s eyes widened at the sudden suggestion.
He looked at Raidorl to see if he was making fun of him, but there was no hint of a joke in his expression.
“Let me tell you…..that sub-dragon is not that strong an enemy. Even if a hundred of them were gathered, they would fall far short compare to the『Four Knights of the Apocalypse』 we fought. If you can’t defeat an enemy of that caliber single-handedly, I can’t count His Highness Neferte as a soldier, let alone a holder of the Holy Sword.”
“………..!”
Neferte’s shoulders shake as he is flicked by Raidorl’s words.
He realised something. Why had he been brought to this mountain?
For the past few weeks, Neferte has been training under Raidorl to master the holy sword. He thought he was much more mature than when she was once defeated by the 『Famine』 knights.
“So…..you are testing my strength. You intend to determine whether I possess sufficient power to fight witches?”
“……….”
At Neferte’s prediction, Raidorl silently hangs up the edges of his mouth.
There was no reply, but…..Neferte was sure. Raidorl had brought him to this mountain to gauge whether he had matured enough to be a holy sword-bearer.
By making him fight the black dragon Fernigesh, or one of his underlings, he is trying to determine Neferte’s strength.
If Neferte’s strength did not reach the level of his ability, Raidorl probably intended not to take him to fight against the witch Osman.
For Neferte, that is not something she can stand. Not being able to take part in the battle to reclaim his homeland was more unforgivable than being driven to his death.
“…….I’ll do it. Let me do it.”
Neferte murmured with determination and drew the holy sword Mistilteinn from its scabbard.
“If I can’t beat a hundred or two hundred lizards, I can’t possibly beat a horde of more than ten thousand undead. As the chosen one of the sacred swords of Athena, I will show you a battle you will not be ashamed of!”
“Well, if you’re……going for it. Try to get rid of that big lizard over there.”
“Okay…..”
When Neferte nodded, a wisp of mist was released from Mistilteinn’s blade. The holy sword is responding to its Master’s resolve.
Fernigesh, the Black Dragon.
The battle against the sub-dragon, a prelude to that battle, had begun.
“A lot of lizards….that’s the black dragon Fernigesch…..?”
“They…..are underlings. They are much similar to the sub-dragons.”
Responding to a nervous Neferte, Raidorl examined the situation from behind a rock.
They are located on a mountainside, with open space in the shape of a table. As they had reached a much higher altitude, the trees had reduced from the surrounding area and the ground below was bare.
‘No…..It’s not because of the high altitude that there’s no vegetation. All of it, these guys have eaten it.’
There are close to a hundred of them, large lizards.
Their huge bodies, about two metres long, are covered with jet-black scales and their eyes are deep red. With their large jaws, they chew and masticate all kinds of things, both meat and plants.
The voracious monitor lizard devours the carcasses of animals, including humans. Furthermore, grass, fruit and even tree trunks. They just kept on eating, regardless of whether they were animals or plants.
“That’s an amazing appetite……I don’t know why they’re so hungry.”
“It’s not just dead wild animals, there’s people too… so terrible.”
Looking at the giant lizard from behind Raidorl, Neferte’s face pales.
The people being eaten are probably residents of the villages at the foothills. They were attacked and taken away by them and are being devoured by the giant lizards.
“It’s a hell of an appetite. If left unchecked, it’s likely they will swallow up all the surrounding villages. We still have to fight. We can’t let the damage spread any further.”
“…..Yes, let’s take it down. We can’t leave a monster that has learnt the taste of man unattended.”
Neferte nodded deeply.
The young prince, who was filled with righteous indignation, put his hand on the dagger at his waist – the Mistilteinn, the holy sword of 『water』 , ready to fight at any time.
Seeing that Neferte was ready, Raidorl turned to his other companion, the old guide.
“You’ve been working hard.There’s going to be a battle now, so stay away and hide.”
“Ha……I understand!”
The old man’s face had lost its colour and turned completely white.
The old man had been speaking in defence of the black dragon Fernigesh just a few moments ago, but he must have realised that he was being naive when he saw a human being actually being eaten by a sub-dragon.
With a frightened expression on his face, he turned back the way he came and hid behind a tree.
“Well, …… it seems the time has come for you to show me the fruits of your training so far. Your Highness Neferte, may I leave this to you?”
“Your Highness Raidorl……you are not joking, are you?”
Neferte’s eyes widened at the sudden suggestion.
He looked at Raidorl to see if he was making fun of him, but there was no hint of a joke in his expression.
“Let me tell you…..that sub-dragon is not that strong an enemy. Even if a hundred of them were gathered, they would fall far short compare to the『Four Knights of the Apocalypse』 we fought. If you can’t defeat an enemy of that caliber single-handedly, I can’t count His Highness Neferte as a soldier, let alone a holder of the Holy Sword.”
“………..!”
Neferte’s shoulders shake as he is flicked by Raidorl’s words.
He realised something. Why had he been brought to this mountain?
For the past few weeks, Neferte has been training under Raidorl to master the holy sword. He thought he was much more mature than when she was once defeated by the 『Famine』 knights.
“So…..you are testing my strength. You intend to determine whether I possess sufficient power to fight witches?”
“……….”
At Neferte’s prediction, Raidorl silently hangs up the edges of his mouth.
There was no reply, but…..Neferte was sure. Raidorl had brought him to this mountain to gauge whether he had matured enough to be a holy sword-bearer.
By making him fight the black dragon Fernigesh, or one of his underlings, he is trying to determine Neferte’s strength.
If Neferte’s strength did not reach the level of his ability, Raidorl probably intended not to take him to fight against the witch Osman.
For Neferte, that is not something she can stand. Not being able to take part in the battle to reclaim his homeland was more unforgivable than being driven to his death.
“…….I’ll do it. Let me do it.”
Neferte murmured with determination and drew the holy sword Mistilteinn from its scabbard.
“If I can’t beat a hundred or two hundred lizards, I can’t possibly beat a horde of more than ten thousand undead. As the chosen one of the sacred swords of Athena, I will show you a battle you will not be ashamed of!”
“Well, if you’re……going for it. Try to get rid of that big lizard over there.”
“Okay…..”
When Neferte nodded, a wisp of mist was released from Mistilteinn’s blade. The holy sword is responding to its Master’s resolve.
Fernigesh, the Black Dragon.
The battle against the sub-dragon, a prelude to that battle, had begun.
