Became a Medieval Fantasy Wizard-Chapter 205
TL/Editor: raei
Status: 5/week mon-fri
Illustrations: none
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Duke Araz had only one reason for delaying the dragon hunt until now.
She didn't want to lose her precious knights to some beast that popped up out of nowhere.
As a female noble, Duke Araz heavily relied on her knights' military power rather than her own skills.
Having never received knightly training, she didn't understand or care about the glory of hunting and victory.
She just wanted to protect her land properly, that's all!
'Your Grace! Protect your vassals as per our contract!'
'Rash actions often lead to failure. Wait until we locate the dragon's lair.'
Of course, the duke hadn't been sitting idle.
She had been preparing magical support and even siege engines modified for anti-dragon use.
But these prepared forces were only meant to defend the duke's direct territory.
Leading an army to protect rural barons would be a massive waste of time and money.
Her vassals might grumble and complain, but...
What could they do if the duke refused to move?
'Your Grace! Are you just going to watch the dragon's tyranny?'
'Hmm. Shall I appoint you as the leader of the dragon subjugation force?'
'How very prudent of you, Your Excellency!!!'
Even nobles as high as counts couldn't rashly confront the dragon.
While they could deal with a dragon attacking them, assaulting a dragon's lair felt entirely different.
As the duke was preparing to face the dragon...
Strange news arrived from the north.
'Your Grace! Breaking news! They say the Margrave of Haltramm has repelled the dragon!'
'... Is that true?'
Who was the Margrave of Haltramm?
A battle-hardened warrior guarding the northern edge of the empire!
The Margrave of Haltramm was a brave and fierce noble nicknamed the Barbarian-Slayer for defeating countless barbarians.
Rumor had it he could lift boulders with one hand and devour half a cow in a single meal, a warrior of tremendous strength.
'If it's Haltramm, he could do it!'
Duke Araz rejoiced.
The Margrave of Haltramm was a border lord.
He was a noble who had focused on developing military capabilities, tasked with defending the border.
The duke only knew the margrave by face, but she believed the rumors were true.
After all... there was no reason for false rumors to spread!
As the margrave's soldiers unanimously praised Haltramm's heroic deeds, Duke Araz had no choice but to believe the rumors.
She immediately summoned Haltramm and formed an expedition with his knights.
Even the duke would hesitate to face a fully healthy dragon, but...
A severely wounded dragon on the run was a tempting treasure trove!
'The dragon's treasure is mine!'
Duke Araz's eyes flashed with greed.
She vowed to let the margrave have the glory of being the Dragon Slayer, but she would definitely keep the treasure.
That's how Duke Araz and the Margrave of Haltramm's armies came to advance on the Golden Mountains.
---
---
A tent village with countless military flags fluttering.
It was the result of young knights eager to raise their family names, urging their servants to raise banners.
Most of the young knights participating in this expedition had similar thoughts.
'I... will take the dragon's head!'
Dragon Slayer.
Slaying a dragon was undoubtedly the most glorious military achievement a knight could accomplish.
All around the camp, knights could be seen grinning like fools.
They were undoubtedly imagining themselves drenched in the black dragon's blood, delivering the final blow to the beast.
It wasn't just one or two knights, but almost all of them walking around with silly grins.
The whole camp was heated up like a bunch of idiots.
Ian felt like the knights' ignorance might be contagious.
"You don't look happy."
When Belenka asked, Ian answered honestly.
"I feel like I might catch stupidity."
"... That's the most unpleasant thing I've heard all year. Must be nice being so smart, Ian."
"Better than being ignorant."
Belenka shook her head at Ian's characteristically harsh words.
He really was a born wizard, that one.
"Don't you find it strange, Belenka?"
"What do you mean?"
"Look at their faces. They're so carefree, like they're off to hunt kobolds in the backyard... Just looking at their faces, you'd think they've already got the dragon's head, huh?"
Belenka reluctantly agreed.
"I admit the atmosphere is excited. But Ian, you're not a knight, so you wouldn't understand. The heart of a knight facing a glorious battle."
Ian retorted cynically.
"What glory is there in dealing the final blow to a dying dragon?"
Honestly, Ian didn't care whether there were many excited knights or not.
The problem was that there were 'too many' young knights.
"Isn't it strange?"
"What now?"
Belenka thought Ian was about to say something nonsensical again.
But at Ian's next words, she was taken aback.
"The Margrave of Haltramm. They say he's going to deal the final blow to the dragon. So why are so many knights gathered?"
"Well... because the rumors spread."
"And who spread those rumors?"
"..."
Belenka stared at Ian for a moment.
When Ian didn't say anything, she asked incredulously.
"You... don't tell me you're suggesting the Margrave of Haltramm deliberately gathered young knights?"
"Correct, Belenka."
It was hard to believe.
It didn't make sense.
Obviously, you don't need a large force to take down weak prey.
You should take minimal personnel to share more of the spoils.
But the Margrave of Haltramm had drawn in numerous young knights to deal with a severely wounded dragon.
Why?
Did he want to share the glory with the youth?
Did he want to share the honor of being a Dragon Slayer with everyone?
If that were true, the Margrave of Haltramm would be a true knight deserving to be called 'the father of all knights~'
But Ian didn't view the situation so optimistically.
He needed to see for himself what kind of person the Margrave of Haltramm was.
"Lord Ian! Sir Belenka!"
A knight of the duke called for Ian.
"The duke is asking for you."
"We'll be right there."
Ian headed towards Duke Araz's tent with Belenka.
"Let's go, Belenka."
"Alright."
The nobles' meeting was about to begin.
---
---
"You've finished the preparations properly, right?"
Before the meeting began.
The Margrave of Haltramm summoned his serving wizard and asked.
"How could I not!"
The middle-aged wizard, earth wizard Bunchi, answered confidently.
Recently, while passing through the entrance of the Golden Mountains, Bunchi had discovered a mystical stone imbued with the essence of earth.
Bunchi was overjoyed at this unexpected stroke of luck.
To obtain such powerful earth energy right before a dragon hunt!
This was nothing short of heaven pushing them to successfully slay the dragon.
If he invested that stone in a magic circle, he could complete a spell that even a dragon couldn't ignore!
Bunchi immediately tried to take the earth stone.
But befitting a stone flowing with mystical power, there were guardians protecting the treasure nearby.
They were golems.
Unable to pass by with the treasure right in front of him, Bunchi immediately ran to the Margrave of Haltramm and requested to borrow some knights.
When he boasted that he could wield powerful magic if he got his hands on it, the Margrave of Haltramm lent him the knights.
Normally, he would have told him to stop his nonsense, but.
For the Margrave of Haltramm, this hunt was important enough to borrow a wizard's magic.
He absolutely needed the title of 'Dragon Slayer'.
Because...
The Margrave of Haltramm had spread a 'false' rumor that he had inflicted a fatal wound on the dragon! frёewebnoѵēl.com
That's right.
The rumor that the margrave had pierced a hole in the dragon's jaw was a false rumor fabricated by the margrave.
For some unknown reason, the black dragon's jaw had a hole from the start. With a long spear stuck through it.
It was true that the black dragon had invaded the margrave's territory, and it was also true that it fled before the margrave's eyes.
Unable to withstand the fierce resistance, the black dragon turned tail and ran.
Watching the massive black dragon flee so pathetically...
The margrave felt his blood boiling with excitement.
Look! That huge beast, running away scared of mere humans!
'I want to end that thing's life!'
The Margrave of Haltramm was consumed by the thrill of the hunt.
He was a battle-hardened warrior who had slaughtered barbarians all his life, born with the blood of a martial artist.
He had cut down countless barbarians, but now mere barbarians could no longer satisfy the margrave's destructive urges.
A stronger opponent! A more glorious battle!
The title of 'Dragon Slayer, Margrave Haltramm!' sounded too sweet.
So the Margrave of Haltramm crossed a forbidden river.
He spread false rumors that he had inflicted a fatal wound on the dragon.
The effect of the rumor was definite.
Duke Araz not only entrusted the dragon hunt to the Margrave of Haltramm but even promised to hand over the beast's head.
Therefore, the margrave 'absolutely' had to slay the dragon.
Before he became the laughingstock of the world as a pathological liar.
'Well, it's true that we did wound it anyway.'
The Margrave of Haltramm felt somewhat justified.
There might have been some exaggeration, but... it was true that the margrave's army had wounded the dragon.
Chances of victory? Of course they were overwhelming!
What? The black dragon of calamity, Predius?
Wasn't it just a pathetic coward that ran away scared of the margrave's army!
"I got you that mystical stone you wanted. So don't mess up. Bunchi."
"Of course not! My lord!"
The Margrave of Haltramm immediately headed to the meeting place.
Duke Araz's tent.
There sat the impudent Count Edward and...
Some wench with dark blue hair.
"Duke. Who might this be?"
Duke Araz spoke in a gentle voice.
"This is the new Countess of Talian."
Lucy, Countess of Talian, stood up and greeted him.
"Pleased to meet you, Margrave of Haltramm."
"Nice to meet you too, Countess of Talian."
They exchanged greetings, but the Margrave of Haltramm didn't understand why the Countess of Talian was sitting here.
Well. Had she come to beg to be included in the expedition?
Just then, Duke Araz resolved the margrave's curiosity.
"The Countess of Talian is an observer. Her wizard has some questions for you, Margrave."
"... wizard?"
Someone stepped forward.
Jet-black hair and jet-black eyes.
A staff in his hand. A young man with a crow perched on his shoulder.
It was the wizard Ian.
'He is indeed a wizard.'
The Margrave of Haltramm was convinced as soon as he saw Ian's bizarre appearance.
In this world, only jesters and wizards would walk around with crows on their shoulders.
For a brief moment, the Margrave of Haltramm's eyes met Ian's.
"..."
And the margrave flinched, feeling the strange mystery flowing beyond Ian's eyes.
Though he looked like an innocent young man on the outside, there was no doubt he harbored powerful strength within.
"Your Excellency, Margrave of Haltramm."
As soon as Ian spoke, the margrave tensed.
His clear pronunciation and resonant voice were indeed extraordinary.
"Speak, wizard."
"I have a request for Your Excellency."
"A request?"
Ian looked straight at the margrave and said.
"On that day when the dragon invaded your territory. Would you tell me how you inflicted a wound on the evil black dragon?"
"!"
Ian's gaze, as if he knew something.
At the question that seemed to interrogate him, the Margrave of Haltramm unconsciously gritted his teeth.
'How dare he...!'
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