Chapter 254 – Call Me a Legend (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The capital of the Empire, Antonium.

Imperial Palace Mage Nash William looked up at the sky.

The rain had stopped and the sun was blazing, yet his body still shivered with chills.

Indeed, no matter how strongly he tried to set his mind, it couldn’t be helped.

“It seems this lacking younger brother cannot imitate my older brother…….”

The appearance of a dragon.

He knew that it wouldn’t even amount to striking a rock with an egg.

However, he could not just sit on his hands either.

Therefore, Nash moved swiftly.

In order to prepare for a potential dragon attack.

But the moment he faced the dragon.

Nash froze.

Despite his title as an Imperial Palace Mage, he was completely engulfed by fear.

At this rate, I have no face to show His Majesty the Emperor, brother…….

“Surely, if it had been you, brother…….”

If it had been his brother who always vowed to surpass the Fire Dragon……!

Even in front of a dragon.

That fiery momentum would not have softened.

Of course, that Fire Dragon was not a real dragon.

Even if someone pointed that out.

It could not serve as comfort to the despondent Nash.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

“!”

The one who awakened Nash from his self-reproach.

Was his liege, the Emperor.

At the Emperor’s voice, Nash hurriedly bowed his head.

“I have no face to show you, Your Majesty.”

“To suddenly say you have no face to show me, what do you mean?”

“Apologies, but this humble one failed to fulfill the duties of an Imperial Palace Mage. I was intimidated by the dragon and ended up forgetting my duty.”

The Emperor silently approached Nash.

“……?”

Then, he patted the shoulder of the bewildered Nash.

“Is it not a given thing, Nash? To be unable to even raise one’s head properly before a true king. There is no need to seek forgiveness from me. Because in the first place, even I could not look straight up at the sky.”

The Emperor’s gaze shifted from Nash to outside the window, toward the panorama of Antonium.

A capital city that had barely fended off the rebel army following the demons.

Yet despite the vitality that had returned thanks to that.

Antonium was as silent as a dead rat.

The Emperor raised the corners of his mouth bitterly.

“Therefore, there is nothing to seek forgiveness for, nor to blame yourself for. Right now, just be grateful. Although we do not know the reason……. just rejoice in the fact that they withdrew.”

“……I shall heed your command, Your Majesty.”

Of course, he knew it would not be easy.

The reason Antonium was so quiet at this moment must also be because of ‘him’.

The cause of the dragon disappearing without a trace.

Because anyone could guess that much.

‘Dark Dragon.’

Stories concerning dragons are passed down in the Empire as well. However, the majority of them were merely legends transmitted from mouth to mouth, compiled into books.

Therefore, the only thing worthy of being called the truth was…….

‘As expected, it could only be the Great Dragon-Demon War.’

The war between the Mage Tower and the dragons.

The few remaining pages of records left in the Imperial Palace were the sole return gifts past emperors had received while maintaining friendly relations with the Mage Tower.

To think that handing over hundreds of magic tools to the Mage Tower only resulted in a few sheets of paper in return.

Someone might say that the Empire’s prestige had hit rock bottom.

‘Since even I had thought that way at one point.’

But now that he had confirmed the existence of a dragon with his own two eyes.

Those few remaining pages of records from the Great Dragon-Demon War would become a precious guide for the Empire. It was with that exact thought that he himself had been reviewing those records until just a moment ago.

However.

‘An existence that even the Mage Tower does not know of.’

Even in the records of the Great Dragon-Demon War, the Dark Dragon did not exist.

The Emperor was in agony.

The Dark Dragon did not appear even in the Great Dragon-Demon War from the very distant past.

Just how could such an existence exert this kind of influence over the dragons…….

“It is highly questionable.”

Suddenly, the Emperor looked at the floor of the Imperial Palace.

To be precise.

Beyond the floor, he looked toward the underground of the Imperial Palace.

[War Chronicle Archive]

Underneath, there was that.

If the answer to the question existed on the Arcana Continent, there was the [War Chronicle Archive] that would reveal the answer. If he were to ask what the identity of the Dark Dragon was, he could resolve his doubts right this instant.

However.

“…….”

The Emperor asked himself.

‘Is it truly the right time to use that?’

There were many who knew of the existence of the [War Chronicle Archive].

The ministers, including Nash, of course, and even Harkon, who was currently in the world of adventurers, would know about its existence.

However, the Emperor was the only one who actually knew that a ‘price’ was required to hear that answer.

It couldn’t be helped.

Up until now.

The only ones who had ever used it were past emperors.

‘……What should I do, Harkon.’

It was the moment when the Emperor was agonizing with his head dropped.

Suddenly, the warm sunlight beating down on the Imperial Palace vanished.

The Emperor and Nash flinched for a moment.

“……?”

Was a sudden shower about to pour?

If not that.

Had the dragon appeared once again?

It was only natural to be startled again.

But it was neither.

“……Your Majesty?”

Nash trailed off.

What covered the sun was neither a dragon nor a dark cloud harboring a shower.

An unfamiliar yet familiar airship.

It was the Dwarves’ Iron Castle.

That was why a question surfaced on the Emperor’s face as well.

“Why are the Dwarves here again……?”

He had assumed they wouldn’t have any reason to drop by Antonium for a while.

Could it be that some kind of emergency had occurred?

The Emperor ordered Nash.

“Prepare to receive them, Nash.”

“I shall heed your command, Your Majesty!”

And soon, he came face to face with the Dwarven leader, Chainwalker.

The Emperor’s guess was halfway correct.

Since Chainwalker hurriedly opened his mouth.

“I have returned to the Empire because I have pressing news to deliver.”

Yes, the news was urgent in a different sense.

“Empire, you do not even have the time to be shivering in fear like this. You must move as quickly as possible to restore the Empire’s power and reclaim its past glory!”

“……What do you mean, Dwarf? Have you not seen for yourself? A dragon has appeared. The people have not been able to break free from that shock, so how can you say such a thing?”

“Because it is not something to fall into shock over.”

“……What?”

“Because that is not an existence to be feared.”

“What do you mean it’s not something to be feared?”

As the Emperor asked back, Chainwalker continued.

“The Dark Dragon.”

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.

.

Chainwalker had absolute certainty.

“Sir Ho-yeol, you certainly wouldn’t want the continent shivering in fear.”

The last survivor of Akshan.

The fact that negative emotions serve as power for demons.

Ho-yeol, who knew that better than anyone else.

Right now, humans and demons alike were all trembling in fear before the dragon, but…….

“Demons are a race that doesn’t know their place.”

Foolish demons were a race that even forgot fear.

This peace would definitely not last long.

Chainwalker made a decision.

“Isn’t this what an alliance is all about?”

He would take this opportunity to overturn the negative emotions spread across the continent.

He didn’t need much to make that possible.

Just one word would suffice.

The Emperor, revealing himself above the main castle of Antonium.

The people of Antonium look up at the Emperor with faces full of concern.

Chainwalker once again boarded the Iron Castle and scrutinized their expressions.

Wallswale asked.

“Chainwalker, are you sure you delivered it properly?”

The Dark Dragon that the dragons had been roaring towards.

He was the very last survivor of Akshan, Ho-yeol.

For someone who had just heard such a truth…….

The people, of course.

Wasn’t the Emperor’s expression far too serious as well?

At that concern, Chainwalker let out a small chuckle.

It was a useless worry.

“Wallswale, you of all people should know, shouldn’t you?”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“How a legend is passed down.”

“……?”

At those riddle-like words, Wallswale crumpled his face.

Living right in front of a scorching blast furnace naturally meant Wallswale had exceptionally low patience for other matters. Chainwalker got straight to the point.

“That no matter how legendary an incident or an existence might be, in the end, it cannot be called a legend without passing through the human world. That ultimately, elevating something into a legend is the responsibility of humans.”

“……!”

That was true.

No matter how incredible something was, it couldn’t be reborn into a legend if it wasn’t widely known. And making something widely known was entirely up to humans.

“I see…….”

Since they, whose daily routine consisted of seclusion, of course.

Neither dragons nor elves were the type to widely spread something around.

Chainwalker watched Antonium with a satisfied gaze.

“What our Holy War Allied Forces need is a reversal. And a dramatic one at that, Wallswale. I’m saying we need a massive hit that can flip this Arcana Continent covered in fear entirely.”

Wallswale asked.

“So you’re saying this is the forging process for that?”

Chainwalker nodded slowly.

“That’s right. And it certainly wouldn’t be an ordinarily painstaking forging process either. Because the weight a legend carries will vary entirely depending on whose mouth it starts from.”

Chainwalker laughed heartily.

“In that sense, could there be a more suitable person than the Emperor!”

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.

.

The Emperor spoke.

“I know what it is you fear.”

Even as he spat those words out, he thought he was shameless.

He was speaking as if he hadn’t been afraid in the slightest.

In front of the demons.

In front of the rebel army.

And in front of the dragon.

When he had been trembling in fear more than anyone else.

“…….”

So the current silence wasn’t the least bit upsetting.

From the gazes of the people looking up at him.

He couldn’t expect any respect or awe.

Since he had proved absolutely nothing as an Emperor.

‘If I weren’t ashamed, then I would truly be the demon.’

The vast territory of the Empire.

However, the only things that could be considered territory at this current point were the capital, Antonium.

And Frost, which was said to have been rebuilt in the world of adventurers.

Knowing that he had failed to look after the rest of his territory and its people, he knew he could no longer be called an Emperor.

Even so.

“Therefore, I declare in the name of the Emperor.”

He had to desperately play the role of the Emperor.

Yes, even if he were an Emperor in name only.

His words held power.

Because he had to add that power to ‘him’.

“You must not fear the Dark Dragon.”

At times like this, the education he received during his childhood as a Prince proved to be helpful.

The vocalization and diction he spat out after thorough practice.

Seemed sufficient to awaken the people who had sunk into fear.

However, the Emperor knew.

‘The one who truly awakens them is not me.’

He knew that he was merely playing the role of a stepping stone.

Which was why he blathered on with even more dignity.

The dignified voice of an Emperor.

Which he could never have produced had it been for the sake of exalting himself.

“You already know who the Dark Dragon is.”

“……?”

“That goes for you as well.”

The place the Emperor’s gaze landed on was where the survivors of Dredsen were.

As always, the first to understand the meaning behind those words.

Were none other than the survivors of Dredsen Village themselves.

Dredsen was located at the very edge of the Empire.

A mountain village where news of the Empire never even reached.

On top of that, it hadn’t been long since they settled in Antonium.

Wait, we already know of the Dark Dragon’s existence……?

“……!”

Ransha mumbled to himself without realizing.

“C-Could it be?”

That’s right.

As if affirming his suspicion.

The Emperor’s declaration continued.

“The Dark Dragon, he is the savior of Dredsen.”

“And at the same time, the hero of Antonium.”

“An endlessly deep darkness.”

It was the moment a legend was officially announced from the Emperor’s mouth.

“That’s right. Adventurer, Lee Ho-yeol. He is precisely the Dark Dragon!”

“……!!!”

*

……My ears are itchy.

Returning to the Mage Tower.

To think my ears would itch the moment I sat down at my office desk.

This is a bad omen.

However, for the formality of Granfel, an action like picking his ear with his pinky finger.

Was something he could not tolerate even if he died.

I forcibly ignored the itchiness and moved my eyes to the desk.

The very first thing that entered my sight was a Mage Tower exit application form.

No, more accurately speaking.

It was a cat’s paw print stamped on the exit application form.

Was the work Marcelo said.

The Tower Master handled on my behalf the examination of exit application forms?

I murmured as I looked over the approved exit application forms.

“I have fully understood your sincerity.”

But seriously…….

There’s a kind of consideration that’s better off not existing.

The Tower Master’s goodwill right now was exactly that.

Since Granfel was someone who could never live owing a debt to anyone.

‘So I can’t say anything bad to him, but.’

Really, this cat’s processing of work is practically on par with a cat’s bath……!

No, I don’t care how annoying it might have been for you.

What am I supposed to do if you just forcefully stamp exit approvals like this?!

“However, what needs to be corrected must be corrected.”

I’ll be damned if I ever trust the Tower Master, that cat, again.

Of course, everything was due to Granfel’s overly fastidious personality.

I grumbled internally.

‘For this personality, give and take is the best way, indeed.’

In that sense, I want to make an earnest request to everyone.

‘Everyone, please refrain from trying to do anything for me.’

Assuming you feel pity for me, the one who will end up suffering the consequences.

Anyway, let’s hurry.

There’s a lot of work that needs to be finished before the day ends.

As I mentioned before, the goal of the Class Quest.

As I had to even sincerely carry out physical training.

Let’s quickly amend the exit application forms first.

‘Therefore.’

I scribbled with my quill pen.

Scribble─

Unfortunately.

I will rectify this exit application form as a fail once again.

Senior Nash William.

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[The Legend System is unlocked.]

[You acquire the Legend, ‘Dark Dragon Lee Ho-yeol’.]

[Your Legend materializes.]