Inheriting the Novel

Chapter 15 : Calamity of the Dragon (1)

Calamity of the Dragon (1)

With the sudden appearance of the "calamity", the mountain range grew so silent that only the sound of a cold wind could be heard.

"Retreat."

It was Duke Gale who broke that serene silence.

Possessing the Appraisal Eye, he realized the danger of the situation sooner than anyone.

"Retreat, retreat immediately!"

At Duke Gale's desperate shout, the knights and soldiers of the Talua Kingdom hastily began to withdraw from the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the Kainzel Kingdom's army acted differently.

"K-Kill it! What are you waiting for? Kill that monster right now! I'll give ten thousand gold to whoever kills it!"

Marquis Aldin, having lost his trump card Kalio, screamed as if he had lost his mind.

It was a choice that a commander must absolutely not make, but in his head, the lives of his soldiers no longer mattered.

The soldiers, at Aldin's command, reflexively charged at the monster before their eyes.

The gaze of the calamity of the dragon shifted as – it saw the moving forms.

"────."

Her lips moved even faster than before.

Her voice—a language—caused magic power to vibrate and shook the air.

Kwagwagwagwang!

The snow piled up around the calamity of the dragon, Princess Riya Asktalin, was blown high into the air.

The entire mountain range shook, the earth split; and every human before Riya Asktalin was caught in the shockwave.

"Kuaaagh!"

"Ugh, save me, save me!"

Knights and soldiers alike fell into chaos, and I was left speechless by the scene.

That was still only the power of the calamity, not yet awakened.

Even though I had more or less expected her strength, seeing it in person made me feel like I'd lose my sanity.

'Truly... there's no better word for her than 'calamity'.'

A being that humans could never hope to overcome.

That embodiment now stood before my eyes.

As I stared absent-mindedly at the spectacle, Grancesia spoke to me.

[It really is incredible.]

'Enough to incapacitate half the army in an instant.'

[That's not what I meant. Look closely. There's not a single fatality among those who collapsed. It's amazing that, despite unleashing such a large-scale attack, she didn't kill anyone.]

'What?'

I wondered if she was just spouting nonsense and looked over the collapsed soldiers of the Kainzel Kingdom.

Countless people were wounded and had broken bones, but surely, there didn't seem to be anyone at death's door.

"Ah, aah. D-Don't come. Please, don't come near me!"

Whether she was still holding on to some reason, the princess clutched her face and staggered backward.

"Kill her! What are you doing! Now's your chance! Kill her now, while she's exhausted!"

Aldin, who had just been tumbling across the ground due to the shockwave, shouted in a trembling voice.

He would have been better off running for his life, but instead, he called out, sensing an opportunity as the princess staggered.

"R-Really?"

"She certainly doesn't look well right now..."

At his order, the soldiers and knights, unable to flee, began to approach the princess.

The princess's trembling pupils turned to those soldiers.

'Well, what do we have here?'

I hadn't expected their commander to be so incompetent.

'I can use this.'

Carefully analyzing the situation, I quietly called out to Michelle.

"I have a favor to ask."

If there was anything that could be used, I had to make use of it, just in case.

"Don't come any closer, please."

While I asked Michelle for a favor, the princess was retreating, step by step, from the soldiers.

A faint trace of humanity seemed to linger within her.

"Why is she acting like that?"

The soldiers didn't hear her weak, sob-like voice.

Instead, her frail appearance only reduced the fear the Kainzel soldiers felt toward her.

"She must have used up all her strength just now! Kill that monster!"

With renewed courage, a knight shouted, and the soldiers and knights, who had been moving cautiously, began to form a ring around the princess.

The ten-thousand-gold bounty mentioned by Marquis Aldin moved the soldiers' feet.

"N-No..."

The princess's trembling gaze froze.

Her once round pupils narrowed and turned red, becoming those of a reptile.

Kwakwang! Kwakwakwakwang!

What began between the princess and the Kainzel Kingdom army was a battle—if it could even be called that.

What little reason she had left was blown away by the soldiers of the Kainzel Kingdom, who charged like moths to a flame.

'Now.'

With her gaze fixed on the soldiers, it was the perfect chance to approach her.

I dashed forward without hesitation.

"Sir Vanhart! What are you doing!"

Duke Gale, right beside me, cried out in shock at my actions.

Strictly speaking, I'd moved on my own, disobeying orders—so I couldn't avoid censure.

But I had already thought of an excuse, so it wasn't a big problem.

"I'll act as the decoy, Your Grace! Please withdraw the troops as quickly as possible!"

"W-What are you saying!"

"You must survive, Your Grace!"

I shouted as if sacrificing myself to save my superior, just like a loyal knight.

And before anyone could stop me, I quickly made my way toward the princess.

If I wasted time making excuses, I could have missed my timing.

'Setting Confirmation.'

==

〈Riya Asktalin〉

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Role in the story: First Princess of the Asktalin Empire, 7th Calamity (major antagonist)

Abilities: Dragon Tongue, Dragon Eyes, ......, ...... , magic (6th Circle)

Notes: The seventh calamity, known as the Dragon Calamity.

Called the "Fallen Dragon King", meaning both a fallen dragon and one who brings down dragons.

She has not yet fully awakened, and the faint humanity left in her mind suppresses the dragon's instincts and power.

==

==

〈Dragon Tongue〉

The authority of dragons to change the world's laws and principles through language.

Riya Asktalin's Dragon Tongue can only be used on targets she sees through Dragon Eyes. Instead, it is more powerful than normal dragon tongue.

==

Even though she had not yet fully awakened, the setting was overwhelming. What stood out most was the setting for her Dragon Tongue.

Based on the details, it seemed the princess used Dragon Tongue differently from other dragons.

'So, breaking the horn is really enough, right?'

[Yes. From the look of things, if you just break her horn, her reason will return.]

'That's all I need to hear.'

Gripping my sword tightly, I took a deep breath and looked at the princess.

Even though she had obviously lost her reason, there was something sorrowful about her appearance.

'I'll end this soon.'

In the original story, she annihilates the Talua Kingdom's army here, becomes the calamity of the dragon, and is finally killed by the protagonist, Fabian.

But in the story I'm writing, things will be different.

Whether it ends in tragedy or comedy, I can't say yet...

'But there's one thing for sure.'

The calamity of the dragon would disappear today.

* * *

"Grancesia, do you know how to cure the Curse of Dragonification?"

[Hmm?]

The day before the operation began, I asked Grancesia about the Curse of Dragonification.

Since she was renowned as a saint, I thought there was a good chance she'd know about it.

Legend has it that the saint performed miracles, curing countless curses and diseases.

'Though, based on her actions so far, I'm not sure I can count on her.'

Still, it was likely she knew at least the theory.

[I do.]

Fortunately, Grancesia answered confidently in a relaxed tone.

"Do you use Divine Blood for it?"

[Of course. But the timing is important. Any other method would require something like an elixir.]

The elixir was a legendary medicine said to restore even the dead.

Though she sounded casual, it meant that at least that level of power was required to heal the Curse of Dragonification.

[But why do you ask? Are you seeing the future because of that Synopsis or whatever it is?]

Grancesia seemed vaguely convinced of our odd situation, since I knew things I couldn't possibly have learned otherwise.

She didn't completely believe me, but she didn't think I was lying, either.

She was half-convinced about the calamity of the dragon, too.

'So I must get the Divine Blood, no matter what.'

That much, I had already expected.

Still, her reaction suggested that obtaining it would not solve everything.

"Have you ever treated someone with it before?"

[Well, a long time ago, I think.]

At her answer, I asked cautiously.

"You said earlier that the timing is important, right? What do you mean by that?"

[It's simple. The person you use Divine Blood on must be human.]

They must be human?

The Curse of Dragonification is, after all, a disease that afflicts the Asktalin royal family. Of course they're human.

[Imagine an invisible scale. On one side is the heart of a dragon, and on the other is the heart of a human. The Curse of Dragonification is when the scale tips toward the dragon's side.]

"So... once you're afflicted, are you no longer considered human?"

[That's right. In fact, if you use Divine Blood at that point, the remaining shred of human reason is treated as a disease or curse and disappears.]

So there was, in fact, no way to cure it?

If the Curse of Dragonification manifests, it may already be too late.

Maybe that's why timing was so important—using Divine Blood right before symptoms, or...

"Does that mean you have to tip the scales back toward the human side?"

[You really are clever, maybe because you're a trickster.]

That damned nickname would never leave her lips.

"Anyway, how do you do that?"

[Break the dragon's horn.]

"Break the dragon's horn...?"

Dragon horns are among the most coveted materials in existence.

They're stronger than anything, highly resistant to magic power, and often used to craft artifact-grade equipment.

In short, it would be nearly impossible for someone at my level to break one.

Reading my thoughts, Grancesia hurried to add:

[Dragon horns only become that tough after they become Divine Dragon class. It doesn't matter how talented that calamity of the dragon is—she hasn't had time to reach that level.]

There was no way to know exactly when the Curse of Dragonification appeared, but it clearly hadn't been long.

[If what you say is true, then the calamity of the dragon is not yet awakened, and her horn can't be fully grown. That means you should be able to cut it with your current skill. Probably.]

That "probably" annoyed me a bit.

Recalling her warning, I asked again.

"If I sever the dragon's horn, will she definitely return to being human?"

[For a brief moment, her dragon instincts will vanish, even if only for an instant. Of course, it won't last long, but she will certainly be human then. However, the dragon's abilities won't disappear, so be careful.]

If she uses Dragon Tongue or resists in that state, it's the end.

[Well, this method is meaningless without Divine Blood anyway.]

Right, that was the crux of the matter.

If I couldn't obtain Divine Blood, all my effort would go to waste.

If my plan went awry...

'I hope it doesn't come to that.'

At the very least, I hoped she'd die as a human.

Not as a mindless dragon, but as a human being.

* * *

"Break! Shatter! Disappear, all of you!"

With every shout from the princess, soldiers flew and collapsed.

What was truly amazing was that there were no fatalities in such an ordeal, but that only made things worse. The downed soldiers would get up again and continue assaulting the princess.

'She's not as strong as I expected.'

'Maybe we could actually kill her.'

The ten-thousand-gold Aldin had promised.

It worked on the soldiers like a curse.

A hundred gold was enough for a commoner to live on for a month, so it was no wonder they'd lost their minds.

They had long since forgotten that the enemy's Talua Kingdom army was still right beside them.

Those men had fled at the sight of the monster—if they could just take her down, they'd earn a fortune and return heroes.

"A-aaah..."

They didn't realize.

That the scrap of reason she barely held onto was at its limit.

And that, the moment it snapped, everyone present would die.

"─────!"

Finally, the dragon's fury erupted.

It was no longer the human language-encoded Dragon Tongue she'd used before, but the dragon's language itself.

A completely different level of power swept across the edge of the mountain range.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!

"W-Wait! This is— Uaaagh!"

Only then did they realize something was wrong—but it was too late.

The earth flipped, trees were uprooted and hurled, and the soldiers were swept away in an instant.

A deluge of blood and carnage raged in the mountain like nothing that had come before.

'Now.'

The ground was shaking so much that it was hard to keep my balance, but fortunately, the Dragon Tongue had been directed away from me, so I hadn't taken much damage.

Holding his breath, Clay bent his knees and raised his sword high to the right.

His magic power flowed through his body, a soft silver radiance tracing his entire frame.

It was the manifestation that occurred when channeling the Hidden Star Sword.

When two silver rings flashed in his eyes, Clay exploded from the ground.

"...!"

He shot toward the princess, gasping for breath after using that massive Dragon Tongue.

Sensing the killing intent, the princess quickly turned her head to face Clay.

"Br—Sh—...!"

She tried to invoke Dragon Tongue immediately, but her labored breath kept the words from forming.

Just as expected.

It was for this moment that he'd been waiting, all along.

Dragon Tongue is still a language. She'd been running around and shouting constantly atop the mountain, so naturally, she was out of breath.

She, too, was still bound by the laws of nature, just like any living being.

And—this proved she hadn't yet become a being beyond common sense.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Dragon waifu!!!

Luna from E7... Iykyk...

【♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡】