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Marquis Angus’ domain was located on the southeastern edge of Maltgartz, north of Mount Kuguse.

It used to be a strategic location controlling the mountain pass to the south, but its importance declined after the red dragon settled on Mount Kuguse.

Nevertheless, Marquis Kenneth Angus, its lord, continued his reign with no major issues, maintaining stability both politically and economically. It was a peaceful land that was separated from Gufare’s war front.

But that peace was suddenly shattered.

Marquis Angus had failed in his attempt to slay the Mount Kuguse dragon which was conducted as a surprise attack without any particular political propaganda, and both he and many of his warriors perished in the battle.

The territory of Marquis Angus was plunged into a state of shock and confusion, with the full extent of the impact of this event still unknown.

However, amidst that chaos, there were already those who had begun to move.

In the joint clinic of a temple located in the capital of Marquis Angus’s territory, Tortomia, there was a man bandaged from his upper body to his arm sitting on a bed in a secluded private room (which could only be used if you made a large donation) of the clinic.

He was gazing vacantly at the floor while enduring pain, but then, loud footsteps started to approach him from the corridor.

Before long, several men entered the room without bothering to even knock.

“He’s one of the returnees from Mount Kuguse. He used to be the Marquis’ knight.”
“I am the Marquis now. I haven’t succeeded it officially, however, it is an unshakeable outcome.”
“Yes sir…”

The one who appeared with several retainers was a gallant youth in his mid-twenties.

His tall height and energetic conduct suggested he was a military man. His eyes looked sharp like a wolf’s and an unapproachable dangerous aura like that of a drawn blade emanated from him.

His name was Julian Angus, the heir of Kenneth Angus.

The knight remained dazed even after Julian’s appearance as if he couldn’t process what was happening.

Seeing that, Julian furrowed his brows in displeasure.

“What are you spacing out for? You refuse to bow before your lord?”
“Fue… he…haa.”

Julian kicked the sitting man’s shin.

That brought the knight to his senses and he sluggishly stood up and knelt on the floor with a bow.

Julian’s eyes looking down on him held not a hint of respect, consideration, or appreciation for the man.

What they held was nothing but disdain towards a survivor and ridicule at his dispirited attitude.

“I have roughly understood the situation from the rest of the survivors. But there is still one unclear factor. The power of the one called Lucella.”
“Lucella…? Who is that?”

Julian threw a metal plate on the floor where the knight was looking.

It was the adventurer card that adventurers held. It had impossible values on it, and the owner’s name written on its surface in sooty letters was “Lucella.”

“According to the story of the adventurers that Father picked up, we know that this person was originally an adventurer. He went missing last summer on Mount Kuguse, and when he showed up in the city recently he had become a little girl for some reason, and with an abnormal power too. Someone like her had been sighted in the battle on Mount Kuguse. It was a girl with blazing red hair. Do you know anything?”

The knight that looked like a cripple reacted to Julian’s words.

He held his head and curled like a fetus and started to shout.

“A-Aaahhhhhh…! T-That’s the one! No, she’ll come for me… aaaaghhhh…”
“…Hey, put this guy in a cooperative mood..”
“As you command.”

An imperial knight accompanying Julian did as told and took out a short polished wand similar to a baton.

It was a magic item that allowed one to use magic even without talent, charged with lightning magic.

The imperial knight swung it and hit the curled-up man.

“Gyaaaaaaaah!!”

A flash was produced and the wounded knight faints in agony.

“Talk. What happened there. What is this Lucella?”

Julian grabbed his hand as he panted from the electric shock. He then squeezed out the answer.

“She has… no scales. No fangs. No wings… But she’s… still a… dragon…”

Those words were enough for his spirit to reach the limit and began to cry on all fours.

The holy magic that the priests used specialized in healing arts.

For that reason, temples also served as medical institutions to heal people.

Julian walked gallantly with loud steps through the corridor of the temple’s clinic filled with patients on complete bed rest.

“I understand the situation. We will get ready to conquer Mount Kuguse.”
“Could you repeat that?”

The imperial knight next to him doubted his ears.

“The Variants on the mountain have undoubtedly decreased in number. If we don’t exterminate the red dragon in question now, when else could we? If we prepare to take on two dragons at worst, it’s not an impossible task.”
“S-Still! The Marq-… Even your father has failed! We also lost our vassals and exterminators. We can only depend on the lords around us, but they would think twice about taking this challenge a second time.”

It was too reckless no matter how you looked at it.

In the first place, exterminating the red dragon of Mount Kuguse was an order that Kenneth received from the royal palace. Naturally, the order came with full support to hire the dragon hunters and they also loaned him outstanding exterminators.

But Kenneth still failed, and many lives were lost along with his own.

What would the royal palace be thinking regarding Mount Kuguse now? It wasn’t clear whether they would give up or not. Julian, on the other hand, was proactive, however.

“We will use the Regalia. Then everyone will follow after us. Perhaps we might not even need their cooperation.”

Julian’s words made the knights freeze up.

Regalia.

That was the cornerstone that allowed kingdoms to exist.

It was an item that suppressed the raging energy of nature and created regions where humans could live.

Practically all human kingdoms had their own Regalia and used it to maintain their lands.

However, these Regalia had one more important trait.

….What would happen if you brought a superweapon strong enough to influence nature into a battle?

Certainly, if he borrowed the Regalia from the royal family, he would be able to conquer Mount Kuguse.

However, that was no more than an impossible wild tale that you told to children.

“…My lord, we are barely maintaining the eastern war front by investing all four Regalia that our kingdom possesses. If we moved even one of them here, they would certainly take advantage of it. Even if that didn’t happen, politically it would still be…”
“You fool. Who said we would use the Regalia of our kingdom?”
“Huh…?”

It seemed like a wild tale.

For a second, he looked confused. The next second, he realized it. And in the third second, fear took him.

“It can’t be.”
“I have once suggested it to Father, and it was dismissed with a laugh… And here I thought we were at war. Both Father and everyone else thought a war between kingdoms is nothing more than an extension of a tournament. That’s quite an idyllic and fine take. Perhaps it would lead to fewer deaths.”

The knights couldn’t object to anything.

It wasn’t because they were convinced by Julian’s words. Rather, it was because they feared that the world they believed in, and the order they thought existed, would crumble.

Their fear was directed at Julian too.

Was this man a fool, or a revolutionist? Either way, they knew he was not a normal person.

“I’m different from my foolish father. I shall swallow something like Setulev in one fell swoop.”

Julian declared and clenched his fist as if crushing something.