[V12C35] Unyielding Thunder / Artillery Pride / The Sky Seen by Dragon Knights

The members of the Noble Council were gathered at the conference room within the royal palace. Anxiety was visible on each of their faces.

“Are we certain that a nationwide dragon disaster will really occur? And even if it does, wouldn’t it be best to reinforce our defenses at the capital…?”

“This proposal may be from the Starspear Witch, but she was stripped of her seat in the Seven Sages several years ago. Why should we listen to the sister of a criminal?”

“I agree completely. In the first place, the Library Society official behind the proposal seems far too young and inexperienced.”

“But the Fifth Thorn Witch has given his backing as well. We can’t simply dismiss it outright.”

“True, who knows how House Roseberg might retaliate…”

“At the very least, we should keep the Barrier Mage to defend the capital.”

Many of the council members seemed to share these sentiments.

“That’s exactly right, especially after the recent attack on the capital. We should call back the Barrier Mage immediately.”

“The royal capital is the heart of the country. Have the regional lords manage with their own forces.”

All of them abruptly fell silent at the sound of a door opening.

“You all look quite restless.”

The first to enter the room was the most prominent noble in the country, Duke Crockford.

Beside him was a diminutive old man leaning on a cane, Graham Sanders the Thunder Mage.

Duke Crockford surveyed the room with cold eyes resembling a winter lake, muttering, “I hear that many of you are concerned about the capital’s defenses.”

Clang! The silence was broken by the sound of a cane striking the floor. Graham was the one responsible.

This elderly man was once known as the strongest mage in all of Ridill. The thunder he called was said to tear through the heavens and obliterate anything in its path.

Graham raised his drooping eyelids and glared at the council.

“I am here, yet you are still dissatisfied?”

His imposing aura made his small figure seem several times larger, leaving the council members with pale faces.

Every man, woman, and child in Ridill knew of the Thunder Mage’s legacy. He was one of Ridill’s greatest heroes, respected by even the King and Duke Crockford himself.

The older you are, the more vividly you would remember his heroic tales.

“You youngsters fuss too much over a mere flock of dragons.”

Graham took his seat with pride, as the holder of highest solo dragon subjugation count in history.

The Thunder Mage had grown frail in his old age, and his limbs looked as thin as withered branches. Yet he possessed an imposing presence that belied his appearance.

All the council members held their breath, captivated by his every move. Even Duke Crockford seemed to pale in comparison to the savior of the nation, Graham Sanders.

“My disciple is out there fighting on the front lines. That makes it my duty, as his master, to protect his home. Whether it’s a foreign army or a flock of wyverns, I, the Thunder Mage, shall shoot them down without leaving this chair.”

Graham struck the floor with his cane again, then turned to Duke Crockford beside him. He maintained a stern tone, as if inquiring about the foes he would be facing.

“By the way, can I get a cushion?”

“…Get him one.”

Duke Crockford passed the order to the lowest-ranking council member, who hurriedly rushed out to fetch a cushion.

Graham withdrew his imposing aura and stroked his beard with a smile.

“Make it a nice, soft one, please~.”

＊　＊　＊

Bradford Firestone the Artillery Mage looked up at the Worgan Mountains as he tapped his shoulder with his staff.

The dust in the distance signaled the approach of earth dragons, headed right in his direction. The herd had at least ten, even by a conservative estimate, and they seemed bloodthirsty.

This was a sight that would make even the most seasoned Dragon Knights falter.

However, Bradford seemed a bit disappointed. He had been hoping for the appearance of one as powerful as the Black Dragon of Worgan, since the Silent Witch already defeated that one.

(Well, I guess these guys will do.)

The dragons were being drawn to the mana radiating from the land, so he needed to teach them that was human territory. A powerful spell was the quickest way to do that.

Bradford began chanting.

His spells possessed overwhelming power, which often resulted in overkilling his targets.

Honestly, it would be far more efficient to employ a spell with just enough power, like the Silent Witch usually did.

(But I am the Artillery Mage.)

Ever since the moment he was born, Bradford had everything.

Wealth from being the fourth son of a successful viscount. Talent at studying and memorization. Dexterity and athletic ability. His innate strength and mana made him unbeatable, whether it came to fist fights or magic battles.

Back then, many pointed at him and cried “unfair”. Why was he born with so much more than them?

Their words caused the young Bradford to reflect.

Indeed, the people around him possessed far less power and privilege than himself. It made sense for them to accuse him of being unfair.

——In that case, he just needed to find stronger opponents.

Thus, he searched for someone who would satisfy him.

And yet, he still achieved victory after victory. This was partly due to his overwhelming talent, but Bradford was also relatively clever. His brain could calculate the path to victory, and his body could execute it.

Again, they called him “unfair.” It was unacceptable to win using such tricks.

——So, he decided to overwhelm them.

No one would complain if his victory was achieved with overwhelming power.

He ended up devising the spell that became his namesake, an unprecedented sixfold reinforced fireball. This was one-shot, one-kill, boasting the power to pierce right through a dragon’s torso.

And as a result, he was selected to join the Seven Sages. No one called him “unfair” anymore.

“Uncle, your style is the way of the strong. I can’t help but envy you… since I’ll never be able to do that.”

These were the words of Bradford’s nephew, Hubert Dee.

Hubert was an apprentice mage enrolled in Minerva. But while he was blessed with intelligence and talent, his mana was merely average. He could not possibly compare to Bradford.

“Do you think I’m unfair too, Hugh?” Bradford asked.

“Hmm? Hmm-mmm-mmm? Isn’t ‘unfair’ used to describe guys like me?”

Hubert tapped his temple a few times, deep in thought, before suddenly raising his face in realization.

“Ah, I see how it is. So they called you ‘unfair’ because you were born with everything? Hah! They’re just jealous. They can’t admit to being inferior, so they bring others down to their level by calling them unfair!”

To Bradford, this was a slightly surprising revelation.

Having been born with everything, he had never felt much in terms of envy. This made it difficult for him to understand the people calling him “unfair” out of jealousy.

“Hey, Uncle. Do you think setting traps to catch your prey is unfair? But that’s what hunting is all about, right? It’s fun to use your brain. That’s why I love using nasty tricks to hunt down overwhelmingly strong opponents. It’s my greatest pleasure.”

Hubert put on the cunning grin of a trickster. And yet, he had the eyes of an innocent boy admiring his hero.

“Uncle, you should stay the way you are. Life is a lot more exciting when you know there’s someone way stronger than you.”

This was nothing more than Hubert’s selfish request. But for some reason, that didn’t bother Bradford at all.

And so, he said this to this nephew:

“Fine by me. I’ll continue being the ‘Artillery’ that obliterates enemies with overwhelming firepower. If you think you can beat me, then bring it on, Hugh.”

It started out of simple stubbornness. This spell was for disproving those who called him “unfair”.

But if it was for the sake of the new generation, upholding that stubbornness didn’t sound half-bad.

After all, holding onto any stubbornness long enough turns it into resolve.

(Better keep your eyes on me, Hugh. I won’t lose easily!)

After finishing the incantation, Bradford began the ceremonial chant. He had always loved the chant for summoning the Spirit King of Fire.

“O King of Flames. He who brings promised victory. Raise the crimson blade, and reveal a glimpse of your power!”

Flem-Blem, the Spirit King of Fire, also known as the Lord of Vermilion. He was most known for promising victory to the Hero King Ralph.

And his overwhelming flames burned all enemies to a crisp.

“In the name of the Artillery Mage, Bradford Firestone… Open the gate!”

The gate above Bradford opened its doors. This was considerably larger than any of the other Spirit King summoners in Ridill.

“Clad in the celebratory flames, manifest yourself… Spirit King of Fire Flem-Blem!”

Clumps of fire rained down from the gate, striking the dragons like cannonballs.

Their deafening explosions shook the earth, and a pleasantly warm breeze tousled Bradford’s hair.

Not to be outdone, the Artillery Mage shouted in an equally loud voice.

“Bring it on, I’ll show you the pride of the strong! Whether there’s a dozen or a hundred, come at me!”

＊　＊　＊

“Ah, why did I have to come back here,” sighed Robson, a middle-aged man serving in the Dragon Knight’s 7th Investigation Division.

Robson had intended to leave the Dragon Knights after the mission in Dalsmore.

He didn’t want to see his heroes falling apart, or dragons capable of communication. This was a personal problem, and he understood that.

But unfortunately for him, a large-scale dragon disaster struck the capital immediately after his return from Dalsmore.

Even worse, Dunning, the captain of the 7th Investigation Division, was attacked by an unknown assailant, left unconscious and in critical condition.

How was Robson supposed to resign from the Dragon Knights in the midst of such chaos?

This was followed by the Starseer Witch’s prophesy of the worst dragon disaster in history.

Dalsmore was placed on high alert due to its proximity to the dragon peaks, and Robson was dispatched there once again.

(Really, the timing couldn’t be any worse…)

Robson looked up at the sky, which was dotted with a flock of wyverns. There were nearly twenty of them.

It was incredibly rare for wyverns to gather in such numbers. The prophecy of the Starseer Witch had been proven correct.

The Magic Corps and Dragon Knights were in position to intercept, but the wyverns were not going down without a fight.

Right as Robson was about to let out another sigh, he heard a scream from the recon team behind him.

“Greater dragon spotted! A red dragon is approaching rapidly!”

Immediately, tension filled the air.

A flock of wyverns was dangerous enough, but now a greater dragon showing up out of nowhere?

Even a single greater dragon was formidable enough to tip the scales.

While they were given more than enough manpower to handle the wyverns, someone on the level of a Sage was required to challenge a greater dragon.

Robson watched as the dragon clad in red scales closed in on them from behind the flock of wyverns. It arched its throat backwards, which was the precursor to breathing fire.

“Deploy barriers…!”

The Magic Corps set up their barriers just in time to catch the dragon’s breath.

In an instant, the powerful mana-infused flames dyed the blue sky a dusky red.

The creature’s fiery breath enveloped the sky and… seared the flock of wyverns without ever touching their barriers.

“…Huh?”

Robson could not help let out a dumbfounded gasp, and it was not just him. Everyone there was left speechless.

The red dragon started chasing the wyverns with its breath, as if lighting a fire under them.

Wyverns possessed high magic resistance, so the red dragon’s fiery breath did not deal any significant injuries. That said, it did seem to scare them into changing course.

A few wyverns tried to escape from the flock, but then, another red dragon appeared from the side.

This red dragon, which was much smaller than the first one, breathed fire to push the wyverns back in and prevent the flock from scattering.

(Two red dragons, a parent and child… No way…!)

The red dragons continued chasing down the wyverns, eventually driving the entire flock back into the dragon peaks.

The greater dragons had scared off the lesser dragons for them.

The soldiers could only watch in silence as the two red dragons performed a large spiral turn in the sky above, then flew off into the mountains.

——GRUUUUAAAAH! AAAGH!!

The larger red dragon let out a roar. Robson somehow got the feeling that he understood the meaning behind it.

This was probably, “Sorry for the commotion.”

Robson placed his hand on his forehead and stared vacantly at the sky.

“…Oh boy.”

After such a prominent display, someone needed to explain the behavior of the Red Dragon of Dalsmore to the higher-ups.

And of all the people here, he was the only one capable of doing that.

(Once again, I’ve missed my timing to resign.)

Apparently, he was someone cursed with very bad timing.

Misc Info About Spirits

Q: Why does Wildianu stay in lizard form during combat?

A: Wildianu’s main role is supporting Isaac (for example, making footholds), so it is more convenient to have him listening to Isaac’s orders from his pocket or on his shoulder. The smaller lizard form also allows him to avoid taking hits.

Meanwhile, Ashelpikeh prefers fighting in human form. If necessary, she could freeze the entire ground, and gracefully skate around while swinging around swords of ice. She refrains from doing this because Cyril and Monica would be tripping over themselves.

Rynzbelfied is constantly in maid form outside of stealth missions. Maid form is her conviction.


Q: Couldn’t Wildianu just make the magic sword for Isaac?

A: Possibly, but Isaac wanted to conserve Wildianu’s mana. Also, there would be a delay if Isaac needed to order Wildianu whenever he wanted to transform the sword, such as when he turned it into a rope.


Q: Can spirits only transform into one type of animal? Is it decided by the elemental affinity of the spirit?

A: Generally yes, though some spirits have multiple forms. Spirits tend to choose the form that suits them most. Some ice spirits also transform into weasels, while others may take the form of wolves or rabbits.

As a side note, these were the reactions to their transformations:

-When Wildianu turned into a lizard, Isaac silently cheered.

-When Rynzbelfied turned into a bird, Louis considered plucking all of her feathers and crushing her.

-When Ashelpikeh turned into a weasel, Melissa thought about how much money her fur would sell for.

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