“Recently, many new dungeons have been appearing near the regime.”
The blood-soaked ground in the darkness was slippery.
As the pungent humidity brushed against her nose, Commander Kyleen took a cigarette from her pouch and lit it.
“When His Majesty was alive, this would have been unimaginable,” she murmured.
“Ah, that was centuries ago,” came the reply.
Head of the Department, Roman, flicked his fingers, channeling magic to ignite a flame.
The flame was an endless shade of blue.
Kyleen, without responding, swept her long black hair behind her ear and accepted her subordinate’s gesture.
With a puff of smoke, the warmth in her chest began to fade, and the chaotic sounds of battle slowly dissipated into the haze.
“This must be proof that I am still lacking. If I were truly an overwhelming presence like His Majesty, would monsters dare to stir near the regime?”
Under her feet, dismembered pieces of monsters lay scattered. Severed arms and torn intestines formed grotesque shapes, and the surroundings looked like a scene straight from hell.
She stared at them indifferently before turning her gaze forward.
A horned demon, known as the Demon King, lay collapsed, clutching its blood-soaked belly.
Kyleen, still holding the cigarette, squatted before the Demon King.
“Clean this up.”
With a wave of her hand, the blades of her subordinates aligned, tightening around the Demon King’s neck.
The Demon King’s trembling gaze slowly rose to meet Kyleen’s eyes.
She recalled the soldiers who had been swept away like sand in a wave by her sword. It wasn’t human combat. It was as if a war god had descended into the dungeon.
Her presence alone surpassed that of the Demon King’s army, and indeed, overwhelmed it. The surrounding knights were mere bystanders.
Anger flickered in the Demon King’s eyes, but deeper within, a faint fear, like a trembling candlelight, hovered.
“Take it.”
“…?”
What Kyleen offered was a half-burnt cigarette.
The blue embers still crackled faintly.
The Demon King glared at her with all the remaining strength it had.
“…What do you mean by this?”
“Use your left hand or right hand, whichever you prefer. If I miss, I’ll let you live.”
“…Ha, do you think this is some madman’s amusement? Just kill me already.”
“As a knight, I keep my promises. Whether I die or live, the odds are fifty-fifty.”
Without responding, the Demon King stared into Kyleen’s eyes. Just as when her gaze wiped out its legion, it was still cold and composed.
If given just one chance, it could rise again.
As long as it surpassed that fifty-fifty chance, there would be an opportunity to repay the humiliation.
With a grimace, the Demon King’s hand trembled as it reached for the cigarette.
“Keep your promise, human.”
“You’d better not show that it’s too hot.”
The Demon King took a deep breath and, making sure it couldn’t be seen, grasped the cigarette within his folded hands.
Left hand, right hand. Two choices lay before Kyleen.
She observed the slight tremor in the Demon King’s hand with a calm gaze, like a still surface of water, and did not miss even the faintest tremble.
After a moment, she nodded as if she had made her decision.
And then…
Thud!
The Demon King’s head fell to the ground.
Kyleen, with her blood-free sword sheathed, kicked the Demon King’s head toward Roman.
“Take care of it.”
“…Did you never intend to keep your promise from the start?”
“That’s not true. I’m a knight too. The one who didn’t keep their promise was this fellow.”
As the soldiers began collecting the Demon King’s body, a crushed cigarette fell out from its knee.
Roman widened his eyes, his mouth agape in surprise.
“I clearly told you to choose between the left hand and right hand. Well, your acting wasn’t bad.”
“…How did you know?”
Kyleen lit a new cigarette without even needing to snap her fingers. Her eyes briefly glowed a brilliant blue, and the cigarette caught fire.
“My eyesight is quite good. Roman, be careful too.”
“Eh, what? What are you talking about…?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you staring at my chest during training?”
“G-Goodness!”
Roman bent down in shock, his head nearly touching the ground.
“I-I’m sorry! Commander! I didn’t do it on purpose…!”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s not like it’s going to wear out. This is just a reminder to focus properly during training.”
Kyleen stepped over the corpses of the monsters and disappeared gracefully outside the dungeon.
Roman swallowed as he alternated between watching her back and the Demon King’s remains.
Is this really the legendary swordmaster, the strongest knight in the human world?
That day, a dungeon vanished from the continent. Kyleen and her knights returned to the regime.
“…Every time I see it, it’s magnificent.”
From the hill on the vast plain, Kyleen murmured as she gazed at the regime.
The castle walls surrounded the regime. The high, thick walls soared like they were reaching for the sky, exuding an overwhelming grandeur.
For hundreds of years, no monster had ever crossed these walls to invade the empire.
“Unless it’s a dragon, no monster would dare to cross those castle walls.”
Kyleen silently nodded in agreement with Roman’s words.
The dragon, the ruler of the skies, and the king of all monsters.
However, to the humans of the empire, dragons had long disappeared into myth.
This was the achievement of the first emperor, Carlos.
“Of course, as long as the ‘Dragon’s Oath’ remains, even a dragon would never dare to challenge the human empire.”
Carlos, the legend and undefeated myth of the human world, even made the great dragon race bow down.
He didn’t kill them, but merely made them swear an oath.
“Truly, it is awe-inspiring. The achievement of turning the Dragon’s Tongue into a declaration of surrender is something I could never even imagine.”
The pressure from that still felt vivid to Kyleen, and she blushed slightly, shivering with emotion.
She worshipped the strong as much as she did beasts.
“To even come close to achieving the feats of that person, I will strive even harder. I must…”
Strive. This was Carlos’s final command and the long-rooted saying among knights.
The command, which had been given over 800 years ago, was etched into Kyleen’s heart like an unerasable mark.
“By the way, is it because a merchant ship is coming in today that it’s so crowded?”
As Roman said, the castle gates were bustling with people. The sounds of chatter and footsteps mixed, and the streets were packed without a moment’s rest.
Perhaps because the patrol guards had increased, it felt twice as chaotic and lively as usual.
Kyleen passed through the square and stopped for a moment in front of a giant statue.
It was the statue of the first emperor, Carlos.
In his raised hand toward the sky, a horn made of bone gleamed.
That was the ‘Dragon’s Oath.’ The legendary artifact that, when blown, would cause dragons to retreat.
“Respect to the great warrior.”
Kyleen placed one hand over her chest in reverence.
As she knelt, the other knights followed and bowed their heads before the statue.
After completing this now habitual ritual, Kyleen turned toward the royal palace, passing by the marketplace.
At that moment, a father and daughter caught her sharp gaze.
A girl with light pink hair and a middle-aged man in a suit who seemed to be her father.
Kyleen’s eyes narrowed into a thin sliver.
“Wait here for a moment.”
Kyleen walked toward them with determined steps.
After passing through the castle gate, Sofien let out the breath she had been holding. Rupia, who was next to her, did the same.
“Phew, phew! I thought I was going to die from nerves…!”
Sofien wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at me.
In her eyes, the cleanly dressed gentleman reflected. This was Lauro’s work.
“So, what do you plan to do now?”
I handed Sofien a piece of paper and said,
“From now on, Saintess, you will act separately. Go to the location I’ve written down and find a blacksmith named Moscan. Pay with jewels, and request the item be made.”
“And then?”
“Wait at a nearby inn until the item is finished. The important thing is that from now on, never let anyone know that we are connected.”
Sofien, as if waiting for the last words, quickly disappeared in the opposite direction.
It seemed that the fact they were tied with monsters at the regime was terrifying enough.
I turned to Rupia and spoke next.
“From now on, you and I are father and daughter. Be careful not to act suspiciously.”
“Ah, I understand, General. Don’t worry about it…!”
General? Is what I heard correct?
I already felt uneasy.
I asked Rupia to pay attention once again and walked through the square. Hundreds of years had passed, but the regime hadn’t changed much.
With familiar steps, I headed to the center of the square where the sun shone the brightest.
Before my life ends, I remember one thing Carlos promised here.
‘In this place, where the most people gather in the regime, I will honor the general’s achievements.’
The promise Carlos made back then was undoubtedly there.
But the owner of that achievement was not me.
“Ah.”
Suddenly, the words left my lips.
The huge statue in the center of the square seemed to look down upon the masses with grandeur, glaring at me.
The figure was unmistakably Carlos. In his raised hand, the horn made of bone, ‘Dragon’s Oath,’ was still there, just as it had been 800 years ago.
I stood still for a long time, gazing up at Carlos’s statue like a broken clock.
At the same time, I turned my head and surveyed the surroundings.
In the garden full of blooming flowers, children were playing, and merchants were kindly greeting customers in front of their shops. Laughter and light conversation spread lazily, and the warm peace ruled the whole square.
800 years ago, on the day when the bodies of five kingdoms piled up like mountains and blood flowed like rivers during the war.
I still remember my vow to establish the empire and bring peace back, even if I turned to bones.
…As a knight, I will keep the promises I’ve made.”
It felt like I was enchanted as I muttered.
Even when the Balotus Demon King army becomes stronger than the empire, I will never invade this place.
I will only ‘cooperate’ through exchange.
The emperor erased my existence, but I will never let the empire I built fall. I will continue to watch it.
Because the knight’s vow must be fulfilled.
I still hope the human empire remains peaceful.
Clutching my burning heart, I turned around. I had confirmed it with my own eyes, so that was enough.
Just as I was about to leave, holding Rupia’s hand.
“…Huh?”
Rupia, who had been next to me, had disappeared.
I hurriedly turned my head, and I saw her arguing with the owner at the dessert shop, her light pink hair visible.
Sighing, I walked in that direction.
“I’ll pay. How much?”
“Are you her guardian? First time I’ve seen a cheeky kid asking for a 3-silver waffle for just 1 silver.”
“I-I’m not a kid…!”
I pointed at Rupia, who was blushing and about to argue, and handed over the money.
At that moment.
“Excuse me.”
A massive pressure weighed down on my shoulder.
“…!”
Startled, I turned around to see a black-haired knight with a cigarette in her mouth standing there, wearing armor.
She had both hands on her waist, speaking insolently.
“Can I borrow a flame? My magic is running out.”
It looked like she had fought a battle, with dents in her armor and blood splattered on it.
Her indifferent gaze scrutinized me as if testing me. I could smell the blood within her gaze.
“…Sorry. I don’t have anything to start a fire. I don’t smoke.”
“Could you do it with magic, then? I’ll make sure to thank you.”
“I don’t know how to use magic.”
“…Really? I can feel the magic though, hmm.”
The knight flicked the cigarette she was holding in her mouth, her expression turning regretful.
“How about your little lady over there light it for me? I’ll buy all the waffles here. What do you say?”
“Uh, uh? Really…!?”
Before I could even swallow my shock, Rupia used her magic to light the fire.
The color of the blazing magic was.
An endlessly deep red.
Slightly smiling.
The indifference in the knight’s eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, cruel smile that rose like a crescent moon.
“Not human?”
A brief silence fell.
At the same time, she and I drew our swords almost simultaneously.