Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Circumstances of the Black Dragon

After the battle ended.

The Black Dragon decided to stay in the County of Enox for the time being. Since they had helped in killing Gehenna, it was obvious that they would have caught someone’s attention. They needed to lay low for a while.

“Leon, how’s your body holding up?”

Kazan asked. He never failed to check on Leon’s condition every single day. Perhaps it was his duty as a commander to look after his subordinates.

Leon had seen that sense of responsibility during their last battle. Even on the brink of death, Kazan had looked after his men as a commander should. It was burdensome, but not unpleasant.

Leon replied politely.

“I’m fine. How about you, Commander?”

“I must be getting old. Feeling a bit tired. But I see you’re holding your sword again—were you training?”

“I felt the lack of refinement in my technique. I wanted to move my body to make up for it, even if just a little.”

“Good. Mind if I watch from the side?”

Kazan lay down under the shade of a tree. His face relaxed, looking quite at ease.

As Leon continued his training, Kazan suddenly spoke up.

“Leon, aren’t you curious?”

“About the former commander, Garan… or perhaps why I call myself the commander now.”

Leon stopped swinging his sword. Then, with a slightly surprised expression, he looked at Kazan.

“If I were to ask, would you tell me?”

“Most men ask right away. They want to know what kind of accident forced Commander Garan to retire. Or why I’m filling the vacant position. But you never asked. I found that odd. Youngsters usually can’t resist satisfying their curiosity—they ask thoughtlessly. But you’re different. I’d rather ask you. Why didn’t you?”

“Because you never asked about me, sir.”

Leon spoke indifferently.

“It’s rare for a warrior from Elphrel to come to the Empire. Let alone a mid-level warrior like me, who’s far from being high-ranked. But the Black Dragon didn’t ask. That must’ve meant you were willing to accept me regardless of my circumstances. So, in turn, I didn’t ask either. Since you didn’t pry into my affairs, it was only right that I didn’t pry into yours.”

Kazan let out an exclamation, his eyes filled with surprise. The answer seemed more precise than he had expected.

“It seems I can trust you with the truth. Let me start with why Commander Garan was injured.”

“Our Black Dragon traveled across the continent, solving all kinds of problems. One day, a noble asked us to take care of a Demon Beast.”

A Demon Beast possessed the strength of a thousand Demonic Beasts. It would take an entire nation’s army to deal with such a creature—far beyond the capacity of any mercenary corps.

“You look like you think we refused. But we accepted. Because we trusted Commander Garan. At that time, he was already on the verge of knighthood. His mastery over Force was at a high level.”

“He was that strong?”

“He couldn’t help but be confident. He was strong enough to win three out of ten bouts against actual knights. If not for his injury, he might have been recognized as a mercenary equal to a knight by now. But the Demon Beast we faced was… something beyond anything imaginable.”

Leon could already guess Kazan’s next words. Beyond imagination—there was only one kind of creature among Demon Beasts that fit that description.

“A Humanoid Demon Beast.”

Kazan spoke with a trembling voice. His face stiffened, as if reliving the memory.

“We only learned the truth afterward. Demon Beasts born from the fusion of a thousand Demonic Beasts eventually reach a final form. When their power grows strong enough, they transform—into something human-like. At a glance, they look no different from ordinary humans. We thought so too when we first saw it.”

Kazan’s voice continued to shake. The memory must have been a trauma; his breathing grew increasingly rough.

Leon understood him. He too had been shocked when he first learned about the existence of Humanoid Demon Beasts. And Kazan seemed to carry a personal, painful memory tied to that knowledge. Leon couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him.

“My apologies… I lost my composure for a moment. Anyway, the creature called itself Superbia. It attacked Commander Garan without warning.”

Leon’s eyes shook violently. Superbia. That was the same Demon Beast he had encountered in Kellyburn. Could it be that Garan had faced that monster as well?

Leon hesitated, wondering if he should reveal what he knew. Superbia seemed to be an especially powerful Demon Beast, even among its kind. But instead of interrupting, he decided to simply listen.

“The Demon Beast we encountered was monstrously strong. Surviving that encounter was sheer luck—no, divine fortune. Just as we were about to be annihilated, a landslide struck.”

“It happens sometimes. The power of the strong is enough to alter the terrain itself. Thanks to that, we managed to escape. The debris hid us. But Commander Garan suffered fatal internal injuries while protecting all of us. No amount of training could have prepared a body to endure that.”

“So that’s why you’re going north? To find a way to heal Commander Garan?”

Kazan glanced at Leon and smirked.

“Seems the Count told you. Yes, that’s right. The Black Dragon has dispersed for now—to seek a cure for the commander’s internal wounds. We’ve tried countless methods, but his condition was beyond even the reach of the most skilled physicians.”

“Then why head to the north? If his wounds are that severe, isn’t it impossible to heal him by any means?”

“Not by human medicine, no. Have you heard of the ancient arcane arts? Centuries ago, humanity reached its golden age—when the Evil God’s malice was at its weakest. In that era of peace, people discovered countless forms of knowledge: artifacts, alchemy, magic… everything we enjoy today originates from that time. What we seek is an Elixir. A creation born from the pinnacle of alchemy—said to revive even the dead.”

A look of astonishment spread across Leon’s face. He had heard of the Elixir before—a potion said to grant lifelong health with a single drop. But could such a thing truly exist in the north?

‘I’ve never heard anything before…’

Leon was a warrior from northern Elphrel.

There was no way a northerner wouldn’t have heard the rumor about the treasure. And not just any treasure—the Elixir. It would’ve been strange not to have heard of it at least once.

“You find it hard to believe, don’t you?”

Kazan nodded, as if he understood Leon’s reaction.

“To be precise, the Elixir itself isn’t there. What’s there are the ingredients to make one. Dragon’s Blood. What we seek in the north is a single drop of dragon’s blood.”

Leon’s reply was firm and immediate. Dıscover more novels at noⅴelfire.net

“Do you even know what kind of beings dragons are?”

If martial artists had dragons in the martial world, then this land had true dragons.

Usually, when one thought of a dragon, they imagined a creature that had spent a thousand years honing patience and wisdom. But dragons were the complete opposite.

They were born perfect. They possessed, from birth, bodies that would take warriors decades of training to achieve—and knowledge that would take scholars an entire lifetime to accumulate.

They were, quite literally, the embodiment of the word perfection. That was what dragons were. And because of that, they were arrogant. Naturally so. When one was born superior to every living thing—how could arrogance not follow?

Their arrogance soon transformed into brutality.

Dragons saw humans as insignificant.

Even less than ants crawling in the dirt.

Even less than cocoons that could not move.

Kazan quietly listened to Leon’s words, smiling bitterly. He already knew how absurd his own thoughts sounded.

“Even so, we must try.”

Kazan spoke resolutely.

“All of us in the Black Dragon owe Commander Garan a great debt. We know a single flick of a dragon’s claw would be enough to kill us—but we’ll still go. If there’s even a chance to heal his internal wounds, we’ll do anything. If you don’t wish to follow, you’re free to leave. After all, you owe Commander Garan nothing. It’s not your burden to bear.”

Leon frowned slightly, troubled. Kazan was a good man. Hadn’t he seen it himself not long ago?

How Kazan had risked his life to call him a comrade in the face of death.

—A man who forgets his debt is no better than a beast.

Leon suddenly remembered Zeke’s words.

—Leon, the world is always connected. Everything you see, hear, and meet is linked. You may ignore the injustice before you—that’s your choice. But never forget the grace you’ve received. Grace is the act of one suffering a loss for your sake. Never forget the one who sacrificed for you. If you ever betray that grace, then I will no longer consider you my son.

Leon let out a sigh—one that escaped before he realized it.

‘Father… you ask something truly difficult of me.’

Life rarely went as one wished. But Leon had always liked Zeke’s words—because he believed they were right.

All causes and consequences eventually return to oneself. Some would call that naïve. But Leon wasn’t one of them.

He believed that everything he did would eventually come back to him. And this time, too, he believed it would be the same.

“I never received anything from Commander Garan.”

“But I did receive something from you, Commander. Yesterday, you risked your life to save me. That’s reason enough for me to help.”

Kazan looked at Leon with glistening eyes. His expression was moved—his watery gaze revealing a surprisingly soft heart beneath the hardened exterior.

“Thank you. Hearing you say that makes me even more determined to heal Commander Garan.”

“Think nothing of it. Now that I know why we’re heading north… may I ask—why do you call yourself the commander? Wasn’t the position of the Black Dragon’s commander vacant?”

“Ah, I am the commander. Temporarily, at least. After he was injured, Commander Garan appointed me as acting commander. But none of us truly accepted it. In our hearts, there’s only one commander—and that’s Garan. The Black Dragon’s command cannot belong to anyone else. Still, every group needs a leader. Until he returns, everyone must follow my orders.”

“I see. So that’s how it is.”

“If we can’t obtain the dragon’s blood in the north, I plan to give up as well. Maybe retire. Perhaps I’ll open a tavern with Commander Garan.”

“What about the other members?”

“The others are still young. It’s their time to make a name for themselves as mercenaries. That’s why I plan to train you and Ryan. Without me, the Black Dragon’s strength would drop too much. Once you both reach a certain level, I’ll step down. The Black Dragon’s legacy must continue.”

Leon nodded. He didn’t feel regret. Most mercenaries retired only by dying on the job. Compared to that, Kazan and Garan’s retirement would be a happy one.

And Kazan surely knew that as well—that was why his face carried no heaviness.

“By the way, have you spoken to Ryan about this? I haven’t told him yet.”

“I’ll persuade him somehow.”

At that mischievous smile, Kazan replied with a reluctant sigh.