My Lord Who Is Being Prudent! [EN]: Chapter 228

228. Dragon Search (1)

What is considered the most powerful monster on the continent?

If you asked 100 people, roughly 70 to 80 would answer:

“An Ogre.”

The creature at the apex of the monster food chain.

An Ogre’s strength is often compared to that of a mid to high-level Expert knight.

A single Ogre can devastate an entire city, let alone a small territory.

Those who manage to defeat such an Ogre are granted the prestigious title of ‘Ogre Slayer.’

The Ogre: the strongest predator on land.

However, not everyone agrees that it is the most powerful monster.

Only that majority of 70 to 80 people concur.

The remaining 20 to 30 hold different opinions.

Firstly, there’s the existence of the Demon race.

The Demon race, often called the remnants of demons.

Their strength is hard to quantify.

But one thing is certain: they are far stronger than Ogres.

However, the Demon race cannot leave the Dark Forest.

Moreover, their appearances are rare, occurring only once every few decades.

Therefore, most people maintain that the Ogre is the most powerful monster on the continent.

But what if we posed the same question a thousand years ago?

The most powerful monster on the continent.

If you were to ask the people of that era, everyone would answer:

“A Dragon.”

Beyond the strongest predator on land, an untouchable supreme being.

According to myths, their strength rivaled that of a god.

A single step could crush an Ogre to death.

An invulnerability that even the Demon race struggled to overcome.

Those who hunted such a Dragon were bestowed the most glorious title of ‘Dragon Slayer.’

And throughout the entire history of the continent,

no one ever received the title of Dragon Slayer.

Even the Arnaizes [The six heroes who saved the continent] did not receive the title of Dragon Slayer.

There were two reasons for this.

The first, of course, was the sheer power of the Dragons.

It wasn’t for nothing that they were said to be comparable to gods.

However, they were *only* comparable to gods.

They weren’t truly divine beings.

Dragons were ultimately creatures that walked, breathed, and lived.

They had long lifespans but were mortal beings who would eventually face death.

Therefore, hunting Dragons wasn’t entirely impossible.

A Dragon nearing the end of its lifespan.

A Dragon sick and weakened.

Ultimately, all that was needed was to defeat the Dragon.

Nevertheless, no one in the history of the continent received the title of Dragon Slayer.

Thus, the second reason, and in fact, the ultimate reason:

‘Didn’t all the Dragons go extinct…?’

All the Dragons had vanished.

As far back as a thousand years ago.

It was believed that they all perished in the battle against the demons.

According to the myths, when the demons invaded the continent,

the first creatures they targeted were the Dragons.

Dragons, with their power comparable to gods.

For the demons, Dragons were the most unsettling beings.

But Dragons had a weakness, if it could be called that.

They didn’t live in groups.

Even looking at the Ogres of today, it was clear.

Forming groups was an act of weak beings to protect themselves.

Predators had no need or reason to form groups.

If even mere Ogres were like that,

what more could be said of Dragons, who were untouchable supreme beings?

Dragons each lived in their own lairs,

and the demons began to defeat these isolated Dragons one by one.

The Dragons, belatedly sensing the crisis, gathered their strength, but it was already too late.

The Dragons were almost completely annihilated.

So, to be precise, Dragon Slayers *did* exist.

The Seven Demon Lords.

They could be considered the Dragon Slayers.

In any case, the Dragons disappeared from the continent.

The continent, having lost the power to resist the demons, quickly fell into their hands.

No one could stand against the demons.

As the fate of the continent slowly faded,

when only the darkest despair filled the air,

there were those who miraculously appeared and confronted the Seven Demon Lords.

The six heroes who saved the continent.

The Arnaizes.

Thus, some say that the strength of the Arnaizes surpassed that of the Dragons.

Nevertheless, the reason why the Arnaizes didn’t receive the title of Dragon Slayer was simple.

The Dragons had already been hunted by the demons.

Also, the few surviving Dragons.

They joined forces with the Arnaizes to fight against the demons.

In short, they were on the same side.

That is, there weren’t many Dragons for the Arnaizes to hunt.

And from the beginning, there was no justification for hunting them.

Afterwards, even the remaining Dragons went extinct in the final battle,

and the title of Dragon Slayer eventually became a mythical title that could no longer be obtained.

Well, anyway.

A thousand years had passed since the final battle.

During that long period, the existence of Dragons had never been confirmed.

Currently, there are no Dragons on the continent.

Dragons are extinct.

But.

『[Story Main Quest] – ‘Unresolved Question’

▶Find the Last Dragon.』

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“Find the extinct Dragon?”

*What on earth is this?*

Cyan stared blankly at his smartphone screen.

And perhaps noticing Cyan’s sudden change in behavior,

“Why are you suddenly like that? What’s with the sudden talk about Dragons?”

Aria asked Cyan with a puzzled expression.

Hoping for a clue, Cyan asked Aria.

“Do you perhaps, know anything about Dragons?”

“Dragons? Of course, I know about them,”

Aria nodded as if it were obvious.

Cyan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately pressed her.

“You do? Where are they?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? It’s been ages since Dragons went extinct. What do you mean, where are they?”

But that was Aria’s answer.

Cyan shook his head, thinking, *I knew it.*

The Dragon Aria spoke of was the Dragon of myths.

So, it seemed she only knew what a Dragon *was*.

As expected, Dragons were extinct.

But the content of the updated quest that was now appearing…

Cyan rubbed his eyes and looked again.

The quest notification window, still flickering, still instructed him to find the Last Dragon.

Surely, the quest wouldn’t ask him to find something that didn’t exist.

*Does that mean Dragons are alive?*

It seemed that some Dragons had survived extinction.

And it seemed that the number of those individuals was not very large.

To be exact, it seemed that only one individual was alive.

That was because of the words ‘the Last’ attached to it.

It seemed that the Last Dragon was somewhere on the continent.

Honestly, it was hard to believe, but…

As expected, the quest couldn’t be false.

*Dragon, huh….*

In the end, he had to find that Dragon.

But the problem was that there was so little information about Dragons.

Dragons were creatures that had gone extinct a thousand years ago.

Of course, there was almost no current information about Dragons.

All that remained were the stories in myths.

But it wasn’t entirely hopeless.

Dragons were known to possess power comparable to gods.

And the reason they were called that was none other than because Dragons were excellent mages.

The truth that makes up this world.

The truth that only God knows.

Bringing that truth into the realm of reason.

Thus, defining all providence as laws.

Making it possible to understand all truths with reason.

Dragons, called the origin of magic, were the beings who had come closest to that truth.

In short, Dragons were the beings who had come closest to the authority of God.

Therefore, Dragons had been regarded as beings comparable to God.

Of course, that definition had completely changed since the appearance of Arnaiz Elodie.

*Looking at it this way, Elodie was really amazing.*

The mage of Exceed [A magic realm beyond human comprehension] and the great mage who surpassed even Dragons.

Cyan had thought it was just an incomprehensible realm of magic.

He could now understand a little why Marquis Egret had made such a fuss.

And Kyle, whom even Elodie, who was beyond approach, had praised.

*How strong was Kyle, really?*

Cyan had reached the realm of Master,

and he was worried about whether he could face Durak, the number one swordsman on the continent.

Even now, he couldn’t even imagine getting closer to Kyle’s strength.

He couldn’t even guess how much more effort he would have to put in to approach Kyle.

And the Seven Demon Lords who confronted such Kyle.

Although they were defeated by Kyle and the Arnaizes and disappeared into history.

What would their strength be like when freed from restrictions?

Cyan couldn’t imagine this either.

Well, anyway.

For mages, Dragons were bound to be an interesting topic.

So, there were countless studies and records.

Although Dragons were extinct, there were enormous amounts of records based on myths.

And just in time.

Cyan was in the place where the most information in the Empire was gathered.

*I should probably look for information in the Imperial Palace Library.*

None other than the Imperial Palace Library.

It seemed he would have to look for information related to Dragons there.

*Just in case, I should get an Imperial Palace Library pass from His Majesty in advance.*

He might have to use the Secret Archive.

Having thought this far, Cyan immediately got up from his seat.

No, to be exact, it was just as he was about to get up from his seat.

Knock knock.

-Excuse me. May I come in?

Along with the knock, a voice was heard from outside the door.

A woman’s voice.

And a rather familiar voice.

For a moment, Cyan wondered if it was Lorraine, the priestess who attended to Aria…?

But he quickly shook his head.

It was different from the voice of Lorraine in his memory.

More than anything, Aria also seemed not to know who the voice outside the door belonged to.

*Then who on earth…?*

Just as he was thinking that,

with a click, the door to the VIP room opened.

And the owner of the voice appeared.

“Princess…?”

It was none other than the Imperial Princess, Elena.

#

Blonde hair resembling sunlight, along with a radiant atmosphere.

But a cold impression that contrasted with it.

The owner of a beauty that was not easily found.

The Imperial Princess, Elena.

Cyan’s expression went blank at Elena’s sudden appearance.

Aria also did not understand what was going on.

To be exact, she didn’t seem to know who the woman in front of her, Elena, was.

“I’m sorry for coming in so suddenly.”

Elena offered an apology as soon as she entered the room.

And just as she was about to continue her next words,

“You don’t have anything to say… Oh? Cyan… Young Master?”

Elena tilted her head, discovering Cyan’s presence.

Judging from her reaction, it didn’t seem like she had come to see Cyan.

“Young Master Cyan… No, why is Count Cyan here…?”

It seemed like that was the case.

Cyan slightly moved his body aside and said.

“I had something to talk about with Aria for a moment.”

“Aria, you say…?”

“I’m talking about the Holy Maiden sitting there blankly.”

At Cyan’s words, Elena cast her gaze towards the back.

And as he said, there was the platinum-blonde woman, Aria, sitting blankly.

For a moment, Elena’s expression changed subtly.

“More than that, why is Your Highness here…?”

Following Cyan’s question,

Elena quickly corrected her expression and answered.

“I came because of the Holy Maiden too.”

“You mean because of Aria?”

Elena nodded slightly and opened her mouth.

“I heard that she was alone in the VIP room. She came as Count Cyan’s guest, but anyway, she is our Empire’s guest.”

“Ah.”

“But I didn’t expect Count Cyan to be here….”

Soon, Elena’s gaze towards Cyan became strange.

A gaze that seemed to contain some disappointment and reproach.

“Who…?”

At that moment, Aria’s voice was heard from behind.

Looking there, Aria was looking this way with a suspicious face.

To be exact, she was making a suspicious expression while looking at Elena.

As expected, she didn’t seem to know who Elena was.

Well, she was also the Holy Maiden of another country, so she might not know Elena’s face.

*More than that, she’s asking so quickly.*

But hadn’t I been calling her Your Highness all along?

Cyan shook his head and opened his mouth.

“She’s the Empire’s Princess.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Elena von Charlotte.”

At the same time as Cyan’s words, Elena gave a light greeting.

The dignity that was revealed in each of Elena’s movements and gestures.

She didn’t seem ordinary at first glance.

More than anything, the name Charlotte that was attached to the end.

She might not know the name Elena, but she couldn’t *not* know the name Charlotte.

“Ah. Nice to meet you. I’m Aria Rinyu Sapphire. I have the position of Holy Maiden of the Holy Empire.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Especially about your beauty… Seeing you in person, the rumors have been understated.”

“You flatter me. Princess Elena is beautiful enough too.”

Elena and Aria exchanged compliments with each other.

Rather than compliments, it was like a kind of greeting.

Cyan quietly watched the two of them.

A woman with blonde hair resembling sunlight.

A woman with platinum-blonde hair with a bright atmosphere.

One was the Princess of the Charlotte Empire.

One was the Holy Maiden of the Holy Empire.

*The combination is strange.*

Quite… the combination was strange.

In a way, the positions they had in each empire were similar.

Of course, if you looked at it in detail, you could say that they were completely different.

But should I say it was the atmosphere according to their status?

Those were quite similar.

So, what should I say… it was just strange.

Some kind of strangeness that was hard to find words to explain.

Was it because of that?

“Thank you for saying such kind words.”

“No. You really are beautiful, Princess.”

The gazes that Elena and Aria exchanged with each other were also quite strange.

If you only listened to their voices, it was like they were exchanging light greetings with each other.

The appearance that was faintly visible also looked like friendly sisters.

But the momentum and gaze of the two hidden inside.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but it was like when Cyan was trying to figure out the opponent’s strength before a match.

When he was trying to gauge the opponent’s level.

The momentum and gaze that were seen at that time were quite similar.

“More than that, Count Cyan?”

Elena’s question was heard soon after.

“You said you came because you had something to talk about with the Holy Maiden.”

“Yes. That’s….”

“You didn’t even show your face to me once. Was it such an urgent story that you didn’t even think of me?”

Cyan unknowingly shut his mouth tightly.

That was because of Elena’s face that he looked at.

That is, Elena’s gaze that was glaring at Cyan.

He didn’t know why, but… something didn’t seem right.

Well… it was true that he hadn’t gone to see Elena after coming to the Imperial Palace.

But to be exact, it wasn’t that he ‘didn’t’ go, but that he ‘couldn’t’ go.

Because he didn’t have time to go.

As soon as he arrived, he had to talk with Conrad about the castle and crest to be used anew.

He had to greet the guests at the banquet hall.

After the investiture ceremony, he had to negotiate with the Emperor.

He really didn’t have time to go see Elena.

He had nothing to say about that part.

No, but did he *have* to go see Elena?

Was it something to get so angry about?

Cyan had such thoughts for a moment, but.

“I wonder if I suddenly came and disturbed the two of you’s good time.”

He didn’t bother to say it out loud.

Elena’s two eyes, slightly raised in a sulky manner.

Cyan lightly waved his hand and opened his mouth.

No, he was about to open his mouth.

“It’s not a disturbance… Actually, Cyan and I were having a very important conversation.”

*Why is she suddenly acting like that again?*

“I didn’t ask the Holy Maiden.”

“Oh my, was that so? I just thought you were saying it…”

*And why is the atmosphere suddenly flowing like this again?*

Elena’s gaze slowly turned to Aria.

Aria also met Elena’s gaze.

The atmosphere became strange again.

It felt like something was about to happen.

Especially since Cyan knew Aria’s nature.

Of course, Aria also had thoughts, so she wouldn’t make a fuss in front of the Princess.

But why did he have an uneasy feeling?

Cyan hurriedly took a step forward and blocked the view between the two.

And he looked at Elena and immediately opened his mouth.

“What important story? You can ignore the nonsense that Aria is spouting. Besides, I was just about to get up from my seat.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

Then Elena showed a small smile.

To be exact, Elena showed a bright expression at the part ‘the nonsense that Aria is spouting.’

“More than that, where are you going?”

“I was going to see His Majesty.”

“To see Brother…?”

Then Elena’s expression was slightly disappointed.

It seemed like it was because Conrad’s name came out instead of hers.

“Yes. There’s something I need to look up in the Imperial Palace Library.”

Access to the Imperial Palace Library was not very restricted.

Anyone who could enter the Imperial Palace could browse the knowledge in the library.

“I was wondering if I could use the Secret Archive.”

But not the Secret Archive.

Only a member of the Imperial Family could enter the Secret Archive with permission.

Well, there would be a lot of information about Dragons in the general reading room.

But what Cyan wanted to find was the Last Dragon.

The whereabouts of the Dragon he thought had gone extinct.

Maybe he wouldn’t be able to find it with the information in the general reading room.

Maybe… he would have to look for the records of Arnaiz Charlotte like last time.

*I don’t know if there will be any.*

So, he was about to go get a Secret Archive access pass from Conrad.

Conrad’s name was needed to issue a Secret Archive pass.

To be exact, someone with considerable authority among the members of the Imperial Family.

And a member of the Imperial Family with that authority.

“If that’s the case, I can solve it for you.”

Elena also had such authority.

Conrad’s younger sister and the Empire’s Princess.

That is, a direct member of the Imperial Family.

With those words, Elena untied her necklace and handed it to Cyan.

Cyan inadvertently accepted Elena’s necklace.

“This is…?”

“It’s a necklace engraved with the Imperial Family’s crest. It also has a meaning that symbolizes me, so if you show this, they’ll let you pass without any problems.”

Then Elena smiled brightly.

Cyan quietly examined the necklace.

A gold necklace that went well with Elena’s blonde hair, which resembled sunlight.

The rubies and sapphires embedded here and there added to its beauty.

And the Imperial Family’s crest engraved in the center of the necklace.

*This is also a Dragon.*

It was none other than the figure of a Dragon.

Well, it was only natural since the crest symbolizing the Imperial Family of the Empire was a Dragon.

But what was this feeling that somehow fit perfectly?

The combination of Elena and Aria now, and the atmosphere he felt now.

*Strange… strange….*

Everything was flowing strangely.

Cyan quietly examined Elena’s necklace.

“Weren’t you in a hurry?”

Elena’s words were heard at that moment.

To be honest… he wasn’t in a hurry.

That was because he had 250 million gold from Conrad.

And 100 million gold from Marquis Egret.

Until he received that money, there was nothing he had to do.

So, there was nothing he could say that he was in a hurry, but.

“What are you doing? Why don’t you go quickly?”

For some reason, it felt like he *had* to be in a hurry now.

“Then I’ll be going.”

Cyan hurriedly moved his steps and passed by Elena.

And for some reason, Aria didn’t say anything else either.

She was just looking at Elena with a strange gaze.

Once again, the atmosphere of the VIP room flowed strangely.

On the one hand, what was this uneasy feeling?

Cyan felt an ominous feeling for some reason, but.

*Let’s get out of here quickly.*

Rather than that, he felt like he had to get out of this place right now.

Crisis.