The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 19

The Last Dragon of the Continent

The Dragon’s Nest.

Otherwise known as the Dragon Lair.

A place countless novel protagonists use as their personal treasure vault.

‘What on earth is going on…’

Tia examined Rael’s body from head to toe, then told him that he needed a thorough examination and led him into a cave at the edge of the lake.

Rael followed behind her, observing his surroundings.

Thud- Thud-

The first thing visible inside the cave was the high ceiling.

In fact, with its smooth walls, it resembled an artificial tunnel more than a cave.

Only the droplets of water falling from the stalactites reminded him that this was originally a cave.

“Have you ever seen a Dragon Lair before?”

“No, this is my first time.”

“Well, I’m the only dragon left on the continent, so consider it an honor.”

“…”

Not expecting an answer, Tia chuckled and walked ahead.

Rael watched Tia’s back, recalling their earlier conversation.

[I can’t detect any magic power residing in your soul. Rather… magic power is engraved in your muscles and blood vessels. This is the way of the dragons.]

[Besides, your magic pattern is very peculiar. It’s as if magic power was crammed into you before your body even properly developed… But thanks to you using your own power instead of having someone else inject it, your body itself has changed to accommodate it.]

[You have the characteristics of the human race, but you’re like a dragon… Human. No, Rael. What are you?]

It felt good to hear compliments after so long, but Tia had told Rael something important.

Rael finally understood the source of the talent this body possessed.

‘Since I don’t have a soul, and I forcibly absorbed magic power, the magic power resided in my body.’

Rael had been manipulating magic power with his own strength since he was a newborn, before his body had properly developed.

But he didn’t have a soul where the magic power should reside.

Eventually, the magic power seeped into his muscles and blood, and at some point, the very nature of his body changed.

If a dragon could mistake him for one of their own, there was no need to mention how great the effect was.

Perhaps his heightened senses were also a result of that.

‘Tch… My senses weren’t a perk from another world, huh.’

Rael’s face crumpled at the belatedly discovered truth.

In the end, he had been dropped into a medieval fantasy world with nothing but his bare body.

‘Still… it could have been dangerous if things went wrong. I got lucky.’

Rael was the only being in this world without a soul.

Rael was the sole result of the experiment ‘What happens when a soulless creature accepts magic power?’

If he had been unlucky, his body might have exploded from not being able to handle the magic power as soon as he was reincarnated.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

“Yes?”

Just then, Tia’s clear voice reached Rael’s ears.

“Special Guard… For a human like you to come to such a remote place. It must be fate’s guidance.”

“… I’m not that great of a guy.”

“Your identity requires precise examination. I can’t figure it out just by looking.”

“… Examination?”

“It’s nothing serious, so don’t be afraid. Oh, do you have any questions? It’s been thousands of years since I’ve talked to a human, so I’ll answer any questions you have.”

At the time scale of thousands of years, Rael looked at Tia’s body.

She looked no different from a young woman, so that must be a spell called Polymorph [a spell that alters one’s physical form].

It was his first time seeing it in person, so he was amazed.

“Why are you in human form instead of dragon form?”

“The most efficient form for studying magic is human. First of all, it’s convenient to have five fingers, it’s quite aesthetically pleasing, and I only need to eat a little. Well, if you really want to be efficient, a tentacle monster like a kraken would be better, but I don’t want to look like that.”

“Ah…”

It was information he would never have known if he hadn’t met a dragon.

It wouldn’t be of much help in life, but small talk like this was the best way to ease the atmosphere.

Rael watched Tia’s expression and asked what he was really curious about.

“Tia, what’s your reason for being in the Special Guard? You can do anything if you’re a dragon.”

“I can’t do everything. I’m sensitive to the smell of magic power.”

Whoosh-

Along with her answer, Tia used her magic power and pushed aside one side of the cave wall.

Inside the wall that moved according to her magic power, a laboratory-like space was visible.

“Oh…”

Rael was amazed by the grand size of the laboratory and followed Tia inside.

A much higher ceiling than the cave he had just passed through unfolded before him, and the sparkling magic stones embedded in the ceiling shone like stars in the night sky.

It seemed like space magic had been cast on it.

“There aren’t any treasures? I thought Dragon Lairs had a lot of treasures.”

“Only young dragons collect those things. I’ve already graduated.”

As Tia went deeper into the lab, the magical tools around her began to activate.

The dragon’s overwhelming magic power supplied magic power to the surroundings just by walking.

“Rael. Do you know what dragons like?”

“Isn’t it magic?”

It was a basic fantasy trope that dragons liked magic.

“Half right and half wrong. To be precise, we like things that are new and interesting.”

“New and interesting things?”

Snap-

When Tia snapped her fingers, chairs and a table flew in from one side of the lab.

Watching Tia sit naturally in the chair, Rael also took a seat.

At the same time, teacups and a teapot clattered and poured a cup of tea for Tia and Rael.

“The biggest enemy of a dragon is ennui [a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement].”

Slurp-

Tia began to speak as she drank the flower tea with beautiful flowers floating in it.

Rael also took a sip of the tea, but it tasted so awful that his face naturally contorted.

“The tea is bitter, isn’t it? That’s also one way to overcome ennui. Overcoming ennui in a long, long life is more difficult than you think. The reason why dragons are known to like magic is that magic is the least boring and most interesting thing.”

“Ugh, how bored do you have to be to drink something so bitter.”

Rael put down his teacup and frowned.

He wondered what kind of tea it was, but it seemed to be just pretty wildflowers boiled in water.

“New tastes are also stimulating. Anyway, dragons aren’t a race that likes magic. Even if it’s not magic, they’re a race that’s interested in anything interesting.”

Swish-

As Tia stretched out her right hand, the magical tools on one side of the lab flew in a row.

Among them was a subspace magic sphere made of glass.

“That’s…!”

Rael frowned as he looked at the murky magic power inside the glass sphere.

A very familiar energy to him.

It was the demonic energy and magical energy emitted by the Demon King.

Demon King…!

Tia’s goal was to study the Demon King.

She was likely to know the information Rael wanted to know.

“Besides, I like this place full of demonic energy because I can’t smell magic power here. Everywhere I go on the continent, there are living things, so the smell of magic power stabs my nose.”

The Special Guard must be heaven for Tia, who was sensitive to the smell of magic power.

Besides, she even had the Demon King to study, so it was a win-win situation.

He now knew why Tia came to the Special Guard.

Rael carefully asked the most important question.

“I’m also curious about the Demon King. Tia.”

“Hehe. I wonder. Should I tell you? Do you want to know?”

“…”

Rael didn’t know how to react to the sudden push and pull, so he closed his mouth.

Seeing his reaction, Tia smiled and continued.

“The human race is so fascinating. They don’t receive the love of nature like the elves, and they’re not stupidly strong like the giants. They’re not as skilled in magic as dragons, and they can’t use demonic energy like demons. But… in the end, it’s the human race that dominates the continent for a long, long time. Do you know why?”

“… Isn’t it because there are so many of them?”

“That’s also true, but it’s not the answer. The reason why humans rule the world is because there’s always a mutant like you popping up in every era. Humans call those mutants heroes.”

“…”

It seemed that Tia was greatly overestimating him.

Rael quietly waited for Tia’s next words.

“Rael. I want to study your body. You’re my new interest. If you’re curious about my knowledge, I’ll tell you anything. Let’s be in a cooperative relationship.”

Tia smiled brightly and held out her hand, and Rael looked at her.

In fact, Rael couldn’t resist if Tia wanted to. But she still asked Rael for permission.

If she was such a kind dragon, he was more than welcome to cooperate.

“I look forward to working with you. Tia.”

Rael smiled faintly and took her hand.

Only then did Tia nod in satisfaction.

“Good. I’ll have a lot to study for a while. Rael. You want to hear about the Demon King, right?”

“Yes. I’m curious why she’s sealed here.”

“Hmm. Where should I start? You know that the Demon King is an entity formed from human malice, right? This Special Security Force was also created because of the Demon King.”

Tia, after sending the magical tools back to their places with a wave of her hand, crossed her legs and began to speak.

“I know.”

“She’s a monster that turns human malice into demonic energy and dark energy. From a human perspective, she’s a disaster, but… it’s different for the demons of Alheim.”

“Demons?”

Rael nodded, absorbing the new information.

The novel hadn’t mentioned the connection between demons and the Demon King.

From now on, he was entering a backstory Rael didn’t know.

“Yes. The Demon King and the demons who rule Alheim both need demonic energy. If the Demon King falls into the demons’ hands, a war will start immediately.”

“…So, they’re hiding her.”

“They would have killed the Demon King if they could, but humans don’t have the power to eliminate her. They probably think it’s better to contain her themselves than to let her fall into the hands of the demons.”

“This might be rude, but… couldn’t you, Tia, handle the Demon King?”

Rael asked cautiously.

He hadn’t known Tia for long, but she seemed friendly to humans.

“My magical power is too strong to come into contact with the Demon King’s malice. The moment she goes berserk, everyone around here will die, you know?”

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, the task of monitoring the Demon King had to be done by one person at a time.

He had heard from Yuri that if two or more intelligent beings approached, the Demon King’s malice could go berserk.

As a dragon, she naturally had the presence of more than two humans.

“But don’t worry too much. This Special Security Force is an unprecedented place created by the imperial family and the clergy, the largest forces in the empire, joining forces. The barrier surrounding the Demon King is also very strong, so the demons won’t even notice it.”

“…Yes.”

Tia spoke confidently, but Rael knew the future where the Demon King went berserk.

‘Did the demons make the Demon King go berserk?’

That was unlikely.

This place was in the heart of the empire, and it was a fortress guarded by the Heavenly Executioner [A powerful warrior, often the strongest in the land] and a dragon.

If the demons could infiltrate this far, the war should have already started.

Clearly, there was another variable inside.

‘Why is the Demon King in District 5 in the first place? If they could suppress her, they could have found another way…’

Rael frowned, thinking about the connection between the demons and the Demon King.

But it wasn’t a problem that could be solved right away.

‘…I feel like it’s getting harder because I’m only hearing ambiguous information.’

He couldn’t push Tia to reveal more.

She wouldn’t imagine that the Demon King would go berserk in a few years, and he couldn’t tell her that Rael knew the future.

All Rael could do was watch the situation unfold.

“It’s all greed. The greed of humans and demons who want to rule the continent. The ones shedding tears of blood in between are the creatures below.”

After finishing his thoughts, Rael looked at Tia with curious eyes.

Even though she was a dragon, she had the same sensibilities as Rael.

It felt like talking to another person.

“Well, if you don’t have any more questions, can I study your body now? You can ask questions later if you think of any. I’ll answer them whenever you come.”

“Ah, yes. Okay. But how are you going to study my body?”

“It’s a rare phenomenon that I’ve seen in a long time, so I have to be careful.”

Chiiik- Clatter-

At the same time as Tia’s words, equipment that he had never seen before appeared behind her.

Her equipment was all sharp and pointy.

“Since it’s the first time, I’ll only draw 2 liters of blood. Oh, and can I cut off one of your fingers? I’ll heal you quickly…”

“Yes?”

He must have misheard.

Rael asked back, doubting his ears.

“It won’t hurt. Just a little prick? It’ll grow back quickly with my magic, so don’t worry too much.”

A magic scissors snipped behind Tia.

Rael, who was staring blankly at the sight, quickly grasped the situation.

“T, Tia. There’s a whale flying in the sky over there?!”

He widened his eyes, looking behind Tia.

“What? Such an interesting creature…!”

Taaat-

The moment Tia turned her head, Rael ran out of the lab.

Tia, who belatedly noticed Rael’s escape, began to shout.

“Wait a minute! Rael! I’m kidding! Come back! I won’t cut off your finger!”

“Then you’re going to draw blood!”

‘Is this crazy lizard for real?’

Rael focused his magical power on his feet and increased his speed.

Takt- Chuk- Chuk-

“Oh, dear. Why are you running away? Rael. Okay. I won’t joke, so come here.”

…Of course, he couldn’t escape.

Tia’s magical power sprang out like tentacles from the magical tools scattered around the lab and bound Rael’s entire body.

In the first place, there was no way to escape once he had entered the depths of the lab.

“Aaaagh…”

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”

Rael, who had tried to escape, had to have his blood drawn forcibly while tied to a chair.

Fortunately, the finger and 2 liters of blood were apparently a dragon-style joke.

She only drew as much of Rael’s blood as she needed.

“Hmm. Interesting? The quality of the magical power is good, but strangely, the output of the magical power is small. Is your stamina weak?”

“…Yes. That’s right. Can you tell that just by looking at the blood?”

“Oh…! On the other hand, I can’t believe your body is human! The hero of this era is flowing into me, this can only be seen as the guidance of the world!”

Tia forgot to answer Rael’s words and exclaimed repeatedly.

She muttered to herself and was mixing something into Rael’s blood while puffing out her nose.

‘It looks so fun, what is that?’

‘Isn’t that what it feels like to have a crazy scientist in front of you?’

‘I’m sure Reina and Tia are close… why am I the only one suffering like this?’

Rael sighed while sitting in the chair.

Among crazy people, normal people become crazy people.

Life wasn’t easy today either.

“Tia. Can I ask you something?”

Suddenly, something he was curious about came to mind.

Tia tilted her head at Rael’s words.

“Yeah. What is it?”

“You called me the hero of this era… isn’t the Heavenly Executioner the hero of the era? I’m not confident that I can become that strong.”

Rael knew because he had directly experienced the power of the Heavenly Executioner.

No matter what Rael did, he couldn’t keep up with that monster.

“Ah… that man is the hero of the last era. He’s already stopped a war.”

“Is that how it works?”

“In the first place, he’s out of the category of humans. It feels like he’s closer to the phenomenon of swordsmanship than a human… Even if you’re like a dragon, you’re still human, right? No matter how I look at it, you’re more interesting.”

As expected of a crazy dragon, Tia’s standards were arbitrary.

‘I guess I’ll have to bring the protagonist of the novel later to escape from being a test subject.’

“Then can I ask you one more question?”

“Ask me anything.”

“Who would win if Tia and the Demon King fought?”

Tia raised the corners of her mouth at Rael’s question.

“That’s a cute, human question. Well… I haven’t seen anyone stronger than me since I was 3,000 years old. I don’t think the Demon King will be any different?”

Tia’s voice was not filled with confidence.

It was as if she was simply stating an obvious fact.

It was common sense for her that there was no life stronger than herself.

‘….’

Again, Rael became curious.

‘The Heavenly Executioner and the dragon… these monsters lose to the Demon King?’

The Heavenly Executioner, whom he had met directly, was worthy of being called the strongest in the world.

The realm of the strongest swordsman in mankind was truly an irresistible tyranny.

As Tia said, he was an incredibly strong human.

The same goes for dragons.

When Rael was caught by Tia by the lake, he was crushed by her overwhelming magical power.

He tried to run away just now, but he was suppressed with a smile.

Tia is probably as strong as or stronger than the Heavenly Executioner.

But the two of them can’t stop one Demon King.

No matter how much Rael thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

“…My head hurts.”

The Demon King.

A strange being who likes chocolate and scary stories.

Rael has not yet seen her true form.