Chapter 218

“You’re saying you’ll evacuate all the Beastmen Race to the south of the Eastern Plains? Are you serious?!”

I knew she’d be surprised, but her reaction was even more intense than I expected. She shot up from where she was lying and looked at me with a troubled expression.

“Impossible. It can’t be done. You probably don’t know how much attachment we Beastmen have to our land, so you can say that. Beastmen are more obsessed with their land than you think.”

She seemed a bit embarrassed herself, sat back down on the chair, and continued.

“If there’s really a huge disaster up there, then sure, we’d leave our homes and run. Everyone wants to live, after all. But if nothing’s coming, and it’s just a guess that something might happen, evacuating everyone is impossible. I’d get stoned to death if I tried.”

“That’s exactly why I can’t act strongly. I don’t have any real certainty that there’s a problem in the mountain range, and even if there is, no one knows when it might erupt.”

You can’t make countless people abandon their homes and move south based on mere speculation. And even if I said that, who would listen to me?

But if we wait until the problem actually occurs to evacuate or do anything else, that won’t work either. I had a lot of worries, but in the end, I made a decision. That’s why I restored Azahadaka’s body.

The supermassive gate structure connecting The Capital and Valles City.

Humans built it, so with enough time and effort, couldn’t a dragon do the same? Fortunately, Azahadaka had previously helped the Princess restore the Capital’s magic circle and, in the process, repaired the supermassive gate. He understood what I was saying right away.

[If we build a new terminal nearby and extend the existing bidirectional gate, it’s a simple matter. However, my magical power alone is a bit burdensome, so I’ll need to borrow the power of the Dragon Vein. I’m sure there’s a Dragon Vein around here somewhere.]

“Was there such a thing?”

[You humans have bodies, so you can wander around and relieve your boredom, but I don’t. So, whenever I got bored, I’d take a stroll and look around. That’s how I found it by chance.]

Dragon Veins exist all over the continent, so it’s not that strange, he said. It’s just that we humans haven’t found them.

However, the dragon added.

[Borrowing the power of the Dragon Vein is one thing, but it’s not an easy task. To ensure that countless people can pass through the spatial rift safely, a lot of work is needed.]

[Once we start, I’ll have to focus on it for a while, but if you don’t mind, I’ll gladly help. If we start now, it’ll take at least a week, but won’t the Beast King Tournament start before then? Will it be okay if I’m not there to observe?]

If Epirna uses underhanded tactics or tries to kill Roka even after winning, having him by our side would be reassuring.

Personally, I wished he’d start the work after the Beast King Tournament ended. I also thought nothing would happen in that short time.

No matter how tight the schedule, could something really happen within ten days?

But I couldn’t shake the unease in my chest. An inexplicable sense of anxiety kept bubbling up. It was just a gut feeling, but I couldn’t ignore it. In the end, I nodded.

“If you could start right now, I’d be grateful.”

[You short-lived species are always so busy. As you wish, I’ll do it.]

As the dragon left, the Princess stretched and drew the Dragon’s Sword, looking it over. The sword had returned to its golden color, radiating a brilliant light.

“With Azahadaka gone, it’s returned to its original color. It might have weakened a bit.”

Now the Gold Dragon’s fang had regained its original color. The Princess looked at the sword with a somewhat regretful gaze before sheathing it and glaring at the Evil God.

“So… Oberta. Are you really planning to join the Arctic expedition?”

-I don’t want to go either, you know. But if this kid insists on going, what can I do? If she goes and dies, I’ll at least have to recover the Divine Power in her body.

At the blunt words, Yanid’s eyes widened. The goddess snorted in response.

By any measure, this wasn’t a model relationship between a god and their follower.

-At this point, maybe I should ask that Urban guy for a favor. If he can make a weapon or a body that can contain my spirit, it’d be a jackpot. Then I wouldn’t have to rely on this unreliable girl to roam the mortal world.

In truth, their relationship seemed worse than that of sworn enemies. How it got to this point is anyone’s guess. Even if you asked, they wouldn’t tell you.

-Now that I think of it, I should go right now. Keep discussing your boring topics.

If she acted like a proper goddess, her followers would naturally have faith. She must know this simple fact, but she probably just doesn’t care.

*****

The old man’s eyes had already lost their light. His voice was hoarse, and his body was so emaciated that his bones were visible. Yet, some kind of aura was emanating from him.

For the first time, the Wolf felt a sense of reverence toward this old man. He had minimized his eating and sleeping, pouring all his effort into creating his new weapon.

The result was the sword now in Urban’s hands. A sword that radiated both a brilliant and subtle light, both flashy and simple.

“Finally, it’s complete. My life’s work, imbued with the power of both the sun and the moon.”

“You could’ve taken a break while making it…”

“I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want to pause while making this weapon. The continent is vast, so I can’t claim it’s the best on the continent. But you’ll never encounter a better weapon in your lifetime.”

In truth, it was just talk. Roka wanted to get her hands on this new sword as quickly as possible.

Now that it was right in front of her, she couldn’t hold back. The Wolf grabbed the sword with trembling hands. The familiar, heavy feel of it brought her almost ecstasy.

It was heavier and more solid than the Moonlight Blade. But Roka’s strength and skill had also grown significantly since then.

So, the sword’s weight, twice that of the Moonlight Blade, felt just right now. In fact, it felt lighter than before.

“This is amazing!”

With this, no matter how hard I swing it, it won’t break.

She was certain of it. No matter how strong the attack, this sword would protect her. The sturdy, solid feel made her heart race.

“This is… the best!”

She couldn’t wait to take this sword and swing it at Epirna. In the last fight, Roka’s sword, made of black gold, was shattered by the Tiger’s strike, forcing her to fight without it.

Since she couldn’t go all out, she felt uneasy even though she knew she was outmatched by Epirna. This time, even if she lost, she wouldn’t have any regrets. After all, she now had the best weapon in her hands.

“Actually, this weapon was specially crafted to counter Epirna. I asked that Yanid girl for a few scales from her wings to use as materials.”

“Eek?!”

Roka jumped in shock. Hearing that parts of someone she could see outside were used as materials suddenly made the sword less appealing.

“The scales of a dragon, the most magically powerful creature, were added to the mix. It should make it easier to break through Epirna’s magical barrier.”

While Roka was doing her best, the old man was doing his best too. Based on his observations of Epirna’s battles, he wanted to create a weapon that could at least deal some damage to her.

That’s why he added dragon scales. It was a manifestation of his will to strike Epirna at least once.

This might be the last chance to take her down. The old man poured all his energy into making this sword. Now, the exhausted old man looked even older.

“Take it. And show her. I don’t expect you to kill her. Just inflict a wound she’ll never forget, and topple her from her throne. That’ll be enough.”

“Grandpa…”

Roka’s eyes welled up with tears.

“This isn’t a sword, it’s a blade. You made it, Grandpa.”

How much of his life force did he expend making this weapon that he’s already showing signs of dementia? She felt like crying.

“My words slipped.”

The old man finally realized his mistake and laughed awkwardly.

“I’m so tired I can’t think straight. I’ll rest now, so why don’t you go?”

Anyway, Roka, who had longed for this blade, admired it as she touched the blade. She hugged it like a precious doll. Now, it was time to show it off to Kyle.