Chapter 187 : Chapter 187
Chapter 187 : Additional Reward
Pools of blood dyeing the Dragon's Grave seep into the Forgotten Slaughterer's Sealed Gauntlets as they touch them.
The amount of blood they devoured was so immense that, momentarily, the red light in the area even disappeared for a while.
How long had I walked through the Dragon's Grave like that?
[The seal release conditions for ‘Forgotten Slaughterer's Sealed Gauntlets’ have been met.]
[The seal of ‘Forgotten Slaughterer's Sealed Gauntlets’ is released.]
Finally, the seal of the Forgotten Slaughterer's Gauntlets was released.
────────────
[Forgotten Slaughterer's Gauntlets]
Classification: Gauntlets
Grade: Legendary
Forgotten Slaughterer's Gauntlets.
They were sealed, but have regained their original power after absorbing the blood of slaughter.
You can temporarily use the power of the slaughterer.
────────────
The Forgotten Slaughterer's Gauntlets, having regained their original power, emitted a red light.
“It's finally done.”
A not-so-short time had already passed since I obtained the Forgotten Slaughterer's Gauntlets.
Despite that, the release conditions for these gauntlets were tricky enough that I only just now completed them.
Well, the biggest reason among them was because I rarely engaged in close combat, but anyway, since the seal was released now, it didn't matter.
‘The power of the slaughterer, which directly affects melee attack power, will be quite useful when I start utilizing the Divine Sword in earnest from now on.’
Considering the enemies I would have to face from now on, there would be many situations that couldn't be ended simply with firearms alone.
In that sense, unsealing the Forgotten Slaughterer's Gauntlets, which support melee attacks, was a very gratifying thing.
‘Then shall I really try going back now.’
Since I also completed the Forgotten Slaughterer's Gauntlets, the work to be done here was now completely finished.
I turned my gaze and looked at the Bone Dragon staring at me blankly.
‘There's no need to walk, right.’
The Bone Dragon is a conspicuous existence in many ways, but if it flies by raising its altitude significantly up to the stratosphere, there is no need to worry about that part.
As for going down from the sky, since I have the Blade Black Raven Cloak, I could just go down appropriately.
“Come here.”
[Kieek.]
According to my command, the Bone Dragon lowered its head and made bone stairs.
Climbing onto the Bone Dragon's back like that, I could feel to the bone what kind of ride quality a back made of bone offered.
“……It's uncomfortable.”
No, it's the worst ride quality, for which simply saying it's uncomfortable is insufficient.
To think it's already this terrible of a ride quality even though the full-scale flight hasn't even started yet…….
There's no way there would be a saddle exclusive for a Bone Dragon in the auction house, so it seemed I would have to make at least one appropriate saddle separately later.
“Let's go for now. Go to the Imperial Capital.”
[Kie-ek!]
“Be quiet.”
[…….]
The Bone Dragon turned its head and looked at me.
I didn't know for sure, but I felt like I knew at least that it was cursing with its face.
“What are you looking at, punk?”
Only after receiving another round of scolding did the Bone Dragon spread its wings.
Even though there were still cracks here and there on its bones, it was now recovered enough that flight at least was possible without strain.
“Let's go.”
Now, it was time to return to the Imperial Capital.
***
The biting wind brushing past the skin blows fiercely.
Humans have wanted to fly in the sky for a very long time.
Although airplanes were born eventually entering modern civilization, experiencing flying in the sky while facing the wind directly wasn't something easily done.
“……Ugh.”
It's hard to breathe, and damn cold.
It was fortunate that I had the Fang of Blazing Fire in my bosom at least; if I didn't have even this, it wouldn't have been strange at all if I froze to death in my already weakened physical state.
It wasn't a very pleasant experience, but thanks to that anyway, I was able to arrive in the sky above the Imperial Capital very quickly.
“Be flying in the sky near here, I'll call you if there's any necessary work.”
[Kiek.]
Having put the Bone Dragon on standby around the stratosphere, I jumped down below the Bone Dragon just like that.
***
It is a chaotic political situation.
Amidst such chaos, Yuliana felt something was wrong with the work upon receiving a new report.
“……Since the things Bikers are plotting in the Azor Great Forest seem unusual, you're saying I should step in personally?”
“Yeah. That's Bellerophon's order.”
“Hmm…….”
Thinking it wasn't that important a matter, she had appropriately left it to Vell Blackwood, but if things turned out like this, it was obvious that the danger of the matter had naturally grown significantly.
Although she already knew Vell Blackwood wasn't ordinary, the scale of the work entrusted this time had become huge to the point where it couldn't be compared to what she had thought.
“Prepare for deployment.”
“Are you thinking of moving the knights?”
“Seeing that Bellerophon gave the order directly, things might get troublesome with just the two of us.”
“But moving the entire knighthood is quite a burden on the commander, isn't it?”
Although Yuliana was running it as she pleased, the Griffin Knights is strictly a knighthood loyal to the Empire and the Emperor.
The political situation was complicated recently anyway; if she deployed the entire knighthood for private use at such a time, she could be stripped of the commander position in the worst case.
Of course, since Bellerophon possessed not-small influence within the Empire and the Imperial Household, they could resolve it to some extent, but it was true that it was burdensome.
“It can't be helped. Have them prepare.”
“Got it. If the commander gets cut, the next commander will be me.”
“Is the Imperial Household crazy? To give the commander position to something like you.”
“I'm excellent enough.”
“Let's not talk.”
Indeed, befitting the elite called the Four Divine Beasts Knights, the Griffin Knights' deployment preparation was completed quickly.
“Commander, preparations are finished.”
“Got it.”
Yuliana also finished all preparations, wore her armor, and stood in front of the training ground.
As it was a deployment without something like an official Imperial order, there wasn't anything like a grandiose deployment ceremony separately.
“Now, then─”
At that moment when Yuliana was about to declare the deployment in earnest.
Swaaaa-ack───!!!
Along with the sound of cutting wind suddenly heard, Yuliana, instinctively feeling some threat, shouted urgently.
“Everyone, dodge!”
At that, the knight members also stepped back from their spots and drew their swords.
Kuuuuuuung!!!
Soon after, something fell in the middle of the training ground, and thick dust rose, blocking the view.
“Everyone, prepare for combat!”
Yuliana and the Griffin Knights surrounded it with their swords drawn.
She didn't know what kind of bold bastard attacked the Griffin Knights in the middle of the Imperial Capital, but for Yuliana, she just had to make them pay a price befitting that.
Tension hung in the air amidst the risen dust.
Since the attacker's identity wasn't confirmed yet, Yuliana waited for the dust to clear without relaxing her tension for now.
“Everyone, prepare to attack.”
Along with Yuliana's order, the Griffin Knights emitted a fierce aura and finished preparations to execute the fearless attacker.
And the moment the dust finally cleared.
“……Huh?”
Yuliana couldn't hide her astonishment with her mouth gaping open.
“It's been a while.”
The one who revealed his appearance from within the dust was none other than Vell Blackwood.
“……I'm asking just in case, but did you fall from up there right now?”
“That is so, but.”
“No, what…….”
Yuliana tried to say something but soon gave up speaking.
Setting aside how on earth Vell Blackwood fell from that sky, it was because she felt the necessity to postpone this deployment itself if Vell Blackwood had returned safely.
“Royer, stay on standby with the members.”
“Understood.”
Since it was a place where the members were watching, Royer followed the commander's order obediently unlike usual.
“Vell Blackwood, let's talk for a bit.”
“I came to do that anyway.”
Yuliana took off the helmet she was wearing with a fed-up expression and moved her steps.
Vell Blackwood appearing suddenly was perplexing, but anyway, that itself wasn't bad news.
Yuliana, arriving at the office, sat roughly on the chair and offered a seat to Vell Blackwood.
“……Sit down. I don't know why you appeared like that, but you probably have a reason.”
“Right. There was a reason.”
“……Accepting it as it is makes me a little pissed off. Well, this isn't important…….”
Yuliana got to the main point.
“How did the matter in the Azor Great Forest go?”
“As you said, Bikers were plotting something in the Azor Great Forest. I also discovered traces of large-scale human sacrifice. It was also in progress at the time.”
“As expected, was it so…….”
She expected it when Bellerophon gave additional instructions, but it seemed the scale of the work Bikers was plotting wasn't ordinary.
“How did the work go? Surely the fact that you ran away in the middle means…….”
“I came after cleaning it all up.”
“……All of it?”
“That is so, but.”
Yuliana couldn't hide her perplexity.
If it was a matter to the extent that Bellerophon gave an order directly to Yuliana, it meant it was a matter of a level that couldn't be resolved by a mere individual.
But to say Vell Blackwood finished work of that scale all by himself?
“Is it true?”
“Isn't it time you believed people's words a little?”
“Ah…… I'm sorry. No matter what, I thought it was a difficult job.”
“Certainly it was so, since the place where Bikers was plotting the conspiracy was the Dragon's Grave.”
Yuliana's expression hardened stiffly.
“The Dragon's Grave? Then surely…….”
“Yeah. Just looking at the location, it wouldn't be difficult to guess what they were trying to plot, right?”
Yuliana's expression was dyed with astonishment.
If it was according to Vell Blackwood's words, it was because the seriousness of the matter became much higher than expected.
To the extent that even for Bellerophon, they would have to put aside other work and invest the full force here.
“W-wait a minute! Then surely, does it mean the work Bikers was plotting is related to the dragon's remains in the Dragon's Grave?”
“Since there's no reason to perform large-scale human sacrifice in that place otherwise, wouldn't it be so?”
“Then the magic that was unfolding there was……?”
At that, Vell Blackwood nodded his head slightly.
“Fortunately, thanks to blocking it not too late, I could prevent the activation of the magic itself. Well, it wasn't easy though.”
“Ah…… That part is truly a relief. Indeed, if the magic had been activated, even you, Vell, wouldn't have been able to return safely.”
“Right.”
For some reason, Vell Blackwood's expression was a little strange, but Yuliana, whose attention was fully on another place, didn't notice that fact at all.
“So about that, it seems I'll need additional remuneration. It wasn't at the level of a simple job you told me about before.”
“……Ah, of course. Bellerophon had issued another order anyway. But to think you resolved this……. You really worked hard.”
“I'll take the additional remuneration in Fragments.”
“Understood. Since additional Fragments arrived from Bellerophon just in time, I think I can pay that part.”
“That's good news.”
Vell Blackwood nodded and added.
“Ah, and I also found out additional information about the Twilight Troupe. I'd like you to give additional remuneration for this part too.”
“……As expected, was the Twilight Troupe involved?”
“Yeah. It seemed Bikers was being manipulated by the Twilight Troupe.”
This news came as a huge shock to Yuliana more than anything.
“Such……. You're saying a player guild was used by the original inhabitants?”
Yuliana wasn't an extremist who called the original inhabitants of this world NPCs, but nevertheless, she was inwardly looking down on the original inhabitants of the Lagna Continent little by little.
Existences lacking in everything such as power and knowledge compared to players.
But the news that Bikers was used by the Twilight Troupe this time came as a huge shock to Yuliana.
“……It's not a problem to just pass over. It seems the Twilight Troupe's influence has grown more than I thought.”
Recently, Bellerophon also detected that the Twilight Troupe's movements were unusual, but the priority was still on the low side.
However, if this matter is true, the Twilight Troupe's danger level rises to the point where it can't be compared to until now.
“I was hoping you would look into that part anyway, since the Twilight Troupe are guys we shouldn't just leave alone.”
“Understood. I'll try concentrating on Bellerophon's intelligence network on the Twilight Troupe's side.”
Yuliana didn't miss the work she had to do.
However, one fact she was missing remained.
“The information value of this matter would be big, right?”
“Well…… it's big. Both the scale of the magic Bikers tried to perform, and the information that the Twilight Troupe is behind it aren't information we can just pass over.”
“So that's what you mean…….”
The moment she saw Vell Blackwood's deepening smile, Yuliana realized belatedly that she had made a slip of the tongue.
“Then it seems it's time to renegotiate the additional remuneration?”
The moment she saw that smile, Yuliana could know.
–Ah, I got bitten properly.