Surviving as a Knight in a Trash Game

Chapter 184

The dragon was dreaming. In his dream, he was being endlessly beaten by a single human. The hellish beating, which seemed like it would never stop, showed no signs of ending.

He fainted, woke up, fainted, and woke up several times. He was beaten even in his dragon form, and when there was no other way, he transformed back into a human and was still beaten continuously in that state.

Then, the dragon’s consciousness was cut off.

When he opened his eyes again, the young dragon shot up. He was lying on the ground, a complete wreck.

“…”

He had a fit when he saw the man standing before him. The human who had been beating him just a moment ago!

It wasn’t a dream.

Milen Ardi was a dragon who had not yet reached adulthood. At 999 years old, he was scheduled to have his coming-of-age ceremony next year.

As a Green Dragon, he was not very skilled in fighting, and he was usually a peace-loving dragon, but the thought that a human was looking down on him had made him flare up, and his immature mind had been reflected as it was.

As a young dragon whose gender had not even been decided yet, he found this whole situation absurd.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes….”

Unlike before, Milen bowed his head politely.

“The evil energy was rushing to your head. It seems something must have happened recently?”

He slowly recalled his memories.

The 999-year-old dragon had gone out into the world a year before his coming-of-age ceremony.

It was a kind of trial given by the elder dragons because he had lived a too peaceful dragon life until he was 999 years old.

As soon as the young dragon went out into the world, he came face to face with greed. Greed developed humans and at the same time corrupted them.

Humans compared everything. They constantly showed off that something was better. They created gaps and felt superiority and satisfaction from them.

Sometimes it had a positive function, but mostly it ruined the humans themselves.

The young dragon continued to roam the world like that.

While mingling with people in the human world, he felt happiness, superiority, and the satisfaction that comes from a difference in class. And he also felt betrayal, depression, and hatred.

The whirlpool of emotions, so contrary to his 999 years of peaceful dragon life, had repeatedly shattered and rebuilt the dragon’s mind in just one year.

The green dragon, Milen, had flown all the way to this Arthur Domain without even realizing that his mind had been invaded at some point. After meeting me, the dragon fell into a rage and could not control his own mind.

I had grasped Milen’s state to some extent. At first, I had just thought he was an arrogant dragon.

Strangely, the more I beat the dragon, the more I could see the evil energy leaving his body.

‘Then this isn’t a beating, it’s a treatment.’

In the East, isn't there a practice called Chugunggwa-hyeol(Therapeutic Beating), where you tap the acupoints to expel evil energy?

Thanks to that, I beat and beat the dragon until no more evil energy came out of his body. After spending some time like that, I confirmed that the dragon had fainted, breathing comfortably, unlike before.

“I thank my benefactor. I have shown a disgraceful side of myself.”

The dragon, whose mind had returned, had regained the unique peacefulness of a Green Dragon.

“While experiencing the human world, I could not right myself. If it weren’t for my benefactor, I might have passed my coming-of-age ceremony and become a Mad Dragon.”

In the old age of myths, it was said that a Mad Dragon sometimes appeared in the world, and a Mad Dragon was so threatening that it was said that half the world would be destroyed if a dragon went mad.

The Green Dragons, due to their racial characteristic of loving peace and having a warm side, were a race that went completely mad once they went mad.

“I had become too immersed in the human world. When I properly felt emotions, I was happy, but also very sad and angry. Betrayal, in particular, was hard to bear. The feeling of frustration brought me to my knees with a problem different from strength.”

“You’ve learned the world properly.”

Leaving that short remark, I took out a bottle of liquor and a glass from my subspace.

“Do you know how to drink?”

“Yes.”

I filled a glass with liquor and handed it to Milen. The green-haired dragon took the glass and downed it in one go. A fragrant aroma lingered in his mouth, and the warmth of the liquor swirled around his body.

“I too am shaken and stumble at every single moment. How would a dragon be any different? All beings, once born, stumble and are swayed like that. Still, you must always hold yourself together well. Do not forget the realization of today.”

I, who had filled the young dragon’s glass to the brim, downed the liquor in my own glass. Leaving the bottle in front of him, I disappeared from the spot with those words.

The peace-loving green dragon, Milen, carefully closed the cap of the bottle placed before him, put it in his subspace, bowed his head in the direction I had disappeared, and then vanished from the spot.

***

After returning, Ellenhower began to walk the path to becoming emperor.

A time of cooperation and wars of conquest came together. Even as his actions moved the continent

with a clamor, the Arthur Domain remained peaceful without any particular incidents.

In the midst of that, I was receiving a report.

“All the domain’s armaments have been changed to dwarf-made ones. Additionally, anti-monster-specific weapons are also being continuously supplied.”

In a situation where it was unknown what would happen in the future, the development of anti-monster-specific armaments suitable for monsters was also steadily continuing.

“The elves are continuously flowing into the domain. We need to expand the area of the autonomous district and take additional measures for them. The migration of dwarves has also occurred quite a lot. The population of the druids is also increasing day by day.”

The Arthur Domain was being continuously flocked to by different races, including dwarves, elves, and druids. I didn’t know how the rumor was spreading, but to them, the Arthur Domain was like the only sanctuary for different races on the continent.

The already large scope of the Arthur Domain was continuously expanding as much as the influx of population. Ellenhower had declared that he would not impose any sanctions on the territory of Karl and the Arthur Domain. Thanks to that, the Arthur Domain could be free in everything within the territory first given to me.

“The newly arrived elves will be grouped as volunteers to increase the utilization of the Ranger units. Supply them with the newly made equipment and proceed with training. Contact Sharif and coordinate the schedule for those receiving new training.”

The Ranger organization, formed by the druids and elves coming together, had established itself as an excellent recon and infiltration team for the Arthur Domain.

“I think we need to release more intelligence agents on the continent. Please help. We don’t know what else will happen in the future.”

I didn’t know how the next page of this game would proceed, but it was clear that it wouldn’t be an easier path than now.

In a situation where demons, different races, and monsters were being created, the scope of the missions that would be given to me was somewhat predictable.

“My liege, even now, our military strength is excessive.”

“It’s still not enough.”

“Have you received some kind of prophecy?”

Even though there was no richer or stronger domain than this, he seemed, in a way, hurried. People still just guessed that he, the agent of Essus, had received some kind of revelation.

I didn’t particularly answer the question and handed the things I had planned to Marquis Nigel.

“It’s exactly double what we have now.”

“Even that might not be enough to be at ease.”

“Are demons appearing all over the continent or something?”

“It could be something worse than that.”

At his words, the expressions of those in the conference room hardened like never before. As he was someone who usually didn't speak empty words, they could feel the seriousness of what I was saying at once.

“Duke Ellenhower will become emperor. Are we becoming his ally?”

“So to speak, yes. A neutral ally. Whether he becomes emperor or not is not that important to us.”

Everyone in the conference room began to draw the same picture of the threat I was seeing.

***

A few days later, a welcome guest visited the Arthur Domain.

“You’ve come a long way.”

“I suppose I have.”

The person who entered my office and embraced me was Duke Yevgeny Volkov.

“…You’ve done a lot in the meantime.”

He must have been talking about the matter with Duke Jacques Marin. And there was also the matter of me being officially recognized as a Grand Master.

“In various ways.”

I offered him a seat and brought out a good liquor that had been aged.

Pour.

The glasses were filled, and the two of us clinked our glasses for a moment without a word.

“Heh… good. It feels good to meet a drinking buddy after a long time.”

Yevgeny’s face looked truly at ease. His heart, which regarded me as a friend without reservation, was revealed as it was.

“What are you planning to do?”

“It won’t be much different from how things have been.”

“Do you support Ellenhower?”

“I suppose so.”

“You’re not fighting for him, are you?”

“I’m not his man. Still, I don’t oppose him becoming emperor. He is the one who is most suitable for that position, after all.”

“Do you really think so?”

At Yevgeny’s question, I nodded at him with unwavering eyes.

“Why him, of all people?”

“The Duke is not interested, are you? If I were to pick from the rest, I thought he was the most suitable.”

“…That’s true.” Follow current novels on novel·fire·net

Yevgeny did not deny it. He was not interested in the emperor’s throne. He just wanted the power of the East and Central to be maintained.

“I do not wish for him to become emperor.”

For Yevgeny, it was better to have no emperor. The current situation, where only a nominal imperial family existed, was more advantageous for him.

“If you help, a situation like the present could be maintained for longer.”

“We need a single focal point now.”

“Why is that? The world won’t get better just because an emperor appears.”

“It will be better than now. It’s a chaotic world for everyone. It’s a difficult world for everyone.”

“The chaos won’t stop just because an emperor appears.”

“Not everything will be resolved, but I believe that it will get better in many aspects. I saw Ellenhower as a person who is at least that capable.”

“If he becomes emperor, things will be different from now. He won’t just leave you be.”

Perhaps, as Yevgeny said, Ellenhower might change. Human greed is endless. And I was definitely a threat to him.

“It would be the same for me as well. He sent a person. He asked me to support him. He said he would preserve the power I have. But, would that be possible? In the end, his greed will only grow.”

In a normal situation, it might be as Yevgeny said. But.

“It might become a situation where the emperor is not the problem.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m saying a situation could arise where the emperor is useless.”

“You… you’ve seen something….”

Yevgeny too was not unaware that I was an agent of God and a Saint. Considering the many things I had predicted in the past, he could not overlook my words.

“I don’t know for sure. However, I do know that I don’t know how long the current peace will last.”

The glasses were tilted. The two of them had already emptied a whole bottle of liquor. I brought out the next liquor and opened my mouth again.

“This is sincere advice for a drinking buddy. I don’t know what, but prepare. And prepare again. It might still not be enough.”

“…”

Yevgeny’s glass was emptied. He held various thoughts in his mind.

“You’ve come a long way, so stay for a few days. I’ll bring out all the best liquor I have.”

“Yes, we don’t know when we’ll be able to meet again. I suppose I should stay for that much.”

Duke Yevgeny stayed for another week after that. And during that period, he was able to feel a little of the hidden power that the Arthur Domain possessed.

“If I leave now, I don’t know when I’ll see you again, I suppose.”

“I think it will be quite a long time.”

Yevgeny did not miss the various things he felt from my words and accepted them. And as he was returning, I handed him a gift.

“It’s a dwarf-made weapon. I specially ordered it to be improved. It will save your life once.”

“Thank you. I’ll accept it well.”

Yevgeny accepted the weapon I handed him and turned his body.