My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 251. The Incompetent Warrior

Luri knew exactly what she had done.

She had trespassed into their territory and ignored the warnings of the sentries, penetrating deep inside.

Now, the entire military force of the castle would turn its attention toward Luri.

She would have to fight them.

In the past, she undoubtedly would have hesitated countless times, but Luri’s feet did not stop.

The only thing occupying her mind was the image of the man that King Hudret had hurriedly carried on his back.

The frail and foolish body of a human.

She had known that the man who recklessly did nothing but foolish things with such a weak body would eventually get himself into danger.

Knowing that something would happen and actually seeing it happen were two entirely different things.

When she saw that everything below his right wrist had been brutally torn away, Luri’s thoughts seemed to stop completely.

Luri moved like the person known as the Blade Wind and immediately administered first aid.

She created a healing wind and healed all of his minor wounds.

But there was one thing she could not restore.

His severed right hand would not return.

Prepared to give her life, she squeezed every last bit of Mana from her body.

She poured it out again and again, determined to make the impossible possible.

But that did not mean she could expect a miracle.

Luri was a warrior, not a mage.

After dozens of attempts, she managed to stop the bleeding from the missing right hand.

Then she quietly sat beside the man once he had stabilized.

Time passed.

Her mind was as white as a blank sheet of paper, yet every passing second felt like someone hammering a stake driven into her chest.

As the pain gradually dulled with time and she finally began to think again, four syllables came to her mind first.

’I failed.’

As more time passed, a longer sentence formed.

’I have failed again.’

It had been like this ever since Ferda arrived.

Whenever she tried to do something, she was forced to remember that Luri was nothing more than an immature little brat who knew nothing.

The mistakes and things she had done in Heinkel Castle kept circling endlessly through her mind.

Her situation could be summed up in one word.

’Incompetent.’

Without magic, she was incompetent.

She was a warrior who had killed countless demons and monsters, yet she had failed to protect the very person she was supposed to protect.

Luri hated being incompetent.

The incompetent could not survive.

What did she need to do to stop being incompetent?

For Luri as she was now, finding the answer was difficult.

That was why Luri had returned to the North.

Amid the raging blizzard, a shape gradually appeared in her field of vision.

The Silverwind stronghold, Eisenfels.

Luri stared up at the fortress with dry eyes.

’Fighting my family...’

The moment she took even one more step, the attack would begin.

It was something she had never wanted to do, yet she did not tremble.

She had already made up her mind.

If anyone stood in her way, this axe would return drenched in red blood.

Luri moved forward and entered their attack range.

But no attack came.

The axe she held tightly with both hands simply hung in the air, as though it had lost its destination.

With a faint hope in her heart, she took several more steps.

Still, there was no sign that anyone intended to attack her.

It was strange.

Luri continued walking while remaining on guard.

She reached the castle gate without a single person attacking her.

The men who appeared to be guards did not display any hostility toward Luri.

Rather, they looked tense upon seeing her.

"Are you Luri Silverwind, former brigade commander of the Special Mobile Brigade Silverwing, once known as the Blade Wind... senior?"

The guard asked politely.

He looked slightly anxious, as though he feared that awkwardly uttering the word "senior" might come across as disrespectful.

Luri, however, paid no attention to it and answered.

"I used to be."

"Please forgive the impudence of a junior who failed to recognize you and asked such a question. Your achievements are well known among us juniors, but very few have ever seen your face, so—"

"Spare me the trivialities."

Luri spoke coldly.

"Since when did a child of Silverwind ever engage in conversation?"

Because Luri was filled with Killing Intent, cold sweat began to run down the guards’ faces.

A cold wind blew, but the sweat continued down their cheeks as though it had no intention of cooling.

The guards said nothing unnecessary and followed the orders they had received from above.

They opened the gates.

Instead of driving the intruder away, they allowed her inside the castle.

And that was not all.

Every member of Silverwind stood along the path she would walk, placing their weapons on the ground and kneeling.

It was as though they were paying their respects to a hero returning home.

The young Maid Dragon Spawn might not have known who Luri was, but they all knew the name Blade Wind Luri.

They had to show respect to the legend who had been the reason for the Mobile Brigade’s founding and had once been favored by Silverwind.

Luri found the feeling strangely unsettling.

She remembered Goz’s final words.

There is no place for you to return to.

There was no way he would show her this kind of respect.

Perhaps because of that, she actually felt more at ease.

It was because she was thinking of this place not as her homeland, but as a battlefield where she would die.

***

As she entered the inner fortress of Eisenfels, Luri saw a familiar old man’s face.

Lance Silverwind, the Dragon Spawn who had survived beside Silverwind longer than anyone else.

"Luri..."

"It’s been a long time, Lance..."

"I heard what happened. From Goz and Percival..."

"..."

"The head of the family is waiting for you."

He stepped aside, and Luri gave him a slight bow in acknowledgment.

Following the long carpet, she walked forward until the audience chamber of Silverwind came into view.

The doors opened, revealing the interior.

The seat where her father, Silverwind, had once sat.

That seat now belonged to Goz.

The moment Luri saw Goz’s figure, her cheeks became cold and stinging.

It felt as though dozens of blades had brushed against her body.

Luri walked across the carpet and stopped before Goz.

"You came."

Goz did not even look at Luri.

"Didn’t I clearly tell you? There is no homeland for you to return to."

"You did."

"Then why do you shamelessly set foot here?"

"I did not come because I considered this my homeland."

"...I see."

Goz put down his wine glass.

As the silence continued, Luri’s heartbeat grew louder and faster.

"I heard you fought as a warrior in the Heinkel Kingdom."

"...Yes."

"I believe your achievements are certainly something to be proud of as a descendant of Silverwind. You must have been proud of yourself as well."

Something to be proud of.

How often would Goz ever say something like that?

If this had happened in the past, she would have been overjoyed simply to receive his acknowledgment.

"I am an incompetent warrior."

Luri spoke.

"In that battle, I nearly lost the person who is to become my master’s partner."

"..."

"Again."

Goz frowned as though he disliked hearing it.

"So you ran away?"

"No. As I said, I did not return to my homeland."

"Then?"

"I need power."

Luri’s gaze stared directly into Goz’s eyes.

"That power you possess..."

Silverwind’s Essence.

That tremendous power known as the essence of a Dragon.

The atmosphere froze.

"How many times did you think about saying that?"

"Ever since Ferda’s right hand was severed."

"After prolonged deliberation, you chose the worst possible move..."

Goz rose from his throne.

The light behind the massive warrior cast a deep darkness over Luri.

"It is not a bad move. The desire for power is a virtue of a warrior."

Luri was not afraid.

"Yes. The desire for power is... one of the virtues a warrior must possess."

Goz nodded and looked down into Luri’s eyes.

"But using that as an excuse is so pathetic, brat."

His silver eyes gleamed ominously.

They were cold, yet seemed to burn fiercely at the same time.

"My power is not a tool for you to conceal your weakness. You know that, don’t you?"

"..."

"You cannot defeat me. Doesn’t that simply mean you don’t have the resolve to take your own life, so you are asking me to kill you?"

Goz was furious.

It was the greatest anger Luri had ever witnessed in her life.

"Do you have any regrets about what you’ve done?"

He spoke as though asking a condemned prisoner for their final words before execution.

Luri thought.

A fight would happen.

Goz would kill her.

But it was strange.

Even though Goz, whom she had feared so much, was releasing Killing Intent...

Even though he was trying to crush her with the power of her father, Silverwind...

Strangely, she was not afraid.

Luri knew why.

"Yes."

Luri was already dead.

There was no reason for a corpse to feel fear.

"Whether I defeat you or die, I will settle this today."

Luri raised her axe.

***

The next day, in Ferda’s office.

"Let’s have a man’s conversation."

The knight, Zed Swallow, stood before Ferda and spoke.

His eyes were filled with curiosity.

"...What conversation?"

"A man’s conversation."

"So what does that mean?"

"What else could it mean? Haven’t you finally become a real man?"

"...?"

The more he listened, the less Ferda understood.

When Ferda stared blankly at him, Zed gave him his characteristic greasy look and elaborated.

"I mean, yesterday, Regent, you met Her Highness Valdrova at the arcade, didn’t you?"

"I did."

"All night?"

"Yes."

"You looked up at the moon together, whispered words of love, and stayed together until sunrise, didn’t you?"

Hearing that, Ferda finally understood what he was getting at.

"That’s right."

"At long last, Regent, you have taken the first step toward adulthood and made your great leap forward. That’s what I’m talking about."

Now Ferda understood exactly what he meant.

"I have a pretty good idea what you’re thinking, but nothing like that happened."

"Oh, there’s no need to be embarrassed. We’re both men. Surely you can tell me about something like that?"

"Do I look embarrassed?"

Ferda raised his head with an annoyed expression.

Zed stared at that face, and his own expression withered along with it.

Only then did he realize that Ferda was telling the truth.

"Uh..."

Zed tilted his head in disbelief before asking Ferda.

"You’re... nineteen this year, aren’t you?"

"I am."

"Huh... A nineteen-year-old man being alone with a woman..."

Zed recalled what he had been like at nineteen.

Even now, sparks flew whenever he merely made eye contact with a woman, but when he had been nineteen, it had been more like firing beams of light.

Having gone through such a period himself, Zed simply could not understand Ferda’s behavior.

’Well, it’s not as though I can’t understand it, considering the atmosphere he always gives off...’

He had an air far too mature for his age.

Despite being much younger than Zed, he carried the weight of someone facing a middle-aged man.

’But then again... the way he looked at Her Highness was exactly what you’d expect from someone his age.’

Zed had seen it several times.

The freshness of a teenager who had moved beyond the childish stage where liking someone meant teasing them and had begun to experience genuine attraction toward the opposite sex.

There was also a youthful vigor, as though he constantly felt the impulse to simply throw caution to the wind and act.

Ferda was a peculiar human in whom the appearance of a teenager and the presence of a middle-aged man coexisted.

"...Huh."

Zed let out another hollow laugh.

"Anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Uh... I don’t think so?"

"Then get out."

In truth, there were many things he wanted to ask.

He was simply holding his tongue because the questions could easily become rude.

Zed had that much awareness.

"Kieeeeeeeek!"

At that moment, a clueless demon suddenly burst into the office.

"I humbly greet the great Ferda, Regent and partner of the Aspect of the Great Flame!"

The greeting was delivered with an excessive rolling of the tongue, making it sound more vulgar than respectful.

Penelope’s eyes gleamed slyly and greedily.

Zed thought it looked familiar.

It was similar to the light that had appeared in Zed’s eyes when he entered.

"What is it?"

"I came because I received a report that last night you spent a full fourteen hours with Her Highness Valdrova and did not even attend the banquet held in your honor. I would like to inquire about the circumstances. Before asking Her Highness Valdrova directly, I am currently collecting information for cross-verification, so I ask for your enthusiastic cooperation. Hehehehehehe...!!"

Ferda looked at her drooling figure with contempt.

"Nothing like what you’re thinking happened."

"...Oh my. How can you say that when you don’t even know what I’m thinking?"

"..."

"...Really nothing?"

Penelope subtly glanced toward Zed.

Zed merely shook his head without saying a word.

"N-No way...!!"

Penelope was utterly shocked.

"Uh... uh..."

She opened her mouth again with a trembling voice.

"Why didn’t you pounce on her?!"

Is she insane?

Zed’s mouth fell open, while Ferda’s body stiffened.

Penelope had no intention of closing the gates of disaster.

"Does that make any sense?! A fully grown adult man! Alone with the woman he loves, and nothing happens?! That’s like having a table completely prepared with food, eating one blade of grass, declaring yourself full, and telling them to clear the table! It’s absolutely ridiculous!!"

It was strange.

He should have been furious at such shameless and rude behavior, but instead, Ferda’s mind became strangely calm.

Wondering just how far this lunacy would go, he answered her.

"Her Highness and I are engaged. Since we have promised to marry each other, it is important that we take our time building our relationship."

"What kind of old-fashioned, uptight nonsense are you saying? That’s not the trend among young people these days! Act first, think later! Physical affection before emotional affection!"

Ferda calmly replied with an irritated expression.

"Her Highness is a virtuous and chaste woman. Do not bring up such ridiculous trends."

"Then was it merely a coincidence that Her Highness Valdrova said she was interested in sexy lingerie?!"

Ferda’s body flinched.

Before he could say anything, Zed cut in.

"She said she was interested?"

"No way. She was interested, but she didn’t know what it was. I roughly told her it was something you used when eating. Then she said that if it was delicious, she’d like to try eating it someday. She looked just like some innocent maiden from a remote village, pfft! I surrender! I surrender! I won’t act cocky ever again!!"

Ferda strangled Penelope’s neck with his shadow.

It looked as though tears of blood might flow from his eyes.

Why did this woman have to be Valdrova’s friend?

Why did she have to possess the life vessel of Sitri, the Great Demon?

If not for that, they would never have met, and he would never have needed to keep her alive.

He lamented his miserable Fate.

After making her suffer just enough, he released her.

"If you’re only going to say useless things, get out. Regardless of what you two think, there is no reason for me to do anything indecent with my fiancée right now."

"No, I can actually refute that."

After Ferda had shut Penelope’s mouth, Zed spoke up this time.

"As Pepe—no, as Penelope said, isn’t it possible that Her Highness Valdrova wants that?"

"That won’t happen."

"How can you be so certain? A woman’s heart isn’t that simple. Even I, who have seduced dozens of women, still don’t fully understand them."

"Are you bragging?"

"That’s not what I mean. I’m saying it’s not wise to claim with certainty that you know what Her Highness is feeling."

"..."

Zed advised Ferda in an unbearably self-important tone.

"People who have been suppressed generally have difficulty expressing their desires properly. Even saying they dislike something can actually mean they’re embarrassed and hesitating."

"Hmm..."

"If the two of you practice opening up to each other just a little, you’ll become honest about your desires. And when that happens..."

Zed gave a suggestive expression and raised his thumb.

The two lechers, a lustful man and a demon consumed by desire, were urging him to make a bold physical move.

Normally, ignoring them would have been the obvious choice.

But Ferda began seriously considering the possibility.

’I am not Valdrova.’

Even if he understood her to some extent, he could not claim to understand her completely.

’She says that simply being together is enough...’

But in reality, it wasn’t.

Ferda liked talking with Valdrova.

However, one second of touching her hand held more meaning to him than exchanging a hundred words over several minutes.

Yesterday, Ferda had honestly confessed his desires to her.

He had told her what he had only hesitated to say because he worried that it might hurt her or make things awkward.

And what happened afterward?

He had been able to properly face Valdrova.

And he had finally felt that face he had only imagined beneath the palm of his hand.

’And she touched my face too.’

He recalled the places her hand had touched.

Valdrova had moved along the path traced by Ferda’s hand.

And she had stopped at the same place, right in front of his lips.

Perhaps...

Perhaps she wanted the same thing.

If they both wanted the same thing, wouldn’t that be all right?

Just as he was almost completely persuaded by Zed’s argument—

#@%#@$!@$ !!!

"Oh my goodness!"

A tremendous shout suddenly rang out.

Penelope, who was clinging to Zed, trembled and made a fuss.

"W-What is it?! A monster? The appearance of a new species?! Whatever it is, I’m hiding in the Lair first!"

It wasn’t that.

It lacked the peculiar unpleasant quality of a monster’s cry.

There was no doubt about it.

This was the shout of a human coming from the west.

Ferda turned his head toward the source of the scream, which had nearly shattered the windows.

He cast detection and magnification magic to investigate and accurately pinpointed the source.

After confirming what it was, Ferda spoke.

"...Your argument just collapsed."

"Yes? What do you mean?"

Ferda gestured with his chin toward the area below Hestia Village.

Zed saw what Ferda had seen.

In front of the village gates.

A woman riding a white horse stood there.

She was the loyal knight of King Hudret.

A Sword Master and female general known as Lady Pasan.

She was shouting at the top of her lungs.

—Zed Swallowwwww!!! Take responsibilityyyyy!!!

It was a scream that sent chills down one’s spine.

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