Dragon Poor

“Are you saying that there are other troops besides the ones currently gathered here?”

The nobles questioned Adelaide’s words. 

“Right now, there is enough reinforcement coming, that we will not be defeated in battle.”

“If there was such a force, then why didn’t anyone know about it until now? Of course, it’s not that I’m doubting your words, Your Highness.”

She responded calmly to the Grand Duke of Iberia.

“I could not inform you in advance because it was a force related to the Imperial Family’s secret, so please understand.”

“Ah…”

The nobles all closed their mouths when she said it was a secret of the Imperial Family. The Empire had ruled the continent for 500 years, so it wasn’t surprising that the Empire had a power that they didn’t know about, nor was it surprising that it had been transferred to the princess.

Soon, their despair was pushed away by their anticipation for this unknown power and the prevailing sense of defeat disappeared as if it had been washed clean away. 

They impatiently and eagerly looked forward to the hidden power of the Imperial Family arriving at Iberia before the princes’ army did.

Finally, the reinforcements that the princess had spoken of arrived at Iberia on the ship. 

“Th, this is…”

His face flushing, the Grand Duke of Iberia looked alternately at the princess and her reinforcements.

“Yes, this is the reinforcement I was talking about.”

“Y, you…gah!”

The Grand Duke of Iberia trembled as he tried to suppress his anger. 

“Are you saying that the hidden power of the Imperial Family is this large, old-fashioned magic mount?!”

“Are you going to make me repeat myself multiple times?”

It sounded like she was displeased. The Grand Duke of Iberia took in a deep breath in response. His expression was making it clear that he didn’t dare argue against the princess and could only groan miserably to himself.

“Your Highness, flaws in these giant magic mounts were exposed in the beginning with the deaths of many Owner Knights. I’m sorry, but none of the knights under my command will be willing to ride a magic mount like this - one without an amplifier. And even if there was someone, I would not allow them.”

The commander of the Iberian Panzer Corp was firm, but she was steadfast. 

“You do not have to apologize. That mage mount already has an owner.”

At her words, the nobles looked around the mage mount but the owner of the mage mount was nowhere to be seen.

“Th, there!”

A young nobleman pointed a finger at the giant mage mount’s head as he shouted. 

In the midst of their desperation, the people followed his finger and saw a being hidden behind a veil and sitting on the giant magic mount that was over ten meters tall.

“I have never seen something so outrageous!”

“How dare he not pay his respects even after seeing the princess!”

“Immediately drag that lawless man down and have him kneel on his knees!”

The people shouted and yelled as they looked at the man who was casually committing blasphemy by looking down at the Imperial Family. However, the unidentified person didn’t move. 

“Even I dare not act recklessly against him. I will not allow anyone to use the Imperial Family’s name and rank to make trouble for him.”

“Your Highness, even if that’s the case, if we let his actions so, the Imperial Family’s dignity will fall.”

From the start, the Grand Duke of Iberia hadn’t been in a good mood. So now, he inevitably began shouting that the assailant should be punished. 

“That will not happen.”

However, the princess looked at the Iberian Grand Duke calmly as she spoke. 

“He is also a member of the Imperial Family.”

“Except for the direct members, all of the Imperial Family members were killed in the war that broke out in the Empire five years ago…”

“That’s right. They were all killed.”

The people were taken aback at her blunt words, but the princess didn’t stop.

“I cannot tell you in detail, but I guarantee his identity.”

“Your Highness!”

“Am I, Adelaide, someone who would throw away the Imperial Family’s dignity?”

Completely different from her previously gentle tone, her voice turned cold. At that, the people bowed their heads as they apologized. 

“Just as you have trusted and supported me before, please trust me this time as well. I swear by the name of Adenstein that I am not lying.”

There was no one here who was disloyal enough to argue against the princess when she had even put the Imperial Family’s name on the line.

“And it is also not a lie when I say that the reinforcements will turn the tide of war.”

Even though the nobles were still clearly unconvinced, she ordered them to dissemble. Once the nobles left with confused faces, the man spoke. 

“So you realized who I am.”

Adelaide spoke in response to the man, to Kim Seon-Hyeok’s words. 

“Sir Trail is complaining every day that she can’t stand the sword’s chatter.”

“That damned Joon-Min. So he talked in the end.”

She smiled slightly at his words before quickly controlling her expression and grabbing her skirt to raise it a bit.

“As the descendent of the Adenstein bloodline, I pay my respects to the legend of the Empire.”

He gave a short wave of his hand at the deeply respectful greeting.

“Seeing how worn out you look, you must have had some difficulties.”

At the faint feeling of affection, a smile appeared on Adelaide’s face.

“Am I eligible now?”

“I do not yet know who deserves to sit on the throne, but if you are asking whether you are qualified to use me, then yes.”

It was a short answer, but she didn’t lose her smile.

“I’m glad. I was worried about what I would do if I still lacked the qualifications.”

She wasn’t speaking empty words. She truly needed his help. If he didn’t help, then the stronghold she had worked hard to build in Iberia would be for naught as it would be destroyed. 

“Do not worry. I’m sure you must have found out my name from Joon-Min.”

He spoke as he looked at her.

“All you have to do is tell me who your enemy is.”

Now, Adelaide knew what the other name of the man in front of her had.

“Then, you’ll be told my name.”

He was the knight who was the symbol of victory, as well as, the legendary hero who had made the greatest contribution in unifying the Empire 500 years ago. His words weighed more than a hundred vows and thousand promises. 

“Place all our allies’ magic ships and magic mounts somewhere other than the main castle.”

The Grand Duke of Iberia glared at her. 

“Right now, the enemy forces are currently advancing towards Iberia and most of them are heading towards the main castle. To say that we should remove our forces in such a situation is like saying we should give up the main castle.”

The military leaders standing by were terrified by her decision and tried to dissuade her. 

“Just one Imperial magic  mount will be enough to protect the main castle of Iberia.”

“Your Highness!”

Without realizing it, the Iberian Grand Duke raised his voice at her. But before he could even realize his rudeness and lack of trust in her[1], the princess spoke first.

“If you cannot trust me, then it’s fine if all of you leave the main castle. Since their target isn’t the Iberian nobles, they will not change their course even if you are not here.”

“Your Highness, I cannot obey that order! Please, take back your order!”

“Please take back your order, Your Highness!”

As if they had prearranged it, all the nobles, including the Grand Duke of Iberia, bowed their heads and asked her to reconsider.

However, it didn’t seem like she planned on taking back her command in the slightest.

“What we need to protect is not the main castle itself. Even if we protect our main castle, if the entire Iberia is trampled by the enemy, then no one will trust and follow us.”

“Please allow us to fight until the end!”

“I won’t say it anymore. Please move all your magic ships and magic mounts to the fortresses and castles in danger. If you won’t obey me even in this, then I will step out of the main castle on my own.”

Not only were her words stubborn, but it was also extreme. In the end, the Grand Duke of Iberia had to promise that he would move his forces elsewhere.

“Sir Trail.”

Ingrid von Trail had been placidly observing the nobles leaving the conference hall with pale tired faces. But when the princess called her, she bowed her head.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Sir Trail, you are included and are one of the allies.”

Ingrid was the master of the mysterious but powerful Ego Sword. Depending on the situation, she was able to exert greater power than Iberia’s magic mounts and magic ships. In Adelaide’s opinion, it was a waste to keep someone like that in the main castle.

Naturally, Ingrid refused to obey. However, as a liegewoman, it wasn’t right for her to continue protesting, so in the end, she left the castle.

“There are fewer nobles who escape the castle than I expected. That means their loyalty to you is very deep.”

Although their main force had left, quite a few nobles had decided to remain behind. It was so surprising that Kim Seon-Hyeok exclaimed in admiration. However, Adelaide shook her head.

“I do not deserve such liegemen. They are too noble to be sacrificed in vain because of my stubbornness.”

He chuckled at her words.

“That sounds like you’re warning me that dire things will happen to me if anything were to happen to them.”

“Is that how you heard it?”

Once again, Kim Seon-Hyeok exclaimed in admiration as he looked at Adelaide. Previously when she had first visited the forest, she only had enthusiasm, but now, she stood in front of him as a fully-fledged monarch.

“You’re like an exact copy of her.”

“How could someone like me, be like her? I can’t even measure up to her pinky toe. I am merely putting my faith in your promise and pestering you a bit”

Ophelia had been wise but at times rather inflexible, so it made him happy to see the princess being flexible. 

But that was only momentary. Soon, he was sighing his displeasure. 

“I don’t know whether to consider the fact that you’re the only one who has properly inherited the Adenstein blood as a blessing or not.”

“Have you met my older brothers?”

He nodded as he looked at Adelaide looking at him with wide eyes. 

“I only saw them from a distance, but I could still tell that the only thing the blood of their ancestors passed onto them was nothing but courage without patience.”

“Just like I inherited a bit of scheming, perhaps my older brothers only inherited force, sir.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok didn’t deny her words. If the Dragon’s and the Adenstein’s blood had been properly passed onto the princes in the first place, then the Empire wouldn’t have come to this point.

Unfortunately, 500 years was enough time to dilute the Dragon’s blood and dull the monarch’s insight.

Kim Seon-Hyeok let out a long sigh as he looked up at the sky somewhere.

He couldn’t see anything but the blood of the War Dragon was telling him that there was an enemy out there.

Although enemies’ individual strengths were too weak when compared to the powerful beings he had dealt with in the past, combined, the malice was too difficult to ignore. 

Based on his judgment, the malice and murderous intentions approaching from afar were at least enough to annihilate all the living things in the Iberian Castle.

“But that’s only if I’m not here.”

He felt a sense of shame for only truly feeling alive when facing the monster known as war as he prepared for battle with his blood pleasantly warming and his heart pounding. 

With their main force gone, the Iberian Castle prepared as best as they could, albeit poorly, when the princes’ aviation corps finally appeared. 

1. The original word used here was 불충 which means disloyalty, unfaithfulness, and failing in one\\\\\\\'s duty to the king. I tweaked the word choice a bit to reflect what it means by being ‘disloyal’ in this context