Chapter 164 - Damn Reincarnation

The Capital

Three hundred years ago, there was a man named Oryx Dragonic.

Like Vermouth, he had appeared in the world out of nowhere. On a chaotic battlefield, an advancing army of demonic beasts was crossing Kiel's border. The general commanding the troops had judged that victory was impossible and decided to retreat.

Then Oryx suddenly dropped from the sky. Upon his arrival, he unleashed sword force that must have stretched dozens of meters and cleaved the army of demonic beasts in two. With Oryx's appearance, Kiel's troops regained the upper hand, drove back the beasts, and defended the border.

Most heroes of that era had a story or two like that. War raged everywhere in the world, humanity was weak, and the enemy was always powerful and numerous. Three hundred years ago was an age of turmoil, and many dreamed of becoming heroes.

Asked where he had learned swordsmanship, Oryx answered that his father had taught him. Asked how he had accumulated such fearsome mana, he answered that he had inherited it from his father. With Oryx attributing nearly every answer to his father, the frustrated, curious general had no choice but to ask who his father was.

["My father's honored name is Palaskes. He is a dragon."]

... That was the story the world knew, but Hamel knew perfectly well that Oryx Dragonic was not half-human and half-dragon.

His name was Vinos Allen. Like Hamel, he had started out as a mercenary. They had once belonged to the same mercenary company and fought on the same battlefield.

They had not been friends.

Vinos was an insufferably petty bastard. When the young Hamel first joined the mercenary company, Vinos, who was a year older, was assigned to oversee him. Having the newest recruit do all the dirty work was a tradition that remained unchanged even in that shitty era, so Hamel emptied buckets of piss and shit and washed the older mercenaries' stinking clothes as Vinos ordered.

Hamel had been young then, but his disposition was already growing cantankerous, true to his nature. At first, he obediently did as he was told, but gradually, everything began to get on his nerves.

That bastard had nothing over him except one more fucking year of age, yet he kept throwing orders around just because he was supposedly Hamel's supervisor.

Vinos was not the only one he disliked. The other mercenaries seemed neither worthy of respect nor to have anything to teach him. A few, in particular, kept eyeing young Hamel's backside with thoroughly lecherous looks, which was not uncommon on the battlefields of that era.

Of course, Hamel would rather have died than become a victim of that sort of molestation.

Eventually, trouble broke out. One of the older mercenaries reached into Hamel's sleeping bag, and Hamel flew into a rage and beat the man up.

When Vinos went wild and cursed him out over it, Hamel beat him up too.

The mercenary captain demanded to know whether the youngest recruit had gone insane and charged at him, threatening to cut off his arm for insubordination. So Hamel beat up the captain as well.

After doing all that, he could hardly remain in the company. Young Hamel quickly packed his things, searched the pockets of the fallen Vinos and the other mercenaries, stole their money and valuables, and left.

... He had thought that would be the end of their connection.

By the time Vinos became Oryx and defended the border, Hamel was already Vermouth's companion, heading toward Kiel in response to its emperor's plea for help. When they arrived, the battle was already over, and the general guarding the border excitedly introduced Oryx.

Red hair, blue eyes. His face had changed a little too. So much time had passed that recognizing him by his appearance was impossible.

But Hamel remembered Vinos's mana. How could he not? Vinos had used his position as Hamel's supervisor to find every conceivable fault with his mana-training method. Yet despite all that bitching, Vinos's own core and mana had been worth less than rat shit...

"Is there something on my face?"

He must have stared too long. Alchester rubbed his cheek as he asked, and Eugene answered calmly.

"It's just fascinating to meet a descendant of the famous half-dragon in person."

"Ah..."

Alchester smiled as though he understood.

"It is hardly something to boast of before the Lionhearts, descendants of Vermouth the Great... but my ancestor, Oryx Dragonic, was a legendary hero as well."

Eugene desperately suppressed his laughter.

"My ancestor could not refuse the emperor's request at the time, and remained in Kiel to protect the empire's territory. But... according to the stories passed down through our family, he always regretted not going to Helmuth..."

Eugene pinched his thigh and twisted. Mer sensed his feelings too. With no ulterior motives whatsoever, she devoted herself solely to preventing Eugene from bursting into laughter.

With her little hands, she pinched and twisted his side and upper arm.

["Are you Vinos?"]

["... You have mistaken me for someone else. I am Oryx Dragonic. My father is Palaskes, a dragon..."]

["There's still a trace of Vinos's mana in you, though."]

["... I do not know anyone named Vinos."]

Since he kept insisting he did not know, did not know...

Hamel made him tell the truth. He had his reasons.

["You're a fucking Demon King's spy, aren't you?"]

["That is absurd..."]

["No, think about it. The Vinos I knew was worth less than a pebble kicked around in the street. How does a bastard like that get this strong in a little over a decade?"]

["... I heard that you, Sir Hamel... were once an ordinary mercenary as well..."]

["People called me a monster even when I was a mercenary. They didn't call you that, Vinos. How could I not be suspicious when someone like you shows up this strong? Tell me the truth, you son of a bitch. You're a Demon King's spy, aren't you? A fucking Demon King sent you to infiltrate this empire and assassinate the emperor, didn't he?"]

["What are you..."]

There was no need for further conversation.

Hamel lunged at Oryx. Though taken aback, Oryx immediately fought back, but it was not long before he was rolling on the floor, blood streaming from both nostrils.

["Tell me the truth, you son of a bitch. You're a Demon King's spy, right?"]

["No, I told you I'm not—Aaagh!"]

Only after beating him for quite a while longer did Hamel hear what had happened in Oryx's past.

Hamel's rampage had caused the mercenary company to disband, and Vinos had gained experience moving from one company to another. A mercenary's main occupation in that era was fighting in wars, but that was not the only work available.

["You explored an underground dungeon on a job, and it turned out to be a dragon's tomb... and when you touched the dragon heart there, the dragon's power entered your body? Do you seriously expect me to swallow that?"]

["Why, why do you keep saying I'm lying...?!"]

["Say something believable if you want me to believe you..."]

Oryx's face as he sobbed miserably, tears and blood pouring down it...

That face overlapped with Alchester's, sitting right in front of Eugene. ... He barely managed to hold back his laughter. Inside the cloak, Mer was still pinching and twisting his side.

"If my ancestor had gone to Helmuth with them... perhaps Vermouth the Great's achievements would have been a little greater still."

Alchester could not possibly know the truth. He continued, looking out the carriage window.

For Eugene, who knew Oryx, every word was painful to hear. Three hundred years ago, Oryx had done everything he could to avoid going to Helmuth. Rather than fight in Helmuth, where battle never ceased and death could come at any moment, he wanted to live in Kiel, receive lavish treatment as an honored guest, and simply hunt down invading demonic beasts.

In truth, they had not needed him anyway. Senya had shown interest in the dragon heart supposedly fused with Oryx, but she was disappointed that his mana was unimpressive for someone with such a thing.

["Hamel, have you heard the saying about putting a pearl necklace on a pig?"]

["Why would a pig wear pearls around its neck?"]

["Well, now I know you're less intelligent than a pig."]

Moron, who enjoyed sparring with powerful opponents, had initially shown interest in Oryx. But once he learned that Oryx was not as strong as he had expected, he quickly lost interest.

Anise and Vermouth had not felt even the slightest interest, unlike Senya and Moron. Anise said their current party was ideal. Adding anyone else would only upset its balance, and she judged Oryx unworthy of supporting even one part of it.

Vermouth said the same. They needed no one else. The five of them were enough.

It had always been that way. They met many heroes as they roamed Helmuth. Several wanted to become their companions, and there were a few Eugene himself would have liked to bring along.

One thing was undeniable.

When the five of them first arrived at the front lines of Helmuth, Hamel had been the weakest in their group. Among the heroes making names for themselves there, several were stronger than him.

But Vermouth never invited them to join. When they approached him hoping to become his companions, he firmly refused. Fighting together briefly on a battlefield was fine, but those who fought at his side every day and shared his journey had to be his current companions.

Hamel had been utterly unable to understand those words at the time.

'... And I still can't.'

With mixed feelings, Eugene reached inside his cloak and slapped the back of Mer's hand, which was still pinching his side.

"... You seem to respect your ancestor a great deal."

"Just as you respect Vermouth the Great."

Alchester smiled as he spoke.

"My ancestor never fought the Demon Kings in Helmuth, but he remained in Kiel, protecting countless people and defending our borders. Saving the world by confronting the Demon Kings was Lord Vermouth's great achievement, but the ancestor of the Dragonic family also devoted his entire life to Kiel."

Alchester looked down at the White Dragon Knights' crest on his uniform's chest.

"... They say the first emperor, Kiel's founder, shared a friendship with a dragon."

It was Kiel's founding myth.

"Kiel is a nation connected to dragons from its very roots. Though the empire's guardian dragon died as the long years passed, leaving the empire with no further ties to dragons... three hundred years ago, my half-human, half-dragon ancestor came to Kiel, and the empire once again formed a bond with—"

"Ghh..."

"What's the matter all of a sudden?"

"... The... the injury I sustained fighting the Rakshasa Princess suddenly started aching."

Eugene clutched his chest, desperately holding back his laughter.

"... Injuries are only to be expected. The Rakshasa Princess was strong."

Carmen, who had been looking out the window, spoke up. She raised her bandaged right hand and continued.

"But we were strong as well. Kid... No, I suppose I can no longer call you a kid. Eugene."

"... Then why do you call me a kid—"

"Be quiet, little Alchester. You have never braved death alongside me, so to me, you remain a kid."

Alchester could not understand that logic, but he did not press the matter.

"... A dragon..."

Carmen murmured, staring at her bandaged fingers.

"... Is there something you wish to say?"

"No, nothing."

Carmen gave a faint smile and slipped her hand beneath her coat. Heaven Genocide... the pocket watch that concealed its true form. As she gazed at it, she glanced toward Eugene.

"... A dragon..."

"..."

The repeated words. The blatant hinting. Eugene remembered what Carmen had said yesterday.

["A chance encounter, a miracle... A mysterious experience from my childhood, decades ago. That is all I will tell you."]

["If you're going to tell me, why not tell me the whole story?"]

["I cannot. A promise is a very important thing, and must not be broken."]

... How she had obtained Heaven Genocide, and who had made it.

Thanks to Carmen's blatant hinting, he now had a rough idea.

"... Wouldn't it be better to go together?"

"No. You and your men can come by carriage."

"That seems inefficient..."

"What I asked of you and the White Dragon Knights was to guard the perimeter of the main family's estate. I do not wish to let outsiders like you onto its grounds."

Faced with her firm stance, Alchester backed down with a resigned expression.

"... Very well, then. We will travel to the warp gate on the outskirts of the capital, and head for the Lionheart main family's estate from there."

"We will discuss patrol routes later. We will come to you first, so set up camp outside the walls in the meantime."

With that, Carmen went through the warp gate first.

"Is it because of the forest?"

Following her through the warp gate, Eugene saw the familiar forest. He approached Carmen, who had taken out a cigar and put it in her mouth, and asked.

"Yes."

Carmen nodded.

"Alchester is not a scheming fellow. I've known him since he was a snot-nosed child, and I once spent time at his family's home exchanging teachings to strengthen the friendship between the Lionheart and Dragonic families."

"Teachings?"

"I taught Alchester the Lionheart martial arts, and his father... the previous head of the Dragonic family, taught me Alchester's martial arts. Though in my opinion, the Lionhearts got nothing but the short end of that exchange."

Carmen bit the end of her cigar and narrowed her eyes at the bitter taste on her lips.

"... In other words, I was Alchester's training instructor. So I know exactly what sort of man he is. He is softhearted, but his loyalty to his liege masks that innate softness."

The emperor of Kiel.

"This forest is far too valuable. Not only because of the spirit vein our founder created—the trees you brought have turned the forest into a treasure. If Alchester experienced this forest... he would undoubtedly report it to the emperor. He would not seize the estate outright, but if he issued an official order demanding our cooperation in training the White Dragon Knights, this forest would no longer be quiet."

The other Black Lions passed through the warp gate. Carmen turned toward them and continued.

"... The Rakshasa Princess has withdrawn, but do not let your guard down. Now that she has done something this extreme, there is no telling when she might attack again."

While Carmen discussed their future security measures with the Black Lions, Eugene approached Levera, who stood there pale-faced.

"... Master Eugene."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm... all right. But you... No, never mind. I'm sorry..."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

Grumbling, Eugene stopped in front of Levera.

"Stay just like that for a moment."

"... Pardon?"

"Don't move."

Eugene reached out with both hands and firmly grasped Levera's shoulders. She startled, but remembering what he had just said, she stayed where she was.

This was punishment.

Thinking that, Levera bit down hard on her lip. Though it had not been her intention, going out together had put Eugene in danger. She had caused trouble for her master, so it was only natural for a slave to be punished.

"Hmm..."

Starting at her shoulders, Eugene felt over Levera's body. His hands probed her armpits, passed over her collarbones, and descended to her chest. Levera felt no shame, but it saddened her that Eugene, whom she had admired, would do such a thing.

"..."

Carmen, who had been talking with the Black Lions, also stared at Eugene in profound shock. Her cigar dropped from her mouth as it fell open. What on earth was that boy doing? Her eyes trembled. Why here? They were not even alone. Was he feeling up the elven servant in front of everyone?

"Hmmm..."

His touch was delicate, almost as though he were appraising her. Moving down from her chest, Eugene's hands felt over Levera's sides and stomach. Carmen loudly cleared her throat and sharply turned her flushed face away.

"... Um... That... sort of thing should wait until later..."

"Found it."

Found what?

Before Carmen could say anything else, Eugene slapped Levera's side.

"Mmph...!"

The impact spread through her insides. Levera clapped a hand over her mouth. Eugene kept his hand against her side and fed mana into her.

"Open your mouth."

There was no need to tell her. Something wriggled up from deep inside her body and filled her mouth.

"Bleurgh!"

A pitch-black mass spilled from Levera's mouth.