“…Not just a mysterious power, but you’re even using Dragon Roar on top of it! You sure are something else, such an amazing little girl!” The sound of fists colliding rang out as Jeldegrīva, the Duke of War, spoke to Inglis with a refreshed smile.
“You know of Dragon Roar?”
“Yeah! Dragons make good practice opponents!”
“Come to think of it, Lord Abel does seem to have a lot of knowledge about dragons. There may be a wealth of information about dragons in the Highland.”
Inglis only knew of Vufailbane, the Dragon God, but there might be other Dragon Gods sealed away somewhere in the world. If Jeldegrīva knew their location, Inglis wanted to learn it by all means. She could make another dragonscale sword, feast on that delicious meat again, and possibly further strengthen her Dragon Roar.
“If you know where a Dragon God sleeps, then please tell me too!”
“Hell, I’d want to know that myself! Sorry to say, but nothing that significant comes my way. Well, that might be because they know I’d dig up any Dragon God and give it a good wake-up slap! GA HA HA HA HA!!”
Certainly, since Jeldegrīva had literally brought his whole territory over just because he heard rumors of Inglis, he would most likely do the same. In fact, Inglis also dug up and fought against Vufailbane. It was only natural that someone of similar nature would act as thus.
And, it would also be fitting that any responsible person wouldn’t want to inadvertently provide information to anyone who’d engage in such behavior.
“So, the location of Dragon Gods is confidential even amongst Highlanders?”
“That’s right! Well, even if I knew, digging one up and waking them from their slumber would bring problems in its own right.”
“Does that mean Lord Abel just stirred a lot of trouble by digging and waking up Dragon God Vufailbane, and even transforming him into Mecha Dragon God before taking him away?”
“Well, their excuse is that they had no choice but to protect the lizard because some Midlander were attacking him in his sleep. I guess that makes us owe them one!”
“I see, that is indeed one way to put it.”
Although it was the handiwork of Abel and Tiffany, the Hyrule Menace, who had brought the whole town of Lekrea to the sky to dig up Vufailbane.
“You saw it happening? Wait, so the one who woke that Dragon God was?”
“That’s outrageous! I would never attack someone in their sleep! I asked for his consent to battle me after he was fully awake and prepared!”
She did cut off Vufailbane’s tail while the Dragon God was sleeping, but that was not a battle; it was procuring food. The battle between Inglis and Vufailbane was fair and square. It would have been meaningless otherwise.
“Mhm! That’s good, then! Fighting a battle where your opponent can’t exert their full power is merely a chore that needs to be done, nothing more!”
“Exactly! I demand them to correct their statement!”
“Oh, good thing you just said there! Well, leave the details to the Duke of Law and the Duke of Art! I say, if you’ve got time to sit around in a meeting, you better get moving and train!”
“Fufufu… You sure are blessed with your environment, Lord Jill. I envy it a little.”
As the two traded fists, Inglis’ lips curved into a smile. The man before her was supposed to be one of the most prominent Highlanders, yet he was as pure as a carefree boy. It made her smile a little.
“Ha ha. You envy the position of a highland freeloader? You’re one amusing girl, Inglis!”
“Despite your words, I have a feeling that you won’t remain a freeloader for long, yes?”
“Hou?! How can you say that?”
“The recent unrest in this country was primarily a proxy battle between the Highlanders. While we were trying to strengthen our ties with your Three Archduke’s Party, the Church of the Founder was resolute not to let that happen. When Lord Abel transformed the Dragon God into Mecha Dragon God and spirited his body away to the Highlands, he said it would be a valuable force to shield the Lord Founder from the Archduke’s Party. In other words, a direct clash between the two factions is on the horizon, beyond a proxy war, and you’re anticipating it. I believe your presence here is not merely for something as trivial as seeking a partner, but also to hone your battle instincts for the upcoming fight. Lord Jill, I’m sure you can sense that your days as a seat warmer are numbered, yes?”
“Fufufufufufu… Well, what’s your answer, then, Inglis?”
“I don’t know how Highlanders measure time, but please commence the war before I grow old and my strength wanes! I desire nothing more than to participate!”
A war between Highlanders was imminent. It would be the most magnificent of battlefields, filled with formidable individuals like Jeldegrīva, the Duke of War, and superweapons such as the Mecha Dragon God. Inglis also hoped to encounter something far more powerful than the Prisma.
She longed to be there, to test and hone her abilities to the utmost. After all, real combat provided the best training.
Inglis’ eyes sparkled as she voiced her intention, provoking genuine amusement from Jeldegrīva, the Duke of War.
“GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Man, I LIKE you! You’re the best, Inglis! Oh, how I wish to take you back to Highland with me!”
“If that’s your desire, you’ll have to defeat me first!”
“Ooh, now that you mention it, there’s that, huh! Honestly, I was only interested in the fight before! Very well, I’ll aim for victory then!”
The Duke of War’s expression sharpened.
“Ho-ho-ho. Is it my turn to appear, then?”
From the edge of the crater formed when Inglis and Jeldegrīva first exchanged blows, Caraldo the old gentleman looked down at the two fighters with his kindly elderly smile. Nearby, Eris held Rafinha in her arms.
“Oh, geezer! I’ll tell you, this girl is incredibly valuable! We can surely unleash… our full strength!”
“Ho-ho-ho-ho. Oh dear, I’m pleased to know you’re delighted.”
As Caraldo smiled, his body began to radiate a golden glow, growing brighter and brighter until it seemed as though his skin and clothes were turning to gold.
“Caraldo…?!”
Witnessing this transformation, Rafinha was astounded.
“Is that… Are you a—?”
Eris was equally stunned, perhaps the most shocked of all, as the old man shone just as she did.
“Ho-ho-ho-ho. Who says that weaponization is exclusive to Hyrule Menaces alone? If I must identify myself, I suppose I am a Hyrule Mena-Geezer…”
“Hyrule Mena-Geezer……?!”
“HOIWACHOOoooo～!”
As the old man leaped into the air, his body morphed into a weapon. A blade that was sharp, long, broad, and lean, adorned with beautiful decorations, yet with a rugged and blunt shape. He became a giant machete.
Caraldo had transformed into a super-sized sword more than thrice the size of Jeldegrīva’s substantial frame. The power within the blade was so immense that it was fitting to be wielded by the Duke of War.
Translator’s Note:
Not a fan of giving additional notes on a description since it breaks the immersion, but for this one I think you want to know.
The weapon Caraldo had turned into is 大鉈 (Ōnata). Imagine Zangetsu from Bleach, or the Great Knife of the Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. Big, crude, one-edged, it was more like a large hunk of iron…
Also, I don’t know what the heck Hyrule Mena-Geezer means. ハイラル・メナス is Hyrule Menace, ハイラル・メナ爺 changes the ス (su from menasu) to 爺 (jī or jijī) that means old man / gramps. It’s clearly a play on how they sound.
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