The Dragon Slayer Who Regressed After 1,000 Years - Chapter 29

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Dragon Slayer Returned After 1,000 Years — Episode 29
Cain suppressed the shock that threatened to overwhelm him.
A face he had ground his teeth against for a thousand years.
The traitor who had driven a blade between his shoulder blades in that final moment, choosing Arcadion’s side.
The one he and Rod had sworn to take revenge upon was now standing before him.
‘How is this possible? It’s still a thousand years ago. Why does Valenticius still exist?’
He shouldn’t exist at all.
Humans lived at most a hundred years.
‘I lived a thousand years because of the power my mother gave me through this necklace, but Valenticius……’
He was just an ordinary man.
Even if he had reached the rank of Sword Master at nine-star Orr, he couldn’t have lived a thousand years like Cain.
There were limits to human lifespan.
‘Back then, he looked like an old man in his seventies……’
Now he appeared to be barely twenty.
The same age as Cain himself.
‘This…… my head won’t make sense of it.’
Confusion seized him.
An existence that should never have been born was standing right before his eyes.
‘Has Regression affected my mind somehow?’
He even began to doubt whether his memories had become corrupted.
Yet judging from everything that had happened, the Regression was certain.
He had truly returned to a thousand years ago.
‘One thing’s clear: it’s too soon to jump to conclusions.’
They could be twins with the same name, after all.
‘But one thing is certain—that man is the eldest son of the Drake Family.’
A key figure of the family that served dragons stood within arm’s reach.
There was no reason to keep his distance.
In fact, it was better to stay close.
‘First, I need to confirm whether he’s the same Valenticius from before the Regression.’
Cain suppressed the thundering in his chest and quietly observed Valenticius from behind.

* * *
“Welcome. We are honored by the Drake Family’s visit. Please, come inside.”
Valenticius remained silent despite the attendant’s greeting.
A sense of duty to display the Empire’s majesty and the heavy burden of fulfilling his father’s mission pressed down upon his shoulders simultaneously.
“I wish to see His Highness.”
“He is already preparing to receive you. Please come to the Audience Chamber.”
Following the attendant’s guidance, Valenticius entered the Audience Chamber.
Adriel rose from his throne and greeted him with a warm smile.
“You must have traveled far. Please, be at ease and sit.”
“I am honored to meet with you, King of Asel. I am Valenticius Drake, eldest son of the Drake Family.”
Formal pleasantries were exchanged between them.
It was Adriel who broached the main subject first.
“Yes, I understand from your official letter that you’ve come to discuss matters regarding dragons.”
“That is correct. The movements of the Black Dragon have been unusually active of late, and I have come to express the Empire’s position on the matter.”
“Let us hear it then.”
“Currently, the Empire maintains a cautious stance regarding dragons.”
“Cautious? For what reason?”
“A single Ancient Dragon Class dragon possesses enough power to destroy an entire kingdom. Given this, the Emperor believes there is no need to provoke dragons unnecessarily.”
“In other words, don’t poke the hornet’s nest.”
“Precisely. Should we do otherwise, the damage could extend not only to the Kingdom of Belion but to the Empire itself—perhaps even to Asel.”
It was, in essence, a threat: leave the dragons alone, or face retaliation.
But Adriel’s position was different.
“My view differs. While it is true that they are a threat, we cannot ignore the suffering they inflict upon mankind. Rather, by striking back through subjugation, we can send a message to the dragons—that those who lay hands upon humans will pay a heavy price.”
“Your words have merit. However, the Emperor wishes to proceed more deliberately. Rather than rashly hunting dragons in joint effort with Belion, he proposes a different approach.”
“Deliberately? How do you propose we do this?”
“Refrain from subjugation and focus instead on gathering intelligence. Rather than hunting indiscriminately, conduct careful reconnaissance first, then seek support from neighboring kingdoms and approval from the Empire.”
“Seeking permission for everything will take dozens of days, will it not? By the time we report and act, it will already be too late.”
It was only logical.
In those few days, the dragon could flee or prepare its own defenses.
Giving a dragon time is folly.
Though that was precisely what Valenticius had counted on, he gave no sign of concern.
“I have come as the Empire’s representative to convey the Emperor’s wishes.”
A mere kingdom could hardly refuse the Empire’s decree.
And indeed, that was exactly what happened.
“If such is the Emperor’s will, then…”
At the mention of the Emperor, Adriel found himself with no choice but to yield ground.
‘This is the right moment to speak.’
Valenticius watched for his opening.
What had come before was mere pretext for public consumption. Now came the true purpose.
“However, that is not all the Emperor charged me to convey. His Majesty also expressed considerable praise for the Kingdom of Asel.”
“Praise for what, pray tell?”
“Did you not recently achieve the distinction of hunting an Adult Dragon Class beast? Though it was a joint operation with Belion, word has it that Asel’s contribution was substantial.”
“Hm… For you to know even the hidden dynamics of a joint operation. The Empire’s intelligence truly is formidable.”
“It is for that very reason that I must make a request.”
Adriel sensed it at once.
This request was the Drake Family’s true objective.
“Then speak.”
“Whether you are aware or not, the prestige of the Asel Knights—a company that has even slain dragons—enjoys considerable esteem throughout the Empire.”
“You are kind to say so.”
“And so I must ask: Would you consent to take me into the Asel Knights?”
Adriel’s eyes widened at the unexpected request.
Valenticius pressed on, a note of embarrassment in his voice.
“It is shameful to admit, but unlike my father, who is a Grand Sword Master, I have not yet awakened to Orr.”
……
“I have trained for years without result, have invited dozens of sword masters to teach me, and yet achieved nothing. Not the slightest progress.”
“That is indeed unfortunate.”
“Even my father now shows signs of resignation, but I wish to make one final attempt. It is in that spirit I make this request here. I beg your permission.”
“So what you are saying is… you wish to join our knights?”
“Yes. I wish to remain with the order and seek instruction. Of course, it need only be temporary, so you need not burden yourself with concern.”
Temporary or not, Adriel would find this unsettling.
What king would welcome the Empire’s gaze fixed upon his palace?
And yet.
‘He cannot refuse. To do so would be to declare war on the Drake Family itself.’
Valenticius’s calculation proved correct.
Adriel masked his discomfort and nodded readily.
“A burden? Not at all. By all means, remain with our knights as long as you wish.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
With no legitimate grounds for refusal, Adriel swallowed his misgivings and accepted.

* * *
“You may stay here. Shall I take you directly to the order?”
“I would appreciate that.”
Relief was written plainly across Valenticius’s face as he followed the attendant.
It was as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
‘Everything went according to plan. I have gained entry to the Asel Knights. The hardest part is behind me.’
Now he merely had to blend in naturally, ostensibly seeking instruction.
From there, information would come easily, and he could assess the order’s movements as needed.
‘I hold no illusions about awakening to Orr. If dozens of sword masters could not solve this problem, there is no chance it will be solved here.’
His sole purpose was intelligence gathering.
And chief among those to be watched was Cain Asel.
A royal who had joined the knights, and though possessing only two stars of Orr, reputedly a master of five-star caliber.
‘If a royal entered the order, it would ordinarily be nothing but a political appointment—yet such skill? It defies belief.’
For a youth raised in the countryside, such talent seemed impossible.
‘And if he possesses such remarkable knowledge of dragons, then he is certainly worth watching closely.’
Whoever this man was, now that he had caught the eye of the Drake Family, his path ahead would be thorned.
Even his great gifts would be dimmed by the shadow they cast.
‘I confess, I envy his talent.’
For Valenticius, who had not awakened to Orr, such envy was bitter indeed.
“This is the Commander’s Office.”
Following the attendant’s guidance, Valenticius knocked on the door.
After a moment, the door opened from within.
A middle-aged man of uncommon presence greeted him warmly.
“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you, Drake.”
“Drake? Please, call me Valenticius.”
“Ah, of course. I’m Dmitri, Commander of the Asel Knights.”
“Valenticius Drake, firstborn of the Drake Family. The honor is mine.”
The handshake was firm and powerful—befitting a seventh-tier Sword Master.
“I’ve heard you’ve come seeking instruction from our order.”
“Yes. I’d be grateful for your guidance.”
“How humble. We’re the ones honored by your presence.”
The conversation flowed warmly between them.
He’d worried they might turn away an outsider, but his fears proved groundless.
‘But who is that?’
A fair-haired youth stood beside Commander Dmitri.
It was the same young man who’d been staring at Valenticius earlier.
Sensing Valenticius’s gaze, Dmitri made the introduction.
“This is Cain, son of the Princess and a member of our order.”
‘Cain? So this is him…’
A person of interest—someone with quality intelligence about Dragons.
He’d been ordered to locate and closely observe this man upon arriving in Asel.
‘So he was the one all along.’
Not only handsome, but despite appearing younger than Valenticius, already trusted enough to participate in Dragon hunts.
A flash of jealousy stirred, but Valenticius was too composed to let it show.
“So you’re Cain. I’ve heard much about you.”
Cain’s eyebrow rose in puzzlement as he shook hands.
“About me?”
“Yes. His Majesty speaks of your role in slaying the Black Dragon so highly—he hasn’t stopped praising you.”
It was true.
He’d only just heard the whole story from Adriel.
Though of course he was showering his nephew with praise.
‘Young, talented, backed by the king himself—what more could one want?’
The more he thought of it, the more envious he felt, yet Valenticius smiled warmly and offered his own praise.
The more he could befriend this man, the more information he might extract.
“Your achievements are truly remarkable. To play such a decisive role in defeating a Dragon.”
“You’re too kind. Without knowing about the Succession Battle, I couldn’t have defeated it either.”
“And they say your mastery of Orr is exceptional too—despite being only second-tier, you supposedly subdued a fifth-tier expert in a single exchange.”
“Oh, that? It was nothing, really.”
‘Playing modest, I see.’
Valenticius sneered inwardly, but there was something he’d misunderstood.
Cain wasn’t being modest at all.
“Actually, the information was wrong. I’m not second-tier.”
“Then what are you?”
“Seventh-tier.”
Valenticius’s expression froze.
‘Seventh-tier? How is that possible?’
That’s too crude a joke.
“Ha… A Sword Master at such a young age? If that were true, the world would be turned upside down.”
“I’m not joking.”
Cain drew his blade.
The Orr rising along the blade was so vivid it startled even Dmitri beside him.
“That’s… Sword Force…?”
Valenticius, recognizing it, couldn’t hide his shock either.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————