The Dragon Slayer Who Regressed After 1,000 Years - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Dragon Slayer — 1000 Years of Regression, Episode 4
Having finished the preparations to leave and exchanged farewells with the villagers, Jake came running up.
“Cain! Are you really going?”
The knights turned as one, and Jake glanced around nervously.
“It’s all right. He’s my friend.”
At Cain’s gesture, the knights averted their gaze, and Jake spoke quietly.
“You’re heading to the kingdom, then? Leaving like this feels like something’s missing.”
The way he lingered over his words made it clear he had more to say.
“What is it you want to tell me?”
“Can’t I… come with you? You’re nobility, after all. I’m confident I can serve you well. You can use me like a servant.”
He understood.
That this boy’s lifelong dream was to escape the village and see the kingdom.
“All right, good. Come with me. But only until I’m settled in. After that, it’s up to you.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Cain! Or should I say, my lord!”
For Jake, who had grown up an orphan, life in the village held no meaning.
It would be good for him too, to set foot in a wider world.
Dmitri, already mounted, looked around at everyone gathered.
“Then, shall we depart?”

* * *
Several days into the journey, Serena urged her horse forward to approach Cain.
“Cain. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner.”
……
“As you’ve probably gathered, I am a princess of the Asel Kingdom. Though I was born out of wedlock, I stepped away for a time to avoid being caught up in the struggle for the throne. I never imagined twenty years would pass….”
Even before his regression, Cain had already heard this story in full, but he listened quietly to his mother’s matter-of-fact confession.
“Will you be all right living in the Asel Kingdom?”
“Yes, I’m sure I will. Don’t worry.”
After the long journey, the Asel Kingdom came into view.
Cain gazed quietly up at the towering spires of the Royal Palace rising in the distance.
‘Hunting dragons alone won’t be enough.’
Those who followed them.
Traitors scattered throughout like cancer cells, selling their own kind to the dragons.
‘Even within that palace, the dragons have their dogs.’
Cain’s eyes gleamed with cold purpose.
‘I’ll root them out, one by one.’

* * *
When Cain woke, an unfamiliar ceiling greeted his eyes.
A soft bed, plush blankets, curtains embroidered with gold thread.
He had begun his day in a room that surpassed even the word ‘luxurious.’
‘Palace life begins today.’
The truth was, the palace felt natural to Cain.
Before his regression, as a legendary Sword Master, he had been frequently invited to various royal courts.
Before leaving the room, Cain recalled what had happened the day before.
The first thing he had done upon arriving at the palace.
He had asked the palace mages to examine his mother.
“Your Highness the Princess… I regret to inform you, but we cannot even identify the nature of the ailment.”
The palace mages, said to be the finest, had bowed their heads in defeat.
‘Just as it was before.’
His mother’s incurable disease lay beyond the reach of human medicine.
In ten years’ time, she would succumb to it in this life as well.
‘But this life will be different.’
Among the Relics of the Lord, there was one said to cure all afflictions.
He had gained one more reason to gather the relics.
‘Ten years. That’s enough time.’
Click—
Opening the door and heading toward the garden, he saw his mother.
Beside her stood Jake, holding a servant’s tray.
And.
‘Dmitri Selow.’
Her mother’s escort knight stood waiting.
‘Perfect timing. I was planning to seek him out anyway.’
As Cain drew near, Jake greeted him first.
“Cain!”
“Even between friends, you must use formal speech in the presence of royalty.”
“Ah, I—I apologize. Young Master Cain… you’ve come?”
“Yes, Jake. Did Mother sleep well last night?”
“Well then, Cain. Did you sleep soundly yourself?”
“Yes, Mother.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Cain broached his purpose.
“Mother. Since Dmitri is here, I wanted to speak with you about something.”
“Hmm? About what?”
“I wish to join the Asel Knight Order.”
“What?”
Before a startled Serena could respond, Cain continued.
“Meditating at home alone isn’t enough. I want to grow stronger by training my body—strong enough to protect you, Mother.”
“Sigh… Cain, you needn’t protect me. The opposition forces that threatened the throne have already been eliminated, and besides, Dmitri here watches over me.”
It sounded reasonable on the surface, but Cain couldn’t agree.
What he was guarding against wasn’t human enemies—it was a Dragon.
‘And there are forces that follow such a Dragon.’
That was why he needed to join the Knight Order.
To openly purge a traitor to mankind.
“I will protect you, Mother. Dmitri cannot guard you forever.”
“Cain….”
“Please give me your permission. You too, Dmitri.”
Dmitri, meeting Cain’s unwavering gaze, nodded.
“I give my approval. With such resolve, young Master Cain will surely adapt well.”
After wrestling with her worries for a moment, Serena finally relented with a weary sigh.
“Very well. If that is your wish, try it.”
“Thank you, Mother.”

* * *
On the path to the Knight Order, Dmitri watched the back of Cain walking ahead.
‘He showed no disturbance even at the village chief’s death.’
For one so young, he had observed that scene with coldly composed eyes.
‘He has the makings of a fine knight.’
Though that was only in terms of spirit and temperament.
Whether he possessed actual talent remained to be seen.
For a knight’s true power flowed from Aura.
Upon arriving at the Training Ground, the knights stood in formation.
“We have a new recruit joining us today. Allow me to introduce him: Cain Asel, son of Her Highness Serena.”
Cain stepped forward.
One might have expected applause of welcome, but the knights remained silent.
They only regarded him with disdain in their eyes.
Every noble here had climbed through rigorous trials and cutthroat competition to reach this rank.
What knight would welcome someone who had bypassed all that, admitted solely on the merit of royal blood?
“What are you doing? Where are your hands?”
At Dmitri’s rebuke, a scattering of applause finally sounded.
“Then, we shall begin training. As it is your first day, young Master, you’ll observe from the side.”
Cain nodded and watched the training from a distance.
His arms crossed over his chest in obvious arrogance.

* * *
‘Nothing impressive.’
That was Cain’s assessment after observing over an hour of training.
Those sensitive to Aura could gauge the achievements of others as well.
The knights training here showed achievements in the two to three-star range.
Compared to the Sword Master-level knight he’d seen before, who was seven stars, these were mere novices.
‘Of course, I’m an even greater novice in their eyes.’
By channeling his Circle’s Mana, he could conceal his Aura’s presence.
A technique only someone with two hearts could perform.
On the surface, he would appear as an ordinary young man with no discernible presence.
‘Their Aura may surpass mine, but that’s all there is to it.’
Technique alone cannot fell a dragon.
A thousand years of accumulated knowledge and experience remained intact in Cain’s mind—the training here was little more than theater.
‘And yet I’m here for one reason.’
To flush out the traitor.
Among these knights was one who had made a pact with dragons.
In his previous life, this had gone unknown, and the damage had been severe—but if he provoked this traitor family’s knight?
‘I can drag them into the open.’
While such thoughts occupied him, the training ended.
“Ten minutes’ rest.”
Dmitri approached Cain as he made the announcement.
“Young Master Cain. How did you find it?”
“Not bad, really. Your stances are well-anchored.”
……
Dmitri seemed taken aback—this wasn’t the response he’d expected.
“Is something displeasing to you?”
“The standard seems rather low.”
Perhaps because he’d spoken loudly?
The air around them suddenly turned sharp.
Dmitri’s eyes flickered across the surrounding knights.
“Ahem, Young Master. Speaking so openly invites ill will….”
“I was stating facts. There aren’t stronger knights here? A Sword Master like you, Dmitri?”
“They are veterans of decades’ training. You are not yet at a stage to train alongside them, Young Master. You must progress step by step from the fundamentals….”
“No, I’m telling you—I’m not suited to this level.”
This time, even Dmitri’s composure cracked.
It was impossible not to hear this as an affront to the knights’ honor.
“Young Master Cain, those words sound far too arrogant. And you’ve never even held a sword before, have you?”
“Even so, I’m confident I could defeat knights of that caliber.”
The atmosphere froze.
Disappointment now flickered across Dmitri’s face.
‘I misjudged him… He carries the pride of the nobility without restraint….’
Cain pressed on, indifferent to such thoughts.
“If my words displease you, then test me.”
“Test you how?”
“A sparring match. Ideally with that one.”
Cain’s eyes fell on a single man—the only one with crimson hair.
“What is his name?”
“Serban Ragnar.”
A smile bloomed across Cain’s face.
‘Found you. The traitor house.’

* * *
Dragons are a formidable race, a dire threat to humanity.
And where such power exists, there are those who worship it.
‘Valecius was one of them—the man who drove a blade into my back.’
The Ragnar House was no different.
A family of traitors to mankind, devoted to dragons.
If he provoked such creatures and forced them into the light?
‘I could bury them socially.’
All families that revered dragons must be erased.
The Ragnar House was his first stepping stone.
‘Force the family head into the open through this duel with him.’
Now it remained to see whether this Serban would take the bait.
Fortunately, the plan had worked.
“I accept the sparring match.”
Serban agreed with eyes blazing bright.

* * *
‘Is this madman?’
Serban couldn’t help but find it absurd when he saw Cain.
A novice who’d never even held a sword was challenging a Two-Star Knight.
‘From what I heard, the current princess is the late king’s illegitimate child. She supposedly hid away in some rural village.’
So she was royal blood tainted with the blood of commoners, born from who knows where.
She was already a thorn in his side for getting in on birthright alone, but this worked out perfectly.
He’d crush that arrogant pride of hers.
“Serban. There’s no need for a match.”
When Dmitri stepped forward to stop him, Serban shook his head instead.
“No, sir. I insist. Since you’re so confident, I’d like to teach you a thing or two.”
“Please, Dmitri. Let me take this chance to see exactly what level I’m at.”
When Cain himself added his voice, Dmitri could no longer object.
“Mm… Very well. We’ll have a match then. But you must both wear protective gear. Serban, you’ll use a Wooden Sword without Aura—consider it instruction for our young prince here.”
“Of course. I’ll take it easy.”
The corner of Serban’s mouth curled upward slightly.
He had no intention of taking it easy, despite what he said.
‘I’ll toy with him slowly until he feels utterly helpless.’
But look at this.
“Your Highness?”
“The Armor isn’t necessary. The Wooden Sword will be enough.”
“But it’s dangerous. Even a Wooden Sword can….”
“Which is why I won’t get hit.”
Even now, arguing with Dmitri, she was looking down on him.
‘Am I really so easy to underestimate? Common blood mixed in with such boundless arrogance.’
He had to seize the initiative from the opening move.
With his resolve set, Serban raised his Wooden Sword vertically.
To show proper courtesy before the match, Cain followed suit, raising his own Wooden Sword.
“When you’re ready… Begin!”
The moment the knight’s cry finished echoing.
Whoosh!
Serban’s Wooden Sword came streaking toward Cain’s head with vicious intent.
A blow that would knock anyone unconscious if they didn’t dodge.
The ambush gave no time to block.
And yet.
Crack!
“Ugh!”
The opponent vanished from his sight, and suddenly a sharp pain erupted across his back.
That was only the beginning.
Cain’s merciless beating had only just started.

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