The Dragon Slayer Who Regressed After 1,000 Years - Chapter 53

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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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The Dragon Slayer’s Regression — Chapter 53
Though Valenscius claimed he’d summoned Cain to celebrate his entry into the Imperial Knights, Cain didn’t believe it for a moment.
‘Celebrate? More like another chance to take my measure.’
Even knowing this was no simple banquet, Cain accepted without resistance.
He needed answers about Alton as well.
“We’ve arrived.”
As the carriage halted, a magnificent manor unfurled before Cain’s eyes.
The gardens surrounding it sprawled even wider than the main house itself.
It was certainly grander in scale than any other ducal estate.
‘I’ve actually set foot in the Drake Family residence.’
In his previous life, he’d never crossed this threshold.
He hadn’t even known this place was the cornerstone of the Dragon faction.
‘No wonder I got blindsided by this man.’
Sensing Cain’s gaze, Valenscius turned and smiled.
“Master. This is our home. What do you think? Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Quite. Good leg exercise too.”
The ducal territory rivaled the royal palace in scale, and the manor itself bore the full weight of the Drake Family’s prestige.
‘I wonder what sort of banquet the second most powerful man in the Empire has arranged.’
Cain abandoned speculation when he saw the courtyard.
The celebration was already in full swing.
Banners emblazoned with the family crest, rare delicacies procured from across the Empire, musicians whose skill matched the Imperial Orchestra itself.
He’d heard tales of a grand gathering, but the reality exceeded imagination.
‘Even when I made my name as a Sword Master, I never received such treatment… How ironic.’
That it should come to him now, surrounded by enemies.
“Father’s over there.”
Valenscius spotted Alton in the distance and took the lead.
Their second meeting.

* * *
Alton Drake had been anticipating this encounter with Cain more than anything.
He’d been entrusted with the grave duty of bringing the man before his lord.
The invitation to join the Imperial Knights had been orchestrated for that very purpose.
‘If I see him again, I can confirm whether what I felt was real.’
During their first meeting in the Asel Kingdom.
The lord’s essence emanating from Cain.
It had been brief, but unmistakable.
‘Today, I’ll uncover the truth.’
That’s why he’d arranged such a lavish banquet.
If such a grand gathering were held in his honor, the man couldn’t possibly refuse to come.
There was also the purpose of suppressing the aura of this foreigner who’d arrived in the Empire.
Alton felt a presence and turned his head.
The moment Cain entered his field of vision, his eyes gleamed.
He released his energy, instinctively gauging the other man’s caliber.
Certainly the man had an impressive frame and an absurdly high purity of Aura.
There was truly nothing to fault.
‘A Sword Master at that age… the more I see, the more incomprehensible it becomes.’
In all of human history, no one had reached the rank of Sword Master at twenty.
Even he, lauded as a prodigy, hadn’t achieved that height until the mid-thirties.
‘My lord would be desperate for a match if he met this man.’
Yet as the figure drew nearer, Alton sensed something odd about Cain’s energy.
‘No mistake. He truly bears the lord’s essence.’
Before Alton could even collect his thoughts, Cain was already standing before him.
“Father. We’ve arrived.”
“Ah, welcome. You’ve come.”
Composing himself, Alton clasped his eldest son’s hand first.
“It was quite a journey. Congratulations on joining the Imperial Knights.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Then he turned his attention to Cain, extending his hand.
“Welcome to the Empire.”
“I’m grateful for your hospitality, Duke Drake.”
“Since you were coming, we prepared a grand celebration. Please, enjoy yourself.”
“It is a great honor that you have arranged such an impressive gathering.”
The banquet began.
On one side, musicians drew out brilliant melodies from trumpets and stringed instruments, while on the other, servants moved ceaselessly carrying food and wine cups.
“Master. I believe you should dine from this table.”
Valenscius guided Cain to the table where the Drake Family’s officials had gathered.
“I understand. You eat first.”
Cain took some food onto his plate and brought it to his lips.
He knew there was no poison in it.
A man of Alton’s caliber would never resort to such a crude tactic at his own banquet.
Still, he did not let his guard down.
‘There might be something more subtle mixed in. It would be entirely possible for Alton.’
He had told Beratus to release his power freely, so Alton would have sensed it by now.
When the time came, he would come asking about it.
Cain decided to wait until then.
Thump-thump—
Just as he expected, someone approached.
Though it was not someone he had anticipated.
“Aren’t you Prince Cain?”
It was Lusciud, the captain of the Belion Knights.
And beside him was Leonan, the vice-captain.
‘One of Alton’s associates came along with the knight-captain.’
It seemed the Belion Knights had caught Alton’s attention because of the Black Dragon subjugation.
This was more than simply a celebration of his and his son’s entry into service.
Cain took the captain’s hand without showing anything on his face.
“Captain Lusciud, is it? What brings you to this place?”
“The Empire held us in high regard for our success in subjugating the Black Dragon and extended an invitation.”
“I see.”
“And what brings you here, Prince?”
It seemed he had only heard the surface explanation for his invitation.
“I’ve just been accepted into the Imperial Knights.”
“What? The Imperial Knights…?”
At the unexpected statement, Lusciud’s eyes widened.
Since Belion was an enemy kingdom, news from Asel had apparently not reached them.
“I knew you were no ordinary person, but to join the Imperial Knights… well! That’s wonderful news!”
Unlike Lusciud, who congratulated him sincerely, Leonan narrowed his eyes and studied Cain.
His gaze was as if piercing through the Aura itself.
Soon Leonan’s eyes opened wide.
“You’ve become… a Seventh Star?”
“Hmm? What did you say? Seventh Star?”
“Yes. I recently reached the rank of Sword Master.”
Lusciud’s shock came a beat too late.
“A Sword Master…?”
“Yes.”
“You, Prince Cain?”
“Yes.”
“But just a short while ago, you were only… Second Star, weren’t you?”
“I’ve been quite fortunate, it seems.”
Fortunate? Was he truly calling it that?
It was then that Valenscius approached while Lusciud looked at Cain with bewilderment.
“Master, who are these gentlemen?”
“The captain and vice-captain of the Belion Knights, whom I worked with during the Black Dragon subjugation operation before.”
“Ah, how do you do! I am Valenscius Drake, disciple of my master. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Dis…ciple?”
Lusciud’s pupils quivered violently.
Not only had he become a Sword Master in mere months—he had taken the eldest son of the Drake Family as his disciple.
It seemed even Leonan did not know of this.
One could see it from how wide his eyes had grown.
‘So even Alton doesn’t share important information with this man.’
In other words, he was not worth much.
However, as Leonan had been the chief instigator of the rebellion in Belion, Cain could not afford to overlook him.
Cain studied Leonan with a sharp gaze, then bowed slightly.
“Then I wish you both an enjoyable meal.”
Leonan and his disciple watched Cain’s departing figure in silence for a long moment.

* * *
The banquet split into two distinct gatherings.
One was a formal occasion welcoming outside guests invited from various regions.
The other was a private affair where members of the Drake Family shared tea and refreshments among themselves.
Cain sat at the second gathering, conversing with the Drake Family members.
“It’s a pity Cassius isn’t here. If he’d come, he could have offered much practical advice about the Imperial Knights.”
“Unfortunately his schedule didn’t align. He’ll be here in two days, I’m told.”
Valenscius, responding to his father’s words, glanced toward his mother Sophia.
“I’m a proper member of the Imperial Knights now, Mother. How does it feel?”
“Splendid. I’m truly proud of you.”
Her son, who had suffered for years unable to awaken his Aura, was now part of the Imperial Knights.
Sophia could not conceal her pride in this fact.
And she knew well to whom she owed it.
“Thank you, Prince Cain. Our son has received tremendous grace from you.”
“You’re too kind.”
Since Cain had not known the inner workings of the Drake Family even before the Regression, he studied Sophia carefully.
Yet he found no particular cause for concern.
‘She knows nothing, it seems.’
Sophia was simply grateful to Cain as her son’s teacher.
She showed no sign of knowing that her husband revered dragons, or that he had sent Valenscius as a spy to the Asel Kingdom.
Being innocent, she was kept thoroughly apart from the family’s secrets.
Then Alton’s gaze fixed upon Cain.
Cain met that stare.
“As I’ve said before, I offer this formally now: Prince Cain, I thank you for becoming my son’s teacher.”
“Not at all. I too have been fortunate to find an excellent student.”
“Well, that aside—I hear you’ve hunted a dragon…….”
Alton raised his teacup to his lips and asked.
“Could you tell me the details? Valenscius gave me a rough account, but I’m curious how you managed such a feat.”
“I’m curious too. Would you share the story with us?”
Sophia chimed in from beside him.
Cain recognized this was no simple question.
‘It’s begun. The test.’
Alton had not yet determined whether Cain was enemy or ally.
He might be genuinely grateful for Valenscius’s awakening, but that gratitude did not excuse the slaying of a dragon.
‘A man who separates public from private.’
What he said in this moment would determine Alton’s judgment of him.
Cain cleared his throat and began his account.
“Of course. It was when Valenscius and I set out from the Demon Beast Forest. I was thinking about what might serve as a suitable new training ground, when I suddenly recalled talk that had circulated within the knights—that Harzan Village was suffering because of a dragon…….”
Cain moistened his lips with tea and continued.
“We decided to investigate the rumor and headed for the village. When we arrived, it proved true. The village square was empty, and fear was etched into the eyes of every person. They were being forced to offer three able-bodied men as sacrifices each year, and threatened that if word reached the outside, the entire village would be wiped out. I left Valenscius at the entrance and went in alone. I could not expose my student to such danger.”
The two listeners swallowed hard, drawn into Cain’s tale.
Where else could one hear such vivid testimony from a Dragon Slayer?
“I found the dragon in its Lair—a White Dragon. I had intended only to scout and withdraw, but I was discovered unexpectedly and the exit became sealed. Blocked by a Magical Barrier.”
“Ah…… so that’s why you couldn’t leave right away.”
Valenscius, hearing these details for the first time, wore an expression of shock.
“I faced the dragon alone. It exhaled Breath and created wind with its wings, so approaching was far from easy. I took my stance several times only to be knocked down repeatedly. Then, as it drew breath to unleash its Breath, I saw my chance. In that moment when its jaws opened wide, I climbed along its throat and drove my blade through. I was fortunate.”
Cain’s voice was measured.
He spoke only facts, without boast or embellishment.
Alton’s eyes flashed.
“And how did it feel? To slay a dragon for the first time?”
Cain’s lips parted slightly.
“I’m not sure I should say this, but…… truthfully, I found it distasteful.”
The assembled company fell silent.

* * *
‘So it was what I felt after all.’
Alton was certain now.
This creature had to be brought to his master without fail.

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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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