The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 69

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

The Strongest in Our Neighborhood (69)
“I’d like nothing more than to send the dragon outside the palace gates immediately. But do you think it will leave just because I tell it to? And frankly, I don’t have the courage to go to the dragon and order it to leave.”
The King found himself in complete agreement with the Prime Minister.
In truth, he had lived as the supreme authority within the palace, answerable to no one—but now, not only he himself but everyone within these walls watched the dragon’s every mood.
It was unbearably inconvenient.
“Since it appears the dragon is here because of Duke Gain, perhaps if we ask the Duke to return to the territory recently granted to him, the dragon will follow him, Your Majesty?”
“Hmm! From the way they speak, it does seem the dragon has taken to Duke Gain. Perhaps we could send it away that route. But then, what of the Duke’s remaining schedule?”
“Originally, a banquet was planned to follow the investiture ceremony for the Marquis Title.”
“A banquet is impossible now that the palace is in ruins. Just reconstructing the collapsed walls will take several months.”
“The Duke understands this, which is why he hasn’t so much as mentioned the banquet. After that, a hunting tournament was scheduled with Your Majesty and several other lords.”
“A hunt? When we don’t know when we might be hunted by the dragon ourselves? Cancel it.”
“I anticipated as much. And the congratulatory party for the Duke’s Marquis Title, hosted by the Queen, was also scheduled—that will need to be cancelled as well, won’t it?”
Upon hearing the Prime Minister’s words, the King tilted his head.
“You mean the party where the Queen was hosting, with the princesses attending?”
“Yes. The Queen was hosting it with the intention of matching Duke Gain with one of the princesses.”
“If that’s the sort of party it is, we’ll rent an external venue and hold it properly.”
“Your Majesty?”
Upon hearing the King’s answer, the Prime Minister’s expression turned bewildered for a moment before he quickly composed himself.
“Ah, yes, of course. Then I shall arrange for the Queen’s party to be held grandly at an external venue.”
“I’ll attend as well, so spare no effort.”
“Understood. There are also parties some nobles wish to host in the Duke’s honor, though those are not official palace functions.”
“With the palace in this state, what madman of a noble would throw a party?”
“Well, none, surely.”
“If any such noble exists, tell them I’ll have their heads.”
“Understood.”
The Prime Minister answered with a listless expression, sighing inwardly.
* * *
Jang Gain began pondering how he might confront the dragon, uncertain when it would seek him out.
‘Since returning from the Demon Gate, I’ve merged the Demonic Qi I absorbed with my existing Internal Energy, and my Internal Power has increased markedly.’
With increased Internal Power and fresh Enlightenment, he could take one step into the Absolute Realm and draw forth Strong Thread.
‘If I had gained Enlightenment without that increase in Internal Power, could I truly have manifested Strong Thread?’
He doubted very much that he could have.
Strong Thread was compressed Qi transformed into the shape of Strong Force—without sufficient Internal Power to support it, creation was impossible from the start.
‘If my Internal Energy grows beyond what it is now, the Strong Thread will thicken further.’
As it grew progressively thicker, he would eventually be able to channel Strong Force in the manner of the Cult Leader, unleashing it like Sword Energy.
The conclusion was simple: Enlightenment mattered, but Internal Power had to support it in equal measure.
‘I wish I could have entered the Demon Gate once more…… Ah, if only I’d known, I wouldn’t have destroyed that Gate that opened in Greywan.’
As he regretted this, he sensed Eldom and several others approaching the annex from a distance.
They had not ventured here while the dragon was present, but seeing that it had gone to meet with the King, they came with careful discretion.
“Duke Gain.”
“Eldom. Has your hearing fully recovered?”
“Ah, yes. My hearing recovered quickly, fortunately—I wasn’t struck directly by the dragon’s Roar.”
“And everyone else’s hearing is fine?”
When Jang Gain asked, Aleingde Mir, along with Laila, Dimitrion, and Leodosn, all confirmed they were unhurt.
Jang Gain looked them over, his gaze settling on Morona Valencia, who stood at the back.
“But Morona, what brings you here?”
“Ah! Well, the truth is… I informed His Majesty today that I’m stepping down as Commander of the Royal Guard and have submitted my resignation.”
For a moment, not only Jang Gain but everyone else wore expressions of stunned disbelief.
“You came here to find a new position?”
“Yes. People assume I’m merely a crude swordsman, but I’m quite capable in administrative matters as well. Now that you’ve become a Marquis, wouldn’t you need someone versatile like me?”
“If you follow me to the Crerarion Mountain Range, what will you do about your family?”
“My children have all married off, so there’s little need for concern there. As for my wife, we’ve slept in separate rooms for quite some time. Should she wish to follow, I wouldn’t stop her—though I suspect she won’t.”
As Morona Valencia smiled with a bitter expression, Jang Gain managed a wry smile in return.
He’d seen quite a few middle-aged men in similar circumstances within the Demonic Cult.
“I see. I do need capable people, but… I think you should consult with your family first before making such a decision.”
“Understood. If you’re willing to take me on, I’ll do my best to convince my wife—though I won’t hold my breath. But why are you looking at me with that expression?”
“What do you mean, what expression?”
“You have a sympathetic look about you. Are you perhaps feeling sorry for me?”
“No, I was just observing.”
“I see. Then I’ll speak with my wife and return.”
After Morona Valencia left, Jang Gain turned to the others who remained. He told them about the concerns he had been wrestling with moments before.
Once Jang Gain finished speaking, Aleingde Mir opened his mouth.
“About two months ago, a Gate opened at Saphir Fortress in the Kram Empire as well. I’m not sure if it’s closed now.”
“The Kram Empire has three Master-class knights and many high-ranking mages comparable to you, so with that level of military strength, closing the Gate should have been well within their means.”
“That’s what I would have thought, but just to be safe, should I ask a friend I know at the Magic Tower?”
“Yes, please do ask them.”
Aleingde Mir pulled out a Communication Stone from his robe and infused it with magical power.
After a moment, the Communication Stone glowed, and the image of an elderly woman with a face full of wrinkles appeared in the Crystal Ball.
―Aleingde! Oh? But why are there so many people beside you?
“They’re my companions. But judging by the fact that you’re alone, it seems you were in the middle of research again.”
―I’m always in my research chamber. I heard you were going to the Crerarion Mountain Range to search for traces of demons. Did you find any traces?
“How could I have already found traces of demons in such a vast mountain range?”
―Then why did you contact me?
“You mentioned before that a Gate opened at Saphir Fortress in the Kram Empire, didn’t you?”
―Yes, it’s been roughly two months now.
“I was wondering if that Gate might have closed.”
―Closed? It hasn’t closed at all. It’s been completely neglected, and Saphir Fortress has become a Demon Gate swarming with Demonic Beasts and magical creatures.
“What? The Kram Empire has three Master-class knights and many high-ranking mages, doesn’t it?”
―Those Master-class knights and mages are all stationed on the Southern Front, which is why Saphir Fortress has been left unattended.
“The Southern Front! Has conflict broken out with the Bermuda Naval Alliance again?”
―They’ve always been at odds and fought frequently, but this time it seems more serious. That’s why they can’t do anything despite the Gate being open.
“Tch, if it’s been neglected for over two months, it must have undergone complete demonization.”
―That would be the case. They’ll only be able to dispatch troops to close the Gate once the war with the Bermuda Naval Alliance ends… but it looks like that won’t happen anytime soon.
“Pathetic, these humans are truly pathetic.”
It was then that Noxcasarsis’s voice suddenly rang out.
Those who had startled quickly lowered their heads as they saw him entering through the annex entrance.
“We greet you, great one.”
“Great? Kain told me that you call dragons great so as not to die. Is that right?”
“No, that’s not it at all. We call you great because you truly are great.”
“You’re a mage, so your tongue is quite smooth. Kain’s a swordsman, so his mouth only spits out awkward things. What is your name?”
“Aleingde Mir.”
“Aleingde Mir. For a human, reaching 6-star Level is quite a high realm… in any case, you please me a little.”
“Thank you.”
At Noxcasarsis’s gaze, Jang Gain let out a quiet laugh.
“I thought you were going to meet the King. You finished your business already?”
“Well, it was simple business, so it didn’t take long.”
“What business was it?”
“I heard that many people died or were injured by my Roar. So I thought I should treat the injured ones at least, since the dead can’t be helped.”
“Quite a lot of people were injured, but surely you didn’t treat them all already?”
“The King said the treatment ward was packed with so many patients that I went there and cast Healing Magic like a madman before leaving.”
“There must be over two hundred patients… you treated all of them?”
Not only Jang Gain but the others as well could not hide their expressions of astonishment.
He had left only an hour or so ago, saying he was going to meet the King.
“I just said it—I cast Healing Magic like a madman.”
“That’s… that’s amazing.”
“There’s a reason this old mage calls me a great one.”
……
“Now, if the Gate has been open for over two months, many high-level Demonic Beasts and magical creatures must have crossed over, and perhaps even several high-ranking demons. And you foolish humans have been allowing such danger to persist while you wage war?”
“Yes.”
It was Aleingde Mir who answered Noxcasarsis’s question.
“How can you humans be so foolish? If a Gate opens, shouldn’t you stop the war and close the Gate first?”
“That would be the sensible thing, but humans are as foolish as you perceive them to be, Noxcasarsis.”
“If you keep allowing demonization to spread, it may eventually lead to the descent of a Demon King.”
“What? A Demon King descending?”
“Yes. As blood sacrifices pile upon blood sacrifices and their resentment reaches the heavens, high-ranking demons can draw a Summoning Magic Circle in blood to bring the Demon King forth.”
“Blood sacrifices? What exactly are these blood sacrifices?”
“What else? Human blood, of course. For your information, the blood of other races or monsters cannot summon a Demon King.”
“Then the more people who die, the higher the possibility of the Demon King descending, correct?”
“That’s right. So before the Demon King descends, you must kill the demons and magical creatures and close the Gate. Two months have passed, so quite a bit of blood sacrifice must have accumulated.”
Aleingde Mir looked toward Jang Gain with a somewhat urgent expression.
“Your Grace, we really should make our way to Saphir Fortress as soon as possible. We need to capture the Demonic Beasts and Demons, and seal the Gate.”
“Why the sudden formality?”
“I was thinking—now that you hold a Marquis Title, it would be proper to address you with respect.”
“Fair enough. Do as you see fit. Either way, we’d better head out soon and close that Gate.”
“If closing the Gate is the task at hand, I’ll lend a hand myself.”
At the dragon’s words, Jang Gain tilted his head in confusion.
“Lend a hand? But you said you’d only watch how I prepare to fight the dragon—that you wouldn’t actually help.”
“Preventing the descent of the Demon King is the mission of every dragon. I said I’d lend a hand, but in truth, I’m fulfilling my own duty.”
“Right, so you’re doing your part, and if it helps me in the process, that’s fine by me. If too many high-ranking Demons have crossed through, I could find myself in real danger.”
Jang Gain recalled his fight with Svalwain, an Earl-class high-ranking Demon.
One such Demon wasn’t terribly difficult, but if three or more crossed over, he couldn’t guarantee victory.
“When do you plan to leave for Saphir?”
“Normally there’s a banquet tomorrow and a hunting tournament after that, but since this dragon has turned the palace upside down, those will be automatically cancelled. We could leave right now, it seems.”
“With this many people, we should be able to use Spatial Teleportation to reach Moduun Mountain near Saphir Fortress. I’ll draw a Magic Circle in the main hall—everyone else, step aside.”
As Noxcasarsis began to draw the Magic Circle, Jang Gain quickly stopped him.
“Wait. Even so, we should inform His Majesty before we go.”
“We can tell him after we return.”
“We’re closing a Gate that’s been open for over two months—we have no idea how long it will take. So we need to leave word so he won’t send people looking for us.”
“A few Breath Attacks should finish it off quick. It won’t take long.”
“Breath Attacks? Oh right—your Breath Attack isn’t a poison one, is it?”
“Exactly. My Breath Attack is an extremely potent acidic poison that can melt stone itself.”
“If you unleash that Breath Attack a few times, the Demons and Demonic Beasts will certainly die—but won’t the land become uninhabitable?”
“At minimum, it would be uninhabitable for several years.”
“Then we can’t do that. After we drive out the Demons and Demonic Beasts, people will need to live there again. We can’t poison the land with your Breath Attack.”
“If I don’t use my Breath Attack, closing the Gate will take a long time.”
“Even if it takes longer, we need to ensure people can still live there after the Gate is sealed. I’ll go inform His Majesty that I’m visiting Saphir Fortress and return quickly.”
“Picky, aren’t you? Fine then. Go on.”

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