◈ Episode 267. This is highly regarded by history (2)
[The legend, ‘Dark Dragon Lee Hoyeol’ is materialized.]
Antonium.
I can see the Dark Dragon flying high above.
The exact effects and limitations of the legendary system remain to be seen.
‘On the face of it, it’s flawless.’
A legend grows stronger depending on how far it spreads.
It’s no wonder that it’s more powerful in the places where it began.
This legend was authorized by the emperor’s mouth.
In Antonium, where the Emperor resided, the power and size of the Dark Dragon could only grow, and so the Dark Dragon in the sky was even larger than the last time it materialized.
In particular, both wings are unusually large and flapping…….
It really feels like I’m looking at this guy’s jacket draped over my shoulder, so I don’t feel comfortable. So, if you ask why I activated the legend, the reason is simple.
‘Could there be a quiet appearance in the Granfell Dictionary?’
Of course, there’s another reason.
I needed to discourage the demons around me.
Moreover, the empire cannot remain silent forever.
“Just lie down and don’t bother me.”
How much would Harkon mourn if he saw it?
For Harkon, who will one day return to Antonium.
We need to keep the demons in check.
“Now, wait!”
As I approach the gates, the guards who was preoccupied with the dark dragon stops.
I understand the panic.
For a wandering traveler on the overrun Arcana continent…….
My attire was clean to the point of splendor.
They must have thought I was a noble.
I was filled with suspicion, but he spoke to me with respect.
“……Could you please reveal your affiliation and identity?”
Well, I don’t need a full name between us, do I?
Not really.
With my mouth, I am the Dark Dragon.
I just hope I don’t have to say it out loud…….
If i say this, someone will be curious and ask.
If I didn’t want to reveal my identity, I could have just opened a portal into the walls of Antonium. Really, I can’t help but ask this question because I don’t know about Grandfell’s procedural love.
“I understand.”
I’ve been communicating with the Emperor through Hiel and Chainwalker.
This is the first time I’ve actually met him face to face.
And my stubborn pride has left the front gate unlocked.
I don’t think he’d be happy with me entering Antonium through a portal.
This is also my inevitable fate.
I have finally come to my senses.
The guards’ complexions began to change rapidly as they took a good look at me.
“N-No way……!!!”
Yes, it is.
I’ve done it again and again.
But I did it in style.
I’m glad I didn’t have to introduce myself.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, a loud shout was heard.
“It’s the Dark Dragon!!!”
Oh no.
“The Dark Dragon has come to Antonium!”
I overlooked it.
A legend.
Just because I kept my mouth shut didn’t mean it wouldn’t resonate!!
.
.
.
That was only the beginning.
[You have entered Antonium, the capital city of the Empire].
This is Antonium, a place that was foreign to me even when Arcana was a game. There must be a point of contact. Because all I remember from that time was being tormented by daylong quests in Akshan, which was located in the corner of the continent.
So I overlooked it again.
It’s big!
It’s the capital of the Empire, so of course it’s bigger than the metropolis of Frost, and best of all, it’s Antonium, which hasn’t fallen to demons or rebels.
I can’t compare it to the past.
Back then, I almost felt like I was in a game.
‘…… Except for one thing.’
Ttogak─
All eyes are on me as I am escorted away.
Yes, the Dark Dragon materialization has been lifted.
It’s only natural that gazes that have nowhere else to go would naturally turn to me.
I hear chatter.
“What nobility are you?”
“……He seems like a very high-ranking person.”
“Maybe royalty?”
“Are you saying he’s an archduke? I’ve never seen a face like that before…….”
As expected, this guy’s outfit is a problem everywhere.
It’s not enough that he’s noble, he’s royalty.
I can’t lift my face because it’s too hot.
Still, I’m relieved.
‘It doesn’t seem to have spread far.’
No matter how great the empire, the guards can’t use telepaty. Thanks to this, even though they shouted, it seemed that the guards’ shouts were not fully conveyed to Antonium, which must have been noisy due to Dark Dragon.
But as I said, this was only the beginning.
Thud─
Something fell to the ground.
Degurr─
There was a rolling sound.
“Uh, huh?”
There were people looking directly at me where the sound came from. No matter how I look at those eyes, they know exactly who I am. For those who know me in Antonium…….
Of course, it’s only ‘they’.
Yes, Dredsen.
I’m sure you’ve heard enough about me from Hiel and Diend during your stay aboard the Iron Castle. By the way, ……. You did a good job describing me.
‘Judging by the way you recognize me on sight.’
I opened my mouth.
“Have you gotten used to life in Antonium?”
“……?!”
“Survivors of Dredsen.”
“Well, it’s……!!!”
After I said that, and she seemed convinced.
Tears streamed down her face as she picked up the things she had dropped on the floor.
In a way, I had definitely saved Dredsen.
So I can understand her reaction……..
“O infinite darkness!”
Out of all the many, many name, why is it that……?
There are so many people here watching and listening……!
Although this name must have already resonated well through the emperor.
The shock of hearing it and hearing it firsthand cannot be compared.
I looked at Antonium Castle towering in the distance.
‘Let’s see…….’
In the midst of all this attention and hospitality.
We’re going to have to walk for hours to reach it.
I am seriously concerned.
Will I be able to endure it without dying of shame……?
*
Antonium is vast.
As a result, imperial mages are stationed every few miles to deliver news quickly. What was faster than a horse was a horse without legs, and what was faster than a horse without legs was telepathy.
But this moment.
The Imperial mages were in chaos.
It was inevitable.
-No, I know!
He had seen it with his own two eyes.
Enough to completely cover Antonium.
A giant dragon flying across the sky and disappearing behind the clouds.
-So there is only a dark dragon, a dragon like that!
That day, a torrential rain poured down on the Arcana continent.
The mages had seen dozens of dragons.
They were certain because they had something to compare it to.
A dragon that big.
They were sure it was the Dark Dragon they’d heard roaring.
-That Dark Dragon has appeared!
-No, I saw it, too.
-Ha, this is so frustrating!
-What frustration? I’m more frustrated!
Everyone in Antonium must have seen the Dark Dragon.
Your Majesty must have heard about it by now.
What’s the point of wasting magic on such trivial news?
But the mage’s questioning didn’t last long.
The streets were suddenly in an uproar.
The mage’s telepathy faltered.
A strangely unfamiliar outfit for an Arcana person.
An overwhelming amount of magical power that touches the skin.
Such a being had appeared with the Dark Dragon……?
“Wait a minute…….”
He didn’t mean that Dark Dragon, he meant this Dark Dragon!
“No, you have to explain properly!”
But this was no time for grumbling. He had to get the news to the Emperor as quickly as possible. If only I could telepathize straight to Nash at the palace.
“I blame my lack of magic.”
My manifestation wasn’t quite strong enough for that.
In the end, I sent a telepathic message to the mage closest to main castle.
Why did it come back?
It was a familiar question.
-What is it, the reason for conveying obvious things telepathically?
Yes.
There were unavoidable circumstances.
As a result, Hoyeol had to wander the streets of Antonium, pushing through crowds, receiving all manner of hospitality, and entering countless inns, before he could reach the main castle…….
*
Have you ever heard that sometimes extreme experiences are actually helpful?
I was living proof of that saying.
No matter how shameful it is, people don’t die……!
‘Thanks for making me realize that, everyone…….’
I didn’t expect to feel more drained a few hours after stepping into Antonium’s than I did after kicking the shit out of a primordial evil. I was ready for it, but it really wasn’t an easy journey.
But it’s not over yet.
The silent nig mouth reminds me of that.
“It’s harmonious.”
Don’t judge other people’s houses from the moment you enter, Grandfell.
Especially the Emperor’s palace!
By the way, I hope this day comes in my lifetime.
Demon Hunter class aside. When Arcana was just a game, the players were too low-level to make contact with the Empire.
Even more so after the Cataclysm.
Even I never imagined that I would be able to travel back and forth between Arcana and the real world. I never thought I would be the one to save the Empire.
Thankfully, I realized that in hindsight.
“Was it true…….”
The moment he saw me and the Emperor rising from his throne.
A practical problem has emerged.
Yes, other players would have been concerned here.
‘How do I get the first word out?’
Why, even the great Jesse Heinness did that.
-“He was very perceptive even back then!”
She was worried about making a mistake in front of the Emperor.
Not as much as I did.
I can see why Jesse, who’s never been one to mince words, would say that.
‘It’s intimidating.’
Too flashy.
The emperor’s background in the imperial palace was very grand.
Of course, it was a grandeur that didn’t even make sense to me. Regardless of the aesthetics of Granfell, the Yusra Golden Palace would have been grander than this, but it was definitely not impossible.
So my concerns were bound to be slightly different from those of the players.
So, what should I call the emperor?
I was used to speaking to Eunaxus and Agentress, beings even higher than the Emperor, of course, I didn’t expect that polite words would come out naturally.
‘After all, considering how I set up Claudi…….’
I might as well have kept my mouth shut.
But my fears were unfounded.
The emperor spoke first.
“It is an honor to meet a legend.”
……The courtiers look more surprised than I do.
I didn’t expect the emperor to treat me with such extreme hospitality.
It’s no wonder they’re stunned.
However, it is not something that cannot be understood.
Even without Claudi’s halo, the amount of [prestige points] I’ve accumulated over the years would be out of the ordinary. In the days when the empire was intact, I would be treated as a guest of honor in any city I visited.
‘……But I can’t help but notice.’
It’s time to use my social wisdom again.
First and foremost, I had no intention of getting too deeply involved with the Empire.
Like I said, I have enough on my plate already.
I have enough trouble rebuilding Claudi’s estate.
Now I’m thinking of taking on an empire?
I’m sorry to say, not even a little!
The power of the Empire must always remain with the Emperor.
The Emperor must remain as majestic as he is.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t diminish Grandfell’s pride and disrespect him…….
‘At least not in public.’
Let’s avoid situations where we casually disrespect the emperor.
To that end, I’d better get straight to the point.
I’ve traveled across the Arcana continent, and I’ve gotten a feel for the situation.
‘There’s plenty of time.’
I still had plenty of time before my meeting with Kichi.
So I wasted no time.
I went straight to the Emperor.
“We’ll talk about personal story later.”
“Is there something urgent you need to talk to me about?”
“You know that.”
Surely the Emperor, the head of an empire, would be troubled?
The cities around Antonium had been reclaimed from the hand of the demons.
How the hell to restore them.
‘Thanks to my unintentional eating of Claudi’s halo.’
I had some magic left in me.
Besides, the object of the search is minerals, right?
From a time when simple walls were a thing of the past.
I’ve been able to build them skillfully.
So there’s no need to worry anymore.
Especially that mage-looking fellow there.
‘I wonder who he looks like…….’
I will take care of everything while also completing the [Main Quest].
You can rest easy for a while.
I mean, don’t even think about moving a step away from the palace.
*
Magic Tower.
“Ehhhhh!”
Bensch William, a senior in Fire Magic, snorted.
……Who’s talking about me?
My ears have been itching for a while now.
But focus, Bensch William.
“From now on, it is a non-stop competition. Compete with adventurers……!”
The news coming from the Magic Tower recently was unusual.
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t/n: I can’t wait to see for Bensch and Nash’s reunion