Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu

Looking at the bustling streets before him and the endless stream of pedestrians, Sordil felt that he had finally returned to civilization. Since his rebirth, he had either stayed in Fostadu, buried himself in the library of Mildian Magic Academy, or returned to the mountain cave in the canyon to rest. He had never truly enjoyed the splendor of a city like this. Sordil had to admit that even a shut-in otaku and university professor like himself could not live without the bustle of the city. After all, his soul was still human, and he remained deeply attached to everything about human civilization. Of course, it would have been even better if he could walk down the streets like a human!

Sordil suddenly recalled a type of magic from an anime in his previous life—Transformation Magic—which might be able to fulfill this wish. He remembered that when Zeref and Irene met in that anime, Zeref had used magic to turn Irene from her dragon form back into human form. Did that mean there might be similar Transformation Magic in the library of Mildian Magic Academy? Sordil felt that perhaps he needed to find time to return to the Western Continent and search for it. That way, he could act under a human identity, and many plans that were currently impossible to carry out could finally be put into action.

"Master, ahead is the royal palace of the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu. They say the king lives inside. Shall we pay him a visit now?" Seraf's voice pulled Sordil out of his reverie and back into reality. Staring at the rather unimposing building before him, Sordil pondered for a moment before making his decision.

"No! We'll return to the inn for now. We'll act tonight."

Night gradually fell, and the town that had been so noisy during the day slowly quieted down. Only the taverns and food streets remained lively, even more so than during the day. Soldiers who had finished training gathered to drink, mercenaries discussed what they had seen and heard, and farmers who had toiled all day enjoyed a brief moment of happiness with their families. Inside the inn, Sordil stood by the window in the form of a sparrow, watching the brilliantly lit capital. Behind him stood Seraf, dressed in a large black cloak.

"Let's go! We're heading to the royal palace to ask the King of Tsuyioru Xiu for a piece of land belonging to Fostadu, to serve as our new home!" Sordil said without turning around. Seraf slowly stepped behind Sordil and held out his hands. Sordil hopped onto them, and the two headed straight out of the inn toward the palace.

Belmod sat upright in his chair, staring at a document on the table. His mood was as overcast as the weather outside. According to intelligence reports, his neighbor, Queen Donagunov Irene, had begun intensifying military training and continuously purchasing iron from the various duchies to forge weapons. The Kingdom of Donagunov's military strength was steadily growing. The protection of dragons alone had already made him exhausted from dealing with her, and now she was strengthening her armaments and expanding her army. What was she trying to do? Destroy him and establish a unified empire? Or was she no longer satisfied with being the ruler of a single kingdom, seeking instead to use the power of dragons and armies to dominate the entire continent?

The thought made Belmod's mood even worse. Though he dearly wanted to fight Irene to the bitter end, the attitude of his ministers at today's council robbed him of the confidence to wage war. After all, he could not go onto the battlefield alone. Without an army, he was no more than an ordinary man—perhaps even less than one. In his frustration, Belmod drew his sword and slashed at the ornaments in the room. The treasures he had once cherished so dearly shattered one after another, scattering fragments all over the floor. After venting his anger, Belmod leaned against the wall and gasped for breath.

"Your Majesty, even if you destroy everything, you cannot change certain facts. Why not calm down and think of a solution?"

A magnetic voice reached Belmod's ears. Belmod hurriedly gripped his sword and rose to his feet, only to see a black-robed figure sitting in his chair, carefully reading the intelligence report that had just been placed on the table. Holding his sword, Belmod slowly moved toward the door, his eyes continuously scanning the black-robed figure. After a long while, he finally reached the doorway and shouted at the figure, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The black-robed figure was naturally Sordil and Seraf, who had come to the royal palace. Watching the King of Tsuyioru Xiu's reaction, Sordil said dismissively, "All right, Your Majesty, there's no need to waste your effort. I've set up a magical barrier around the entire room. No matter how loudly you shout, no one outside will hear you! Now, let's discuss business!"

"What do you want to discuss with me?" Although the black-robed figure had told him that magic had sealed off the room and prevented sound from escaping, Belmod was unwilling to give up. He still waited in the hope that the guards would notice something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, your situation seems rather grim, doesn't it? Your neighbor is strengthening her military forces, and she has dragons aiding her as well. Under such circumstances, I believe you need a powerful ally—for example, dragons..." Although Sordil spoke to the king in a calm tone, his heart was anything but calm. It churned violently. He was glad that Donagunov was increasing its armaments, as that would allow him to gain the Kingdom of Tsuyioru Xiu's dependence more easily and thus obtain territory. Yet he also felt an urgent pressure, because the crisis was drawing ever closer while he had no means of dealing with it.

"An ally? Dragons?" Belmod was indeed tempted by Sordil's words, but as the ruler of a kingdom, he cautiously probed, "You mean you can introduce dragons to become my allies? Then what is your purpose? Money? A title? Or land?"

"Your Majesty, let me correct you first. I am not introducing dragons to become your allies. I am leading my own tribe to become your allies. My sole purpose is to obtain a piece of territory where my people can live, not your throne!" Sordil replied sincerely. At the same time, Seraf threw back his cloak and revealed Sordil. Sordil then flew into the air and returned his body to its adult size.

"Th-this... You... You're actually a dragon?" Belmod said in shock as he stared at Sordil in the air. This was the first time he had seen a dragon capable of changing its own body, and the shock in his heart was beyond imagination. However, the clever king quickly noticed something from his conversation with Sordil. His expression gradually returned to normal, and he said evenly, "If I'm not mistaken, you are not dragons from Ishgar, are you? You fled here from the Western Continent. Of course, it is also possible that you are spies sent by the Western Continent, isn't it?"

"You're right, Your Majesty! But does that matter? What matters most right now is Queen Donagunov and her dragons, isn't it?" Upon hearing Belmod expose his identity, Sordil showed no alarm at all and answered his question in a teasing tone.