Clash

Two seconds before the elemental flames erupted, Luna, who had been perched on the black dragon's neck spines, spoke first. "Careful. The fireball spell is locked onto your heart."

Caesar's nictitating membranes flickered. Bracing himself on his forelimbs, he twisted his waist and whipped his tail, drifting in place. His battering-ram-like tail sent the soldiers crowding him at close range flying, then he threw his entire body to the left, shifting nearly seven meters sideways in a single second.

The next instant, an elemental fireball wrapped in magical radiance howled past his ear. Its momentum did not diminish in the slightest, utterly unaffected by air resistance, as it vanished into the deep darkness ahead. Only much later did a thunderous explosion rumble from that direction.

"An Archmage."

Caesar's murmur and Luna's gasp rang out at the same time. He had long suspected this army likely had spellcasters among its ranks and had prepared accordingly. The reason he had not used his breath weapon from afar at the start of the attack was because he feared his flames or frost would be blocked.

But he had not expected this person to be an Archmage of such formidable attainment.

A regular army of over a thousand men, equipped with thirty knights and an Archmage, all for the sake of a vague, unsubstantiated suspicion—was that really necessary?

Roy's caution was plain to see.

Just as Caesar redefined the enemy's strength, the black dragon's movements shattered everything the humans thought they knew. What the hell! What was with this black dragon's smooth, flowing sequence of moves? Was that some kind of stunt?

A dragon that did not excel in speed had actually dodged a fireball spell through sheer physical ability, without casting any magic! The shock Caesar gave the people of Eladia was probably much like seeing a turtle suddenly run as fast as a cheetah would have been to people on Earth.

This dragon was terrifying beyond belief!

The world had gone mad!

Among the humans, the one most shaken was undoubtedly the caster responsible for the fireball. His disruption spell was still ready to be cast, his staff half-raised, yet he himself had frozen in place. Watching the black dragon launch another attack, he fell into a daze.

As acquired spellcasters, nearly every mage was a scholar with an exceptionally broad store of knowledge, versed in every aspect of Eladia.

In his understanding, a dragon absolutely could not perform movements like that.

Without taking magic into account, dragons' biological structure made it impossible for them to evade with the speed and precision of mammals. Their muscles were less active as well; even from noticing danger to mobilizing their muscle groups required a considerable amount of time.

"This isn't a dragon at all!"

With that thought, the caster began constructing another spell. "Capture it first. We'll talk later."

Compared to the mage, who was still lost in wild speculation, Roy reacted far more swiftly. Young people accepted new things much more readily than the old fossils around them. Having witnessed the black dragon's abilities, he became even more cautious.

The army commander was likewise unaffected. Staying calm was the most basic quality of a commander. Though the black dragon's display had shot straight through the heavens, this leader remained as immovable as a mountain, issuing orders with measured precision.

"Throw!"

Having realized how astonishingly hard the black dragon's scales were, the commander immediately changed tactics. He signaled for the soldiers carrying ordinary hand crossbows to fall back, replacing them with spearmen.

At the same time, cart after cart covered in black cloth was pushed onto the battlefield.

Caesar had originally assumed they were carrying food or military supplies, but once the coverings were pulled aside, he realized he had been wrong—the carts bore heavy weapons gleaming with dark metallic luster.

Ballistae.

The world had gone mad. Caesar very much wanted to say that himself. He had thought Roy was merely a cautious and ambitious man, but it turned out the other party was outright insane, even bringing siege ballistae along—

Ten of them, no less!

Had he not seen the uncertainty on Roy's face, he might even have thought all this had been arranged in advance, that the man had anticipated and counter-ambushed him.

Caesar maintained his rhythm of attacks and breath, not charging directly in to strike at the caster and Roy. He knew Roy and the caster were indeed the most important links in the army, but they were also the most heavily guarded links.

If he really charged in headfirst to kill them, whether he could even reach them was another matter. Once trapped in the mire of blades and spears, he would absolutely not make it out alive.

They had never been Caesar's target to begin with.

The black dragon prowled along the edge of the formation, relying on his overwhelming strength and speed to control the pace, ensuring the knights and cavalry could not circle around behind him and surround him.

But even so, the black dragon gradually found himself in a difficult position.

The army's no-expense-spared assault caused Caesar enormous trouble. Neither the crossbow bolts nor the spears were ordinary weapons; they carried armor-piercing enchantments, crafted specifically to deal with thick-skinned dragons and giants.

No matter how thick his armor was, he could hardly endure such a savage beating.

By now, Caesar had sustained no small number of wounds. Yet in this attack, he had directly or indirectly caused the deaths of nearly two hundred soldiers, dealing the army devastating losses.

That was enough.

The Archmage was already preparing another spell, while armor-piercing bolts and javelins filled the sky. The mission had been completed beyond expectations. Fearing that continuing the battle might put his life at risk, Caesar prepared to retreat and set the next part of his plan in motion.

"Roar!"

The black dragon let out a roar and opened his jaws, breathing out a massive wall of ice that cut off the way behind him. Before the enemy mage could break through the defense, he spread his enormous wings, soared into the sky, and began to flee.

"Bang! Crash!"

Only a second later, the ice wall was shattered to pieces by a disintegration spell. The knights swung into their saddles one after another, preparing to give chase.

"I'm going too."

The mage squeezed his horse's flanks. Before leaving, he did not forget to tell Roy, "I will capture that dragon."

As an Archmage of the human world, he had no need to heed Roy's commands. His heart was filled with interest in that strange dragon beast, and he wanted to capture it for a thorough study.

Watching the black dragon gradually disappear beneath the light of dawn, Roy's gaze flickered.

Every action taken by an intelligent creature had some root purpose behind it. He did not believe this had been a simple attack.

What was the black dragon's objective? Merely to display its strength and kill a few of his soldiers?

Impossible.

As the mastermind behind the Stone Crow Clan, it would never abandon the greatest advantage of hiding in the shadows and expose itself to its opponent for such a ridiculous reason.

That creature was no ordinary dragon. It laid every step with care, cunning and intelligent to the extreme.

Roy thought back to how he had sent prospectors to investigate the mine in the Duru Basin afterward. The results showed that it had never been a gold mine at all—the orcs had placed gold there from who knew where, solely to lure him into investigating and entice him into suffering the Flame Demon Curse.

Anrien's death had been the same.

It had all been designed to show him the orcs' fruit pulp, then make a request for a trade.

From the very beginning, he had been played around in the palm of that black dragon's hand.

Then, considering how meticulous and calculating the other side was, this definitely could not have been an attack born on a whim. The black dragon's appearance and escape had to serve some purpose. Behind it, there might be trap after trap waiting in succession. Those orcs who had yet to show themselves might be lying in ambush somewhere in the dark.

Roy's thoughts raced as he made these judgments in the flash of a spark.

But opportunity was fleeting. He could not, and would not, let the other side swagger around before departing in such a carefree fashion—he had to win back a point.

"Wayne."

Roy decisively called over his confidant and ordered calmly, "You will lead the men in pursuit of that black dragon."

"Remember, under no circumstances can you allow the troops to be drawn apart. Those knights must slow down and remain in the same formation as the cavalry riders. If you encounter orcs lying in ambush on the way, abandon the pursuit and slaughter those vermin first."

He used the word "must" twice, the words seeming to squeeze out through clenched teeth.

"But, my lord..." Wayne, the rider, looked troubled. "Those knights..."

The thirty knights were not Roy's direct troops, but the personal guards of Count Brando.

For the Count's sake, they might show Roy some respect, but making them obey the orders of an attendant was nothing but a fool's dream.

"Take it."

Fortunately, Roy understood this perfectly well. He removed the pendant from his neck and handed the Brando Family emblem to his confidant. "Remember every word I said."

"And you—"

Watching his confidant ride away, he pointed at the attendant beside him. "Go notify Katus. Tell him to have the kobold clan and the gnoll clan withdraw from the Wilds! The natives absolutely cannot learn that there is a dragon here. This is the highest priority. Go now!"

"Leave half the men behind to inspect the wounded, clear the battlefield, and increase reconnaissance. Guard these ten ballistae well."

Only then did a cold light bloom in Roy's eyes. "The rest of you come with me. We're heading for the Stone Crow Clan immediately! If the black dragon wants to ambush my men, I'll smash its nest first!"