CH 306.

The great war that started with the foreigners' riots in the Nordic and then spread throughout the continent like a wildfire had finally come to an end.

It was time for the Alliance, which had marched towards the Holy Kingdom to defend against the barrier, to finally leave the defense line and return to their home countries.

However, they had to delay their return due to unexpected news. 

“There are monsters everywhere, sir. Among the monsters observed right now, there are more than a dozen large-scale hordes with more than 10,000 monsters, sir.” 

While the troops stationed on the defense line had only been concerned with the disaster that occurred in the Holy Kingdom, the outside world had become a monster’s paradise. Now, the soldiers were in a situation where it was no different than being plopped in the middle of the monsters’ realm.

Of course, it wasn’t to the point that if they really wanted, they couldn’t break through the monsters. However, they couldn’t easily leave the defense lines since the Allied Forces needed to return to their home countries with their remaining troops intact as much as possible because the majority of them had been killed or sacrificed.

They couldn’t lose the precious superhumans and soldiers who had barely managed to survive the hellish war through hasty judgment. 

There were instances where impatient people pushed themselves too hard and left the defense line, but they were attacked by monsters and chased back to the defense line. Because of them, news spread that the monsters in the outside world, beyond the defense line, were completely different from those they had known. 

The monsters were stronger; they were more savage, and more cunning.

The monsters that moved systematically like a human army were completely different from the beasts and were difficult enemies for the soldiers to deal with.

“They said they’re also taking measures back in our home countries, so it would be better to stay here for the time being and watch how it develops.”

However, contrary to their expectations, the Central kingdoms didn’t have the strength to subdue the monsters. The damages suffered by the Central kingdoms from the successive wars were too serious for them to be able to subdue the monsters.

Among the troops mobilized in the central part of the continent, the number of dead reached tens of thousands of men, and the number of civilians killed couldn’t even be estimated. And since the superhumans that the kingdoms had all treasured and cosseted were also killed, there weren’t enough to stop the rampaging of these unprecedented monsters. 

As time went on, the situation only worsened and showed no signs of improving. In the end, some of the kingdoms, who had lost all their strength, reached the point where they ceded most of their land, except for their capital and a few territories, to the monsters. 

This time, they couldn’t expect help from the Eastern kingdoms either. 

The situation was the same for the Eastern kingdoms who were also suffering from the monsters of ancient times. Their circumstances weren’t good enough for them to be able to send troops to the Central region when they were battling with the monsters day after day. Not to mention, the Eastern region was too far away for immediate help.

“Even if we take on some damage, I think we should hurry back home. At this rate, instead of getting help from our home countries, we might have to lend them our strength to quell the turmoil in our countries.”

The leaders of the Alliance showed signs of anxiety when bleak news flew in one after another. They began feeling nervous and impatient at the thought that, at this rate, they may lose a place to return to even after winning the war. 

The same was true of the troops the Eastern kingdoms had sent to the barrier. Their home countries they would be returning to were too far away. Even if they were lucky and managed to safely leave the central region, they had to go through the realm of monsters that ranged from hundreds of kilometers to thousands of kilometers in length. They couldn’t imagine how difficult the road back home would be.

“What are we going to do? There's no other way.”

While everyone was being nervous about the disconsolate situation, the Adenburg Empire’s Imperial Army was making a ruckus as if they were going to immediately leave the defense line.

The other Alliance leaders tried to dissuade the Imperial commander. However, the commander of the Empire replied calmly that there was no reason to stay there anymore when they had been given orders to return home. 

The Imperial commander looked oddly unconcerned that the people who tried to dissuade him ended up being the ones feeling bewildered.

“There will be people who’ll meet us once we get as far as the northern front of Iberia.”

“You’ll need to travel thousands of miles to reach Iberia from here. How can you treat that hardship so lightly?”

The Imperial Army would need to pass through the Kingdom of Tennesia and the Kingdom of Asrael, two countries that had suffered the most damage in the last war, and which could be considered the monsters’ lands because the two kingdoms hadn’t been able to suppress the monsters in the slightest.

That was why the other commanders couldn’t understand it when the Imperial commander’s attitude made it seem like they were going on a picnic when in actuality it was a very difficult journey.

But soon, they realized what it was that allowed the Imperial commander to seem so relaxed.

Woosh!

A huge shadow seemed to pass above them from the sky, and then a huge being covered in bright platinum scales came down.

“Indomitable Grand Duke!”

It was the legendary knight, Indomitable Grand Duke, and his platinum Dragon who had ended the catastrophe in the Holy Kingdom.

“I will escort you as far as Iberia.”

The only reason it didn’t sound absurd that a single knight would escort thousands of troops was because the person speaking was the Indomitable Grand Duke.

“Then, please. Thank you.”

The commander took the Indomitable Grand Duke’s words as a matter of fact.

“We, we’ll go with you as well!”

The Eastern kingdom people had been trembling in fear since the way back to the East was far away, so when the opportunity came, they didn’t miss it and showed their intention to join.

“You can do whatever you want.”

The moment the Indomitable Grand Duke gave them permission, the Eastern kingdoms’ troops quickly prepared to leave. It didn’t take them long to complete their preparations since they had been fully prepared to leave the defense line at any time. 

“It was an honor to fight together. I hope that the bravery and devotion you have shown will continue to shine brightly in the future.”

With that brief farewell, the Imperial Army and the Eastern kingdoms’ troops left the defense line.

“Ah…”

The Central kingdoms’ soldiers left behind in the defense line watched in dismay. They had never imagined that the hero who had saved the continent would leave them behind so coldly.

However, unlike the soldiers, the commanders of each country could understand the Indomitable Grand Duke’s abrupt attitude to some extent.

“Now that the great war that needed everyone to work together has ended, we can no longer expect anything just because of the title ‘war buddy.’”

There was no resentment. From the start, the Indomitable Grand Duke was an Easterner who had nothing to do with the disaster that struck the Central region of the continent. Just the fact that the Indomitable Grand Duke had come to such a distant place to end the disaster was something for them to be thankful for. 

Not to mention, hadn’t their homelands once stood on the side of the Holy Kingdom and antagonized the Empire?

“I can only lament the fact that there are no knights like him in our country.”

It was the moment that the borderline between countries, which had been forgotten for a while, were clearly drawn again in their hearts. 

***

Contrary to all the horrific rumors they had heard, the Imperial Army’s return journey was peaceful. However, that didn’t mean the Imperial Army’s return was completely easy as if walking on a flower path. 

There were ruins of collapsed castles and fortresses everywhere they went, and the gloomy scenery of abandoned villages welcomed them. It was too easy for them to find horribly devoured corpses.

It was hell.

The Tennessia Kingdom, which had been trampled by the Northern Cavalry, and the Asrael Kingdom, which had lost its governance when the royal family had collapsed, were transformed into a barren land where not a single human shadow could be found any longer.

Normally, a vast land where humans had disappeared would be occupied by monsters.

However, the Imperial Army hadn’t seen a single living monster.  They only occasionally saw the monsters’ secretion that had yet to cool down. It was almost as if they had left in a hurry. 

It was all thanks to the Indomitable Grand Duke and his Dragon.

The platinum-colored Dragon flying gracefully through the sky didn’t show off or reveal her presence loudly or flamboyantly. But it was enough to drive out all the monsters that had settled in the area.

“There’s a reason that the Empire is peaceful while the other kingdoms suffer from monsters.”

When the commander realized who was behind the Empire’s peace and quiet, he quietly spoke words of admiration. Seeing how the other soldiers also looked up at the sky from time to time as they couldn’t hide their wonder and pride, it was clear that they realized once again that the Grand Duke wasn’t indomitable only in name, but a true guardian of the Empire.

“The Empire will prosper more and more in the future.”

While the Imperial Army felt a sense of satisfaction from seeing the Indomitable Grand Duke and his Dragon, the commanders of the Eastern kingdoms following behind them felt complicated.

Now that the war was over, they were realizing that the overwhelming existence was actually a knight from another country.

Their realization soon turned into fear towards the Empire.

“Even without me, the monsters won’t attack you from there.”

The seemingly endless march came to an end while the Imperial Army and the Eastern kingdoms’ armies were feeling completely different things.

“Then, we shall see you at the Imperial Capital soon, sir.”

The moment they reached the borders of Iberia, the Indomitable Grand Duke disappeared someplace else. 

The remaining Imperial Army and the Eastern kingdoms’ troops arrived at Granado under the guidance of the Iberian Army waiting for them. 

A large transport fleet had been prepared for them in Granado. 

The entire continent was full of monsters, there was no way the sea would be safer. Rather than being safer, there were rumors everywhere that the monsters in the sea were bigger and stronger than the monsters that had appeared on the ground. 

Nevertheless, the Iberian Navy didn’t seem to have any concerns about the sea monsters.

The people soon found out why.

Chawk.

A massive spray of water appeared in front of the fleet leaving the port of Granado. Then, something with blue scales appeared and then disappeared. 

“Th, that’s?”

It disappeared so quickly that it was impossible to see it properly, but just by glancing at it, it was enough to know that the thing in the sea was no less than the platinum Dragon of the Indomitable Grand Duke.

“Another Dragon of the Indomitable Grand Duke, the Lord of the Deep Sea, has decided to escort the fleet.”

Upon hearing the Iberian Navy Admirals’ explanation, the people of the Eastern kingdom unknowingly turned pale. 

***

Ophelia wasn’t satisfied with the title of strongest Eastern country in the continent. She said that now was the time to unify the continent and began preparing to subjugate the other kingdoms step by step.

However, the continent had been embroiled in war for too long and she didn’t intend to plunge the continent into chaos by causing another war for conquest. 

“If we show a big enough gap between them and us, they will not dare to look up, and will naturally bow their heads.”

Opportunistically, she had a card in hand that was perfect for the other kingdoms to realize the overwhelming disparity between them.

It was Kim Seon-Hyeok and his dragons.

He had roamed all over the continent. Occasional, he appeared in the capital of the kingdoms, and sometimes the territories, and other times at the borders.

No one could stop him and Edda. They could only feel their own helplessness in front of such an outrageous being that was flying over their heads for no reason.

“Argh, I cannot live up to my name.”

The Griffindor’s king was on the verge of a nervous breakdown when he saw the Dragon appearing above the sky of the royal castle from time to time.

“Why! Why is he appearing three times here when he visits other places once!”

The strangely frequent visits of the Dragon wasn’t mere coincidence.

‘The Empire doesn’t forget the past.’

All of this was revenge for sending the Knights of the Sky in the past and backstabbing Adenburg.

The same situation was happening with Noctein. The Dragon only appeared briefly in the other kingdoms, but she stayed for a long time in the capital of Noctein.

And each time, the Noctein nobles trembled in fear as they didn’t know when the Dragon might rampage through their lands. 

‘The kingdoms in the Central regions are all scrambling to ask the Empire for protection.’

In such a situation, the single missive that arrived caused them to completely panic.

The kingdoms in the Central region had declined so much and with their strength waning, they couldn’t overcome the monsters’ riots and rushed to swear an oath of vassalage with the Empire. 

‘The monsters that appeared in the Central kingdoms are all escaping to the West.’

The Empire immediately sent them aid in exchange for their oaths. And with the Imperial support, the Central region’s kingdoms began to regain their control that had been obsolete shockingly quickly.

Not long after, the Empire absorbed most of the Central region as part of the Empire’s territory and received oaths of vassalage from a few kingdoms in the Eastern region. 

This was the moment that an unprecedented Empire that occupied more than half of the continent, excluding the Western region, was born.

Behind all the glory that the Empire achieved was Kim Seon-Hyeok.

He went around visiting hostile kingdoms and staged powerful demonstrations while at the same time roaming around the Empire’s newly acquired territories and driving out the monsters.

It was truly a hectic time.

“She told me to never leave the Imperial Capital again!”

He couldn’t help but complain at his wife who was pushing him relentlessly without a moment of rest. 

[As much as her time has increased, she has also relaxed.]

Kim Seon-Hyeok frowned at Edda’s somewhat displeasing words. Ophelia had always clung to him and couldn’t bear to part with him, but like Edda said, after her lifespan had increased, Ophelia was always shoving him outside the Empire that it was exhausting. 

“She changed! She completely changed!”

He may have lived like someone who was always causing trouble, with the words ‘sorry’ permanently attached to his lips, he still longed for the past that had been full of affection. 

But even as he complained, he flew around busily.

Except for the two sealed Fragments and the three destroyed Fragments, he was searching the entire continent for the remaining five that may appear at any moment.

[I do not see any signs of the Fragments of Chaos prevailing any longer.]

When there were finally no more signs of threats against the continent, Kim Seon-Hyeok’s flight was completely over.

“Yesssss! It’s finished!”

Although the war was over, that didn’t mean his work was done.

He had to revive the Dragon race that had been destroyed in the war against Chaos. The first thing he had to do was bring back the dragons who had committed different sins and lost their powers back to their complete form.

“Redvern, you will become the eye that watches over the Empire and the continent from now on.”

The drake, Redvern, who had been deprived of his powers and turned into an insignificant by committing the sin of indolence, squawked loudly and flew high into the sky.

The only remaining dragons were the Red Wyrm and Geheimnis. Kim Seon-Hyeok decided to put off dealing with them for the time being. 

“I’ve been working like mad until now. Even if I rested for a hundred years, it wouldn’t be enough.”

But there was no way his wish would come true. The continent could never be peaceful and there were too many places that needed him. 

“Grand Duke! The Noctein!”

“Indomitable Grand Duke! A strange sign was seen in the West…”

“The nomads of the North are traveling south with a giant wolf…”

Kim Seon-Hyeok shouted at the people who continuously called for him without a break.

“Argh! Let me enjoy life too!”

Author’s Words

, which has been serialized for nearly a year, has finally come to an end. First of all, I would like to thank the readers who have been with me so far. 

Rather than a goal of being a special and original story, was written with the goal of writing a story that, even if cliche, could be enjoyed and bring you a moment of relaxation as you read it. 

Truthfully, now that it has been completed, I’m not even sure if I have properly fulfilled my goal. Although I may have been lacking, I tried my best to write a story that was easy and comfortable to read as much as possible, and I did my best to match the value of 100 won per as much as I could. 

I hope that my efforts have reached the readers. 

It’s been 4 years since I have become a full-time writer, and I’ve been writing without taking a day off. Even while on hiatus, I spent the entire day writing, and when a novel is finished, I would sit down in front of the computer to start a new work. Now that is finished, I feel like my body and mind are empty. 

I think I will have to rest for a while. Once my empty body and mind are rejuvenated, I will try to unravel the details of ‘Atiyah’s wish,’ the dragon subspecies, and those characters that hadn’t been revealed in the main story. I will try my best to get back as soon as possible.

Finally, I would like to thank all the readers who have been with me so far.

Thank you so much for staying with me until the end.