Outside the south gate, a widespread disturbance occurred.Ā Ā The new tower lord, āIan Pageā, presentedĀ a brilliant debut. There wasnāt a single person who conducted a large-scale investigation about the monsters under King Terry Greenriver.
(Why the hell did this frustrating thing come here?)
(From the beginningā¦ā¦ was lookingā¦ā¦ā¦. for the thingā¦ā¦..)
(Ah! Irritating. Irritating!)
Alongside Ian was a soul with a blue body. The dragon āSpartoāsāĀ soul was unexpectedly as theĀ fairy queen said it would be.
No, rather than the premonition, he was more excited about the fight. It didnāt seem like either of them were pleased to meet the other.
āSo.ā
Ian interrupted the argument and asked Sparto, āIs there a problem?ā
Now thatĀ it was his time to talk, Ian was frustrated with the way it was talking, but he endured it.
(From the momentā¦.. their traces wereā¦ā¦ā¦ sensedā¦ā¦.I was in a deep sleep. It wasnāt longā¦ā¦..before I ā¦ā¦.woke up.)
(Speak quickly, please! Quickly!)
āQueen, be quiet.ā
The poor queen, destined to not be quiet even when she needed to. She was blowing on bothĀ sides of the communications orb and placed it back on top of the tableĀ while listening toĀ the story of the dragon.
(In your expressionā¦ā¦.. the empty shellā¦ā¦.. Ā the bodyā¦ā¦ā¦ I madeā¦ā¦the empty shellā¦ā¦ on myā¦ā¦ own will. Even if youā¦ā¦ā¦ people tryā¦.. to makeā¦ā¦.. the shell bodyā¦ā¦it will be impossibleā¦.. to do. But)
The dragon spokeĀ slowly, frequently stopping between phrases. Ā It seemed like it was having a hard time speaking.
(From the momentā¦ā¦.. I woke upā¦ā¦ I have been able to detect its presence.)
āWhat presence were you able to detect?ā
(The one I donāt rememberā¦ā¦ā¦. making ā¦ā¦.. the body)
This was what the dragon said.
The body that he never made.
The story of the presence of the shell that it was able to detect.
That it could feel as soon as it woke up from its hundred-years nap.
(I read and remembered theā¦ā¦ā¦ memory fragmentsā¦ā¦.. of the bodyā¦ā¦.. that were carvedā¦ā¦. underground. What kind of existenceā¦ā¦. made my bodyā¦ā¦.. and I donāt understandā¦ā¦ā¦ why itās thereā¦ā¦. Butā¦ā¦. I see you andā¦ā¦ fairy queen.)
The fragmented body in the basement of the old Ivory towerĀ was the skeleton warriorĀ that was shattered by Ianās magic.
(I donāt knowā¦ā¦ā¦.the whereaboutsā¦ā¦ā¦ of the other peopleā¦ā¦. but I followed theā¦ā¦ā¦ fairy dust andā¦ā¦ā¦. thatās how I got here.)
āWhy didnāt you come in your soul form?ā
(To senseā¦ā¦.. the energy of the dust. Can onlyā¦ā¦ā¦ detect thingsā¦ā¦. in the physical beingā¦ā¦. and I apologize forā¦ā¦.. making a fuss. But I didnātā¦ā¦.. hurt humans.)
āThatĀ I know. Iām thankful for that.ā
The way the fairy queen respects humans differs a lot from Sparto.
Not respect, but it could be a different emotion.Ā Iām glad that it didnāt hurt anyone.
āTo sum it up, you felt the presence of the skeletal warrior and in itsā memories, you saw the queen and myself. And you came all the way here, by following the fairy dust, to discuss the problem, right?ā
(That isā¦. correct.)
Ian graspedĀ the entireĀ situation of the dragon. But there wasnāt anything that he could do. Other than the fact that the dragonās name was Sparto, he didnāt know much else.
āDoes the queen have a guess?ā
(Hmm, Iām not sure. Wasnāt it a mistake? WhoĀ here would have made that body? And it is impossible for them. As his skull is empty, his memories seemed to have followed him.)
The queenĀ was indeed no help at this moment.
āAlthough, you have come a long way, I donāt think I can tell you anything that will help you.ā
(It is alrightā¦ā¦.. It is natural for youā¦ā¦. to not knowā¦ā¦ And it isā¦ā¦ā¦ natural for theā¦ā¦ fairy queen to beā¦ā¦ā¦ ignorant about it too.)
(What did you say?! This guy!)
āQueen. Be quiet.ā
(Why are you only asking meā¦ā¦!)
The fairy queen went silent again.
And Ianās voice continued.
āI donāt know if this helps, but what I can tell you is that I received magic from the place where the body was.ā
(Magicā¦ā¦?)
āWould you like me to show you?ā
Ian asked the dragon.
He was unsure about whether there would be any after effects of this magic. While Ian prepared the spell,Ā the fairy queenās shoulders shook slightly.
(Showā¦ā¦ā¦.. me.)
āMagic like thisā
Ian cast the spell āOrder of householdā.
At the same time, golden mana started to spew.
(No wayā¦ā¦?)
āIt is said to be the āPower of the Householdā.ā
(Power ofā¦ā¦ā¦. the householdā¦ā¦ā¦)
The dragon was at a loss for words. It was a soul made of light but, IanĀ felt like itĀ was trying to weigh something.
(Indeed, I canā¦ā¦ā¦. feel powerā¦ā¦. from you. It is the sameā¦ā¦ā¦ as their powerā¦ā¦.. This isā¦ā¦ā¦. the power ofā¦ā¦ā¦ the household.)
Like the fairy queen, SpartoĀ too, could feel the power that was radiating from Ian. That is, Ian had possibly become aĀ member of the household.
(If it is likeā¦ā¦ā¦ this, even the fairyā¦ā¦ā¦. queen couldnātā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ resist your words?)
The dragon was speaking continuously, inĀ a voice that had achievedĀ enlightenment.
Yet itĀ was still as slow as a tortoise.
(The fact thatā¦ā¦ā¦. the powerā¦ā¦ā¦.. has been given meansā¦ā¦ā¦. something great. I think Iā¦ā¦ā¦. got it right.)
āDo you know anything about it?ā
(No. Their willā¦ā¦ā¦ is incalculableā¦ā¦ā¦.. But justā¦ā¦ā¦ follow. The shieldā¦ā¦ā¦ the headā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦.. and the householdā¦ā¦ā¦)
But unlike the Fairy Queen, the dragon quickly acknowledged the present situation.
āAlthough I still wonder why humans are able to possess the power of dragons, this dragon has figured out a clue as to the identity of the makers of its shell.ā
āI want a sequel.ā
Words with a slow tone that matched well with aĀ relaxed attitude. Dragon and Fairy Queen, although they were from the same household, can there be such a large difference between them?
(It is a spectacularā¦ā¦ā¦ sight to see theā¦ā¦.. Queen of Fairiesā¦ā¦ā¦.. live with limbs like theā¦ā¦ā¦. human beings.)
(Arenāt you the same?)
(I have noā¦ā¦ā¦.. dissatisfaction asā¦ā¦ā¦.. I respectā¦ā¦. their will. However youā¦ā¦ā¦ seem to have aā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ lot than before. Dissatisfactionā¦ā¦ā¦.)
(Human! Command this creature to speak itsĀ thoughts quickly! Wouldnāt that be good for you too? If you have ears! Ugh!)
Ian stared asĀ the two members of the same household foughtĀ and thought that there was nothing much he could do.
āOkay, letās try to raise the level of expression a little higher. The level is low. Donāt you feel it when you look at me?ā
āThe power that you possess is the real problem here.ā
Although the level of their quarrel is low, the power that they possess isnāt that demeaning.
I have already witnessed the powerĀ of the soul-bearing dragon at the northern gate.
ItĀ was surely able to absorb aĀ combined attack from the mages unit.Ā That was power so brilliant, you could brag about it. If they wereĀ constantly fighting, Ian suspectedĀ that he wouldnāt be able to win against it.
āThe dragonian seems a little similar to me. It could be much stronger too.ā
The power of the households was similar.
The manifestation of the lightning magic by the fairy queen was the level of a 6th class. It was stronger even if it was all by itself. But her true strength lies in her āclanā.
Couldnāt sheĀ lead the fairy clans, which number in the hundreds? But there were not enough people to support her.
āIt was different from the past life. Quite a lot of things were.ā
In the past life, Ian had not encountered such strong beings.
He directly researched about dragons throughĀ the fairy queen. This was the first time he either saw or heard about another dragonās household.
āIn this life, Iām always in a knot.ā
Is it because I already researched the dragon chant?
Is it because he already used dragon chant?
āThe side effects of turning back time.ā
The Dragon chants, turning back time.
A boxedĀ case that will never open.
Yet I feel like I have opened that box.
āFrom now on, a lot of things might change.ā
A gap between the previousĀ life and the present life.
The differences are becoming larger.
āI will get involved in a lot more things.ā
I could assure you if this was a flow.
Relationship with the people of the household that was not present in the previous life.
Understanding the broadnessĀ of the dragon chants.
The strength of the household that I need to possess.
Revival up to the level of that person.
āā¦ā¦. thatās why I was in a hurry.ā
Ian came to realize it just now.
The dissatisfaction that he felt recently.
Rushing due to slow growth.
Causes for emotional relief.
Until now,Ā I was feeling impatient, but I could not understand why I was impatient.
With the death of the previous Ivory Tower lord, Herbert,Ā Ragnar also got hisĀ wings clipped. There was no reason to be impatient. If I wait for 2 to 3 years, my mana heart will end up growing in a relaxed manner.
āStronger beings exist. The dragons that are members of this household will be involved in my life until the revival of humankind.
And that was the cause.
The intervention of those beings in Ianās life.
Ian wasĀ very strong, but there wereĀ even stronger beings.
And such beings exist in Heaven and Earth.
āFrom here, the process of growth cannot be stopped.ā
ThereĀ was one thing that was certain.
āI couldnāt even guess it at the current speed.
I need to be stronger than my current state.
No, I need to get much stronger than my previous life.
I was very relaxed.
I should just get the dragonianās information.
I should just wait for the elixir to be produced.
I just want to see the effects of the elixir.
Is that all?
What more am I supposed to do at the moment?ā
The benefits of regression. Yourself.
High-level magical knowledge.
Your own technique for mana breathing.
Help from elixir and artifacts.
By depending onĀ theĀ memories of hisĀ past life, Ian could grow at a fast pace. As a result, though the growth of his body was stagnant, he could only use the elixir toĀ grow hisĀ magic.
āIām not a mage that has accomplished the 8th class level.ā
Ian forgot the fundamental problem.
He came back with the use of Dragon chants.
The past life of Ian as his present life?
No, it is a lot more difficult to express it.
He wasnāt a 42-year-old 8th class mage.
He was an 18-year-old 6th class mage.
His body was not the same as hisĀ past life.
āI have not yet reached that level.ā
This was a different world than his previous life.
Maybe it was an illusion.
Ian was the oneĀ who was living in the present.
That was an important thing.
āThe present is the problem, and the present as the memories.ā
The growth of the mana heart is an unknown area.
There was no use of the old life.
He had dramatically achievedĀ 6th class.
It was Ian who was looking back at the time.
In Pieric, he almost died.
Escaping the head of an enormous monster, Ian poured it all out.
Mana, fundamental stamina, andĀ mental stability. Three days in a dying state, just enough to miss death.
āThe more one uses the body, the more itĀ grows.ā
Is the mana heart the same way?
āIāve been thinking about it, and judged it as an inefficient and unsustainable method.
But looking at this once again, it didnāt seem to be an impossible task to perform.ā
āTraining and training.ā
A training that pushes oneself to the limit.
How long has it been since I remembered that word?
It was Ian who was feeling a little awe.
āIt is worth a try.ā
Until recently he considered it as impossible.
The enemies were staringĀ at him from everyĀ direction.
But now it was possible.
āIt is rather now.ā
This may be an opportunity presentedĀ to Ian.
A little blurry but a friendly, distinct situation.
āNot sure how long it will last.ā
At least some time to relax was given to him.
āMr. Sparto.ā
His decisions were firmly set.
Hearing the low voice that called out to him the dragon asked.
(Did youā¦ā¦ā¦ call me?)
At the call of Ian, the dragon stopped squabblingĀ with the queen and immediately answered. Since he did not have the right to deny having a conversation, Ian spoke with more force than compared with the household.
āThis time, the body in which the soul is born has a mighty power. Aggressive magic cannot be used against it, almost as ifĀ it could absorb the shock, am I right?ā
(Of courseā¦.. I am a shield of theirsā¦ā¦.. a gatekeeper for theirā¦ā¦ā¦ territory and Iām fortunateā¦ā¦.. to be their fleshā¦ā¦.. and spirit.)
(What! Indomitable flesh! In a room of full of lighting, the bone will also split.)
Both Ian and the dragon ignored the fairy queenās remarks.
āPerhaps can you endure my attack spells?ā
(At your levelā¦ā¦ā¦ it wonāt be muchā¦ā¦ā¦.. of a major featĀ to accomplish.)
Ianās attack spell wasnāt tough.
It indeed was a matter of pride.
Even though he couldnāt accept it.
He was already stuck at the moment.
āThereās one thing.Ā Does the dragon also feel pain?ā
(I donātā¦ā¦.. know whatā¦ā¦.. thatĀ means.)
There was a slight bluff that could be felt in the voice of the dragon.
He was sure that it knew what it meant.
āPlease look forward to it.ā
Both eyes of Ian were shining.
***
BreakingĀ through your limits by training.
It was simple, but it was a difficult idea for Ian.
With that goal, he proceededĀ quicklyĀ to the Ivory Tower.
Why hurry to the Ivory Tower?
āOnĀ vacation.ā
āSorry? What was thatā¦..?ā
āFor half a year, from now until the inceptionĀ of the Pieric Alliance, on the authority from the state, Sir Ronan and Sir Deckard areĀ temporarily on vacation. The two senior mages in Ivory Tower wouldnāt be much of a problem. However.ā
Ian was on vacation.
And the reason for it was spectacular.
ItĀ was āclosed-door trainingā.
Just like when the previous Tower Lord took a vacation to focus on black magic, in the same manner, Ian also took a vacation to focus on his mana heart.
Ronan and Deckard, who were working in the Ivory Tower, were also given leave.
āThen.ā
For the first time, in theĀ long time that he had been atĀ the Ivory Tower, IanĀ was on an off-season vacation,Ā and his next stop was the Imperial Palace.
If itās not good for the Ivory Tower, the emperor has the rightĀ to refuse any requestsĀ if thereāsĀ a valid reason.
āSo, what did you wish to discuss, Tower Lord?ā
Ian has used the authority that he possessed to summon the king for a meeting.
This was a place where one would be nervous because the opponentĀ was wiseĀ and shrewd, even though this was different from the past. Ian brought exactly what was needed and spoke without a hitch.
āYour Highness, I have something to ask you.ā
āPlease, it has been 6 years already. Do speak.ā
āI need land.ā
āLand, you say?ā
āTo be precise, I want an abandoned land.ā
The first thing that Ian searched for was a āsuitable placeā. He needed a good place in which a 6th class mage could pour out his magic like crazy. It would be better if the land was wide and abandoned.
āBeing a mage who unfolds magic around yourself, I donāt think there will be any abandoned land that is present.ā
āYou donāt have to worry about that. There is a methodĀ to absorb the direct hits from the magic. Only, I need a location where the aftermath of spells would not beĀ a problem.ā
Of course, he didnāt talk aboutĀ Spartoās ability to absorb blows.
āHmmm.ā
After listening to the request of Ian, the emperor had a concern.
āA land that can be used for such a purpose, there is a place that matches your desires. It is not too far away. It was originally a village.Ā ItsāĀ name isā¦ā¦ā¦ was it Cross Village?ā
Cross Village was southwest of the Capital, which was not far from here. It was flourishing until a few decades ago when pests took over, halting the growth of the village. It was then abandoned.
Ian receivedĀ the barren land from the emperor.
***
āMuch easier than I thought.ā
From the beginning of his vacation, IanĀ received the land and was using it for the purpose of practice. It was a full-fledged ambition from his heart to take action. He was motivated and he was flaring with passion.
āI should have done this before.ā
āSince I came back to the past, was there a moment where I was purely ambitious? I donāt think there was. By using my past memories, the way becomes faster and easier.Ā I have been calculating these situations.ā
Except for a few things, his focus on life was very well-aligned.
āThis kind of thing is not bad.ā
Ian didnāt know how to stop himself from walking.
The soul of the dragon SpartoĀ thatĀ was in the southwest land went straight to the old village of Cross.
Iām getting started on training from today onwards. Training to develop the mana heart.
(Itās a deadā¦ā¦ā¦land.)
They arrived at Cross Village,Ā but it was completely barren.
āDo you think that a dragon will help you? Not too long ago, all the agricultural plans were prohibited. This was the land that received the worst damage.ā
(What shouldā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ I do to help?)
āJust a moment, first things first.ā
Ian looked around.
Thoroughly, very thoroughly. Of course, it was a rare land lackingĀ humans.
So being thorough wasnāt such a bad thing.
āWe should cover it properly.ā
Ian put his right palm on the earth that was covered with black soil. And at the same moment, he started to memorize one chant.
āEarth Wall.ā
And at that time, a barrier of sand started to rise.
The scale of this was only slightly higher than the ice wall that Ian placed in the past;Ā the length was much longer, but it wasnāt straight.
āHmmā¦..ā
The barrier of the earth thatĀ appearedĀ was in a square shape.
Ian was stuck inside the barrier.
āThis seems fine.ā
It was a square training room.
It was completely perfect.
No one can peerĀ inside this.
āNow thisā¦.. empty, can you show me the body?ā
(Have my bones been brought?)
āOf course. Here.ā
Sparto needed its bones as a definite condition to form its body.
It would have been nice to be informed earlier because since I was given the information a moment too late,Ā I had to sneak into the investigation site of the southern gate.
āThere was no way it would be fine in lava.ā
The dragonās bones were fine. As the lava hardened, its original form was preserved. It was very formidable.
(Now let meā¦ā¦.. implant my bone.)
āJust implanting it is enough?ā
Upon the request of Sparto, Ian planted one bone into the ground. The blue soul-containing light was also seeping into the ground.
Khukukukuā¦ā¦ā¦!
āHow long am I supposed to wait for this?ā
Ian could sense a huge vibration under his feet.
Jwak!!
The first thing that popped outĀ was the spear and holding the spear came the hand.
SpartoĀ was carrying the spear in the same way I carried it, and the tip of the spear pierced the ground.
Jwak! Jwak! Pshā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦..
The other hand appearedĀ and grabbed the ground, and a lizard-shaped skull also popped out.
The bone structure was similar to that of a human. But, if there was a problemā¦ā¦ā¦ā¦.
āThe color is not as expressive as I thought.ā
Slowly, it formed the shape of a tough guy.
It was the indomitable body and mind.
(My body thatā¦ā¦ā¦ you wanted.)
Of course, the body that was risingĀ up from the soil and the exorcism of the dragon SpartoĀ was a little while ago. Even lava was useless against the body.
āNo, isnāt it a bone?ā
āFinally, I have another question to ask.ā
(What isā¦ā¦it.)
āYou really donāt feel pain?ā
(I told youā¦ā¦.. that I donāt knowā¦ā¦.. what pain means.)
āA regular feeling of hurt.ā
(My will isā¦ā¦ unbreakable.)
āThatās nice.ā
āDoes it really not feel pain?ā
A question that was lingering on the mind for quite a while.
āIf it canātĀ feel, then I will have to find another way.ā
āFrom now on.ā
Ian was far away from the Dragon.
And carefully continued to speak.
āMr. Sparto, the thing that you have to do is simple.ā
Ian continued to speak.
āThe indomitable body and spirit.Ā The power and the sense of pride.ā
A massive wave of mana swirled aroundĀ IanāsĀ entireĀ body.
āEndure various types of magic.ā
(Various magicā¦ā¦ā¦ are different?)
āIf Iām exhausted.ā
From Ianās mouth wasĀ a satisfactory voice.
āYou can keep your side from then on.ā
It was only a few days ago.
Ian was ignorant of this method.
But he discovered an efficient method.
This was based on the memories from his past life.
An elixir with a tremendous effect.
An artifact with a fantastic powerĀ andĀ strength.
And itās going to be different this time.
There was no previous life and the difficulty of this life.