Chapter 356: Uber Rex (1)

Ostir’s elf army was extremely infantry-heavy. Given the regional difficulty of raising and deploying horses, this wasn’t surprising.

In return, their guerrilla warfare capability in the forest was unmatched by any force. They had mastered the art of occupying advantageous terrain at every moment and delivering one-sided attacks.

That was why morale remained high even while marching to fight a dragon. The overwhelming victories gathered during the tour had bolstered their confidence.

“We’ve brought all the Black Arrows.”

Newly joined elf scouts saluted Ostir.

“I will never forget the spirit that willingly brought forth these heirlooms.”

“Even if I weren’t here, our ancestors would have done the same.”

“Other tribal scouts are stepping forward—we couldn’t hold back either.”

The Black Arrows were 1.5 times larger than ordinary arrows. Their tips were honed with secret grinding oil so sharp they could pierce a speck of flour. Being entirely of iron, their kinetic energy was also formidable.

But what truly made the Black Arrows special were their feathers. Wind spirit-infused magical arrow feathers granted the wind god’s power the moment they left the string.

“No matter how tough a dragon’s hide, it can’t withstand Black Arrows.”

Ostir commended his reliable scouts while also lamenting.

“If I’d known, I shouldn’t have used them in the Forest Worm subjugation.”

“Saving lives takes priority. At the time, it was the right choice.”

Because the manufacturing method was lost, each Black Arrow had to be recovered no matter what. But over the long ages, losses had accumulated—fewer than twenty remained.

The last to join was one of the few cavalry forces in the elf kingdom.

“We’ve brought all the drakes.”

“Elm warriors. Thank you for coming. Your mobility will draw the dragon’s gaze.”

Elm, like Camp Whiskey, was primarily composed of druids. These druids lacked transformation ability but possessed the talent of taming monsters.

Elf cavalry riding bipedal saurian raptors could face any enemy in the Great Forest.

Krsk—.

Krsk—.

The vertical pupils and amber irises of carnivorous reptiles moved cunningly.

Unlike warhorses that treated everyone amicably, these creatures radiated such ferocity that they’d attack anyone the moment their riders weren’t present.

“I know, I know.”

Several riders pulled large field mice from pouches on their backs and threw them forward. The mice made a single squeak before vanishing into the raptors’ mouths.

Crunch.

Crunch.

After several satisfying chews and swallows, the raptors bared a human-thumb-sized fang and cried contentedly. Only then did their gaze soften.

“Your Majesty, please refrain from deploying troops on our side if possible. No magic can reform their nature.”

“Wild nature must be met with wild nature. That ferocity will save us. To face a dragon, this is what’s needed.”

Ostir looked even more confident. Raptors could freely traverse the dense Great Forest, reaching places warhorses couldn’t.

“We’ve distributed catalysts to the mages. The ritual will be completed soon.”

In a nearby clearing, elf mages gathered. Each had a specially crafted earthenware vessel before them, chanting in an unknown language.

Fwoosh!

Pfft!

The premium catalysts in the vessels burned or decayed. All were treasures Ostir had released from Elenost’s royal treasury.

Thanks to them, the mages could contract with more powerful spirits. The condition was accompanying Ostir’s army and leading the battle against the dragon.

The elves were a race declining with the passage of time. But they were descendants of a great civilization that had once ruled the world. The collective strength they displayed when united restored at least a measure of past glory.

‘Worth doing. Definitely worth doing.’

Lasrandir nodded, surveying the camp. His king wasn’t recklessly challenging the dragon out of power-madness.

He might be power-mad, but he had the composure to prepare adequate forces before engaging.

All that remained was hoping their strongest cards would work against the dragon.

*

Ostir’s elf army reached the region where the dragon had last been sighted. There lay another elf village that had fallen victim.

“Are these the dragon’s footprints?”

“They’re so much bigger than I thought…”

Footprints large enough to comfortably fit two or three horses approached in a straight line toward the village. The tall defensive wall that had stood before it was shattered.

The dragon-destroyed village had been claimed by goblins. They had infiltrated through the barrier breached by the apex predator and converted the elf village into a cannibalistic feast hall.

“■■■?”

“■■!”

As always, monsters preferred the soft, fatty flesh of women.

The dragon, apparently satiated from eating the village warriors who had resisted, left the rest. Thanks to this, the goblins had the luxury of consuming only the choicest parts—abdomen, buttocks, and chest—before discarding the rest.

In one corner, a large cauldron used only during village festivals was making stew. Naked children’s corpses tumbled in the boiling water.

Kishishishit—.

A goblin holding a large ladle snickered, pressing down floating small heads with its buoyancy.

The vegetables and dried herbs the elves had carefully gathered for winter served as fuel beneath the cauldron.

“Cursed beasts!”

“I swear by my name—not a single one will leave alive!”

“Your Majesty. Give the attack order immediately!”

The rage-consumed elf warriors looked ready to charge at any moment. But Ostir calmly conducted reconnaissance first.

A bird that had been circling in the sky landed on the dragon rider’s arm.

“The dragon appears to have already left. Footprints heading northeast were found on the opposite side of the village.”

“That prideful monster is the incarnation of greed. It wouldn’t tolerate goblins scavenging its scraps. It’s truly gone.”

Reports from the druid dragon rider and rangers who traversed the forest like a playground. Convinced, Ostir drew his sword and pointed at the village.

“Your king commands—cast those abominable wretches into hell!”

The elves surged forward in unison. Their running form was the same posture as other sentient races, yet something differed.

As if wind pushed from behind, their bodies felt light, and the ground sprang back the force of each step. The elves shot forward like ships catching a tailwind.

If dark elves had left the forest to become nomadic warriors and dominate the plains, the elves remained children of the forest, still bearing nature’s blessing.

At their vanguard rode the dragon riders, lance in hand, mounted on raptors.

“■■! ■■!”

The gorged goblins, bellies distended, shrieked at the intruders. Immediately, goblins scattered throughout the village grabbed weapons and charged.

Numerous, well-armed, and including many hobgoblins—the highest-tier tribe. Only a tribe of this caliber could immediately seize the vacated spot after the dragon’s departure.

Even the continent’s finest mercenary companies would struggle to subjugate them alone, but this was a king’s army.

“Target the hobgoblins first!”

“Hu-raa!”

Fairy-touched lances of the dragon riders’ simultaneous charge shredded the leading goblins.

Raptors weighed roughly the same as horses but walked bipedally, so their charging momentum was quickly exhausted. Goblins stopped and charged at the stalled cavalry, trampling their kin’s corpses.

But unlike horses, raptors possessed sharp fangs, claws, and ferocity.

Crrunch!

A goblin that had lunged at a rider had its head bitten off by a raptor. Some raptors used raptor-like claws to gouge three furrows from goblin foreheads to chests.

The sudden spread of blood scent halted the goblin charge.

Click click.

The terrified goblins’ teeth chattered. The fairy lances were threatening enough, but the vertical pupils staring at them while clutching a companion’s head or neck were terrifying.

The primal fear small mammals felt toward reptilian predators. This was the unique advantage of dragon riders that warhorses could never replicate.

“Goblin shaman! East side, two-story building!”

A hobgoblin holding a skull staff was chanting an ominous spell. Just a low-tier monster’s trick, but the energy gathering on the skull was unusual.

“■■■■!”

The goblin shaman completed the incantation and activated the spell.

Crack!

Simultaneously, sparks flew from its skull staff and the magic was nullified. Elf mages had activated counter-magic to cancel the spell.

A spell cast using materials gathered over an entire year. The goblin shaman, denied even witnessing its fruit, went berserk with rage.

Pow!

Then an arrow flew from somewhere, piercing its temple and sending it crashing under the roof.

“Target only fleeing ones!”

“The other goblins will be handled by our allies below. Cut off their retreat!”

Rangers who had climbed to building rooftops rained arrows into the enemy ranks.

“Kyaaa!”

The hobgoblin chieftain collapsed, an arrow in its knee, and dragon riders charged from all directions.

“We won’t make it quick.”

At the dragon rider captain’s gesture, five raptors bared their sadistic eyes and clamped down on the hobgoblin’s head, arms, and legs, pulling with all their might.

Creaaak!

The goblin chieftain, pulled taut from four directions, was suspended in midair. Its bulging eyes burst blood vessels, dripping blood.

Drip.

Then a small tearing sound came from one of its limbs.

Teeeeek!

The quartered goblin chieftain fell to the ground.

Having lost a significant portion of their kin, their shaman, and their chieftain, the goblins lost all will to fight. Arrows and lances pierced their backs as they fled in disorder.

The region’s most powerful goblin tribe was annihilated in a single battle.

*

The elf army cleared the goblin corpses and gathered the dead villagers for a hasty funeral.

“We depart in two hours. Finish your meals quickly and report any shortages.”

“Should we also take the village supplies?”

“Do so. The dead have no use for them.”

Noble chieftains bustled about everywhere.

“Something’s wrong.”

At that moment, Lasrandir, surveying outside the village, urgently called Ostir.

The king disliked the commanding tone, but this was a battlefield. Lasrandir’s counsel was worth its weight in gold.

“What is it?”

“Footprints that appear to be the dragon’s.”

Lasrandir was at a location separate from the dragon’s entry and exit points—a third site.

“A massive foot pressed the earth, then something wiped it away. It seems the tail was used…”

“To my eyes, it just looks like an ordinary dirt road?”

Ostir examined closely, but the surroundings were merely a slightly damaged dirt path.

“Surely you’re not suggesting the dragon tried to disguise its tracks?”

“Lasrandir. No matter how formidable the monster, it’s fundamentally a lizard.”

The nobles who had accompanied the king laughed and shook their heads. Among large monsters, especially reptilian types, not one could speak a single word. No matter how terrifying the individual, it was ultimately just a beast acting on instinct.

“…”

Lasrandir had no rebuttal. He’d never heard of an intelligent reptilian monster, and the dirt road was so natural that he wasn’t certain it was actually a footprint.

*

A brilliant victory and the pitiable corpses of villagers. These simultaneously stirred elven elation and a sense of duty.

“Is this really enough?”

Elf archer Lumil looked at the half-filled wooden bowl of potato soup thick with meat and vegetables and nodded at the cook.

“Moving the broken bodies… I just couldn’t stomach much…”

“Right. Good work.”

Since they were about to depart, the elves casually found spots and began eating.

The raptors were feasting on piled goblin remains. With so many corpses this time, the raptors enjoyed the luxury of eating only the tender, chewy entrails.

“Hey! Over here!”

Lumil’s brother called him while walking past. He and childhood friends were gathered near a large boulder at the village edge, between dense trees.

“I’m coming…”

Lumil’s steps slowed as he approached.

Halt.

The raptors, enthusiastically devouring goblins, stopped eating one by one and raised their heads.

“What’s wrong? Doesn’t it taste good?”

“It’ll take a long time to get full on entrails alone.”

The dragon riders stroked the raptors and asked, but not even a small whimper came back.

The raptors were all staring at the same place. There, a group of elf warriors was eating—and beyond them, a massive moss-covered boulder.

The boulder swayed slightly left and right.

“Lumil? Why aren’t you coming?”

“B-brother!”

Lumil called out in a trembling voice to his confused brother.

“What’s wrong?”

At that moment, the massive boulder behind his brother rose as if defying gravity.

The green moss covering its surface turned grayish-white, then toppled like dominoes, transforming into a smooth texture. What remained was reptilian skin patterned with hexagonal scales.

A massive crack appeared at the boulder’s base, its mouth gaping wide, and hideous fangs that could tear ancient trees jutted menacingly.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……”

The village, previously alive with conversation, song, and poetry, fell silent. Every elf in the area looked toward where Lumil’s companions were.

At this point, those involved should have noticed the disturbance. But neither the brother nor friends dared turn around. They instinctively knew death would come the moment they did.

GRRRHHHHHHH………

The growl that rendered all beasts and monsters the elves had ever encountered to mere mice.

Lumil’s brother didn’t even leave last words. A massive maw descending from the sky swallowed him, and moments later, a world-shaking roar echoed.

The apex predator, having shed its camouflage, announced its presence.

“Impossible!”

“There was nothing in or around the village?!”

Ostir and the nobles outside immediately returned. They witnessed a massive form rising from a corner.

Clang.

Someone from Ostir’s royal guard dropped their shield.

Thud.

Someone dropped their lance.

“Aargh…”

The once-fearless warriors began to be consumed by terror.

Not from intimidation or fearsome appearance—the dragon’s very existence was magic. It made all who beheld it conscious of their fate as prey.

*

Eugene had also placed multiple spies and familiars near the enemy.

“So it finally threw the dice.”

Eugene received reports that Ostir’s elf army had headed straight for the dragon’s location.

“A joint alliance is impossible. Let’s hope they don’t stab us in the back while fighting.”

“Untrustworthy allies are more dangerous than enemies. This works out well—I hope they drain some of the dragon’s stamina.”

The knights all believed the elf army would lose to the dragon and weren’t anxious. Teresa, the Dryad Village leader, had spoken as if half-prophecy.

“The forest is the elves’ domain—even if they lose, they won’t be annihilated.”

“…Thank you.”

Only Eugene consoled the gloomy Valda. Even if they followed the wrong sovereign, those elves were still Valda’s subjects.

“When both sides are a mess, and we strike from the flank…”

“Ahem!”

“Read the room.”

Only then did the knights, sensing the atmosphere, one by one close their mouths with embarrassed expressions.

Smack.

Eugene kissed his wife’s forehead and looked at the Lantzheim artillery. They carried Vindicator ballista parts, showing no signs of fatigue, their eyes sharp.

The Lantzheim artillery was a new unit without their own symbol yet.

-Let’s design it after our homeland’s mountain range!

-Who’d be scared looking at that? A proper symbol needs to be intimidating.

-How about a big ballista?

-That’s too obvious…

The officers gathered to design their banner, but nothing clicked.

-You’re the key to this subjugation. Produce excellent results, and I’ll personally lower the banner. Wouldn’t a dragon skull pierced by a great arrow look magnificent on the battlefield?

-!!!!!!

In that context, Eugene’s suggested image received unanimous support.

‘The Vindicator ballista is powerful, but it alone isn’t enough.’

The second card was the knights.

“Dig in and do your work.”

“Your flesh will rot and your blood will congeal.”

Summoners were casting curses on iron tips to be mounted on lances. Among the trophies Eugene had collected during the expedition, catalysts and artifacts carrying ominous power were also prepared.

“Lord Alzhar. The dragon has never lost in its life.”

“Just like Your Majesty.”

“Exactly. So when a large enemy approaches confidently, it will surely react.”

The clay golem that Alzhar commanded was perfect for provoking the dragon.

-Poison and traps won’t work. A dragon is as wise and sensitive as it is powerful.

Teresa’s advice before departure. Unlike the elf kingdom, which lacked dragon records, the Dryad Village had preserved considerable data.

“Tricks fail when discovered, but provocations targeting pride are hard to ignore even when you know.”

“I’ll maximize its size and increase density for durability. Offensive power and responsiveness will suffer, but it’ll endure at least one blow. We could even coat the dragon in heavy mud.”

“…Are you eating well at every meal?”

When Alzhar first joined Eugene’s service, he’d weighed nearly 90 kilograms. But he’d gradually lost weight, now reaching normal range.

A king worrying about a minister’s diet was extremely unusual, but it was necessary for long-term use.

A being that could endure frontal attacks from a colossal beast. Having this—or not—made an enormous difference in subjugation difficulty.

“From here on, we’re in the elf kingdom’s main territory.”

Sub-Chieftain Maya, hopping ahead at the vanguard, reported.

Now-unused elf canoes were tied at the ferry. Like their mansions, the boats were trees grown naturally into boat shapes—a wondrous form.

“They’re not planks nailed together, so their sturdiness goes without saying. Minor scratches heal on their own. Like new flesh growing over a wound.”

“A truly immortal vessel. No worry about rot or decay.”

At Maya’s explanation, Eugene marveled.

“Is this also a product of magic? Or a unique elven technique?”

“I don’t know either. Ships aren’t my area of interest…”

Valda, wearing a troubled expression, stroked the fresh-smelling canoe. It lacked the musty odor of boats, carrying instead the fresh fragrance of a garden tree.

“But Elenost has artisans who understand these. Beyond these canoes, many technologies beneficial to the world sleep there.”

“Though much knowledge has been lost since the First Era, elves are still elves.”

Those knowledge systems were also rewards Eugene targeted in this expedition.

If taken by force, countless lives would be lost for this heritage from the past. But with Valda, it could be obtained peacefully.

In exchange, what Eugene provided would greatly benefit the elves’ fading future.