Dragon's Bloodline

Ria visited Vargas’ house in the high-end residential area of Jaeburg in the afternoon.

She was told by his wife that he was still somehow or another waking up and eating.

Ria firmly refused the wife’s invitation to come in, instead waiting in the foyer.

Meanwhile, Shizuna, who was asleep well into the afternoon, met her face to face. She was cute even when she was waking up. The person herself was quite frightened, though.

Her two younger brothers had come to see the Great Woman Hero that defeated their sister, but were surprised and charmed by her unexpected beauty.

The meal was finished before long and she took out the slightly troubled Vargas.

They chose a place where they could talk quietly. In this town, that could only be the park.

“Well?”

Sitting down on the bench, Vargas urged her to hurry.

“Surely you aren’t going to say we’re going back into the labyrinth so soon?”

Though it was improbable, Ria did things that were improbable. Vargas already understood that.

Of course, although Ria did unreasonable things, she wasn’t unreasonable. That was his impression at least.

“What kind of person do you think I am?”

“The representative of unreasonableness, recklessness, and thoughtlessness.”

Striking words. She deserved them though.

“Well, we’re not going back into the labyrinth. It’s fine to rest for a bit longer.”

Ria said so. It was an appeal called common sense.

“Since next time we’re going to be conquering the Dark Labyrinth.”

However, she spoiled it with her following words.

Vargas reluctantly nodded with an amazed faze.

“It’s not impossible. We can definitely make it there without anyone dying.”

“Of course. No-one will die.”

Comrades were important. To say nothing of Vargas, who had lost comrades many times in his youth, Ria also felt as though she has important people to protect.

“Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“No, I wanted to ask your opinion on something.”

“… That so?”

She wasn’t surprised he knew. Not having said it up to now, he probably just feigned ignorance.

She had grandly introduced herself as a princess in Labyrinth City after all. With information spreading here, it was easy to tie that identity to Ria, considering her capabilities.

Ria was impressed. Vargas still gave her advice.

“Labyrinth City’s mayor said that the Millennium would happen within ten years.”

Even with that, the information wasn’t obvious. Its range was too huge.

“Between ten years and a single year, it’s a different thing entirely.”

“Yeah, that’s why I already don’t think there’s any time to waste.”

They had lost the Imperial City, and perhaps even the Golden Dragon.

“Back up a little, were the spirits clamoring over that?”

“That’s… I see, at that time, that was when the Imperial Capital disappeared.”

All the way from the Imperial Capital to here, separated by thousands of kilometers, the mages detected vast amounts of magical power.

“Me!?”

Vargas instinctively shouted. Jaeburg was an oligarchy city-state. The position of mayor was rotated between distinguished families.

“Besides, I’m not saying you need to be a politician. Since you have the renown of Thunder’s Fangs, I want you to explain the advantages of the alliance to the mayor. Aren’t you acquainted?”

Vargas folded his arms and grumbled, though it’s not like he didn’t understand what she was saying.

He was definitely acquainted with the mayor, they’d drunk together at the bar. Though he wasn’t softhearted, he was clever when it came to his interests.

“If we conquer the Dark Labyrinth, your fame with increase more. If it’s your comment, the mayor probably won’t be able to refuse it that quickly.”

“Even so, do we need to meet the Dark Dragon? I don’t think we do if it’s just to talk.”

As he digested their conversation, Ria probably should meet and speak to the mayor. If it was a princess of Casalia, she would be able to meet him normally.

“But even with that, I think various other problems would pop up…”

“Even if there is a problem, it’ll be useless if we can’t advance…”

His eyes weren’t filled with strong determination. Muttering that it couldn’t be helped, Ria sighed.

“Well, I’d like to go to a dwarf town, and I have business to do at a beastkin town, and of course there’s the problem of the human countries…” [4]

“You have it hard too huh.”

Vargas knew that compared to her, he had it easy.

If the demon tribe invaded during the Millennium, what would explorers do? Since they weren’t existences that belonged to a country, they also had the choice of just running away. However, guild regulations required forced mobilization during states of emergency, like when the city was attacked.

As for a demon tribe invasion, it could be nothing but a state of emergency.

Even if they could run away, Vargas didn’t want to run.

He only wanted to send his family to safety. However, he would remain. Born here, he would defend the town he grew up in. And fight, then die.

Exploration aside, Vargas didn’t think he would survive a war.

“Incidentally, it’s unrelated, but I’d like you to hear a story.”

Though he thought about a problem earlier, he’d restrained himself. But since Ria spoke unrestrained so far, she would probably listen.

“How are you so strong? I’d thought that those who reincarnate certainly do so by training proportionately in their previous lives, but…”

After being defeated by Ria, Shizuna was depressed. Though that could be called a good medicine, he wanted to hear about it.

“Oh, that? Well, it’s already fine to talk about it since it’s you.”

She had already come to trust Vargas.

“There are two reasons for why I’m so strong, the first is reincarnating as you said just now. I’ve studied battle skills that have been handed down across centuries for around thirty years.”

Vargas nodded in acceptance. If that’s how it was, Shizuna being unable to be her match was understandable. Since she had reincarnated, it was like already being trained.

“Then there’s the other reason. My Gift. I don’t require much sleep or rest, and I am resistant to poisons and curses, that’s from my Gift.”

“Even your strong build and strength?”

“Yeah. The Gift’s name is [Dragon’s Bloodline]. I have the power of a Dragon. I’m not saying that I’ve fully mastered it yet though.”

Ria replied easily. Vargas was surprised when he heard ‘power of a Dragon’, humans were no match against a Dragon. Even heroes probably couldn’t win against a Dragon.

“So you being so fixated on the Dark Dragon, that has to do with your Gift?”

“Un, well there’s a sense of affinity with it, so I guess so?”

Though he might help simply because of her ancestors.

“For those that know of my Gift, even among my comrades, it’s just Serge. Please keep it a secret for now.”

“That kid? He also seems like he has a Gift.”

Since he had Identify, it shouldn’t be hard to find out. However, Serge had acquired Read Resistance magic during their journey.

What Vargas found curious was that among her group, Ria found Serge to be the most reliable.

She consulted Carlos and Lulu for general things and cherished Maal the most. But when it was for important decisions, she would listen to Serge’s opinion without fail.

In fact, Serge’s opinions were often beneficial. Especially when they fought formidable enemies, he was surprised at how fast he would give help from using Identify. He couldn’t believe his age matched his appearance from the judgements he gave.

“We~ll, you’ll have to ask Serge about that. It’s not something I should say.”

That was the truth.

After that, the two talked about conquering the labyrinth for a while.

They would resume five days later. From there, they would sprint through the labyrinth.

Since she was invited, Ria came to Vargas’ house for dinner.

After that, she taught sword lessons to his sons.

Eating his wife’s delicious cooking, Ria recalled the taste of home cooked meals for the first time in a very long time.