Duke Pendragon

“Duke Gordon Pendragon…”

No one had told Raven the identity of the knight, but Raven unknowingly called out the name of Alan Pendragon’s father, the previous Duke of the Pendragon family, Gordon Pendragon.

Neeeiigh!

The horse that Gordon Pendragon was riding on gave a cry.

“……!”

Everybody awoke to their senses at the cry of the horse. At the same time, everybody opened their eyes wider in order to see the figure on the horse clearly. The dust settled down with the cry, and a huge shadow was cast against the now fully revealed moon.

The shadow was cast over the mausoleum, Raven, and the dragon statues, as well as over the hundred soldiers and thirty orcs.

In an instant, the whole world darkened by a notch.

Raven looked up with a blank expression to see the master of the shadow that was cast over both heaven and earth.

A majestic creature of pure white with a silver armor adorned over its entire body. Three horns stemmed from its head as a symbol of a monarch, and it looked down at the world and all the living things within it.

It was Soldrake, the dragon of the Pendragon family.

Shhhhhhh…

The dust settled. However, those who were standing with their two feet planted on the ground found themselves not able to move even a single step.

All beings quietly looked up at Soldrake in stillness.

[Who… are you…]

A voice resounded in Raven’s ears. A voice that was so strange, yet familiar. It caused Raven to have goosebumps all over his body.

Raven looked down. The voice came from the ghost knight of Gordon Pendragon.

It was the same as then.

The situation and the voice was the same as when Raven first met Alan Pendragon at the final battle on the Plains of Robstein.

This made it clear.

Back then, and now. The person talking wasn’t Alan Pendragon in the Robstein Plains, and it wasn’t Gordon Pendragon’s ghost now.

Soldrake.

The dragon of the Pendragon family was speaking to him.

[Who… are you…]

Soldrake spoke once more through Gordon Pendragon.

Raven shouted while clenching his teeth.

“I, I am Alan Pendragon!”

Whooooosh!

Soldrake stretched his long neck towards the entrance.

“Kueeeek!”

“Ahh!”

The orc warriors and soldiers backed away in fear.

Soldrake’s giant head stopped right behind Gordon Pendragon. Now the dragon was close enough to be able to swallow Raven in one bite.

But Raven Valt, who was now standing there as Alan Pendragon, desperately repressed his instincts to run away and clenched his teeth while standing his ground.

[You are not Alan pendragon… This Queen already knew from the castle…]

“……!”

Raven could no longer differentiate the voice between Gordon Pendragon and Soldrake, and his heart rattled at the dragon’s words. As Attia Pendragon mentioned, Soldrake already knew that he was not Alan Pendragon.

[I will ask once again… Who are you…]

Soldrake’s blue eyes had vertical irises stood tall like a sword. The gaze of the dragon seemed to pierce straight through Raven, seeing through his entire soul.

At that moment, things passed through Raven’s mind. Events of the future past – they all rapidly flashed by Raven’s mind.

A scene where his father and brother were beheaded right before his eyes.

A scene where he was tortured by heretical judges who came with the empire’s knights.

A scene where his body was dragged to the demonic army and he was chained at the neck like a dog.

Scenes of fighting and fighting for ten years in various battles. A scene of entering battle and escorting Alan Pendragon in the Plains of Robstein…

Finally, a scene where Baltai stood looking down at him with the head of Alan Pendragon…

All of those scenes passed by Raven’s eyes like magic.

However, it wasn’t because Raven wanted to recall the scenes.

It was the power of Soldrake. The dragon had the authority of dragons, the power to see through the truth.

“I… I….”

Raven’s eyes loosened and saliva overflowed from his mouth. Soldrake pushed its big head even closer. The vertically erect sapphire eyes exploded into light and entered Raven’s mind.

[Tell me… Who are you…]

“I, I….”

Then, something flickered in Raven’s view that was covered by a deep blue.

Someone was holding him.

A blonde man and a woman. Two truly beautiful and handsome people…

He was playing with the knights in a wide courtyard.

Then someone with a terrifying expression scolded him.

But soon, the small baby wriggled his hands while giggling. The blonde man and woman chuckled happily next to him.

He was reading a book in a dark room lit by a candle. He stood beside a golden cradle with a small girl with tinted cheeks.

He was reading books together with this girl who was growing up little by little.

He drew together with her, and he planted flowers with her.

Then, there was another baby.

Immediately after, the man, who was always looking over him with worried eyes, was lying in bed. His eyes slowly closed, his expression tinted with worry.

It was dark.

I kept reading and painting in a dark, dark room.

The darkness got bigger and bigger.

Whooooosh!

In an instance, sharp blue eyes pierced through the darkness like a blade and suddenly drew close.

“Keugh!”

Raven coughed up blood.

[Who are you… Tell me… Tell me your name…]

The shrill, metallic voice pierced through Raven’s ears.

Having seen both Raven Valt and Alan Pendragon’s memories, the young man was in a chaotic juncture of memories.

He slowly opened his blood-stained lips.

“I’m… Raven Va…”

Beyond his messy memories, he saw something in the distance, something floating like a mirage.

A young girl’s shy and admirable face as she wiped down his body, a noble lady who shed tears with a face mixed with concern and passion, a blonde girl who was always full of trust and goodwill, the tears of a girl who held tightly onto his pants…

“I… I… I am…!”

Watching those people overlap into one image, Raven shouted with all of his might.

“I am the heir to the Duke!!! I am Alan Pendragon!”

Crack!

All the sights that were unfolded before him broke apart like glass.

“Keeeeeugh!”

Raven knelt onto the ground without any strength, holding onto Widow’s Scream to support himself. Blood dripped along his white chin and dropped onto the dirt floor.

“Your Graaace!”

“Pendragon!”

Killian and Karuta’s shouts resonated.

Raven wiped the blood off his chin and slowly raised his head.

Where Gordon Pendragon had disappeared without a trace, only Soldrake was left, looking down at him.

“Heuk… Ugh!”

Breathing wildly, Raven straightened his knees and stood up.

Swooooooosh!

Soldrake opened its gigantic wings, splitting the moon, and elongated its neck.

Roooooaaaaaaaaaar!

A ferocious thunder broke out from the open mouth of Soldrake. The sound waves exploded, creating a hemispherical transparent shockwave for an instant.

“Heuk!”

Both humans and orcs blocked their ears at the roar that threatened to burst their eardrums. However, Raven kept his blank gaze fixated on Soldrake, and the dragon returned the gaze.

To others, it sounded like a dragon roar, but it was not the same to Raven. Raven heard clearly.

Soldrake, the Pendragon’s dragon, spoke.

[The pledge has been made. Alan Pendragon, and Raven Valt…]

Soldrake’s voice had changed. It no longer sounded bizarre like screeching metal, but a soft, cold, but pleasant voice.

Raven realized.

He was the only one who could hear the dragon’s voice. This signified that he had become the true master of the Pendragon Duchy.

“Y, Your Grace!”

“Pendragon! Pendragon are you okay!?”

Killian and Karuta called out Raven’s name crazily. Not only the two, but the soldiers and orc warriors prepared to come running at a moment’s notice.

Kaaaaaah!

A strange sound came from somewhere in the sky, which broke the tension and caused everybody to raise their heads.

“Uh……uh…!”

“Kuwuh….”

Everyone, orcs and humans alike groaned with their mouths wide open. Beyond the night sky with a yellow moon, countless winged creatures were flying towards them.

Kyaaaah! Kyaaaaaahk!

The creatures were as big as bulls and had the body of a lion with the head of an eagle. They flapped their pure white wings and bore through the sky.

They were griffons.

Hundreds of griffons crossed the night sky and hovered over the mausoleum, encircling the compound.

Soldrake spread her wings wide.

The griffons grouped together and then settled on the ground, surrounding the mausoleum.

“Ugh….”

“Kureuk! Kureuk!”

The soldiers were horrified, and the orc warriors radiated Orcfear as they looked around at the hundreds of griffons who radiated strength.

But soon, everyone’s eyes turned to the two figures who were responsible for creating this ridiculous and enormous situation.

“Y, Your Grace Alan…”

What the hell was he doing? Killian called out to Alan Pendragon. Even in such a situation, he was silently staring up at the dragon. Raven took off his helmet and slowly turned around.

Everyone was startled.

A smile hung on the white face of Alan Pendragon.

“These guys are Soldrake’s servants. And from today… they also belong to me.”

“Gasp! So, y, you mean…”

“Yes. I’ve succeeded in making an oath with Soldrake.”

“Ah….!”

Killian’s face lit up with joy for a moment, and tears as big as cabbages fell from the eyes of the full-bearded knight.

“Uhhehhuhuh! Uhhhug!”

Killian shed huge tears and stared back at the soldiers.

“His grace has succeeded in forming an oath! Sob. He’s reopened the mausoleum too! Now, now our Pendragon family…”

“Uawaaaaaahhhhhhh!”

A thunderous shout burst out before Killian finished speaking his words. The soldiers embraced each other and rejoiced.

“P, P, Pendragon. So these birdheads are your subordinates now too?”

Karuta walked up to Raven in a restrained matter, stealing glances at Soldrake in fear.

“Well, something like that. From today onwards, Soldrake and I have entered into a relationship where we share everything. The oath remains active until the day I die.”

“Kuuuek? T, Then, P, Pendragon is protecting the forest?”

Raven tilted his head and threw his gaze at Soldrake for a moment, before turning to Karuta and speaking.

“She says the Ancona Forest, as well as the territory around it, all belongs to her, so I can do whatever I want with it.”

“……”

Karuta had his mouth open, but couldn’t find any words to come out.

That meant… that from now on, he had to follow the words of the Pendragon brat unconditionally…

Pat pat.

Raven poked Karuta’s sides and the orc lowered his head with his mouth hanging open.

Raven took on a serious expression and spoke to the orc.

“You said you wanted to prove to the world of Ancona Orc’s power as the strongest orc? I will keep my promises. I give you my word in the name of Pendragon and Soldrake.”

“Kruuuuu..”

Karuta’s ugly face distorted even further. But Raven could see that it was an expression of joy. Raven patted the orc’s back once more before turning his head towards Soldrake.

“So just the griffons are your direct servants?”

[That is so. But it seems other guests may be coming soon.]

“Guests?”

It was not easy to guess the identity of something that a dragon would refer to as ‘guests’.

[They seem to be coming now.]

Soldrake stretched her neck towards the sky. Raven’s eyes naturally followed. In the far distance of the starlit sky, a few flickering black lights were headed towards them.

“What is that you would call a guest….. Heup!?”

Raven, who was staring at the sky with narrowed eyes, unconsciously held his breath.

Little by little, the lights became larger.

The lights crossed the high rocky peaks and fully revealed their majestic forms.

“D, dragon…”

Six giant dragons, each a different color, were flying with their giant wings toward the Pendragon family mausoleum.