Duke Pendragon

Fwooosh!

A sailboat travelled forward, cutting through the waves of the cold inland sea.

Even the strong, brave sailors were crouching low in front of the sharp, cutting wind of the sea, but there was one man standing on a deck without any change in expression. He was wearing a long, thick cape made of bear hide, and he continued staring at the sea with a cold expression.

A woman approached him while tightly wrapping her fur coat around her body.

She possessed healthy brown skin and clear black eyes. She was Iriya, the daughter of the southern tycoon, Karl Mandy.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

She asked, and the man turned his head towards her.

His long, dark brown hair was tied back, and his dark blue eyes were tranquil and calm. His gaze was as boundless as a lake without any ripples. He was Elkin Isla, the Knight King of Valvas.

“The current situation in Valvas, and…”

After glancing at Iriya, he continued quietly after turning his gaze to the distant sea.

“I was thinking about the things I need to do in the Pendragon Kingdom.”

“By that, do you mean…”

“As the godfather of the kingdom’s prince, I will lead the child to become a knight and a monarch. I will make sure he grows up to become someone that the lord will not be ashamed of.”

“…..”

Isla spoke calmly. Iriya wordlessly gazed at his face for a moment, then shifted her gaze to the far horizon as well.

“The Pendragon Duchy, or rather, the Pendragon Kingdom is truly a fascinating place.”

This time, Isla turned towards her.

She continued with a faint smile.

“Even though it is whereabouts of the kingdom’s monarch is unknown, and no one knows if he is even alive, no one doubts that he will one day return. Everyone gives it their all to move the country forward. The knights, soldiers… even the king of a different nation.”

Iriya turned towards Isla.

Isla met her gaze with eyes icier and colder than the winter sea. He opened his lips.

“It was not only when I lived, but even when I died in Conrad Castle, I was still a knight of the lord and Pendragon. Even when I stood in front of the river of oblivion and futility, and until the day I return to that place once again… I am and will be forever a Knight of Pendragon.”

“…..”

Iriya flinched involuntarily.

She saw a burning blaze in Isla’s eyes. It was a blazing inferno that even consumed the coldness of the piercing wind. She had experienced such a gaze several times until now.

All the knights of Pendragon took on such a gaze when they spoke of their monarch. They shared the same look that Isla currently had. It wasn’t just the soldiers either. Even the women and the children shared such a gaze.

However, Iriya did not belong to them.

She felt left out of the absolute belief. She choked up and spoke in a slightly colder voice without realizing it.

“But that person, His Excellency Pendragon is no longer here. You know that, Your Excellency Isla, as do the others. Is that not true?”

She felt slight regret after speaking such words. She stole a small glance at Isla.

“…..!”

Her eyes widened with surprise.

“I know. Both me and them.”

She assumed he would be offended, but surprisingly Isla spoke with a smile.

“However… Whether the lord will come back one day or has disappeared forever. It does not matter anymore. We are all in debt to the lord. It is a humongous debt that we cannot pay back even with our lives. That is why we have to do it.”

“…..”

Iriya waited for his following words, though she could guess what he would say.

“To do everything we can to live our lives to the fullest. To live to our best because the lord will return someday. It is because we all know that, that we will live without becoming frustrated or sad. We will live, and we will wait.”

Isla spoke in a determined voice. His gaze left Iriya and touched the sea. He recalled the past as he gazed along the horizon.

He died once and came back to life.

His consciousness had been lying dormant beyond the darkness. The moment he returned with a group of glaring lights, Isla heard.

It was a low, but powerful voice.

‘The people whose lives were twisted by my choices. Lead them back to the proper flow of causality. That is what I want.’

The voice slowly faded away like an illusion, and Isla’s consciousness grew clearer. Then, he woke up.

‘It was the voice of the lord.’

Isla was certain. His lord had brought him back to life…

However, the lord never returned.

Half a year had passed. The lord and the White Dragon disappeared in a curtain of light, and no one had seen them since.

“Everyone…”

Isla suddenly spoke, and Iriya flinched.

“Everyone says the lord and Lord Soldrake are dead, but I do not believe it. He will definitely come back, because…”

His voice was full of determination as he continued. His eyes glimmered much more intensely and with confidence.

“My lord, the Duke of Pendragon… He always fought fiercely and won, and he will continue to do so, wherever he is.”

Fwoooosh!

 The voice of the Knight King cut through the cold sea breeze as a quiet, but powerful declaration.

*** 

At dawn of the day when the sun and the moon met, Isla’s lifeless body was suddenly surrounded by a group of lights. When he suddenly rose back to life, Conrad Castle was thrown into a frenzy.

That wasn’t all.

Knights and soldiers who were killed or transformed into undead monsters by the Nameless Necromancer were miraculously revived in their original form.

However, it only applied to those belonging to the Pendragon Duchy.

Those who were not affiliated with Pendragon or pointed their weapons towards the symbol of the White Dragon were not revived. When hundreds of humans returned to life, in particular only those belonging to the Pendragon Duchy, the duchy and even the imperial castle was thrown into great shock and confusion. Such an event was truly unprecedented.

However, the confusion quickly subsided due to the six dragons and angel Seiel.

Duke Pendragon and Soldrake sacrificed their lives to summon two unfamiliar gods, the Dragon God and the Demon God. They laid down their lives to prevent the world from falling into death and darkness.

The dragons and the angel testified and spoke of the two figures’ noble sacrifice.

Who could raise an objection?

Support for the Pendragon Duchy, or rather, the Pendragon Kingdom by the imperial castle was unanimously decided. After the sudden betrayal of their blood alliance and the death of their lord, the Seyrod territory was ordered to submit a portion of their territory to the Pendragon Kingdom. 

The empire personally signed a written promise consisting of 10 years of full tax exemption for any materials and personnel exported to the empire by the Pendragon Kingdom, followed by an unprecedented decree – the Pendragon Kingdom would stand alongside the Aragon Empire as a brother, rather than a vassal kingdom. 

Huge statues were erected in Leus and El Pasa in honor of Duke Alan Pendragon and the White Dragon Soldrake along the sea route leading to the ports, and monuments were built in Valas as well as other locations in the South.

Numerous people sent condolences for the hero and the dragon who sacrificed themselves and walked down a path of no return. However, the Kingdom of Pendragon did not mourn, even though the hero and the dragon served as their monarch and guardian deity.

It was because they believed.

Their king and absolute guardian were only away for a short period of time. They only needed to live fiercely in preparation for their return.

But everyone else regarded their attitude as a type of collective madness similar to crazed religious beliefs.

Nevertheless, no one actually voiced their thoughts. They only thought as such.

No one in the world could defile the pride and honor of Pendragon. Just as their monarch did, they would always fight fiercely and move forward.

*** 

A river flowed from the depths of Mount Ancona. As winter passed, the river of ice melted, and new greenery sprouted from the soil.

The dense greenery quickly bloomed and grew. Soon, the short summer quickly passed and cold west blew from the west along with the first snow. Migratory birds took to the air to relocate to their new homes.

As such, seven years passed in a repetitive transformation of blue, red and dazzling white of the White Dragon’s land.

“Phew!”

A middle-aged man was in the midst of climbing the dizzying valley. He sat on a flat rock and wiped off the sweat flowing down his forehead.

“Gulp, gulp…”

The man took a large swig of cold water from a bamboo container, then turned his head towards the peaks. The mountainous tops were lined with strange rock formations shaped like folding screens.

“I hope I caught a roe deer today at least… Tsk!”

The man licked his lips with a worried look.

He had been climbing the same mountain for twenty years already, but he felt rather burdened recently, perhaps because of his age.

In addition, the number of mountain goats and roe deer had decreased over the last few years due to the influx of goblins and harpies from the other side of the steep mountain peak. Even the animals he managed to trap were usually devoured by the monsters.

For a man who made his living by using traps to hunt animals, this was akin to a disaster.

“Phew! Should I just cross the mountain and go to the Pendragon Kingdom?”

He took on a serious expression, his forehead scrunched into a frown.

Exactly seven years ago, a legendary event took place in the land of Pendragon. Afterwards, it was made into a kingdom, and it was rumored to be a good place to live.

The land was rich and fertile, and all kinds of things were scattered about, imported through the large city known as York Town.

The nobles and knights never coveted the property of the people, and taxes were low as well. The land was truly like a paradise that men could only dream of. The advisor, who served as a regent last year until the crown prince was proclaimed king, was a genius strategist. The commanding knight of the kingdom was considered one of the five strongest warriors in the world, and the captain of the royal guards was none other than the legendary Knight King of Valvas. 

Though, it wasn’t technically a land of dreams, since all he had to do was cross the mountain peak to reach the kingdom.

Nevertheless, the man could not.

Up until this point was basically his own backyard, but beyond that was an unknown area infested with monsters and fear.

“Mount Ancona…”

The man mumbled the name of the giant mountain surrounding a side of the Pendragon Kingdom. His body trembled involuntarily.

In the not-too-distant past, the mountain was known to have housed a dragon. The man had neither the courage nor the ability to cross the mountain. It was probably impossible for anyone else in the world as well.

“I’ll have to seriously think about if I return empty-handed today as well. Heave-ho!”

Although he knew he never actually would, he lifted himself up along with his pack. After climbing the steep valley path once again, he neared the point where he had set up his traps.

“Oh! There it is! There it is!”

The man broke out into a grin when he saw a collapsed roe deer thrashing after being caught by a snare installed between some trees.

“How long has it been!? Haha… heugh?”

He ran towards the animal with excitement, but as he neared the snare, his face turned deathly pale.

Kieeee…

Kieek!

Four goblins as large as human children were weaving through scrubs and trees. They slowly made their way through the snow.

“Uaahh…! G, go away!”

The man took a few steps back, then threatened them after taking out a hand axe from his waist. He could not go back empty-handed today. His young children had been waiting for the last two days.

However, the goblins appeared to have spent a harsh winter as well. They had no intention of backing down easily. In addition, even though the man was quite big, he was alone. The goblins quickly surrounded the man with excitement in their eyes. They were enthusiastic to taste meat for the first time in a few days.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

“You bastards! Get out of my way!”

He swung the hand axes threateningly, but the goblins were quick and swift. They never gave him the range.

Kieek! Kiyaahk!

Kyakyahk!

The monsters continued circling around the man while shrieking, waiting for him to become exhausted and give up.

“Heuk… Heuk!”

In the end, the man became tired, and his movements slowed down. The goblins did not miss the chance when he stepped back momentarily.

Kiyaaahk!

Kiyahk!

Two rushed toward the man, swinging their crude, rusty daggers and small wooden spears.

“Heuk!”

The man became terrified and clenched his eyes shut, wildly swinging his axe from side to side.

- Kiyaaahk!

Kyaahk!

The cries of goblins resonated. 

However, they weren’t threatening cries directed at the man.

It was clearly a frightened scream.

“Ugh…”

The man cracked his eyes open, his groin wet with urine. The goblins were trembling as if they had suddenly lost their mind. Soon, they threw away their weapons and kowtowed on the ground full of snow and fallen leaves.

Kieee…

Kiek… Kiek!

The man understood the reaction of the goblins. They were acting similar to dogs that were picked up from the streets when they were punished. Moreover, they would put their heads on the ground towards the direction where their owners were.

The man slowly turned his head.

Past the shrubs, there was someone standing on a slightly elevated ridge.

“…..!”

He became wide-eyed.

It was a human.

Rather, there were two people in the desolate mountain.

However, the man was unable to cry out for help. He simply stared with shock in his eyes.

It was a kind of instinct.

Although the black-haired man was dressed like an ordinary hunter, an antique, precious sword hung from his waist. Although a little unusual, the hunter could accept his appearance. However, the woman standing next to the man was truly otherworldly. Her dazzling silver-white hair reached her waist, and her appearance was unlike anything the hunter had seen before.

“Huh?”

The hunter spoke with surprise.

The black-haired man was holding a strangely curved blade in the shape of a crescent moon. He was smiling and beckoning towards the soldier.

It was as if the man was reassuring the hunter that he could leave now.

“Ugh…”

The hunter stole a glance towards the goblins, who were still trembling with their heads on the ground, then hurriedly grabbed the roe deer and strode away.

But out of instinctive curiosity, he stole a glance back.

The man and the mysterious silver-white-haired woman were still standing in the same place, looking at himself.

Whiiing!

A cold gust of wind scattered the snow piled on the trees.

The brilliant snowflakes disturbed the hunter’s eyes.

However, the hunter found the appearance of the man and the woman much more mysterious and beautiful than the enchanting snowflakes.

*** 

“Aren’t we being too generous?”

“More like benevolence. We are gods, aren’t we? And you and I are not the only ones who participated either.”

“Well, that is true. But still, sending those who already died back to the world below without any pledges or offerings.”

“One took care of 1,000 of evil troops belonging to Çarcas, alone. Even if they were granted the power of a semigod for a limited time, it’s not something that anyone could do. The other one protected Illeyna from Çarcas’s last threat. They did so even so they knew they could be eradicated from the heavenly realm. Without her, do you think we could be having this leisurely talk?”

“Hmm, it’s still a shame.”

“A shame for you, maybe. You had thoughts of making that crow the next Demon God, right?”

“Ha! W, who said that?”

“Who said that? Everyone knows about it. Illeyna knew about it as well, which was why she sent the two to the world below. The White Dragon will be with the crow. Who can guarantee that something similar to Çarcas will not take place if you, the Demon God, took in both of them?”

“…But if those two go back into the world, something bigger might happen.”

“Rid yourself of those lingering feelings, friend. Those two are no longer the Demon God nor a dragon. They are simple mortals that could be found anywhere. He’s a regular mortal who is rather competent with a sword, and she is a regular woman who is incredibly pretty by human standards. There is nothing for you, or rather, for us to worry about.”

“Tsi! Anyways, I rather liked him. It’s a shame. I was expecting him to create a ruckus in the world below.”

“Hoohoo! Perhaps things will flow the way you want them to.”

“What are you talking about? They no longer possess any of the power from the heavenly realm, right?”

“Correct. But his last words still bother me.”

“Hmm?”

“When Illeyna asked him how he would live out the rest of his life as a human, don’t you remember his response? While he was holding the White Dragon’s hand.”

“What did he say?”

“I will move forward. I will just keep moving on.”

“…Move forward to what? Death? He’ll live for fifty years at most, so how far could he get in that time?”

“Haha! Even so, are you not curious as to how well he will do? You were all for him, right?”

“…Dammit. I don’t know! I’m going to visit our friend who lives underground. I heard he has to stay down low for about 500 years after being beaten up by Çarcas.”

“All right. Say hello for me.”

“Okay.”

“…..”

“…..”

Although their conversation ended, the gaze of the two gods remained unmoving for a while from the two figures, who were slowly walking down the rugged slope of Mount Ancona.

The two people moved forward side by side, leaving behind footprints in the snowfield. They moved forward in a land known as the land of the White Dragon, Pendragon.

-       Fin