Dragon Poor

It wasn't unusual for you to rise in Gradus' ranking after wandering around the battlefield like a madman. But this was too far up.

It was the 1st place in Gradus, which Kim Sun-hyuk could not have imagined.

“The ferryman stands at the peak of many of the Knights and Wizards of Adenberg. You're the best knight I've ever seen. ”

Buccok's eyes sending a salt of respect while correcting his posture were filled with a light of desire, but Kim Sun-hyuk was not very happy.

“I, too, am a swordsman of the tribe. I pay my sincerest respects to the monarch... But aren't you glad? ”

Buccok, who was talking for a long time, slowly sees his face and tilts his head. It was only then that I noticed that I could not see the slightest glee in his expression.

In fact, he was not happy at all.

It was because I was more worried about what would happen next than the glory of Gradus' first place.

“What do the others say? ”

“According to the rumor, the regent said it was a natural order, and that he had handed it over to me unnoticed, but secretly delighted. The nobles and knights also supported Gradus' re-ranking based on the numerous victories he had won. ”

“No. I'm asking about the atmosphere of knights and wizards ranked Gradus, not the regent king or the other nobles. Like Earl Reinhardt. ”

Then Buccok, who understood the point of the question, made a strange face.

“The wizards didn't take Gradus' ranking very seriously in the first place, so it's no big deal. ”

“What about knights?”

“Hmm."

Like the liquidated oil, Buccok, who had no blocked answer, looked embarrassed for the first time.

“Nothing to hear. Apparently, he's waiting with a very sharp blade for me to come back. ”

The wizards who were so fiercely individualistic regarded the exploration of the truth through research and experimentation as an earthly task that they did not even care about the assessment of time.

But the knights were different.

The knights were essentially struggling, and they had no choice but to challenge the opponent if necessary to prove their hardship and enlightenment.

It was also a common tendency for all knights, regardless of their high and low levels. No, the more hard-working they were, the more they were terribly sensitive to putting someone on top of themselves.

In such a situation, people gave the wrong person the title 'best’ and left it on top of them without having a chance to prove that he was high and low.

The proud knights couldn't have been more convincing.

“Many of you are actually waiting for the day when the ferryman will return to the kingdom. ”

As expected.

“Among them, the Swordsman Marek Schneil Roahim, who was pushed to second place by the victor, or Heinrich Polgram Reinhardt, who was ranked sixth, has publicly committed this insistence. ”

As the order went up, even those who showed their competitiveness were massive monsters.

“Holy shit.”

As soon as I returned to the kingdom, I was already getting a headache from the challenge.

“Hmm?"

As he held his head like that, he suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie.

“Then why is Earl Lanehart ranked sixth, not fifth? ”

Until he left the kingdom, Gradus' sequence was the fourth. Even if there was a change in the ranking above, it should have been the fifth time.

“The prince was defeated while I was away... ”

It's hard to imagine a monster like Earl Reinhardt losing to someone so easily. But there was no way to explain the descent of the Marquis's rank.

“I know no one has seen the real duel. But when a new Gradus rank was announced, one of the Knights who admired the late Reinhardt complained about it. Then the erl replied: ”

Buccok, who was briefly moaning, said in a solemn voice, like imitating a gesture.

“'It's not about fighting and winning and losing. I don't want to fight her again. He said," I'm sorry. ”

“Her?”

It was Kim Sun-hyuk who became even more curious as she was said to be strong enough to avoid confronting a curious knight like Earl Reinhardt.

“Who the hell is that? ”

As he showed curiosity, Buccok, who was excited, told me the identity of a new strong man.

“Tierhaughter. She took the late Earl Reinhardt's Gradus. ”

I felt like I had heard of the castle called Tierhaughter somewhere. But it didn't come to mind.

After trying to figure out for a while, Buccok added a word.

“And she comes from a foreigner, like a ferryman. ”

The moment he heard that, Kim Sun-hyuk was able to recall whose saint the Tierhaughter was.

“Min Young Choi!”

Tierhaughter was the royal residence of the summoner Choi Min Young.

* *

When the expedition headed west looking for itself and disappeared, Kim Sun-hyuk tried to find them and enter the Demon King's land immediately.

Then it was Ofelia who stopped him.

‘Choi Min-young, the Transporter of the Expedition, is never weak. Her strength will be greater than yours if there is no enemy there to protect at least. ’

She said Choi Min-young was not as weak as he thought, and that I would be able to come back alive from the west with enough force.

It was not that I didn't believe him.

However, I never imagined that she would become more powerful than Earl Reinhardt with Gradus.

He didn't have the luxury of letting people talk about the wrong person on top of him.

“Earl Reinhardt has spoken, but some curious knights have challenged her not to surrender. Among them was Earl Larkhardt von Schulterheim, a Black Knight ranked 13 by Gradus. Duel request accepted. But for some reason, their duel ended in a remote eastern wasteland away from the royal city, not in Adesden. ”

Kim Sun-hyuk shined his eyes and asked for the results.

“When they returned from the duel, none of them complained about the Gradus sequence of the Tiger Whistler. And they said the same thing. ”

I don't want to fight the Bird of Tierhacter again.

The concern that remained in Buccok's words disappeared as if washed away. It was meaningless to worry about the comfort of her and the expedition as long as the Marquis of Lanehart and even the other knights ranked in Gradus 13 recognized her strength.

Kim Sun-hyuk, who had to stay at the base and wait for their rebirth, unknowingly had a heavy sense of responsibility and guilt about the expedition.

But now I was able to take away a lot of that pressure.

Like Ophelia said, Choi Min-young is never weak. It was a moment when I believed that she would return to save the expedition.

“Thanks to you, I was able to lift a burden. Thank you so much."

Buccok smiles as if he knows his gratitude. Seeing his face, he didn't tell him about Gradus' ranking for no reason.

“Hmm…. ”

Kim Sun-hyuk heard about the situation in his home country in relatively detail through Buco. Due to its vulnerable security, there were many stories that were unable to receive magical communications and expertise, including those related to the coronation of Ophelia.

“It has been quite some time since the regent has taken care of the large and small affairs of the regime on his behalf, and now there are no more nobles questioning the regent's wisdom and abilities. Nevertheless, the behavior of the diet still does not take place because His Majesty the regent has declared all events after the return of the ball. ”

Despite several mentions of the coronation, she seems determined to wait for Gear to return because she can't break Ofelia's heart.

“I have to go back so soon. ”

The ambassador who succeeds the throne of a country is being postponed indefinitely because of himself, so the fucked-up excuse doesn't even work anymore.

As soon as the expedition returned, we had no choice but to return to our home country.

“Phew. Got it. I'm curious about the situation in my home country. You're holding on to someone who's tired. You can go back and rest now. ”

“You're welcome. It was a meaningful time for me to be able to come face to face with the honour of a famous ferryman and deliver the news of the kingdom first. ”

A proper greeting from Buccok left the barracks, and that day was over.

And the next day, Kim Sun-hyuk went straight to Stella.

“Stella?”

But Stella's condition is strange. Stella can't get up, sitting on the ground, pretending to be close to her as usual.

Phew.

Stella, Kim Sun-hyuk, who grumbled roughly and whitened her legs.

“Stella!"

Stella writes the dragon to rise from her seat once again, in the miserable voice of the owner. Stella settles down, however, as soon as she sees power.

“Ah…. ”

Seeing that, Kim Sun-hyuk ran one step, hugged Stella and closed his eyes.

Six years have passed since I first joined the cavalry and acquired Stella in a deal with Commander Frederick. Stella's age has suddenly turned eleven while he plays on the battlefield.

The life span of a typical horse is usually about 20 years.

However, in the case of chariots such as chariots that carry heavily armed owners and run through the battlefield, their lifespan was less than half. The lifespan of the battlefield was reduced due to the stress and frequent injuries, and the intensity of the battle, which is full of all kinds of noise and threats.

Among them, Stella has fought many battles with Kim Sun-hyuk. I always had to live with big and small wounds because of the owner who was in no danger, and I always had to run for him in the middle of the most violent battlefield.

It was a situation that was not at all strange even though it was sharper than other horses.

Nonetheless, Kim Sun-hyuk believed that Stella could run more. No, I wanted to believe that.

I thought even more so because the characteristics of naturally born white horses did not show great aging.

It was a mistake.

Ofelia says she has little time left to ride on a horse, but in reality, she is already at the end of her life.

Maybe Stella was standing more and more upright to avoid revealing her weakened legs. Only the faithful beast who wished to ride his master on his back and once again roamed the meadow would have given his last strength to the body that was fading away.

“Stella. Stella. ”

Kim Sun-hyuk struggled with tears to rise and touched the weakened body of the horse.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. ”

This lofty beast locks himself in a narrow fence and doesn't even blame the owner for not caring. Rather, I struggled to get up somehow.

However, Stella is unable to regain her strength after the previous day's sprint.

“Sun-hyuk! We're going out together today! I gathered some of the oldest in my tribe... ”

Did someone hear that Kim Sun-hyuk went to the stable? A cheerful multi-wheel finds him and Stella late and shuts up.

“Close the door. Stella is cold.”

His voice suddenly closes the stable door.

“I think Stella has a cold. I can't get up. There's no medicine like the world I used to live in. ”

“Sun-hyuk.”

“Why not? ”

His thick voice weighs heavily on the multi-wheeled face.

“Why did you meet a master like me? ”

Kim Sun-hyuk grabbed Stella by the neck and stroked her mane several times.

“Idiot. I'm the only one who knows. I don't know what I'm gonna do to regret this. ”

A dry voice approaches and grabs his shoulder.

“Sun-hyuk.”

“I'm my big brother. I didn't fight yesterday... Huh? Brother?”

At that time, Park Jun-min ran in, opening the door of the stable.

Shhh.

Dawley raises his finger, covering his mouth, and raising his eyes at the warrior.

“Ah…. ”

The late-known warrior shuts up and looks at Kim Sun-hyuk and Stella alternately.

I was exhausted or exhausted, and when I looked at the white horse, which was blinking, and the owner who was holding the horse still, Park Joon-min ran out of the stable.

And when the warrior returned, he grasped the sword tightly.

“I fell down in front of the holy light and spoke, and the holy voice said, 'There is still more for you to do, so go back and finish your service.' Then you will enter paradise. He said.”

As Park Jun-min recited the Bible with reverence, the sword began to emit a white white light. The flashes that spread like that wrap around Stella.

Phew.

Stella grumbles at the flashing lights and jumps to her feet.

“Ah…. ”

“I can't hold on much longer. But it will be enough to run one more time. ”

Joon-min said thanks to Kim Sun-hyuk's deep sunken eyes. Then I hesitated for a moment, saddled onto Stella's urge, and climbed onto it.

“Let's go.”

The moment he was about to leave the stable for his last race with the Horseman, the bell of the base suddenly began to ring.

“30 kilometers west, large hordes of horseshoes spotted! They're approaching the base! Knights and commanders of the base, gather at the command post! ”

One of the soldiers who found him quickly reported the situation and disappeared again.

Kim Sun-hyuk, who was watching the soldiers preparing for a tumultuous battle for a moment, summoned a lower officer who was passing by.

“Inform the Commander. ”

He said to the blinding officer who didn't know what he was talking about.

“I'll handle this fight. ”