Chapter 269 Two Great Dragons ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It was shortly before the report of a “Stampede”¹ and dragon sightings reached the Viscount Nixfen domain. This was in the southern forest region of the Ferguson Kingdom.
THOOM! THOOM! THOOM! THOOM-THOOM!
Even on this day, massive tremors shook the area around the Forest of Ur², the deepest part of the woodlands. These rhythmic quakes had only started recently-specifically, ever since Zil Meina had entered these woods.
THOOM!!! THOOM!!! THOOM!!! THOOM!!!
”Oh, it’s getting faster. Still as vigorous as ever, I see…” General Sachet muttered.
The town of Urulie sat in the forest region near the Forest of Ur. General Sachet of the Ferguson Kingdom was a man who looked every bit the old soldier; he was quite corpulent, yet one could sense the thick layers of muscle packed beneath the fat.
THOOM!!! THOOM!!! THOOM!!! THOOM!!!
Trees swayed in time with the tremors, and fine sand trickled down from the castle walls. General Sachet let out a sigh and brushed the dust off his armor. A man walked up to him.
”It hasn’t necessarily been decided that’s the case… There is still a chance they are tearing each other’s throats out,” the man suggested.
”If only that were the case,” Sachet replied.
The man attempting the counterargument-which he clearly didn’t believe himself-was a refined, middle-aged gentleman with silver hair and red eyes: Duke Roost Badcage of the Canaria Kingdom. Duke Roost listened to the General’s reply and sighed along with him.
Duke Roost understood the reality, but he simply didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to accept that these tremors were the sounds of Zil Meina, who had flown in from the northern mountains, mating with Ur Hamit, an ancient legend of this southern forest.
About two months ago, the Duke had rushed to the Ferguson Kingdom’s royal palace to provide King William Ferguson with a “prediction” regarding the path of the Stampede.
It was a prediction shared by Count Martin Popol, head of the Pink Clan³, during a meeting of the Ddo-Buddy Economic Sphere. He had foreseen that a powerful magical beast from the north would encounter a peer living in the south of Ferguson, and would subsequently move east.
So far, events were unfolding exactly according to that prediction. King William had set out to subjugate Zil Meina based on Duke Roost’s advice, but the mission failed, and the female dragon continued her southern trek.
Upon reaching the Forest of Ur, she had accelerated as if she’d found something and disappeared into the depths. Sachet, Duke Roost, and the Ferguson high command had all hoped Zil Meina and Ur Hamit would kill each other.
If they both died, it was a windfall. Even if they didn’t, if they exhausted themselves or suffered major injuries, they would be easier to finish off. However, the sounds emanating from the forest were neither the sounds of combat nor death throes-they were these rhythmic tremors.
THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM!!!!
”He’s picking up the pace,” Roost noted.
”That old dragon is certainly working hard,” Sachet added.
Since arriving in the town of Urulie, they had heard these tremors every single day. Some of the accompanying civil officials had even been tasked with recording the cycle and tempo.
According to those records, the tremors occurred daily without fail. At sunrise, they began slowly: THOOM… THOOM… By midday, the pace gradually increased until it became the relentless shaking they heard now, finally ending with one massive, singular boom.
THOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!
”He’s finished,” Sachet remarked.
”That… that doesn’t necessarily mean…” Roost stuttered.
”No matter how you hear it, that was the sound of a very satisfying finish,” Sachet said firmly.
After the loud finale, there was usually a brief pause-sometimes. The cycle was completely random; they might go five rounds in a row, or finish after just one. This time…
Thoom… Thoom…
”And there he goes again,” Sachet sighed.
”Back to work, then,” Roost said.
”Yes, unfortunately,” Sachet replied.
As the tremors resumed, Sachet and Duke Roost readied their gear. Whenever the tremors occurred in succession, the lesser dragons serving Zil Meina would come swarming out of the Forest of Ur.
It was an unpleasant thought, but perhaps these lesser dragons-who had been excitedly waiting their turn-were being brushed off after the mating with Ur Hamit ended. Now, they were likely retreating in frustration or coming to take their anger out on the humans.
The Forest of Ur was currently too dangerous to scout, but the reality was that the attacking lesser dragons had to be stopped.
Sachet and his men weren’t just there to monitor Zil Meina; their role was to prevent the Stampede triggered by the female dragon from spreading.
She had been in the forest for nearly a month. Many magical beasts, not just dragons, had been spooked by the tremors and fled the woods. Without this defense, both Ferguson and the neighboring Canaria Kingdom would have suffered far more damage.
Given the gravity of the situation, elite warriors and mages from across Ferguson had gathered here. Priests from the Church of Demon-Subjugation⁴ were present as well, and in some cases, heads of noble houses had arrived leading their own private armies.
They couldn’t commit the nation’s entire military strength since the capital needed protection, but the force was sufficient to hunt down any dragon that attacked before the next day’s tremors began. And yet…
”Good grief. To be jerked around like this by the whims of giant flying lizards… it’s exhausting,” Sachet complained.
”I understand how you feel, but this is much better than having them rampage through the countryside. I’m counting on you again today,” Roost said.
”Yes, let’s get to it,” Sachet replied.
Sachet’s words mirrored the feelings of everyone gathered there. Between the daily surges of lesser dragons and the sporadic Stampede attacks, the men were fighting through the nights and couldn’t hide their fatigue.
The only reason the town of Urulie was still standing was thanks to Sachet. He might have looked like a lazy, overweight man, but his relaxed demeanor was vital for maintaining the soldiers’ morale during a long war of attrition.
”Alright, men! Time to get back to the job of protecting the country! Our goal is simple: don’t let those lizards get past us! Don’t worry about being heroes! Just stay calm and do your jobs!” Sachet shouted.
”””””YES, SIR!”””””
The soldiers raised their fists in response. Even the nobles who had initially disliked Sachet’s style had come to follow him after several days of combat.
Seeking glory was a mistake. If you fought with everything you had today, you wouldn’t be able to handle the monsters that would inevitably return tomorrow. Sustained, steady resistance was the key to this battle.
”Incoming!!!” someone yelled.
”Mage unit, fire!” a commander ordered.
A single dragon dove from the sky. On command, the mages gathered from across the land unleashed their magic. Each individual spell wasn’t particularly powerful, but together, they had the strength to drive the persistent lizards away.
”Another one’s coming! Stay sharp!” a soldier warned.
Three dragons were visible in the sky today. Compared to the days when ten or more attacked at once, this was relatively easy. However, numbers could increase at any moment. The mages continued to fire their magic with practiced detachment, never overextending.
”It’s working… Archers, ready!” the commander called out.
Eventually, the dragons grew impatient and lowered their altitude to strike. That was when the archers took over. In this frontier town, attacks happened every day, and arrows were a finite resource. They had to be used effectively: the mages weakened the targets, and the archers finished them off.
Once the monsters descended low enough for melee combat, the ground forces took their turn.
”It’s a Stampede! Ground units, move out!” Sachet commanded.
Handling these surges was the ground units’ responsibility. They moved outside the gates, cutting down any monsters in their path. They ignored the dragons overhead, leaving those to the mages.
”Do not chase them into the forest! Stay at your posts!” Sachet yelled.
Here, too, the soldiers paced themselves. They only fought what attacked them and ignored those that fled. Trying too hard to secure a kill only led to unnecessary casualties.
As long as the tremors continued, their long battle would endure.
Thoom… Thoom… Thoom-Thoom…
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Summary:
The chapter focuses on the front lines at the Forest of Ur, where General Sachet and Duke Roost observe the legendary dragons Zil Meina and Ur Hamit mating. The resulting tremors cause lesser monsters to flee the forest, creating a constant state of siege for the humans. Sachet maintains morale through a strategy of steady attrition rather than reckless heroism.
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Trivia:
- The ‘THOOM’ sounds are literally the sound of dragons mating, not fighting.
- The lesser dragons attacking the town are likely ‘frustrated’ or rejected by the female dragon Zil Meina.
- Sachet’s physique (fat over muscle) is a sign of his strength, not laziness.
- The current events were predicted by Martin Popol of the Pink Clan
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Character Insight:
Sachet proves himself an effective leader by prioritizing his soldiers’ stamina over glory, while Duke Roost acts as a diplomatic bridge between kingdoms facing a shared threat.
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Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the ‘Nice Middle’ trope for Duke Roost, which refers to an attractive, well-kept middle-aged man.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Nixfen – A viscount aristocrat who has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district. He is described as a ‘pretty boy’ or ‘gentle-looking man’ (yasao) but is a territory-holding noble likely trained in combat.
• Sachet – A General of the Ferguson Kingdom. An old soldier who is deppuri (corpulent/fat) but possesses thick muscle beneath the fat.
• Roost – Duke of Badcage and father of Tina Badcage. He has long silver hair mixed with some white, a cool-headed expression, and red eyes. Despite a relatively slender build, he possesses a strong fighting spirit.
• Martin – Lily’s non-blood-related younger brother. Considered the strongest candidate to succeed the Popol family due to his lineage and manifested ‘power. He has pink hair.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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