Published: January 15, 2026
[Sesto]
We navigated through the labyrinthine castle interior, climbing the steep stairs. I was amazed by the cleanliness of the outer castle walls, gates, and the fortress city itself, but once inside the main castle, we were forced to walk endlessly through dimly lit corridors and staircases.
“As expected, this is probably all we can achieve in just a month or two. It seems they mobilized quite a large number of people,” Yard muttered, trying to sound confident. Still, it was something beyond our capabilities. On the way to this fortress city, we passed through the Wolfsburg Mountains along mountain paths that were all perfectly maintained, complete with rest buildings scattered everywhere. There were even forts of quite unique design. All of these were constructed during the invasion by Van.
Other knight orders marching alongside us spoke about this. We had braced ourselves to enter the Wolfsburg Mountains, but the journey ended in less than two weeks. This was all thanks to the mountain roads, rest stops, and forts built by Van.
Other knight orders felt the same gratitude and we heard countless rumors about Van.
Yard complained about each of these factors for some reason, but I found my resentment fading. Yard was confident in his fire magic and prided himself on his capabilities in battlefield command and governance.
But I was different. As a magistrate, I had many failures, and even when facing mere bandits, I could not say I commanded effectively. Sometimes I used fire magic, but the battle achievements were nothing remarkable. In fact, sometimes I was more of a hindrance.
Comparing my past self to Van inevitably stirred feelings of misery.
Honestly, Van’s high reputation was entirely due to his unique magic. If only I had that magic, I would have been just as successful and been ennobled. It all comes down to who was luckier. When I was born with aptitude for four element magic, specifically fire magic aptitude, I was certain my future would be brilliant.
But in the year since I left home, the situation changed drastically. The war with the Yelinetta Kingdom was one factor, but that alone could have been a chance to make a name for myself. The real issue was Van. When he was sent to a backwater village, I thought he would die quickly. But thanks to his miraculous magic, the village prospered, and conveniently, a dragon ascendant appeared and was even defeated.
How much luck has he been blessed with? If only it were mine...
As I walked within the castle, lost in such thoughts, light suddenly spilled from above the stairs. We had reached the top floor.
Following Yard up the stairs, a breeze brought the scent of wood and leather, along with the harsh creaking of iron on iron. And then, a voice I recognized.
Sensing many people’s presence, I turned toward the source of the voice.
There were more than ten armored men, and the person facing us at the far end was the one speaking.
“...Brother Murcia.”
I whispered, and Murcia seemed to recognize us.
“Yard, Sesto too...? Could it be that Father will not be taking part in this great battle?”
Murcia’s low voice seemed unusually loud. Yard opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, another noble greeted loudly and knelt.
“Your Majesty! We apologize for our late arrival!”
A middle-aged man apologized, and from the back, His Majesty approached and nodded.
“Ah, do not worry. I couldn’t wait for everyone to arrive, so I toured the newly completed fortress city myself. You’ve probably all seen it by now, but it’s a magnificent fortress. Using this as a base, we should be able to easily crush the Yelinetta Kingdom.”
His Majesty spoke cheerfully, laughing with a shake of his shoulders. Then, from behind us emerged one of the few female nobles—Viscount Panamera, who had stayed with the rear guard to assist the march after the rear columns were delayed. I had heard rumors that she and Van were among those who had defeated the dragon ascendant. Even on the Wolfsburg mountain roads, she effortlessly incinerated large demonic beasts. Judging by her fire magic, I suspect she may have been the true force behind Van’s dragon hunt.