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Chapter 230: The God of Hunger. Federica. (1)

That night, after barely finishing her work, Milena heard from Ketal about what had happened.

Hearing the story that spanned several days, Milena was left dumbfounded.

“You... killed a dragon?”

“That’s right.”

Killing a dragon meant one thing.

“…Dragon Slayer?”

“Ah. Now that you mention it, yes, I suppose so.”

In the midst of concentrating on the battle at Ignisia, Ketal had forgotten.

But Milena was right.

He had killed a dragon.

Thus, he had earned the title of Dragon Slayer.

Ketal smiled with satisfaction.

“Good.”

“Is that all?”

Becoming a Dragon Slayer was an achievement that would shake the entire continent.

Yet Ketal’s reaction was as if he had just gotten an amusing new toy.

As a normal human, Milena couldn’t possibly understand.

“I didn’t do it alone. The party was with me.”

“You’re talking about Seraphina, Bloodedge, and Spellweaver, right? Did the four of you take down the dragon together?”

“Yes. We all combined our strengths to take down the dragon.”

They would have immediately denied Ketal’s words if the other three had been present.

They had been overwhelmed by the dragon and nearly killed.

It was Ketal alone who had slain the dragon.

When they returned to their respective affiliations, none of them would ever claim to have killed the dragon.

But to Ketal, it was all just a minor incident.

In his view, the dragon had been slain by the combined efforts of all four.

“It’s a shame I didn’t get to properly say goodbye before leaving.”

Ketal smacked his lips in regret.

He wanted to talk more, but the wandering merchant had forcibly sent him away.

“Well. I’ll meet them again someday. I’ll save the enjoyment for then.”

“Is that so?”

Milena barely managed to reply.

Although Ketal was speaking lightly, she couldn’t take it that way.

It was impossible for her to do so.

That was because the other three people Ketal mentioned were all famous powerhouses across the continent.

Seraphina, the Chief Inquisitor of the Sun God, who was the face of the church.

Bloodedge, the Mercenary King, who commanded the respect of all mercenaries and held enormous influence.

Spellweaver, the head of the Hawk faction, one of the great factions of the Magic Tower.

Even the great Swordmaster Maximus of the Denian Kingdom paled in comparison to them. Even the king of Denian was no exception.

These were people who could exert influence over the entire continent.

And to think he had traveled with such figures as part of a party.

It was hard for her to accept.

“Really?”

Ketal tilted his head at Milena’s reaction.

But after thinking for a moment, he understood.

In Earthly terms, it was like someone she knew suddenly claiming they had gone camping with world-famous movie stars.

Thinking of it that way, he understood Milena’s reaction.

But in the end, they were not the story\'s main characters.

There was someone else who outshone even them.

Milena let out a groan and muttered.

“And you... met the Ancient Dragon, Ignisia as well.”

“Yes. They’re said to be the architect of the Magic Tower. Is that true?”

“That’s right.”

Milena explained.

The Magic Tower.

The great tower where all magicians gather.

It wasn’t something that even the tower’s master could create easily.

It was impossible to do alone, so help was needed.

After much deliberation, the tower’s master made a decision.

To seek the help of a dragon.

As beings of magic, they would be of great help in designing the tower.

With that thought in mind, the master of the tower sought out a dragon.

And they found the great Ancient Dragon, Ignisia.

Ketal murmured in understanding.

“So they got the cooperation?”

“Yes. But it’s said the process wasn’t smooth.”

Dragons are mighty beings, and with that comes great pride.

Ignisia rejected the tower master’s proposal to help with the design of the tower.

And they said: If you need my help, prove your strength.

Show that you are worthy of creating the great tower of magic.

The tower master accepted the challenge.

After a long battle, the tower master forced Ignisia to submit.

That’s the history of the tower.

It’s one of the tower master’s great achievements, known throughout the continent.

After hearing the story, Ketal showed an intrigued expression.

“So the tower master is stronger.”

Ignisia’s power was immense.

He fought with all his might for the first time since coming to this world.

And the tower master had subdued such an Ancient Dragon.

Ketal laughed happily.

It seemed the outside world still had many powers he didn’t know about.

The future seemed very exciting.

“Well… I’d rather not think about it too much.”

Milena shook her head.

The story was far too grand for her to comprehend.

She concluded it was best to simply give up on understanding.

“Then you’ve gotten what you desired?”

“Yes.”

Ketal grinned.

He had obtained the quest’s reward.

He now had the ability to handle the mysteries of the great world.

Milena smiled.

“Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“Is there no problem handling the mysteries?”

“It’s not that there are no problems.”

The mystery was still crying out within him.

Like a living beast, it was revealing its dissatisfaction, as if it had been forcibly chained.

‘Stay still.’

Ketal commanded.

He suppressed the mystery that was trying to rise.

The beast cried out in displeasure but bowed its head in obedience to Ketal’s command.

“It’s dangerous, but I’m controlling it. There won’t be any issues.”

“Is that so.”

Milena was flustered.

Ketal’s words were very peculiar.

It was as if he were managing a dangerous beast.

‘…Is the mystery always this dangerous?’

As far as she knew, it was never like that, but since the person who obtained the mystery said so, she had no choice but to believe it.

The conversation was wrapping up.

Milena sighed as if exhausted.

“It was really a huge ordeal… it’s way too big for me to handle.”

“It’s all over now. So, can I ask you for a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Could you find me a master who can help me with handling the mystery?”

Ketal needed to train in swordsmanship or magic.

It was too much for him to handle alone.

He needed a teacher.

Milena nodded.

“Understood. Which do you need, swordsmanship or magic?”

“Swordsmanship would be better.”

“Swordsmanship, is it? Hmm. How about Maximus? He would probably teach you.”

“He\'s appealing, but I’d prefer someone else.”

Maximus’ swordsmanship was about physical enhancement.

It was a powerful skill, but it didn’t appeal much to Ketal.

He wanted to learn a more mysterious swordsmanship.

‘It would be nice if Cain were here.’

The swordsmanship that created tangible illusions was certainly appealing to Ketal as well.

He clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Milena nodded in understanding.

“Then I’ll start searching for someone. It might take some time since it won’t be easy to find someone of that caliber.”

“No problem. I’m counting on you.”

Ketal smiled brightly.

* * *

Milena began searching for someone to teach Ketal the mysteries he sought.

Ketal waited patiently.

Of course, he wasn’t just idle.

Since Milena was helping him, he thought he should help her in return.

He assisted in crafting the artifacts that had piled up.

Entering the warehouse, Ketal called out to Piego.

[What now…]

“I want you to make some artifacts.”

[...]

Piego resignedly began crafting the artifacts.

[So, you won against the dragon, I take it.]

“Yes.”

Piego responded as if he had expected as much.

Ketal was strong.

No matter how powerful a dragon might be, a newly matured one couldn’t possibly win against him.

But what Ketal said next left Piego stunned.

“After that, I also met Ignisia.”

[...Ignisia? You mean the ancient dragon?]

“Yes. The boy who was following us turned out to be Ignisia.”

[What?]

Piego was shocked.

That powerless boy was Ignisia?

[...Now that I think about it, it was strange. A boy with no power tagging along on a dragon hunt made no sense. But at the time, I didn’t find it odd… was it a manipulation of perception?]

“Oh, correct. You’ve got it.”

[Hold on. Don’t tell me you… fought Ignisia?]

“Yes. Quite strong. I’d like to fight again.”

Ketal murmured as if he found it enjoyable.

Piego was astonished.

[You’re crazy.]

Who was Ignisia?

An ancient dragon with immense power.

Likely even stronger than Karin, the High Elf Queen.

And Karin was the strongest among the elves.

Ketal’s words meant that, even considering the entire elf race, there was no one who could stand against him.

‘I knew he was strong.’

Piego had thought Ketal was only on par with Karin, but it seemed he had underestimated him.

And that made it even more incomprehensible.

[With such power, do you really still need me? Can’t we just end our contract now…]

“That will never happen. You are indispensable to me.”

Ketal smiled softly.

Piego fell silent, knowing that there was no room for argument in that voice.

‘What a strange, crazy person I’ve gotten involved with.’

Oh, Spirit God.

For the first time, he felt resentment towards her.

Piego lamented deeply in his heart.

After that, nothing much happened.

Milena continued searching, and Ketal leisurely enjoyed the capital.

Except for Maximus coming by to ask if anything had happened, there was nothing unusual.

It was the first time in a long while that he had experienced such a peaceful, uneventful time.

Since leaving the outside world, this was the first time he had spent time so leisurely.

‘This is new, too.’

Ketal found it quite enjoyable.

It truly felt like he had become a part of the world.

He planned to continue enjoying this relaxed time until a master was found.

But that time didn’t last long.

An uninvited guest arrived in the Kingdom of Denian.

As always, Ketal was returning to the Akasha family’s main residence after a day of sightseeing in the capital.

The sun was gradually setting, and people were heading home.

The citizens who saw Ketal showed no particular reaction.

His presence was becoming accepted in the capital of the Kingdom of Denian.

Just as he was about to return home in high spirits, someone blocked his path.

“Hmm?”

They were incredibly shabby.

Their clothes were dirty and tattered, resembling rags.

Their hair was unkempt, and their faces were smudged with grime.

It was hard to tell they were wearing priestly robes without a closer look.

‘Are they beggars?’

When it happened, Ketal was about to take some money out of his pocket to give them alms.

“At last…”

The woman at the front spoke.

Her voice trembled with excitement, the voice of someone who had finally found what they had been searching for after months of hardship.

“At last, we have found you. Sinner of the prophecy.”

“Huh? Are you talking to me?”

“Your name is Ketal, is it not?”

“My name is indeed Ketal, but…”

“As expected.”

The woman reached out into the air.

Light gathered there, and soon, a sword appeared.

“Oh?”

Ketal’s eyes widened.

He could tell what that light was.

It was holy power.

The woman raised the sword and pointed it at Ketal.

In a voice as if delivering a sentence, she spoke to him.

“I am Liltara, priestess of the God of Hunger, Federica. By the will of the great Federica, I will take you to the holy land. Barbarian Ketal.”