90 – Have We Been Discovered?
I had a dream.
For some reason, Yulia was crying in front of me.
As if she was watching someone die.
“Don’t leave… don’t leave me behind, Ascal. Without you, how am I supposed to… how am I…”
Tears drop, drop from her beautiful face.
The place they fall upon is not good.
I taste a bit of saltiness from her tears on my lips.
“Ria.”
“Have you come to? Yes. Keep speaking. You can’t lose consciousness.”
Yulia shakes my shoulder.
I feel a little dizzy.
Seeing her so serious, I can’t help but want to tease her.
I lightly tap, tap her cheek with the tip of my finger.
“You have a hair stuck to your cheek.”
“This is not the time for joking. No… where did my hair get stuck this time?”
Her face looks as if it could crumble at any moment.
I don’t like it.
Ascal propels his upper body upright.
Oddly, his body does not move well.
But he can still perform one action.
“Here.”
I can feel a warm, soft pair of lips.
Surprised, Yulia soon closes her eyes.
It was strangely realistic for a dream.
Yulia opened her eyes and said,
“You are my last… the very last…”
A surprised face.
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Then Yulia tried to force a smile.
It’s not good to laugh after crying.
“Askal, just tell me one thing. That you love me.”
There was nothing he couldn’t do.
“Yes. Ria. I love you.”
“Ria? When did you come up with that nickname? hahahaha. Such a cute name.”
Yulia patted my cheek.
“I’m sorry, Askal. If there is a chance next time, I will…”
The rest was left unsaid.
He woke up from the dream.
“Ah… Ah!”
Askal was being tortured.
Let me explain exactly what was happening.
Askal was being waterboarded.
The turtle’s spit indiscriminately filled Askal’s throat, not distinguishing between the esophagus and the trachea.
– The turtle’s spit is similar to the water of life.
The tribal chief gave his opinion as he saw the fallen Askal.
Body language had helped them to communicate.
As it was, everyone took Askal to where the turtle’s spit was. Then, using a smoke pipe, they continued to sprinkle the turtle’s spit into Askal’s mouth.
Of course, he had to wake up from the dream.
Askal felt like a living rubber hose.
“S… Stop!”
“He’s conscious! It’s working! Spray more heavenly water! No, lay him on top of the heavenly water!”
In a flash, the Lion tribe hoisted Ascal and placed him on the heavenly water being sprayed at regular intervals.
Ascal screamed.
“Arrrgghhh!”
“Good! Pain will make a man stronger! His body will become stronger!”
With intensity exceeding the water massage at a bathhouse, the heavenly water harshly hit Ascal’s back.
Ascal seriously considered involving the Lion tribe in the dragon raid.
Whoosh- The heavenly water with Ascal surged upwards.
“He’s falling! Everyone get ready to catch!”
And there Ascal falls from the heavenly water, and the members of the Lion tribe had started running hastily.
It was too late.
‘No, am I going to die in such a ridiculous way?’
Ascal fell down.
Splat.
However, he didn’t feel any pain.
Because the tribe members huddled together and caught Ascal with their bodies.
“Are you okay! Cal!”
From far away, Eileen was seen running in hurry.
“Well, cough, you should have stopped the Lion tribe.”
“I’m sorry… You were taken away so quickly, I arrived too late.”
Regardless, thanks to the members of the tribe, he survived.
“Thanks.”
-It is natural to help a benefactor.
Ascal got up, stretching his body.
Somehow, he felt fresh.
It felt like waking up after a long sleep on an off day.
“The master’s power has increased more than fold. It is a natural result as he absorbed the legendary heavenly water with his entire body. impressive, truly impressive.”
To put it in metaphorical terms, it was as if I had been falling off a cliff at the brink of death, only to be caught onto a tree branch, surviving the fall. Venturing into a cave afterward, I stumbled upon kerosene, making me a supremely skilled fighter.
“Congratulations. You are now qualified as a…S-word Ma…ster.”
It was hard to fully call him a sword master.
Dedicating one’s life to the sword, reaching the peak of understanding – this was a sword master.
In essence, Ascal could be seen as a half-baked sword master, thanks to the experience points and mana cheats he had received from his past life.
“Mazar! I will pay with my life for nearly killing Mazar!”
Bardim sullenly drew his axe.
It seemed the grueling punishment was about to begin after a long time.
“Bardim, who am I?”
“You are our god of fortune, Lord Mazar.”
“That’s right. I am fortune, and fortune is me. Could you really believe I would perish so easily here? You didn’t believe in me.”
“That’s…!”
Bardim reluctantly nodded his head.
Ascal had figured out how to handle the lion tribe.
However, he would not forget the near-death experience of water torture and falling…
Ascal gripped Lightbane tightly and amplified his voice.
“I have a request for your lion tribe.”
“Just give us your command, Mazar.”
Bardim knelt down.
“There’s an evil dragon on this land. It’s an ancient dragon, extremely old. Someday, this dragon will awaken and turn this land into charcoal.”
“Would any of you fight the dragon with me?” he bellowed, “Would you willingly drench your bodies in the blood straight from the heart of the beast?”
The warriors didn’t hesitate.
The Lion Tribe warriors stood tall,
And beat their chests in unison.
“We exist for that sole purpose!”
“Thank you, warriors.”
With that, sturdy tanks and bruisers were added to the Dragon Raid.
The party so far consisted of:
– Ascal, the Strike Captain
– Lia, Main Dealer 1
– Sirius, Main Dealer 2
– Lightvein, the Killer
– The Lion Tribe Warriors, Tanks and Bruisers
– Burnstein, the Utility man
‘It’s still not enough.’
It would be difficult with just enough to confront the dragon.
They had to be sure of their victory.
Ascal sunk into deep thought.
“Of course, you’ll need me, too, right? Cal.”
Eileen said.
There was no doubt that the chosen saint, Eileen, would be a great help. But, was it really right to drag Eileen out from her peaceful life with the children?
Well, it seemed ridiculous to start worrying about that now.
“All the responsibility will fall on your own shoulders.”
“Such a great force you will be. Thank you, Eileen.”
“hehehehe, entrust it to me anytime.”
And then.
“Is the discussion… over?”
Ascal, who was wearing a lion’s tooth necklace, heard the hoarse voice of the turtle of a thousand rivers.
“I’ll… pay back… your favor… tell me… what you want…”
“Can you by any chance spew the thousand rivers again? It seems like it would be a great help.”
“By the time… we meet… again… a hundred years… will have passed…”
“That’s unfortunate. Then just go back to the empire.”
“Tell me… the direction…”
He was at a loss.
Having run away recklessly, he had lost his sense of direction.
Lightvein stepped forward.
“Leave it to me, master! Guiding the way is my specialty!”
Unbelievable.
Not just a wiki, but also supporting GPS functions.
Ascal’s inside evaluation of Lightvein had slightly increased.
“However, I need a high place to guide from.”
“That’s not a problem. Fer!”
“hehehehe!”
Fer, now with a mane of golden light, calmly approached Askal.
There was something he wanted to try.
“Isn’t it only natural that a hero should wield the legendary sword?”
So saying, Askal lodged the Lightbane in Fer’s mouth. Fer, wisely biting down to keep it in place.
The dragon horse was now equipped with the Lightbane (Attack +50).
“Hold on, I only acknowledge my master! Hmm, but somehow, I do enjoy the warmth here… feels strange.”
Mounted on Fer, Askal took flight.
And with the help of the Lightbane, he navigated the Sea Turtle in real time.
The Sea Turtle began to move, stirring the ocean with its massive flippers.
Every sweep of its fin sent the sea into tumultuous waves.
It was a boisterous return.
The Sea Turtle was tremendously huge.
Even from a distance, one could see its approach.
Naturally, this news was urgently relayed to the crown prince.
“A golden Pegasus, and now a turtle as big as an island. This is becoming something of a myth,”
In a hurry, the crown prince led his Imperial Guard towards the estimated landing spot of the Sea Turtle.
Immediate action was needed.
He prepared for a signal generator enhanced with magic stone, ready to dispatch the capital’s army at any time.
In case the massive turtle coming across the sea carried an enemy army, it would indeed be an alarming situation.
His head pounded fiercely.
“Askal … we need you more than anyone right now.”
He missed Ascal.
‘Come to think of it, Ascal’s signal was recently detected near this coastline. No way!’
The unidentified colossal turtle, and Ascal, near it.
The crown prince realized.
‘Has Ascal become a prisoner?’
Somehow, this time, there were reports that tracking Ascal was particularly tough.
Sweat began to gather on the crown prince’s hands.
A leader must always anticipate the worst.
If the enemy nation meticulously planned this scheme—
Firstly, they kidnap the vital figure, Ascal, then using the unique colossal turtle as a means, they cross over the sea to invade the capital city directly.
‘If it were me, I would have strategized the same.’
However,
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Was there a figure in the enemy nation who could plan such a strategy?
And who could muster such forces?
‘The Allied Nations. And the scribe, Reinhardt.’
The crown prince knew.
He knew the depths of the Allied Nations’ hatred for his empire.
And that they had been sharpening their knives for a long time.
‘We must absolutely rescue Ascal first.’
The crown prince seized the reins of his horse.
‘He is more essential to this empire than I am.’
The Crown Prince hurriedly urged the speaker forward, prepared to even sacrifice his own life.
And a short moment later, he spotted a man riding on horseback in the Prince’s view. He wore a familiar uniform and emblem.
“Halt! Are you part of the special forces?”
“Crown Prince, Your Highness!”
He was a member of the special forces, dispatched along with Arthur.
“I am a messenger!”
“Well, speak then. That unnaturally huge giant turtle, is it a plot by the alliance of nations!”
The messenger shook his head.
“No, it’s not.”
“Then what? Where? Tell me it’s not those demons showing up! What the hell is that giant turtle!”
“Well, we’re not exactly sure.”
Said the messenger.
“We suspect that Count Erindale is leading the giant turtle.”
The power weakened in the palm of the Crown Prince, gripping the reins tightly.
“He isn’t kidnapped?”
“Yes, according to the commander, Count Erindale is to be seen on a golden horse flying in the sky, directing the giant turtle.”
“A golden horse… could it be the Golden Pegasus.”
He’s seen a horse fly in the sky.
A Pegasus.
And the Crown Prince knew all horse breeds in the world.
The Golden Pegasus from the legends was no exception.
There was a feeling of the fog lifting in his mind.
Finally, the prince realized the truth.
“The sword… Askal… Pegasus… Everything that had disappeared from the mansion at that time…”
By the way, the painting of the ‘Man Riding a Pegasus’ was owned by the royal family.
The prince gazed at the picture with satisfaction every day.
– Truly, a man to envy. He must be much happier than I am.
– Ah, if I could be that man.
– I want to ride a Pegasus.
And by default, the horse Askal was riding was the one provided by the prince himself. There was no record of Askal having a separate horse.
Then it comes to this conclusion.
The thin colt that he had willingly given from the stable.
The true identity of that colt.
Was a Pegasus.
And naturally, the hero who drew the sword and rode the Pegasus would be Askal.
“I got played.”
Riding a Pegasus, and not just any Pegasus but a golden one and a gigantic turtle on top of that?
“Ahahahahaha, hahahahaha! hahahaha!”
“Pr-, Prince?”
The messenger was breaking out in a cold sweat. The prince had lost his mind.
‘It gives me the creeps. I feel uneasy.’
Askal, with those thoughts, was watching as they got closer to the giant turtle empire.
It looked like they would be stepping foot on the empire’s land soon.
And then.
‘I see something. The Imperial Army? Shooting arrows? Why?’
Shushushu――
The army on the hill by the sea, were rapidly shooting arrows towards the giant turtle.
Most of them missed, but a few reached Askal.
Askal caught the arrows with his hand.
The end was blunt. It would hurt if one were hit, but it was not designed to kill. After being bombed by Aeskal in the North Sea, his vision became unbelievably better. Thanks to it, he could identify those shooting arrows from on top of the hill.
“…… What are you doing there, Crown Prince?”
The Crown Prince was solemnly shooting arrows.
“Ouch!”
This time, an arrow hit the torso.
Fortunately, it didn’t hurt very much.
‘A heart shape?’
This time, the arrowhead itself was heart-shaped.
Aeskal looked towards the origin of the arrows in disbelief.
Beautiful platinum blonde hair was seen.
The culprit was Lia.
No wonder she had such good skill.
Next to her was Arthur as well.
‘I see.’
Aeskal realized.
Everything was all laid bare.
“Retreat! Let’s seek asylum in the Allied Nations!”
But Aeskal overlooked that the drift of the North Sea turtle is quite slow.
Eventually, it was an hour later when Aeskal was painfully dragged along.
Lol