Polymath Redux

Chapter 22//Brewing Storm

“I was honestly starting to fear for the worst, but I’m glad you could make it back safely,” said the First Prince, Bradley Avon Leonhardt. He smiled gently at the figure of his closest subordinate who had returned alive from what seemed like a suicide mission in hindsight. She showed a complicated expression upon her face but eventually let out a relieved sigh. He understood why she wasn’t inclined to feel the same relief he had, “I’ve received your report,” he told her. After she had returned, she was immediately sent to the royal court’s doctor for a medical examination, and during that period she had formally submitted a report on what had happened. “About the rest of your unit, it’s a shame but at least you made it back. Their sacrifice definitely wasn’t in vain, I promise you.”

Petra lowered her head apologetically, “forgive me your highness, not only did the mission end in disaster, I have been derelict in my duties.”

“Perish the thought, it was amnesia wasn’t it?” from the evaluations of the royal court doctors, they stated that she had suffered heavy injury and trauma during her mission leading to a temporary loss of her memories. The injuries were nothing to scoff at, in fact from what the doctor had said, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to not have returned at all. It was such a horrifically serious wound they were more impressed with the doctor who had fixed that, at the very least they admitted that if it were them, they would never have been able to patch Petra back up. ‘It was as though the hands of God had intervened and saved her life,’ was the expression they used. “It couldn’t be helped and I certainly do not blame you. There’s no need for you to feel any responsibility, in fact, the onus was on me for sending you out on such a dangerous mission with no other precautions. I hope you can forgive me for that.”

“N- No, there isn’t anything you did wrong, your highness. Please raise your head,” Petra denied. “That kind of monster... no one could’ve imagined its existence,” she said as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in frustration.

“Right, in your report you mentioned such that. Exactly what was it you encountered?”

“It wasn’t anything I’ve ever seen or heard of before: a headless terror with a hundred crimson eyes and the strength to overpower even my Ego weapon,” she commented as she clasped tightly around the dual daggers hanging by her waist. “When my unit first found that monster, it was sitting around completely still, almost as though it were sleeping or inactive. A monster covered in black fur and with a single gigantic red eye at the centre of its body. Naturally we assumed that would be its weakness, but when we struck it, hundreds of eyes all over it body peeled open which only enraged the beast and made it more powerful. A single swing of its attack was enough to kill a fully-grown man and destroy massive chunks of the forest.”

“A headless monster with a hundred eyes...” the prince thought to himself for a moment as he searched through his mind’s bestiary, but even with the country’s greatest education there was no such monster that seemed remotely close to what she just described. “If it was headless does that mean it was an undead?”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s true it had no head but at the base of where its neck would have been, there was only a gigantic gaping hole with lines of sharp teeth like a grinder. I cannot even fathom how its biology functions, much less give you an accurate reading of what category it would be placed under. Structurally it resembled those of the Giant Ogres with its broad shoulders and stubby legs, but it was also covered in black fur, which Ogres are not known to have. It may be a completely new kind of monster.”

“If the centre eye wasn’t its weakness, did you manage to find any on it?”

“No. Its fur was as though as armour and its claws were sharper than the blades of a freshly cut sword.”

“Exactly how powerful would you say it was? For example, if you lined it next to a feral dragon, would it be able to take it down?” When it came to monsters, the feral dragon was probably the most difficult opponent a human could face, so it served as a good benchmark for powerful new monsters to be compared with.

“That’s a difficult question. I’ve taken down wyverns before with some level of difficulty, so there’s no doubt it could easily outclass those. As for a feral dragon that may be more difficult to gauge. Well, if I were forced to give a verdict, I would still say the feral dragon would have the edge because of its ability to become airborne. However, if we took its aerial mobility away from the equation and compared them through natural specs, that headless monster would very easily tear a feral dragon apart.”

“Even with the dragon’s powerful breath attacks?”

“Undoubtedly. Whatever magic my unit threw at it was ineffective. It wasn’t exactly immune to magical attacks, but likely it had a high resistance against it. Even physical attacks were barely working. On top of all that, for its size it was surprisingly agile. While this isn’t a weakness, its lack of ranged abilities may be a way to handle it, but as I said, it is quick so it could easily close a distance of several dozen metres within a few seconds. Other than that, it lacks magical abilities.”

“I see, thank you Petra,” Prince Bradley thanked. “I’ll see what my people can find out about it and hopefully formulate a counter strategy. That aside, I am quite interested in this ‘doctor’ that saved your life. In your opinion, what sort of person was he?”

“Oh,” Petra’s expression seemed to become a little brighter as she reminisced. “Doctor Mordred. Yes, he was a very studious and serious person, but also kind to the people around him. As a result, the villagers and the members of the local garrison well liked him. Regarding his skills as a doctor, I’m afraid I’m not too knowledgeable about such matters but in my opinion his skills were equal to or greater than the doctors of the royal court. On top of all that, he seemed to be adept at elemental magic.”

“Magic, is it? That’s quite impressive for someone so young.”

“Yes,” she agreed.

The prince briefly thought about it and took a deep breath. From the report, this doctor had arrived at the village not too long before Petra was sent to investigate that strange mana phenomenon. Apparently the village also suffered an attack from the same monster but the doctor had taken it out when the garrison could not. Thus, if the timeline in his head was correct, the situation went down like this, “the mana phenomenon occurred, then the village was attacked by that headless monster, then the doctor appeared, then you arrived to fight another headless monster, and after your battle you suffered amnesia and the doctor coincidentally saved you while he was out looking for herbs. Is that about right?”

Petra nodded.

“Hmm,” perhaps it was because foxes and raccoons who only looked to further their own power and wealth had surrounded him, but he couldn’t help feel that there was something suspicious about all of this. It was... “too tidy,” like it was all staged, in fact it was the kind of plan the prince himself would plot. “How did the doctor manage to defeat the headless monster the first time when your unit could barely deal with it?”

“From what I was told, the doctor has in his possession a special kind of sword that can cut almost anything. I personally confirmed this sword: it was a thin, transparent blue sword with a unique design so I remember it vividly. He had used that weapon to deal with the monster then.”

“Was it an Ego Weapon?”

“No, it didn’t seem like that.”

“Yet, unique or not, it could cut down the armour of the monster that your Ego Weapon struggled against?” Even the national treasure in the hands of Bradley’s older sister, which was a shield that could withstand any attack, was not that impressive. “So this doctor conveniently had a sword that could cut this monster?”

“Does your highness perhaps... doubt the doctor?”

“Doubt? No, but I am curious that you, who isn’t quick to trust anyone, would so easily fall for his charms. Rather than suspicion, it’s more intrigue.”

“Intrigue?” she wondered.

“Suppose everything he did was an act. Let’s say he was the one who set loose the headless monster knowing he could easily kill it with his sword. And let’s suppose he was also the one who started the mana phenomenon.”

“But why would he do something like that?”

“He could be a spy and was doing it for information. He caused the mana phenomenon so he could attract the attention of someone like myself would send people to investigate it... and I did. Then, he let the monster attack the village so he could come in at the last second and save it. By doing so he could guarantee a trusted position in the village and gather intelligence from the local garrison who would feel indebted to him. Afterwards, all he had to do was wait until someone from the capital came to investigate, then let the second headless monster loose to take them all out and save one of them. The person he saved would also feel very indebted and since he was someone very trusted by the village, you’d also feel safe to tell him all sorts of information.” The prince surmised. “Tell me, didn’t he say something like he was out of the country and didn’t know much about it?”

“Well, now that you bring it up, he did say that. But, what about my amnesia?”

“I don’t think he planned that. But the real kicker is those Baliazoural Knights that you reported encountering near the village. There’s no way a small group of them would’ve infiltrated so far into the country, especially not while wearing the crest of the Empire, that’s just stupid.”

“So then, why were they there then? Wearing the crest of the Empire?”

“That... I can’t answer. After doing everything perfectly, there’s no reason for the knights... or at least I can’t think of one. I don’t think it was for the sake of getting rid of you because by that point you still hadn’t regained your memories. If he really was a spy then he’d place a priority on that, but then why did the knights attack?” the prince fell deeply into his own thoughts. His eyes then fell onto the dual daggers by Petra’s side, “hmm? Perhaps he was trying to jog your memories.”

“Jog my memories?”

“Yes. Didn’t you say that the moment the knights were closing in on you were when you recovered your memories? Perhaps he wanted your body to naturally remember through fighting.”

“But those were knights,” Petra protested, almost as if she wanted to defend the doctor even as he was suspected as being a spy for the enemy Empire. “Even for the Empire, would they really throw away dozens of knight on such an operation with no guarantees of success?”

“It would depend on the mission or the information that’s trying to be collected, but in that instance I would say no. Still, it is all quite a convenient story,” the Prince let out a scoff. “Heck, I might’ve done exactly that if I were in his shoe and really was a spy.”

“...” Petra remained silent, albeit didn’t stop herself from expressing a little doubt.

“You seem rather discontent. Not that I blame you, as he was someone who saved your life.”

“No, your highness is correct. If he is such a suspicious individual, it would be best if we attached eyes on him. Would you like me to formally assemble a unit to keep him monitored?”

“Despite the suspicious circumstances, the probability that this doctor is a spy is close to zero. It is true that if he was a doctor with such skills, it is possible that someone would’ve gifted him such a weapon to show appreciation. Even the national treasure was granted to older sister as a reward for her services, so it’s not entirely an outrageous claim. And as you said, it really isn’t the Empire’s MO to waste knights like that. Still, we’re in the middle of a war so it’d be folly to disregard things just because it's ‘improbable’. For now, try to keep an eye on him for about a month. If he does nothing suspicious within that timeframe we can revise our strategy, and if he’s clean, I’d like to employ his talents for our own side.”

“Understood.”

As Petra was about to leave, a knock came from the door of his study. “Come in,” he ordered and relieved Petra of her duties for now. A tall man dressed in formal attire walked in and placed a small white note on his desk and leaned in to whisper. “Your highness, Drakenholdt is under attack.”

That news honestly came as a surprise, “by whom?”

“I’m told it is the red dragon tribe from across the eastern borders,” the messenger replied in a hushed tone. “We’re still trying to figure out the exact details of the situation, but it seems the Baliazoural Empire and the red dragons have come to an agreement.”

“But why are they attacking Drakenholdt and not us?”

“As you’re already aware, the red dragons and the gold dragons have always shared a notoriously bad relationship. It’s most likely that the Empire incited this incident. They probably figured our only option for survival is to join forces with the Drakenholdt and Ygdra, so they struck pre-emptively.”

“Would they do that?” if they did something like that, all that would achieve was provoking the gold dragons and to give them a legitimate reason to join forces with Xagontetia.

“Like I said, the information is still unconfirmed, and it is only the red dragons attacking Drakenholdt. If it’s like this, then there is room to deny involvement from the Empire.”

“Yes, I suppose that would make sense. For now, keep watch on the situation and report to me if there’s any change. Our hands are tied until we deal with the Ministry of War.”

*

*

*

“T’is a sorrowful day when dragons must kill one another,” commented a melancholic Dragon King as he stood before the battlefield adorned with a luminous golden armour. Standing behind him was his trusted army of gold dragons, and before him, across a mountainous divide, were the forces of the red dragons. Though they shared the same race, they were a most ancient and bitter enemy to the gold dragons; a rivalry spanning to a time before even the Humans could remember.

After a week of constant fighting the death toll amongst the dragons were up the hundreds. While those casualty rates may have been ideal for the more numerous races, it was a heavy loss to the race of dragons that naturally had low numbers. The skies raged with a war that most races couldn’t even imagine, and molten rocks and death littered the grounds. The thick scent of death soured the king’s mood as he let out a lengthy sigh. A week ago this entire landmass had been a mountain range, and currently the only mountains that existed were the mountains of corpses. The dragons’ war was one that not only changed nations politically but also very literally.

“Father, it is not safe all the way out here. Please step back,” his daughter, Irina Sinclair, warned as she tried to retreat her father to a safer distance.

“Safe? Bah, there’s no need to worry about me, girl. Those red young’uns are the ones that should be frightened of my presence. Odryr!” Aurendra called for his most trusted subordinate. An older gentleman showed himself from the crowd. His hair was a long black with several streaks of white now mixed in to reveal his age, yet his figure was still tall and sturdy. “Take charge of my men,” he commanded. “I’ll go deal with these presumptuous bastards myself! Irina, you and your subordinates come with me!”

“Yes, father!” she nodded and beckoned for her subordinates to gather at her command.

With a mighty jump that sent shockwaves throughout the land, Aurendra launched himself into the vast open skies where he regained his draconic form: a large majestic figure with brilliant golden scales whose lustre was revealed by the sun itself, powerful claws that could rend entire castles apart with a single swipe, and large wings that created tornados with every flap. His daughter and her subordinates also took similar forms if only a little lacking when compared to the Dragon King.

There were two main types of ‘dragons’ in this world. The first were the ‘feral dragons’ that were no more than mindless beasts operating on instincts; they were to dragons what monkeys were to humans. Though they were powerful in their own right, without intelligence they were just animals. The second type of dragons were the ‘ascended dragons’, powerful beings that were said to be second only to the Gods; they were dragons that had evolved intelligence and could apply not just brute force but wisdom. Though their numbers were miniscule compared to the other races of the land, their strength was respected and feared. Upon ascension they gained the ability to take a more humanoid form while still retaining the ability to turn draconic if the situation demanded.

Several red dragons spotted the enormous figure of the Golden Dragon King quickly approach. The king’s stature was easily double or triple to that of any other dragons, and this caused them to fear. With great majesty and skill, despite his enormous stature, he rushed through the clouds like a needle threading through cloth and began his assault onto the enemy. One mighty swing of his tough claws rent the dragons asunder, and his razor-sharp teeth tore punctured their thick scales as though they were butter. Savagery and brutality in one hand, grace and power in the other; the silhouette of the great Dragon King was enough to put a pause in the invading red dragons.

As Aurendra continued to soar through enemy-infested skies, the enemy forces began to react to his presence and banded together. In a volley, they spat out balls of fire like rain from the sky, the collective heat of which could melt rocks into lava. He felt their enmity like wading through thick mire, but even all that was not enough to deter the leader of the gold dragons. In retaliation, the king launched his own flame breath attack. Inferno like napalm rushed upwards into the sky and exploded into a million smaller chunks that pelted the entire region into a hellish landscape. The clouds darkened and lightning started to arc across the skies. The enemy dragons were ironically charred alive like chunks of meat and fell to the ground.

“Bah, is that the best these red ones have? Didn’t they come to invade us?” there was a small feeling of disappointment in his heart. Though he didn’t particularly enjoy war and especially not the killing of fellow dragons, somewhere deep in his heart he believed that they could be a worthy challenge. It was often said that the only entities that could humble a dragon were other dragons or gods, but he wondered exactly how much truth there could be to that statement if even fellow dragons would go down like toilet paper.

“Father, allow me to take on the rest. These idiots are not worth your time,” Irina flew in front and asked of him.

“If that is what you want, daughter, so be it,” his desire to continue this war had been extinguished. In any case, this was probably for the best as he would not be around forever and the next generation needed to learn what war was and what it meant to be a dragon.

At that moment, a most bestial roar echoed and shook the heavens. The clouds were immediately parted as though they were showing reverence for this newly arrived figure. Amongst ascended dragon tribes there was always one known as the ‘Champion’. They embodied the quality of that Dragon’s tribe and were often the strongest warrior. To Aurendra’s golden dragons, he was both King and Champion. However, it was different with the red dragons as they separated their leader and warrior. The wisest dragon became the leader for the red dragons and the strongest became the Champion.

“Oh? It looks like I’ll be having fun after all. Irina, I’ll leave the other riff raff in your capable hands, I’ll take on the big one,” he said as a large smile overcame his face.

“Leave it to me, father!” Irina responded as she flew off in formation with her subordinates towards the enemy.

Aurendra flew down back towards the ground to prepare for his opponent. With a loud and stalwart shout that caused the earth to tremble, he welcomed his guest.