Unlike the Star's Legion, who mingled well with the tribal members, the people of Count Franz and Viscount Twork did not fit in at all.
"It is necessary to uphold the dignity of nobility. Or perhaps, the pride of being part of the Empire must be maintained." Such thoughts were deeply embedded in their minds.
"How can anyone associate with those rebel scoundrels like that...!"
"They lack not just loyalty to the Empire but even the most basic concepts and manners."
"This is why commoners are the way they are."
The people from Count Franz's household and Viscount Twork's household were busy treating the Borfur Tribe, who dressed strangely and had mysterious tattoos on their faces, as literal 'barbarians.'
For now, they might have to rely on their help, but all of them were nothing more than beasts that would eventually have to be exterminated.
Such a difference in perspective was bound to show in their behavior.
"Aaah!"
Eventually, an incident occurred.
Brian and Ate, who had been talking to some tribal members they had befriended, heard a woman's scream and quickly rushed toward the sound.
The noise came from near the well.
It was a place where women of the tribe usually gathered to draw water or do laundry.
Sure enough, there was a Borfur woman sitting on the ground, covering her reddened face, while two soldiers from Viscount Twork's household stood over her, one still fuming and the other nervously trying to stop his companion as more people began to gather.
By then, the area was already surrounded by warriors and soldiers who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion.
The two groups, those of Viscount Twork's men and the Borfur Tribe, stood glaring at each other, their eyes wide with fury.
It was a situation on the brink of explosion.
If nothing were done, things would soon spiral out of control.
"What happened here?"
Realizing the severity of the situation, Brian pushed through the crowd and stepped into the center.
He could already guess what had happened, but he needed to take control of the situation first.
"Brother."
The first to respond was a warrior of the Borfur Tribe.
Kunana. He was a high-ranking warrior with a significant role in the village.
Kunana had grown close to Brian and Ate through many exchanges.
"They. Harassed. Our. Daughter." Kunana struggled to explain the situation, mixing words in an attempt to communicate.
Although he had barely known the Imperial language before, his effort to connect with Brian showed the changes that had occurred.
It also meant that the tribe had been trying to bond with them.
And yet, something like this had happened.
Luckily, Brian could understand Kunana's simple explanation.
"Is this true?" Brian asked, frowning as he glared at the two soldiers.
They flinched under his fierce gaze.
But the soldier whose face was red with anger forced a sneer and twisted his lips.
"Heh! Brian, it must feel good, huh? Getting called 'brother' by these barbarian scum. You must really enjoy kissing up to them, huh?"
It was a clear insult.
But instead of responding, Brian coldly looked the soldier up and down and asked, "Have you been drinking?"
For a moment, the soldier's face showed clear confusion.
"W-what? What's wrong with that?"
"Plenty. Brewing alcohol consumes a lot of grain, and with the shortage of military rations, we imposed a ban on alcohol over a month ago, didn't we?"
"T-that's…!"
"Unless you stole from the village's storage, which would make you a thief."
Brian's gaze shifted to the woman, who was still trembling in shock as the other tribal members helped her stand. Ate hurried over to offer her a handkerchief and apologize.
"And didn't we clearly state not to bother the village people while we're here? Yet you broke that rule already?"
Sizzle—
Brian's intimidating aura spread over the area.
The soldiers of Count Franz and Viscount Twork looked visibly shaken.
Some even flinched, stepping back under the pressure.
None of them had expected Brian to release such a powerful mana scent.
In just the past month, after receiving special training from Elric and interacting with the warriors of the Borfur Tribe, Brian had clearly undergone significant growth.
Even in that short time, the insights he had gained were substantial, comparable to everything he had learned in his entire life up to that point.
"S-so what, are you going to punish me? Me, a soldier of Viscount Twork?"
The soldier's shoulders sagged, his face pale, but he still tried to resist.
"It doesn't matter whose soldier you are."
Brian stepped forward.
The soldier shrank back in response. The men of Viscount Twork quickly stepped forward to shield him.
"Here, you serve in the Star's Legion. The commander is Lord Elric Melvinger, and while on the battlefield, his orders are law. By defying them, you've violated military law."
Brian's eyes glinted coldly.
He reached for the sword at his waist.
"I will take you to a military trial. Since we're far from the main force, I'll handle it summarily."
"…!"
"Stop him!"
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Viscount Twork's men quickly gathered in front of Brian to block his path.
"Star's Legion! Suppress these rebels attempting to defy military law!"
Ate shouted angrily from behind.
At that, the members of the Star's Legion, who had been quietly waiting, surged forward, surrounding Viscount Twork's men.
Tension hung thick in the air.
The tribal members naturally stood on the side of the Star's Legion, while the soldiers of Count Franz, who had been hesitating in the middle, aligned themselves with Viscount Twork's side.
"We are trying to punish a criminal, and you would stand in the way of justice?"
"We're simply protecting our own, unlike you disgraceful ones who side with barbaric rebels."
The officer from Viscount Twork's side retorted, clearly determined not to hand over his soldier.
But Brian had no intention of backing down.
He knew that if he sided with Viscount Twork's men now, the trust he had painstakingly built with the Borfur Tribe would be shattered in an instant.
And he would lose command of the army moving forward.
That was something he could never allow.
"Unacceptable."
Brian was about to give the order for the Star's Legion to subdue the rebels and take the criminal when—
"What is this commotion?!"
A booming voice came from behind.
It was Viscount Kuransibil, the head of the Twork family, striding forward with terrifying momentum.
Rooooar!
His overwhelming aura swept over the crowd like a tidal wave, ripping through Brian's mana as if it were nothing and blanketing the entire Star's Legion.
Yet none of them so much as blinked, their resolve unshaken.
This only further bruised Viscount Kuransibil's pride.
Following in the footsteps of Elric Melvinger, these mere insects dared to defy his dignity.
"We were trying to bring a criminal to military trial."
"A criminal?"
"As you can see, the matter is serious."
"And you would dare lay hands on my subordinate over a mere barbarian girl?"
"It is you, Lord Viscount, who seems to be showing arrogance."
"What?"
"I am merely following the commander's orders."
"You insolent wretch—!"
Kuransibil, unable to hold back, reached out toward Brian.
Whirl—
A powerful storm of mana whipped up, surging toward Brian and the others like a massive wave.
In front of it, Brian seemed like a fragile ship about to be capsized.
Yet, his eyes continued to burn brightly.
***
[I'll ask again…]
[Who are you…? Why do you have his heart…?]
Every word from the wraith shook Elric's very mind.
It was so powerful that it even imprinted itself like a brand on Elric's heart, despite the considerable distance between them.
The force shook the air and distorted the very laws of nature.
It was a power Elric knew all too well.
Dragon Tongue.
A language of dragons, far beyond soul speech, a magic that few ever mastered.
It was reaching out to him.
[His heart… It is supreme. How could a mere human like you possess it…?]
'How are you even alive?'
Elric couldn't believe there was still a living dragon.
Though, judging by its ragged breaths echoing through the cave, it wasn't in good condition.
The overwhelming divine power and mana one typically associated with dragons were completely absent.
It resembled nothing more than a ferocious beast.
Even using Dragon Tongue seemed to take immense effort.
It appeared to have lost most of its power.
But still.
The fact that this dragon, thought to be extinct, was alive was astounding in itself.
Even the Borfur Tribe, who supposedly worshiped it, seemed unaware of its existence.
If this got out, it would cause quite a stir.
'The problem is, it doesn't look like it has much time left.'
This dragon had likely been on the verge of death long ago.
It was only clinging to life, relying on the remnants of the absolute power it once held.
Elric had seen many like this.
Unfinished business.
A reason that kept them tethered to this world, something unresolved.
'What should I say?'
Elric pondered for a moment.
The dragon seemed to be referring to the Dragon's Heart when it mentioned 'his heart.'
'But telling it I just grabbed it after the destruction Mephisto and I caused together… doesn't sit well.'
Elric knew how prideful dragons were and how much they hated demons.
If he revealed that the Dragon's Heart and the Demon Jewel were now mixed together, who knew what kind of reaction would follow.
But then—
[I see now…]
Even before Elric could respond, the dragon's voice came again, as if it had understood something.
[You… are a Melvinger…]
[The one… he spoke of…]
[The one who, just as in the distant past, will rise as our master once again… and resurrect our perishing kin…]
[The creator of dragons.]
[T/L: Please support me and read extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]