Armor is a piece of equipment directly linked to life.
That is why armor is being made as a priority with the materials from the Tustivian Raid rewards. A quality armor that can withstand the attack of the dragons is desperately needed.
However, armor alone cannot win the war.
Ultimately, a powerful weapon capable of severing the mighty and tough life of a dragon is necessary.
Thus, a weapon made from the essence of Tustivian—Dragon Heart, and its symbol, a fang.
This is the dagger, [Isagum].
As it is made from the heart of a dragon and its symbol, its power is beyond imagination. It’s a formidable weapon with the potential to transcend the endgame tier in a single bound.
"..."
Just as.
An armor made from the King of Flies' magic core is virtually a Nightmare Slayer.This dagger, forged from the magic core of Tustivian, is also a Dragon Slayer as well as a Nightmare Slayer.
These evil dragons have also resurrected from a nightmare. They possess strength that does not fall behind any other nightmare legion commander.
Thus, this weapon also possesses terrifying power that does not lag behind other Nightmare Slayers, and at the same time...
It also fully embodies the evil intent to plunge its owner into darkness.
"Ah..."
Verdandi reached out her hand towards the dagger as if enchanted,
"Verdandi. Wait."
I caught her hand in mid-air.
Verdandi glared at me fiercely. Her eyes were already covered with a vivid golden glow—the majesty of the Sovereign, the previous green color hardly visible.
"Why are you doing this. This is my weapon, isn't it? Right, Ash?"
"..."
"With this dagger, I could end the life of any monster in an instant... If you entrust me with such a role, I will gladly perform it."
"Verdandi."
Verdandi is the strongest assassin among the heroes I command, and the legitimate successor of the fairy royal family, chosen by the tribal god.
She is already fully qualified. The only thing she needs is a weapon to kill dragons—a Dragon Slayer.
With this dagger in hand, she would be a powerful dragon slayer... capable of massacring the dragons beneath that lake.
"Just give me this dagger, and I will sweep all the monsters under hell. Until I have exterminated every last one of them, until peace returns to this world, I will be the hunter exterminating them from beneath that lake."
"..."
"So, please, give me the weapon and command me... You came for that, didn't you, Ash?"
Yes.
That's why I came.
For the remaining four Dragon Raids—The Black Dragon's wings, eyes, scales, and the Black Dragon itself.
Verdandi must play a major role in this hunt. She is the right person for the job, and she alone can accomplish it.
However, yet...
"Just promise me this, Verdandi."
We are commander and soldier, but also allies and friends.
We all are walking into darkness to fend off darkness... But still, I hope you maintain your last bit of humanity.
"Don't forget what's precious."
"What?"
"People are fine, and places too. Try hard to remember everything that was precious to you."
"..."
Verdandi looked confused.
I smiled bitterly. Even as I spoke, I wondered what old-fashioned nonsense I was uttering.
But... my intuition as a commander, built up on this hellish frontline, was telling me.
I needed to convey this now.
I had to light a candle in her inner self.
"Don't forget all the people that cherish you."
I took a locket out of my pocket and handed it to her.
"..."
Verdandi quickly grasped the handle of the dagger [Isagum].
The oozing black evil energy, crushed under the golden and green emerging from her grip, was forced back into the dagger.
"Don't worry, Ash."
Verdandi faintly smiled while showing complete control over the evil dagger.
"Elves have good memories."
"..."
I smiled faintly back and took out another pouch from my coat to give to her.
"And this is from your homeland. It was tasty."
It was a pouch of sunflower seeds, beloved by her race.
Taking the pouch, Verdandi smirked at me once more and bowed, and as I nodded back, I stood up and left the area.
As I moved away from the southern gate, I turned back, and Verdandi was still sitting there silently.
In front of the dead tree stump from which my younger sibling had ripped off the now blackened and burnt dead sibling, with a hand.
Without even opening the pouch of sunflower seeds in one hand. Quietly staring at the dagger held in the other hand.
***
North of Crossroad. The encampment of the Bringar Duchy army.
When I handed over the King of Flies armor [Lord of the High Tower], as expected, Dusk Bringar vehemently refused.
"Please! Think for yourself! This is clearly your armor!"
"It's a matter of efficiency, Duchess."
Knowing that Dusk Bringar would react this way, I calmly listed all the reasons why she needed to wear this armor.
The performance of the armor, the difference in utility between vanguard and support armor, the role Dusk Bringar needed to take in the upcoming Dragon Raid, her strategic importance, and even the assurance of my safety that everyone was worried about...
After I rambled non-stop for about 30 minutes, Dusk Bringar eventually gave in, tearing her hair out.
"Enough, I get it, enough! I can't beat you in an argument, so stop-!"
"So you will wear this armor, Duchess?"
"For now, yes. For now... Sigh."
I grinned and personally took the armor out of the box and helped Dusk Bringar put it on.
While I assisted her, Dusk Bringar sent me a complex pumpkin-colored glance.
"But do you need to be the one to help me put it on?"
"Isn’t it nice for a cute niece to help you?"
"Niece my foot, you're more like a great-grandson..."
I fully armored up this girl-looking duke who was grumbling like a distant elderly relative.
Finally, to put on the helmet, she had to take off the silver crown she was wearing.
"..."
Dusk Bringar held the broken and restored crown in her hand for a moment, fiddling with it before finally setting it down beside her.
Then she put on the helmet, which had a halo-shaped crown attached to it.
"Ho."
Fully equipped, she admired herself for a moment, looking down at her body.
"Let's see..."
As she closed her eyes and concentrated, the halo part of the helmet emitted a white light... and the size of the armor adjusted.
Chrrrrk!
The helmet tightened to fit her small head size, and the chains efficiently disassembled and reassembled.
A moment later, Dusk Bringar turned around in place, now wearing a cool black coat that fit her body perfectly.
"Interesting armor. Seems to have hidden functions. Above all, I can feel a distinct darkness."
"Are you okay with that?"
"Of course. This level of darkness, this level of curse is trivial."
Dusk Bringar smiled bitterly.
"The darkness and curse I've committed are not to be taken lightly either."
"..."
"Wear it well, Ash. And now that you're in such fine armor, show off at the front lines of the battle."
Dusk Bringar then looked at me with a worried expression.
"And please, as the leader of this frontline... Take a bit more care of yourself."
"..."
"This is sincere advice from the leader of your allied forces. Take it seriously, you understand?"
"I understand, Duchess."
I nodded.
"I don't want to die either. I'll make sure to look after my own safety."
***
"...While saying that, it seems like you've given all the armor to other subordinates."
Lucas looked at me with dumbfounded eyes.
As armor made from Tustivian leather and scales began to be produced in the forge, and the prototype of the mass production model was secured, Lucas's new armor [Black Scale] also returned to its owner.
Finally wearing his new armor, Lucas sent me a worried look.
Apparently, my name was not on the list for the allocation of the mass-produced armor.
I chuckled in disbelief.
"Why does everyone treat me like a child left by the water? Don't worry, I'll take care of myself. And how many emergency measures do I have? Don't worry."
Hey! I’m a system user! Do you know your status screens?! Status! If I shout that, the system interface pops up right in front of me! I have more cheats than any of you could lack. Stop worrying.
"...That's probably why everyone is so anxious."
Lucas, now fully dressed in beautiful black scale armor, sighed.
"The battles have been tough so far, but this Black Dragon subjugation... The burden I feel from the bottom of my heart is different."
"..."
"Up until now, it has been a fight against monsters that were merely hideous and evil. But this time, it feels like I'm fighting a being above the clouds. It's like brandishing a sword at a god."
"Afraid?"
"I've always been afraid. But whereas before it was just about calming the trembling of my body, in front of a dragon... it's like even my soul is trembling."
I was a bit surprised by Lucas's candid confession.
Even Lucas, who always threw himself into the enemy lines first, was actually fighting his own fears, and now... he was feeling a fear beyond that.
'My [Unyielding Commander] skill prevents mental status abnormalities.'
However, apart from that, all of my heroes have been fighting their own inner fears.
The dragon species is of a different class compared to the monsters we've faced so far. Night Bringer, the leader of the Black Dragon Legion, even more so.
Can we really defeat such a transcendent being... Everyone must be pondering similar concerns.
"Huh. Very well."
Lucas, having completed donning the [Black Scale], straightened his posture and looked into the mirror.
It's a very fine armor that does not fall short of Evangeline's [Snow White].
In the game, these two ultimate armors, with their real white and real black coloring, were very popular among the fashion-focused players. Both pretty in appearance and outstanding in performance.
'It seems that, just like the old [Midnight and Dusk] set, all the Real Black armors end up with Lucas.'
The overall color scheme of the heroes has become rather somber since all the Black Dragon Legion equipment is black. Stylish, though.
"My lord."
Then, with his back to me but his bright blue eyes shining in the mirror, Lucas spoke to me.
"Please allow the use of [Excannibal] in the upcoming battles..."
"Nope, absolutely not."
I rejected his request outright. Lucas immediately made a 'woe is me' sound and deflated. Where did all his coolness go just now?
"..."
Lucas's personal weapon [Bestowed Sword] is very good equipment.
Infinite durability, increased attack range, and a perfect match with Lucas's own skills. It's impeccable as a final gear piece.
However, it lacks the destructive attack power of a cursed sword like [Excannibal], which was recovered from the Fallen King. That is also a fact.
In the recent Tustivian Raid, Lucas's sword strikes struggled to tear through the beast's scales.
Lucas must have felt the need for stronger attacks to defeat the remaining dragons. That's why he asked for permission to use the cursed sword.
'Of course, I know that.'
In a do-or-die worst-case scenario, whether it's beast transformation or Excannibal, I'd have to pull it out.
But if such a situation arises, I must be the one to command its use.
I must be the one to order my right-hand knight to don the darkness. Not by his own volition.
That way, the responsibility is mine.
'Besides, this guy abuses it too much!'
If I allowed it, he would undoubtedly use it recklessly without regard for his own body.
"Cursed sword usage is strictly forbidden! Let's drop this topic."
I hammered it in once more and then pulled out the list.
"Let’s see which vanguard character still needs to be equipped with Dragon Slayer armor and weapons..."
It's about time to depart for the next raid. It's critical to get the equipment settings right, but there are still heroes who haven't been fully outfitted...
"Kuilan and, then."
I glanced at Lucas.
"Hecate."
"...!"
"Both are refusing to accept their equipment. Whether through scolding or persuasion, you need to get them suited up quickly."
I commanded the hesitating Lucas.
"I'll go to Kuilan, you go see Hecate."
"...When do you want me to go?"
I smiled lightly. Lucas also smiled awkwardly in return.
"Right now, you knucklehead!"
The next raid is imminent. When else would it be? Get moving!
--TL Notes--
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