My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 99: Chapter 99

Chapter 99 - Responsibility

In the dead of winter, when a freezing chill swept through the land as though it could freeze everything,

Hestia Village was as busy as ever with construction work.

Hanson, who had been working there since the village’s earliest days, had been promoted from foreman to site supervisor.

Among the commoner-born technicians who managed the foremen, they had climbed the highest.

"Hey, give me a bigger piece of meat! How’s a man supposed to work after eating this little?"

"Meat is distributed according to the fixed ration."

"What fixed ration? That piece over there looks bigger. You’re giving other people more than me, aren’t you? You call that a fixed ration?"

"Come on now, Mr. Site Supervisor. Since you’ve gotten promoted, why don’t you buy some ham and share it with everyone? The side-dish supplies are still a complete mess."

"If I waste money buying food like that, when am I ever going to save any!? Just give me that bigger piece of meat instead."

After a lengthy argument, he managed to secure a large chunk of meat.

Hanson stepped away from the serving table with a satisfied grin.

"Supervisor Hanson! Over here! I saved you a seat!"

He sat down on a spot a reasonable distance away from the campfire.

"Wow. Even after becoming a supervisor, you still eat with us?"

"When would I have time to eat with the important folks? While they’re sitting around taking it easy, everyone else is doing the work!"

"Where did that knight go?"

Hanson shrugged.

"How would I know? He disappears out of nowhere all the time, and I’ve stopped caring. He doesn’t even eat anyway, so let’s just enjoy our meal."

A moment later, one of the foremen approached, nervously looking around.

"Having lunch?"

"I sure am. What is it? Your wife’s chasing after you or something?"

"Something like a wife. I’d rather not run into her. Here, hurry up and take this."

He pulled something out from inside his coat.

It was ham.

"Oh! Where’d you get ham?"

"I heard there were supply problems."

"What can I say? I quietly borrowed one from those Southerners."

The man proudly boasted about committing theft.

Instead of scolding him, the others praised him like a hero.

"If you were going to steal one, why not grab a bigger one?"

"This was the biggest one."

"You rascal, that’s a beauty. I was thinking the meat rations weren’t enough anyway. Time to grease our stomachs a little. Someone take out a knife."

"My knife’s filthy. Use yours."

"Mine’s just as dirty. Just hand it over."

"If you hold it over the fire, it’ll be sterilized, won’t it?"

"Then let’s sterilize yours over the fire."

Just as they were bickering over whose knife to use—

"Gentlemen."

"That brat’s here! Hide it, quick!"

At the young man’s voice, the workers scrambled in panic.

The next instant, they acted as though nothing had happened, casually scooping up stew.

The young man approaching them wore half plate armor, carried a sword, and had an armband marked ’Captain of Public Security.’

It was William.

Even his voice alone radiated rigid seriousness.

"The people from Halim say some of their food supplies have gone missing. Would any of you happen to know anything about that?"

"No idea. Do you?"

"Me neither. Maybe that desert god they worship turned into a ghost and stole it."

The young man slowly scanned the group.

Then his eyes landed on an unnaturally large bulge in someone’s pants.

"Please take out whatever you’re hiding in there."

"Now hold on! You’re telling a man to expose himself while he’s eating?"

"Because it looks suspicious. Hurry up and take it out."

"I’ve always been well-endowed."

"...Please don’t make this any more embarrassing for all of us."

With no other choice, the man pulled the ham out from inside his pants.

William let out a deep sigh.

"This is theft, plain and simple. Why are you all acting like this?"

"Come on now. Those guys did the same thing! They stole some of our construction materials and then denied it."

"Exactly! If they can do it, why can’t we?"

The workers loudly insisted the ham rightfully belonged to them because it was only fair.

But such arguments meant nothing to the Captain of Public Security.

"I have a duty to keep peace in this village. Please stop giving each other reasons to start fights."

"I’m telling you, they did it first. You’re not going to throw us in jail over something this small, are you?"

"Let’s just say rubbing it against someone’s crotch is revenge enough. Next time, I’ll enforce the law properly."

"That’s not a bad punishment. Your crotch smells awful anyway."

"Oh yeah? Says the guy who hasn’t bathed in a week!"

While the workers argued over who smelled worse, the Captain of Public Security picked up the ham as though it were garbage and walked away.

Watching his back, the workers grumbled.

"Damn. That refugee became successful the moment he got here."

"Where did that guy even come from?"

"No idea. His name’s William, and he’s just a refugee. But the administrator took one look at him and immediately made him Captain of Public Security."

"Why would you give such an important position to a refugee?"

"Maybe he slipped the administrator some noble family’s heirloom."

"What would a Dragon Spawn gain from something like that?"

"Still, doesn’t the job suit him? He’s so stiff he acts like a real knight."

"True enough."

As much as they hated to admit it, it was true.

He had never once done anything unworthy of the badge of Captain of Public Security.

Then another thought occurred to one of them.

"Come to think of it... why haven’t they given our knight any position at all?"

All the foremen nodded in agreement.

Considering his monstrous strength, it was stranger that he was still working as a laborer.

"I honestly thought the Captain of Public Security would be our armored knight."

"I heard they never even offered him the position. When I asked the administrator why our knight hadn’t been given a title yet, she just said they were considering it."

"So they’re thinking about it. We just have to wait."

"Thinking? More like they’re planning to work him to the bone and throw him away afterward. That greedy official’s as corrupt as they come."

Those words instantly chilled the foremen.

"Uh... isn’t the administrator a dragon?"

"Not a dragon. A Dragon Spawn."

"To people like us, that’s basically the same thing. They’re the kind who’d snap your spine in half if they got angry. Is it really safe to talk like that?"

"...I was just saying."

Hanson lowered his head and muttered.

He valued his own life enough not to actually express those complaints where they could be heard.

Among commoners, there had always been an old saying.

Be careful around anything with horns.

Demons, Dragon Spawn, or dragons—

They all possessed power far beyond that of humans.

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Isn’t that our knight over there?"

"Speak of the tiger, and here he comes."

A man in armor, completely out of place at a construction site, walked inside.

"Sir Knight! Over here!"

Hanson waved enthusiastically to get his attention.

Spotting someone he knew, the armored knight hurried over with quick steps.

"Look at him running. Almost like a young lady."

"With that height and build? No way."

They dismissed it as some strange knightly custom.

More importantly, he was someone capable of lifting eleven logs with his bare hands.

Compared to that, his graceful mannerisms hardly mattered.

Of course, the one inside the armor was none other than Grand Duchess Valdrova.

"Sir Knight, have you eaten yet?"

Nod. Nod.

"Then why don’t you sit here and rest for a bit? We were just talking about something."

She tilted her head in confusion.

"We were saying it’s a real shame they haven’t given our knight any official position after everything you’ve done building this city."

"...?"

"I mean, you’ve contributed so much to this city’s construction. Doesn’t it bother you that they’ve done absolutely nothing for you?"

Hanson spoke rapidly.

Part of him genuinely felt it was unfair.

But another part of him had his own selfish motives.

Nothing was more useful than having someone you knew in a powerful position.

He wanted nothing more than to see the knight appointed to office so he could enjoy the benefits of that influence.

Naturally, Valdrova failed to see through such shallow intentions.

I’m already happy with the work I’m doing now.

She truly was satisfied with her current job.

More than becoming a knight, she wanted to build things.

Even if the pay was lower, the sense of accomplishment every time a building was completed was beyond words.

She preferred staying here to becoming a knight.

Just as everyone was finishing their meal—

"You son of a—!"

A furious shout rang out.

Everyone’s attention naturally turned toward the commotion.

A group of armed men had grabbed a young girl.

Standing nearby was an older girl, apparently her guardian, trembling uncontrollably.

"Can’t you keep your little sister under control!? Why’d you let her carry something like that? She got my clothes filthy!"

"I’m so sorry, Adventurer. I’ll wash your clothes myself, so please..."

"Get your filthy hands off me! Do you even know how much these clothes cost? Three shillings!"

"I-I... I’m sorry! I dirtied such expensive clothes..."

"Anyone can apologize. Pay me."

"Y-Yes...?"

"Are your ears clogged?! I said hand over three shillings!"

The girl’s face turned deathly pale.

It was only natural.

She didn’t even know where tomorrow’s meal would come from.

How could she possibly produce three shillings?

Watching from afar, the workers quietly commented.

"There’s been a lot more people like that lately."

"Well, this place was built for adventurers, wasn’t it? Naturally they’d gather here."

"There are plenty of adventurers in the Empire too. I’ve never seen ones this rude."

"Guys like that get thrown out quickly back home. All bark and no bite. That’s why they’re stuck at Bronze or Silver rank."

The foremen clicked their tongues as they gossiped.

But none of them had the courage to confront the adventurers.

"I-I’ll repay the money. I’m staying here, so I’ll save up little by little..."

"At that rate, I’ll die of old age before you earn three shillings."

"You know... your big brother here knows a much faster way to earn three shillings. Want me to teach you?"

"W-What do you mean...?"

A lecherous hand reached toward the girl.

Instinctively realizing what was about to happen, she shrank back in terror.

"Those filthy bastards...!"

Just as the foremen finally stood up, unable to watch any longer—

Someone else rose even faster.

The armored knight.

Simply standing up in heavy plate armor was enough to stop the foremen in their tracks.

She slowly walked toward the group.

Although the armor was smaller than her original set, it was still enormous.

Its sheer size alone made the thuggish adventurers tense up.

"W-Who are you?"

"..."

"Y-You bastard! Do you think I’ll get scared just because you’re standing there silently?!"

Valdrova raised her fist.

The thugs flinched, thinking she was about to attack.

Instead, she slowly opened her hand.

Inside were three silver coins.

Three shillings.

She was paying the compensation herself.

The thugs, finally realizing what was happening, tried to regain their dignity.

"So you’re paying us to leave? Fine. We’ll do that! Hey, brat! Count yourself lucky!"

The bullies pocketed the money and shoved the young girl away as though throwing her aside.

The little girl stumbled straight into Valdrova’s arms.

She remained quietly nestled against Valdrova’s chest.

Valdrova awkwardly hugged the air for a moment, unsure what she should do, before lowering her hands.

Just then, the girl’s older sister approached.

"Th-Thank you for saving us, Sir Knight."

"..."

"I-I’ll definitely repay the money somehow. So please... please give my sister back..."

The older girl looked ready to burst into tears.

The hand holding the basket trembled uncontrollably with fear.

Without a word, Valdrova gently handed the little girl back to her.

The older sister wiped away her tears before pulling her younger sister along as they ran off somewhere.

Valdrova silently stared after their retreating figures.

"Why did you pay them? Those scumbags deserved a punch each, at the very least!"

"..."

Hanson tried to argue with her, but Valdrova merely looked at him in silence.

Remembering that she possessed the monstrous strength to lift eleven logs, Hanson instinctively lowered his voice.

"It seems Sir Knight has his own reasons, being an adventurer himself. It would be pointless for someone like me to question your judgment."

Valdrova herself vaguely understood that it had not been the right choice.

Seeing them grabbing that little girl had filled her with anger.

Her fists had clenched, and she had wanted to strike one of them hard enough to make him cry.

But she could not allow things to escalate into violence.

Valdrova knew this better than anyone.

If I use my strength... someone will die.

Death brought sorrow to someone.

To someone else, it brought fear.

It was something she had felt and witnessed over the course of decades... even centuries.

I don’t want that.

So if possible, she wanted to resolve situations peacefully.

Right now, the best solution had simply been money.

So she gave the adventurer exactly what he wanted.

The situation ended there.

Without anyone getting hurt.

That alone was enough for Valdrova.

She wished the whole world could be resolved so peacefully.

Then—

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A loud alarm bell suddenly echoed throughout the village.

"What’s that sound?"

"It seems to be coming from the center of the village."

No one actually knew what the bell signified.

But everyone could guess that it was warning of danger.

The question was...

Was it truly danger?

As everyone stood frozen in place, the Captain of Public Security came running toward them with his sword drawn.

"It’s the real thing! Everyone who can’t fight, get inside the buildings immediately! A horde of monsters is approaching!"

"M-Monsters?"

"Oh, damn it! So this really is the Eastern Region!"

"Foremen! Hurry and spread the word to the workers and evacuate them! This is not a drill!"

The foremen shouted frantically as they directed the evacuation.

Valdrova remained standing where she was.

Monsters...

Her mind seemed to turn completely blank.

Now that monsters were approaching, she found herself unable to make any decision.

"You’re the armored knight, correct?"

"..."

"We need every capable hand right now. If you’re willing... will you fight for this city?"

"..."

Receiving no response, William tried to persuade her again.

"The Public Security Force can’t hold them back alone! Everyone’s lives are in danger! Hestia Village could collapse! Everything we’ve built could disappear! We need your help!"

Only after William’s desperate plea did Valdrova finally regain her senses.

She nodded.

Then she followed behind him.

Following William, she was met with a city thrown into utter chaos.

Everyone hurried about with terrified expressions, carrying whatever belongings they could gather.

Members of the Public Security Force, clad in armor and carrying spears, rushed awkwardly toward William.

"Sir! About seventy percent of the evacuation has been completed! Shall we finish the rest?"

"No, that’s enough! Public Security Force! Form a spear wall in front of me!"

The spearmen lined up across the road, lowering their spears.

They were soldiers in name only.

Most had barely received any proper training.

That was precisely why they desperately needed the adventurers’ help.

Captain of Public Security.

Isabella’s voice echoed directly into William’s mind.

It is predicted that a pack of Wolf Monsters will enter through an alley on the western side. Could you dispatch some adventurers there?

"Understood!"

William quickly scanned the area.

Spotting a familiar group of adventurers, he shouted.

"Adventurers! Please defend the western alley— Where are you going!? Hurry and join the battlefield—"

"Are you insane? You think I became an adventurer just to throw my life away here?"

"We informed you that adventurers would be mobilized during emergencies!"

"Like I care! I’m not helping!"

"You’re the Public Security Force! Protect the place yourselves!"

"I didn’t see anything. I saw absolutely nothing."

They had come hoping to make a fortune.

But the moment real danger appeared before them, they fled without hesitation.

Not only were they useless—

They left behind nothing but panic that crushed everyone’s morale.

Those damn bastards...

William felt his blood pressure soaring.

He had believed that, troublesome as they were, the adventurers would at least prove useful in a critical moment.

Even that hope had been shattered.

In the end...

Only the handful of conscientious adventurers and the Public Security Force could be relied upon.

The armored knight with monstrous strength.

Right now...

She was the only person William could trust.

If the Public Security Force was going to hold the main road safely, they desperately needed her.

William made his decision.

"Sir Knight."

"...?"

"We need more fighters in the western alley. Monsters are coming through there. They have to be stopped."

"..."

"Can you manage it alone? If not, I’ll assign four more people to accompany—"

Valdrova interrupted him.

Her gesture clearly meant:

No reinforcements are necessary. Handle your own responsibilities.

Without another word, she began walking.

Toward the east.

"S-Sir Knight? That’s not the way..."

Ah.

The west was over there.

She quietly corrected her direction.

Although the main force had lost one of its strongest fighters, William had no other choice.

Moments later, the source of the alarm bells finally revealed itself.

Bursting out of the forest—

It charged straight into the village.

ROOOAR!

Fifteen Wolf Monsters—

Each one twice the size of an ordinary wolf.

Three of them appeared on the main road.

William raised his sword high and shouted.

"Hold your spears steady! Advance one step!"

The soldiers obeyed, inching forward.

Before them...

Stood death itself.

Who could walk boldly toward death?

Certainly not these barely trained soldiers.

The wolves savored the fear radiating from them.

Their instincts told them everything.

If they pushed just a little harder—

The formation would collapse.

ROAR!

"W-Wait! Don’t come any closer! Stay back!"

One Wolf Monster slipped past the line of spear shafts and charged straight into the formation.

Unable to withstand the fearless assault, the infantry stumbled backward in panic.

"Aaaah!"

Just as the soldier thought he was about to be devoured—

A crimson sword aura slashed violently across the Wolf Monster’s head.

Yelp!

Its head mangled, the Wolf Monster staggered backward.

The one who had delivered the devastating blow was none other than William.

Pulling the fallen guardsman back to his feet, he shouted,

"Get up! Hold your spear properly! If you want to live, brace your spear firmly and lower your center of gravity! You only need to hinder their movements!"

William struck his own chest.

The sound of his plate armor rang out like a great iron bell.

"I’ll take responsibility for your lives!"