Dictator From Outer Space

It had been two years since Zigarion descended from the floating continent, but people still regarded him as an unknown being.

They could not tell if he was a friend or a foe, and they thought he was impossible to communicate with.

They had not seen a dragon since the Great War, so they had that kind of impression.

The elves had more experience with living dragons, having witnessed and fought them directly, but humans had shorter lifespans and had to rely on documents.

According to them, dragons were on the side of humans.

Or rather, to be precise, there were dragons who sided with humans during the Great War.

They said this because of the battle that took place around the branches of Yggdrasil, where dragons attacked the Allied Forces.

Although no one died, humans developed a fear of the existence of dragons.

—I thought they were on our side, but they weren’t…

—I think it’s best to see dragons as unpredictable beings. We shouldn’t assume they are on our side.

—Why did they suddenly appear? What do they want from us?

—By the way, is it the same individual? The last time it appeared, it didn’t fight back against the barrage of fire from the airship fleet and ran away, but in this battle it overwhelmed dozens of Goliaths.

—Maybe it’s trying to protect some balance that we can’t perceive. It attacked Elvrande’s fleet before and the Allied Forces this time.

Various observations continued, and there were also factions that tried to talk to the dragon and bring it to their side.

But they had to see the dragon first to talk to it.

It was such a rare being that it was hard to find anyone who had seen it.

Then, a dragon appeared in the sky above Roseron in Bagran.

It was definitely not a lie, as many people witnessed it.

Above all, the huge blue wings that spread across the sky proved its existence.

“A dragon has appeared!”

“Oh my… It’s really a dragon…”

The citizens of Roseron stared blankly at the sight of the dragon flying.

To them, dragons were mythical beings that they didn’t even know existed.

There were some eyewitness accounts, but not many, and they only had access to documents, so they doubted the existence itself.

But the dragon really appeared.

It circled around Roseron slowly as if to show off, then landed with a thud on the newly built royal palace.

“Ugh! That’s a new building!”

“It must have been built very sturdy! It’s not collapsing!”

Strangely enough, there were few people who ran away, probably because the dragon was not very aggressive.

It threw a lightning-like gaze at the crowd gathered on the street.

—I ask you. Who is the king of this country?

“Huh? It can talk?”

“It’s looking for the king…”

“King Bagran III passed away…”

“Then Princess Adella… No, how would it know her.”

Adella had been treated strictly as a princess since Leobold took over as regent.

She lived a rich and glamorous life, but that was all. She had nothing to do with politics.

People who knew etiquette thought Leobold was greedy for power.

If he intended to pass on the throne to Princess Adella later, he should have started educating her by now.

Some people also wished that Leobold would marry Adella and lead Bagran.

That was after he showed his amazing combat skills in the war against Elvrande’s army.

That wish subsided after he formed an alliance with Count Croitz of Zaium, but anyway, Bagran and Count Leobold Vandus were inseparable.

Zigarion asked again impatiently.

—Is there no king in this country? If not, bring someone who can represent it. Right now.

“Tell His Excellency Regent!”

People moved busily.

Soon after, Leobold appeared on the terrace of the royal palace and faced the blue dragon.

Surprisingly, he did not tremble or shrink even though he saw the dragon up close.

People sincerely admired his calm posture.

‘He must feel its breath even at that distance… If it were an ordinary person, they would have peed their pants by now.’

‘Wait a minute, isn’t His Excellency Regent stronger? He’s the one who fought against hundreds of Elven Knights.’

‘But there’s no Goliath. Isn’t the dragon much stronger?’

As whispers continued here and there, the blue dragon opened his mouth while staring at him.

—My name is Zigarion. I am the only dragon who survived after the Great War. What is your name?

“People call me Count Leobold Vandus or Regent.”

—Then I ask you, Regent. Where is justice in this country?

Leobold frowned slightly.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

—I have been asleep for a long time after the Great War. I woke up recently and remembered the mission that Altema gave me. I am the guardian and the watcher of the humans.

At that point, the blue wings spread across the sky.

They were so big that they seemed to cover the sky in people’s eyes.

Zigarion pushed his head toward Leobold.

Now they were looking at each other at a distance of less than a meter.

People on the street could hardly breathe.

It seemed like Leobold would be eaten at any moment.

—I have been watching Bagran for years. And I came to one conclusion. There is no justice in this country.

“May I ask why you judged that way?”

—Don’t you know and ask me? If there is justice in this country, why do humans enslave other humans?

“That is…”

Leobold pretended to make a serious expression.

In fact, there had been no slaves in the east and the royal direct territory for quite some time.

He issued a royal decree to ban it and settled the wandering refugees on the farmland.

There was some damage in the process, but it went smoother than expected anyway.

As a result, slaves only existed in the west of Bagran.

There were so many people and it was so prosperous that he couldn’t ignore their proportion, so he just left them alone.

If he explained these things, Zigarion would rage and flap his wings.

A strong wind swept up the people around him.

—So you’re saying that the great lords of the west ignore the royal decree!

“It’s because Her Highness Princess is young? Or because I wasn’t good enough? Anyway, they definitely ignore the laws and authority of this country and the royal family. It’s all my fault.”

—If the lords of the west ignore you, why haven’t you done anything about them until now? Regent means a position that rules on behalf of a young princess, right?

“I couldn’t disturb the peace of the people.”

—You couldn’t disturb the peace? Explain in detail.

“I am strong. Not as much as you, but not enough to be pushed by the great lords of the west. But if I wage war against them to punish them, too much blood will flow in Bagran.”

—Are you saying they will resist? Even though they disobeyed the royal decree?

Leobold smiled bitterly at this point.

“That’s what nobility means in this country. I tried to change that perception, but it was not easy.”

Only then did the people realize why Vandus’s Regent had left the Western Lords alone.

Starting a war was easy.

But if he did, the blood that would flow in the West would be incomparable to what had happened so far.

He must have been afraid of that.

Zigarion finally lifted his head, as if he had made up his mind after hearing that.

―Then good. I will get rid of them.

“…Excuse me?”

―There is no need to spill too much blood. If I take out their families along with the Lords, what can they do?

“The number of those who want to surrender will increase since you are a dragon. But why do you want to do that?”

―I am the last dragon who vowed to protect humans according to the promise I made with Gold Dragon Altima. I did not know why she put me to sleep, but now everything is clear. After the Great War, there was a need for someone to protect humans.

“Altima cared for us humans even until her death…….”

Balgard could not tell if Altima really thought that way, since he did not bother to ask.

But anyway, no one knew that.

He could make up anything he wanted and no one would question him.

Zigarion flapped his wings vigorously and soared into the sky in an instant.

The people scattered, screaming at the storm that swept over them.

―So I will fulfill my mission! In my own way! Warn them! One chance should be enough!

The Blue Dragon disappeared beyond the sky.

***

Zigarion’s appearance caused a stir in Bagran.

His appearance itself was not so surprising, but the fact that he wanted to intervene in Bagran shocked many people.

To them, dragons were beings of the distant past.

They thought they had nothing to do with Astera in 1038 AC, but he suddenly showed up and raged at the existence of slavery and threatened to punish the Western Lords. It was absurd.

―Was there ever a time when Astera had no slavery?

―If he had a problem with slavery, he should have gone to Zaium. They have tens of thousands of slaves in the palace there.

―I have a feeling that he is somehow aligning with Vandus’s Regent’s agenda, but that must be a coincidence, right?

―No way, a dragon who slept for nearly 200 years would have anything to do with humans.

―He slept in the Floating Continent, and the first person who went there was Vandus’s Regent, right?

―Something smells fishy……

There were some doubts like this, but most people focused on the dragon itself.

There were also some enthusiasts who got excited when Altima’s name came up.

―A dragon who woke up after 200 years to keep his promise… How romantic……

―Come to think of it, that was also why Altima fought. It was to protect us from the oppression of the elves.

The actual reason for the Great War was complex, but there were not many records left, so people thought that way.

When the rumor reached that point, Zaium was also turned upside down.

They were worried that the Blue Dragon might attack Zaium as well, since he hated slavery.

Leobold finished his long conversation with Barak Crown Prince and took his hand off the communication device.

“What are you so worried about?”

“He might fly to the palace and breathe fire any minute. That’s what worries me. Compared to what has happened so far, his temperament is unpredictable.”

That must be it.

Balgard, who was maintaining order in Wangdo instead of Granden, said so.

Zaium was too big to mess with right away.

“I know. It would be better if they stayed in chaos until you deal with them. By the way, are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you more suited for conquest than that stupid Zion? If you had sent me, I would have done it cleanly.”

Well, if Balgard had gone, at least a few thousand people would have died.

“A murderous weapon of unknown origin is less appealing than a dragon. And think about Elvrande’s princess who is coming.”

“Aha, there was an elf princess.”

Princess Margareta of Elvrande was currently heading this way after being handed over at the Floating Continent front line.

Since the altitude was so high, there were no obstacles and she slowed down her speed, so it would take at least two weeks.

There would be chaos in Elvrande because of the dragon issue, but she would not go back.

Then a clerk came in with a communication device.

“Regent, sir, there is a contact from Duke Townsend of the West.”

“Ho. He must not want to die.”

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

The clerk left and as soon as Leobold put his hand on the communication device, Duke Townsend’s urgent voice popped out.

“Count Vandus, what is this all of a sudden? Why did a dragon appear?”

He and the other Western Lords called Leobold a count, not a regent.

The rank and the position were different, so it was not wrong to call him that, but it showed their intention not to acknowledge him as their superior.

“I was surprised too when he suddenly showed up. I tried to talk to him as much as I could, but…….”

“That’s not what you should do. Shouldn’t you raise a dragon subjugation army? He might invade my territory any time!”

“Do you really need that?”

“…What do you mean?”

“I clearly ordered you by royal decree to deal with the slavery issue quickly, but you have been stalling with all kinds of excuses until now. Now the dragon is going to solve that for you, and why should I form a subjugation army?”

“You’re crazy. Do you want to kill all the Western Lords?”

“It would look much better to kill them with the dragon’s help than with my own hands. Or should I say feet, in this case?”

Duke Townsend was shocked and terrified by the sly voice.

This damn Count Vandus had planned this from the beginning.

Anger filled his head.

He did not even think about how he had persuaded the dragon.

“Count Vandus, you bastard…….”

“If you have time to babble like that, you better run away quickly. Dragons don’t know how to save face like humans. They will kill you regardless of your nobility or wealth.”

“Galisto won’t sit still! Aren’t you afraid of Pangral Archduke?”

He spat out the names of the forces that he assumed were Leobold’s enemies, but they sounded trivial to him.

“Whether they care about Bagran’s nobility or not… I don’t know what kind of promise they made, but if they want to fight a dragon, they can come anytime.”

“You brought the dragon!”

“Did you just figure that out?”

The communication was cut off and Balgard chuckled.

“So that’s why you hid Zigarion’s identity all this time.”

“If he had been a little stronger, I would have used him in Zaium. By the way, there is something you can do for me.”

“I’ll pass on the cleanup. That’s not my job… Damn it, fine. I can tell by your face that you’re going to send me anyway.”

“Granden is gone, so you have to do it.”

“What is that ignorant fool doing in that faraway land?”

“Preparing to swallow up two kingdoms. It will be chaotic when Zigarion destroys the West. You have to lead the knights and clean up the mess.”

Balgard tilted his head at that point.

“Wasn’t that supposed to be the lord’s job? That’s how you win the people’s hearts.”

“You can’t show off your power too often. And don’t kill anyone who resists.”

“So I can spare a few cowards. Fine. I was bored of dealing with the idiots in Wangdo anyway. It’s like exercise after a long time. By the way, when are we going to fight Tirenzel?”

“He’s making his own godhood. He’ll probably hurry up after this.”

But even if Tirenzel moved, Balgard wouldn’t have to face him.

His target was the Assembly and Kelodian, and then Leobold.

He didn’t know if he would change his mind after seeing the intact branch of Elgdrazil and the living princess.

Meanwhile, Elvrande also noticed Zigarion’s appearance.

Kelodian insisted that they should bring back the princess immediately, but he met with opposition from the elders.

“Let her be. There’s no point in moving the fleet when we can’t even communicate. It will only provoke the humans.”

“But Zigarion has appeared. The princess might be harmed!”

“Ah… That’s unfortunate.”

But Drizden’s voice did not sound sorry at all.

‘Could it be that the elders moved the dragon… or are they just taking advantage of the situation?’

He was sure they had no intention of saving the princess.

The elders wanted to kill Margareta on this occasion.

What crime did she commit to deserve that, other than being an obstacle by her mere existence?

If her death could unite the elves, all the more reason.

Kelodian felt a cold chill on his spine.

He didn’t know what would happen if the princess, who was directly connected to Elgdrazil, died.

But one thing was certain.

Count Vandus would be blamed as the culprit of the princess’s death.

The territory of Duke Townsend was the richest and most prosperous in Bagran.

It was not so much because he had great skills, but because he had various specialties and a large population from the beginning.

Since 100 years ago, Bagran’s East was nothing compared to the West.

He was also able to trade with both Denova and Gram Kingdom, as he was located between them.

Gram Kingdom hated elves very much, as they were descendants of Altima’s champion, and therefore had no contact with Denova.

Thanks to that, Duke Townsend could earn a decent commission from both sides.

He maximized his profit by using slaves for labor costs in trade.

That was a bonus.

With his wealth, Duke Townsend also invested a lot in strengthening his military power.

He imported Zaium’s official machines with bribes and hired many magicians to protect his castle.

His efforts paid off and his castle was rated as the strongest in Bagran.

His mercenary corps was not as good as the royal guard knights, but incomparable to other lords.

However, Duke Townsend did not think he could stop Vandus’s Regent with that.

Even dozens of Elven Knights could not match him, let alone his troops.

“As long as I don’t make a fuss, it will be fine. He can’t touch me if I just keep quiet.”

Even if he was a reckless regent, he couldn’t make enemies of the entire West.

He needed at least some pretext for that.

“Slavery is not a pretext. He can’t ignore Bagran’s tradition that has been passed down since before the Great War.”

Vandus’s Regent knew that too, so he pressured them to abolish slavery, but he did not resort to violence.

But today, someone who had a problem with that appeared.

And it was not a human, but a dragon.

Duke Townsend looked at the Blue Dragon floating in the sky with despairing eyes.

He was surprisingly Altima’s contractor and burning with a sense of justice.

His aides were at a loss after confirming that.

If he was a human, they could fight him.

But a dragon?

“He is asking for a dialogue! You should go see him!”

They all looked at Duke Townsend and he hesitated before finally going out to the terrace.

A huge yellow eyeball looked down at him.

“Wha, what do you want? O great dragon.”

―Phew, it was hard to pretend. Now I can do whatever I want.

“What are you saying…….”

―The gold bars are over there, and the mercenaries are all hiding… Oh, and don’t forget the silverware. You’re too frugal, you know. It’s a giveaway.

Zigarion muttered to himself for a while, as if he was talking to someone else.

Everyone’s tension was about to ease when he opened his mouth wide.

―Good. Now die.

An enhanced Lightning Breath spewed out.

Duke Townsend did not expect the dragon who asked for a dialogue to attack, and he took the breath head-on.

“You son of a…….”

Kwaaaa―

Dozens of lightning bolts swept him and his aides at once.