Chapter 27 Raised Social Status (1).

Chapter 27 Raised Social Status (1).

Chapter 27 Raised Social Status (1).

Chapter 27 - Raised Social Status (1)

1

He had a dream.

It was a dream about the distant past.

However, his dream was vivid as if it had happened not too long ago. It was that kind of dream.

'This must be a dream.'

Azell dumbly thought to himself.

He was familiar with having a lucid dream. A normal person would question how this was possible. However, Spirit Order practitioners learn how to control the mind, so he had experienced a lot of lucid dreams until he was sick of it. If he wanted to, it was possible for him to induce a lucid dream.

However, this dream had nothing to do with his intent.

In the dream, Azell was with someone within the ruins of a castle. At one time, the castle had boasted to be the most majestic in the world.

This was the castle where the Dragon Demon King Atein had presided.

"There aren't any useful things left here."

He heard an apologetic voice. When he looked to his side, Carlos was there.

Azell was accustomed to his looks. He was a youthful magician with tidy brown hair, and cold gray eyes.

'Those hairs will disappear in a couple decades, and his head will be smooth.'

Those thoughts were the first thing that came into his mind. However, he couldn't help it since the aged Carlos' look was too shocking.

Carlos had no idea what Azell was thinking, and he started to sigh.

"That damn bastard Atein didn't leave anything behind in his research lab even though he is a magician."

Carlos had used every means imaginable to find a way to dispel the curse put on Azell by Atein. They had searched this castle a couple dozen times to find even a minor clue.

However, it was fruitless. Atein's extensive collection of magical tomes didn't have any clues on how to release Azell from the curse. The lab had a surprising amount of magical products, but it didn't have anything of interest.

Azell consoled his friend.

"Atein may be the very first magician. It is to be expected that he would be different from other magicians."

The Dragon Demon race created the skill called magic.

Moreover, Atein was the first of the Dragon Demon race to be born into this world, and he reigned over them as king. This was why some magicians hypothesized that Atein was the progenitor of magic.

Carlos became angry.

"Don't talk about it as if is someone else's business! It is a problem with your life on the line!"

"I know that."

"If you know that then why are you so calm?"

"I can't be mad at someone who I know is trying the hardest in this world to solve my problem. "

"Kook…." (TLN: just a sound he made)

Carlos' face reddened. He was embarrassed. Azell was dignified when facing the threat of death, yet he was the one who had lost it.

'I'm scared too, Carlos.'

The current Azell smiled bitterly when he saw the scene inside his dream.

Yes. Azell was also afraid. He had saved the world, but his future couldn't be saved. Death was approaching closer by the hour, and he might succumb to it. Truthfully, he had been afraid and he wanted to cry.

He preferred the idea of dying in battle, where he would die when he lost. He would be able to stay indifferent until that single moment would come. It was harder to bear the suffocating fear of a death that was slowly approaching him.

However, he felt a fire burn in the corner of his heart when he thought this.

'Atein. The only thing you could take away from me was my life.'

Azell was determined to not let him have his(TLN:Atein) own way.

Above all, he didn't want to disappoint his friend who was desperately working for him. Even if his efforts were a failure, he never wanted his friend to see him in a dishevelled state. He wanted to show a confident and proud figure until the end.

It was all for show and it was a childish behavior. However, as a man who had charged into battle while grasping his sword, what would be left if one took away his bravado?

He kept up this facade with his life on the line, so no one would disparage him.

If he thought back on it, he thought the bravado definitely helped Carlos.

"Azell, I really… It feels like we have switched places."

"I feel the same. I would have never imagined this day would come."

It was the opposite in the Dragon Demon war. Azell was still inexperienced, and whenever he couldn't hold back his emotions, Carlos's cool attitude acted as the cold water that doused him.

Whenever the group was tired or desperate, he was the one person who didn't falter. In the moment when everyone faltered, he withstood everything like a steel beam. He was their support.

Carlos was a man who had taken on this role. However, after Azell was cursed, their roles had been reversed. Azell should be the one in greatest agony, but he put up a front. He acted as if he wasn't shaken. He had to become the supporting pillar for Carlos, who at times, was about to fall apart from despair.

As the two passed through the ruins, they finally reached Atein's office. There were words carved into the half broken wall with magic.

'The one who treats the world with hate must be prepared to be hated by the world.'

The moment Azell read those words he could guess who had written it.

Dragon Demon King Atein.

He had tried to conquer the world yet did he understand the significance of his action?

Carlos asked a question.

"What was the Dragon Demon King's thinking when he tried to conquer the world?"

The Dragon Demon race was born far back in the past. The very first of the Dragon Demon race, Atein, was a special existence. He had a much longer life span compared to the others of the Dragon Demon race. He had lived for more than a thousand years.

He was the seed that started the Dragon Demon race. He might also be the progenitor of the mysteries called magic. Why did he join up with the others of his race to conquer the world? Countless number of people had put their life on the line to fight Atein, but no one knew Atein's real intention, which he held within his heart.

Azell was the one exception.

Inside Azell's mind, Atein's words brushed by.

'Unfortunately, this experiment was a failure. I'm still ignorant. I have no choice but to accept this truth.'

These words made Azell shiver.

If Atein had revealed his ambitions, then he(TLN: Azell) would have snorted.

He would have laughed it off if Atein like a typical magician gave a long-winded speech regarding his delusions of grandeur. However, when he was about to face his death, Atein boldly accepted his failure. Moreover, he said that the chaotic events that turned the world upside was merely an experiment

'Azell. If you are the sword the world had aimed at me then I'll break you using my life as the price. You and I will die together.'

…after he said those words, the curse came down on Azell.

Azell spoke after he briefly thought about the past.

"Carlos."

"Huh?"

"You, your head will lose all its hair."

"…what?"

The past had already happened, but he never had this conversation. That difference destroyed the dream world.

Azell continued to speak as the world inside his dream crumbled.

"However, Carlos, you are one hell of a man. You deserve to be called an Archmage."

This was the praise Azell wanted to give wholeheartedly to his friend, who was long gone.

2

While the Dragon Demon Princess Arrieta stayed in the Western Border Fortress, Azell trained his body and Spirit Order. He also spent the time peacefullyreading the sparse number of books in the library.

Giles spoke.

"Your magical energy has increased considerably within the past few days?"

"First, I'm not trying to train my magical pulse by expanding my magical energy. My progress is faster since I am trying to recover what I have lost."

Azell's words were half truths.

In just 4 days of training, he had absorbed a considerable amount of power from the Dragon Slayer's ritual, and he was able to finish making his 2nd Ring of Life. His magical energy had increased several magnitudes since he had left the ruin site.

Since his magical energy had increased, it meant Azell could use his technique more easily now. The power he could release and the amount of magical energy accumulated inside his body was much larger. He could overwhelm Giles now if they sparred.

However, Azell didn't reveal his cultivation, so he let Giles win. He decided he would be careful. He didn't want his action to be too preposterous.

After he spent the four days this way, Arrieta decided to leave the Western Border Fortress to head towards the palace.

Azell woke up early on the morning they would depart towards the palace. He mediated once and he lightly stretched his body. Then he put on the equipment he was given the previous day. Azell told the Dragon Princess that he only need one sword, but since he was guarding her, she insisted on giving him a leather armor.

"Hmm. It has been awhile."

Before he fell asleep, Azell was a prestigious knight so he used to wear a full-body armor enchanted with magic.

Prior to one becoming a knight and earning a title of nobility, most soldiers lived with having poor equipments. The leather armor was new and of good quality since it was from the military supply, but it made him think of those time.(TLN: remind him of when he was a low ranked soldier)

After he finished arming himself, Azell headed toward the infirmary before he went to the designated location.

"Yo."

He gave a greeting. Rick had woken up early to get ready for his daily work.

"You are leaving today?"

"Yes. I owe you a lot, Rick."

"I think you have already paid back enough of what was owed me."

Rick put out his hand, and Azell clasped it. Then they shared a fierce handshake.

Rick spoke.

"If you earn a promotion while serving the princess then don't forget about me."

"Then I don't think I'll ever return?"

"I would do the same."

Rick smirked, while he spoke.

"I hope you recover your memories. I'm sure you, Azell, aren't of common birth."

"Thank you."

Azell shared goodbyes with Rick and he headed toward the designated location. No one was there yet, but Giles and another person soon showed up.

The other man looked to be a young knight, and he was of similar age as Azell.

Azell gave his greetings.

"Good morning, Sir Giles."

"You are early."

Azell had come 20 minutes before the appointed time. He decided it wouldn't do him any good to show up later than the others. However, no one was there when he arrived. Giles had arrived afterwards, but he was an exception.

Giles introduced the young knight he had arrived with.

"This is Sir Boar. He is a member of the escort group, who had traveled here with the princess. Sir Boar, this is…."

"I've heard of him. He was lucky enough to escape with his life thanks to the princess."

"…what?"

Giles stared back at him, while being taken aback.

The young knight named Boar had tidy brown hair, and he possessed blue eyes. He gave off an impression of being an arrogant young noble. He had a condescending expression on his face, which reinforced this impression.

"The princess can't be helped. I have know idea what her intention are. I don't get why she would bring a man of unknown origin into the escort party, when she already has competent knights. Any ways, you better not get in our way. Just stay quiet.

"……."

At that moment, Azell was flabbergasted. He blanked out for a moment, but he suddenly had a thought.

"Should I beat up this bastard?"

Before he fell asleep, after he became the Duke Karzark, there weren't that many people that had big enough balls to be this rude towards him. (TLN: the original translation is big liver=> big balls, I changed it b/c it sounded better :P)

Before the Dragon Demon war ended, there were some who were like that, but they all came to regret it in the end.

Azell was trying to suppress his rising violent impulses when Boar spoke as if he had remembered something. He looked towards Azell.

"Well, now that I think about it, we don't have that many members. I guess we need a guy to be an errand boy."

"Sir Boar, your words are too harsh."

"Mmm? What about my words?"

When Giles butted in, Boar acted as if there was something wrong with him. His expression indicated that he genuinely didn't see what the problem was with his words. Giles was momentarily speechless when he saw the other's attitude. However, soon he put on a determined expression then he spoke.