I Married the Dragon I Killed
Chapter 99
Winter, with a chill that seemed to freeze everything in its path, swept through the land.
Hestia was busy as usual with construction work.
Hanson, who had been working since the early days of the village’s founding, had been promoted from foreman to site manager. He was now the most successful among the commoner-born technicians who managed the foremen.
“Hey, give me some more meat! How am I supposed to have any energy if I eat like this? Don’t be stingy.”
“Meat is served in fixed rations only.”
“Fixed rations, my foot! That piece over there looks bigger. Other people are going to get more than me, aren’t they? Is that what you call a ration?”
“Oh, come on, Manager-nim. Now that you’ve reached such a high position, you should buy some ham from nearby and share it around. The side dish distribution is already a mess, and it’s getting annoying.”
“How am I supposed to save money if I buy things like that!? Don’t give me that, just give me some more of that meat over there.”
After a brief scuffle, he managed to secure a large hunk of meat. Hanson stepped away from the food stall with a satisfied smile.
“Manager Hanson! Over here! I saved you a seat!”
He sat down in a spot at a reasonable distance from the bonfire.
“Wow. Even after becoming a manager, you still eat in a place like this?”
“Do I look like I have the time to eat with the high-and-mighty? While they’re lounging around, other people are doing all the work!”
“Where did that knight-nim go?”
Hanson shrugged his shoulders.
“How should I know? I’ve just come to accept it when he suddenly disappears. He doesn’t eat anyway, so let’s just enjoy our meal in peace.”
A moment later, one of the foremen approached, glancing around nervously.
“Are you eating?”
“Of course I’m eating. What, are you being chased by your wife or something?”
“Something like that. I just don’t want to run into him. Here, take this quickly.”
He pulled something out from inside his clothes. It was a ham.
“Ooh! Where did you get ham?”
“I heard there was definitely a problem with the supplies.”
“How do you think? I swiped one from those Southern folks.”
The man openly bragged about his theft. Instead of scolding him, the other men were busy praising him as a hero.
“Then why didn’t you bring a bigger one?”
“This was the biggest one.”
“You rascal, this is a big one. I was just thinking the rations were lacking meat, looks like we can grease our stomachs a bit. Pull out your knife.”
“Mine’s dirty. Use yours.”
“Mine’s just as dirty. Don’t be like that, just give it here.”
“Can’t we just sterilize it in the fire?”
“Then let’s use yours and stick it in the fire.”
It was at that moment, while they were bickering over whose knife to use.
“Excuse me, sirs.”
“That brat is here! Hide it, quick!”
At the sound of the young man’s voice, the men moved frantically. They began scooping up their stew as if nothing had happened.
The young man who approached them was wearing half-plate armor, carrying a sword, and wearing an armband that read ‘Chief of Police.’
It was William.
The Chief of Police, whose upright nature could be felt just by his voice, asked, “The people from Halim say some of their rations have gone missing. Do you know anything about that?”
“Well, now. Do you know anything?”
“I don’t know either. Maybe that desert god became a ghost and stole it?”
William scanned the surroundings. An unnaturally large bulge in someone’s crotch caught his eye.
“Please take out whatever is in your pants.”
“Whoa, hey now! You’re telling a man to open his fly while he’s eating?”
“It looks suspicious, that’s why. Take it out, now.”
“This thing has always been big.”
“…Please, let’s not embarrass each other.”
Inevitably, the ham hidden in the pants was produced. William let out a sigh.
“This is strictly theft. Why do you all keep doing this, honestly?”
“Hey, hey, those guys did it too! They swiped some of our materials and then played innocent, saying it wasn’t them!”
“That’s right! If they can do it, why can’t we?”
The workers shouted in protest, claiming ownership of the ham by arguing that everyone was doing it. However, their logic didn’t work on the Chief of Police.
“I have a duty to protect the peace of this village. Please, let’s not make things unpleasant for each other.”
“I told you, they did it too. You’re not going to lock us poor folks up over something like this, are you?”
“Consider it revenge that I’m returning something you rubbed against your crotch. If this happens again, I will truly handle it according to the law.”
“Well, that’s not a bad trade. Since the smell of your crotch is quite pungent.”
“Oh? You, who haven’t washed in a week, are much more pungent!”
The Chief of Police picked up the ham as if it were filth and disappeared while the workers continued their petty bickering. Watching his retreating figure, the workers began to grumble.
“Dammit. That refugee brat became successful as soon as he got here.”
“Where did a guy like that even roll in from?”
“Who knows? His name is William, but he’s just from a refugee background. How does a refugee get told to be the Chief of Police by the administrator the moment she sees him?”
“Why would they entrust such a heavy responsibility as Chief of Police to a refugee?”
“Maybe he brought some heirloom from a high-ranking family and slipped it to the administrator?”
“What greed would a dragon-spawn have to do that?”
“But doesn’t it suit him, looking at the way he acts? He’s so stiff, acting all like a knight-nim.”
“True.”
Though they hated to admit it, it was true. He had never done anything to shame the badge of Chief of Police. Then, a thought occurred to one of them, and he brought up a new topic.
“Come to think of it, why haven’t they thought about giving our knight-nim a title or a position?”
All the foremen nodded in agreement. Given his monstrous strength, it was strange that he was still just a laborer.
“I naturally thought the armored knight-nim would become the Chief of Police.”
“I heard they haven’t even made an offer. When I asked that administrator if we shouldn’t give our knight-nim some kind of position, she just said it was under consideration!”
“So she is thinking about it. We just have to wait, then?”
“Thinking, my foot! She’s probably just planning to work him to the bone and then toss him aside. She’s nothing but a greedy, corrupt official.”
The foremen felt a chill down their spines at those words.
“That… isn’t the administrator a dragon?”
“Not a dragon, a dragon-spawn.”
“To people like us, it’s all the same. They’re the kind of folk who’ll fold your spine in half if they get angry. Is it okay to talk like that?”
“…Well, I’m just saying.”
Hanson muttered, backing down. Since Hanson also valued his own life, he didn’t have the guts to get angry on someone else’s behalf. Among commoners, there was an old saying to be careful around anything with horns on its head—whether it was a demon, a dragon-spawn, or a dragon. They all possessed abilities far beyond humans.
“Oh?”
“What?”
“Isn’t that our knight-nim over there?”
“Speak of the devil and he shall appear.”
A man in armor, looking out of place at a construction site, walked inside.
“Knight-nim, over here!”
Hanson waved his hand vigorously to catch his attention. The armored knight, spotting someone he knew, ran over with short, quick steps.
“Looking at the way he runs, he moves like a maiden.”
“With that height and build, there’s no way it’s a woman, but…”
They dismissed it as some unknown knightly etiquette. Above all, he was a man who could pick up eleven logs with his bare hands. It was only natural to find his behavior maiden-like. Because the person inside was none other than the female Valdrova.
“Oh, knight-nim. Have you eaten?”
Nod, nod.
“Then, rest here for a moment. We were just talking about you.”
She tilted her head, a metaphorical question mark appearing.
“We were saying how upsetting it is that our knight-nim, who has achieved so much here, hasn’t been given a single title.”
“?”
“I mean, you’ve done so much work for the construction of this city, isn’t it disappointing that they haven’t given you anything?”
Hanson spoke as if driving a point home. While there was some genuine regret, his reasons were ultimately for his own benefit. There was no power better than having an acquaintance in a high position. Hanson simply wanted to sit under his shadow and enjoy the prestige. Of course, Valdrova couldn’t see through such a shallow scheme.
‘I’m enjoying my current work enough as it is.’
More than anything, Valdrova was satisfied with what she was doing now. Rather than being a knight, she wanted to do work that involved building things. Even if the pay was low, she couldn’t hide the sense of pride that came every time a building was completed. She preferred staying in a place like this over becoming a knight.
As the meal was nearing its end, someone’s loud voice erupted.
“You little piece of…!”
Attention naturally focused on that spot. A group of armed men was holding a young girl. And an older girl, who appeared to be her guardian, was trembling in fear.
“Can’t you manage your sister properly!? Why do you let her carry something like that? My clothes got dirty because of you!”
“I’m sorry, Adventurer-nim. I’ll do the laundry for you, so please, the clothes…”
“Get your filthy hands off me! Do you know how much this cost? It was 3 shillings!”
“Oh, I-I’m sorry! To think I dirtied such expensive clothes…”
“Anyone can say they’re sorry. Pay up, now.”
“Wh-what??”
“Are your ears plugged!? Give me 3 shillings!”
The girl’s face turned pale. It was a staggering situation. She was already worried about tomorrow’s meal; where would she find 3 shillings? The workers watched the scene, whispering to each other.
“There’s been a lot more of those types lately.”
“Isn’t this place originally for adventurers? It’s only natural they gather here.”
“Aren’t there plenty of adventurers in the Empire? I’ve never seen anyone act so rudely.”
“That’s because people like that get kicked out quickly. They’ve got loud voices but no substance. That’s why they stay stuck at Bronze or Silver rank, isn’t it?”
The foremen clicked their tongues as they gossiped. However, they didn’t have the courage to actually confront the adventurers.
“I-I will pay you back. I’m staying here, so I’ll save up money bit by bit…”
“When are you going to earn 3 shillings like that? I’ll die of old age first.”
“This oppa knows a way to earn 3 shillings quickly, want me to teach you?”
“What do you mean by…”
A sinister hand reached toward the girl. Sensing instinctively what might happen, the girl cringed.
“Those filthy bastards—!”
Just as the foremen were about to jump up, unable to take it anymore, someone else stood up a beat faster. It was the armored knight. Being in heavy plate armor, just the act of standing up was enough to give the foremen pause.
She trudged toward them. Although the armor was smaller than her original set, it was still quite large. And that size made the thuggish adventurers nervous.
“Wh-who are you?”
“…”
“You piece of shit! Do you think I’ll be scared just because you’re keeping your mouth shut!?”
Valdrova raised her fist. The thugs flinched, expecting an attack, but the fist opened. Inside were three silver coins.
3 shillings. She was paying the price in their stead. The thugs, who had been thoroughly intimidated, tried to save face as they spoke.
“Taking this and getting lost? Fine, I’ll do that! Hey, kid, consider yourself lucky!”
The blackmailing thugs took the money and released the girl, almost tossing her aside. The young girl’s body was caught in Valdrova’s arms. The little girl stayed nestled in that embrace. Valdrova hugged the empty air with a face that said she didn’t know what to do, before lowering her hands.
Then, the girl’s older sister approached.
“Th-thank you for saving us, Knight-nim.”
“…”
“I will definitely… find a way to pay you back. So please, my sister…”
The girl looked like she was about to cry. Her hand holding a basket was still trembling with fear. Valdrova handed the young girl back. The older sister wiped away her tears and ran off somewhere, pulling her sister along. Valdrova stared blankly at their retreating backs.
“Why did you give them money? It wouldn’t have been enough even if you’d punched them each once and sent them packing!!”
“…”
Hanson tried to argue, and Valdrova just looked at him silently. Hanson, remembering that he was a person with the monstrous strength to lift eleven logs, lowered his voice.
“Since you are a fellow adventurer and seem to have your own reasons, it would be useless for a lowly person like me to complain.”
Valdrova also vaguely knew that it wasn’t the right choice. Seeing them grab the young girl had made her blood boil. Strength had flowed into her fists, and she wanted to hit them hard and watch them cry. But she couldn’t let it lead to violence.
Valdrova knew all too well.
‘If I use my strength… someone will die.’
Death leads to sadness for some, and fear for others. It was something she had felt and experienced over tens and hundreds of years.
‘I don’t like that.’
So, if possible, she wanted to settle the situation peacefully. Currently, the best means was indeed money. So she gave the adventurer the money he wanted. The situation was resolved with that.
Without any incident.
Valdrova was satisfied with that. She wished everything in the world could be settled like this.
It was then.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, the loud sound of an alarm bell echoed through the village.
“What’s that sound?”
“Sounds like it’s coming from the center of the village?”
No one knew exactly what the bell meant. However, they could guess it was a sound signaling danger. The problem was whether that bell truly signaled danger. While everyone stood frozen, the Chief of Police was running toward them, drawing his sword.
“This is an actual emergency! Everyone except those who can fight, evacuate into the buildings immediately! Monsters are swarming in!”
“M-monsters?”
“Oh boy! They said the East was the East for a reason!”
“Foremen, quickly spread the word to the workers and evacuate them! This is a real situation!”
The foremen frantically shouted as they moved people to safety. Valdrova stood rooted to the spot.
‘Monsters…’
Her mind seemed to turn white. Now that monsters were swarming in, she couldn’t make any choice.
“You’re the armored knight, right?”
“…”
“We need hands right now. If possible, would you fight for this city?”
“…”
When she showed no sign of responding, William tried to persuade her again.
“The police force alone can’t stop them! Everyone is in danger! Hestia could collapse at this rate. Everything could turn into an illusion. We need your cooperation, Knight-nim!”
At William’s plea, Valdrova finally snapped out of it. She nodded and followed behind him. Following him, she saw the sight of a city fallen into chaos. Everyone was moving in fear, clutching their belongings.
The police force, wearing armor and carrying spears, ran clumsily toward William.
“Loyalty! Evacuation is about 70 percent complete! Shall we finish the rest?”
“No, that’s enough! Police force! Form a phalanx in front of me!”
The spearmen stood on the road and raised their spears. They were a force of soldiers in name only, not even properly trained. That was why they desperately needed the help of adventurers.
—Chief of Police.
Isabella’s voice was heard through transmission.
—It is expected that wolf monsters will enter one of the alleys to the west. Could you send an adventurer there?
“Understood!”
William quickly scanned the surroundings. He spotted a group of familiar adventurers and shouted.
“Adventurer-nim! Defend the western alley… where are you going!? Join the battlefield immediately and—”
“What, are you crazy? Do you think I became an adventurer just to throw my life away here?”
“Did we not tell you that adventurers would be mobilized in case of an emergency!?”
“Who cares! I’m not participating!”
“If you’re the police, protect it yourselves like you’re supposed to!”
“I didn’t see anything. I didn’t see a thing.”
They had come with the intent of making a fortune, but faced with immediate terror, they were busy tucking tail and running. Far from being helpful, they even demoralized the others.
‘Those damn bastards.’
William felt like his blood pressure was going to kill him. He thought that even if they disturbed the peace, they would be helpful at a critical moment, but even that wasn’t the case. In the end, the only ones he could trust were a few conscientious adventurers and the police force.
‘The armored knight of monstrous strength.’
Right now, this person was the only one he could trust. To safely block the main road, he desperately needed his help. William made his choice.
“Knight-nim.”
“?”
“They say we need troops in the western alley. Monsters are coming in there, and we have to block them.”
“…”
“Can you do it alone? If it’s impossible alone, I’ll pull about four people and—”
Valdrova cut him off. It was a signal that the support wasn’t necessary and that they should handle their own business. Then, she moved without a word. Toward the east.
“K-knight-nim? Not that way…”
Ah. West is that way.
In that manner, the missing positions were filled. The main force had lost a significant amount of power, but William had no choice. A moment later, the culprits behind the loudly clanging bell revealed themselves. They burst out of the forest and into the village.
—Awoooo!
Fifteen wolf monsters, twice the size of normal wolves. Three of them appeared on the main road. William raised his sword and shouted.
“Keep your spears steady! One step forward!”
Hearing his words, they moved bit by bit. What lay before them was death. Who could boldly step toward death? At the very least, it was difficult for them, being undertrained soldiers. The wolves licked their chops, tasting the fear of the inexperienced soldiers. Their instincts knew. That with just a little push, this formation would crumble.
—Bark!
“Uh, uh? D-don’t come! I said don’t come!”
One wolf monster lunged through the spear tips and into the formation. At the power of the monster charging in without fear, the infantrymen panicked and fell.
“Aaaaah!”
In that moment when they thought they were being eaten, a red sword light sharply struck the wolf monster’s head.
—Yelp!
The wolf monster retreated with its head mangled. The one who had delivered the fatal blow was none other than William. He pulled up the fallen police soldier and shouted.
“Stand up! Hold your spear straight! If you want to live, set your spear firmly and lower your stance!! You just need to hinder their movements!”
William pounded his chest. The sound of the plate armor echoed like a metal drum.
“I will take responsibility for your lives!”
