Dragon Slayer Paladin

I pulled myself together and made my way back to the Town of Nest.

Order was relatively well-maintained here, and the town was fairly prosperous. People bustled along the highway, which was neatly paved with cobblestones. There were Mercenaries like me, as well as merchants traveling in heavily laden carriages. High castle walls surrounded the perimeter to protect the inhabitants, and gate guards stood at the entrance around the clock, vetting everyone who entered.

The only real drawback was the wait. Because the guards checked everyone individually, the lines could get incredibly long depending on the time of day. I stood in the queue for what felt like hours until it was finally my turn.

"Fritz? You’re alive?!" the guard exclaimed. "You’ve been gone so long I figured you’d died in a ditch somewhere."

"Hahaha... well, it was a close call, honestly."

Laughing off the grim reality, I held up the thin iron plate that served as my identification for the Mercenary Guild.

"Right, looks authentic," he said, before lowering his voice. "By the way... you didn't actually go and kill a Dragon, did you?"

"W-what are you talking about?"

I stiffened. To be honest, the credit for that Earth Dragon subjugation belonged almost entirely to Yuri. Anyone could have done it if they were wielding that Shovel.

"Well, word is the Church reported to the capital that a Mercenary named Fritz took one down," the guard whispered. "Now there’s talk of the King bestowing the title of Dragon Slayer Paladin on him."

"No, no. Do you really think an Eternal Apprentice Fritz like me could kill a Dragon?"

"True. Must be a different Fritz then."

The guard laughed, clearly convinced I wasn't capable of such a feat, and waved me through.

Whew... that was close. But how did the news spread so fast? I haven't told a soul.

I had left the carcass at the entrance of Alf Village. I simply didn't have the strength to move it on my own, so I'd had no choice but to abandon it. It had vanished completely by the time I left, so I’d assumed Yuri had disposed of it, but maybe I was wrong.

A disaster-class Dragon appearing was a major event; it was the kind of news that would spread like wildfire. A single man defeating a beast that even the Knight Order might struggle with... it was exactly the kind of story people loved to exaggerate. If I weren't the one involved, I’m sure I’d be gossiping about it with my friends too.

"Anyway, I need to get this over with!"

I hurried toward the Mercenary Guild to report my completed request.

◇　◇　◇

The Mercenary Guild was as depressing as I remembered. The lighting was intentionally dim, and the old wooden building was rarely cleaned. In the early mornings, well-built men usually crowded the place, fighting over the best jobs, but since it was past noon, the crowd was sparse.

Despite the low numbers, every head in the room turned toward me the moment I stepped inside. Normally, they’d lose interest in a second, but today, their eyes stayed locked on me.

Marisa, the receptionist, marched toward me with heavy, purposeful strides.

"Fritz-san! Where on earth have you been?!"

She got right in my face, making me recoil.

"W-what do you mean? I was just finishing that escort request I took."

"Right? You were just escorting, and you didn't run into anything else, right? You didn't meet a Dragon... or a Dragon... or perhaps a Dragon?!"

I looked at her, exasperated. She’s really stuck on the Dragon thing.

"Um... do you need a report on that too?"

Even if I told the truth about what happened during the escort, it would sound like a complete fabrication.

"Please," Marisa said, holding her breath and nodding with a solemn expression.

The guild, usually a rowdy place, fell into a deathly silence.

"Fine. To be honest, I was using a Shovel to dig through a Dragon’s body."

I explained the events exactly as they happened. I was actually proud of how concisely I managed to sum it up, but Marisa’s gaze remained ice-cold.

"Um... I don't need jokes. Please tell me the truth."

"But that was the truth!" I shouted.

I spent the next hour explaining the details. By the end, Marisa had adopted a look of skeptical belief.

"Well, I suppose I don't doubt that you subjugated it, but..."

Then what was that whole interrogation for? I wondered.

"Setting that aside, an invitation arrived for you. It’s wax-sealed with the Kingdom's Crest, so the sender is the state... Wait! Don't you dare run away!"

I tried to bolt—there was no way a guy like me belonged in a place like the Royal Capital—but she caught me.

"You should just go in my place, Marisa! I don't know the first thing about etiquette!"

"This is your fault for killing a Dragon! Take some responsibility and go quietly!"

"I’ll just refuse the summons!"

She was surprisingly strong; no matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't break her grip.

"You can't escape a title bestowed by the King! Besides, the Church applied for your Dragon Slayer status, and the Saint herself was the one who found you after the battle! What do you expect a small-town guild to do against people like that? Even the headquarters in the Royal Capital couldn't handle this!"

I felt a chill. This whole thing was just a series of lucky breaks. If another Dragon appeared tomorrow, I’d be dead in seconds.

"A-at least let me decline the title—"

"Defying the King is suicide!" Marisa snapped.

One of the other mercenaries chimed in. "Hey now, did this guy really kill a Dragon? This is Eternal Apprentice Fritz we’re talking about."

"It’s official," Marisa replied. "Falsifying the King’s word is a capital crime."

"But maybe he just told a tall tale and that innocent Saint fell for it? I mean, is there even a Dragon weak enough for an apprentice to kill?"

Exactly! I cheered for him internally. Tell her! There's no way I could do it!

"He must have awakened to some hidden power," Marisa insisted, looking at me. "Right, Fritz-san?"

"Eh? A-ah, yeah, maybe it’s something like that."

"Then fight me!" the mercenary challenged, drawing his weapon. "Show me this 'power' of yours!"

"Wait a minute. I don't really want to—"

"I don't mind," Marisa interrupted. "It’s obvious Fritz-san will win anyway!"

"Why are you consenting for me?! I thought private duels were banned in the guild!"

"This is training! I’m authorizing it!"

The two of them were getting worked up, completely ignoring my protests.

Maybe I can slip out now?

I tried to sneak toward the door, but Marisa grabbed me by the scruff of my neck.

"To the Training Grounds, then."

I was dragged away without another word.

◇　◇　◇

The Training Grounds was a large building right next to the guild. It was mostly empty, save for a few wooden dummies; usually, only rookies bothered to practice here.

The mercenary and I faced off. He was a mid-tier fighter, and his weapon was a solid Steel Sword. In contrast, I held my Stone Greatsword.

"Hehehe. The Dragon Slayer Paladin uses a stone sword? I guess that’s a fitting weapon for killing the little lizards you find in the grass."

He smirked, mocking me. I was used to being the butt of the joke, but seeing him insult the weapon Yuri had specially crafted for me made my blood boil.

"Keep laughing while you still can," I muttered.

"Neither of you is allowed to cause a fatal injury," Marisa announced, setting the rules. "Anything else goes."

I took a deep breath and glared at my opponent.

"Begin!"

At Marisa’s signal, the mercenary lunged. He was fast—much faster than I was. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have been able to land a single blow.

But this sword changed everything. I didn't need to be precise.

I swung the massive blade in a wide arc, using the centrifugal force to create a defensive perimeter. Normally, swinging a Stone Greatsword this heavy would be impossible, but with my Superhuman Strength skill and my focus on Attack...

The heavy stone moved as lightly as a twig in my hands. The mercenary, shocked by my speed, desperately brought his Steel Sword up to parry.

However, the moment our blades met, the same thing happened as with the bandits.

"My... my Steel Sword? It snapped? You've got to be kidding me... It's made of stone!"

He stared at his broken hilt, his shoulders slumping in total defeat. Seeing him so dejected actually made me feel a bit guilty.

"Winner: the Dragon Slayer Paladin, Fritz-san!" Marisa proclaimed.

A cheer erupted from the crowd of spectators that had gathered while we were fighting.

"That was incredible, Fritz-san! I guess you really do need to be able to shear through steel to kill a Dragon."

"My sword..." the man moaned. "I went into debt for that blade..."

Feeling bad, I walked over to him. "Cheer up. I can introduce you to the person who made this weapon."

His eyes widened. "Really? But... I was making fun of you."

"The person who made this is looking for people to live in his territory. The more people I bring back, the happier he’ll be. Want me to take you there now?"

"Yes! Please!" He gripped my hand in a passionate handshake.

The surrounding mercenaries started shouting, wanting to join in as well.

"Alright! Let's all head out!"

"Not so fast," Marisa said, stepping in. "Fritz-san, you’re going to the Royal Capital first. I’ll have the carriage ready, so move it."

"But... I should guide them first—"

"That can wait."

She was about to shove me toward the capital when she paused, pulling another letter from her pocket.

"Also, there’s a letter addressed to someone named Yuri. Do you know who that is?"

"I do," I said immediately. "I’ll go get him right away. Just wait here!"

There is no way I’m going to the royal castle alone. If I’m going down, I’m dragging him with me!

With that thought in mind, I turned and sprinted back toward Alf Village, a small army of mercenaries following in my wake.