A few nights later, I stepped outside the city of Reararat.
Take a single step beyond the city walls, and Saralria Province turns into a vast desert. That held true tonight, as I stood in the dead center of the barren sands.
"Ugh..."
I turned around at the sound of a girl's whimper. Behind me, Peiyu and Ivy were hugging themselves, arms wrapped tightly around their shoulders. Apparently, they were freezing. And for good reason—the desert temperature plummets at night to a degree unimaginable from the daytime's scorching heat. The biting cold was clearly taking a toll on the young girls.
"Bahamut, warm them up."
"As you command."
Bahamut answered my order. Immediately, gentle flames drifted into existence around Peiyu and Ivy.
"Ah, so warm..."
Seeing the fire Bahamut conjured, Peiyu's expression relaxed with relief. Having curled into herself while clutching her shoulders, she visibly unbent, her tension melting away.
"Th-This is..."
Meanwhile, Ivy, witnessing Bahamut's power for the first time, stared with wide, astonished eyes.
"This is Master's power."
"Power..."
"Master commands all kinds of power. Something like this is just scratching the surface."
Whenever Peiyu spoke to Ivy, she naturally took on an air of superiority. As the senior maid, she often carried an unspoken attitude of "You didn't even know that?" Peiyu boasted, while Ivy marvelled. Leaving the two to their exchange, I looked up at the sky.
High in the cloudless night hung a perfectly round moon. A full moon. The reason I had been able to wait so patiently at the inn for Oscar's messenger was that I was waiting for this exact night.
"Bahamut."
"Yes."
"Will that suffice?"
I called to Bahamut and asked, pointing up at the full moon overhead. I had addressed Bahamut rather than Leviathan simply because it was already active keeping the girls warm, making it convenient.
"Yes. It is a full moon without a single flaw. With this, the power of the dragon vein shall be maximized."
"Good."
I gave a slight nod. I had come to Saralria Province, to its provincial capital of Reararat, to unearth a new dragon vein. However, I hadn't been able to make a move on it right away. Too much time had passed since Saralria's dragon vein was severed, leaving it far more withered than the one in Almeria. At this rate, far from being usable, even locating the vein would prove an ordeal. That was when Leviathan and the others had offered a suggestion. Dragon veins are heavily influenced by the moon. They are at their most active on the night of a full moon, whereas during a new moon, they wither away to near nonexistence. Therefore, I had decided to wait for the full moon and start by locating it first. And tonight was that night.
"What should I do from here?"
"Make use of us, Master."
"Use all of you, huh? Understood."
I nodded and closed my eyes. In my mind, I pictured the forms of everyone.
Leviathan. Bahamut. Behemoth. Huwawa. Apophis. Ziz.
Visualizing these beings who served me—entities that far transcended humanity—I called upon them. Using the rings as mediums, all of them manifested. Leviathan and Bahamut boasted a particularly commanding presence, but the other four exuded an incredible aura as well, appearing both mystical and imposing. Now then, time to handle the dragon vein—or so I thought.
A heavy thud came from behind me. Turning around, I saw Ivy collapsed onto the sand, her legs having given out entirely.
"Wh-What is all this...?"
She was so overwhelmed by shock that any thought of using polite speech had completely vanished from her mind. Not only had her knees buckled, but she was trembling from head to toe, looking thoroughly terrified.
"There is no need to fear. Every one of them obeys Me."
"They... obey you?"
"Even keeping the two of you warm right now is something I had Bahamut do. Isn't that right, Bahamut?"
"Yes."
Bahamut responded, drawing its neck back slightly to give a distinctly non-human nod. It bore the majestic form of a flame dragon. Parts of its body appeared to be wrought of living fire.
"It's so huge... Incredible..."
Looking back and forth between Bahamut's massive form and the gentle flames warming them, Ivy was filled with even deeper awe.
I turned back to face the six summons once more.
"Can you see the dragon vein?"
"Yes, though it is fragmented."
"All we need to do is reconnect it, right? Leviathan."
"Yes."
"Can you do it?"
"Presumably."
As Leviathan answered, the other five shifted or nodded, expressing their assent.
"Then do it. I leave the method entirely to your discretion. Just reconnect the severed dragon vein."
With my command given, all six moved in unison. They set out to execute the order and mend the fractured dragon vein. I watched over them. For now, I had set them to the task, but sensing it would be best if I kept my hands and voice out of it, I simply relaxed and observed.
Suddenly, a short distance ahead to my right, sand erupted straight from the earth like a geyser, forming a towering pillar.
"Wh-What?!"
"Master?!"
"Stay behind Me—"
It happened the moment the words left my mouth. Identical pillars of sand erupted in every direction. From within the swirling columns, the silhouettes of lizard-like monsters emerged. They were massive—easily large enough to swallow a grown man whole.
"M-Monsters?! Why?!"
Peiyu cried out in panic, whereas Ivy, while furrowing her brow in fear, showed little surprise. I realized this was simply the reaction of a local.
"The Empire keeps monsters largely under control, but Saralria is a frontier. I've heard there are stray beasts roaming wild."
"No way! Th-There are monsters out here?!"
"Let's get back to the city! We'll be safe inside the walls!"
Compared to Peiyu, Ivy still retained a shred of composure. She was even level-headed enough to propose a sensible retreat.
"There is no need. Bahamut, I leave the dragon vein and the girls to you."
"As you command."
Bahamut acknowledged the order. Immediately after, I drew Leviathan—the magic sword Leviathan. I restored the blade, normally concealed within my bracelet, to its true size. Gripping the familiar hilt firmly, I cast a glance back at Peiyu and Ivy.
"Do not move. Bahamut will protect you."
"Y-Yes!"
"What are you going to do—"
Before I could answer Ivy, I raised Leviathan and dashed forward. Bursting through the sand pillars, the lizards crawled swiftly across the dunes, closing in on us. Their vicious gazes dripped with bloodlust; they were fully intent on tearing us apart. In that case, I would take the fight to them. Raising Leviathan overhead, I slashed down at the first lizard I reached. True to its nature as a monster, the beast's scales were far tougher than those of an ordinary predator. However, it wasn't tough enough to pose any real challenge. The moment the blade struck, I poured more strength into the blow, and Leviathan cleanly cleaved the creature diagonally in two.
Cut down in a single stroke, the lizard tumbled to the ground, wearing a look of pure bewilderment as if it couldn't comprehend what had just happened. I plunged Leviathan straight into that face—driving the steel deep into its skull. Pierced through the brain, the lizard convulsed violently before going completely still. I paused for a fraction of a second, but saw no signs of regeneration. I had heard that certain monsters could revive after being slain, but these lizards did not seem to be of that breed.
In that case, I wouldn't hold back. Keeping Leviathan poised, I surged across the sands. Running on shifting dunes was trickier than on flat earth, but it was far easier than sprinting through snow. Dashing across the desert, I cut down the lizards one after another. Though I knew they wouldn't resurrect, their vitality was still far greater than that of common beasts. Focusing on their heads, I decapitated and impaled them in swift, decisive motions, ensuring every strike snuffed out a life.
"Eeeek?!"
Peiyu's shriek pierced the air. Looking over, I saw several lizards charging straight toward the girls. Taking a closer look—
"Hm? Have they grown larger?"
"It is likely because the gnats drawn to the dragon vein were bathed in its power," Leviathan answered.
I see—the dragon vein's influence. Knowing the nature of a dragon vein—a wellspring of highly concentrated mana—it wasn't surprising that exposure would cause their bodies to swell. With that in mind, I accelerated further, slipping into the space before the charging beasts and swinging Leviathan. Just as I had anticipated from their increased mass, their scales were harder, but only within expected limits. Having put extra force into the swing from the start, I sent the enlarged head flying with effortless precision. The severed head traced an arc through the air, landing with a heavy thud right in front of the two girls. I glanced back to see them flinch in fright, but seeing they were unharmed, I left them be and lunged at the next lizard.
In total, barely five minutes passed. I completely wiped out the pack drawn to the dragon vein, both the mutated giants and the normal beasts alike.
"Fumu."
Flicking the blood from Leviathan with a sharp snap of my wrist, I shrank the blade and concealed it within my bracelet once more. Then, I returned to the girls. When I reached them, Peiyu's eyes were sparkling with awe, while Ivy looked on in stunned disbelief.
"Incredible! Master, you look so cool when you fight!"
"Is that so?"
Knowing I was strong, Peiyu was simply and purely thrilled. Ivy, on the other hand, was witnessing me fight for virtually the first time and stood utterly dumbfounded.
"Were you... really this strong all along?"
"What are you talking about? You were there during the highwaymen incident, weren't you?"
"Th-That was..."
"Don't be too hard on her, Peiyu. Back then, it was mostly Leviathan's doing. This is likely the first time she has seen Me take action with my own hands."
"Ah, right... That's true."
Peiyu nodded in understanding. Meanwhile, Ivy kept her gaze locked on me, her expression searching.
"Could it be... you never needed Lord John's help at all...?"
"Hm? Ah, you mean that night?"
I gave a small nod.
"Indeed. If you ask whether I needed it, I did not. I merely accommodated John's feelings and his desire to show devotion."
"I see..."
Ivy nodded quietly. A moment behind Peiyu, a look of profound admiration washed over her face as well.