Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~ - Chapter 80

Chapter 80   Knight Shinker

In November of the Unified Calendar year 566, I set foot on Gale’s land once again.

“…Phew.”

After stepping onto the sandy shore, I had lunch at a small facility in the port. The meal served by the old man at the eatery was grilled turban shells and porridge cooked with abalone broth.

The rich flavors and the fresh scent of the sea warmed me from the inside out. Even Adelheid seemed satisfied with the taste.

“Lady Adelheid, what brings you here this time?”

This port was directly managed by the Rillburn family, so naturally, the old man at the eatery was also affiliated with the Rillburns.

“…Well, you see…”

Adelheid was hesitant to reveal that the burn-scarred me was the former head of the family. Of course, the fact that I was still alive was a secret…

“Lord Chamberlain, shall we head out after finishing the meal?”

“Yes.”

I urged the hesitant Adelheid to leave the shop. Our destination was the silver mines under development. If properly developed, they promised immense profits.

“Marshal! This way, please!”

“No, I’m no longer a marshal or a chancellor.”

I spoke gently to Adelheid, who seemed somewhat forlorn.

…Hmm. A reborn me. Perhaps it’s time to step back into the world.

This was the moment when a small spark of ambition reignited within me.

◇◇◇◇◇

The Gale Region—

The Rillburn family’s large silver mine, currently under development. Many of those who lost their farmland in the war had come to work here.

“How is the development progressing?”

“Well, about that…”

When Adelheid spoke to the foreman of the workers, an unexpected story came to light.

“Lord Chamberlain, there are monsters in these mountains. They don’t appear during the day, but at night, their numbers reach into the hundreds. We’re too scared to continue working…”

“Is that so? That’s precisely why we brought the magic swordsman, Shinker, and the towering knight, Gau, with us. By tonight, we shall drive out these monsters!”

“Thank you very much!”

The foreman and his men bowed deeply to Adelheid. Indeed, even low-level monsters would be terrifying if their numbers exceeded a hundred.

That night—

We kept watch at the entrance to the mine, determined not to sleep.

The Gale region remained untouched by human hands, not just because it lay across the sea, but because of the monsters that inhabited it.

In this world, low-cost, high-reward situations are rare.

“…Grrrr…”

The ground around us swelled, and skeletal warriors emerged. Swords in their right hands, shields in their left. Some carried spears or bows.

“Poko~♪”

Pokorina conjured a fireball far larger than her tiny body would suggest. Simultaneously, the mithril golem, Gau, let out a roar.

“GRAAAAAHHHH!”

The thunderous roar sent chills through everyone, both friend and foe. As soon as Pokorina released the fireball, Gau swung his massive sword, charging into the enemy. The skeletal warriors shattered with incredible force, their remains scattering high into the air.

“Adelheid, I’m counting on you for defense!”

“Yes, sir!”

Leaving the protection of our supplies and Pokorina to Adelheid, I too joined the fray. My sword was made of mithril alloy steel.

In terms of magical attributes, it had the “Holy” property, making it especially effective against undead monsters. Well, “Holy” was a term coined by greedy, high-ranking clerics, and it might actually work differently, but…

Gau and I shattered the skeletal warriors, returning most of them to the earth.

“Grrrr… Grrrrr… You wretched humans!”

“!?”

Behind the skeletal warriors, a particularly large undead monster appeared—a floating sorcerer wrapped in tattered cloth. Its body was decayed, with bones exposed in several places.

I’d seen something like it in ancient texts. This creature was a lich, a high-ranking undead monster.

The skeletal warriors had indeed been moving in a coordinated manner. The one controlling them, the mastermind behind it all, was undoubtedly this lich.

“Filthy creature, die!”

Gau charged at the lich, slashing with his sword.

“Why do you, a monster, side with humans?”

The lich was completely on the defensive against Gau’s relentless attacks. And, though the lich had a point…

Gau wasn’t siding with humans. He was simply obeying the orders of his mother, Pokorina.

“Take this!”

I joined Gau in the attack, striking the lich. My mithril sword drained its magical power, bringing it closer to a death-like state.

The lich was primarily a magic user, but with our relentless assault, it had no chance to cast any spells.

“Take that!”

With a powerful blow, I shattered the lich’s skull, piercing and destroying the core magic stone that served as its life force.

“GRAAAAAHHHH!”

Gau continued to unleash a flurry of attacks, destroying the remnants of the lich. As the lich was vanquished, the skeletal warriors it had controlled began to return to the depths of the earth.

The next morning…

The remains of the skeletal warriors were scattered all around. Seeing this, the miners’ spirits were lifted.

“As expected of Lady Adelheid’s guards!”

“You’re amazing, you two!”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

After the night’s battle, Gau and I became instant heroes. The burly miners gathered around to express their gratitude.

“Guard Shinker, thanks to your efforts, the enemy commander, the lich, has been returned to the earth. Your actions have brought great benefit to the House of Rillburn. Therefore, I hereby dub you a knight. You may now take any surname of your choosing!”

With this achievement, I was knighted by Adelheid, who served as the lord’s deputy and steward.

…A knight once again. I felt the blood of life boiling with pride and ambition.

Now, what surname should I take this time?