Chapter 9: Liz Onee-san and Friends ~What are Dragon Knights?
“Right, then. Let’s review.”
Liz stood before me as I sat on the sofa. She was about to give me a lecture on Dragon Knights.
It reminded me of an educational children’s program back in Japan.
If this were a TV show… the title would be “Liz Onee-san and Friends.”
The subtitle: “What are Dragon Knights?”
I felt like a kindergartener or an elementary school student. I was a grown woman of twenty-six, though.
Perhaps it was a return to my childhood.
The subject of this ‘education,’ however, was one of the enemy’s most crucial military units.
“Dragon Knights are the most dangerous soldiers in the human army. They ride Lesser Dragons, combining the dragons’ abilities with human judgment. There are about one hundred of them.”
“Weaknesses?”
“The riders, I suppose. Other than that, the dragons’ weaknesses.”
Even so, I didn’t know a dragon’s weaknesses.
“Meaning?”
“There aren’t any.”
“…Huh?”
What did she just say?
“Aside from their small numbers, dragons don’t really have any weaknesses. High magic resistance, tough scales. Almost impossible to catch in the air, and near the ground, you’d have to engage in close combat with a dragon, even a Lesser Dragon…”
Dragons are strong.
“What about vulnerable spots? Like their eyes or throats?”
“Even their eyeballs are covered with a tough, transparent membrane. Ordinary arrows won’t penetrate it. The scales on their throats are supposedly a bit softer, but because of the mana sac in their throats, where mana concentration is high, it’s difficult to inflict a decisive blow. So, it’s hardly a weakness.”
“Mana sac?”
“It’s a special organ unique to dragons. A kind of internal organ. The prevailing theory is that it’s a mana-generating organ specialized for combustion… but some say it contains a physical fluid similar to oil. However, when the fluid extracted from dragon corpses is exposed to fire, it doesn’t ignite, so we don’t really know for sure. But it’s definitely the reason they can breathe fire.”
“Hmm… is dragon fire hot?”
“It’s said to be the hottest flame in existence. I don’t know if that’s true… but it’s certainly powerful enough that the only saving grace is that they can’t breathe it indefinitely.”
“How much fire can they breathe?”
“It seems to vary by individual. We have records of experiments conducted with the cooperation of the dragon race. First, the duration of a single breath is about five seconds for a Lesser Dragon. In experiments where they breathed fire in short bursts, the lowest recorded number of bursts was four, and the highest was seven. On average, about twenty seconds. There’s no record of the recovery time. However, based on other sources, I believe they can’t breathe fire again for a while after depleting it.”
Liz hadn’t consulted any of the materials in front of her so far.
She said she’d gathered the materials for this because it wasn’t her area of expertise, but she’d practically memorized them.
I had reviewed the material beforehand, but Liz had undoubtedly read more extensively and delved into more specialized aspects.
I’m glad I have such a competent adjutant, I thought as I continued my questions.
“Any threats besides the fire?”
“The entire concept of a dragon. A large, carnivorous reptile covered in tough scales, flying at ridiculous speeds, partly due to magic, and swooping down from above with human intelligence. Their basic tactic is to dive close to the ground, snatch or knock down a few people with a single attack, and then retreat. It’s practically unavoidable, which makes it incredibly dangerous.”
“Sounds awful… continue.”
“Right. If we group together, they’ll breathe fire. And if necessary, they can engage in close combat on the ground. Even if the rider is incapacitated, they may not retreat if they remember being attacked. They seem to form some sort of bond, and there have been cases where dragons continued fighting after their riders were killed.”
“Ground combat is dangerous too, huh. What about their speed?”
“It’s difficult to say precisely… but fast enough to make them difficult targets for archers. Air combat isn’t advisable…”
“What about having our dragon supreme commander, the Dragon Mother, face them?”
“She says she can handle thirty of them, no problem. But even Lesser Dragons are dragons. …Against over one hundred, it would be a fight to the death.”
“We can’t afford to lose a supreme commander… especially the only one who can command dragons…”
“Indeed. And if we were to do that, there would be no need for the Virus King, Lord of Disease, to get involved.”
“What about her subordinate dragons?”
“If it comes to a decisive battle, that would be the most realistic option. However, the dragons other than the Mother are essentially on par with the enemy’s. Outnumbered, and lacking riders, they would be at a disadvantage in terms of judgment. Their aerial combat capabilities might be slightly superior without riders, but…”
“It would still be a fight to the death… and we can’t afford to lose many dragons, since they’re the cornerstone of our defenses…”
The demons had maintained the border despite being significantly outnumbered and outmatched in terms of military strength, thanks to the dragons.
Originally, the Lital Mountains had been the dragons’ nesting grounds. If humans gained dominance, the dragons would lose their way of life. His Majesty the Demon King had made a pact with the Dragon Mother, Lital, promising to protect and maintain the Lital Mountains and the surrounding environment, including their hunting grounds at the foot of the mountains, in exchange for their cooperation.
So, while the Dragon Mother was technically a supreme commander under His Majesty, they were practically equals.
She was responsible for defending the borders, including the skies. Sieges against fortresses defended by dragons were incredibly fierce. Since the nation’s founding, every major human invasion had been repelled, and the Listrea Demon Kingdom remained on the map thanks to the dragons.
This nation had been protected by dragons. Hence, they were designated the “First Army.” While the numbering wasn’t based on importance, the nation couldn’t survive without the dragons’ cooperation.
The emblem of the Listrea Demon Kingdom was a dragon with a serpent’s tongue. Losing a significant number of dragons would mean the nation’s demise. And if I didn’t come up with a plan, that’s exactly what would happen.
“What about targeting the riders from the ground?”
“They’re equipped with top-of-the-line armor and magical defenses. As I said, they’re difficult targets even for arrows. Shooting upwards increases the difficulty, and there’s a high chance the arrows will be blocked by the ‘dragon’ shield.”
“What about using our own flying magical beasts with riders?”
“The Beastman Army has a small number of griffon riders, but they are vastly outnumbered. They are inferior in terms of ‘mounted combat’ capabilities. And they are primarily used for communication rather than combat. They would provide support to the dragons in a decisive battle, but…”
What a broken unit, I thought. We, too, relied on the dragons’ strength to maintain our nation. But there was one crucial difference between us and them. We had the Dragon Mother, the leader of the dragon race, willingly lending her power.
The Dragon Knights did not.
“Alright, I’ve decided.”
“How will we fight them?” Liz’s eyes were full of anticipation.
Surely I, the Virus King, Lord of Disease, can devise some magical solution to defeat the Dragon Knights…
“We won’t. Or rather, we can’t.”
Liz’s expression fell at my words.
“Very well. I’ll inform His Majesty.”
But I didn’t want to see her disappointed.
“Liz. —I am the Virus King, Lord of Disease, you know?” I smiled.
“I’ll leave the conventional warfare to His Majesty and the other supreme commanders.”
“…So, assassinating the riders? As the report stated, security is extremely tight, but… if that is your command…”
That was the first plan we’d considered, and the first one we’d discarded. In a decisive battle… an assassin’s life was worth less than a dragon’s.
If my plan failed, that’s what would happen. Elite assassins from the Royal Guard, including my precious adjutant, would be sent to infiltrate a security net teeming with heroes.
The success rate was less than thirty percent. —And yet, I knew they would carry out their orders without complaint.
I didn’t even want to think about the survival rate.
“Liz. I consider myself a caring and compassionate superior. …I can’t tell my subordinates to go to their deaths. I don’t doubt your skills or the skills of your colleagues, but even if we used all of our assassins and the Royal Guard assassins, I’m not sure we could eliminate all of them.”
The Dragon Knights were currently the most important enemy unit. Naturally, both the riders and their dragons were heavily protected. They might even be waiting for us to launch a desperate attack.
“…Then how…?”
“No need for elaborate schemes. I’ll fight in my own way, ‘fair and square.’ —I’ll simply apply my usual tactics.”
If conventional methods were out, then I would target something else.
“Even dragons get hungry, right?”
“Um, Master. That’s probably not what ‘fair and square’ means…”
“Huh? Then what should I call it?”
“‘Diabolical,’ perhaps.”