Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~
chapter-224

"Now that Muras got her Talent, there's only one thing left to do, right?"

"Huh? You got something to do here?"

Rodan asks what I meant.

"No, as I just said, my friend here just became a Baron, but he's in trouble because there's a White Dragon in his territory. That's why we were talking about visiting his territory tomorrow."

"Oh, come on, that's..."

"Yes, Father. Tomorrow, we're going to kill the White Dragon."

I replied with a smile.

"Allen, is that true?"

"White Dragon?"

Theresia, sitting beside the surprised Rodan, had a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry, Mother. I have friends who are strong."

When I said that, all of my friends nodded.

Kurena and my parents gasped when they saw the expressions on everyone's faces that said no problem.

The White Dragon was an object of awe for the people of the development village.

Dogora's father also looked concerned, though expressionless.

The reason we went back to the village that time was partly to return home after a long absence and to introduce my friends, but also to kill the White Dragon.

We didn't previously defeat the White Dragon present in the Carnell territory, which had become the Royal territory for a certain time. I thought that if we had defeated the White Dragon at that time, the King wouldn't have given Kiel that land as his territory.

Now that Kiel was the head of the Carnell Family in a proper way and owned that land, there was no need to worry anymore.

Kiel had already become a Baron, so it wouldn't work if the King said, "I am changing the territory I am giving you because the White Dragon is gone."

If the King were to say that, I was prepared to show him something more frightening than a White Dragon.

The "Homecoming" party was held late into the night as Kurena, Dogora and I had not been home for a long time, and the night passed.

Kurena and Dogora had their homes nearby, so they spent the night there, while the rest of the group spent the night at my home.

"Hmm? You're early."

There was no need to hurry to defeat the White Dragon, so I woke up in the morning and was making [Blessing of Heaven]s to leave at my parents' house when Dogora came into the room where I had slept.

"Oh, there's nothing to do at home."

"Is that so?"

(Did you properly inform them that you have been Knighted by the Hamilton Family?)

As a reward for the war in Rosenheim, Dogora was made a Knight of Hamilton Family.

The rewards for the results of the war in Rosenheim were largely decided while we were staying in the Royal Capital.

The report to the King was almost entirely filled with Kiel's battle results, but of course Kiel was not the only one to receive a reward.

Kurena was made an Honorary Baron, Dogora was made a Knight of Hamilton Family, and Cecile was rewarded with a tax reduction for the Granvelle territory.

It seemed that it was tough for Dogora, who was perceived as someone with 1-star Talent, to become an Honorary Baron, even with the results of that battle.

But if you were to ask me if Knighting him was a low reward, it wasn't.

In order for a commoner to become a Knight, he basically needed to graduate from the Academy and go to the battlefield.

At the age of fourteen, Dogora was Knighted after one war.

There was a discussion about where to Knight Dogora, but it was decided that he would be accepted by the Hamilton Family, the most prestigious of those who could speak.

A Knight had his own rank.

The most prestigious were the Knights of the Royal Knights, who protected the King.

And the lowest rank was that of a Knight who served a Baron or other lowly Noble.

Viscount Granvelle thought it would be better if Dogora was Knighted by the Hamilton Family than the Viscount Granvelle's Family with Cecile or the Baron Carnell's Family with Kiel, who was about to rebuild their house. It was because of Cecile, Kiel and Dogora being friends and others assuming he got his position because of relations.

I had declined all the rewards that the Latash Kingdom had offered me.

I explained that Rosenheim had already given me a generous reward.

(Did you give him the hammer?)

My friends and I had collectively paid for the food and alcohol, but Dogora silently bought a hammer for blacksmithing as a souvenir in the Royal Capital for his father, who was an arms dealer.

"There you are."

The last one to get ready was Cecile.

After breakfast, we all left the village.

Looking at Theresia's anxious face until the end, I thought it would have been better if I hadn't said anything to her.

"Be careful out there."

"Yes, Father. I'll bring back some White Dragon meat as a souvenir."

"..."

Not knowing what to say, Rodan fell silent.

As it was, I summoned B-rank Birds, and we left for the White Dragon Mountains.

I checked my Holder as the White Dragon Mountains became larger and larger.

(It's time to adjust my card composition. My friends are Level 45.)

My main focus was to raise my skills to Level 8.

As I had already reached Level 76, I changed my priority from Level to Skill Levels.

My Holder was filled with B-rank Spirit summons that increased my [Mana].

The Mana Recovery Ring restored 1% of my maximum mana per second, so the greater my maximum mana, the more skill experience I could gain.

Since I had a large number of B-rank magical stones, I could change my Holder's composition without worrying about it.

(I'll have to sweep through the Carnell territory after we kill the White Dragon.)

As soon as I had arrived at the development village, I had instructed dozens of B-rank Spirits to eradicate the Goblin and Orc Nests around the development village.

I had almost eradicated the Goblin and Orc Nests in the Granvelle territory when I was a servant. But years had passed since then and they had started to form again.

They were both a danger to the villagers and a vermin that are Great Boars.

There was no reason to let them exist, so I wanted to annihilate them.

Since last night, B-rank Spirits had been moving and eradicating over a wide area without rest.

If they were to find any survivors in the Goblin and Orc Nests, I had told them to make rescue their top priority. I had also given them some [Blessing of Heaven] for that purpose.

As I flew along, thinking about what I would do after defeating the White Dragon, the peaks and slopes of the White Dragon Mountains came into full view.

We continued past the summit and headed for the place where the White Dragon resided.

I had already located where the White Dragon was by using E-rank Bird's [Clairvoyance].

(It's not going to run, hide, or attack us?)

E-rank Bird was waiting a few hundred meters above the White Dragon.

A huge White Dragon raised its head and quietly stared at the E-rank Bird.

Over the top of the high White Dragon Mountains, my friends and I went around so that the White Dragon was facing away from the top of the White Dragon Mountains.

It was to prevent the White Dragon from running away and attacking the villages and towns on the Carnell territory when the battle began.

I knew that the White Dragon was a powerful enemy that we had to be wary of from the first time the E-rank Bird captured its whole image.

(How big is it? What the hell? I've fought Dragons in dungeons and war, but they're about twice as big. Is this what natural Dragons are like?)

Its skin was covered with white scales, and the fleshy muscles were clearly visible underneath the scales.

It was so heavy that I wondered if it could fly, and its wings felt small compared to its body size.

With bright red eyes that contrast its pure white skin, it continued to stare at E-rank Bird.

For some reason, when I saw the obviously huge Dragon, I imagined natural and farmed fish.

Could it be that Dragons made by dungeons have a uniform standard and are the same size?

The magical beasts that were gathered as the Demon King's army or increased on the continent where the Demon King's army was located were also uniform without individual differences.

The White Dragon that had been reigning in the White Dragon Mountains for who knew how many hundreds of years might have continued to grow.

Regardless of such considerations, it was possible that the "White Dragon" type of Dragon was just that big.

"Here come the strange ones. What is it with you people?"

""...""

As I continued to examine the White Dragon, who I could finally see with the naked eye, the White Dragon spoke to us.

The White Dragon seemed to think that we who were on B-rank Birds, which were about the size of elephants, were very strange.

"Is it talking to us?."

"Is it so strange that Dragons talk to you?"

"What?"

Cecile, who was riding with me again, spoke to me, but the White Dragon picked up her voice. Her voice shouldn't have reached the White Dragon normally, but he seemed to hear it normally.

(All five of its senses are excellent.)

The White Dragon's five senses seemed to be beyond human comparison.

"Why don't you tell me your name then?"

"What? Me?"

"She's the daughter of the head of the Granvelle Family. And that boy over there, he is Kiel."

When asked who we were, I decided to let Cecile and Kiel identify themselves.

I also told Kiel to identify himself.

"I'm Cecile Granvelle. I'm here to take you down."

"I am Kiel-von-Carnell. You are on my territory."

The Granvelle and Carnell Families, who had been feuding for over 100 years across the White Dragon Mountains, stood side by side in front of the White Dragon.

"Hmm? Did Granvelle and Carnell join hands? I see! I thought you wouldn't come, but you've finally come to take me down! I've been waiting for you! Gluaaaaaaaaa!"

The White Dragon that had been living there for hundreds of years seemed to have some knowledge of the human world.

Cecile and Kiel saying their names became the signal for the start of the battle. With a loud cry, the White Dragon rumbled the earth and closed in on Allen and his friends.