Chapter 10

Riding on the dragon, looking down at the territory from the sky is an incredibly luxurious experience. If I hadn't met His Grace, I probably would never have experienced this in my life.

"Don't look down if you're scared."

"No, I'm not scared at all!"

The dragon flies through the air using its wings and abundant magic. With each flap, the altitude increases sharply, and my father's figure and the mansion quickly become smaller and smaller.

"Does His Grace always see such a wonderful view?"

"Yes, mostly we travel by dragon."

"Being able to see so far, I feel like I've become a king of the sky."

From such a high vantage point, the territory of Marshall Raid seems insignificant. I could easily spot my research building, which is about a quarter of an hour's ride from the mansion.

"His Grace, that depression is where the research building is."

"That... looks like the site of a dried-up lake."

"Do you recognize it? It's a remnant from the great famine seventeen years ago."

"I see. The disaster's impact reached here as well."

Originally, there was a lake in that spot, but it dried up completely due to a severe drought. The site was repurposed to build the research building and a vast breeding ground. The research building was originally a riverside retreat that my mother repurposed.

"Where are we landing?"

"Please land near the stone-paved courtyard in the research building. The green-roofed area is the stable."

Now it's empty, but when my mother was alive, various magical creatures from the Marshall Raid territory were bred here.

"Alright, let's land."

His Grace hugged me tightly and directed the dragon to descend towards the research building.

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After landing at the research building first, I guided the descending Glaciel dragons to the stables. I told the knights they could use them freely, and they led the dragons to the water troughs. The trained dragons followed the knights' instructions and walked in line obediently.

"Oh, what well-behaved dragons."

"They are hatched and raised from eggs to be accustomed to humans. By the way, Melfiela, is that a magic circle?"

His Grace scrutinized the pattern on the stone pavement. It seems the sand that had covered the stone pavement was blown away by the dragons' flapping wings. The surface of the white stone pavement was inscribed with intricate patterns in bright red dye.

"Yes, on this magic circle, we perform the initial processing of magical creatures."

"I see. An ancient magic language magic circle. Did you draw this as well?"

"Yes. I improved upon what my mother originally created."

"I, who take your life, will live by feeding on you..."

The magic circle, drawn with special dye, was inscribed with various spells in ancient magic language. His Grace effortlessly and accurately deciphered their meanings.

"So, you use this to extract magic power. Not bad, but isn't it difficult to do with just this magic circle?"

"Yes, that's correct. His Grace is well-versed in magic! This magic circle is only for extracting magic power from objects."

I unlocked the door of a shed at the edge of the stone pavement and took out several palm-sized cloudy crystals. I ran to His Grace with them.

"To extract magic power from magical creatures, another tool is needed. These cloudy crystals are used to extract both magic power and blood."

"The insides of the cloudy crystals are hollowed out. Quite a good craftsmanship."

These cloudy crystals currently look ordinary, but their color and luster will change dramatically with my magic. To show you more quickly, I decided to ask His Grace for help.

"His Grace, may I ask for your help?"

"What is it, Melfiela?"

"I would like to see the 'beheading' again."

That magnificent slash is still vividly imprinted in my mind. Such a brilliant and lightning-fast sword technique is beyond the capabilities of the Marshall Raid knights. Even the captain of the knights doesn't have the same level of skill as His Grace. It's even more impossible for me, who can't grasp the technique.

"Is it alright to behead here?"

"Yes, please. If His Grace beheads it, I can extract the blood and magic power with peace of mind."

"Um... I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you both postpone this violent conversation?"

When I turned around, Chaos was standing there, looking somewhat uneasy. His face seemed a bit tense. Above, two dragons were slowly circling, carrying souvenirs.

"Miss Melfiela, where should the souvenirs be placed?"

"Oh, Chaos, I'm very sorry. Here, please place them on the magic circle on the stone pavement."

"Understood. Myuran! A bit to the right. That's it, slowly, slowly."

Following Chaos's guidance, the knight on the dragon skillfully maneuvered to the center of the magic circle on the stone pavement. The two dragons slowly flapped their wings and landed, laying the massive body of the Royalmudler on the ground.

I asked Chaos to remove the cloth and gently stroked the magnificent golden fur. The Royalmudler, put to sleep by magic, was of course unaware. Nearby, His Grace was carefully selecting a sword to behead the Royalmudler. The swords His Grace brought were all practical and battle-ready, with minimal decoration but blades that were terrifyingly sharp and emitted an eerie glow.

"Let me prepare now. It's difficult to process such a large magical beast alone, so could you help me?"

"Of course."

"Sure. The knights have returned, so please give them instructions."

"Thank you. First, we'll shear the fur of the Royalmudler. Even though it's asleep, it might wake up, right?"

Although I said we would shear the fur, I'm not an expert. If it takes too long, the magical beast might wake up.

"It should be fine for about two hours. The golden fur is valuable, so we'll leave the shearing to our knights."

Chaos looked confident. His Grace also seemed to trust their skills and reassured me that I could leave it to the knights.

"The knights of Galbreath mainly have the task of slaying monsters, but they also handle the processing of the slain monsters, such as removing horns, claws, and pelts. Shearing is one of their specialties."

Then, Chaos and the other knights took out large combs and scissors from leather bags. They were much larger than those used for shearing sheep.

"Be careful not to hurt the body and shear the fur as close as possible."

"Understood."

With a crisp sound, the golden fur was quickly sheared off. The Royalmudler, now shorn to the skin, looked much smaller. Next to it, a pile of fluffy golden fur was accumulating. The thread made from this fur is so valuable and rare that it is presented to the royal family. But I wanted the contents more. The fatty Royalmudler... I wonder what it tastes like.

The completely naked Royalmudler was then lifted by the knights, and a wooden frame was placed underneath to raise its head as high as possible for easier beheading. As I examined the massive body from various angles, the Marshall Raid knights finally caught up.

"Miss Melfiela, I'm sorry for the delay."

"It's fine. You made it in time for the dissection. Now, His Grace will behead the Royalmudler. It will be over in an instant, so watch closely."

And if possible, I hope to grasp the technique and help with my future research. The Marshall Raid knights swallowed hard in unison. His Grace handed his crimson cloak to Chaos and swung his sword to prepare.

"Then, I will extract the blood and magic power. His Grace, please behead it in one swift motion. After beheading, please move away from the magic circle as quickly as possible."

"I'm ready, Melfiela."

"Understood. Before that—I never take life lightly. I will cherish this precious life until the end."

As usual, I pray to the magical creature. I don't kill them recklessly; I take their lives with the wish that the people of the territory can live happily and without sorrow.

Taking a deep breath, I stood at the edge of the magic circle. His Grace entered the circle and crouched low in front of the Royalmudler's neck. Surrounded by knights from both sides, I took the cloudy crystal and quietly chanted the spell.

"Rue Lit Arnier O Dona Barmilue Stilis..."

As I chanted the spell, the cloudy crystal glowed. The magic circle on the stone pavement began to emit a faint light, enveloping the Royalmudler and His Grace.

"His Grace, please!"

"Understood!"

It was incredibly fast, just a moment. I thought I saw the afterimage of the blade, but His Grace's sword was already quietly lowered. The head of the Royalmudler fell heavily onto the stone pavement.

(Did he swing it? When exactly?)

More vividly than before, His Grace's swift slash beheaded the Royalmudler. The blood spurted from the neck and was suspended in mid-air by the magic circle's effect.

"Melfiela, I'm out of the circle!"

His Grace quickly informed me that he had left the circle, and I resumed the spell. The blood droplets were instantly sucked into the cloudy crystal, and the magic power contained in the blood emitted a sparkling red light. The blood and magic power circulated through the magic circle and converged into the cloudy crystal I held.

"Id Delnia O Dona Barmilue Stilis"

The cloudy crystal glowed a deep red, and inside its hollowed-out center, the condensed blood and magic power swirled. As expected, the massive body was not fully absorbed yet. Soon, my hair began to react to the magic, emitting a glow like a burning flame.