Chapter 25

With the text being slightly over 5000 characters, I decided to post it.

After all, round numbers make it easier to calculate the text, I think.

Early in the morning, as the sun illuminated the streets of the capital with the glow of dawn, Nod awoke.

After having breakfast at the Felis family residence, which served as his base of life, he then headed to the guild.

Nod walked along the stone-paved road bathed in the morning sunlight.

His attire was the same as when he was an adventurer: he wore scale armor, had a sword made of jadesteel at his waist, and, as the only difference, a gray cloak instead of the one he used to wear.

This cloak was provided by the Iron Dragon Knights and made of the same material used by the members of the Iron Dragon Knights.

Nod's cloak had a few differences from the official version.

First, the back was plain. The official version had a large emblem of the Iron Dragon Knights on the back, but since Nod was still a trainee, it was not there.

Additionally, a large hat that covered his face was added, and there was a small device inside the hat.

Inside the hat, a bag-like space was sewn into the inside of the cloak. Its purpose was...

Rustle

Just as Nod was walking on the stone-paved road, the sound of rustling from inside the cloak reached his ears.

As Nod continued walking without paying attention, the source of the sound approached his ear.

"Kui"

The true identity that appeared with the rustling sound was a green baby dragon, Neut.

This baby dragon seemed to never want to be apart from Nod, even during meals and when Nod took a bath. While Nod wanted some distance, he had to tolerate the baby dragon's behavior because Deputy Commander Goldwin had ordered him to "live together as an example."

Naturally, this clinginess extended to travel as well. Since carrying the baby dragon around was impractical, they discussed and decided to sew a small bag inside the hat. When Nod was on the move, Neut would hide in this small bag.

However, when awake, Neut seemed to be bored or curious, and would often crawl out of the hat.

Nod, trying to keep the baby dragon's presence hidden, used a quiet path to the guild. But now, perhaps intrigued by the early morning bustle heard from a distance—the direction of the main street—Neut was trying to peek out from under the hat.

To Neut, the outside world visible from inside the hat must have been full of wonders. Peeking out from beside Nod's face, the baby dragon moved its head from side to side, looking around.

Then, a figure appeared in Nod's path.

The existence of dragons, well-known from fairy tales, is widely recognized. However, when it comes to their ecology, only a select few, such as adventurers, knights, or researchers, have detailed knowledge. Information about the behavior and difficulty of taming baby dragons is even rarer.

Thus, if Neut poked its head out of Nod's hat and greeted a passerby with a "Kui!" they might just be surprised, but it wouldn't cause a major commotion.

However, to avoid spreading information, Nod tried to keep Neut's presence hidden.

Nod knew that rumors about the baby dragon had already spread among his relatives and the Iron Dragon Knights, but he still tried to keep a low profile.

Pressing the edge of the hat with his hand to hide Neut from view, Nod passed by the passerby, who, noticing something moving under the hat, assumed it was a cat or something similar and moved on.

Once the figure was out of sight, Nod released his hand from the hat.

Neut, who emerged from the hat, seemed not only unbothered but even cheerful, perhaps mistaking the experience for playtime, as evidenced by the happy "Kui! Kui!" sounds it made.

Nod, listening to the innocent sounds of the baby dragon, which seemed oblivious to his own troubles, continued his journey to the Iron Dragon Knights' base.

§

The Iron Dragon Knights' garrison, one of several, is the largest and located near the capital.

The vast grounds include a training field, barracks for the members, and dragon stables, where the dragon knights undergo rigorous daily training.

Designated as a restricted area, the garrison is guarded by knights who question anyone approaching and, if necessary, conduct thorough investigations.

Nod lived there for a while after joining, for research, observation, and training.

However, once he had gathered enough materials and reached a minimum level of physical fitness, he began commuting from home.

Of course, this arrangement also included an experimental element to observe how the dragon responded to family members with similar scents, but Nod knew that his father, Albert, had negotiated with Deputy Commander Goldwin, an old acquaintance, at the request of his sister, Ailis, who wanted to see "Neut-chan."

Nod greeted the guard knights (who, while part of the Iron Dragon Knights, were not dragon knights) at the gate and passed through.

The Iron Dragon Knights' garrison—headquarters—is surrounded by high walls to prevent outsiders from peering in.

These walls are thick and sturdy, extending like the wings of a dragon.

The walls are no different from those surrounding the capital, and for good reason: the garrison is located near the capital but is technically part of the capital's outer wall.

The garrison is situated in the northeast corner of the capital, north of the royal castle, and was created by expanding the northeast section of the wall.

Built in the mountains during the early days of the Iron Dragon Knights, it was a policy of the great-grandfather of the current king. The king, who later won wars using dragon knights and was known as the Dragon King, expanded the capital when the population grew and new districts were needed.

The capital of the Kingdom of Hamil is structured with the royal castle to the north.

This was to use the mountains to the northeast as a natural defense when the capital was first built. However, as the city expanded, this area became unsuitable for habitation.

Over time, the capital expanded in all directions except the northeast, which remained largely unchanged since the founding.

During defense, the buildings in the capital could serve as additional fortifications. With each expansion, multiple inner gates were added to the capital, making the mountain side, which did not expand, relatively weak.

While successive kings tried to strengthen the walls and build defensive towers, the mountains to the northeast remained largely unaltered.

Naturally, the effort required to cut through the mountains was enormous.

The cost of large-scale land development for defense was astronomical, and the issue was postponed.

The mountains, with their steep slopes, were difficult to climb, and only light infantry could navigate them, not heavily armored knights.

Initially, this reduced the number of troops that could be deployed to the northeast, decreasing the likelihood of an attack from that direction. However, it also made the northeast a potential weak point, as a surprise attack from there could be easier than from the more fortified sides.

The solution was the construction of the outwork in the mountains.

Dragon knights, being fewer in number, required less land than regular knight units. Despite this, their combat power was immense, and their ability to fly made the mountains a strategic vantage point for reconnaissance and defense.

The cost of cutting through the mountains was significantly lower than that of large-scale development.

As a result, the outwork in the mountains greatly enhanced the capital's defenses, turning the northeast into a formidable stronghold.

The problem was that one had to travel on foot to the outwork in the rugged mountains.

Under normal circumstances, this would not be an issue.

The outwork was primarily for dragon knights, who could fly.

Supplies could be easily transported using devices developed for the mountains, and the dragons' meals were handled at the base at the foot of the mountain.

The outwork was used for stockpiling emergency rations, which could be transported by dragon if necessary.

The personnel required for maintaining the outwork were not frequently needed.

In other words, only those like Nod, who had to commute daily as a dragon knight (trainee) but could not fly, had to endure the daily hell of hiking up the mountain.

"…huff… huff…"

By the time Nod finished climbing the mountain path, he was drenched in sweat.

Breathing heavily, he managed to endure the fatigue thanks to the daily running drills he endured when he first joined (for which he was grateful for the accommodation) and the mountain climbing skills he developed from daily commutes.

"Kui, kui♪"

In contrast to the exhausted Nod, the baby dragon Neut seemed to be enjoying the journey.

The green-scaled baby dragon, perhaps due to its color, found the lush mountains surrounding the capital to be fun.

It might also be because Neut was free to fly around without being confined to the hat.

During the journey, Nod, who did not want to carry the now much larger Neut, allowed the baby dragon to fly between the trees, flapping its wings skillfully.

After the climb, as Nod tried to catch his breath, Neut attempted to perch on his head, but Nod scolded it.

After a few deep breaths, Nod, having replenished his water, headed to the barracks.

The outwork had a system to draw groundwater, for which Nod was deeply grateful, as he did not have to carry heavy water daily.

§

At the barracks, roll call was taken at a fixed time.

This was done in military schools and knight units to ensure no one was missing. Being late, even by a minute, could result in severe punishment. If Nod was late, he would be treated so harshly by the training instructors and senior dragon knights that he would wish he were dead (though he couldn't die easily due to healing magic).

Nod, having once been late due to the rain and the slippery mountain path, endured unspeakable torture, so he always aimed to arrive with plenty of time to spare.

"– Nod!"

"Here!"

"Kui!"

Neut chirped in response to Nod's answer during roll call.

The baby dragon seemed to mistake the roll call for a game and started chirping in sync with Nod's responses.

Perched on Nod's shoulder after he removed his cloak, the energetic baby dragon chirped happily. At first, the other members were surprised, but now they paid no attention.

After roll call, announcements for the day were made.

These were directed at the official knights, and as a trainee, Nod had little to do with them. However, not paying attention could lead to severe consequences, so Nod always listened carefully.

"– That's all, dismissed!"

After the announcements, the morning roll call ended.

Nod, as a trainee, received instructions from the training instructor, which were the usual: run until you drop, then do more drills, and finally, study.

Hmm, is this too much explanation?

By the way, the city's layout is based on a model from a novel the author was once obsessed with, but it's unlikely you would recognize it (it may not even be recognizable).

This is all I have written so far, so I will post the next part when I finish writing it.

As the title suggests, the next part will likely be "Daily Life (Part 2)," and depending on the length, it might be combined with this.