Before the dragon came to a stop, D

Before the dragon came to a stop, Dark Knight Lipia Zankehl jumped down from its back and ran with full strength across the takeoff pad into the footbridge that connected to the Imperial Palace.

Quickly feeling difficulty breathing, she used her right hand to remove the helmet that covered her face.

Gray-blue long hair billowed out with a flourish. Adjusting it with her left hand and tossing it behind her back, Lipia further quickened her pace. She really wanted to take off her stuffy cloak and armor, but did not want the consuls crawling about the Imperial Palace to see one inch of her skin.

After she sprinted through the winding corridor, between the round columns on her right, a colossal black city erected under the backdrop of the red sky appeared in sight.

Imperial Palace Obsidia was the tallest structure of all in the boundless Land of Darkness — Of course, this did not include the tabooed «Mountain Range at the End» — carved out of the rocky mountains and constructed over a hundred years.

From the throne on the highest floor, it was said to be just possible to glimpse the Mountain Range at the End standing far away in the east, and the great gate embedded in the mountain.

But, there has been no one to confirm the veracity of this rumor for hundreds of years.

After the First Emperor, also the God of Darkness Vector, returned to the underground darkness in ancient times, the Throne of the Land of Darkness had always been empty. The great gate on the highest floor was sealed by a lock with infinite Life, left eternally unopened.

Lipia turned her eyes away from the peak of the pitch-black castle and called to the ogre guards at the castle gate straight ahead:

“In the name of the Eleventh Dark Knight Zankehl! Open the gate!!”

The wolf-headed guards were quite well-built, but turned their heads very slowly; by the time they turned the lever of the opening mechanism, Lipia had arrived at the cast iron gate.

The door made deep “gu, gung” sounds as it opened a sliver; Zankehl slipped sideways through the gap.

She had not seen the castle for three months, yet what welcomed Lipia was the same cold air.

The [Kobolds] doggedly scrubbed the corridors every day, making them spotless. As she ran, her armor clanking on the obsidian slabs, two flirtatiously dressed women showing skin here and there glided over soundlessly.

On top of their shiny, wavy hair, they wore large, pointy hats announcing their statuses as Dark Sorceresses. Lipia intended to ignore them and brush past, but one of the women sharply raised her voice in an exaggerated manner:

“Uwa, how noisy! Is an orc or something running?!”

Then, the other responded with a slight laugh:

“It caaan’t beee, these tremors have to be those of a Giant!”

— If combat were not prohibited within the city, she would have sliced off their tongues long ago.

Lipia thought. She snorted and raced on.

The Human females born in the Land of Darkness usually entered the Dark Sorcery Guild after graduating from Training Schools. The Guild was an organization of extreme indulgence, teaching debauchery instead of rules. As a result, it produced people interested only in decorating themselves, just like the two who walked by.

Even so, they held great antagonism towards women who chose to become Knights. When she was a youngster in the Training Schools, Lipia had been cursed with poisonous insects by a Sorceress who did not get along with her. Things settled down after she drew her sword and sliced off the Sorceress’s proudly tied hair.

In any case, there were only idiots with no ambition in this country.

Often competing, no matter if it were organizations or individuals, basing every decision on the degree of power, the Land of Darkness had no future.

Although danger could be balanced due to the «Ten Feudal Lords Meetings», it was unable to hold for much longer. If, in the imminent battle with the Human World — termed the «Ium Country» by Orcs and Goblins, a few of the Ten Feudal Lords were to die, the balance would be broken, and everything would become a chaos of bloodlust once more.

The one who told of this future to Lipia, was one of the Ten Feudal Lords, the Commander of the Dark Knights whom she directly reported to, and also her loved one.

And now, Lipia had confidential intelligence that he was anticipating.

Therefore, she would not waste a second to curb the Sorceress’ taunts.

Cutting straight through the empty lobby and flying up the wide staircase two steps at a time. Even with plenty of exercise, she was panting and drenched in sweat once she arrived on the right floor.

With the Land of Darkness divided by negotiation between them, among the Ten Feudal Lords, five were Humans, two were Goblins, and the rest were vanguards of the Orcs, Ogres, and Giants. After nearly a hundred years of civil war, they finally agreed on a document similar to a treaty, and ended up with regulations keeping the Five Races in equal standing.

Because of this, on the 18th floor, near the top floor of Obsidia, there were private rooms for each of the Ten Feudal Lords. Lipia dampened her footsteps in the round corridor, and gently knocked three times with her right hand on the door of the innermost room.

“Come in.”

A deep voice replied immediately.

Lipia glanced left and right in the corridor; after confirming that there was no one, she quickly opened the door and slipped inside.

The decorations within the room were as low profile as possible. Breathing in the manly smell floating in the air, Lipia genuflected and bowed her head.

“Knight Lipia Zankehl; I have returned.”

“Good work. Come, sit.”

Suppressing her excitement, Lipia raised her head and looked towards the owner of the strong voice.

On the other side of the round table, there was a man sitting in a long armchair with his feet propped high: the Dark Knight Commander — Biksul Ul Shasta, also known as the «Dark General».

As a Human, he possessed an outstanding figure. Although his shoulders were not as broad as those of an Ogre, he did not seem to lose in terms of height. His head of jet-black hair was trimmed very short, and his moustache was very neat.

His bulging muscles nearly popped the buttons off of his plain linen shirt, yet there was not a hint of fat on his waist. Although he maintained a perfect body that looked not a day older than 40, since he had ascended to the topmost throne of the Knights, not many people knew that he continued to undergo a harsh exercise routine every day.

Seeing her lover for the first time in three months, Lipia had to resist the urge to fly into his embrace, instead sitting in the sofa opposite Shasta.

Shasta raised his upper body and handed one of the crystal glasses on the table to Lipia, then broke the seal on what appeared to be aged wine.

“I really wanted to have a glass with you, so I swiped a bottle from the Treasury yesterday.”

Winking, he poured the fragrant, crimson liquid into his glass. His expression was that of a mischievous child, completely the same as his former self.

“Th…Thank you, Your Excellency.”

“How many times have I told you not to call me that when we’re alone?”

“But… I’m still on a mission.”

Shasta shrugged helplessly and they clinked glasses politely. Lipia sipped the expensive wine and felt the Life she had expended on her long journey slowly recovering.

“…Okay, so.”

After downing a glass himself, he poured himself another one and changed to a serious expression, asking in a low voice:

“The [Matter of Importance] that you sent a familiar for: what is it?”

“It’s…”

Lipia looked to her left and right, then leaned forward. Although Shasta was often candid, he was quite vigilant. This room had many heavy protection spells cast upon it; even the Witch, leader of the Sorcery Guild, would be unable to listen in. Even though she knew this, the intel she had brought was so important that she couldn’t resist lowering her voice.

Staring straight into Shasta’s black pupils, Lipia said simply:

“The Highest Minister of the Axiom Church of the Human World… is dead.”

In an instant, even the Dark General widened his eyes in shock.

A long, deep sigh broke the silence.

“Is this… real…? I know it’s discourteous to ask like this, and I’m not suspicious of your intel… but… that undead…”

“Yes… I completely understand your feelings. I was unable to believe it myself, but after a week of confirmation, there is no error. I made sure by planting «Earworms» in the Central Cathedral.”

“What? That was very reckless. If you were traced, you would’ve been unable to leave the capital, and dismembered by now.”

“Yes. But, since a spell of this caliber has not been detected, it proves that this intel is accurate.”

“…Mm…”

Filling his second glass of wine, Shasta’s strong-willed face lowered slightly.

“—When, did that happen? Also, what was the cause of death?”

“About half a year ago…”

“Half a year. Indeed, their guard on the Mountain Range had probably been slightly loose at that time.”

“Yes. About the cause of death of the Highest Minister… This is quite unbelievable, but they are said to be [slaughtered by a sword]…”

“By a sword. —You mean that someone cut that undead?”

“Impossible.”

Lipia shook her head at the slack-jawed Shasta.

“I’m afraid, even if it’s the undead, they have finally depleted their Life. But it was probably to save the spirit of the Highest Minister known as a God, to say some empty words like that…”

“Mm… My guess as well. But… Dead, the Highest Minister Administrator…”

Shasta closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and leaned back into the armchair.

After thinking deeply for a while like this, he opened his eyes with a short mutter.

“Opportunity.”

Lipia instantly held her breath and replied in a small voice:

“What opportunity?”

She immediately got an answer.

“Obviously… One of peace.”

As a word too dangerous to utter i