Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation

Chapter 226. He Was Stronger Than Me (2)

“Ah, whatever. The me of three years from now will figure out the problems of three years later.”

Patrick nonchalantly postponed the problem to his future self.

“I’m counting on you. Patrick Schneider of three years later.”

-That son of a bitch….

He thought he heard someone cursing, but it must have been an auditory hallucination.

Well, to be honest, if he thought about it seriously, marriage was something he had to do eventually.

Patrick was the only son of the Schneider family.

Ensuring that the noble family’s line did not end was of utmost importance for the heir of the family.

It was not so uncommon for people of Patrick’s age to already have children.

So he had to do it. He had to, but….

“It’s a hassle. And there are a few things weighing on my mind.”

Who wouldn’t want to marry a beautiful woman and live a fun life doing this and that?

But it still weighed on his mind.

“Hmm… I’m a surprisingly devoted man. Or in this case, a loyal man?”

One could also define it as a pathetic man overflowing with lingering feelings.

The problem was that he himself didn’t think so in the slightest.

“Well, setting that aside…”

Patrick cleared his mind completely.

It was better to focus on the reality at hand than to agonize over a problem with no answer.

“Right now, the important thing is securing the safety of this city.”

Thanks to his mother, he had rested and his mind and body felt refreshed. Now, he had to energetically start slaughtering monsters again for the safety of the pioneer city.

* * *

May 1st, 1524.

The year Patrick Schneider turned 20.

And many incidents occurred simultaneously in various parts of the continent.

First, to comment on the state of the continent, the Venator Empire and the Saint Louis Holy Theocracy had started a war.

The two nations had always repeated small-scale battles, close to psychological warfare, at their border regions, but this time, it had flared up into something bigger.

Both nations mobilized their regular armies in the hundreds of thousands and entered a full-scale war.

A full-blown military conflict had begun.

In fact, this wasn’t that surprising.

The general reaction of various countries was that what was bound to happen had happened.

These two countries, which had always been in opposition over the hegemony of the continent, were like oil and water from the start.

Rather, as they had been accumulating strength while holding back all this time, it was a war that would not have been strange no matter when it broke out.

But the second incident was completely unexpected.

The Harbor Kingdom in the south of the continent.

This country was also engulfed in the flames of war.

The opponent in question was the Dwarves.

The Iron Mountains within the Harbor Kingdom were originally the territory of the Dwarves.

Like Evergreen in the north, it was a land for this race, and the Harbor Kingdom had respected the Dwarves living in that land and coexisted with them.

No, to put it bluntly….

They had rather cherished and protected them.

And for good reason; the Dwarves were a far more profitable race than the Elves.

The weapons, accessories, and works of art they created.

All of it became money.

Especially Dwarf-made weapons.

This was a real gold mine.

If a human craftsman hammered 10 kilograms of iron ore, at best, a product worth 1-2 gold would come out, but in the case of Dwarves, masterpieces worth over 100 gold poured out.

So how could they discard this?

The Harbor Kingdom had accumulated enormous wealth by monopolizing trade with the Dwarves that existed within its borders.

But a problem arose.

The Dwarves had collectively declared that they would emigrate.

Dwarves who would leave the Iron Mountains to find a new world.

The Harbor Kingdom was in an uproar.

For the Harbor Kingdom, they had sustained most of the national economy through trade with the Dwarves for the past several hundred years.

To what extent? It was to the point where over 90 percent of the national income was obtained through trade with the Dwarves.

In this situation, if the Dwarves left, the Harbor Kingdom would surely go bankrupt.

In a serious sense of crisis, the Harbor Kingdom moved actively.

The king himself went to the Iron Mountains to try and hold onto the Dwarves, but he failed.

And it wasn’t just a failure, but a grand failure.

The details of the negotiation process were not revealed, but it was said that it started with conversation and ended with bloodshed.

The Harbor Kingdom declared war on the Dwarves.

Naturally, the Dwarves, who had a temper of their own, did not back down and took up their axes to fight back.

Basically, they were a much more belligerent race than the Elves.

The Dwarves who wished to leave the Iron Mountains.

The Harbor Kingdom that wished to stop them.

In the end, both sides shed blood and entered a full-scale war.

Since it was a civil war that occurred within its own country, from the perspective of external nations, it was like watching a fire across the river, but for the Harbor Kingdom, it was a war where the fate of the nation was at stake.

Naturally, they had no choice but to be desperate.

And due to this, the prices of Dwarf-made weapons and accessories spread throughout the continent skyrocketed.

And the third.

This was also a war.

But this was a war that broke out really out of the blue.

The war between the Kaisar Kingdom and the Decator Kingdom.

People thought this was too sudden.

Why on earth are you guys fighting?

The cause of this war, which could only be described as such, could not be clearly determined.

A dispute arose in the border region of the two kingdoms, and the commander of the Kaisar Kingdom died in that dispute.

Up to this point, it was a problem that could be resolved through diplomacy.

But the problem was that the diplomacy did not go smoothly.

Those in charge of diplomacy for both countries did not back down a single step and passed the responsibility to the other side with a hard-line attitude.

A war of nerves with no concession or compromise.

In the end, because words did not work, a local war involving thousands of troops broke out.

In fact, this was a clear diplomatic disaster.

It was the result of the diplomats of both countries prioritizing their own achievements and careers, not looking at the bigger picture of the nation, and proceeding with a hard-line policy.

Thinking ‘surely they wouldn’t go that far,’ they played a game of chicken, and in the end, this catastrophe occurred.

And the decisive blow occurred in that local war.

[I. Dustin Robski, the Divine Spear of Decator, have taken the head of Helios Gilsion! Shout a cry of victory!]

This disaster had occurred.

A battle between 7-star knights.

And the death of one side.

For Marquis Robski personally, it was a great gain.

He was able to recover some of the honor he had lost when he was miserably beaten by Patrick.

Although his opponent was the youngest and weakest among the 7-star knights of the Kaisar Kingdom, taking the head of a fellow 7-star knight was a great achievement.

Only for him personally, that is.

Looking at the bigger picture of the nation, this was a situation where they were now facing each other on a single-log bridge with no way to retreat.

The death of a 7-star knight.

This was a loss of national power.

Especially, the Kaisar Kingdom had recently been thoroughly disgraced by Patrick and had lost many 7-star knights.

If they backed down here, there was no telling how far the international standing of the Kaisar Kingdom would fall.

The king of the Kaisar Kingdom drew his sword and declared an all-out war.

[In my name, Georgia Birkin Kaisar, I command. There is no need to leave even a single blade of grass in the land of the Decator Kingdom. Burn it all!]

50,000 regular troops of the Kaisar Kingdom and all the remaining 7-star knights headed for the Decator Kingdom.

The Decator Kingdom tried to fight back with all its might, but the difference in national power was too great from the start.

On top of that, from the perspective of the Decator Kingdom, which bordered the Great Forest, it was impossible to commit all their forces to a war with the Kaisar Kingdom.

In a desperate crisis situation, the one who saved them was….

[Who dares to invade the brothers of the East?]

It was the Hegemon King Cierion, who had completely swallowed the Flame Kingdom and established himself as the ruler of the north.

He personally led an army of 50,000 and moved south to save the Decator Kingdom.

With this, out of the eight nations existing on the continent, a whopping six were embroiled in war.

The so-called era of war had arrived.

* * *

A time of chaos when the continent was engulfed in the flames of war.

The pioneer city of Ava, located within the Great Forest of the East, was shrouded in silence in a different sense.

“Too bad. Arcana is canceled this year because of the war.”

At Patrick’s words, Matthew, who was in front of him, said with a sullen expression.

“Is Arcana the problem right now?”

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t disappointed.

Matthew, who had achieved the level of 4-star, was in a state where his participation as a representative player in this year’s Arcana was almost certain, if things had been normal.

Are Patrick and Isabella not going?

They aren’t going. No, they can’t go.

Starting from this year’s Arcana, the eligibility requirements were adjusted so that individuals who had previously participated could not participate in the next one.

They didn’t say it, but it was obvious who this rule was made because of.

There was a lot of talk and trouble because of this, but in the end, it all became meaningless.

Arcana was meant to signify the harmony and healthy competition of the entire continent, so there was no way it would be held in this situation where the entire continent was at war.

“Forget Arcana. It’s not like I would have won even if I participated.”

“That’s true. Not a chance.”

Matthew looked at Patrick with a sullen expression.

“What? Why?”

“Couldn’t you at least say it nicely…. No, never mind. You’re Patrick.”

“Ahem!”

“That’s not a compliment, you bastard.”

Matthew let out a sigh and then said.

“Really, forget Arcana. More importantly…. What are you going to do?”

“About what?”

“According to the Sages, the situation right now is not good at all.”

“…….”

Patrick was silent.

He just silently looked at the vast forest of the Great Forest visible from the top of the city wall.

A quiet….

Yes, it was a forest that was quiet to an abnormal degree.

* * *

The beginning of the incident went back a month.

The pioneer city of Ava, which Patrick had driven into the Great Forest, was developing smoothly.

The city’s outer walls were built high and sturdy, and on top of those walls were siege weapons made by the Tower of Truth, arranged in abundance.

This defense was so strong that not even knights, but soldiers, were able to repel a Twin-head Ogre on their own.

On top of that, the project to reclaim the Moana River basin as farmland was proceeding smoothly.

Orcs cleared the land, people sowed seeds on it, and Elves stepped up to plant fruit trees.

Come to think of it, since fruit was a staple food for the Elves, an orchard was necessary.

But in the shadow of this smooth development, there was the blood and sweat of Patrick, who fought against monsters every day. However….

“There are none.”

“…What?”

“Within the spirit’s search range, we couldn’t find any monsters that would require Sir Patrick to step in.”

Hearing the explanation of the Elven Knight who was with him, Patrick had a blank expression.

“Really none? For real?”

“Yes. That is correct.”

It was strange. To find it difficult to find monsters within the Great Forest?

For now, just in case, Patrick meticulously patrolled and passed the day without incident.

And the next day.

And the day after that.

Despite Patrick’s repeated patrols, no monsters invaded the territory of the pioneer city.

Of course, there was a group of trolls that had unknowingly entered this land, but that was not something that required Patrick to step in.

At this change, Patrick clenched his fists.

“As expected, there are almost no problems in the world that can’t be solved by beating them up.”

If beating it once doesn’t work, then twice, ten times, a hundred times, beat it and beat it and beat it again, and in the end, you’ll see the end. Isn’t that the beauty of beating things up?

Patrick and his close associates, who were happy that the pioneer city of Ava had finally stabilized.

The knights even threw a festival. However….

“This is a bit…”

“Strange. Too strange.”

“Hmmmm….”

While everyone was rejoicing, only the mages frowned.

And when Patrick asked for the reason, the 5th Sage said.

“It’s a bit difficult to give a definite answer right now. We will conduct a detailed investigation, so please wait a moment.”

And he contacted the Tower of Truth, and a short while later, the 6th and 7th Sages arrived at the pioneer city.

Having arrived on site leading hundreds of magic swordsmen, they formed teams and began to scout the vicinity of the pioneer city.

Patrick asked for the reason.

“You’re investigating very seriously, is there some reason?”

“It’s because it’s suspicious.”

“What is? Isn’t it a good thing that the monsters are gone?”

“That’s true. But, you see.”

The 5th Sage was silent for a moment before speaking.

“If it was possible to pioneer with this level of military power in the first place, the ancient Roman Empire would not have failed.”

“Hmm…”

Patrick couldn’t deny it.

Although it was indirect, he had experienced the power of the Roman Empire.

The forces of the Roman Empire that had come on an expedition to the Great Forest at that time were not only grand in scale but also high in quality.

Even the ordinary soldiers seemed to be at least at the 2-star level.

And the Great Forest was something that even such an ancient superpower had challenged and failed at. Yet now, Patrick had secured a stable territory just by diligently swinging his sword for about half a year?

“It’s an impossible thing. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Then, are you thinking there is some reason for this current phenomenon?”

“Think about why the Roman Empire challenged the Great Forest and was defeated in the first place.”

“That’s because of those things called the Apostles of Kallaron…”

Patrick’s expression became serious.

And the 5th Sage said.

“For now, we are conducting a detailed investigation. Let’s wait until a precise conclusion is reached.”

“…….”

Patrick nodded his head heavily.

For now, that was all he could do.

People hold onto hope when they are desperate.

Please let it not be so….

Just not that….

Such feelings make one seek a god and hold onto hope.

If it turns out well, that’s a relief. However….

In the opposite case, the story is very different.

“5th Elder… sir… cough….”

“Biyorn! You…”

The person called Biyorn was a veteran magic swordsman belonging to the Tower of Truth.

At the age of 45, he was at the peak of his skills and was one of the top swordsmen among the magic swordsmen belonging to the Tower of Truth.

Such a man….

“Report… a report…”

Arrived at the pioneer city covered in blood. The 5th Elder rushed over and said.

“Don’t say any more. We need to treat your body first!”

At that moment, Patrick, who had arrived at the scene, quickly ran over and put a necklace with a light green gem on his neck. And then….

“Sephiros!”

As he quickly chanted the spell, a light green light enveloped his body and healed him.

“Th… thank you.”

“Never mind that. More importantly, what happened?”

At Patrick’s question, he trembled and grabbed Patrick, saying.

“Double Dragon, we must retreat immediately.”

“Tell me slowly.”

“There’s no time for that. A monster is approaching this city. That… that was not a being that humans can stand against.”

“…….”

“We have to… we have to flee. If everyone doesn’t run…”

As Patrick frowned at him, who was babbling incoherently with eyes full of fear, the 5th Elder placed a hand on his shoulder and said.

“It seems we’ve stepped on the tiger’s tail.”

“…….”

“Let’s first calm this friend down and hear the detailed circumstances.”

“Understood.”

Patrick could only let out a deep sigh.

* * *

After calming down a bit, Biyorn Scepter reported what he had experienced.

The reconnaissance team he led was patrolling an area far from the pioneer city.

It was a long-distance investigation to determine the cause of the sudden monster vacuum.

And they saw it at a location about three days away from the pioneer city.

“It was a white tiger with white fur, black stripes… and golden eyes. Its size… I don’t know its size. It was so huge that I couldn’t see the whole thing. And the next moment I thought it moved…”

Biyorn said, clutching his head as if recalling a terrible memory.

“Everyone died. All my team members died, and my whole body was torn to shreds. And when I made eye contact with it, it… it…”

Biyorn trembled as he continued to speak.

“It spoke to me. No, it conveyed its intention. I don’t know what it was, but it was definitely… that…”

“Calm down. Mister.”

Patrick took Biyorn’s hand.

And he infused qi through his meridians to calm his mind and body, saying.

“If it deliberately didn’t kill you and sent you back alive, there must be a message it conveyed.”

“…….”

Biyorn nodded his head.

And he said to Patrick in a trembling voice.

“You humans who have broken the taboo… Pay the price with your deaths. is what it said.”

“…….”

“That is not a being that humans can stand against. Double Dragon. Everyone must flee immediately. We must retreat to the Schneider fiefdom…”

“You’ve worked hard.”

Patrick touched Biyorn’s acupoint and put him to sleep. And he looked at those who had been listening to the report with him.

There were the sages of the Tower of Truth, the Elven king Kirioth, the knight commander Sanson, and the representative of the Orc race, Tutan.

And surprisingly, the one who grasped this situation first was none other than Tutan.

“A god… it’s a god of death, brother.”

“A god of death?”

“In this Great Forest, there are great gods of death that one must never oppose. It must be one of them.”

Tutan, who had originally lived in the Great Forest, surprisingly knew of its existence.

What was surprising was Tutan’s reaction.

Orcs are natural-born warriors.

They are beings who consider retreat more humiliating than death.

Even such a Tutan did not dare to think of standing against it.

And the 5th Sage also supported that.

“It is likely one of the Apostles of Kallaron. From the recorded form, it might be the Rushing Death.”

“The Rushing Death…”

Patrick closed his eyes and thought.

In fact, from the description alone, it was a White Tiger.

‘In a way, it really is one of the Four Gods.’