The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 3

Chapter III: Inglis, Age 16—The Search for the Ancient Dragon

Whirrr... Whirrr...

Inglis and Rafinha were in a large hangar filled with the sound of a Flygear’s engine humming away. To be exact, Inglis had opened it up and had pushed her hands and face in to work on its internal mechanisms, and Rafinha watched her while attending to other tasks.

“Chriiis... Chriiis!”

Rafinha called Inglis’s name, but Inglis couldn’t exactly put down her work. “Just hold on a minute. This is a pretty difficult part—I can’t put it down just yet.” She was on all fours, with her hands deep inside the Flygear grasping a part she wanted to replace.

She was working on the Star Princess, her and Rafinha’s personal Flygear. It had suffered moderate battle damage in Illuminas and had been adrift in the Shaquell Sea, but it wasn’t anything elbow grease couldn’t fix. Myce and the other Highlanders of Illuminas had offered to repair it, saying the damage had been their fault. They had also mentioned new parts to improve its performance, but that took time, and even though the parts themselves were finished, they still needed to be assembled together. The people of Illuminas were busy with their repairs to their central laboratory, and Principal Miriela’s request for their help with the academy’s Field Day had eaten into their time as well. But because the assembly was all that remained, Inglis could simply put everything together herself. And if she failed, Myce was coming along with them to Chancellor Riegliv’s lands anyway, so she believed she could at least try on her own first. It was a great way to kill time as they traveled aboard the flying battleship.

“Earth. To. Chris!”

“Sorry. Just a little tiny bit more.”

Inglis was nearly finished. With this, the Star Princess would be able to fly again.

Fwoosh!

She suddenly felt her clothes rustle around the back of her waist, and a coolness she wasn’t accustomed to. It gave her an indescribable sense of anxiety and tension. Rafinha had grabbed the back of her skirt and flipped it up.

“Eeek!” Jumping up and extricating herself from the Star Princess, Inglis hurriedly pulled her skirt back into place.

“I thought you said you couldn’t put what you were working on down.”

“Wh-What were you thinking, Rani?! Don’t do that!”

“I mean, even if I hadn’t done anything, your whole butt was showing with how you were bent over. I was trying to tell you to be careful, but you weren’t listening.”

Well, it was true that Inglis had gotten so engrossed in her work that she’d forgotten her surroundings.

She loved tinkering with machines—especially things like her personal Flygear.

“I mean, I’m glad the Star Princess will be fixed soon. And it’s fine for you to get absorbed in something you’re working on like a boy, but there are things us girls have to be careful about,” Rafinha said.

“You’re right.” Yelping when her skirt was grabbed and pulling it right back into place was exactly what a girl her age would do. Calmly thinking it through from a masculine perspective might have left her unperturbed, but she had been living as Inglis Eucus for sixteen years. It was a little embarrassing, but it was who she was now. There was no changing that.

“Anyway, I made these for you! Here, put them on!” Rafinha held out a pair of shorts for Inglis to wear under her skirt.

“Thanks, Rani. I don’t have to worry about how I’m bending over if I have these.”

“Right? Anyway, do your best. I’m almost done too.” Rafinha was working on a priestess’s outfit. Just like their encounter with Fufailbane, it would be used to show that Inglis carried no real hostility. This time, she would be going to where Aulglora, known as the gold dragon, was sealed. Thus, the outfit itself was golden in color, and the fabric Rafinha was working with glittered brightly.

They were in the hangar of a flying battleship, which was unremarkable for Inglis’s repairs but out of place for Rafinha’s sewing. Nonetheless, the girls had gotten permission to be there, so there was nothing the matter with it. This was the Paladins’ ship, and everyone knew that Rafinha was Rafael’s little sister and Inglis his cousin. Most of them had been present for her battle with the Prismer, and they all treated the two kindly. Most importantly, they fed them just as much as they did Rafael without even having to be asked.

Both finished their work at almost exactly the same time and exclaimed, “All right! It’s done!”

“Look, Rani, it’s running again! Give it a try.”

“Yeah. I’m done too! Try this on.”

Inglis picked up the priestess’s outfit that Rafinha had made, while Rafinha reached for the controls of the repaired Star Princess.

“Whoa! It really is running again! Our Star Princess is finally back!” Rafinha stood aboard the Flygear as it hovered, a satisfied smile on her face.

Meanwhile, Inglis was having trouble getting into the golden priestess’s outfit by herself. “Hmm. It’s a bit hard to put on.” She was in a public area, so she had to keep herself covered while changing.

“Can I help you out, Inglis?” It was Arles who asked as she walked up to them.

“Miss Arles, thank you. But is it okay to leave Mr. Rochefort alone?”

“Yes. He’s stabilized, and he’s sleeping now.” Rochefort had been brought aboard the ship so that the ancient dragon meat could be administered to him as soon as it was obtained. “And besides, Lady Meltina is watching over him so I can get some rest. So I’m left with nothing to do for now.” Arles smiled.

“I see. Meltina’s keeping an eye out... Then, go ahead.”

Rochefort and Arles took good care of Venefic’s princess, and it seemed she felt an attachment to them as well. Inglis supposed Meltina’s status as royalty gave her a strong desire to help them.

“Okay. Hmm, the size is perfect. It looks great on you too. You’re beautiful in it.”

Inglis chuckled. “Thank you, Miss Arles. But it does leave my belly feeling a little chilly.”

This outfit was a two-piece ensemble, sparing in its use of fabric, so her stomach, and even her navel, were exposed.

“I can see how it would. It’s, er, rather bold. I don’t think I’d ever be able to pull it off.”

“What?!” Rafinha gasped. “Even though I made one for you?” She hopped down from the Star Princess and held out another priestess’s outfit. This one had a hole in the back for Arles’s tail to pass through, as she was a demihuman.

“Y-You want me to wear this?!”

“Yes! I’m not just making these for fun or to kill time. It’s so the wearer can talk with our new dragon friend. If we can get along, I thought you might want to talk with it too.”

“Aw, Rafinha... Yes, I’ve just been so worried about Ross that... Thank you for thinking of me.”

“So you’ll try it on, Miss Arles?!”

“Yes, of course!” Arles nodded.

With Inglis’s help, she quickly changed into the golden priestess’s outfit, and as they finished, she murmured, “I-It is a little bit embarrassing...”

“Ahh, I love that reaction! ♪ You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed! ♪”

“Come on! Don’t tease your teacher!” Arles protested.

Inglis chuckled. “You look great, Miss Arles.”

“No, it’s still better on you... You’re so pretty, like a beautiful doll. It’s hard to reconcile your appearance with what else I know of you—you’re so strong, so bloodthirsty, and have such an appetite.”

“Chris has the body of an angel but the soul of a warlord,” Rafinha remarked sagely.

“Oh? It certainly does seem that way.” Arles giggled. Her mood seemed to have improved. If so, that was good.

“Well, well, well! What a feast for the eyes we have here!” a well-built middle-aged man announced as he approached.

Inglis could practically feel his gaze slither over her like a tongue, from her waistline to her chest. She sighed. It was an unpleasant, but not unfamiliar, feeling. She had felt it from the previous Highland ambassador, Muenthe, but never quite as bad until Chancellor Riegliv. Well, at least he was gentlemanly enough to not get excited and try to touch or hug her out of nowhere.

Flanking Chancellor Riegliv were two knights, a man and a woman, who acted as his guards. Both appeared to be in their late twenties or thirties. And from the back of each one’s right hand, an upper-class Rune was visible. They were powerful, even among knights. They must have been members of some order of knights Chancellor Riegliv maintained in his own territory, like the Knights of Ymir, but it must’ve been powerful if it could assemble such members. It definitely demonstrated Riegliv’s leading position among the lords of the east. His lineage was of enough import that he could be entrusted with the chancellorship.

“Ah, er... Chancellor Riegliv. What brings you to us?” Arles asked, stiffening up. She seemed put off by Riegliv’s gaze.

“Nothing in particular. I’m only making the rounds. After all, once you’ve finished your ancient dragon business, you’re going to be valuable allies in the war against Venefic. I thought it was a good time to meet face-to-face and exchange a few words. I myself once stood forth against the magicite beasts and the savages in Venefic, so I’m certainly not one to neglect the lower ranks.”

Despite his appearance, he seemed to be mindful of those on the front lines. As Inglis had suggested, Prince Wayne had temporarily transferred command of the Paladins in exchange for permission to conduct a survey in his lands, and Chancellor Riegliv seemed to already be turning his attention toward the invasion of Venefic that he expected to follow. Fortunately, he did not seem to realize their true goals.

“An impressive thought, surely.” Inglis responded with a bow.

“No, no, you’re the impressive ones!” Riegliv laughed.

What exactly was impressive about them, he left unsaid, but Inglis’s and Arles’s skin crawled as his stare swept over them.

Inglis said nothing, but Arles grimaced. “Ugh...”

“And, well, here I was coming around to lift your spirits, but it seems like it’s worked the other way around, ha ha ha! Don’t mind me, just carry on with your work. I’ll watch for a while,” Riegliv announced, only for someone to step between them.

Rafinha had suddenly stepped between the chancellor and Arles. “I’m sorry! We need to take this Flygear out for a test flight! Let’s go, Chris, Miss Arles!”

“Ah, of course, Rafinha!” Arles said.

Inglis was quiet as she worried about a slightly different issue. Rafinha had just stepped forward to protect Arles. Arles had been obviously nervous, so it made sense, and it was good that Rafinha was kind enough to do so. That was nice—but it would have been nicer if she had protected Inglis too. How isolating.

“Ah, really? Such a shame,” Chancellor Riegliv said, disappointed that they would part.

“Your Excellency, there are other soldiers here as well. We can speak with them,” one knight suggested.

“I’m sure the others would like to hear from you as well,” the other agreed.

While Riegliv’s entourage interceded, Inglis and the others launched the Star Princess. It floated up and out of the hangar, then settled into a course alongside the flying battleship.

“Yeah! It’s fixed up perfect! It feels even faster than before!” Rafinha happily maneuvered the Star Princess around. “I’m sorry I butted in, Miss Arles, but I couldn’t think of another excuse.”

“No, I enjoy flying, and this is definitely a nice change of pace from that interaction! Besides, you were looking out for me, weren’t you? Thank you.” Arles flashed a smile.

“Chris, did you want to take a turn piloting? See how it feels?”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“Huh? What are you sulking about?”

“Not much. Just, y’know, you stepping in to help Miss Arles and leaving me hanging.”

“You’re worried about that? I don’t think it’s a problem. There’s no reason for you to be embarrassed by someone staring at you. After all, you’re the cutest.”

“That’s not the point! I wasn’t exactly enjoying it.”

“Yeah, okay, fine. Sorry, if you’re gonna be such a delicate, little flower about it. Where’d that soul of a warlord go anyway?”

“Right here! And I am not that delicate!” Inglis thumped her chest.

“Ha ha ha, you two get along so well.” Arles’s grin softened as she watched Inglis and Rafinha.

“Yes! We’re cousins, and we grew up together, so thanks to that, I know how much it hurts when something happens to someone you really care about. That’s why I want to help you save the someone you really care about! Let’s do our best, Miss Arles! I know we can save Mr. Rochefort!” Rafinha gave her speech everything she could muster as she looked Arles in the eye.

“Oh, Rafinha... Yes, we will! I’m losing track of which one of us is supposed to be the teacher...” Tears welled up in Arles’s eyes as she chuckled.

Rafinha’s words had resonated with her. She drew people in and led them with her purity and directness. Inglis, who had watched over Rafinha since her infancy, was proud that she had the humanity to do so.

And Inglis, too, would do everything she could to make those words come true.

She also had a heartfelt desire to help Rochefort. After all, she wanted to spar with him again. No matter how he came off, there was no other instructor with the same enthusiasm for individual combat training. His loss would be felt keenly. So at least in that sense, Inglis and Rafinha were completely on the same page.

“Actually, yeah, Rani, let’s switch. I’ll give it a try too.”

“Hmm? Okay, here you go.” Rafinha, handing over the controls, slipped behind Inglis.

“Whoa! This feels really different; it maneuvers better, and it’s faster!” The new parts Myce and the other Highlanders from Illuminas had come up with had done the trick.

“Hey, Chris, why don’t we see what it can put out at full power?” Rafinha hugged Inglis from behind. Her warmth felt good.

“Okay. Here goes!” Inglis nodded, and she accelerated the Star Princess.

◆◇◆

The next day...

“What?! You want us to change course?!” Rafael’s voice rose to fill a stateroom aboard the flying battleship.

Chancellor Riegliv said, “I wouldn’t describe it that way, Sir Rafael. More of a detour. The roads east from our headquarters at Gritta to Fort Gliros, where our expeditionary forces are stationed, were devastated in the recent attack by the Prismer. Using the flying battleship, we could move large amounts of supplies in one trip. And we can carry letters from the townspeople to the soldiers at the fort. So if I could ask so much of you...”

The town of Gritta was east of their present position. Fort Gliros was to the northeast, near both the border and where the ancient dragon Aulglora was sealed away. Riegliv had requested they land in Gritta to load supplies for transport. Flying battleships were, of course, very convenient for logistics, and it made sense to use them to get materiel to the front line where transportation was difficult. It was a hard request for Rafael to decline.

“But that will delay our arrival to the ancient dragon,” Inglis said. The delay would not be very long—a few days, at most—but those few days could prove a matter of life or death given Rochefort’s condition.

Rafinha appealed to her brother. “R-Rafael! If we don’t hurry, Mr. Rochefort will... I mean, of course, we also need to help the people who aren’t getting their food or letters, but...”

“Yeah. Rani’s right, Mr. Rochefort is in critical condition.”

That said, the ostensible goal of this operation was to investigate the ancient dragon and make sure it would not awaken after the eastern lords’ forces had invaded Venefic and attack them from behind. In other words, it was to ensure that no trouble arose at home during the invasion, which made prioritizing Rochefort difficult to suggest.

Inglis raised her hand to get Rafael’s attention. “What if we were to go on ahead to where the ancient dragon is sealed?”

Inglis’s group was not formally part of the Paladins on this mission to investigate the ancient dragon; they were only accompanied by the Paladins. Therefore, there should’ve been no problem if they split into separate groups and went ahead to investigate. That way, they could proceed without delays, and without rejecting Chancellor Riegliv’s request.

“That way, there should be no delays on either end,” she elaborated.

Although Inglis couldn’t say it aloud, the true purpose of the investigation was to obtain dragon meat with which to treat Rochefort and to collapse the mountain pass leading to Venefic so that the expeditionary force could not advance. They needed to sabotage the road while making it look as if it were the dragon’s fault. And that sabotage would be easier to accomplish if Chancellor Riegliv and his knights were somewhere else. In other words, his request was less a nuisance and more an opportunity. But it would mean that Inglis would have to handle the work that was supposed to be carried out by Rafael and the Paladins.

“Chris... Can I ask this of you?” Rafael’s unusual gravity showed he also was thinking of what he couldn’t say given his present audience.

“Yes, of course. I would, however, appreciate the use of a Flygear Port.”

“That sounds reasonable to me. Will that be permissible, Chancellor Riegliv?”

“I don’t mind. Just don’t push yourselves too hard until the main force arrives.” Chancellor Riegliv nodded, making sure to show proper concern for Inglis. He didn’t seem to realize their hidden purpose.

“Of course,” Inglis continued. “Thank you.” She wondered what face he’d be making when it was all over—and felt a little sorry for him, thinking about it. But she kept quiet and acted graceful as she bowed.

“Chris, how about Mr. Rochefort? We can’t take him with us, can we?” Rafinha asked.

If the Flygear Port was caught up in a fight with the ancient dragon, it could spell disaster for Rochefort aboard. Inglis could understand where those worries came from.

“You’re right. Why don’t we let him rest on the flying battleship? Once we get dragon meat, we can just bring it to him.”

“Yeah, that’ll work. So I guess Miss Arles will be staying with the ship.”

Arles, though, shook her head. “No, I’ll come with you, Inglis. If a fight breaks out, it would be better if Ripple or I were there, and I’m your teacher. I can’t abandon my students to a dangerous task... I’m sure Ross would agree.”

“Miss Arles...” Rafinha began.

“Then, I’ll remain aboard the flying battleship and look after Mr. Rochefort in your absence, Miss Arles. You can go ahead without any worries,” Meltina said, a serious expression on her face.

“Lady Meltina... Thank you.”

“Then, I shall stay with Meltina aboard the flying battleship. It would be a lot for her alone,” Liselotte offered. “Leone, you should go with Inglis and Rafinha to investigate the ancient dragon. We’ll need more people over there.”

“Got it,” Leone responded.

“Inglis, Rafinha, I’ll come along too. That’s why I’m here, after all!” Next was Myce. He had come along with the expedition, and even brought a mechanical dragon along on the flying battleship. Transforming an ancient dragon into a mechanical dragon was a tall order, but perhaps if it had guardians, they could be captured for use as such. Many mechanical dragons had been lost during the collapse of Illuminas, so it would be helpful to supplement their numbers.

“Sure, Myce. Then it’s decided. Let’s get going.”

Inglis, Rafinha, Leone, and Arles would go on ahead as the landing party to investigate where the ancient dragon was sealed away, while Liselotte and Meltina would stay with the ship and look after Rochefort. They would be split up into two groups to handle the situation as it unfolded.

“Rafael, we’re going to get ready and head out,” Rafinha said.

“I’m counting on you, Rani. Chris, Leone, you two as well. Take good care of Lady Arles and Myce.”

The trio nodded in response.