Chapter 30
Getting that close, seeing Asil’s form smaller than expected made a sigh escape.
No matter how desperate, to attach such absurd rumors to this little lizard.
He raised his sword.
“I won’t hold back.”
“Peeya.”
With a serious expression like Addleton, Asil swallowed dryly.
The fellow knight who had agreed to referee raised one arm.
“It starts the moment I lower my arm. Then…… start.”
“Peeyat!”
The best defense is offense!
As soon as the knight’s arm went down, Asil dashed forward with all her might. Then she unleashed a kick with full force.
No matter how young, she was a fierce beastkin who had grown strong in the forest of beastkin that idolized strength.
Front paw punch!
Back paw roundhouse kick!
Addleton, who had been standing full of spirit, soon began getting pummeled by Asil.
Each hit, each blow felt like bones breaking. Moreover, targeting only vital points was utterly chilling.
The survival instinct that had been dormant for so long surged up.
“Wa-wait! This isn’t sparring, it’s one-sided violence-”
“Peeya!” (Asili doesn’t know about that!)
Before fighting, maybe, but once fighting started, there was no mercy. To make her stop fighting, she had to knock him out quickly!
Asil, with fire in her eyes, chased after him as he fled.
The terrified Addleton shouted.
“Stop! Stop!”
“Is it a surrender? Then this sparring will be Sir Addleton’s loss-”
“Wait, no matter what happens, don’t interfere, I said. She wants to see it through to the end.”
“Ah, right. That’s true. I retract the defeat declaration.”
The fellow knight watching the referee withdrew the end.
So Addleton got thoroughly beaten until dust flew on a rainy day, and only after fainting was he carried out by his comrades.
“I was wrong, great lizard boss……. It was all my fault……”
Muttering nonsense in a pitiful state from getting beaten too much was a bonus.
Dylan, looking at that scene with a disgusted face, turned to his comrades.
“Who’s next?”
“For now, it doesn’t seem to be me.”
“I’ll go call the priest.”
As everyone bolted, Dylan helplessly went out as the next one.
With a completely dark face like someone being dragged to the gallows.
And not long after that-
“Uwaaaak!”
Dylan’s scream echoed through the training grounds.
Because he happened to have a phobia of lizards too, he couldn’t fight properly, and like the previous sacrifice Addleton, got hit only in vital points.
To improve skills, one needs life-and-death battles, they say, and this was exactly that.
But he didn’t want to go between life and death to this extent……
In the presence of the murderous Asil, the knights waiting their turn trembled in fear.
“Peeyaaaaaaa!” (Come to meeeee!)
With confidence bursting from two consecutive victories, the baby dragon yelled at the top of her lungs.
Such a scene in the training grounds was being closely observed by Iocaste’s spy disguised as a maid.
* * *
“A little lizard training the Monlepe knights? Ahahahaha, I’ll see all sorts of things!”
Hearing the news, Iocaste laughed until tears pricked her eyes.
Unable to wait until the banquet, she had planted someone, and it was worth it.
“The Monlepe knights just accepted that?”
“Yes. On the contrary, they took it as an honor that the lizard deigned to spar with them, and they were fighting in earnest.”
“Though small in size, it seems quite respected.”
Hearing the unexpected story, a light flickered in Iocaste’s eyes.
“What’s its personality like? As ferocious as the rumors?”
“Yes.”
The spy, recalling Asil who had struck only the knights’ vital points, shuddered.
“It certainly has no mercy.”
“That’s…… I don’t know if the Monlepe knights are weak, or that lizard divine beast is strong.”
Trailing off, Iocaste suddenly drummed her fingers on the armrest with an interested face.
“What a shame. Why didn’t Duke Starafit request a divine beast friendly match?”
The princess, leaning obliquely on the chair, pondered Duke Stara Fit’s decision.
“To suppress Monlepe, that would be the easiest way.”
“Probably because he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
“Duke Starafit isn’t that prudent a person. Didn’t he just request a knight order friendly match to test Monlepe now?”
After thinking for a moment, Iocaste curved her eyes softly and chuckled mockingly.
“He’s scared stiff.”
“Sca… red, you say?”
“Yes. If he messes up and that lizard overpowers his divine beast, the weakest family will change.”
Drawing out the end of her words, Iocaste fanned herself lightly.
“Moreover, isn’t the Monlepe knight order a place that was downgraded to the weakest after the predecessor’s downfall? He must have judged he could win at that level.”
“This is just what I saw and felt, but……”
The hesitant maid conveyed her thoughts as is.
“The Monlepe knight order didn’t seem inferior compared to other knight orders.”
“It means their skills are underrated.”
Iocaste nodded.
“Well, that could be. Since Viante has been stirring up public opinion so much lately, it’s likely the rumors spread badly.”
Then, suddenly as if amused, she lowered her voice and chuckled.
“This friendly match will be very entertaining. If we bet on who wins, we could make a fortune.”
“Do you plan to go in person?”
“If I don’t go, who will?”
Smiling brightly, Iocaste rose from her seat.
“I can’t end such an entertaining spectacle like this. Let’s make the stakes bigger.”
“I shall obey.”
“Contact the two dukes to make sure they bring their divine beasts to this friendly match.”
Since they’re picking a fight anyway, they should see it through to the end.
Iocaste intended to watch the two divine beasts’ power struggle.
* * *
Until just before the day the knight friendly match was held, Asil lived a busy life.
Eat breakfast and face the knights.
Eat lunch and face the knights.
Eat dinner and practice becoming a ferocious dragon in front of the mirror before sleeping.
She buzzed around all day without seeming tired at all.
Was that why? At some point, a small change occurred in Asil’s body.
“A-are you floating in the air right now?”
It was right after stepping on the platform and delivering a back kick to Addleton.
Seeing Asil remain in the air instead of dropping down, Addleton was shocked.
Not satisfied with hitting like dust flying now, is she even using levitation magic?
‘Why are they looking at Asili like that?’
Not knowing the reason, Asil tilted her head.
Then, hearing a strange sound from behind, she glanced back.
Flap, flap, flap.
Oh my! Tiny booger-sized wings were moving.
Having moved herself, she hadn’t even realized she was flying. Overwhelmed with emotion, Asil covered her mouth with her front paw.
‘Asili is flapping her wings!’
Originally, wing flapping is practiced by falling off cliffs or trees.
But because she had been roaming the air even more intensely, she had naturally learned how to fly!
“Peey……”
Tears welled up in Asil’s eyes. Finally, goodbye to life on short legs.
How many times had she run until her feet sweated to keep up with humans strides.
Moreover, now she could turn doorknobs by herself!
No need to ask passing humans to open doors, or search for long sticks to turn doorknobs. No need to worry about breaking doors!
Of course, while thinking such thoughts, her concentration broke and she plummeted right away.
“Peeyat!”
Thud! Her butt hurt from hitting the floor.
Still, the fact that she flew even for a few seconds was thrilling.
From that day on, Asil began diligently practicing flying.
Flap, flap, flap.
Once she could fly for longer, she practiced flying forward, then backward.
Then flying high, step by step, gradually practicing.
Thanks to that, her attack patterns in sparring became more varied too.
It was no different from a disaster for the knights.
“Uwaaaak!”
“I thought I was getting used to it now!”
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By Anna 💓
