LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 62
Chapter 62: Honor and Shining Scales
“Was that alright?”
After leaving the dwarf’s workshop, Sophia asked as we walked for a while.
“Which part are you talking about?”
“Both! The sword and the armor.”
Her gaze was fixed on the holy sword Adamas swaying from my belt.
Currently, it was sheathed in a brand new scabbard. I got it made quickly after healing a different dwarf’s injury. As expected from a dwarf craftsman, it was ready even before I finished measuring.
What’s more, it had magic that keeps the sword in excellent condition. Other races’ craftsmen would be at a disadvantage…
By the way, Fisero was apparently set to finish the scale armor by the end of the day.
“With my arms and beard on the line, I shall create a piece that rivals the sword’s true brilliance!”
According to Fisero, as long as I kept my vow, the armor would provide strong magical resistance and protective power. He seemed either stubborn or overzealous—there was definitely that vibe.
It felt similar to when I had him forge Adamas.
“—But you can’t choose your enemies on the battlefield, can you?”
Sophia questioned what I would do if we ran into the dwarf warrior squad.
“Sure, you can’t choose your enemies on the battlefield. But you can choose the battlefield itself. If it’s a field battle, the dwarf warriors can be spotted from a distance, so as long as they assign me to a place we won’t clash, we’ll be fine.”
I shrugged as I replied.
If I were just a regular soldier, I wouldn’t be able to say that, but as a prince—even if still a green squire—I had enough authority to voice my placement.
“Besides, the dwarves don’t usually venture to the front lines, do they?”
“That’s true, but that’s not the case for fortress siege battles. You remember the war reports, don’t you, Zilbagias?”
“True enough.”
In reality, dwarves largely avoided the battlefield.
The dwarven warrior squad, clad in ancestral ‘true armor,’ was incredibly strong, and their breakthrough power was unmatched among all races, but they were also burdened with the disadvantage of being slow due to heavy armaments.
Especially in field battles, their slow speed often left them behind when facing the magic army, which was mainly composed of light infantry. They were really powerful in siege or city defense battles.
Moreover, their crafting skills made them too precious to be wasted as combat troops. In alliances, dwarves typically remained in the rear to craft or were assigned to defend cities and fortresses. Most of the time, they became active as craftsmen in those places.
“Well, if we do run into the dwarves in a fortress battle… we’ll deal with it when we get there.”
Whether I took off my armor or left it to my guards…
If Fisero put together an armor that takes forever to put on or take off, I’d just have to laugh.
“And—”
I snapped my fingers and set up a soundproof barrier.
I had gotten quite convenient at this whole magic thing.
“As far as I’m concerned, I designed this equipment primarily with my siblings in mind.”
“…I see.”
Sophia nodded in understanding right away.
She realized I wanted something powerful enough to resist the magic of Aiogias and Rubyphia. Of course, she didn’t say it out loud, but I was also factoring in battling the Demon Lord.
So, the fact that I couldn’t fight against the dwarves was no issue at all. If anything, the armor’s restrictions gave me a good excuse to avoid fighting the dwarves.
“Well, I suppose I’ll end up fighting the humans.”
Antendeixis’s ruthless remark.
Yeah… That’s definitely the case… Humans make up the majority…
If I line it up by how likely we are to run into them on the battlefield, it goes: humans > beastmen > elves > dwarves.
Life is never straightforward…
“Understood about the armor, but are you really okay with the sword?”
Sophia shot a scrutinizing look at the holy sword, as if it was something dirty. Apparently, she wasn’t a fan of the faint remnants of holy attributes lingering around it.
“This is fine. My pact with the demon makes it easy for me to cultivate my power.”
In reality, it’s a forbidden demon god, though. And Sophia knows that…
“…”
Sophia pursed her lips, her expression somber. The air between us became suddenly tense.
“Woo-woo! Woo-woo!”
“Ah! Hey, Liliana, don’t go over there!”
In the spacious corridor, Liliana darted around excitedly as Garunya chased her down to bring her back, maintaining the usual chaos.
“To slay humans with the hero’s sword… Is there anything more blasphemous than that?”
“…Not really, no.”
“Exactly. I’ll explain something similar to my mother.”
So, you don’t need to voice your concerns, I silently made an escape route for Sophia.
She understood and nodded slightly—playing it off like she hadn’t heard a word.
†††
The next day, as promised, the scale armor made from White Dragon scales arrived.
It was a type that covered the body, upper arms, and the area beneath the waist widely, balancing robust defense with flexible mobility, boasting magical resistance so strong that one could physically feel the pressure.
It could even bounce back my forbidden magic. Fisero showed his pride as a craftsman. Additionally, the magic allowed it to resize according to my body, so it would continue to be usable without needing alterations even as I grew.
Moreover, it was incredibly easy to put on—just slip it over my head and tighten the waist belt to equip it. The accompanying letter stated, “This is named [Cindicaios]. As long as the vow remains, the power of magic will protect Your Highness,” written in the precise script characteristic of dwarves, using demonic script.
Cindicaios—a term meaning to believe together or to share a common faith.
In-between the lines, I felt a pressure suggesting I’d better not break my vow.
Of course, I intend to keep my promise, Fisero. This armor would surely aid greatly in battles against the Demon Lord and my siblings. I wouldn’t harm the dwarves—no matter how many humans or elves might end up as sacrifices…
Staring at the scale armor [Cindicaios] hanging on the armor stand, I made another vow.
“If I kill a dwarf with this, I would be committing an enormous taboo…”
Stop that!!
Don’t ruin this holy moment!!
“…By the way, Zilbagias-sama. We’ve received a request for a meeting from the representative of the Dragon race.”
While I was having my morning meal, lost in thought over the scale armor, Sophia came to report.
“A meeting?”
From the Dragon race?
“Who’s the representative?”
“Orphen, chief of the Dark Dragons. Essentially, the King of the Dragon race. He wishes to meet to apologize for the White Dragon’s attack on you and request an audience for a head inspection.”
“Oh…”
So, Falarvgi’s mentioning of the dark dragon boss was coming into play here.
“What do you think is their aim?”
“Mostly, I think it’s as they say. It’s true that a dragon harmed the Demon Lord’s Prince, so I suspect he’s coming to bow down and pre-empt the situation.”
Well, that seems about right.
As someone interested in worsening the relationship between the dragon race and demons—I could easily shut them down here, strengthening backlash against the dragon race, or deliberately act arrogantly to further provoke their resentment.
“If I had to pick one of those options, it would be better to call them in rather than to turn them away.”
Exactly. After that, pulling a move like being a supremely obnoxious prince would be more effective. I glanced over at the scale armor that Falarvgi had left behind at the armor stand.
“I’ll accept that request. Let’s greet them with Falarvgi’s decapitated head and this scale armor on either side.”
A display of intimidation as well.
“That’s reasonable, considering the damage we’ve endured.”
Burnt to a crisp, Sophia huffed through her nose. The other attendants (most of whom were also victims of Falarvgi) seemed to agree with her.
Although ultimately there were no casualties, they had been badly scorched and were flung away without getting a chance to fight back, so it seemed they were pretty fed up. The whole mess was ultimately caused by the dragon race failing to take down the White Dragon after the ambush.
Heh heh… I’ll make that arrogant dragon feel as awkward as possible!!