Chapter 19: The SS-Rank Mission
"What?!"
"Kill an evil dragon?!"
Ren and Erza were both stunned by the king's audacious idea.
That was a dragon. Even the most common dragons were legendary beings capable of easily destroying an entire country.
Erza wasn't surprised by the existence of dragons. After all, Natsu had been raised by the Fire Dragon, Igneel. That meant they were real.
But Ren was different. He had seen far more of the Fairy Tail story. Dragons... even ordinary ones were beings that humans could not hope to defeat. Other than Dragon Slayer magic, human magic was almost useless against them. Dragons were the favored children of this world.
They were born with immense longevity, naturally powerful bodies, and the innate ability to wield powerful dragon magic.
A powerful Dragon Slayer might be able to kill a dragon, but it was nearly impossible for a non-Dragon Slayer. The biggest reason was that dragons had an innately high resistance to human magic. Most spells were ineffective, and even those that worked would have their damage drastically reduced.
"That's right! Kill the evil dragon!" the king declared, his face grim and determined. "After 400 years, the seal has surely weakened it. Rather than wait for it to break free and slowly regain its strength, it's better to strike first. We will break the seal ourselves and kill it, eliminating the threat for good!"
Ren and Erza were both taken aback by the king's boldness and decisiveness.
Erza said, "Your Majesty, an act like dragon-slaying... that is completely beyond the scope of an S-Class mission."
The king nodded. "I know. Which is why I am upgrading the mission to SS-Rank. The reward will also be increased from 15,000,000 J to 30,000,000 J!"
"Thirty million!"
Ren's jaw dropped. His mind started calculating furiously. Thirty million J... ten million J is about 500,000 in my old currency... so 30 million is 1.5 million! One mission! Even if Erza and I split it, that's 750,000 for me!
I thought the 6 million I made last time was a lot, but this is on another level. Sure enough: high risk, high reward.
Of course, the most important part: an SS-Rank mission. The system was offering a reward of two 10-pulls.
If he had to grind A-Rank missions, it would take him at least half a year of non-stop work to get that. This was a massive shortcut.
Erza turned to Ren. "Ren, this mission is too dangerous. I never expected it was more than just finding a sword... it involves fighting a dragon. My recommendation is that we abandon it."
She was willing to try an S-Class mission, but SS-Class was a different story. Courage and recklessness were two different things.
A dragon was a creature of legend. No matter how weak, it wasn't something humans could fight. For both her own and Ren's safety, abandoning the mission was the wisest choice.
Ren looked at the king. "Your Majesty, if you have such a plan, you surely haven't come into it unprepared."
Hearing this, the king looked at Ren with a hint of surprise, which then turned to appreciation. "You are correct. Our kingdom's survival is at stake; I would not act without preparation. How did you know?"
"Because your tone just now wasn't one of asking our opinion. It was as if you were stating a fact that was already going to happen."
The king nodded. "Impressive. Even if you two had not come, I intended to proceed with the dragon's subjugation."
As he spoke, the king twisted a part of his throne's armrest.
K-chak!
The floor at the king's feet opened, and a magnificent longsword slowly rose from within. At the cross-guard, a fiery red gemstone was embedded.
"A sword?!"
Ren and Erza were confused. His grand preparation was... a sword? It was certainly fitting for the Kingdom of Swords.
"This is no ordinary sword," the king said. "This is a Dragon Slaying Sword, forged by a master. And this... is not an ordinary gemstone. It is a Dragon Lacrima."
"A Dragon Lacrima?!" Ren's eyes widened. So this is what one looks like.
"Ren, you know what that is?" Erza asked, seeing his surprise.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. It's a Dragon Lacrima, made from a dragon's heart. If it's embedded into a person's body, they can use the Dragon Slayer Magic corresponding to its element."
"You are quite knowledgeable, young man. Correct. This is a Fire Dragon Lacrima. I purchased it at great expense from the northern continent, Guiltina. If embedded in a mage, they could use Dragon Slayer Magic, but mastering it would take far too long."
"And since human magic is useless against a dragon, I ordered my kingdom's smiths to forge this Dragon Slaying Sword. Only by wielding this blade can one harm the dragon."
The king grasped the hilt, and the blade instantly erupted in roaring flames. The terrifying heat made the entire throne room feel like a furnace.
"So hot!"
Soon, the flames died down, and the king placed the sword back in its pedestal.
Ren frowned. "Such an important weapon... you're surely not just going to hand it to anyone, right?"
"Of course not! This is the key to our victory against the evil dragon and the survival of our kingdom. It cannot be entrusted to just anyone. Only the strongest swordsman is worthy of wielding this blade."
"The strongest swordsman?"
"Correct. And you've arrived at the perfect time. To find this person, I have used my authority as king to convene a tournament: The Strongest Swordsman Tournament."
"The Strongest Swordsman Tournament?!"
Ren and Erza were dumbfounded. This king was full of surprises.
Then the king's gaze fell on Erza, his eyes filled with praise. "And you, young lady, are an outstanding swordswoman, are you not? To fell a 5-star Blazing Boar in a single blow... your skill must be at least that of a six-star, perhaps even a seven-star, swordsman. Wouldn't you like to try?"
Hearing this, Erza was visibly tempted. As a swordswoman, who among them did not crave the title of "strongest"?