Chapter 38: The One Who Holds Fate in Their Hands
Black and Theodore, who were in the midst of battle, simultaneously halted their movements without any prior agreement.
Because an extremely powerful pressure, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, was descending from the mountainside from above.
It was as if a towering mountain was tilting and crumbling towards them, its massive, sky-obscuring form pressing down slowly with an unstoppable force, making one feel unable to dodge, unable to escape, and even unable to muster the thought of resistance. Both the half-dragon and the brown-haired mage knew that the battle had reached its end.
And in the next instant, a howling gale swept into the center of the battlefield. The figure of the black-haired man appeared on the charred earth. He glanced around at the lakeside, which had been reduced to scorched soil, and couldn't help but shake his head. "What a mess."
"Roar!"
Seeing Joshua's arrival, Black, who had been arrogantly acting like the very image of an evil dragon from a knight's novel, immediately sat down quietly on the ground, curling its tail around its legs, looking very well-behaved. It let out a soft roar to greet its master.
To be honest, the half-dragon's heart was filled with disbelief and guilt. It had originally thought that some of the other instructors from the academy had come to mediate, but it never expected the warrior himself to come personally.
"Calming down and looking at you, you've really grown a lot."
Joshua approached Black. He looked up at his mount and even touched its tail, which had a smooth carapace, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Back then, you were only about ten meters tall, but now you've grown by half. You're almost taller than the tower of my Lord's Manor."
After speaking, Joshua turned his head to look at the brown-haired mage standing to the side, his face still filled with lingering fear. He sighed and said, "Speak, Theodore. What exactly is going on? Black usually has a good relationship with you; it wouldn't attack you for no reason."
The warrior wasn't being biased; he knew Black's temperament. Theodore was one of the few human acquaintances the half-dragon had, practically a friend. Logically, a minor disagreement between them would have been one thing, but how could it have escalated to such a fierce fight? Looking at the lakeside, it was as if it had been plowed over by alchemical cannons. Some places had even crystallized, having endured who knows how many dragon breaths.
Asking Black would likely yield no results, so it was better to ask the brown-haired mage what had happened.
"Lord, this is what happened..."
Faced with Joshua's question, Theodore dared not be negligent. He thought about the order of his words for a moment, then recounted the entire incident without any deviation, without making any excuses for himself, but frankly admitting that he had gotten carried away and said the wrong thing.
His nature was simple and honest; he wasn't very good at lying. Moreover, Theodore knew that lying to the warrior was pointless; the other party could see through it at a glance.
After listening, Joshua's expression was very subtle. First, he looked helplessly at the foolish mage, as if saying he deserved it. Then he turned his head and glared fiercely at the half-dragon. "Black! Even though this idiot Theodore can't speak properly, there's no need to take things this far over such a matter. A little lesson would have been enough. Look at this land; your force was completely aimed at killing him!"
Originally, the lakeside at the foot of Nissier Snow Mountain was covered in large stretches of cold pine forests, a scenery worth admiring. But now, at least half of the pine forest had been completely burned to ashes. Not to mention the impact on the local ecology, it was at least very unsightly.
"Roar!"
—I was wrong!
Twisting its body uneasily, Black admitted its mistake frankly and cleanly. Faced with a clearly somewhat angry Joshua, it certainly couldn't say that it had just gotten carried away and deliberately used a bit too much force. It could only obediently concede.
This wasn't a major issue to begin with, and Joshua didn't want to dwell on it. So after giving a little more lecturing to the dragon and the man, he asked Theodore about the dragon egg issue.
"Professor Drake."
Since they were getting down to business, Joshua's tone became serious as he addressed Theodore by his formal title. "Are you certain that the only way to raise young dragons to be friendly towards humans is to have them led by a dragon that is already friendly towards humans?"
"No, there are many other methods, but currently, this is the only one."
When it came to his area of expertise, Theodore also steadied himself. He put down the box containing the dragon eggs and began to explain earnestly. "As everyone knows, powerful magical beasts all have bloodline inheritances. Dragons, having long since transcended magical beasts to become a powerful race, are naturally the same. The inheritance engraved deep within their bodies allows their offspring to learn many hunting and spellcasting techniques without needing to be taught by their elders. It also gradually cultivates the young dragon's cognition, making them disdain associating with any creature other than dragons."
"The same naturally applies to humans. An adult dragon, unless forced into submission by power, can almost never become a human's partner. But with young dragons, since the inheritance within them hasn't fully emerged, there is still a possibility for change."
At this moment, two other instructors from the academy, Sophia and Dill, also arrived at the lakeside. But upon seeing that Joshua and Theodore seemed to be discussing some important matter, they quietly left again. The students still had classes later, and since the matter was resolved, they couldn't waste time.
Theodore was getting a bit excited as he spoke. He opened his grimoire and showed Joshua a few magic circles. "Look, Lord. This is a magic circle that can slowly implant soul suggestions into the young dragon inside the egg. It can perfectly circumvent the dragon's innate inheritance, making the little ones friendly towards humans. The ones next to it are brainwashing circles, generally used for more stubborn young dragons. But these all take too much time."
Pointing at the dragon eggs in the silver box, the brown-haired mage looked very regretful. He said with some emotion, "It seems I took too good care of them before. These dragon eggs, how should I put it... because they are too healthy, they could hatch at any time, from now to a few weeks later. But those magic circles basically require several months to take effect, which is completely too late."
"So, the only option is to have Black lead these young dragons..."
Glancing sideways at the nervous-looking Black, Joshua thought for a moment, then asked with some confusion, "But earlier you said you wanted Black to hatch these eggs. Just now, you only mentioned leading them. The difference is quite significant. If you had said the latter from the start, Black might not have wanted to teach you a lesson."
Stumped by the warrior's question, the brown-haired mage hesitated for a moment before telling the truth. "Because after the dragon eggs hatch, sending them over one by one would be too troublesome. So I thought I'd just stuff all the dragon eggs into it... I was too arrogant!"
After speaking, he closed his eyes, looking tense.
"Roar!"
—You bastard!
Hearing Theodore's words, Black predictably widened its eyes again and roared angrily. But it immediately backed down under Joshua's warning glare. Even so, the half-dragon still glared fiercely at the brown-haired mage, as if trying to kill him with its eyes.
After Black finished roaring, Theodore slowly opened his eyes. Seeing Joshua nod at him, signaling him to continue, he cleared his throat and went on. "Anyway, due to the lack of time, the only option is to have Black lead these young dragons, slowly cultivating a friendly disposition towards humans. Of course, it would be best to select a few knights to live with them from a young age, to ensure a perfect bond."
"That's not a big problem."
Joshua nodded thoughtfully. He was also somewhat looking forward to the dragon knight regiment. After all, during the latter half of the Second Abyss War at the end of the Era of Falling Stars, only large floating warships combined with dragon knight regiments could counter the flying demons that were like dark clouds. At that time, dragons would also wear steel armor inscribed with runes, essentially becoming smaller flying fortresses.
"But, wouldn't it take too long for the dragons to grow up?"
After thinking for a moment, the warrior finally asked his most troubling question. "By the time the young dragons grow to a usable stage, the knights will mostly be old, or no longer in their prime. They might not be able to adapt to the rapid flight and charging in the air."
"Actually, if you want to raise the young dragons into usable mounts as quickly as possible, I do have some methods here."
Closing the grimoire in his hand, Theodore scratched his head and said hesitantly, "But this requires a large amount of dragon blood and dragon bone powder. Although different types can be used, it's best if they are from the same species. I heard that you, Lord, have already sold off most of the materials from the last dragon hunt, so there might not be enough."
"Hmm..."
Joshua pondered. This was indeed a problem. To be honest, he wasn't very good at financial management or internal affairs. Usually, it was Alfonso, far away in the Imperial Capital, or Lin who handled the family's industrial matters. Around the time of the dragon hunt, some facilities needed to be added to the Black Forest Fortress and some areas of the city, and funds were tight. So he simply sold off the vast majority of the materials, keeping only a small amount as souvenirs.
Clearly, that small amount was definitely not the "large amount" Theodore was talking about. But he had already killed all the white dragons in the Northern Lands. Where else could he find other dragons to hunt?
"We'll discuss this later. Black, what do you think?"
Shaking his head, temporarily putting aside this question, Joshua turned around and looked at Black, whose expression was still somewhat displeased, and asked seriously, "Are you willing to take care of these young dragons? If not, that's fine. I have plenty of ways to make these little ones cooperate."
Although he very much wanted to form a dragon knight regiment, the half-dragon's feelings were clearly more important. The warrior was not the type to wrong his own people.
"Roar, roar."
Shaking its head, Black indicated that it didn't mind. In fact, leading young dragons wasn't something the half-dragon objected to. It might even add a bit of fun to its usually boring life. But hatching eggs was a bit too much, a boundary it wouldn't cross. For a dragon, that was almost equivalent to a human having a child out of wedlock.
"Then it's settled."
Since Black didn't object, Joshua decisively made the decision. "Theodore, I think you've learned your lesson this time. This time, you'll wait for the dragon eggs to hatch, then bring them one by one to Black. Don't complain about the trouble."
Seeing the brown-haired mage obediently nod, the warrior paused, then slowly continued. "However, seeing how you were chased and beaten for so long this time, it was indeed a bit excessive... After all the young dragons have hatched, you can choose one. Nostradamus told me that you've always wanted a dragon as a contracted creature."
Joshua was never one to be stingy with rewards, and without Theodore, these dragon eggs would almost certainly not have hatched, and even if they did, they would be difficult to raise.
In fact, in his view, given the brown-haired mage's contributions, a single young dragon was hardly enough to repay his hard work. But Theodore, on the other hand, suddenly looked up, his face filled with joy, and asked, "Really, Lord?"
"I don't make promises lightly, but when I do, I keep them."
Having received such a powerful assurance from the warrior, the brown-haired mage let out a long sigh of relief. He turned his head to look at the silver box, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the metal and see the dragon eggs within.
A long-cherished wish was about to be fulfilled. All the hard work of the past had finally paid off. With a burning heart, he repeatedly warned himself not to get as excited as before. The future was still long, and the path to becoming a true dragon-contract mage was still far away. The brown-haired mage knew that this was only the first step of his dream, and there was still much work to be done.
"Thank you, Count Radcliffe."
After calming his emotions, Theodore thanked him in a low but clear voice. He bowed deeply to Joshua. "You are a truly generous man. Truth will surely protect you."
"Alright."
Accepting the other's solemn thanks with a smile, Joshua shook his head. "Don't be so serious. For both you and me, today is a happy day... Also, don't you think you should make some amends to Black?"
He patted the half-dragon's tail firmly. Black let out a puzzled, soft chirp. Theodore, catching the hint, immediately promised, "This time, it was my fault. I was too arrogant and said ignorant things... Black, do you want some cod?"
Saying this, the brown-haired mage slapped his grimoire heavily and declared in a decisive and resolute tone, "When I have time tomorrow, I'll go fishing in the Sea of Bewilderment! As much as you want!"
—After all, I am a biology instructor, Theodore thought to himself. Although April and May were not the cod fishing season, he knew where the good fishing spots were. At least enough to satisfy one dragon's appetite was no problem.
Knowledge is power!
Black, who had actually suffered no loss at all and had simply chased Theodore around for a beating, naturally agreed happily. As for the earlier displeasure, what was it compared to food? In short, the atmosphere between the two men and the dragon instantly became harmonious.
The matter of the dragon eggs was thus resolved. Black returned to the water to continue its exploration of the lakebed, while Joshua and Theodore slowly walked back along the long trail the warrior had trampled out, heading towards Winterfell Academy.
"Tell me about the academy's situation."
Along the way, Joshua initiated the conversation. He was also curious about how the professional academy in his territory was developing lately. "Is there anything lacking? Have you found any talented students? Tell me a bit about everything."
"What's lacking... probably instructors for other departments."
Answering Joshua's question honestly, Theodore frowned and thought for a moment, then slowly began, "Currently, the academy's mage department instructors are mostly complete. Myself, Sophia, and Dill can basically teach all schools of magic, and the other instructors can handle the schools we're not so good at. Plus, the batch of mages from the association who just arrived from the Imperial Capital occasionally come to give lectures, so we're not short in that area."
"But Winterfell Academy doesn't intend to be just a single mage academy. So we currently need some warriors and knights who are proficient in breathing techniques and battle qi, as well as ranger and scout-type instructors. Actually, not long ago, we found a batch, but since we're all mages, we're not very sure if they're suitable. We might need you, Lord, to review them."
Saying this, the brown-haired mage took the opportunity to compliment the warrior. "After all, you are the strongest warrior in this land."
"I see. Alright."
After listening to Theodore, Joshua nodded slightly, his expression calm, as if he was thinking. "I'll find time to review them. Now, tell me about other aspects."
"Talented students... Speaking of which, there are indeed two very promising candidates."
After thinking for a moment, two figures he had seen not long ago immediately popped into Theodore's mind. He nodded subconsciously and said in an admiring tone, "Amira Makarov and Ivan Makarov. If there's anything about this academy that has surprised us and Teacher Nostradamus, it's this pair of siblings."
After speaking, he gave Joshua a detailed account of the two children's daily efforts and the talents they had displayed in their magical practice. The younger sister, Amira, had such a high ability to sense arcane power and understand runic structures that it even exceeded the standard of an average Silver-rank mage. She was only stuck at the level of a mage apprentice due to her lack of experience in controlling arcane power.
As for the older brother, Ivan, although his talent could only be considered average, he had an unexpected ability with magical creatures and mana-powered machinery. Like Theodore, he had a very strong mental power and could communicate with beasts. Although this ability was inconsistent due to his age and lack of experience, with training, he would definitely be able to master it completely.
Furthermore, due to his strong mental power, Ivan's control over precision machinery far surpassed that of his other classmates. He was also very interested in this area, often drawing runes himself and designing interesting little gadgets.
"Lord, look."
Saying this, Theodore pulled a strange cylindrical machine from his bosom. He smiled at Joshua. "This is a little gadget Ivan designed. It can use mechanical operation to calculate how much time has passed since it was started. Although it's not very accurate, for a child of over ten years old, it's already quite remarkable."
—A timer!
"Those two children are that talented?"
Joshua couldn't help but be surprised. He certainly understood the significance of the little thing in the brown-haired mage's hand. "Not to mention the little girl's somewhat excessive talent, being able to independently design something like this is already a true genius in mechanics."
"Naturally."
Nodding happily, Theodore took a deep breath, his eyes shining with excitement. He said in a firm tone, "The children, Ivan and Amira, work very hard. All the instructors have seen it. They have talent and never slack off. They are destined for great achievements in the future. These two alone have made our coming to the Northern Lands as instructors worthwhile."
The warrior responded to the brown-haired mage's sentiment with silence.
In his past life, he had never heard these two names.
Neither Amira, whom Theodore claimed was destined to become an archmage, nor Ivan, who had a strong talent in biology and machinery, had he ever heard of. Not a single piece of information. It wasn't forgetfulness; it was a complete non-existence.
For a warrior who remembered all the strong individuals worth remembering, this meant only one thing: in his past life, these two either faded into obscurity or died early, never getting the chance to grow.
"Ivan, Amira... the two surviving children from the village attacked by the dragon."
Recalling this event, Joshua murmured softly to himself, "Yes, perhaps in their past lives, they died so early, or perhaps they never even had the chance to enter the academy to study."
"Perhaps, it's because of me."
Indeed.
Since the 15th of October, 831, when Joshua had crossed over into this world, he had already changed many things.
Because of his existence, the Radcliffe family, a long-standing guardian family, had held firm to its faltering mission. And the future Imperial Sword Saint, Brandon Kaos's wife and two daughters, had not died in the mad Black Tide.
Because of his existence, Artificial Intelligence No. 3 of the Carlis World had not perished in the apocalypse of its collapse. And the Father of Nature of the Ilgena World had not been cast into eternal slumber by the Calamity Evil God, but had fallen into a sleep that was brief for a deity.
His strength was already very great, great enough to influence the future of the world, great enough to determine the direction of fate.
Just like the siblings Ivan and Amira, who had gone from being completely unknown, even destined to die early, to being the focus of the entire academy's instructors, with a future full of promise. Joshua realized that his existence had become a vast vortex. All people or things that came near him would have their predetermined fates changed... Everything was heading in a direction completely different from his past life.
"This is a good thing."
Under Theodore's somewhat puzzled gaze, the corners of Joshua's mouth curled up into a smile. His gaze was deep, as if it could pierce through time. "It reminds me that I should be more proactive... Changing everything isn't that difficult."
The two had already approached the academy. The tall and majestic towers of Winterfell Academy stood unmoving, and two banners flapped noisily in the cold wind, bringing a little sound to this silent world.
And Ying and Lin were standing at the academy gate, waiting for their master's return.