Chapter 202: Chapter 202

Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors

Eventually, I was able to hear the strategy and plans of our allies from Velof.

It had been nearly three years since Moscow was seized by Ivan IV, and with the help of King Fyodor, Ivan IV’s son, Velof was finally able to mobilize troops. It seemed he had also gathered outstanding individuals such as warriors, mages, and clergy from various places. The total number of these talented individuals was over a hundred, each one specially selected.

‘So knights are similar to martial artists!’

Knights could also harness Qi, making them warriors (鬪士). The main difference was their active use of strong metal armor and shields. However, unlike martial artists, they didn’t seem to employ profound techniques like the Middle Kingdom’s martial arts.

Velof said,

“Once, we sent a simple army to reclaim Moscow. However, the thirty thousand soldiers perished.”

“Moscow cannot be conquered by numbers alone, so we all agreed that we need outstanding mages or sorcerers.”

“You’re rambling too much. What’s the point?”

“Even with a hundred skilled individuals, it’s difficult to confront Ivan IV. This is because we lack the power to counter the force of Theosis. Therefore, we could only come up with one strategy.”

“What is it?”

Velof took a breath and his eyes lit up.

“It’s the power of a Dragon!”

“……!!”

“We’ve transported the remains of a dragon that was trapped on a mountain peak in Romania to this place. We intend to resurrect the dragon to confront Ivan IV.”

A dragon!

Both Miho and I were astonished. A dragon is the pinnacle of mythical beasts, possessing formidable power. Being such a noble being, it hardly descends from the Heavenly Realm, and its supernatural abilities are known to overturn heaven and earth. Of course, I wasn’t certain if the Eastern dragon was the same as the Western dragon, but if Velof’s words were true, that was incredible!

Regaining my composure, I asked Velof,

“You said ‘remains’? How do you plan to resurrect a dead dragon?”

“Though I described it as dead, it’s not truly deceased. It seems it has been trapped in ice magic for hundreds of years. If we can break that magic, the dragon can awaken.”

“Is there a way to break it?”

As I bombarded him with questions, Velof fell silent for a moment before answering.

“That’s the biggest issue. Whoever cast it, the ice spell sealing the dragon is a highly advanced magic, and we have no way of breaking it. So despite bringing the dragon’s remains, we are still searching for the method to break the seal.”

“Hmmm…”

I pondered and said to Velof,

“Let’s take a look. We may be able to help.”

“Sure.”

I realized why Velof was sharing such confidential information with outsiders like us. They had no method to resurrect the dragon and were thus clinging to hope from a mysterious traveler from the Ming Dynasty. Miho and I followed Velof through the tents toward a secluded cave.

As we ventured deeper into the dark cave, a pure white aura of ice emanated from within. There, we could see a massive reptilian body, large enough to be twenty times that of a human, encased within the ice walls.

“……!!”

Is this a dragon?

It was enormous and powerful, radiating a terrifying energy!

Its gigantic wings seemed as if they could soar freely through the sky, and it had a fierce reptilian face with strong forelegs and two legs. I had never seen anything so gigantic, except for magical beasts, so my entire body trembled. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to fight such a creature head-on.

However, as Miho observed the dragon, she murmured,

“It’s different. This dragon is very different from the one I saw.”

“What do you mean, Miho?”

Miho simply shook her head. Then she said,

“Let’s talk for a moment, So Woong.”

“Hmm… Got it.”

I sought Velof’s permission and went with Miho to a secluded spot to use the spell of teleportation. The place we appeared in was the secret library of the other races located underground in the Kremlin. Since even Ivan IV could not reach here, there was no safer spot in the world.

Miho cautiously spoke,

“That creature feels incredibly malevolent, unlike the dragons from the East. Its power may be formidable, but it’s bound to bring calamity—do we really need to awaken it?”

“What do you mean it’s different?”

“The dragons I saw in the Heavenly Realm were all immensely powerful beings who valued order and were good entities. They wouldn’t even be sealed, as they were never meant to dwell in the mortal realm.”

I understood the implication behind Miho’s words and stiffened my expression.

“Are you saying it was sealed because it was an evil entity?”

“Yes. Someone, likely a powerful sorcerer, must have realized the dragon’s malevolence and sacrificed themselves to seal it.”

“Hmmm.”

“Though it seems to be a cousin of the Eastern dragon, that Western dragon is surely not friendly towards humans. Plus, I doubt even Velof, that monk, has the ability to control it. It is undoubtedly a powerful being.”

“……”

I was inwardly aghast.

The Ivan IV we had to defeat had transformed into a being nearly divine, and the opponent Velof presented was a cruel and malevolent entity! Their choice, as Eastern Orthodox Church members, was utterly misguided. As I was deep in thought, Miho spoke up.

“Wouldn’t it be best to avoid getting entangled with them any further? There’s no need to involve yourself in a pointless fight.”

“You’re right, Miho. I wanted to learn their firearms techniques and sorcery, their knightly combat skills, but this may not be the right time…”

I trailed off, feeling something was amiss.

“But it feels unsatisfying to leave things as they are. Is there something more we can take?”

“I don’t know. The potential gains seem too uncertain.”

Miho appeared eager to distance herself from Velof’s group as soon as possible. I had a gut feeling that if I didn’t muster caution during my next visit to Velof, it could lead to complications. Yet, if I pushed too hard now, it might jeopardize my relationship with Miho. Reluctantly, I nodded.

“Alright then. Let’s find something useful from this library and head back to Jinrang Valley.”

Miho and I rummaged through the library, selecting any books or maps we could read. Afterward, we used the teleportation spell to return to Jinrang Valley, where Mangnyang awaited us.

Swish!

When we returned to Jinrang Valley, it was already late and dark. There was no sign of Mangnyang around the thatched house, so it seemed he was out at work. Miho and I sat on the porch waiting for a while until Mangnyang finally returned.

Mangnyang greeted us warmly upon seeing us.

“Wow, it’s been a while! How was your journey?”

“It seems you’ve been training diligently in the meantime.”

“Haha! A great opportunity came my way, so I couldn’t just lounge around.”

Mangnyang’s jovial response genuinely surprised me. I noticed that his spell power had significantly increased, and in just a few months apart, he had already reached the elite level of martial arts.

Such rapid progress would surely astonish the leaders of the great martial sects of the martial arts world.

“What happened during your time?”

“Hmm… We…”

I recounted how I had undergone a transforming procedure by Hwa Seomyeong, resulting in my current appearance, the journey to the North Sea Ice Palace to gather information about the Great Prairie, encountering the sage in the Grand Temple of Astana, the conflict between Ivan IV and Velof, and the dragon trapped in ice.

Mangnyang listened intently, and after I finished, he seemed to lost in thought. I cautiously inquired,

“Now that my appearance has changed, how did you still recognize me as Baek Woong?”

“I can tell because Miho is right next to you. Another reason is that I thought you would certainly have undergone procedures related to medicine since you have expertise in healing.”

Mangnyang laughed heartily.

“Of course, I never expected you would become such a pretty lad.”

“Ugh… Don’t tease me.”

I felt like I had made a mistake by bringing that up. Mangnyang wasn’t the kind of person to resist the chance to poke fun at someone. It felt like he might actually have a worse personality than the average person. As I was wearing a grump face, Mangnyang spoke.

“To sum it up, you focused on gathering information rather than heading directly to the Arctic.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ve thought quite a bit about it.”

Saying this, Mangnyang then asked,

“Baek Woong, do you wish for Velof to win in the conflict against Ivan IV?”

“I’m not sure. To be honest, it’s a little hard to relate to a conflict between such foreign-looking people from the West. All I wanted was to gather as much as I could, but given the risks, I came to you for your opinion.”

Mangnyang chuckled lightly.

“The reason you feel this way is due to the firearms.”

“Firearms?”

“Impressed by the power of firearms, you’ve become curious about the firearms and military equipment wielded by the Westerners. It’s all about turning their strengths into your own.”

“Hmmm… That might be true…”

I agreed with Mangnyang’s assessment. In watching the firearm demonstration by the North Sea Ice Palace’s lord, I had sensed its latent value, thinking it might greatly benefit me in the future. So, I’d aimed to play the role of helping Velof while sneaking in the chance to learn about firearms and warfare techniques.

Mangnyang, flapping his arms, said,

“By the way, the Ming Dynasty isn’t without firearms either. Naturally, they exist.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Do you know what the biggest restriction imposed by the Ming Dynasty on the martial world is? It’s banning firearms. They did this not out of concern for the dangers posed by martial artists using thunder cannons or cannons but from a fear that firearms would be carelessly made and distributed.”

“……!!”

“The Ming Dynasty is a powerful nation on a global scale. Therefore, even though it isn’t widely known among the public, Western kings or Middle Eastern rulers send tributes to maintain relations with the Ming Dynasty. During my time at the astronomical observatory, the tributes those envoys brought included the latest firearms.”

I nodded at Mangnyang’s remarks. It certainly made sense; otherwise, there was no way treasures like the golden incense burner, a warlock’s artifact, could reach the Central Plains from afar. Also, the envoys would likely seek to garner favor from the Ming Dynasty by showcasing new firearms.

Mangnyang chuckled bitterly.

“The Ming Dynasty understood the power of firearms but didn’t develop them significantly. They currently possess around twenty thousand old-style firearms in the imperial armory, but none have been deployed in actual combat. Do you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because there are no enemies.”

What was that supposed to mean?

I looked at him blankly as he continued explaining.

“The reason for wanting firearms to increase military might is to conquer enemies and gain something from it. However, currently, there are very few powerful nations that could be considered enemies of the Ming Dynasty. It will take at least another half-century for the Arasa Empire to extend its grasp nearby, the prairie tribes have completely fallen, and even the southern and eastern nations only watch over the Ming Dynasty cautiously. In such a scenario, there was no reason to deploy firearms and exacerbate internal conflicts.”

I exclaimed in disbelief,

“Is there such a thing? Even now, Western nations must be developing advanced firearms technology…”

“The Ming Dynasty is like a well of water. We have acquired strong and fertile territory, so once there’s no need to fight external battles, we just seal the doors and enjoy peace. This is one of the limitations of the Ming Dynasty, as well as other empires in China.”

Mangnyang sighed.

“Of course, if things go as you predict, in two hundred years, there may be a sharp contrast compared to the West. However, which ruler is concerned about such future matters?”

“……”

At that point, Mangnyang’s eyes sharpened.

“But things seem to be a bit different now. The current emperor appears to have a curious interest in gunpowder and various firearms, and is investing significantly in new technologies—this is quite different from his predecessor.”

“Does that mean they might train firearms troops in the future?”

“That’s only a possibility. Technology doesn’t evolve easily, and it still appears they’re nurturing manufacturers and skilled technicians.”

I pondered for a moment before saying,

“Did you acquire such information by being involved in politics along with Huang Yan?”

“Indeed. In perspective, the latest firearm armament and cannons of the North Dragon Unit, which is directly subordinate to General Huang Yan, are the results of such efforts. Hence, Huang Yan is likely in the easiest position to understand the government’s dynamics.”

Mangnyang flashed a grin.

“Haha, I really can’t believe it. The current you can chat with me and keep up, yet how can you be called dull-witted? It’s evident you possess considerable knowledge!”

I could only manage a bitter smile.

After dying fourteen times while desperately accumulating wisdom, power, and experiences, it was both embarrassing and humiliating that I only just started having conversations that made sense with Mangnyang. I realized I couldn’t settle here but needed to grow further. I regained my composure and spoke to Mangnyang.

“Anyway, what do you suggest I do? By the way, I brought back some useful books and maps.”

“Hmmm.”

“The books from the secret library of the other races should prove helpful.”

I pointed to the books and maps taken from my storage. The surrounding area was already lit up by the flames summoned by my fire magic, making it easy to see. Mangnyang picked up the books and began examining them one by one, saying,

“This is an ancient runic script. It appears to contain portions of ancient Cyrillic as well.”

“Runic script… What’s that?”

“We just call them Westerners as a whole, but they’re actually divided into several tribes. By the way, this runic script is said to be the writing obtained by a one-eyed god through his deep meditation and self-dedication—it’s comparable to the oracle bone script in age.”

“……”

I’d better stay silent since I didn’t understand any of that.

As I remained quiet, Mangnyang continued to scrutinize the map after finishing with the book. He examined it carefully and remarked,

“This map is unusable as it is.”

“Unusable?”

“It seems to be an ancient map because it doesn’t reflect any geographical changes. You’ll need to learn proper cartographic techniques and redraw it. Hopefully, those techniques are outlined in the books you brought.”

“If we can redraw the map, will we be able to reach the Arctic?”

Mangnyang turned the map upside down, studying it once more as he said,

“If you are able to find and apply the cartographic techniques, I could redraw a new map for you in seven days.”

“Perfect!”

Mangnyang then looked toward Miho and asked,

“Miho, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“You mentioned that the dragon trapped in ice is an evil entity; do you think it might be a servant of another race?”

“Hmmm… Not exactly. I believe it was just a dragon that became malevolent while remaining on the mortal plane without ascending.”

For a moment, I almost joked with her, “Just like you?” but realizing it wasn’t appropriate, I held back. Hearing Miho’s answer, Mangnyang seemed to ponder for a moment before replying to me,

“Baek Woong, you should stay here for a while. We need to see if the map will be completed and decide our next actions.”