The Kingdom Razed by Dragons

by Virlyce

  “When an elemental dies, their elementalist loses mana equal to three times the cost of summoning them,” Alice said as she arrived at Tafel’s side. “If they’re not careful, their mana pool will empty, and the result is as you see.” She gestured towards the two twitching elementalists on the ground. “Don’t you feel bad for bullying people weaker than you?”

  “It’s twelve against two,” Tafel said and blocked an icicle with her sword. “It’s fair…, kinda. And we don’t have a healer.”

  Alice snorted. “Like you need one.” She shook her head and sighed. “Can you beat them by yourself? I know I can.”

  “Forget what I just said. That’s not very fair for the competition,” Tafel said with a frown.

  “You’re the one who wanted to join! I told you it wasn’t worth the effort, but no, you insisted. You even obtained a strong weapon before it started. Isn’t that the only reason you wanted to join the competition?” Alice slapped Tafel’s back with her shield, causing the demon to stumble.

  “What is this? Friendly fire?” the referee asked. “Tafel’s movements were too fast for me to keep up with earlier, but I’d be a failure as a referee if I couldn’t comment on the berserk librarian’s behavior! It seems like the rumors of her beating everyone indiscriminately were true! No wonder why she only has one other party member; I know I wouldn’t stick around if my party was trying to sabotage me all the time.”

  “Shut up, you damn referee!” Alice threw her shield at the announcer’s stand, shattering the magical barrier that prevented attacks from reaching the audience. The referee’s face paled as Alice’s shield embedded itself into the wall beside his head, rotating like a grinder. A second later, the shield flew backwards and returned to Alice’s hand like a boomerang.

  In the instant that everyone was distracted by Alice’s returning shield toss, Tafel had disabled three out of the four remaining elementals. The last elemental crumbled into dust before she could do anything, and the only standing elementalist raised his hands into the air, signaling his surrender.

  Tafel sighed and placed her sword on her back. She didn’t even have to use the leviathan armor’s barrier. “I hope the next people we fight are stronger.”

  “There won’t be a challenge until the final,” Alice said, shaking her head. “There’s only one triple-S party other than us who’ve signed up.”

  12

  Erin puffed her cheeks out as she forced her wings to flap faster, flying through the city of Anfang and arriving at its adventurers’ guild. She pushed aside a man’s hat and flew to the front of the line, stopping in front of the receptionist who had gaunt cheeks and dark circles surrounding his eyes. His gaze was locked onto the papers in his hands.

  “Hey.” Erin flitted in front of his face and knocked on his skull like she was about to enter a room.

  “M-Mrs. Koller,” the receptionist said with wide eyes. “Please don’t turn me into a goat again.”

  “That depends,” Erin said and placed her hands on her hips. “I’ve gotten word that there’s a newly born fairy queen accompanying two brand spanking new SSS adventurers. Where are they?”

  The receptionist’s face froze for an instant. “Tafel x Vur? The new party? Hold on a second,” he said and reached over to the side of the counter. He unlocked a cabinet and pulled it open, taking out a folder from inside. “Here’s the route the guild master plotted for her adventure that I created based on the commissions she chose just in case someone needed to find her.” He spread a map out on the countertop and pointed at a spot near the western coast of the continent. “We’re here. She’s heading east, following the red line. Her final destination is 99 Fairy Drive. Judging by the commissions and the amount of time that’s passed, she should be somewhere around here.”

  “99 Fairy Drive?” Erin asked, tilting her head to the side. Her wings stopped flapping for a second as she furrowed her brow. “Huh? Wait, why is the guild master going with them? She’s the short fellow that’s like a dwarf but actually a human, right? The shield person?”

  “Right,” the receptionist said and nodded. “She accepted Tafel x Vur’s commission as a guide to take them to 99 Fairy Drive. Those three accepted your commission.”

  “They … accepted my commission?” Erin landed on the counter and walked on top of the map, frowning at the red route drawn on its surface. “The heck?” She scratched her head before lifting a corner of the map and folded it into a skirt, wearing it over her dress. “Dupey’s city, huh?” she muttered to herself as she flew into the air. “Did they destroy my fountain or not?”

  The receptionist pursed his lips as Erin flew away with the original copy of his map, but he didn’t say anything. He sighed and picked up his papers. “Please return soon, guild master. I need a break.”

  ***

  “Leader, what do we do with the human captives?”

  Mr. Skelly raised his head, turning his attention away from the map he liberated from Evan Lancefell. A skeleton was staring at him from the entrance of his tent. “Can’t you keep them with the fishmen captives?”

  “They don’t breathe underwater.”

  “Right. I forgot lungs were a thing.” Mr. Skelly tapped his fingers against his knee. “We’ve stripped them?”

  The skeleton nodded. “As is custom.”

  “They were famous adventurers?”

  “Some of them.”

  “The fairies have memorized their features perfectly to impersonate them?”

  “Rella and Bella drew their portraits.”

  Mr. Skelly scratched his head. “…What was the issue again?”

  “We’re expending too much manpower keeping them captive. The daily mana we obtain from the fishmen and fairies isn’t enough to pay the upkeep of keeping the captives in check. The noble lady in particular, she destroys a few of us every day with holy magic.”

  Mr. Skelly’s mouth dropped open. “Ah. I see. And I can’t contact the mistress to ask for her mana either. We’re in quite a sticky situation, aren’t we? Our supplies are low. We’re surrounded by enemies. There’s a massive handicap against us since we aren’t allowed to kill or maim. This brings me back to my living days.” He grinned as he rubbed his bony hands together.

  “So we can’t kill them?” the skeleton subordinate asked.

  “No. I have a better idea.”

  “Hang on a second,” the skeleton subordinate said and turned around. It poked its head out of the tent and shouted, “Put the pitchforks away! No killing tonight!” The subordinate faced Mr. Skelly and cleared its nonexistent throat. “What was the better idea?”

  “…Starve them for a week. Then have Rella pretend to be sympathetic to their plight and offer them food in exchange for mana crystals. We’ll make the fairies their saviors and domesticate them that way.” Mr. Skelly chuckled as he stood up. “Have the liches finished their task?”

  “By nightfall, they’ll have reanimated the leviathan’s skeleton.”

  “Excellent. I can’t be a proper skeleton knight without a steed.” Mr. Skelly left the makeshift tent made out of palm tree leaves and placed his hands on his hips, staring at the ocean. “When I was still alive. I was a hero from Trummer sent to pave the way into Zuer. I crossed an ocean just like this one.” He turned around. “Now, I’m a hero from Zuer sent to a new continent to deliver a message to the mistress. The goals are different, but the same thing must be done. I’m here to conquer. Only after the dwarves are dealt with will our mistress be free to save our brethren from the curse of pink robes. I’ve already formulated a plan of action. The first thing we have to do is secure a proper base and increase our numbers.”

  The skeleton subordinate tilted its head. “I thought we weren’t allowed to kill?”

  “We aren’t, but we can still raid a town, revive the already dead, convert the living into believers of Damnedism, and use the nonbelievers as mana generators. There’s no reason why an army of undead can’t have a few living members. We have to be progressive as t
imes change.” Mr. Skelly laughed as he spread his arms out. “It’s been a long while since anything could make my missing heart pound and my nonexistent blood race. I’m so excited.”

  ***

  Three skeletons wearing ragged adventurer clothing dragged their feet along the road, heading towards the entrance to Anfang. A few people froze and stared at them as they trudged by, the horses hooked up to the carriages shying away. “T-that symbol. Aren’t those the B-ranked Happy Frogs of Anfang?”

  Bright green frogs were painted on the tattered capes they wore, and their guild member identification cards hung around their necks like dog tags. The skeletons continued their march, ignoring the words of the travelers, keeping their gazes glued to the ground. One of the skeletons whispered, “Why don’t we use an illusion to infiltrate the town?”

  Mr. Skelly didn’t react while speaking. His jaw bones barely moved. “Sympathy, remember? We’re garnering sympathy. No one wants to be forced into a religion. Now keep your mouth shut.”

  Heavy footsteps rang out as an armored woman approached the skeletons. “Excuse me, are you three the Happy Frogs?” She sucked in her breath when Mr. Skelly raised his head and met her gaze.

  “Yes.”

  “You…, are you sane? Do you recognize me, Richard…?” The woman bit her lower lip and clenched her fists. One of them was on the hilt of her sword which was still sheathed at her waist.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t remember much,” Mr. Skelly said and hung his head. “I just want to return to Anfang.” He collapsed to his knees and covered his face with his hands. “I just want to be buried next to my parents.” Wails filled the air as Mr. Skelly sobbed, fat tear droplets leaking from his eye sockets. “I don’t want to hurt anyone!”

  “Richard….” The woman pursed her lips and knelt beside Mr. Skelly, placing her hand on his shoulder. “You helped me once when I was still a complete beginner. The least I can do is grant your final wish.” She gently wrapped her arms around the skeleton’s shoulders and stood up, bringing him to his feet. “I’ll bring you to Anfang in my wagon.” She glanced at the two skeletons behind her. “Jessica, Norman. You two should come as well.”

  “M-miss, are you sure this is a good idea?” The wagon driver’s face paled as the skeletons approached his vehicle. He patted his horse’s rump, calming the creature down. “They’re skeletons.”

  “You think I can’t see that?” the woman asked and furrowed her brow. “These people saved my life before. I won’t repay a debt by attacking them even if they’ve turned into undead. Besides, look at them: They’re not hostile. They’re not armed. They just want to go home to rest peacefully besides their ancestors. Can’t we give them that?”

  The wagon driver hesitated, keeping his hands on his whip. Mr. Skelly stared at him with a neutral expression. “I understand your concern. We’re dead. We shouldn’t associate with the living.” The skeleton’s head trembled as he brought his gaze to the floor. “We shouldn’t trouble you, miss. We can walk.”

  “No.” The woman shook her head. She glanced at the crowd of curious travelers that had gathered around. “How many of you have been to Anfang? Raise your hands.”

  The majority of the crowd raised their hands.

  “You all know how peaceful it is there. But have you ever thought of why?” The woman made eye contact with the surrounding people before continuing. “It’s because of men like these. They risk their lives every day to eliminate danger, hunt for food, scout new lands. Don’t we have a duty to, at the very least, fulfill their final wish? Shouldn’t the people of Anfang be buried in Anfang? How would you feel if your husband, your wife, your daughter or son died to make your life more peaceful? Wouldn’t you want to see them one last time? Wouldn’t you want them to be buried beside you?” She clenched her armored hand against her sword’s hilt, creating a clanging noise. “Or do you not care if their remains are eaten by wild animals!?”

  “Let them ride!” one of the crowd members shouted. “If you don’t want to take them, I will! The Happy Frogs have always made Anfang a brighter place. We can’t abandon them here or, even worse, turn our blades against them.”

  Voices of agreement rang out, and the wagon driver sighed. “I’m sorry for my earlier behavior,” he said to the skeletons. “Please, get on. If you remain peaceful and sane, I’ll vouch for you and help you enter Anfang.”

  “We’ll all vouch for them!” the same crowd member shouted.

  “That’s right!”

  “The Happy Frogs are one of us.”

  “Once an Anfanger, always an Anfanger.”

  The armored woman nodded as she helped the skeletons into her wagon. As the driver ordered the horse forward, she leaned closer to Mr. Skelly and asked, “How was our acting?”

  Mr. Skelly grinned as he high-fived the fairy that materialized in the air beside the woman. “I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

  The wagon rumbled on as the sun continued to travel across the sky. The fields of golden wheat swayed in time with the wind while birds chirped in the few bushes and trees. The walls of Anfang came into view as the sun began to set. By the time the procession reached the town walls, it had nearly doubled in size as more and more travelers heard about the Happy Frogs’ plight. Surprisingly, there hadn’t been a single person who was against bringing the skeletons into Anfang.

  “Anfang,” Mr. Skelly said as he stepped out of the carriage and stared at the town walls. Two guards at the gate stiffened when they saw his skeletal face illuminated by the moonlight. “I’ve finally returned.”

  “Uh, is that a mask?” one of the guards asked. He glanced at the crowd of people who were queueing up to enter the town. None of them acted strangely as if having a skeleton around was a daily occurrence.

  “No, you see….” Some merchants stepped forward and explained the situation to the guards. Mr. Skelly scratched his head as the guards nodded at him, expressions of pity on their faces. The gate swung open and the guards gestured for the three skeletons to go through.

  “We definitely chose the right people to impersonate,” Mr. Skelly muttered to himself with a nod. And it seemed like knowledge of undead was extremely scarce on this continent. Perhaps it had something to do with the holy dragons purging them eons ago.

  “Hold your heads high,” a man said as he thumped Mr. Skelly on the shoulder. “You’re one of us, remember?”

  Mr. Skelly nodded and raised his head, stepping past the gate’s threshold with his two companions in tow. He glanced around before scratching his head.

  “What’s wrong?” the man asked as he herded his horse through the gate.

  “I don’t remember where I lived.” Mr. Skelly sighed and hung his head. “I can remember bits and pieces. I had a wife and two children. I know we had a fireplace. The tree outside was a cherry tree that the squirrels would always eat from. But I can’t remember where it is.” His hands clenched into fists as tears leaked out of his eye sockets.

  “Don’t worry. We can go to the adventurers’ guild and ask. Everyone’s addresses are recorded when they sign up.” The armored woman grabbed Mr. Skelly’s hand and smiled at him.

  Mr. Skelly nodded. “To the adventurers’ guild then.” He turned his gaze towards the man. “May I ask you to lead the way? I’m afraid people will be frightened by my presence.”

  The man nodded. “Don’t worry. I was going there as well. Besides, you need someone to vouch for you. It’d be terrible if someone accidentally killed you. …Again.”

  Mr. Skelly winced. “Dying the first time was enough.”

  “Do you remember how it happened?” the man asked as he led the way. A few of the other travelers accompanied them as well. The people in streets gawked and pointed, but luckily, none of them reacted violently.

  “I…, I don’t.” Mr. Skelly sighed. “But I do remember what happened afterwards. I saw a light, a bright white light at the end of a dark tunnel. There was someone there, a beautiful woman. She held her hand out to me a
nd pulled me out of the darkness. I’m sure she must’ve been an angel.” Mr. Skelly sighed again. “She asked me if I had any regrets. She told me she was a messenger of God and she’d grant me a wish. I told her I was sorry I had left behind my wife and two kids, that I couldn’t properly tell them goodbye. She told me she understood, and the next thing I knew, I was awake, lying on the road with Jessica and Norman by my side.”

  The man was silent as he led his horse through the streets, heading towards the adventurers’ guild. “A miracle,” he said after a while. “It’s miraculous how you’ve retained your sense of self. I was under the impression most people lost their minds when they turned undead.”

  “I never thought I’d become undead,” Mr. Skelly said before letting out a hollow laugh. “But things don’t always turn out how you expect them to.”

  “Isn’t that right?” the man asked before shaking his head. His horse came to a halt as the group stopped in front of the adventurers’ guild. He tied the horse’s reins to a nearby pillar and opened the door. His booming voice echoed through the lobby, “Is the guild master in? There’s an urgent matter.”

  “The guild master has not yet returned from her journey,” a monotonous voice said from the receptionist’s counter. The receptionist raised his head. His eyes were sunken in, and his cheeks were even gaunter than before.

  “…One of us?” Mr. Skelly mumbled when he saw the receptionist’s pale face.

  The receptionist stared at Mr. Skelly for five seconds without breaking eye contact. He blinked hard and removed his glasses, wiping them with the sleeve of his shirt. He put them back on and stared at Mr. Skelly again. Another five seconds passed. The receptionist turned around and shouted towards the room behind the counter, “Polly, switch with me. I’m hallucinating.”