Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 32: Mechanic; Slayer of Dragons

Vaergraes rides her wyvern as hard as it can fly. It's panting and exhausted, but has covered a vast distance in just a couple of hours. Regardless, there is no time to delay. The feral Feldrok, ferociously territorial defender of the ruins of the Citadel, has been slain. Given recent events, there can only be one culprit.

And, if the dragons are all en route to the Citadel, it is as firmly written as the past.

As the castle known as the Citadel comes into clearer view, the Demon Queen pushes her wyvern even faster. There are dozens of other powerful demonkin riding at her back, trying to keep up. Unfortunately, she lets her focus slip. She is no more safe from this threat than the dragons themselves.

And, when she can clearly see the castle's finer details, such as windows and Feldrok-friendly flyways, her heart begins to ache. A dragon corpse is laying on the landing way extending from a high level of the castle. Judging by its position and angle, it was slain as it was trying to flee from the flyway leading into the castle.

An orange dragon with glimmering scales, one of the youngest female dragons, is clawing at thin air while hovering, frantic.

It doesn't take a genius of magic to understand what it is; she is clawing at the inside of a barrier as she's trying to flee. It is said that the Citadel at full function could repel anything, even other Feldroks at full power. A dragon trying to penetrate the magical barrier would be helpless.

But... the Citadel has been defunct for centuries. The feral Feldrok appeared before the dragons could take control of the fortress, and it drove them out, nearly killing them all. Ever since, the dragons have only prodded the Feldrok, but it ferociously attacks dragons that arrive, as if it knows of the rumored treachery. Unlike many of the demonkin, Vaergraes has heard a firsthand account; from her own great grandfather before he passed away. The Feldroks were a benevolent race betrayed by the dragons. By her time, there was nothing to be done, and equilibrium had returned to demonkin, including the dragons.

In spite of that, her eyes did not deceive her, including checking for magic spells of deception, illusion, or mind altering. The only magic is the impenetrable spell of the magic barrier. The young orange dragon is clawing at the inside of the barrier, and Vaergraes dives her wyvern towards the dragon. She spots the demon queen coming, and she cries out, "My Queen! Please! You have to hel-"

BOOOOOOOOM!

Vaergraes and her wyvern both flinch, and she's nearly thrown from the wyvern's back. Some of the others aren't so lucky, and their wyverns panic. Some riders are plummeting towards the ground. Fortunately, the most skilled in their ranks are able to dive their wyverns to the rescue.

However, horror has frozen the demon queen in place. Also plummeting from the sky is the lifeless form of the young orange dragon, struck down with a single blow.

There, at the floor in the center of the flyway, is a single lone figure.

She can't detect even a trace. Not a single wave of mana. Not a static blur like mana concealment -it would be unthinkable for someone to be powerful enough to hide their magic from the Shrine Priestess, in tune with nature as she is-. It's not impossible, but not even Feldroks could do so.

In his hands, the being is cradling what appears to be a long, strangely shaped staff that he holds horizontal. From its tip trails a long string of smoke, and the length of it has a reddish color.

The orange dragon flops to the ground lifelessly, and the demon queen flinches. Though he's still so far away, thanks to the size of the barrier itself, she can feel his gaze turn to her.

Without much of a pause, he simply turns around, walking back into the Citadel through the flyway.

After a short while, as the council members regroup around her, one of them asks, "My Queen! What do we do?"