Chapter 2:
Cleaning Up After Kerulgarz
WHILE I NORMALLY would have headed straight for Kerulgarz, I first wanted to stop by the Hill Temple. Apparently, it was expected that the field marshal would visit the temple upon every trip to Kadann Hill. I honestly wasn’t very enthusiastic about it, however, as the rat-faced head priest had managed to wear on my patience something awful the last time I’d been there. There was little to be done about it, though, and thus I had directed Veralgon to fly east. At least this way I could use my mission to Kerulgarz as an excuse to escape any long, droning monologues. I hadn’t sent any advance notice either, so if they were too busy to see me, all the better. I was just fulfilling my obligations, for what it’s worth.
Knowing that head priest, he no doubt already knew I was back, and he’d likely anticipated my visit as well. That was how it had gone the last time, anyway. In keeping with his seedy looks, he was the sort of man I had to keep an eye on.
When Veralgon had descended near the temple entrance, the rat-faced man came scampering out in a panic. His face was pale, a waterfall of sweat flowing from his brow. This was not the reaction I’d been expecting, and I wondered why he was in this state. Once I’d jumped down, the head priest approached me, his hands groping at the air.
“Wh-why, if it isn’t our esteemed field marshal,” he stammered. “I’ve heard great things about your accomplishments. Indeed, rumor has it you led your dragon to deliver divine judgment unto countless orcs. I’m sure God is delighted by your work. In any case, what brings you here on this fine day?”
The priest glanced anxiously at the white dragon behind me. Veralgon was in a bad mood—which was hardly anything new. He had somewhat calmed down during the festivities, but he still exuded a discontented energy. Perhaps I’d done something I shouldn’t have. At times like this, even the dragon keepers were spooked by him.
“I apologize for dropping by without prior notice,” I said. “It’s nothing important. As I’ve just returned to the territory, I simply wanted to pay my respects.”
“How courteous of you. Many thanks—much appreciated. Why don’t we have a nice chat inside the temple? I don’t have much to offer, but please feel right at home.” Even as he said this, it was quite clear the head priest didn’t want me to stay long. Nor did I want to, so at least we shared a common goal.
“To tell you the truth, I have a mission ahead of me from His Majesty himself. You’ll have to pardon the brevity of my visit.”
“Oh, is that so? What a shame,” he said, looking terribly relieved. To be fair, not many people could keep their cool around such a dangerous dragon.
With a bow to the priest, I turned to hop aboard Veralgon again. The dragon broke into a gallop, increasing speed while spreading his massive wings, and once he had gained enough speed, we shot upward with a mighty flap. With each beat of his wings, we rose higher.
This time our course was south, toward our destination: Kerulgarz Castle.
From a distance, Kerulgarz Castle gave the appearance of having emerged directly from a lake. My best guess was that it had actually been built on the lake’s edge, but vast moats had been dug all around the building, making it appear as if the castle floated on the water’s surface. The northern face—the one facing the lake—had no protective walls, instead opting for a dock that jutted out into the water. The land side, however, was fortified by a massive gate.
I circled Veralgon overhead, using roars to send signals below. As Rigel had instructed me beforehand, I dropped altitude over the lake and landed on the dock.
In the forecourt, the master and his vassals had already formed an orderly line to welcome me. Judging from their attire, the one standing in the center, a step ahead of the rest, was the master of the castle and hence the lord of Kerulgarz. The others behind him were obviously his lesser lords.
I was surprised to find I actually recognized the lord. He explained, “The baton was passed from my father to my brother, and then to me. My name is Thret. It has been a while, Hero.”
Thret had been one of the survivors of the great battle. We’d both been tasked with reporting the aftermath of the battle to His Majesty. I’d heard he was a youth of prestigious lineage, but I never thought I’d meet him here.
I learned bits and pieces of his story as we walked together. After the reporting ceremony, he’d returned home for his father’s funeral. However, word of his father’s death had caused his sickly elder brother’s health to take a bad turn, and he’d followed close behind. At the loss of its lord and his eldest son, Kerulgarz had quickly fallen into chaos. As the oldest remaining heir, Thret was hoisted up as the next leader before he knew it.
That was all well and good. However, as luck would have it, his mother was merely a lowly knight’s daughter. Meanwhile, his youngest brother had been born to the daughter of a lesser lord of prominent standing. The latter’s house protested Thret’s new position, claiming Thret’s lineage made him unfit and insisting that their child should be the one to take the seat. They rallied the other lesser lords and their armies. Meanwhile, a third group had taken advantage of the mess in an effort to prop up another younger brother. Just like that, Kerulgarz had fallen into a three-way civil war. Recently, Thret had finally managed to defeat the rebels.