I got into school for nothing - Chapter 300
I got into school for nothing (300)
Lesson 58. Spartoi - 5
A groundbreaking moment, thousands of years in the making, as an ancestor's intentions were completely subverted and passed down to their descendants.
The supreme Spartoi, crafted in the image of dragons with the intent to eradicate all remaining dragons in the universe, was reborn in a form befitting Asha, thanks to its contact with the True Dragon Sword, whose own concept had been similarly overturned.
It wasn't a grandiose transformation.
During the process where the dragon-slaying curse embedded within the mech dragon was transmuted into dragon power amplification, the dragon material, originally suppressed, resonated with Asha's mana, causing changes in its hardness and color.
To put it simply, the mech dragon became a mech gold dragon.
“It feels like a virus is spreading.”
As Ban Yuwon murmured, watching the colossal Dragon Fang Soldier's entire body transform into a dazzling golden hue, Lilyth interjected.
“I suppose we’d need to hear the ancestor’s side of the story for that, but well, they’re dead already, so what can be done? If they didn't like it, they should have stayed alive.”
And it seemed that this wasn't the only Dragon Fang Soldier.
Releasing Abel's fusion and freeing himself into the air, Ban Yuwon manifested a concept to gently land on the ground, then turned his gaze to Camelot's Royal Guard, who had by now vanquished all the swarming monsters and aligned themselves.
“Wh-what is this change...?”
“I don’t know, but... the moment Her Royal Highness plunged the Holy Sword into that dragon!”
“Not 'Her Royal Highness,' but 'Your Majesty!' But truly, this is.”
The Royal Guard, while notably stronger than other knights of Camelot, outwardly appeared no different from ordinary humans.
Yet, they were undergoing a transformation, precisely timed with Asha capturing—no, *dominating*—the mech dragon.
Their color hadn't changed like the mech dragon's; they merely grew slightly taller and gained muscle... but the martial transformation was far greater than what met the eye.
“4 Irekto... no, 5 Irekto? That’s impossible. Is this the true power of the Dragon Fang Soldiers?”
[It makes sense that that clumsy princess was so confident. There seem to be at least 100 of them, and if you consider their Levels, they're all practically on par with Master, aren't they?]
“By all accounts, they’re an excellent force for a higher-ranking dimension....”
The hint had been there from the start.
A knightly order that had pledged loyalty solely to the royal family for generations.
A unique trait: they obeyed only the commands of the royalty bearing the royal bloodline, and their abilities were amplified more than twofold on battlefields shared with their ruler.
One might have thought it was some form of contract magic passed down through generations, but there was a simpler explanation: the creation of Dragon Fang Soldiers.
Though they had garnered some attention among lower-ranked dimensions due to the Holy Sword, the truly vital resource had been cleverly concealed like this.
“It’s impossible, true Dragon Fang Soldiers.”
Aire, who had landed a step ahead of Ban Yuwon, was already watching the magnificent spectacle, utterly captivated.
Indeed, she had been astonished enough to nearly faint at the fact that the mechanical dragon emerging from the shattered underground was a Dragon Fang Soldier, but now an entire group of genuine Dragon Fang Soldiers, worthy of myth, had appeared as a bonus!
Even if she had surmised the legacy of the True Dragons, it seemed she hadn't anticipated the Dragon Fang Soldiers.
“Ugh, ahhh... I can’t keep up. Not with Melodia’s fake Dragon Fang Soldiers....”
“Now, now, why are you so disheartened again? Let’s just think of it as having acquired excellent teaching material.”
Ban Yuwon, flustered by Aire looking even more dejected than he expected, patted her shoulder and consoled her.
Aire's previously drooping ears perked up.
“Improvement, will you help?”
“We had already agreed to that from the start.”
At his crisp reply, Aire was extremely pleased yet also shy.
“Ughhh... I wanted to be of help, but not only am I outdone by the queen, I’m receiving even greater assistance.”
[I told you not to call her queen!]
Kyaooo—! The gold dragon roared.
From that incredibly mighty roar, Ban Yuwon felt a powerful aura pressing down on his entire body, a unique dragonic concept imbued wave that was not easily deciphered.
“Dragon’s Peer....”
“Ah, is that what it is?”
“An Authority symbolizing the True Dragon’s majesty, capable of stopping hostile creatures below a certain rank in their tracks, and in severe cases, even causing death.”
It was no wonder the surroundings had fallen silent the moment the gold dragon bellowed; small birds, wild animals, and even flying insects had all dropped dead.
What insane performance was this? If everyone had just one of those gold dragons in their home, there'd be no need to worry about insects.
[Ah... I’m losing power....]
However, perhaps because its master, Asha, was still unaccustomed to it, the gold dragon, which had been enthusiastically unleashing Dragon's Peer for a while, seemed to halt its movements, then vanished in a burst of brilliant golden light.
All that remained in its place was Asha, wearing armor that seemed subtly different from before.
New dragon symbols were etched onto the metal guards protecting her chest, waist, and thighs, while the remaining leather parts exuded a subtly luxurious sheen.
Judging by the armor's golden glow, it seemed the gold dragon itself had shrunk and integrated with Asha's defensive gear.
The blatant disregard for the law of conservation of mass was nothing new by now, but Ban Yuwon, upon subtly examining the concept of her armor, could only marvel at its overwhelming defensive power.
To the extent that he wondered if she couldn't properly wield it, she could simply wear it as armor.
“Abel doesn’t have that kind of compatibility....”
[Indeed, a True Dragon's Authority is not to be trifled with.]
“Ah, Yuwon—!”
Coming to her senses, Asha swayed slightly on the spot before spotting Ban Yuwon and rushing into his embrace.
Though the feel of her armor was hard, the sweet fragrance that enveloped him the moment he held her made him realize that Asha was indeed an attractive woman.
“Th-thank you—! I was able to obtain this thanks to your courage!”
“Honestly, I don't think I did much, but if you think so, then that’s fine. Always be grateful to me.”
[Saying such things without even batting an eye.]
No, wait, let’s think about this again.
He held down the mech dragon to prevent it from rampaging, gave Asha hints on how to capture it, and even encouraged her with heartfelt words. Wouldn't it be an exaggeration to say that he *didn't* catch the mech dragon?
If Ban Yuwon was the trainer, the mech dragon was the Pokémon, and Asha was merely the Poké Ball!
“Asha....”
Aire watched her friend, who had abruptly thrown herself into Ban Yuwon’s arms, with a complex expression.
Perhaps oblivious to the faint jealousy mixed within, Asha greeted Aire with an unreservedly bright face.
“Aire, thank you for protecting Yuwon too. Thanks to you, I gained incredibly dependable strength!”
“More importantly right now, the knights.”
“Huh? The knights... why are they all like that?!”
At Aire’s prompting, Asha belatedly noticed the transformation that had come upon her subordinates.
Everyone was either fainting from shock at their sudden physical changes or kneeling—but the moment Asha showed interest and approached them, they began recovering at an astonishing speed.
“Your Majesty!”
“It feels like waking from a long, long dream...!”
“It feels as if the shackles that bound and constrained us have all been released. Truly, our sovereign is none other than Lady Asha!”
“Oh... this feeling.”
Even she, who had merely been astonished by the knights’ transformation, soon realized the true nature of the change.
How could she not know? She was experiencing the same sensation she felt when she connected with the mech dragon the moment she secured it, now with her knights.
“So that’s it, you all possessed the power of dragons.”
“We don’t fully understand, but it seems so.”
“However, what is important is that we are your loyal subordinates.”
The knights, whose loyalty to Asha had been high from the start, almost as if they were brainwashed, now knelt before her, pledging blind allegiance as if serving her was the goal of their entire lives.
These were the Spartoi, weapons of war that, while masquerading as ordinary humans, could never truly be human.
Faced with the oath of allegiance from exactly 100 Dragon Fang Soldiers, Asha was momentarily flustered but willingly broke into a smile.
“I already knew that. In that sense, I want all of you to follow me. My precious friend...”
Breaking off, Asha glanced back at Ban Yuwon with a slight smile, then turned her head back to them and said,
“I want you to lend your strength to the war to protect the future King Consort (國壻).”
“Gladly, Your Majesty!”
King Consort, that is, the queen's husband.
He had known it ever since she chose 'darling' as a nickname for a friend, but now she was completely out of control, without even trying to hide it.
It takes two to tango, after all; can one clap with a single hand?
“Look at her, she gains a little power and just goes wild again.”
[So, do you dislike it? It’s 100 Dragon Fang Soldiers, plus a whole gold dragon.]
At Lilyth's sarcastic remark, Ban Yuwon couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Everyone kept talking about dowry, dowry, as if simply bringing military force would allow her to form a marriage alliance with Ban Yuwon.
“Asha, come here.”
“Huh? Ah, wait... Ow!”
“I told you not to get ahead of yourself.”
Asha, having received a gentle flick on the forehead, shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.
“No, this... this was me stating my ambition! Besides, I’ve brought such an impressive dowry...!”
“I told you it’s not a dowry, you rascal.”
“You told me last time, I know how you feel. Still, I thought I should remind you periodically so you don’t forget....”
“Honestly.”
“Heh.”
Her cheekiness seemed to be growing; he wondered who she learned it from.
He glanced at Aire, who shook her head resolutely and glared at Asha.
Asha just smiled back, offering no particular reply.
Sensing the subtle power struggle between the two, Ban Yuwon pondered if this was a peculiar form of communication unique to dragonoids.
“Ahem, I’d like to say let’s return to Fairytale right away, but...”
Asha cleared her throat, gathered their attention, and spoke with a wry smile.
“It seems we must hold my father’s funeral first. You’ll both be there, won’t you?”
“Ah.”
“Ah.”
* * *
Yuder Light Camelot.
He was somewhat incompetent, rather greedy, and, having fallen victim to all the schemes left by his ancestors, was responsible for severely ruining the first half of his precious eldest daughter's life.
However, he was surprisingly a decent king to his own people, and a relatively kind head of the household to his family, with the exception of his eldest daughter.
As proof, his funeral was grandly held, yet no one harbored any complaints.
“Alright, these are my siblings.”
“Whoa....”
“Is this man really Big Sister’s boyfriend...? He’s so handsome...?”
And so, at the former king’s funeral, Ban Yuwon met Asha’s siblings—the remaining members of the royal family—for the first time.
Now that he thought about it, of course, she had siblings!
The children, who had been loudly weeping over their father’s death, miraculously stopped crying the moment Asha brought Ban Yuwon, and swarmed towards him.
“I heard you had siblings, but I’d forgotten.”
“Because I was the only one involved in external activities. But perhaps my siblings are more familiar to the common people. I mostly just went out to the borderlands or to wars with other dimensions.”
“Oppa, Oppa, are you really going to marry our Big Sister? You were a man until recently, weren’t you?”
“No, what does this person lack that he would marry our tomboyish sister...?”
“You fool, he’ll be a concubine.”
“I get it, an arranged marriage!”
“......”
It’s difficult to be born with such vivid blonde hair and blue eyes as Asha.
Even on Earth, blonde beauties are often depicted in media, but finding truly flawless blonde hair is surprisingly difficult in reality. Yet, the Camelot royal family, as if to prove their noble blood, all looked like spitting images of Asha.
And unlike Asha, every one of them was lively and mischievous.
“Did these kids... suck up all of Asha’s social charm before they were born?”
“If you say strange things, I’ll hate you.”
“Instead, Asha was granted the power of a dragonoid. These children... are excellent as humans, but their dragon blood is faint.”
While Ban Yuwon observed the children, Aire, too, seemed to have finished her own assessment, shaking her head and murmuring.
“Still, they’ve all received a good education. They’ll do just fine even without me.”
“Even without Big Sister?”
“I’m leaving. Not completely, but I’m leaving.”
Asha declared.
“I’m currently courting. If the marriage is successful, I’ll return with a child.”
The children gaped.
That day, Ban Yuwon realized that Asha had decisively changed, but of course, there was no escape.
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