A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 59

Andre entered the first-class compartment.

Since Andre was an assistant professor at Valhalla, Diego and Aster stood up when they saw him.

"Hello, professor."

Sieg, who remained seated, asked Andre, "What brings you here?"

Andre put down his bag and sat across from Sieg, responding, "I'm on a mission."

"Are you joining us on the Black Yaksha mission?"

"Yes. Surely, they wouldn't send just the students on a continental public order mission."

At this time, Andre held the position of a Draker intermediate knight. Even at that level, he could easily assume the role of vice-captain within most knight orders.

Andre, crossing his legs, looked at Sieg and asked, "Do you know what kind of place Delfoa is?"

Of course, Sieg knew well, but since he had never been there in this life, he shook his head.

"I only know what I've learned in class. I heard that unlike other places, mages take the lead there."

Andre nodded. "Yes. It's a place structured quite uniquely."

Aster, sitting nearby, interjected. "Oh, professor. Usually, knights form a line at the front, driving and pressuring enemies while mages provide support. Is it the reverse in Delfoa?"

Andre replied to Aster, "That's a very good question. To put it simply, that's not the case."

"Is it the same then, with the knights leading?"

"Yes. However, Delfoa's knights primarily use shields, unlike others. They press the enemies with shields, allowing combat mages to neutralize them from a distance."

Upon hearing this, Aster frowned.

"Wouldn't that result in significant friendly casualties?"

"Sharp observation, cadet Aster."

Andre's tone softened, suggesting an increased liking towards Aster.

"Because of this, it's said that Delfoa's knights practice running around the battlefield with shields more than using swords."

This was the reason Delfoa's knights were not popular among Valhalla graduates. In the end, Delfoa's knight order merely served as a protective barrier for the mage order.

Diego, listening to this conversation, chuckled. "Couldn't ordinary soldiers handle tasks like just holding shields and running around, yo!"

Sieg clicked his tongue and replied, "Ordinary soldiers can't carry heavy armor and shields, maneuvering in battle. To buy mages time to prepare spells and retreat when magic flies, you need at least knight-level training."

Andre nodded at Sieg's words. "Yes. I mentioned this just to prevent you from being shocked when you get to Delfoa."

Sieg understood exactly what Andre meant.

'The mages from Delfoa are notoriously arrogant.'

Delfoa, proud of being the homeland of magic, boasted of its mages' strong self-esteem.

Furthermore, the number of renowned combat mages from Delfoa far exceeded those from Magic Towers or Nirvana. As such, Delfoa's mages were accustomed to combat magic, and their structure was well-established.

However, because of this, knights were often regarded less than dog poop rolling around.

Mages considered knights mere bodyguards until they cast their spells.

It was evident that 80% of the knights who left the Delfoa order did so due to conflicts with mages, and 20% due to harassment from them.

Yet, Andre's warning didn't resonate with Diego and Aster. Sieg silently clicked his tongue at the two of them.

'Go and see for yourselves. It'll be a cultural shock.'

* * *

"You are the Valhalla dispatch team?"

A large man with a beard covering his face approached Sieg's group at Delfoa's central station. With a haughty stance, he extended his hand toward Andre.

"I am Jorge Outer, Captain of the Delfoa 8th Knight Order."

As the leader, Andre shook hands with Jorge. "I am Andre Draker, assistant professor at Valhalla."

Jorge was surprised to learn that the young Andre was a professor at Valhalla and an official Draker, clutching the hand that had shaken Andre's with his remaining one.

"I didn't know the Draker family had sent someone directly."

Andre nodded.

"I accompanied the students participating in the mission."

The bearded man sneaked a glance at Sieg, Diego, and Aster standing behind.

Observing the seemingly young Sieg, the delinquent-like Diego, and the frail-looking Aster, he appeared somewhat disappointed.

Andre, noticing Jorge's thoughts, spoke up.

"The cadets who accompanied me are among the top talents at Valhalla. They won't affect the mission."

Jorge, hiding his lack of trust, led Andre's group.

"Please come this way. The commander is over there."

Diego tilted his head, confused by this.

"Commander? Didn't that bearded guy just say he was the captain?"

Though whispered, Diego's words prompted Sieg to jab him in the ribs.

"Stop talking, Diego."

Diego lacked situational awareness.

As they stepped outside the central station, an extravagant carriage awaited them. When Jorge approached the carriage, its window slid down.

Inside sat a man with glistening eyes and a pallid face, who examined Andre and Sieg's group in silence. He issued instructions to Jorge before shutting the window and having the carriage depart.

Diego nudged Sieg and whispered, "Isn't that, by chance, the mage commander?"

Sieg nodded.

As the mage commander left in the carriage, Jorge guided them to the prepared transport. This carriage was noticeably more rustic and below the one the commander had ridden.

Yet, Andre and Sieg's group entered the carriage without complaint.

Once the carriage set off, Diego finally began to vent.

"What the! I'm not saying I expect preferential treatment as a Valhalla student! But this is too much! We came for a cooperative dispatch mission, anyway!"

In response, Sieg kicked Diego's shin.

"Ow! Why aren't Sieg and Professor Andre, who are official Drakers, saying anything, yo!"

Sieg looked at Diego and answered.

"Didn't you hear what the professor said earlier? That's just how Delfoa is. At least because of the Valhalla dispatch, the commander came out to see us. If it had been knights from elsewhere, they wouldn't have bothered."

Andre agreed, nodding his head.

"Graduates will encounter many unexpected situations once they begin working as knights in the central continent. Delfoa distinctly differs from Central Continent cities, so remember what you observe and learn here carefully."

Then he gazed at Sieg, the youngest among them, yet seemingly knowledgeable about Delfoa's atmosphere.

'Sieg Draker. Even up close, he's an enigma. He's a mystery.'

Andre realized he could approach Duke for guidance, having heeded Sieg's advice to abandon his stubbornness. Consequently, Andre found himself increasingly drawn to Sieg, fascinated by his unbelievable growth.

He had proactively volunteered as an escort for this mission, yet remained unaware of his own motivations.

The carriage drove on for a long time, moving to Delfoa's rural outskirts.

Upon alighting, they found themselves in what seemed to be a military camp, noticing unusual training equipment focused purely on combat magic exercises.

"This way, please."

Jorge led Sieg's group inside the camp, assigning ordinary soldiers' facilities to Valhalla students, sparing a private room for Andre.

'This seems hastily prepared.'

One of the knight quarters had been emptied urgently, likely unpredicted Draker knights accompanying them.

Diego sprawled on a worn field bed, grumbling, while Aster, appearing sleep-deprived, looked blankly at the ceiling.

Having undertaken numerous assignments while roaming in previous lives, Sieg had experienced far worse treatment, feeling little emotional response.

His concern lay more with the Black Yaksha mission.

'They lived long enough to reach the northern continent later in life, as I recall.'

This period in Sieg's previous life coincided with working diligently as a southern hitman.

He had heard scattered reports of Black Yaksha after dismantling the Mechain cartel and arriving on the central continent, indicating survival post-mission.

Recollecting the mage commander's attitude observed earlier at the central station, Sieg deemed the outcome unsurprising.

'It'd be fortunate if they didn't counterattack.'

Given potential unseen influences arising from Sieg's early graduation application, experiencing the situation firsthand seemed unavoidable.

At that moment, Andre entered the room.

"They're conducting a briefing in the operations center, so let's go."

Under Andre's leadership, Sieg's group headed for the operations center.

Inside, a magical projection displayed the region where Black Yaksha had fortified their camp.

Sieg surveyed the expensive magical equipment and clicked his tongue in disapproval.

'Spending money on unnecessary facilities again, I see.'

Mages devised strategies and planned tactics while knights, including Jorge, stood back. They listened silently, solely focusing on where and how to use their shields to drive enemies.

The sparrow-eyed mage they had seen from the carriage beckoned disdainfully toward Sieg's group.

Approaching, they listened as he spoke in a condescending voice, matching his demeanor.

"The Valhalla team won't need to do much. Just stay out of harm's way and return quietly without causing a fuss."

Sieg's group felt words protesting the cooperation request forming, yet held back.

Simultaneously, Sieg instantly discerned the chaotic state of their organizational structure from the mage commander's words.

'It seems they don't even have knights ranking as high as violet, except maybe for Captain Jorge.'

Despite being the reserve force for the 8th Knight Order, lacking even blue-ranked knights appeared nonsensical.

The mage commander turned, his gaze landing on the black gloves Sieg wore and startling him.

He rose from his seat and addressed Sieg. "You, are you, by any chance, a pureblood awakened Draker?"

Sieg replied, looking at the commander. "Yes, but is there an issue?"

The commander's expression twisted at Sieg's tone. In Delfoa, it was unheard of for a knight to speak to a mage in such a manner.

Yet, Sieg was not just any knight, prompting the commander to grit his teeth, addressing Sieg.

"... It'd be wise not to remove those gloves here if you wish to return safely."

Pure-blood Draker awakeners, possessing powers that disrupted magic, were unsurprisingly unwelcome amongst mages.

'Such sensitivity.'

Sieg, opting for silence, remained unresponsive.

Tensions eased as brigades disbanded after the briefing, leaving each member to anticipate the dawn-centric operation in their quarters.

On their way back to the barracks, someone called out to Sieg.

"Sieg!"

He turned to see a familiar face.

"Professor Feynon?"

It puzzled him why someone from the Delfoa Royal Institute of Magic Studies stood amid such a rural camp.

"Sieg, it's been a while! How have you been?"

"I've been well. But why are you here, professor?"

Feynon's expression turned awkward.

Sieg didn't need to hear to guess.

'He must've been pushed out in a power struggle.'

For mages, making the right connections was especially crucial for advancement. But Feynon was inherently a scholar.

His tenure in Delfoa's infamously competitive political landscape was unlikely to have been easy.

"Sieg. Wait a moment."

Feynon withdrew him aside, leading them somewhere.

"What's the matter, professor?"

With a grim look, Feynon began, "Sieg, about tomorrow's mission. Do not go."

"What do you mean?"

Feynon whispered fiercely, "It's a... mission doomed to fail. So, whatever you do, don't go."