King of Dragons

Ch.11: The Beginning of the Journey (Part 2)

It was common practice to reward hard work. And Yuto, who had refined his swordsmanship under Merlin's tutelage, grew to be as powerful as the weakest Knight of the Round Table.

"Hmm... is it true that I want to win, but someone who can represent a decent challenge is asking too much?!" Yuto yelled in frustration.

There was no one who could really bother him. Every opponent who stood in front of him boasted that Yuto's tournament was over, but they were always left with shattered armour and broken bones.
After fighting holy monsters such as Gilgamesh, Karna, and Mordred, as well as undergoing infernal training with Auros, everyone doubted that anyone, other than Morgan and the dragons, could match him. Definitely not the humans.

"Just one more match and you will have the victory," Claire said, imagining the sack full of gold that they would receive directly from the king's hands.

"Don't be too sure of my victory," Yuto warned. "Even though there is no one stronger than me, I can still lose."

"Do you think they'll cheat?" Auros asked.

"They will do it shamelessly," Yuto remarked, sipping his beer. "I knew the king's son would advance to the final. His skills aren't exceptional, and many of his opponents could easily have defeated him. There will undoubtedly be some kind of deal that forces them to lose after putting on a little show."

Unlike the other participants, Yuto had closely monitored all of the other fights. He had observed little resistance from the prince's opponents. Yuto realised that everyone had made a stupid mistake at some point.

"This tournament is just a well-planned marketing strategy," Auros said. "The king uses it to warn the people not to rebel."

Auros took a sip of alcohol and sighed. He had met many humans during his long life, and they had not changed at all over the centuries.

"Humans are a concentration of endless greed," Auros told the audience. "I don't remember how many soldiers he sent against me to steal my treasure."

Yuto had previously seen Auros' treasure. It wasn't big, but what it contained was priceless. It was so valuable that Yuto insisted on hiding and protecting it because it would be hell if humans got hold of it.

"Hmm..." Yuto reflected thoughtfully.

He had noticed the presence of some suspicious people who had been following them for a while. So far, they had not made any strange movements, since they had chosen crowded streets and, more importantly, had moved in groups.

"There's no way to win," Yuto whispered. The inn's cries drowned out his voice, but a little extra caution didn't hurt. "The best way to avoid future problems is not to show myself."

"Then you should retire," Claire said. It was true that she had proposed to participate in the competition, but Yuto didn't have to go that far for her.

"I won't give him the pleasure of humiliating me," Yuto said firmly. "It's not a fraud if the goal was never money."

Yuto's unexpected statement perplexed Merlin, Auros, and Claire.

"This tournament is the opportunity I've been waiting for to reveal my presence," Yuto said, sipping his drink. "I'll teach the impudent who they're dealing with."

Claire swallowed nervously. There was something different about Yuto than in the past. He appeared to change completely at times. He developed an arrogant personality, intoxicated by his own power and enjoying seeing others on their knees. He didn't care if they begged for mercy; he killed them all with no regrets.

"Be careful. Don't mind fighting if you have to," Yuto said, glancing briefly at their stalkers.

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