Chapter 7

I would have to go to the Royal Capital soon.

Let me say it again.

—I would have to go.

I didn’t have a choice.

What made it worse, is that many of the town’s residents knew about it.

“…Hah… This is depressing.”

—The Dragon Mark appeared on the baker’s son. Fluffy Fenard, on 27th street.

It was something that many people knew about.

The rumor had spread all over town.

I had been on my way home after shopping for supplies.

Then I suddenly felt a pain in my head and ended up writhing on the ground.

I felt as if my head was going to split open.

It was as if my entire body was being ripped apart.

Pain. I just felt pain everywhere.

They say that when the Dragon mark appears on a person’s body, they feel a sensation that is stronger than anything they’ve felt before.

For some, it is a high fever, while others find it difficult to breathe.

Fatigue, the urge to vomit, shivering, and sometimes a burning sensation.

But for me, it was pain that racked my whole body. Pain. Pain. Pain.

And yet, there were some fortunate people who had the Dragon Mark appear in their sleep. Life really wasn’t fair.

“Aggghhhhh…”

I thrashed around on the street and shrieked maddeningly.

Apparently, some passersby found me and helped me.

But I don’t remember it too well.

I do remember people looking down at me and gasping.

They were looking at the Dragon Mark that had appeared on the back of my left hand.

“Whose child is this?”

“Isn’t he the baker’s boy?”

“Baker? Ah, the one on the main road.”

“No, the one on 27th street.”

“Ah, that one.”

“I know of it.”

“Alright, we must tell his parents.”

“But we can’t just leave him here like this.”

“Hey, a carriage is coming this way.”

“It’s dangerous. We should move him to the side of the road…no. We should have the carriage carry him. It’s an emergency!”

That was what was supposed to have been said.

But I was already unconscious by then.

The driver must have been shocked.

A crowd of people had stopped the carriage.

But still, the driver was kind and carried me to the bakery.

I was quite thankful for that.

Who knows how long people would have just stared at me had I not been helped.

That being said, you couldn’t stop people from talking.

And so word of the Dragon Mark that had appeared on my left hand spread throughout the town in just one day.

In Ryukoku, those who employed dragons and could control them as they pleased were called Dragon Masters.

Dragons were supposed to be like spirits.

They received physical bodies when coming to this world, and it was the Dragon Mark that was like a guide when crossing over.

The dragons were led by the Dragon Mark and appeared in this world.

“If only I didn’t have this…”

But there was no point in moaning about it now. And yet, I couldn’t help but wish that it hadn’t happened.

In Ryukoku, being a Dragon Master was a glamorous occupation. But you couldn’t just become one because you wanted to.

It was impossible to become one unless you were chosen by a dragon. It didn’t matter what titles, honors or fortune you possessed.

But on the other hand, it was mandatory to become a Dragon Master if the mark appeared.

You had no right to refuse.

I’ll say it again.

—No right to refuse.

The dragon comes by itself.

The mark gives away your location, and you cannot run from it.

“….Hahhh…”

All of this was known to the people of this country.

And the Dragon Mark was on my left hand.

I couldn’t stop sighing.

“When are you going to the Dragon Academy?”

Father asked me. I didn’t know myself. No one would tell me.

“I think they send a carriage. And you just ride it.”

“And does that carriage go to the landlord?”

“Maybe.”

It was unlikely that a carriage from the Royal Capital would know where we lived.

I had visited the landlord a number of times after the Dragon Mark appeared.

It was there that I was taught what it meant to be a Dragon Master.

The landlord’s name was Crame Sargent. He was a nobleman.

I always called him Lord Crame.

He was elderly and had white in his hair, but was a good, friendly landlord.

There was a Dragon Master currently staying in the town of Sol, who went to the landlord’s mansion.

And since I was the only Sol resident who had the mark, we had private lessons together.

“What about the things you are taking with you? Have you finished packing?”

“We’ll be in a dormitory and everything is provided for us. I probably just need to bring my clothes.”

“What about your secret tools?”

“They might inspect our luggage. So it would be better to buy them again over there or have them brought to me later.”

“I see. Then I’ll tell Christan to do it. By the way, are you going to visit Eina on the way there?”

“Yes. I’ll stay the night in her town and probably see her.”

My sister Eina had left our town in order to marry Christan.

“Then take a letter from me and your mother. Also, be sure to tell her why you won’t be able to visit for a long time.”

“Really? I was thinking about visiting often after acquiring a dragon.”

Besides, dragons were fast.

While it may take several days to travel by carriage, I could visit her and return home on the same day.

And I had no plans to join the army after graduating at the academy. I thought that I would be free.

“I heard that you are made to train and gain experience near the Shadow Moon Road after graduation. Regardless of whether you join the army or not.”

“Are you serious?”

I hadn’t known because I wasn’t interested at all.

The person that helped me prepare for the academy hadn’t even told me what would happen after graduation.

I guess it was because I would find out soon enough.

“So you may not return for years. At worst, you may never come back.”

Years. That was a long time. But never…oh, that was if I died.

“…Fine. I’ll be sure to tell her that.”

Of course, I had no intention of dying.

“Remember. Even Dragon Masters can die.”

“Yeah. I’ll be careful so that doesn’t happen.”

“Be as careful as possible.”

And that was the end of our conversation.

As for preparations, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. They did say that uniforms and daily supplies would be provided. And you weren’t allowed to bring many personal items inside. So, maybe it was fine to just go with the clothes on your back.

According to the person who helped me prepare, the first thing you did when entering the Academy was to write your name on the items that they gave you.

While it was a school, it sounded like being in the army.

◯

Several days later, my parents watched as I left this town behind me.

I was embarking on a 5 days journey to the Royal Capital.

The carriage came to our house just to pick me up.

I had assumed a servant would be sent from the landlord, but instead, it stopped right in front of our house.

Everyone was watching.

I was being treated like a minister.

Of course, the country was paying for all of this.

That included the money for inns and food. It was extravagant.

But maybe it was normal.

After all, I was going to become a Dragon Master.

….Damn it. I really didn’t want to go.