"What?!"
"Kill a Dragon?!"
Takeshi and Erza were both stunned by the king's audacious idea.
That was a Dragon. Even the most common Dragon was said to be capable of easily destroying an entire country.
Erza wasn't surprised by the existence of Dragons, as Natsu was raised by the Fire Dragon Igneel, which meant Dragons were real.
Takeshi, however, was different. He had watched Fairy Tail. Dragons, even ordinary ones, were beings that humans found difficult to defeat. Aside from Dragon Slayer Magic, human magic had almost no effect on them.
Dragons were the darlings of this world. They were born with long lifespans, powerful physiques, and the ability to use powerful Dragon magic.
A powerful Dragon Slayer might be able to kill a Dragon, but a non-Dragon Slayer would find it extremely difficult.
The biggest reason was that Dragons had an inherent super strong resistance to human magic. Most magic was ineffective against them, and even if it did have an effect, the damage would be greatly reduced.
Reno said with a serious and earnest expression, "That's right. I want to kill Alazam. After four hundred years of being sealed, his strength must have been greatly weakened. Instead of waiting for him to break the seal and slowly recover his strength, it's better to strike first, actively break the seal, then kill him to eliminate future troubles."
Takeshi and Erza were both somewhat astonished by his boldness and courage.
Erza said, "Your Majesty, slaying a Dragon exceeds the scope of an S-Class Quest."
Reno nodded and said, "I know, so I'm going to raise the quest to SS-Class, and the reward will also increase from 15 million to 30 million Jewels."
"30 million!"
Takeshi couldn't help but open his mouth wide, his mind quickly calculating. 30 million Jewels was equivalent to 300,000 dollars.
To earn that much from a single quest, even if he and Erza split it, that would still be 15 million.
He had originally thought that earning 6 million Jewels last time was a lot. He didn't expect there to be even more.
Indeed, the greater the difficulty, the greater the reward.
Of course, the most important point was that completing an SS-Class Quest meant the system would provide a reward of 20 spins.
If he were to do A-Class Quests normally, non-stop, it would take at least half a year, which was too much of a time waste.
Erza said, "I need to discuss this with my companion."
Reno nodded, gesturing with his hand for her to proceed.
Erza said, "Takeshi, this quest is too dangerous. I didn't expect them to be looking for more than just a legendary sword. They actually want to fight a Dragon. My suggestion is to give up."
She could attempt an S-Class Quest, but an SS-Class was different. Courage and recklessness were not the same.
A Dragon was a legendary creature. No matter how weak it was, it was not something humans could contend with. Whether for her own safety or Takeshi's, giving up this quest was the wise choice.
Takeshi looked at the king and said, "Since Your Majesty has such a plan, you surely aren't unprepared, are you?"
Reno, hearing Takeshi's words, was slightly surprised, then looked at him with an appreciative gaze.
"You are right. After all, this concerns the life and death of my kingdom, so I naturally wouldn't be unprepared. But how did you figure that out?"
Takeshi said, "Because Your Majesty's tone just now wasn't asking for our opinion, but rather describing an event that was about to happen."
Reno nodded. "Indeed. Even if the two of you hadn't come, I intended to launch an expedition against Alazam."
As he spoke, he twisted the armrest.
Crack!
The floor beneath him split open, and a magnificent longsword slowly rose. At the hilt, a fiery red gem was inlaid.
"A sword?!"
Takeshi and Erza were somewhat puzzled.
The preparation you made was just a sword? That really fits the style of the Kingdom of Swords.
"This is no ordinary sword, this is a Dragon Slayer Sword crafted by a master. You see this gem, right? This is no ordinary gem, this is a dragon lacrima."
"A dragon lacrima?!"
Takeshi's eyes widened when he heard this. So this was a dragon lacrima.
"Takeshi, you know about dragon lacrima?"
Seeing Takeshi's surprise, Erza knew he clearly understood what this item was.
Takeshi nodded. "Yes, this is a dragon lacrima, made from the heart of a Dragon. As long as it is embedded into the body, one can use Dragon Slayer Magic corresponding to the Dragon's attribute."
Reno said, "You are knowledgeable. That's right. This is a Fire dragon lacrima. I bought it at a high price from the northern continent of Guiltina. If it's embedded in a human Mage's body, they can use Dragon Slayer Magic, but Dragon Slayer Magic requires long-term training. To eliminate a Dragon, who knows how long one would need to train?"
"And human magic simply cannot harm Dragons, so I ordered the kingdom's artisans to forge this Dragon Slayer Sword. Only by wielding this sword and attacking the Dragon can it be harmed."
As Reno spoke, his hand grasped the hilt, and fierce flames suddenly blazed on the blade. The terrifying temperature made the entire royal palace hall feel as if it were in a furnace.
"So hot!"
Soon, the flames extinguished, and Reno re-sheathed the sword.
Takeshi frowned and asked, "Such an important weapon surely wouldn't be given to others to use casually, would it?"
Reno nodded. "Of course. This is the key to victory against the Dragon, and it also determines the life and death of this country. Naturally, it cannot be casually given to others to use. Only the strongest swordsman is worthy of wielding this sword."
"The strongest swordsman?"
"Exactly. You two have come at just the right time. For this operation, I, in the name of the king, have convened the World's Strongest Swordsman Tournament to select the strongest swordsman in Ishgar continent."
"World's Strongest Swordsman Tournament?!"
Takeshi and Erza were both somewhat dumbfounded. This king really liked to surprise people.
Then Reno looked at Erza and said admiringly, "You are an excellent swordwomman, aren't you? You can defeat a 5-star Blazing Boar with one strike. Your strength is at least that of a 6-star, or even 7-star swordsman. Don't you want to give it a try?"
Erza felt a sudden stir of interest upon hearing that phrase.
As a swordsman, who wouldn't aspire to be the strongest?