Time For Departure

The dragon was slain and the threat that once Dangered my home  is no longer.

I stood there for a moment, looking at it's frozen body.

Persephone slowly disappeared from my hand.

And then i asked do dragons reincarnate in a series they do in my old world.

So that's the end of that haa.

I turned around.

My expression changed.

Lionheart.

I could see smoke rising above the rooftops.

Some buildings were damaged.

Others were still surrounded by flames.

I didn't want to waste any more time.

I turned and ran toward the town.

By the time I reached  the Lionheart from outskirts, several people were already working to control the damage.

Ryan was there and helping out people who need medical attention.

So were the people I had been teaching since two months.

My apprentices.

They were carrying water, helping the injured, and making people to move into safety.

I immediately joined them.

"Move this way."

"Stay clear from that side."

"Don't let anyone enter the damaged buildings."

Everyone followed my instructions.

I raised my hand.

Mana gathered around me.

"Frozen Mark-45C."

Several ice projectiles appeared in the air.

I directed them toward the remaining flames.

And then they burst apart.

The surrounding air rapidly cooled.

Moisture condensed.

Then rain began falling over the burning areas.

The flames were finally weakened.

One by one, they disappeared.

I looked around if i missed any spots.

The immediate danger was finally under control.

I let out a breath.

Then Ryan approached me.

"Youngin'."

I looked at him.

"What happened to the dragon?"

I glanced toward the outskrits.

"I think it went to sleep."

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Forever?"

"Probably."

He stared at me for a moment.

Then sighed.

"That's quite the arsenal you've been hiding."

I looked at my hand.

"So you finally saw it."

"Is that what you've been developing all this time?"

"Yes."

I looked toward the damaged town.

"I realized something."

Ryan waited.

"The world is harsh."

"It doesn't care whether we're ready."

"Or care whether we were good or Bad."

"If we don't have the strength to protect ourselves..."

"We lose everything we cherish forever."

Ryan remained silent.

"So I decided I needed my own rules."

I looked at the people of Lionheart.

"Rules that let me survive."

"Rules that let me protect the people I care about."

"And rules that keep me from becoming helpless again."

Ryan gave a faint smile.

"Sounds like you've experinced  it and changed, kid."

"Maybe."

Before he could say anything else—

"Bossman!"

I turned.

Three of my people were approaching.

they are my apprentices.

They looked exhausted, but they are smiling.

"The task you gave us is complete."

I looked at them.

"You managed everything by yourself without involving the old man?"

They nodded.

"Everyone is being looked after."

"The injured are being treated."

"And the evacuation went smooth and all problems are cleared."

I shaked my head .

"Good."

One of them looked at me expectantly.

"So..."

"Are we certified doctors now?"

I stared at him.

"Doctors?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"You said we'd become doctors after finishing our training."

I folded my arms.

"There is one final exam."

Their expressions changed.

"One more?"

I nodded.

"And it begins..."

I looked toward Ryan.

"...with my absence."

The three of them froze.

"What are you talking about, Bossman?"

I looked toward Lionheart.

"Ryan and I are leaving the domain."

whatttttttttttttttttt old man Ryan toooo.

i see perhaps i was too soft on you.

bossman! you and Ryan, are you guys leaving us?

Their eyes filled with tears.

Ryan opened his mouth and corrected it.  its only for a short while.

"For how long?  how long will you stayout of town bossman?"

"I don't know yet."

I looked back at them.

"Our return may take some time."

Their expressions became serious.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

I answered calmly.

"Protect this town."

"Take care of its people."

"And most importantly..."

I looked directly at each of them.

"Don't risk your life."

"If you encounter something beyond your ability..."

"Don't play hero."

"Get the people somewhere safe."

"And don't sacrifice yourselves trying to save someone if doing so only creates another victim."

I paused.

"Your first responsibility is keeping yourselves alive."

"Only then can you protect anyone else."

The three nodded.

Ryan stood beside me silently.

I looked toward the barrier.

Tomorrow... will be our departure.

But before that...

I had one last thing to prepare.

I looked at my apprentices.

"You three can rest for today."

They looked relieved.

"Your final test begins tomorrow."

One of them immediately smiled.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Then we'll be ready, Bossman."

"You'd better be."

They left to get some much-needed rest.

I turned toward Ryan.

"Old man."

"what is it kid?"

"Come with me."

"Where exactly?"

I started walking and behind Ryan did as well.

"To the dragon."

Ryan followed me.

The dragon's enormous body still lay where it had fallen.

The frost covering it had begun to settle.

I looked over the creature carefully.

"Ryan."

"What is it kid?"

"Are there any valuables on a dragon as per your knowledge?"

Ryan tilted his head.

"Valuables?"

"Something worth keeping."

He thought for a moment.

"Red dragons have extremely tough scales."

"They're valuable?"

"Very."

He pointed toward the dragon.

"They can be used to make beautiful works of art."

"And some craftsmen use them for weapons and armor."

I looked at the scales.

"So they're useful."

"Very."

Ryan smiled.

"If you want them, you can take them here they are no use to us."

I nodded.

Then another thought crossed my mind.

"Wait."

I looked at the dragon again.

"This thing still has mana inside it."

Ryan looked at me.

"Eh?"

I pointed toward the body.

"The dragon is dead, but the mana inside its body hasn't simply disappeared."

Ryan tilted his head.

"What are you getting at, kid?"

"If that mana remains trapped inside the body..."

Ryan's expression changed slightly, then he answered.

"It could become unstable."

"Unstable?"

"The body is already dead."

"The mana will eventually have nowhere to go."

I looked at the enormous corpse.

"If it's not handled properly..."

"Could It become a time bomb."

Ryan stared at me.

Then he scratched his head.

"A time bomb?"

"Something that can explode later."

Ryan looked at the dragon.

"I've never thought of it that way."

"Is there a way to extract the mana?"

Ryan became quiet.

Then he nodded.

"There is."

I looked at him.

"How?"

Ryan crossed his arms.

"Way Back, when I was a wanderer.."

"I once saw a dragon being processed."

"They removed its heart."

"The heart?"

"Yes."

He pointed toward the dragon's chest.

"The heart contained an enormous amount of concentrated mana."

"It was extracted and used to power magical artillery."

My eyes narrowed.

"Magical artillery?"

Ryan nodded.

"Powerful weapons."

I looked at the dragon again.

Then toward Lionheart.

An idea came to me.

"Then I know what to do."

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"What wicked plan are you cooking up kid with that kind of face?"

the smile on my face remained for nearly 10 minutes then.

I explained my plan.

Ryan listened quietly.

When I finished, he stared at me for a moment.

"Youngin'..."

"Hm old man?"

"You really do think about strange things."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Ryan laughed.

"Fair enough."

The next morning, Ryan and I stood near the barrier.

I looked back toward Lionheart.

The town was quiet.

My apprentices were preparing for their final test.

But before we left...

I had one thing to do.

"Old man."

Ryan stepped back.

"Alright."

I placed my hand against the barrier.

I closed my eyes.

Mana began flowing through my body.

I remembered the barrier.

Its freezing property.

The feeling that had once protected Lionheart.

I raised my hand.

"Sibearia."

The air suddenly froze.

Ice spread across the barrier.

The cracks that had been a sign of weakening it began filling with frost.

One after another...

The fractures were sealed beneath a layer of ice.

Ryan's eyes widened.

"That feeling..."

He stepped closer.

"The barrier's freezing ability."

I nodded.

"The ability was still there."

"It just couldn't function properly anymore."

Ryan looked at the frozen cracks.

"are sure for me to start transfer, yes you can old man"

"Ryan drew a magic circle beneth dragon's heart."

and a small circle where i cast the spell and the he recited a spell.

"As You intend to use its mana as the power source."

"The barrier is enormous."

"It needs a huge amount of energy."

I looked back at the barrier.

"A dragon's heart should provide enough mana."

Ryan remained silent.

Then he smiled.

"Well..."

"At least I won't have to worry about leaving Lionheart completely defenseless."

I lowered my hand.

The frozen barrier remained standing.

I looked toward Ryan.

"Now..."

"Its time for us to depart."