I am Quentin Agatha, the commander of the Fourth Monster Knight Regiment.
The Fourth Monster Knight Regiment is unique among the knight regiments.
Our members regularly fight alongside their familiars, which sets us apart from other knights who go into battle alone with just their own bodies.
Familiars are a new technology that has emerged over the past 100 years, and there are still many aspects that are not fully understood.
Therefore, in actual combat, it is impossible to completely control the monsters, and I have often felt frustrated because the battles did not unfold as planned.
--- If only the familiar had held its ground just a little more in this situation.
--- If only the familiars had coordinated their attacks at this timing.
The familiars' movements are just slightly off, and the results do not match the expectations.
The knights in our regiment who are frustrated are those who could not handle their familiars well.
They take care of their familiars daily and train with them, but when they cannot use them effectively, it lowers the reputation of the familiars, causing them great regret.
Despite this, knights from other regiments treat the Fourth Monster Knight Regiment as lacking in strength.
To them, the fact that familiars are a new technology with many unknowns and are still in the trial-and-error phase is irrelevant.
--- Results are everything.
Since combat can involve death, one cannot say they are wrong, but the knights in our regiment, who are seen as inferior and treated as failures, have developed distrust, suspicion, and even hostility towards other regiments.
The most passionate among them is the deputy commander, Gideon.
He is not a bad person, simple and honest, and a champion of justice, but he is too emotional and impulsive. A single misunderstanding can turn his strengths into weaknesses.
Only when I control him can he function properly.
However, I was to be absent from the regiment for a long time due to a special mission.
I was worried about leaving the regiment's management to Gideon, so I assigned Patti as his assistant.
I hope they can function well...
The special mission I received from the Grand Master was to capture the Black King.
There is a power structure among monsters. Six months ago, we received information suggesting that one of the three great beasts ruling this continent was missing.
There were reports of a red dragon flying over the summit of the Black Peak, a sacred mountain in the far north of the continent.
Later, the red dragon landed in that area, stayed for a while, and then took flight again.
The Black Peak has been ruled by a single Black King for a very long time, and its absolute power has prevented other dragon species from entering the area.
The fact that a dragon other than the Black King could fly over the Black Peak and even land and take off again indicates the absence of the Black King.
"It's been a thousand years already..."
I muttered when I heard the story.
It is unimaginable for humans, but black dragons live for a thousand years.
They are an ancient species, different from other dragon species. The Black King has lived for a thousand years and is reborn.
Typically, dragons are oviparous, but black dragons have a unique life cycle. They produce a larval form of themselves just before death, and the larva inherits the name and memories of the adult, while the old body decays.
To make a monster a familiar, it must be completely subdued and tamed.
This requires a strength that is not just equal to the monster but far superior. It is a monstrous strength that is needed to subdue an SS-rank black dragon, and even with multiple knight regiments, it is uncertain whether they can succeed. It is a highly unrealistic task.
However, there is an exception for black dragons. That is when they are in their larval form.
For about a year until they reach adulthood, black dragons are small and their abilities are incomplete. This is especially noticeable in the early stages of their life.
Since dragons are oviparous, imprinting is likely to be effective.
This is the phenomenon where a dragon sees something as its parent and follows it obediently.
Black dragons reproduce asexually, so it is unclear how effective this is, but it is worth trying.
The black dragon, as depicted in the royal crest, is the guardian beast of our Nerve Kingdom.
In reality, it is a catastrophic and vicious monster, but it has been venerated as the kingdom's guardian beast by being displayed on the royal crest throughout the country.
The fact that the black dragon rarely leaves its lair, the Black Peak, and that its viciousness is rarely seen, is also a factor.
In any case, the black dragon becomes a larva once every thousand years, and now is the rare opportunity to subdue this absolute monster.
As soon as I received the special mission, I headed to the Black Peak with the Eleventh Knight Regiment, which is responsible for the northern guard.
The area was in chaos.
--- The sudden absence of the absolute ruler.
Monsters vying to become the new ruler of the area were in fierce competition, creating a scene of divided rule.
After much effort, we finally reached the cave at the heart of the Black Peak, but it was empty.
There was only the massive and beautiful corpse of a decayed black dragon.
It is said that immediately after rebirth, the black dragon's memories and powers are not fully established.
It must have been confused and wandered off in one direction or another.
Dragons generally dislike sunlight, so there is a high probability that the black dragon is in one of the caves or dark places.
Despite concerns about the regiment's management, I spent the next six months searching caves across the continent with various knight regiments, but found no trace of the black dragon.
Just as another cave search ended in failure and I was feeling disheartened, a messenger from the castle arrived.
It turned out that a black dragon had appeared in the "Forest of Falling Stars" near the castle.
According to reports, the black dragon appeared in the sky, enveloped in thunder and black clouds.
This was confirmed by multiple witnesses near the forest, who all described the dragon as black, beautiful, noble, and truly a dragon king.
Upon hearing the report, I felt both excitement and disappointment.
I was excited at the prospect of seeing the legendary black dragon with my own eyes.
I was disappointed because the black dragon seemed to have grown more than expected, making its capture impossible.
Despite these conflicting emotions, I returned to the castle and reported my return to the Grand Master.
I received words of encouragement for the long expedition, but I felt ashamed for not achieving any results.
Feeling fatigued, I headed to the Fourth Monster Knight Regiment's headquarters.
Is Gideon managing things well?
With some anxiety, I opened the door to the headquarters...
What I saw were two catastrophic monsters.
"Give me a break... Why are there two catastrophic monsters in my office just because I was absent for a while?"
My fatigue made me speak my thoughts aloud.
...I have always been able to see the energy of others vaguely.
Not just their strength, but some of their abilities are visible as energy. It's like smoke covering their bodies.
I can gauge their power by the amount of smoke, and it has never been significantly off when compared to their actual abilities.
My ability has been further refined through my interactions with many monsters as a member of the Monster Knight Regiment.
Two masses of energy, unlike anything I had ever seen, appeared before me.
The experience was so new that I could feel my face contorting.
I was overwhelmed by a tension that made my body stiff, and I broke out in a cold sweat.
I instinctively took a step back to create some distance and began to observe them carefully.
The first monster was a blue creature peeking out from the neck of what appeared to be a young knight.
The first one... What is this?
Despite its small size, it exudes an extraordinary pressure. The concentration of energy is beyond measure.
This one could probably blow this building apart with ease...
Oh... This is a problem.
I don't want to know what this is, but I think I have an idea...
I have seen several S-rank monsters, but none have reached this level.
Even a few S-rank monsters appearing would be more manageable.
I don't want to know, but... This is probably an SS-rank monster.
...And if it exists here, near the "Forest of Falling Stars" at this time, it must be the black dragon.
Oh, this is a problem.
Why is the black dragon I've been searching for in my office?
Feeling a sense of despair, I watched the monster, which seemed to be a black dragon, playfully perch on the young knight's shoulder.
...I remember a fairy tale about a blue bird, a symbol of happiness, that was sought after.
The ending was that the blue bird could not be found, and the seeker returned home disheartened, only to find the blue bird in their own home. The tale suggests that happiness is actually close at hand.
Ha, ha, ha... This black dragon, which resembles a blue bird, seems to be a dark joke. It's a cruel and twisted joke.
The black dragon I've been searching for was in my office.
The knights were attacked by the black dragon in the small office and were all wiped out.
The absolute death called the black dragon was right by my side.
--- What a dark joke.
And if the second monster is the one who set up this dark joke...
I clenched my cold hands and turned my gaze to the other monster I didn't want to see.
It appeared to be a young knight in a blue uniform. But...
...What is this, really?
...The energy is so overwhelming that I can't even see its outline.
How can everyone be so calm in the same space as this?
...This is impossible. My back is tingling, my ears are ringing, and I can't even stand.
I envy those who can only see what is visible.
Most likely, the others see a young knight with a small blue monster on her shoulder.
But the monster on her shoulder is an SS-rank black dragon, and the knight herself is even more powerful.
The fact that the black dragon is playing like a small chick is proof that this monster is even more powerful than the black dragon.
...How do I resolve this?
Is there even a choice in the outcome?
No matter what I do, the future is one of total annihilation, and this monster is here to mock our struggles, isn't it?
A monster twisted enough to set up a dark joke with a "black dragon" modeled after a "blue bird" is entirely plausible.
I ran my trembling hand through my hair, searching for the best move, when the young knight-like figure closed the distance and spoke with a cheerful expression.
"Nice to meet you, Commander Quentin. I am Fia Rude of the First Knight Regiment. Hehe, you said there were two monsters, but actually, one of them is a puppet I created!"
As she said this, she thrust out an awkwardly shaped piece of cloth on her left arm.
--- Is this a trap?
Is there a correct answer, and if I say anything else, will I be turned into a lump of flesh in an instant?
A chill ran down my back, and my dry uniform was drenched in sweat in just a few minutes.
Is this a high-level word game hidden in what seems to be a casual conversation, with the stakes being life and death?
--- It was the moment when I was asked to make the most difficult statement of my life.