I Became the Martial God's Youngest Disciple

—Consider it an honor! This is the divine relic exhibition that Vulcanus is proud of!

I stopped breathing for a moment as I looked around with wide eyes. The title of the Fire Dragon God's treasure trove wasn't lacking at all. I saw all sorts of weapons in perfect condition on display. It was like coming to a luxurious art exhibition or museum. The treasures were clearly extraordinary, even for a layman like me. They were also so well maintained that I couldn't find a single speck of dust.

—What do you think? This is the super collection that the Fire Dragon God Vulcanus has selected and displayed!

"Very... amazing," I said slowly.

—Right? Huhahaha!

Vulcanus burst out laughing.

When someone worked so hard to make a collection, their desire to show it off would soar. The Archmage Alderson was no exception to such a desire, and the same was true for the Fire Dragon God Vulcanus.

It was beyond mere admiration. I realized that every piece on display here was worthy of being called the treasure of a Great Family, or was even superior. I was feeling impressed, but I also thought about how thoroughly Vulcanus must've squeezed the dwarves.

In any case, the relic hall of the Fire Dragon God was a treasure trove without a single flaw, but there was just one problem. Not many of the items on display suited Luzard.

The truth was that the reason I'd come here was to find a decent weapon for the lone lizardman warrior, Luzard. The Seven Sins Sword and the Yin-Yang Dao didn't suit him at all.

All the weapons in Vulcanus' collection were brilliant and shiny, so they didn't match Luzard's black scales in the slightest. It was like putting a pearl necklace around a pig's neck. Of course, this wasn't to say that Luzard was a pig.

—Now! So what are you going to choose? If you can't choose then this Vulcanus will personally recommend one! How about this? It is called the Thunder Dragon Sword, Atem! Lightning strikes every time you swing it!

"Forget about lightning."

—Hmm! Certainly! Isn't fire your aptitude? Then the Blazing Spear, Phalanx should suit you perfectly! You can create a fire storm if you infuse mana!

"I can already handle fire, so forget that too."

—That's true. There is nothing less fun than using a power you can already handle! Then what about artifacts? This topaz amulet! Just by wearing it around your neck, you can fully grasp the nature of the wind. Depending on how you use it, you can even fly in the air! How is it? Isn't it amazing?

"I can already fly."

—Is my collection not good...?

The voice, which had been roaring with excitement, suddenly became gloomy.

"That isn't it," I said.

—Be honest. Aren't you secretly laughing at me and thinking, "Is this really a god's collection?" Still, there is nothing I can do. I have been confined to the temple for hundreds of years, and haven't had the chance to learn the universal standards of beauty.

Vulcanus suddenly started mumbling in a low voice.

Does he have two personalities? I wondered. I was getting dizzy from the absurd situation, but I hurriedly spoke. I feared that I would witness the rare sight of a god sulking if I remained silent. "It isn't like that. I've had the opportunity to see many treasures, but even to me, the items gathered by you are of the highest quality. To be honest, I can only express my admiration."

—Really?

"Of course. I, Luzard, never lie," I said. Well, that was my setting, at least for now.

I continued, "This place doesn't just display excellent items. The most important thing for a collector is management, and all the equipment here has been preserved flawlessly."

Vulcanus said nothing.

"You managed to assemble a treasure trove of this caliber without any contact with the outside world for hundreds of years..." I kept going.

Again, Vulcanus said nothing.

"As expected of a god, it seems your innate sense of aesthetics are really remarkable."

—Really? Right? Don't you think so? Hahahaha!

Vulcanus quickly felt better and laughed excitedly again.

I started to wonder how the dwarves had strained their relationship with Vulcanus so much. If they had the smallest bit of tact, it wouldn't be difficult to handle this simple god to their liking.

In any case, I hid my thoughts and flattered him while looking around. Then my eyes fell on a place where rather shabby equipment was gathered. I asked, "What is that place?"

—Gasp! You can't look there...!

The moment Vulcanus shouted in a panicked voice, a strange fire appeared and moved around as if trying to block my view. Its movements were very annoying.

I waved my hand like there was a pesky fly and asked, "What is all the fuss about? Aren't the items in this treasure trove the finest collection carefully selected by you, Vulcanus?"

—T-that's true, but... Kuaack! How should I explain this?

Vulcanus' voice lowered again and the flame started moving back and forth. Judging by the situation, this flame seemed to reflect Vulcanus' will. As I watched it closely, his voice continued.

—In this world, there are so many beautiful things! Human imagination is almost limitless. So even if they make a perfect work of art, they will create something even more beautiful next time. Unfortunately, the standards of beauty are bound to change with the passage of time! Only a few chosen masterpieces aren't affected by this trend! Do you understand so far?

"Well, I see." I didn't really understand, but I didn't want the topic to drag out for long, so I just roughly nodded.

—It happens when making a collection. There are times like this when you hit spatial limits! The standard of beauty can even shift depending on your mood that day! Meanwhile, new offerings keep coming in. Naturally, the newer and better ones get placed where they are more visible! In other words, the exposure of the relatively less beautiful offerings inevitably decreases!

Vulcanus prattled on, seemingly making excuses. Basically, it meant they were second-tier equipment in the collection.

"Hmm..." I muttered.

Somehow, I liked the equipment over there more. At the same time, I could understand why Vulcanus had put these items in a place where it was difficult for them to be seen. Everything here looked crude and rough. They were items that couldn't be described as refined. If anything, they had an almost primitive feeling. They consisted of armor without jewelry, blades without patterns, shields designed with an emphasis on actual combat, and so forth.

—Hey, stop looking at this and go back there! Yes? This Vulcanus will recommend the best equipment for you.

Vulcanus seemed to be restless for some reason.

At first, I'd thought there could be something of tremendous value hidden among these items like with the dean. But judging from his attitude, that wasn't the case. He just seemed to think that the items here would tarnish his prestige.

I let Vulcanus' whining enter one ear and go out the other while I picked up the weapon that caught my eye the most among the second-tier weapons. I asked, "What is this?"

—That...

Vulcanus paused for a moment before replying.

—Umm... The name of this sword is Black Dragon Fang.

"Black dragon? Do you mean this is a dragon's fang?"

—That's right!

It was a simple name. The weapon's appearance was so plain that it almost looked shabby. It really looked like a fang. However, just because it looked simple didn't mean its value was low.

It was well known that the corpse of a dragon held unimaginable value. Every part, whether it was the bones, scales, teeth, heart, internal organs, or blood, was precious—even the excrement had a use.

The first time I heard that, I wondered if it was really to that extent. Then I was convinced after I earned a huge profit from the Sapphire Snake: The corpses of huge, strong monsters were practically made of money.

"I'll take this one," I said.

—Really?

"Is this weapon bad?"

—There are no bad offerings in my relic hall! However, the Black Dragon Fang doesn't have any special abilities!

"Ah. Is that so?"

—However, in terms of durability and sharpness, it could be said to be the best of all my offerings! It is to the point that even dozens of blacksmiths couldn't make a scabbard for it!

"Hoh..." I exclaimed softly, thinking, Does that mean it was a weapon that can't be tamed or restrained, like a wild horse?

"I like it," I concluded.

—Umm... If you like it then it isn't a big deal!

Vulcanus quickly shook off his hesitation. We returned to the altar and I pressed the blade to the flames as if sharpening it. For a moment, the flame swelled in size before it was directly drawn into the blade.

—Mm! It's done!

The sensation changed a bit. Just moments ago, the voice had echoed through the entire temple, but now it only echoed in my mind. It was almost the same as the Martial God's voice.

—Now! Hurry and lead me to those ungrateful bastards!

"I understand. But when I go back, can you extinguish the flames around the temple?" I asked. No matter how resistant I was to heat, I didn't want to go through that kind of heat twice.

Vulcanus agreed with my suggestion, and I felt a fairly cool breeze when I stepped outside the temple. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, it had become dark as I wandered through the mirage, chatted with Vulcanus inside the temple, and looked around the treasure trove. Quite a bit of time had passed. Fortunately, it didn't take long to get back. It was a temple that one often needed to visit, so it wasn't far to begin with. If it weren't for the scorching heat and mirage, it wouldn't have taken until night to finish this.

However, I rubbed my eyes in surprise when I reached Sandstorm Hill. I wondered if I was still looking at a mirage, or perhaps we had backtracked. It was inevitable since the flames that surrounded the temple had seemingly appeared again.

—This... What is going on?

It wasn't a wall of flames, and I hadn't become lost. I tensed my thighs and rushed forward. The situation was exactly as it looked: Under the dark night sky, Sandstorm Hill was a sea of fire.

***

I hurried to Sandstorm Hill and frowned at the scent of blood that pierced my nose. I wondered out loud, "What is this?'

Lying on the street were the corpses of dwarves.

—U-unbelievable! Who did this to my followers?!

Vulcanus shouted in bewilderment, while I felt a similar confusion. How could a village that was fine when I left turn into a sea of fire in an instant?

I wondered what was going on, and if church members had attacked in the meantime. However, the dwarves were supposed to be their new trading partners, and only those who opposed their will would be expelled. The number of dead was too large for that.

"Shit." I cursed audibly as I finally faced a reality I had been ignoring for a long time.

The marks left on the corpses of the dwarves were somehow familiar. They came from a technique that completely killed an opponent with a single attack—swordsmanship that had reached the pinnacle of efficiency.

Why? I wondered. That question filled my mind more than anything.

As unpleasant dark clouds filled my mind, I was suddenly forced to stop in my tracks. Someone had appeared in the alley, blocking my way.

"You came?" the figure said. Ludwig had removed his disguise and was looking at me with his original face. The hidden pupils behind those sharply slanted eyes looked like a snake today.

I slowly asked, "What is going on?"

"Ah, I don't need to disguise myself any longer. Mm. After you left, we investigated this village on our own. Things after that became a bit twisted. It turns out these dwarves are entangled with the Dark Church." Ludwig chuckled. "Heh. I am talking like this, but I didn't do anything this time. Father did everything. As expected, he is still the Iron-Blooded Lord despite losing his memory. The level of pursuit, infiltration, and undercover work from him is always different."

Ludwig Badniker was a genius of disguise. He had given me a lot of advice about it in the carriage. He'd said that under no circumstances should I let my guard down or remove my disguise. There was only one exception: if I could be sure that there were no witnesses. That could only mean one thing.

Ludwig continued, "By the way, what is that in your hand? It is a weapon I have never seen before. It looks pretty good. Did you manage to get into the temple—"

"Are they all going to be killed?" I asked, cutting him off.

Ludwig shrugged and said, "The entire village conspired with the Dark Church. This place was going to become a weapons factory for those church bastards. A church member using the weapon of a dwarf craftsman? Ugh. It would be terrible."

"Some of them don't know anything," I said.

"Maybe. Still, it is a decision made by the family head. We have to follow it," Ludwig replied.

I couldn't help laughing. I just couldn't understand it. In the end, I said, "Get out of the way."

"Why?"

"I have to stop Father."

"Once again, why?"

"If our family is doing something insane, we should stop it... No."

Shit. Do I have to explain these things one by one? I thought. I almost cursed, but I managed to hold back. Somehow, I was able to tolerate it because I looked like Luzard on the outside.

I passed by Ludwig. At that moment, a dagger flew in front of me.

"Future family head Luan Badniker." Ludwig appeared before me again without a smile on his face. "Are you dissatisfied with the family head's actions?"

I stared blankly at him before I burst out laughing. Ah, yes. So it's going to be like this.

If so, I had a lot to say. I began, "Brother Ludwig... You grew up pretty well even in this damn family."

"What?" Ludwig stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.

I continued. "It's pretty good even coming from this fucking bloodline. Is it because you are a Lu like me? You have manners, propriety, and even common sense. It is really impressive. I admit it. However, unfortunately, you lack the most important thing for a human."

"What is it?" Ludwig asked.

"Morality," I answered. I stepped forward with my left foot and declared, "I will say this one last time. Get out of the way before I punish you."

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