We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Wyvern Hunting Ground
Midnight. As everyone in the village slept soundly, we left our borrowed room in the inn.
The full moon was near, making the village plaza brighter than I expected. This meant we could proceed with preparations even without portable lighting.
First, we had Nimia grow larger and loaded her back with our luggage. I used Spatial Jump to transport the luggage from below to above, where Ruiseine and Laira secured it with Nimia’s long fur so it wouldn’t fall.
“Does it hurt when your fur is pulled?”
“I’m alright, nyan.”
Ruiseine skillfully secured the luggage while still being mindful of Nimia. As expected of her. Laira, on the other hand, was struggling.
“I don’t know how to secure this.”
“That would be, uh…”
Laira, who had little experience with packing, had been struggling and receiving guidance from Ruiseine since the daytime preparations. Nevertheless, Lyra’s earnest efforts, despite her clumsiness, were admirable, and Ruiseine patiently guided her without being dismissive.
When I finished transporting the last piece of luggage, I meditated on the grass of the plaza to replenish my Dragon Energy before departing. I sat in a meditation posture, closed my eyes, and focused my mind. Immediately, Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan jumped onto my lap. But I was used to this, so I continued meditating without losing my composure. By the time I felt my Dragon Power replenish, Ruiseine and Laira seemed to have finished securing the luggage.
“Alright, it’s finally time to depart,” I thought.
“Take care on your journey.”
Koa appeared in the plaza and smiled at us.
“Yes. We’ll be in sightseeing mode, but we’ll stay vigilant of our surroundings.”
We smiled back.
“With you and Nimia, there probably won’t be any problems. However, don’t let your guard down.”
Zan also appeared, handing me a late-night snack to eat on the way. “Oh, I wonder when he prepared this,” I thought, surprised.
“Son-in-law, be careful.”
“Have fun for Mistral too.”
Mistral’s parents appeared, followed by others.
“We don’t need souvenirs. Absolutely not.”
“Tell us about the Wyvern hunt again.”
“Take your time and enjoy yourselves.”
One after another, villagers emerged from their homes and the inn.
“My, my.”
Ruiseine’s eyes widened in surprise on Nimia’s back. I was also surprised and looked out at the crowd gathered in the plaza. Their outlines were hazy in the moonlight, but we recognized everyone. I never expected so many people to see us off just for a Wyvern hunting observation. And it was the middle of the night, everyone.
Their kindness moved me. Laira was even shedding tears on Nimia’s back.
“Um, we’re off!”
Priscilla-chan waved energetically.
“Ah, have a good trip.”
“Go play a lot.”
“You don’t have to come back right away.”
I sensed a sense of relief from the men. They were happy to be free from the frightening game of tag with Priscilla-chan.
“Priscilla-chan, after the observation, let’s come back and play tag with everyone again, okay?”
“Okay, let’s play tag a lot!”
Priscilla-chan, falling for my suggestion, beamed. In contrast, a considerable number of screams rose from the men.
While receiving glares filled with resentment, I scooped up Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan and moved to Nimia’s back. I wrapped myself in her fur to avoid being thrown off.
“Well then, we’re off. Thank you for seeing us off.”
We waved energetically at the gathered villagers.
“Mew.”
Nimia let out a cute meow and flapped her wings. Unlike birds or wyverns, with just a few gentle flaps, the colossal Nimia lifted into the air. She ascended slowly, circled above the village three times, and then turned her course eastward. Unlike during an emergency, Nimia flew without excessive speed. However, the darkness of night soon enveloped the village’s outline, obscuring it from our sight.
But in return.
“Look. The stars are so beautiful.”
Following Ruiseine’s words, we looked up at the sky.
“They’re beautiful.”
“Whoa, they’re sparkling!”
The night sky we gazed upon. Competing with the light of the nearly full moon, countless stars twinkled. The night sky from the village where Laira was staying was also beautiful, but the heavenly star-filled sky from the sky above, with nothing to obstruct our view, was exceptionally beautiful. We looked up at the stars, sparkling like jewels, as we headed east on Nimia’s back.
Our flight was very smooth. We saw the shadows of some avian magic beasts below several times, but they seemed to have no idea that something was flying far above them. Their graceful wingbeats were as majestic as any magic beast.
And before sunrise, we arrived at the eastern edge of Dragon Peak, on a cliff overlooking the Wyvern Hunting Ground and the northern part of the capital city. Fortunately, there was a place where the giant Nimia could land easily, so we decided to set up base there. Well, “base” is a bit of an exaggeration; we just unloaded our luggage in a rock overhang that could shield us from the wind, chose the spot with the best view, brought some rocks to sit on, and prepared a rudimentary viewing area. Nimia, with her giant body, carried the rocks for us.
All hail Nimia.
To reward Nimia for her hard work, we held a slightly lavish late-night meal. No one commented on the fact that it was almost dawn.
“Mew.”
Being on a cliff, the wind was a little strong. In the lee of the sheltering rocks, we spread out the late-night meal Zan had given us. We also laid out the sweets that the women had worked hard to make with the villagers during the day.
“Don’t eat too many sweets, or you’ll run out of them later.”
“Eat the late-night meal from Zan-san, and if you’re still hungry, then eat the sweets.”
Ignoring our words, Priscilla-chan, Ares-chan, Nimia, and Laira stuffed sweets into their mouths. Laira, you too!
“I’m not responsible if you start crying later because there are no more sweets!”
At my repeated warning, the three of them and one creature finally let go of the sweets.
“Um, eating sweets requires planning.”
Priscilla-chan pointed her index finger decisively and looked at everyone with a serious expression. No, no, no. With your cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk and eating the most, you have no right to say that. We burst into laughter at Priscilla-chan’s words, which were the opposite of her gluttony.
After chatting and enjoying the late-night meal, drowsiness set in. Priscilla-chan and Nimia fell asleep as soon as they were full.
“Ruiseine and Laira, you should get some sleep now too.”
“No, Elnea-sama, please go ahead.”
To Laira’s hesitation, I replied, “It’s fine.” When I traveled alone, I experienced an irregular sleep schedule. So, if I wanted to, I could stay awake a little longer. Someone has to stay awake for perimeter watch, so it’s my turn now. This isn’t something to be polite about. If everyone doesn’t fulfill their respective roles as needed, even a fun outing can be ruined. Ruiseine and Laira, who are enduring their sleepiness now, are in charge of sleeping. When they wake up, we’ll switch roles. This is the most efficient way to operate right now.
Ruiseine and Laira, who accepted my persuasion honestly, fell asleep clustered with Priscilla-chan and the others.
“The nuisances are gone.”
“Ares-chan, where did you learn such a bad word?”
I gave a wry smile at Ares-chan, who had a mischievous grin. Is this also the influence of the little devil Priscilla-chan? I thought, but shook my head inwardly. No. Ares-chan, very rarely, can transform her usual adorable demeanor and show a glimpse of an unfathomable being. Perhaps we are being deceived by Ares-chan’s looks. Looking at Ares-chan, she gave me a meaningful smile and said, “Fufufu.”
“Cherish the Spirit Tree, okay?”
“Of course. I’ll cherish you and everyone else too.”
“Who is the most cherished?”
“Ugh.”
That’s a question I have trouble answering. As I hesitated, Ares-chan hugged me. I picked up Ares-chan and moved away from the rock overhang.
If we talk here, we might disturb the sleeping people.
Ares-chan and I sat on the rocks set up to watch the Wyvern hunt. Then, I lightly relaxed my consciousness and probed the Dragon Vein. I immediately sensed a strong flow from deep within the cliff, though it was separate from the main current. I drew from the Dragon Vein and channeled Dragon Energy to the Spirit Tree and Ares-chan. Ares-chan closed her eyes comfortably in my arms.
And so, the sunrise came to me and Ares-chan alone. The morning light, dyeing the horizon golden and beginning to glow a vivid blue, captivated my eyes. The sky changed from a deep dark blue to a transparent blue that brightened, revealing nature filling my entire vision. Lush green plains. There were thin clouds in some places, but it was clear weather. From the northern fort of the capital city, several streaks of white smoke were already rising. Perhaps the skilled soldiers and adventurers participating in the Wyvern hunt were making their morning preparations. The white smoke might be from cooking fires or something similar. Looking toward the capital, I sensed the stirrings of morning preparations from throughout the city. In my parents’ home in the capital, Mother was probably waking up and starting preparations for Father’s meal.
As I enjoyed the morning scenery, quite some time had passed before I realized it. Ruiseine, having finished her nap, woke up and offered to take over my watch. I thought her sleep time might have been a bit short, but for Ruiseine, who usually maintained a regular lifestyle, sleeping after sunrise was apparently difficult. Ares-chan was going to stay, so after thanking Ruiseine and Ares-chan, I decided to take a nap. As Ares-chan is a spirit, she doesn’t have the need for sleep. Replenished with Dragon Energy from me, Ares-chan was full of vigor and now sat on Ruiseine’s lap, gazing at the scenery. Watching the two of them, I fell asleep in the shade of the sheltering rocks.
