We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A hot spring village.
The journey up Dragon Peak proceeded smoothly, except for picking up Oz along the way.
Ultimately, we ended up taking care of Oz until he fully recovered, as he couldn’t walk properly yet.
That’s because our mothers seemed to like him and wouldn’t let him go.
Speaking of cute, I think Nimia is the cutest, but Priscilla-chan has her all to herself.
“Meow.”
The fundamental way to travel is to ride on the Earth Dragons, ensuring a safe and secure journey. Along the way, we enjoyed sightseeing thanks to Cornelia’s guidance.
Mistral, Cornelia’s daughter, flies east and west with me, but it seems her mother also traveled all over Dragon Peak when she was single.
“Wow. The water is so beautiful.”
“Lord Elnea, the water is as beautiful as jewels.”
“It is. It’s jade green, and you can see all the way to the bottom.”
Even for us, who have explored various places from bustling capitals to remote, uninhabited secret realms, when it comes to the nature of Dragon Peak, we don’t even come close to Cornelia’s level.
She led us to a mountain valley, promising a short walk. There, we found a stream with a beautiful, swift current.
The sound of the water, which dominated our hearing, was endlessly refreshing, and everything we saw was beautiful.
The water’s surface, reflecting the vibrant green of spring, was a natural jewel. The fish swimming against the strong current seemed to be celebrating the arrival of spring.
“It’s cold.”
“It’s delicious.”
Yufilia and Nina, pouring water themselves to quench their thirst, played with delight. Seeing this, Priscilla-chan almost charged into the stream, but Ruiseine quickly caught her.
“Priscilla-chan, it’s still too cold for splashing in the water.”
“As Elnea-kun says. The current is fast, and it’s dangerous.”
“You know. Priscilla wants to catch fish.”
“River fish for dinner sounds good too.”
Then, Lady Reineira suggested a change from a meat-centric meal.
“Elnea?”
“Huh? Mistral, why that expectant look in your eyes?”
See, I just warned Priscilla-chan.
The stream is cold with snowmelt water, and the current is fast.
And we didn’t bring any fishing gear.
“Speaking of which, Ruilala is an aquatic demon, right!”
“I specialize in the sea, though.”
While muttering complaints, Ruilala, perhaps wanting to eat fish, unhesitatingly extended her leg into the stream.
Then, she slipped on the wet rocks and was swept downstream.
“Goodbye, Ruilala. I’ll remember you for about three days…”
I bowed my head towards Ruilala, who was swept away by the swift current.
“Hey, Elnea. You have to cherish your friends!”
“Ouch!”
My mother’s uncushioned fist hit my head as I mourned the demon’s sacrifice. I had no choice but to chase after Ruilala downstream.
“Cornelia, what is that horizontal hole in the sky?”
The short sightseeing tour continued.
Just before evening. Cornelia suggested we experience a mountain path, which is different from the Dragon’s Road and used by people. The Mother’s Federation members became immediately exhausted after a short walk on the narrow, rough path. I even ended up carrying my physically weak mother on my back.
And then we arrived at a path along a cliff face in the mountains. It was Selevia who keenly spotted a man-made horizontal hole in the rocky cliff at a dizzying height. The members of the Mother’s Federation tilted their heads at the entrance, which seemed impossibly high to reach even with a strong jump.
“Elnea-kun, do you know what that is?”
Cornelia asked me, not answering herself. I cleared my throat and answered the Mother’s Federation’s question.
“Well, you see, that’s a hole where traveler Dragon-folk stay.”
“My, it’s so high up!”
“That’s right. It’s so high that it seems impossible to reach even by jumping, so how do they get in?”
Then, Agnes and Camila, with the same doubt as I had at fifteen, tilted their heads.
“It’s a height that we humans can’t possibly reach, but Dragon-folk can.”
“Really?”
My mother, not trusting her son’s words, looked at me with suspicious eyes and then looked at Mistral expectantly.
“Then, let’s try it.”
Mistral smiled and proved my answer correct. Crouching low and gathering strength in his lower body, he leaped high. With a jumping power several times that of a human, Mistral easily leaped into the horizontal hole.
“My, that’s amazing.”
“At that height, monsters probably wouldn’t attack.”
“Some floating monsters exist, so it’s not absolutely safe.”
Even monsters with good jumping abilities would be meaningless at that height, so it’s merely a placebo, I can say now, having a deep understanding of Dragon Peak’s harsh nature and the fearsome nature of monsters and magic beasts. And even if it’s just a placebo, it’s many times more reassuring than resting on the ground where you can’t even get that little comfort, which is Dragon Peak.
“But Elnea, not all Dragon-folk are like Mist, are they? What about those who can’t reach it even by jumping? Do they have a hard time?”
“Mother, that’s a fundamental misunderstanding.”
Even among humans, there are differences in abilities. My mother, whom I carried here, is an ordinary old woman with average physical abilities. Conversely, the Queens of the Armēdo Kingdom, who adventured with the King in their youth, have enough physical ability to reach here somehow on their own feet, though with difficulty. My mother is saying that since there are likely differences in abilities among the Dragon-folk, not all of them can easily enter the holes like Mistral. But that’s a grave misunderstanding from the core.
“Mother, on flat land, even people who seem a bit unreliable, the elderly, and children can travel if they pay enough, right? But Dragon Peak is different. People who can’t even take care of themselves have trouble leaving the village in the first place. So, even among the Dragon-folk, those who can’t even get into those holes can’t travel.”
“Ah, so it’s tough.”
When young Dragon-folk begin to gain strength and knowledge, they gradually train to leave the village. However, for those who lack aptitude, even going to the next village is difficult. The nature of Dragon Peak is that dangerous.
Cornelia might have wanted to show everyone a glimpse of the true Dragon Peak. However, this was not a warning to our carefree mothers, but an expression of friendship, encouraging us to understand each other more and become even closer.
“Well, that’s all for today’s sightseeing. When we get back, we’ll have the fish that Ruilala caught.”
Surrounded by peaks higher than the clouds, twilight falls early on Dragon Peak. Once it gets dark, terrifying monsters and magic beasts begin to roam freely. We must return to the campsite where the Earth Dragons await before then. Following Cornelia’s guidance, we retraced our steps. It was close by, but everyone was groaning and screaming on the way back.
Heh heh heh.
The members of the Mother’s Federation will have sore bodies tomorrow.
The following days continued with a smooth itinerary. We visited a waterfall where the flow of water dispersed into mist due to strong winds, and climbed a mountain with a good view. Cornelia truly knows so many places. We, who were supposed to be bodyguards, also enjoyed the Dragon Peak tours.
After several nights of camping and venturing deeper into Dragon Peak, Cornelia suggested, “Today, we’ll be staying in a village.” Madrine and Sefina embraced each other with joy. I see, it seems it was truly difficult for them. Unlike the members of the Mother’s Federation, who usually travel by Earth Dragon and only walk during Cornelia’s sightseeing tours, these two kept up on their own. It’s permissible to take a break around here, isn’t it?
“Since we’re going to Chief Abdran’s village next, right? It’s famous for its hot springs, so will we be staying for two or three days, Mother?”
Mistral, who is kind to those who work hard, like myself, thoughtfully proposed a stay of several days.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Cornelia also nodded in agreement, smiling at Madrine and Sefina.
“I’m so glad… I was at my limit.”
“I’m so glad… I couldn’t go on any longer.”
“Ah, you mean Yufi and Nina were also at their limit?”
“Lord Elnea, I actually…”
“What, Ruiseine, you too!?”
Come to think of it, there were also people among my relatives who had never properly walked Dragon Peak! We always adventure together, but now that I think about it, we relied heavily on Nimia and Revalia for transportation. Ruiseine and the others were also walking on this journey, so they seemed utterly exhausted.
“Lord Elnea, I’m tired too!”
“Laira, you have the ability to come near my village on your own, don’t you?”
“Hahahaha, that was in the past.”
“If it was okay in the past, it should be even more okay now!”
“Ahhh, Lord Elnea, please help me!”
…Laira. You were the only one who traversed Dragon Peak on your own. Moreover, you did it with a gaunt body. Furthermore, you occasionally rode an Earth Dragon to socialize, wanting to be doted on by Lady Reneila! Mistral, who doesn’t allow such indulgence, dragged a sadly reaching-out-to-me Laira away.
“Alright, if we push ourselves today, we can rest tomorrow. Let’s all do our best!”
I clenched my fist and renewed my resolve. The Dragon’s Road does not extend to the villages of the Dragon-folk. Therefore, after relying on Earth Dragons to get near the settlement, we enter the paths used by humans to aim for Chief Abdran’s village. We will reunite with the Earth Dragons in a few days further along the Dragon’s Road. The path used by humans is somewhat paved as we are close to the village. Nevertheless, we proceed cautiously along steep slopes and dangerous paths along cliffs. Then, beyond a cluster of rough, large rocks, the outlines of dwellings begin to appear.
“Hot springs, hot springs!”
“Onsen, onsen.”
My steps naturally became lighter. Ares-chan was also bouncing with excitement. The members of the Mother’s Federation, who had shown signs of fatigue after just a short walk, seemed to have regained their energy now that the day’s destination was finally in sight. Breathing heavily, yet with smiles returning, they moved their legs. With every step we took, the village’s contours drew closer. Well, that’s natural, but perhaps it seemed like a ray of hope to the exhausted group. The path, merely trodden down, turned into a magnificent stone-paved road. Circling around large rocks and climbing the sloping path, we reached the stone outer wall surrounding the village. Beyond the outer wall, houses were shrouded in steam.
“Come on, just a little further!”
I rallied everyone and passed through the village entrance.
Here we are, hot springs. I’m looking forward to it! Not just me, but everyone’s spirits lifted at the unique scent emanating from the hot spring steam. I wonder where we’ll be staying? Cornelia, please lead the way! Full of anticipation, we walked through the village. The scale seems about the same as Mistral’s village. Since the hot springs are famous, perhaps many travelers visit. We cheerfully chatted as we passed by houses and ventured deeper into the village. However, I should have noticed something at this moment. Houses emitting steam from their chimneys. The water flowing in the roadside gutters also seemed to be hot, with steam rising from them. The whole village had an atmosphere of hot springs. But the crucial element was missing. The people going to and fro. The presence of the villagers. Our minds, filled with the joy of finally being able to rest in a place with a roof over our heads, were slow to detect the danger, and we were stunned in the village square.
Perhaps it’s a hot spring. In the village square, a circular fountain, emitting steam, was built in the center. There, people lay in heaps. “Well, I thought you’d be here around this time.” Contrary to the strange scene around us, only a man, peacefully soaking his feet in the fountain, sat on its edge. The man stood up, a smile on his bearded face, as he noticed us. “I’ve been waiting for you, brother.” And that’s what the man said, looking at me.
