We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Forest at Night
Deep into the night, the hoots of owls softly reached our ears.
Around the crackling bonfire, Ristia and I were drinking tea.
“When we spend nights like this without any trouble, it feels no different from camping out in the human lands,” I said.
“That’s true. When things are peaceful, they are peaceful no matter where you are,” Ristia replied.
This wasn’t just true for Dragon Peak.
Whether it was the Northern Lands or the Demon Race’s Country, as long as no attackers threatened the peace, it was peaceful everywhere.
However, the human society was far from a tranquil world, and danger lurked in every place.
Magic beasts and monsters were always waiting for travelers to let their guard down. Bandits and ruffians aimed to prey on the weak, and depending on the season, nature itself could turn hostile.
Nevertheless, tonight was peaceful.
Perhaps it was still too early in the season for the incessant chirping of insects; only the rare calls of night birds echoed through the forest. Ristia and I leisurely drank our tea while keeping watch.
“After our promise is fulfilled, you’ll accompany the Mimicho Race’s migration, won’t you?” Ristia asked.
“Yes. I have to guide them to a somewhat distant land.”
“I believe it’s to the west of Dragon Peak, right?”
While I kept quiet about the details of the Forbidden Territory, I had given them a general idea. Ristia’s eyes gazed into the distance, as if longing for a land yet unseen, fixated on the bonfire.
“Could it be that you guys won’t be coming back after going there?”
Was Ristia worried, I wondered? Worried that we, who were accompanying the Mimicho Race’s migration, might never return to the Armēdo Kingdom or the human lands. Ristia was a Hero, with sharp intuition. Perhaps they were already anticipating a farewell that would come decades from now. But that’s a story for many decades later, Hero. My heart warmed at Ristia’s sentiment of not wanting to lose friends, and a smile naturally spread across my face. Seeing my smile, Ristia seemed to relax, sighing with relief.
“We have Nimia and Revalia, so we can go anywhere, no matter where we are!” Ristia exclaimed.
“I’m envious. We have Duranel, which has expanded our range of activity and our capabilities, but still, I sometimes wish I could fly freely in the vast sky,” Ristia murmured.
In response to Ristia’s words, a growl came from beyond the bonfire’s light, from the dark night. It was Duranel, the Earth Dragon. Duranel, still curled up, snorted in displeasure.
“No, I didn’t mean it maliciously. It was just a greedy wish. Humans are like that. I’m sorry, okay?”
Ristia lacked the ability of Dragon Heart and couldn’t understand Duranel’s thoughts. However, they could communicate enough to know that the low growl expressed displeasure.
“The sky overhead does not bring blessings. However, the earth beneath our feet provides us with all the sustenance we need to live. Flying in the void of the sky will only bring emptiness. It is better to be rooted in the earth that connects the past to the future, rather than pursuing fleeting desires.”
“…Duranel says that,” I translated. Ristia nodded at my interpretation.
“Certainly, the freedom to go anywhere is appealing, but it comes with endless hardships. Seeing you all, I understand that much. So, we will savor our inconveniences with joy.”
“That’s right. Because we *can* go to so many places, we end up in trouble like this,” I agreed.
If I hadn’t gone to the Great Forest in the east, I wouldn’t have become the guarantor for Yunyun and Rinrin. I probably wouldn’t have been involved in the incident with the magic sword user in full armor, nor would I have gotten entangled in the problems of the Demon Race’s Country.
…Wait.
But wouldn’t I have ended up meeting Baltnowar anyway? The first time I encountered Baltnowar was when I was traveling through Dragon Peak with the Mother’s Federation.
Thinking about it, whether I fly in the sky or walk on the ground, I seem destined to run into trouble.
*Sigh.*
To avoid waking everyone who was sleeping, Ristia and I chatted. It had been a while since I could have a relaxed conversation with Ristia like this. There were so many things I wanted to talk about; time felt insufficient. Ristia also recounted their adventures to me. The Great Adventure of the Hero was an epic tale spanning the Armēdo Kingdom. Surely, Ristia’s exploits would be sung by bards for eternity.
They say the autumn nights are long, but Ristia and I, enjoying our conversation, felt that spring nights were quite the opposite. Before we knew it, we had forgotten to wake up Cerise-chan, who was supposed to be on the next watch, and even Naimi after that. If we continued like this, we might end up talking until Kiiri and Inea, who were scheduled to wake up at dawn.
Oh, by the way. Slätton had been on watch before Ristia and was now snoring.
“Taking turns on watch is also valuable training, but I’ll probably get scolded by Cerise tomorrow morning.”
“I-I’m the supervisor, so I won’t get scolded with you, right?” Ristia retorted.
“No, you were with me, so you’re an accomplice, aren’t you?”
“No, this is actually a trap! To see if Ristia can properly do their watch duty!”
“That’s quite a trap!”
Ristia had a hard time suppressing their laughter at my flimsy excuse. If they burst out laughing, it would wake everyone up.
“But, well… I suppose I’d rate my duty as a watchman as passing.”
Saying so, Ristia reached for the Holy Sword. It seemed they had sensed something amiss. I, too, felt the night’s atmosphere gradually changing.
The hooting of owls still echoed in the night forest. However, instead of night birds, the distant howls of beasts began to reach our ears. Somewhere in the distance, wolves were howling. A little later, another howl came from a different direction. Ristia and I listened intently, sensing their presence.
“They’re still far away. But…”
The unsettling presence gradually drew closer. Even in the dark night, where we couldn’t see ahead, Ristia’s and my honed senses did not dull. A pack of wolves was gathering in the forest from all directions.
“Are they targeting us?” Ristia asked.
“Probably. I’ve been attacked before. Wolves are sensitive to scent. They must have caught the prey’s scent downwind,” I replied.
“Good. I’ll show them who the hunter is,” Slätton declared, who had apparently woken up without anyone prompting him, despite having been snoring moments before.
It was impressive that he, as the Hero’s partner, could sense danger so acutely. But with those words, didn’t it make us, the ones being targeted, sound like the villains?
“Slätton, wake everyone up, just in case.”
“You got it!”
Even as Slätton went around waking everyone, the wolves’ encirclement tightened around us. Their movements were clearly aimed at us.
“How insolent.” Duranel snorted angrily.
Wolves aren’t foolish. They should have noticed the Earth Dragon through its scent. Yet, they targeted us. This means they knew Duranel was a young dragon based on scent and presence, and they likely felt they had a chance. They probably underestimated them, assuming a young dragon separated from its pack, even if a dragon was among their prey.
“Elnea-sama.” I also woke up Laira. Laira awoke immediately and understood the situation without me needing to explain about the wolves. The members of the Hero’s party were no different.
The sources of the howling grew closer and closer. Simultaneously, multiple presences began to stir in the depths of the forest.
“There are so many…”
“It’s not just ten or twenty.”
Everyone sharpened their minds in vigilance. Even Ristia and the others, who were seasoned veterans and could stand their ground against demons, would falter if they underestimated a pack of dozens of wolves. That applied to us as well.
We readied our weapons, ready to move at any moment, and stared into the darkness beyond the bonfire’s reach. Duranel had been growling menacingly for some time. But the wolves’ encirclement did not break, despite Duranel’s threats. Aware of their numerical advantage, they saw us as nothing more than desirable prey.
Kiiri and Inea quickly packed their belongings. No one here was considering the reckless idea of fighting until the wolves were annihilated.
“This is a dangerous situation… but Elnea, Laira, try not to get involved if possible. If we can’t overcome this on our own, we won’t have the qualifications to enter Dragon Peak properly,” Ristia said.
“If it comes down to it, Duranel and I will be the decoys and cover your retreat,” Slätton offered.
I nodded at Ristia’s and Slätton’s words. Comparing the wolf pack and the dangers of Dragon Peak, entering Dragon Peak was certainly more perilous. After all, if these were not wolves but magic beasts or dragons, we might have been attacked before we could sense their presence.
“How far was it to the first village, approximately?”
Knowing the location of the next resting place, the distance to the nearest village, how many days it would take, and what dangers lay on the journey. If Ristia and the others acted haphazardly in Dragon Peak, they would surely lose their lives. Therefore, they gathered the necessary information in advance.
“Heh heh heh. You wolves, I’ll burn my image into your minds with fear,” Slätton muttered, extinguishing the bonfire. I didn’t say anything about how he intended to burn his image into their minds in the darkness.
“Leave this to me and Duranel, and you guys run.”
“Slätton, don’t do anything reckless!” Ristia warned.
“Naturally.”
Slätton moved, longsword in hand, to stand beside Duranel. At the same time, the others gathered around Ristia.
“Yo! Come at me if you want to die!!”
“Foolish wolves. You will regret it with your lives!”
They roared in unison and charged towards the pack lurking in the darkness. Reacting to our movement, the wolves tore through the bushes and attacked! Many wolves swarmed Slätton and Duranel, who had separated from the main group. Slätton swung his longsword, clashing head-on with the wolves alongside Duranel.
Echoing Slätton’s movement, Ristia moved. The Holy Sword blazed red as Ristia swung it, as if to threaten us, who were also approaching. A wall of fire appeared between us and the wolves. The wolves, startled by the blazing fiery wall, lost their formation. In that opening, we dashed away.
“Everyone, break through!”
At Ristia’s command, we broke through the wall of fire and ran down the night road. The magic flames Ristia unleashed were for show; they didn’t burn us. But wolves would find them terrifying, even if illusory. We would have preferred to use the bonfire, but we couldn’t leave it behind as it would cause a fire.
“Slätton, meet me at the next village!”
“Ooh! I’ll join you with wolf meat as a souvenir!”
Amidst the clamor of wolf roars and screams, the Hero and their partner parted after vowing to reunite.
For now, all we could do was charge through this place. Either the wolves would give up, we would become their prey, or we would escape to a safe location. And the nearest safe haven was the village at the easternmost edge.
We ran. Although most of the wolves attacked Slätton and Duranel, some groups were still targeting us. Ristia and the others swept away the attacking wolves, using Slätton as a decoy, and ran with all their might through the night forest. The wolves, not wanting to let their prey escape, pursued us. And whenever they found an opening, they attacked. The road, barely wide enough for a carriage, was flanked by dense, dark thickets. If we showed the slightest hesitation when wolves suddenly attacked from there, we would immediately become prey.
While running at full speed, we deployed our senses to the surroundings, dodging and counter-attacking with wolf fangs and claws. Cutting flesh and breaking bones, even with the finest sword, consumed stamina. Furthermore, simply repelling the momentum of large wolves leaping at us required our full strength. Ristia could manage, but the women were rapidly losing stamina. Among the women, only Cerise-chan, who was strengthening her body with Dragon Energy, was still energetic. However, no matter how exhausted we became, we couldn’t stop.
“Hang in there! The wolves’ stamina isn’t infinite. And they must feel fear too!”
“Haa!” With a surge of spirit, Cerise-chan blew away three wolves at once. A magnificent wolf, taller than me when standing, was sent flying far away with a yelp. Witnessing this, its pack mates, trembling with fear, distanced themselves from Cerise-chan. Indeed. I also felt fear. Cerise-chan is scary!
With Creacio at the center, Ristia covered the right flank, and Cerise-chan protected the left. Sandwiched between fire and brute strength, Kiiri, Inea, and Naimi ran. Perhaps to match the running speed of humans, Miko Kiiri and Inea were not using their movement magic, “Star Crossing.” Instead, they used their long-reaching naginata to eliminate wolves that suddenly jumped out to block their path. Naimi, with her agile movements like a small animal, skillfully maneuvered and quickly eliminated any wolves that slipped into the formation. Even without prior coordination, their retreat exhibited perfect teamwork.
Incidentally, although I said I wouldn’t get involved, from the wolves’ perspective, there was no distinction, so of course, I was attacked. However, the wolves were defeated before they could reach me. Any wolf that directed its hostility towards me and attempted to leap would, for some reason, fail its jump and be stuck to the ground. Oh, Laira. It was an application of the adhesion dragon arts, wasn’t it?
And Laira was never targeted. Laira, you are terrifying! The wolves couldn’t perceive Laira’s presence, as she had concealed it. Even though they could see her visually!
“And so, after sacrificing Slätton with great nobility, we managed to reach the easternmost village and escape the wolf attack.”
“Hey, Elnea! Don’t you go killing me off yourself!”
Half a day after we had left them, I was chased again by Slätton, who arrived at the easternmost village with wolf pelts as souvenirs.
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