We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Secret Moon Garden
“What is the true identity of the monster that swallowed us?”
“Fufufu, that’s a secret. Besides, it’s not a monster, is it?”
“Mumumu? Then why is Charlotte here?”
“Fufufu, that’s also a secret. I’ll tell you as a reward if you conquer the Treasure Orb Palace?”
“No, the reward for falling for Charlotte’s scheme is for you to grant me one selfish wish.”
Charlotte’s scheme in this place and what she intends to do by involving me is a mystery, but since I was inevitably dragged into it, I want a proper reward.
Charlotte, who seemed to have read my thoughts, narrowed her eyes and smiled.
“Very well. If Elnea-kun performs as we expect, I shall grant you one wish.”
“Alright, it’s a promise then.”
If Michelle and the others are captured, I wouldn’t mind rescuing them.
With a reward on top of that, my motivation is even greater!
“By the way, did you just refer to that castle as the Treasure Orb Palace?”
“Fufufu, you must be mistaken.”
“Why are you dodging the question!?”
While giving a wry smile to Charlotte, who was already toying with me for her amusement, I began to move.
Carrying Ares-chan, who was curiously patting the innards-like floor, I moved towards the Treasure Orb Palace visible beyond the raised internal space.
Of course, I couldn’t afford to walk leisurely, so I used Spatial Jump.
With just a few Spatial Jumps, the Treasure Orb Palace, with its beautiful exterior, came into close proximity.
Though it was a colossal deep-sea monster, it wasn’t as outlandish as Kongo no Kirisame, which had swallowed two mountains of Dragon Peak.
Inside the monster’s belly, it was at most as spacious as the large area that spread out in the center of the Gate of Underworld Prison.
Even so, considering it’s inside a living creature’s stomach, it’s still outrageously large and astonishing.
But putting that aside.
The Treasure Orb Palace, towering within the monster’s belly, had proper castle walls and a castle gate.
Standing before the tightly closed gate, I raised my gaze upwards.
“If we’re using Spatial Jump, it’s just one leap.”
However, I don’t know what awaits me on the other side. So, I carefully assessed my surroundings.
“There are no signs of any suspicious individuals lurking… Or rather, this creature!”
Charlotte’s words, stating it wasn’t a monster, now truly hit home.
The colossal deep-sea creature that had swallowed us.
The presence of the creature engulfing everything around us was so strong that we could confirm we were inside its belly without even trying.
I then probed further and noticed something.
“A Dragon Vein is flowing within the creature!?”
I was surprised by this unexpected discovery.
No wonder Ares-chan was so interested in the innards-like floor beneath her feet.
“Why would a Dragon Vein be flowing inside a creature? Perhaps the interior of unfathomable beings is truly special, and it has somehow incorporated the flow of the Dragon Vein itself? Does a Dragon Vein flow inside Grandpa’s belly too?”
“Let’s try, let’s try?”
“No, no, I don’t want Grandpa to eat me?”
I looked at Charlotte, wondering.
And Charlotte, who had followed me through consecutive Spatial Jumps, was also an unfathomable existence, wasn’t she?
“Fufufu, if you can rescue the captured individuals and unravel the secrets of the Treasure Orb Palace, then it will be resolved.”
“Does that mean this evil plot was hatched because you involved me? Or were you planning this before I arrived, and just happened to drag me in?”
Normally, if Michelle and the others Charlotte rescued were captured in the Treasure Orb Palace, I would assume that Charlotte planned everything.
Then, for what purpose did Charlotte summon me here, and what is she trying to achieve?
Because if we hadn’t coincidentally met in the North Sea, Charlotte would have been doing something alone, right?
Or did she know our movements and hastily devise a scheme?
That thought also briefly crossed my mind, but even for the Giant Demon Lord or Charlotte, who are usually aware of our actions, their reaction to our movements this time seemed too quick.
I pondered, but no answer came.
Charlotte, perhaps not intending to answer my thoughts on that matter, merely stayed by my side with a smile.
“I can’t help it. Stopping here won’t advance things, so I have no choice but to go.”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
Holding Ares-chan, I activated Spatial Jump. And in an instant, I moved above the castle gate.
“No suspicious presences. Maybe there are traps?”
No matter how much I searched, everything was filled with the presence of the giant creature that had swallowed us, and I couldn’t sense any other presences.
Of course, not even the presence of Michelle and the others who must be somewhere within the Treasure Orb Palace.
“The fact that I can’t even sense the Wyverns means something is being done to distort our senses.”
If that’s the case, I could be caught off guard if I let my guard down.
If I become complacent just because Charlotte is accompanying me with a smile, I might fail to rescue Michelle and the others.
I need to regain my composure and prepare for unforeseen circumstances.
Looking down from the castle wall, the front garden of the Treasure Orb Palace, like the surrounding walls and gate, had a milky white, pearl-like texture.
It looked like a sculpture of a castle carved from a giant pearl.
“Thinking about it that way, the buildings of the Treasure Orb Palace stand out as particularly异质 (heterogeneous) within this space, don’t they?”
Why would such a beautiful castle be built inside the belly of a giant creature?
No matter how cautiously I searched, I couldn’t find any signs of someone lurking or any feeling of a trap.
After confirming it was safe, I activated Spatial Jump and landed on the front garden spread out between the castle walls and the castle entrance.
As expected, the milky white floor was hard, and a smooth, pearl-like texture was felt from the soles of my shoes.
“The floor is too smooth, it feels slippery?”
The pearl-like floor, the castle entrance visible ahead, and the entire interior showed no signs of dirt or scratches.
The Treasure Orb Palace, which had a stunningly beautiful exterior from a distance, felt filled with mystery once I stepped inside the castle walls, surrounded by a landscape made entirely of pearl-like material.
“Well then, Elnea-kun. Where will you head first?”
Charlotte asked, and I looked around anew.
Before me, the beautiful castle entrance stood with its gates closed.
Other than that, the front garden only contained a dry fountain and sculptures. There were no noticeable anomalies or presences to aim for.
“Hmm, let’s see.”
If I were to choose the safe option, I should head for the castle entrance.
“Still, I’m curious about the Wyverns who must be seriously injured?”
I looked at Charlotte coyly, and she returned a lovely smile!
“Michelle and the others are also a concern, but judging by Charlotte’s demeanor, they don’t seem to be in mortal danger yet. Therefore, I’d like to prioritize the Wyverns who are definitely in danger?”
And I doubt the large Wyverns are captured inside the castle.
“So, I’ll search around the castle for a place like a Dragon Stable!”
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
Ares-chan didn’t seem to object either, and she pointed towards our next destination with her small, cute hand.
I followed Ares-chan’s suggestion and started walking clockwise from the front of the castle.
Passing the main entrance, with the pearl-like castle wall on my left, I walked through the garden between the castle and the gate.
The area enclosed by the castle walls, known as the Treasure Orb Palace, seemed to be entirely composed of a pearl-like milky white substance.
The outer walls of the castle, the roof, the floors, and the furnishings—everything looked like a pearl sculpture.
But I felt a sense of incongruity.
“The decorations are intricate and very beautiful, but… there are no windows, are there?”
“None, none.”
That’s right. We started walking while looking at the outer wall of the castle on our left, but no matter how far we walked, we couldn’t find any windows.
Perhaps it’s an architectural style where the first floor has no windows? I thought, and looked up, but the four-story castle walls, while having beautiful decorations and sculptures, had no windows at all.
Could the secret of the Treasure Orb Palace be hidden around here?
As I thought this and carefully sensed my surroundings, I turned the corner of the castle wall at that moment.
“Ah!”
At the end of the continuing castle wall, I found my target.
It wasn’t a practical stable like the ones I saw in the Yorttenitos Kingdom. It was also an elaborately decorated mansion, giving the impression of a detached residence of the castle.
The exterior of the building, which looked like it was carved from pearls, still lacked windows. And the entrance of the building, which was open up to the third floor to allow large creatures to enter and exit, had no gates or walls.
It resembled a villa of the castle, yet it looked as if it was built from the beginning to house dragons and large creatures, a “Dragon Stable” befitting the unimaginably beautiful Treasure Orb Palace.
And beyond the Dragon Stable, the three Wyverns that had been chasing us earlier were captured.
Two of the Wyverns were curled up, their wings folded neatly.
One of them lay there in a pathetic state.
Its entire body, covered in brown scales, was limp, and its wings, legs, and tail were bent at impossible angles.
That brown Wyvern must be the one Charlotte attacked.
I approached slowly without using Spatial Jump, so as not to provoke the Wyverns captured in the Dragon Stable.
Then, the two Wyverns that were coiled up reacted immediately. They let out low growls and directed their sharp gazes towards me.
“Are you all alright? Well, I suppose one of you isn’t alright…”
If they were alive after being attacked by Charlotte, I could confidently nod and say they were “alright.”
But what about the Wyverns?
As I said this, a sarcastic remark came from the red Wyvern.
“It is most detestable that you appear with the Demon Race that has captured us. In that sense, our hearts are surely not at peace?”
The green Wyvern next to it continued.
“To be treated in such a manner by you, a Messenger of the Dragon God. Does this mean we can no longer face the Dragon God?”
It seems they correctly recognized me as a “Messenger of the Dragon God”?
It’s strange that the Wyverns in the Dragon’s Mausoleum know me, even though I haven’t declared myself as such?
Did they hear about me through rumors?
Or is there some other factor behind it?
Putting that aside for now.
The red Wyvern’s sarcasm stems from its displeasure that I, in the position of a “Messenger of the Dragon God,” appeared with the demon Charlotte instead of siding with the dragon race.
However, that’s a grave mistake, old Wyvern!
“I am happy that you know of me. But then, why did you attack us so excessively?”
If you weigh the bad Wyverns, who attacked us so relentlessly simply because their leisure was disturbed, against Charlotte, who saved our lives, anyone, even if not a Messenger of the Dragon God, would side with Charlotte.
The Wyverns, perhaps sensing my accusatory aura, did not complain further after the initial remark.
It seems the Wyverns also regretted their actions.
I mean, if they were such wicked dragons that they couldn’t reflect on this situation, I would hesitate to help them.
“I believe we both have much to discuss, but for now, let me tend to that injured Wyvern?”
There were no gates or walls binding the Wyverns in the Dragon Stable. Yet, the reason they remained there obediently without escaping was because they possessed excellent wisdom as dragons.
I could tell by sensing their presence. What kind of place this was, how they were brought here, and by whom they were captured. Understanding this, they could see that resisting would be foolish.
Therefore, the Wyverns sat obediently in the Dragon Stable, even though they weren’t bound.
However, one was different.
The dying Wyvern was barely surviving with faint breaths.
It was clearly a severely injured Wyvern.
I took out a small vial from my inner pocket.
“But this alone won’t be enough…”
Like an old dragon, it was large.
However, the secret medicine made by Old Man Sleigsta in the small vial I possessed was limited. Even if spread thinly, it would surely not be enough to cover the entire body of the injured Wyvern.
So, I applied the secret medicine only to the parts with deep, life-threatening wounds.
“Please bear with this for now? I will go rescue the Miko-samas and bring them back, so please be patient until then?”
In response to my words of encouragement, the severely injured Wyvern let out a low growl.
“You intend to save me? Even though I showed my fangs to you…?”
“That’s right?”
To the Wyvern’s questioning Dragon Heart, I replied.
“This time, it wasn’t a situation where one party was solely in the wrong. It was the Miko-samas who disturbed your peace, wasn’t it? Therefore, I understand why the dragons are angry, and since Dragon Peak is the territory of the dragons, I don’t think I can blame you for trying to eliminate those who trespassed. ”
I don’t have the arrogant thought that showing my fangs means attacking me, just because I am a Messenger of the Dragon God.
The dragons have their own thoughts, pride, and dignity, so I won’t blame them for acting according to them.
However, well.
You went a bit overboard, didn’t you?
One could say, in retrospect, that it would have been better to stop when the other Wyverns retreated.
And I believe that, for overdoing it, the three Wyverns are now receiving their punishment.
After I said this, the Wyverns readily accepted it.
Indeed, dragons are highly intelligent.
While they may sometimes exhibit tyrannical behavior as the strong, looking down on or toying with others, they possess flexible and calm minds capable of honestly reflecting on their mistakes.
They can listen to the words of a young person like me and consider their own shortcomings.
“Well then, please bear with it here for a little longer? I will definitely come back to save you!”
After using up the secret medicine from the small vial, I bid farewell to the Wyverns who were obediently folding their wings in the Dragon Stable and moved on to my next search.
