We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Phantom Knight
At first, I tried to explain about the tyrant and the dragon knight in detail. However, Mistral requested to hear the story from the beginning of our journey, even if it took time, so I recounted the events in order, starting from when I parted ways with Mistral and the others in the capital city.
Frankly, I hesitated and felt embarrassed to tell the person I liked about a journey that was nothing but a series of failures. But I couldn’t run away from this.
If I didn’t honestly confess how reckless and inadequate I had been, I was sure I would feel guilty towards Mistral and the others forever.
So, I told them everything, including my pathetic moments, and had them listen without any reservations.
I recounted how I was attacked by a pack of wolves in the middle of the night and shamefully lost control of my legs.
When I talked about the desperate spatial jump near the suspension bridge, Ruiseine gasped in astonishment.
Priscilla-chan got excited during the exchange with the Chicken Dragon.
“Priscilla wants to see chickens too!”
I soothed Priscilla-chan, who was babbling excitedly, on my lap.
Then came the battle with the tyrant.
Mistral listened with a serious expression, but when I spoke of the devastation of the tyrant’s nest and the existence of a black wyvern and a dragon knight, Mistral’s face visibly paled.
“No way…”
Witnessing Mistral speak with trembling lips and utter speechlessness, Ruiseine and I sensed an unusual atmosphere.
“I see. That was quite an unusual journey for a human.”
I didn’t know when he had arrived, but Zan-san was leaning against the wall at the entrance of the room, listening to my story.
Zan-san approached without acknowledging my surprised gaze and downed the tea placed before me in one gulp.
“Malignant dragon energy visible to the naked eye, a black wyvern, and a dragon knight. It’s settled then.”
With that, Zan-san looked at Mistral.
But Mistral was still holding her hand to her mouth, looking dazed.
Zan-san and Mistral knew about the black wyvern and the dragon knight.
And their existence was such that it put Mistral into a state of incomprehensibility.
“But… that person was sealed…”
Mistral finally managed to speak, her pupils darting left and right, revealing her inner turmoil.
“We’ll investigate that now. You won’t be leaving the village for the next day or two, will you?”
Mistral nodded weakly at Zan-san’s words.
“Then, I’ll go and confirm.”
Saying that, Zan-san immediately turned around and headed for the door.
“Wait. Is that person really the dragon knight? Wasn’t it Laza-sama who sealed them?”
“Everyone knows that. And if he is the real deal, Laza-sama would not still be alive.”
Zan-san said only that and left the room.
Mistral, unable to hide her distress. Ruiseine and I were bewildered by Mistral’s unprecedented state and could only wait for her to calm down. Precillia-chan also noticed Mistral’s unusual behavior and was holding Nimia, looking worried.
Mistral took several sips of tea. After a considerable amount of time had passed, she finally managed a faint smile.
“I’m sorry.”
Seeing Mistral’s weak figure, I shook my head vigorously.
“There’s no need to apologize. You have nothing to apologize for, Mistral.”
“That’s right. I don’t know the circumstances, but there’s no reason for Mist-san to apologize to us.”
Ruiseine refilled her teacup with fresh tea.
“I actually wanted to tell everyone in the village about Elnea sooner, but the situation has changed. First, I will tell you about the black wyvern and the dragon knight.”
Then, Mistral began to tell them about what happened three years ago when she became the Dragon Princess.
On Dragon Peak, various tribes of the Dragon Race live scattered in many places. Among them was a somewhat peculiar tribe that proclaimed strength above all else.
And there was a young man named Orta, the son of the chief of that tribe.
Orta attacked Mistral’s village in the summer three years ago.
His target was the Dragon Jewel enshrined in the Dragon Mausoleum.
“Is there a Dragon Jewel in the Dragon Mausoleum built by the spring?”
Mistral nodded at my question.
“Yes. That’s where Dragon Jewels for which no successor appeared are kept.”
It seemed the village was severely devastated when Orta attacked.
The longhouse where we were talking now, and the buildings constructed to surround the semi-circular village, were all new because they had been rebuilt after the attack.
“And what happened to Orta, who attacked the village?”
Mistral continued in response to Ruiseine’s question.
Orta, the son of the chief of a tribe that craved power, was indeed strong.
At that time, Mistral, who was not yet the Dragon Princess, was no match for him, nor were the stout warriors of the village combined.
And Orta finally succeeded in stealing the Dragon Jewel from the Dragon Mausoleum.
What’s more, he stole three of them.
I was astounded. I, who had inherited a Dragon Jewel from Jiludo-san and used its power several times, understood well.
Dragon Jewels possess immeasurable power. This might be because they are Dragon Jewels of the Eight Great Dragon Kings, but even so, other Dragon Jewels would likely possess similarly extraordinary power. To steal three of them.
However, I realized my surprise was premature with Mistral’s next words.
“Two of the three stolen Dragon Jewels were Eight Great Dragon Kings’ Dragon Jewels, just like yours.”
“Wh-!”
This is what it truly means to be speechless.
“And the worst part was that he chose and stole only those with malevolent power among the Dragon Jewels enshrined in the Dragon Mausoleum.”
Mistral continued.
It was discovered later that Orta possessed extremely twisted ideals. Although his tribe valued strength above all, they were not violent.
However, Orta was different. Strength was everything. Those without strength had no value on Dragon Peak, and he relentlessly pursued only power.
Even his own tribe began to scorn him. Shunned by his own people who proclaimed strength as supreme, Orta began to harbor hatred for his fellow tribesmen.
And then, he committed a heinous act.
Whether Orta himself chose the evil Dragon Jewels or the evil Dragon Jewels chose him, I don’t know.
However, by containing the three Dragon Jewels, Orta gained incredible power.
Three years ago, Dragon Peak was said to be very turbulent. Mistral recounted the horrific events of the past with a grimace, saying that Orta, corrupted by evil power, had attacked many on Dragon Peak, regardless of whether they were dragons or dragon-kin.
“Um. To begin with, is it possible to contain multiple Dragon Jewels within one’s body?”
Indeed, Ruiseine had noticed a crucial point. It made sense, as even one Dragon Jewel possessed power far exceeding one’s capacity; could one remain unharmed after harboring three?
“Normally, it’s impossible,” Mistral replied, nodding.
“Regardless of their size, it is difficult enough to contain just one Dragon Jewel.”
“But Orta contained three?”
“Yes. That may be why his mind was completely broken. Before that, he had distorted thoughts, but he wasn’t a dangerously insane person with whom conversation was impossible.”
“Hmm? Wait, did Mistral know Orta?”
“Yes, a little.”
Mistral showed a complex expression.
“Let’s set aside my story with Orta for now and continue. I’ll then tell you about the black wyvern and the dragon knight.”
Mistral’s words prompted both me and Ruiseine to nod. Priscilla-chan, judging the conversation to be too complex, had left my lap and was playing with building blocks with Nimia in a corner of the room.
In response to Orta’s tyranny, who contained three malevolent Dragon Jewels, the people of Dragon Peak stood up. However, because two of the Dragon Jewels Orta contained were from the Eight Great Dragon Kings, there was no one who could fight him, and many warriors were lost.
It was then that Mistral made a decision.
Having trained diligently as Sleigsta (Old Man)‘s attendant since childhood in the Moss Garden, Mistral underwent the trial to become the Dragon Princess.
Mistral, who somehow managed to become the Dragon Princess, and the remaining volunteers on Dragon Peak cornered Orta.
However, something unexpected happened.
Orta would not die, no matter how much he was cut or struck. It was likely due to the uncontrolled power of the Dragon Jewels he contained. With Orta recovering from any attack, Mistral and the others were at a loss.
After much deliberation on how to defeat him, it was decided that Laza-sama, one of the Eight Great Dragon Kings skilled in Dragon Arts, would seal him deep within Dragon Peak.
And after a fierce battle, Laza-sama sealed Orta.
“But this time, Orta has resurrected?”
Was the black wyvern and dragon knight I saw the resurrected Orta?
“I can’t say for sure until Laza-sama’s safety is confirmed. However, judging from your story, it seems there is no mistake…”
The figure I saw appeared to be Orta himself from three years ago.
Had I stumbled upon a tremendously serious situation? I hadn’t intended for my story to sound so dire, but sensing the unexpected gravity of the situation, I gulped.
“By the way. Is there any reason why Orta might have resurrected, and why he attacked the tyrant’s nest?”
Ruiseine poured more tea. She always poured warm tea, but I was so focused on Mistral’s story that I forgot to drink it, and it cooled down.
“The reason Orta attacked the tyrant’s nest is probably because he wanted to control the tyrant.”
Mistral’s words made both Ruiseine and me tilt our heads.
“Elnea. You called him a dragon knight.”
“Yes.”
“That’s almost correct, but slightly off.”
“What do you mean?”
“The dragon knight you speak of generally refers to dragon knights among humans, right?”
Of course. I thought, “Are there any other definitions of a dragon knight?” When I asked, Mistral patiently explained as usual.
“Humans capture wyverns, train them, and make them obey, don’t they?”
“Yes. They say there will be a wyvern hunt this summer as well.”
A large number of skilled individuals have gathered in the capital of the Armēdo Kingdom for this purpose.
“In other words, you humans control wyverns.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But Orta is different. Orta controls wyverns with Dragon Arts.”
“Is controlling different from making them obey?”
“Completely different. When you make a wyvern obey, at least its will exists. But when you control it, you take away not only its will but also its thoughts.”
“In other words, if you make them obey, you cannot do what the wyvern dislikes. But if you control them, you can do anything you want?”
“Precisely.”
“So, did Orta attack the tyrant’s nest to control it?”
“Yes. If he has truly resurrected and is seeking revenge against us, there is no greater shock he could inflict than controlling the most notorious tyrant on Dragon Peak.”
Listening to Mistral’s explanation, I remembered something. Come to think of it, the black wyvern ridden by the dragon knight didn’t have particularly advanced flight capabilities. Was that because it wasn’t flying with its own will, but was being controlled by the dragon knight?
When I mentioned this to Mistral, she praised me, saying it was correct.
“Three years ago, Orta also controlled wyverns. And the controlled wyverns turned black and were enveloped in monstrous dragon energy.”
That was exactly the wyvern I had seen this time.
Mistral let out an uncharacteristically loud sigh.
“I was surprised enough when you arrived riding the tyrant, but for something even more astonishing to happen…”
“Hahaha, I actually wanted to talk properly about my journey. How did it turn into this?”
Mistral gave a wry smile at my vague laughter.
“Alright. For now, let’s leave Orta to Zan. We’ll continue the story of Elnea’s journey after lunch.”
Only then did I realize it was already lunchtime. A rumbling sound echoed from a corner of the room, my stomach growling.
“I want to eat delicious sweet potatoes!”
Priscilla-chan’s innocent words made our faces twitch.
