We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Supervisor: Mistral East
“Lady Ruiseine, I’ll carry your luggage.”
“Lord Revalberg, it’s alright. As a shooting star, I must always discipline myself and be strict.”
“As expected of the Dragon God’s messenger!”
“Revalberg has completely become Ruiseine’s subordinate.”
“Revalberg is completely devoted to Ruiseine.”
“Sisters, don’t tease Revalberg. It’s good, isn’t it? I think it’s wonderful to sincerely admire someone you couldn’t defeat.”
“Thank you, Big Sister Sefina!”
“What are you talking about? Revalberg is more than twice my age.”
Mistral couldn’t help but smile at Revalberg’s change.
After being defeated by Ruiseine, Revalberg volunteered to be in the group supervised by Ruiseine during the subsequent trial division and took the lead in organizing those assigned to other groups.
Mistral watched with joy as the Dragon Race and Human Race interacted without any ill will.
One never knows what life will bring. Just a few years ago, the entire Dragon Peak was stained with blood, involving not only the Dragon Race but also the Dragon Kin, and hatred and resentment swirled. Now, they are peacefully interacting with the Human Race.
This makes Mistral happy.
Moreover, she is most proud that her beloved husband has become a bridge between the Dragon Race, the Human Race, and the Dragon Kin, bringing a bright future to Dragon Peak.
That is precisely why she has high expectations for the trials that will nurture the warriors who will carry on Dragon Peak’s future.
Mistral, as a supervisor, looked around, expecting to find those who would inherit the bonds they had built and lead Dragon Peak to a better world.
“This year’s trial is a group challenge.”
A sturdy man from the Dragon Race, assigned to the group supervised by Dragon King Jura, muttered.
Then, several people nodded.
“The difficulty is significantly higher than individual trials that only test personal strength.”
“If even one person in the group is a hindrance, the entire group can fail the trial.”
“Let’s all stay focused.”
Apparently, they were experienced individuals who had undergone the warrior trials several times before.
The Dragon Race’s warrior trial is not a simple test that anyone with confidence in their strength can pass.
Supervisors strictly assess whether individuals have the qualifications to protect their companions, villages, and ultimately, Dragon Peak.
In other words, these are individuals who were deemed “still lacking in warrior qualities” in past trials.
However, among the volunteers who gathered at the high altitude to undergo the warrior trial, there are no immature individuals who would foolishly act selfishly and disrupt the group.
Still, with the compatibility between group members being a factor, one cannot afford to be negligent.
While descending the mountain together, the aspiring warriors actively interacted to get to know each other.
“Listen up, you all. Interaction is important, but don’t let your guard down against your surroundings.”
When Dragon King Sleny issued this warning, everyone responded with spirited acknowledgment.
“Those who already possess warrior qualifications have already gone ahead.”
Madonna couldn’t see the warriors any longer, even looking towards the mountainside she was observing.
When Mistral sensed their presence, she could still feel the presence of warriors stealthily following those who were descending.
Mistral analyzed that the current warriors, lacking confidence or experience in navigating Dragon Peak alone, must be thinking of overcoming their own trials while observing those undergoing the warrior trial.
Utilizing those undergoing the warrior trial is not inherently evil.
A warrior must be able to make the best choices and actions for themselves and their surroundings according to the situation.
Furthermore, for those undergoing the warrior trial, it is reassuring to know that current warriors are secretly accompanying them, providing a sense of security in case of emergencies.
After all, this is Dragon Peak, where the harshest survival competition in the world unfolds.
Those unaccustomed to travel, even if they are current warriors, can quickly face mortal danger if they let their guard down.
“For warriors, everything is your own responsibility. Moreover, if you weren’t confident in your abilities, you wouldn’t have applied for this recruitment,” Mistral said, confirming the presence of warriors lurking in the surroundings, as she was also in charge of a group.
“Whether the supervisor is the Dragon God’s messenger or someone else, there will be no favoritism. And if you aim to be a warrior, don’t show the pathetic spirit of relying on your supervisor just because things get dangerous?”
Not only Dragon King Sestarinis, who issued the warning, but also other Dragon Kings and renowned warriors from each village were each in charge of groups composed of four to six people.
“You will officially disperse and challenge the trials after you descend the mountain.”
No one asked the obvious question of why they had gathered at high altitude.
Whether they can safely reach the venue where the trials will begin by the deadline is the pre-trial for the half-baked warrior candidates.
“First, we need to hear the legend of the Dragon Princess from the Dragon Race.”
“As we who lack a Dragon Heart, how are we supposed to get information?”
The warriors-in-training, after getting to know each other through their shared trials, gradually shifted their topic of conversation to the trial content.
Even among the Dragon Race, those who possess a Dragon Heart are rare.
In such a situation, how will they gather the necessary information and solve problems?
Warriors who will one day be in a position to protect their beloved homeland from various threats will need more than just combat skills.
The aspiring warriors descended the mountain, contemplating the meaning of the trial.
The steep mountainside continues with bare rock terrain.
A cold wind, stinging the skin and unusual for summer, occasionally howled around Mistral and her group.
It mercilessly chipped away at the stamina and spirit of those navigating the treacherous mountain path.
And yet, the trial had not even begun.
“Once we reach the foot of the mountain, divide into groups and head for your destinations.”
They were informed that the content of this year’s trial was to chase the legend of the Dragon Princess and reach the final destination.
The current warriors who had descended ahead were the same. Those who stepped forward to help rebuild the village, those who undertook the warrior trial. All of them were faced with this unconventional and difficult challenge.
“Well then, shall we investigate the eastern treacherous forest?”
“Sister, but isn’t that where the dragon’s nest is?”
Barbara, the oldest among those undergoing the warrior trial this time, decided their destination, causing Marc, who was in the same group, to immediately turn pale.
Barbara heartily slapped his pathetic back and laughed heartily.
“Don’t be so pathetic at your age. We’re going there precisely because there’s a dragon’s nest. If we don’t hear the legend of the Dragon Princess from the dragons, the trial won’t begin, will it?”
“Now, follow me.” Barbara, leading the other four assigned to her group, headed towards the treacherous forest without hesitation. She was a petite woman with sun-tanned, dark skin and a lean physique.
Her appearance, which could be described as middle-aged, was etched with deep wrinkles.
Though Barbara seemed past her prime as a warrior, her steps on Dragon Peak were more surefooted than anyone else’s.
That’s because Barbara had been continuously traveling across Dragon Peak for about two hundred years, a true traveler.
“If you ask me if I have the qualifications of a warrior, perhaps not? After all, I’ve challenged the dragon mausoleum in Mist’s village three times, but I haven’t received a Dragon Jewel.”
“Nevertheless, I want to dedicate the rest of my life to the reconstruction of the village that enshrines the Ryūhōken and the peace of the Dragon’s Mausoleum,” Barbara said, smiling at Mistral, who was their supervisor.
“Receiving the Dragon Jewel from the dragon mausoleum is not a condition for being a warrior, Sister Barbara. I’ve known how reliable a traveler you are since I was little.”
“I’ve known you since you were a toddler.”
As a traveler, Barbara had journeyed all over Dragon Peak and had visited Mistral’s village many times.
“You’re lucky to have been assigned to the same group as me. Leave the handling of dragons to me. But, it wouldn’t make sense if only I were active, would it? You all need to think carefully and take on the trial too?”
Barbara, like a mother, embraced those in her group with great warmth.
With Barbara, who was accustomed to traveling Dragon Peak, her presence made the steps of Marc, Ashin, Eupinealia, and Tinaus, who were in the same group, lighter.
However, Mistral watched the five aspiring warriors who had entered the treacherous forest and deepened her vigilance.
Beyond this lies the nest of the Earth Dragons. The presence of magic beasts lurking in the surroundings.
Barbara, the traveler, had certainly noticed this, but had Marc and the others accurately grasped the surrounding situation?
The current warriors who had stealthily followed, masking their presence, seemed to have noticed the surrounding dangers.
Mistral was quietly on alert, ready to deal with any emergency. However, she couldn’t let the aspiring warriors notice this. If her reaction alerted the aspiring warriors to the anomaly in their surroundings, the meaning of the trial would be lost.
“Supervising is unexpectedly difficult,” Mistral thought with a wry smile.
And she was once again reminded of Reed’s exceptional leadership, who had accompanied them so calmly while posing the trial to them.
“It seems Elnea and the others are under the impression that Reed is naturally naive?”
“I wonder what the truth is?” Mistral pondered.
Despite Reed’s frequent absentmindedness, could he really serve as the Four Guardian Stars of Kensei Faruna?
Perhaps they simply hadn’t yet grasped Reed’s true greatness. Just as they hadn’t realized they were being manipulated when they sparred with Kensei Faruna in the past.
“Fufufu, I wish I could mature enough to see through Reed’s true nature,” Mistral muttered softly.
Barbara, with her keen eyes, picked up on Mistral’s quiet murmur.
“Mist, Princess of Dragons, wishes to grow? Please stop for a moment so that we, half-baked warriors, can catch up,” Barbara said, laughing heartily.
But her laughter brought a decisive distortion to the treacherous forest, which was filled with an ominous presence.
“I can smell Dragon Kin!”
“Do you dare intrude upon our territory!”
Deep within the treacherous forest, a violent tremor shook the area.
And then, dragons resembling lizards appeared, slithering through the trees of the treacherous forest.
“D-dragons!”
“Lizard dragons!”
Aspiring warriors Marc and Ashin screamed as they looked up to see five large Earth Dragons.
Despite resembling lizards, their heads alone were about the same size as those of the Dragon Kin. When combined with their bodies and tails extending into the depths of the dense forest, they were quite gigantic.
Mistral tensed, unnoticed by anyone, at the sudden attack of the lizard dragons.
