We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Maidens who Fight
Upon returning to the Mimicho village, Mistral and I bid farewell to Carly and the others, and hurried to Grandma’s house. Once again, a attendant guided us to the inner depths of the house.
Grandma was seated as she had been when we visited before her mission to defeat the baboons, and welcomed us.
When Mistral and I apologized for our one-sided demands and the discourtesy of leaving so soon after arriving, Grandma offered a smile full of loving kindness and, instead, praised us.
“Thank you for your cooperation. And since you are young, you shouldn’t rush through life like this. You must enjoy it.”
When Grandma, who has lived for over twelve hundred years, says it, there’s nothing to do but agree. Mistral and I moistened our throats with the tea that was served and took a moment to breathe.
I don’t intend to rush through life, but perhaps Grandma sees both me and Mistral as busy people. I actually like to relax, bask in the sun, and watch the clouds. Recently, however, there have been so many things happening that my busyness might have been leaking out of my actions.
While drinking tea, Mistral and I discussed and decided to return to the Moss Garden after resting for a bit.
“I wonder if Priscilla is causing any trouble?”
“No, she isn’t. We are always healed by Priscilla-chan’s cheerful nature.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve left her in your care for so long.”
“Fufufu. We’re the ones who should be apologizing. Thank you for indulging her whims.”
Priscilla was only supposed to stay at Mistral’s village for a few days initially. Mistral and I had made that promise. However, in reality, she seems to enjoy being with us so much that she’s reluctant to return to the village. And if we try to force her back, she’ll start to fuss. Perhaps it’s because Ares-chan, who looks about the same age and constantly plays with her, is by my side.
So, we consulted with Priscilla’s mother and Grandma Yuuri and decided to look after her for a while. It’s definitely not because Priscilla won a bet with Mistral and Ruiseine before I arrived at Mistral’s village. And the bet was that Mistral and Ruiseine wagered on whether I would arrive at the village safely or not, while Priscilla made the wild prediction that I would fly in from the sky, and it actually happened! It’s not my fault! When we reached the village, Mistral glared at me and said, “It’s all your fault.” Little did I know that Mistral had casually agreed that if Priscilla’s wild prediction came true, she could stay as long as she liked. So you see, it’s still not my fault.
“Is there something on my face, Elnea-kun?”
“Ugh! There’s nothing.”
Mistral is formidable. Can she read my mind?
“You are very expressive, so it’s easy to tell what you’re thinking.”
“Ahaha, I see.”
I had dug my own grave.
“Watching her antics reminds me of myself when I was young. It’s hard to scold her.”
Grandma said this with a smile. It seems Grandma wouldn’t get angry no matter what Priscilla did.
“Grandma, did you do many things when you were young?”
“I did a lot. I traveled the world with a witch. Back then, I also made many selfish demands of the witch and caused her trouble.”
“A witch?”
A rather ominous word popped up, unbefitting the cheerful conversation. I glanced at Mistral, and she seemed to not know this person either, tilting her head and looking at me.
“Fufufu, perhaps you two will meet a witch someday.”
“Is that person a demon?”
If it’s a woman of magic, is she a demon?
“No, she’s not. She’s human, just like you.”
“Human?”
“That’s what’s passed down. I don’t know the real truth.”
“But can’t the Mimicho and the Dragon race tell someone’s race just by looking at them?”
“Yes. Towards ordinary individuals.”
In that case, perhaps she’s not ordinary. Well, it’s true that a human who traveled with Grandma when she was young, hundreds of years ago, and whom we can meet even now, wouldn’t be ordinary. After all, the average lifespan of a human is about fifty years. Grandma didn’t tell me the details, saying it would be a pleasant surprise if we met. But she did tell me that if we continue to work hard for Dragon Peak, the forest, the people, and the world, we will surely meet her someday. Is she someone connected to the world? With a slight unease and anticipation about what kind of person she might be, Mistral and I left the Mimicho village shortly after. Then, before evening, we safely returned to the Moss Garden.
“You’re late!”
“Mist-san, being away for so long is unfair!”
As soon as we returned, Mistral was confronted by Ruiseine and Laira. Mistral, flustered and trying to brush them off, is a rare sight.
“Umm, do you have any souvenirs?”
“Nyan want something too, nyan.”
“No, no, we just went to Priscilla-chan’s village. There are no souvenirs. If you come home tonight, a delicious meal awaits you.”
“No, no. We want sweets.”
“I’m hungry, nyan.”
“You brought plenty of snacks from Mistral’s village, didn’t you?”
“I already ate them.”
“I ate them with Grandpa, so they’re gone, nyan.”
“Grandpa, you ate too much.”
“Hahahaha, it can’t be helped. I am this giant body. A little bit is not enough for me.”
Sleigsta (Old Man), who had been lying in his usual spot to greet us upon our return, smiled with his eyes narrowed. He’s so kind. Sleigsta (Old Man) wouldn’t eat all the snacks. It’s truly admirable how Sleigsta (Old Man) watches over us without getting offended, even when used as an excuse by Priscilla-chan and Nimia.
“Was the magic beast extermination successful?”
Then, after waiting for the exchange between Mistral and the other women, and our conversation to settle down, Sleigsta (Old Man) asked. I explained what happened at our destination, including Ruiseine and Laira. Including the future challenges.
“Hmm. You should proceed to the next stage.”
“The next stage?”
“Indeed. Your Dragon Sword Dance is still unfinished. You have only mastered the forms.”
That’s certainly true. I can perform the forms, but I was reminded that the Dragon Sword Dance was completely useless against opponents like the ones this time, whom I couldn’t fit into the forms. A technique that chooses its opponents can hardly be considered the ultimate secret art of one who has mastered Dragon Energy, Dragon Arts, and Kenjutsu. You need to move on to the next step. The true form of the Dragon Sword Dance lies in its combination with Dragon Arts.”
It’s not that I haven’t used Dragon Sword Dance and Dragon Arts separately before. Both the increase in physical ability and the Spatial Jump. I’ve fought with all my might while combining them. But it seems this is not yet the true essence.
“I look forward to your continued guidance.”
When I bowed my head, Sleigsta (Old Man) nodded with a satisfied look in his eyes.
“While further training is good, you must first heal the fatigue from your battles. Properly resting and recovering is also an important duty of a warrior.”
“Un, that’s right.”
“Good if you understand. Then, shall we head back right away?”
“W-wait, Mist-san!”
“That’s unfair, Mistral-sama!”
The calm “battle” between the women was about to restart.
“There’s still time. What are you going to do by returning so soon?”
“Indeed. I still want to be by Elnea-sama’s side.”
Ruiseine took my left hand, and Laira buried her right hand in my chest.
“Hey, Laira. What are you doing?”
“Hahahaha, it’s unavoidable!”
Called out by Mistral, Laira’s face turned bright red, and she hastily let go of my right hand.
“Laira-san, don’t try to seduce Elnea-kun in the confusion.”
“It’s a misunderstanding. I just happened to touch your chest when I pulled your hand.”
“Is this a challenge to us?”
“Hahahaha, Mistral-sama, please calm down. I had no such intention…”
“Ruiseine, let go of my hand too. Elnea is troubled.”
“Oh, my, Elnea-kun seems happy. Look, his chest is bouncing like this.”
Saying this, Ruiseine placed her hand on my chest. That’s not true. I’m just flustered by being pressed against by Laira and Ruiseine, and by Mistral’s killing intent.
“Elnea, are you happier with me, or when you were holding my arm?”
“Wh-what!?”
“Elnea-kun, what is the meaning of this? You only went to the Mimicho village to defeat the baboons, didn’t you!?”
“It’s… it’s a secret rendezvous! How sneaky!”
I was caught in an argument, and somehow ended up being lectured by the women to “treat us equally” and “act more assertively.” How did it come to this! This is such a drag. I couldn’t help but break through the women’s encirclement and escape.
“Tag?”
“No!”
Seeing me running away and Mistral and the others chasing me, Priscilla-chan’s face lit up. But this isn’t tag, not by any means. Normally, everyone runs, and the “it” person is alone. Yet, in this situation, I’m the only one running, and Mistral, Ruiseine, and Laira are chasing me. I’ve never heard of a game of tag where the monsters outnumber the runner! But Priscilla-chan, who can’t hear my inner cries, happily joins in.
“Nyan also thinks it looks interesting, so I’ll join, nyan.”
“No, no, you don’t have to join!”
Nimia. You must have heard my inner thoughts. So why are you joining in?
“Nimia, if you help me, I’ll give you snacks next time!”
While running away, I try to win Nimia over to my side.
“Nya!?”
That’s a good reaction. Tempted by sweets, Nimia grows giant. If I can escape into the sky by riding on Nimia’s back, even Mistral and the others won’t be able to follow. I was confident of victory and ran towards Nimia. I dodged Mistral’s approach with terrifying speed, using Spatial Jump. Ruiseine hurled a binding spell, and Laira used Dragon Arts to enhance physical abilities to try and cut me off. Just a little further to Nimia. If I can escape this pursuit, I’ll finally be free!
“Nimia!”
At that moment, Mistral shouted from behind me.
“We are the ones who will make the sweets. Do you understand what that means?”
“Nnya!!”
Just one more step. If I use Spatial Jump one more time, I can soar into a bright future riding on Nimia’s back. What crushed my hopeful future was the giant hand of the traitorous Nimia.
*Bashin*, Nimia’s hand struck me. And I was effortlessly caught by Nimia.
“Gaaah, Nimia, traitor!”
Inside Nimia’s palm, I let out a mournful cry. I can’t use Spatial Jump with the mass of a giant Nimia. And this Nimia is far larger and stronger than the Tyrant. I was completely captured.
“Sorry, nyan. I can’t resist sweet temptations, nyan.”
“Goo. That’s cruel.”
Slumped in Nimia’s palm, I hang my head.
“Well done, Nimia.”
Mistral smiled and approached. Normally, I would be captivated by her, but now she was nothing but a symbol of terror.
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