We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Dragon Hunt Entourage.
“So, why is it that in the end, Mistral and I ended up accompanying Prince Friel’s party?”
“What are you saying? While I did say we wouldn’t interfere or intervene, I never said we wouldn’t watch.”
“…That’s true.”
Indeed, just watching wouldn’t constitute interference. However, if Mistral and I are here, I doubt the dragons could do much of anything…
No one anticipated Mistral and I accompanying them. I too thought it would be just Prince Friel, Laira, and Ruiseine setting off on their own. But when the dust settled, it turned out everyone was going on the dragon hunt as usual.
We are currently at a certain location on Dragon Peak. It’s a rugged mountainous region with sheer, exposed rock faces. And beyond this, wyverns are making their nests.
The day after we agreed to cooperate with Prince Friel. We immediately set off on the dragon hunt. Riding Nimia, we searched for the wyvern nests and finally arrived. And now, we’re facing an immediate challenge!
Mistral-san, you’re moving too fast. Or so I thought, but from her perspective, if she had to start preparing for the hunt now, it would be insufficient preparation, so she’d tell them to go back to the human kingdom and start over. And if they were ready, then it would be fine to start immediately.
That’s exactly right, but is Prince Friel going to be alright? After Mistral told him that the wyvern nests were a little further ahead, his face had already turned ashen. Laira and Ruiseine are cheering him on, but I doubt he can hear them.
Can we really hunt ferocious wyverns like this? Even with Laira and Ruiseine cooperating, they aren’t the ones who will be hunting them. They are merely assisting Prince Friel, and confronting the wyverns directly is his task.
“Your complexion is bad.”
“Are you giving up?”
The Twin Princesses, who like Mistral and me, chose to watch without interfering, looked at Prince Friel with concern.
Late last night, after becoming familiar with Chieftain Koa and the others, the Twin Princesses came to our room after our discussion.
By the way, so far, we haven’t told the Twin Princesses or Prince Friel much about ourselves. The judgment was that explaining our circumstances wasn’t necessary for assisting Prince Friel. After all, if we told them, we might end up involving him in the troubles with the demons that might be spreading to the Yorttenitos Kingdom. Prince Friel was also grateful enough for our help with the dragon hunt that he didn’t try to pry too deeply into our affairs.
And the Twin Princesses recognized that I had some kind of purpose when I headed towards Dragon Peak in early spring, and that it was something I couldn’t easily tell others. Therefore, even though we’ve joined forces, there’s an atmosphere where they haven’t tried to ask us about our circumstances. They’ve taken the stance that they’ll listen if I want to talk, but they won’t pry if I don’t. I appreciate the Twin Princesses’ consideration.
“Alright? If you feel danger, retreat immediately. If you think it’s impossible, give up. Keep deeply in your heart that your actions will put Ruiseine and Laira’s lives at risk.”
“Yes, I understand!”
At Mistral’s final warning, Prince Friel renewed his resolve. And he replied energetically. But still, his complexion was bad.
I wonder if he’s really going to be alright. When I looked at the Twin Princesses with anxiety, our eyes met. And I received a wry smile. The Twin Princesses have been by Prince Friel’s side ever since early spring. So they should know him well. The fact that the Twin Princesses are looking troubled means it really is going to be tough, isn’t it? After all, the moment he wasn’t allowed to participate in the wyvern hunt, he must have been evaluated as lacking ability.
Is it really reckless?
They say there’s a wyvern nest ahead of where we are now. Prince Friel started walking cautiously over the steep, rough rocky ground. Ruiseine and Laira followed. After them, the Twin Princesses followed, holding Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan, and finally, Mistral and I. Nimia, as always, is on Priscilla-chan’s head.
Prince Friel’s footsteps are unsteady due to the exposed rock and the steep, sheer cliffs. Ruiseine and Laira, being girls, have steadier footing.
“Wyverns, hide!”
Suddenly, Ruiseine’s warning rang out. The three in front hid behind some rocks. There are many places in the complex, rough rock faces that are out of sight from the sky. But it’s not enough to just hide. If we don’t simultaneously conceal our presence, dragons with their sharp senses will find us immediately.
We, the rear guard who are watching, used the power of the Young Spirit Tree to conceal our appearance and presence. For a moment, a green membrane spread as if to cover us, and then it became transparent. The Twin Princesses looked at me with interest, so I informed them of the spell’s effect and asked them not to move unnecessarily. We can see the surrounding scenery normally, but from outside the barrier, our presence and appearance should have vanished.
From beyond the cliff, we can see a wyvern taking flight towards the blue sky. The nest itself is hidden by rocks and debris that obstruct our view, but there are indeed wyverns ahead. Following the dragon veins, I could confirm several strong presences.
Ruiseine, Laira, and Prince Friel are holding their breath behind the rocks. The two girls know the terror of dragons well. But just as much, they understand how to deal with them. Although there’s tension, I don’t sense any fear.
However, Prince Friel was different. At the roar of the wyvern that took flight, he curled up small. Even we, watching from a distance, could see that his body stiffened with tension.
“This is more difficult than I expected,” Mistral muttered next to me.
“Even if he has the resolve, his spirit hasn’t caught up,” Mistral continued.
“His training to strengthen his spirit is insufficient before training his body,” Mistral added.
The Twin Princesses tilted their heads in the same gesture and watched Prince Friel with a troubled expression.
The wyverns, sensing something amiss on the ground, were joined by three more that took flight after the first one. They circled overhead, carefully observing the ground. Ruiseine and Laira are preparing themselves to react to any unexpected developments, ready to move no matter what happens. However, Prince Friel seems to be beyond help. He’s not in the worst-case scenario of being paralyzed by fear, but he’s too tense and seems unable to move.
This is a failure. No matter how strong Prince Friel’s will and desire are, he cannot achieve it without the corresponding ability. Mistral seemed to have the same thought and took a step forward to try and break the deadlock.
However, the Twin Princesses were different.
“Wait. It’s too early to conclude.”
“He hasn’t done anything yet. It’s too soon to stop him.”
Faced with their unexpected words, Mistral and I exchanged glances.
“But the result is clear without waiting for it.”
“You’re a strict person. But, please wait a little longer.”
“You are a strong person. You have the power to overcome even a slightly desperate situation, so I ask you to wait a little.”
Within the barrier of the Spirit Tree, the Twin Princesses and Mistral confronted each other. Mistral relented. With a sigh, she chose to watch a little longer.
The wyverns do seem to be sensing something on the ground. They have lowered their altitude and are circling with evident caution. There’s no possibility of us being discovered. I’m confident about that. But what about Ruiseine and the others? Ruiseine is skillfully concealing her presence. Laira’s presence is naturally faint. However, Prince Friel, who is too tense, is not skillfully concealing his presence. In the first place, he might not be able to conceal his presence at all. At this point, it’s only a matter of time before they’re discovered. Ruiseine and Laira are probing for the presence of the wyverns overhead with tense expressions.
And in the sky, the wyverns let out a cry.
“No, we’ve been spotted!”
Mistral and I stood ready to move at any moment. The wyverns dive towards the rocks where Ruiseine and the others are hiding. If we’ve been spotted, hiding is useless. Ruiseine and Laira quickly emerged from behind the rocks and moved to draw the wyverns’ attention. They ran up the treacherous, unstable rocky terrain, searching for a position where they could gain an advantage over the wyverns. The wyverns let out a war cry, threatening the two girls who had revealed themselves, and swooped down. Dodging one of the closely approaching wyverns, they fled into a nearby沟. The wyvern grazed the cliff face and flew back into the sky. That was a warning. My dragon heart read the wyvern’s intent: “Why are humans here? Do you not tire of just the plains and intend to show your valor on Dragon Peak as well?” As the wyvern moved away, Ruiseine and Laira emerged from the沟 and ran up the cliff again. They cannot attack the wyverns first. They are merely assisting Prince Friel and cannot actively confront the wyverns. Currently, Prince Friel is frozen with tension and unable to move. Until he recovers, Ruiseine and Laira have chosen to flee. Or, until we judge it’s too much and intervene. The wyverns also, investigating the sudden appearance of humans, attacked threateningly but did not use flames or dragon arts. Two girls fleeing and four wyverns chasing them. We must hope Prince Friel recovers during this time. As we watched with bated breath, Prince Friel finally moved. He struck his own body, which had been frozen behind the rocks, and renewed his resolve. Then, hesitantly, he took a step forward, trying to emerge from behind the rocks.
“Do you think he can do anything in his current state?” Mistral muttered to me.
“I don’t know. But I think the Prince’s courage this time will surely lead to future progress.”
He will probably fail this time. However, if he can gain the courage to confront the wyverns through this failed experience, he will be able to move forward further next time. Therefore, even though it seems like a reckless act to emerge from hiding when he can do nothing, I cannot stop him. Perhaps the Twin Princesses think the same. “Go, go,” I kept whispering, cheering him on.
The wyverns immediately spotted the third person to emerge from behind the rocks. And they dive.
“Your Highness, run!” Laira’s scream echoed across Dragon Peak. Prince Friel looked up at the sky. Screaming at the diving wyvern, he stumbled and fled. The wyvern landed on the rock face with the force of a collision. The vibration was transmitted to our location, and the roar drowned out Laira’s scream. Then, collapsed rocks and stones fell down the steep cliff.
“Why are humans in such a place? Do you intend to act boldly even on Dragon Peak, not content with just the plains?” The wyvern roared, glaring at Prince Friel, who had lost his footing from the shaking caused by the wyvern’s landing. “Do I have to devour all of you?!” As if to threaten Prince Friel, the wyvern opened its mouth wide, and a flame appeared in its throat.
“Th-the others have nothing to do with it. If you’re going to eat someone, eat me alone!” What?! Trembling, Prince Friel shouted.
“Prince!”
“Your Highness, I’ll save you now!” From the cliff above, Ruiseine and Laira scrambled down. However, the remaining three wyverns in the sky descended, obstructing their path.
“Don’t interfere! Get back!!” Laira’s ability activated. The three wyverns, glared at by Laira, hastily ascended. The ground wyvern, sensing a change in its fellow wyvern’s movements, turned towards Ruiseine and Laira, who were descending.
“Leave His Highness the Prince alone!” At Laira’s command, the wyvern held its breath and retreated. Then the two girls inserted themselves between Prince Friel and the wyvern.
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