We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Fort Cado
Ignorance, at times, can lead to terrifying consequences. This is one of those times.
Everyone in Dragon Peak knew of the tyrant’s infamy and fearsomeness. However, the Water Dragons who lived in the great river, far from Dragon Peak, were ignorant of the tyrant.
“Revalia, control yourself!”
My words were in vain.
The tyrant’s scales all over its body shone crimson. Then, with a terrifying roar, it spread its four large and small wings wide.
The tyrant’s roar shook the air and created large waves on the surface of the great river. In an instant, the water prison that had surrounded the tyrant and us evaporated and disappeared.
I could feel an immeasurable amount of dragon energy explode throughout the surrounding area.
“Fools. I’ll show you who you dared to challenge!”
The tyrant roared again and glared down at the Water Dragon Knight Order on the river’s surface from above. Its four pupils glowed a deep, crimson red. I had never seen the tyrant so enraged since I first met it. The dragon energy, usually suppressed, raged out, conjuring an invisible storm.
Sensing the tyrant’s terrifying presence, the Water Dragon Knight Order reacted. The Water Dragons stopped their shrill cries, and the Dragon Knights ceased blowing their horns. Though their expressions were hidden from view from above, their movements suggested desperation.
Then, half of the Water Dragon Knight Order submerged, while the remaining ten or so scattered across the vast river.
“Hmph. Mere Wyverns are no match for us!”
“We’ll show you which is superior, Water Dragons or Wyverns!”
The Water Dragons provocatively taunted the tyrant.
Ahhh… Why are they so belligerent?
I could understand the tyrant’s actions, but I hadn’t expected the Water Dragons to be so aggressive. Furthermore, they didn’t seem to be controlled by the Dragon Knights. The Water Dragons were acting on their own initiative, independent of the Dragon Knights’ commands.
“Revalia, that’s enough!”
While Lyra, Ruiseine, and I were on edge in the highly volatile situation, Mistral remained calm. He dropped a fist onto the tyrant’s back and spoke soothingly.
“Hmph, silence. A Dragon Princess should not interfere lightly with the Dragon Race.”
I hesitated about whether to translate, but the tyrant’s tone seemed to allow Mistral to grasp its emotions. He let out a large sigh.
“I will sear the knowledge of my terrifying power into these lowly Water Dragons!”
The tyrant’s third roar signaled the start of the battle. As if in response, the Water Dragons cried out, and countless water spears and orbs materialized below us. All of them were launched towards the tyrant, circling overhead.
“Water tricks like that, even young dragons don’t do them anymore.”
Flames of dragon energy ignited on the tyrant’s larger wing. With a few fierce flaps, a rain of fire poured down onto the great river. Carried by the storm of dragon energy the tyrant had conjured, the rain of fire fell chaotically. When the crimson rain struck the dragon arts cast by the Water Dragons, they all evaporated with a hiss of steam.
It didn’t end there. The storm of fire, having shattered the Water Dragons’ dragon arts, advanced towards the Water Dragon Knight Order, who were crying out shrilly on the river’s surface.
“Hmph. Fire is a lowly attribute that wouldn’t even reach underwater!”
The Water Dragons mockingly cried out and submerged into the water. As if to support the submerging Water Dragon Knight Order, new dragon arts were launched from beneath the water, but they were all nullified by the storm of fire. However, this might have been the Water Dragon Knight Order’s intention. Even the tyrant, it seemed, had no way to attack the Water Dragon Knight Order that had dived deep beneath the surface. Conversely, the Water Dragons could attack even from underwater. It seemed only we humans thought the tyrant was at a disadvantage.
“Fufun. As expected, foolish.”
The tyrant looked down at the great river where the Water Dragon Knight Order had disappeared and snorted derisively. And then, as if nothing had happened, it flew away from the scene.
“Eh!?”
We were dumbfounded by the tyrant’s unexpected movement. Looking back, Yugra-sama was also flying behind us as if nothing had happened.
“…Uh. Could you explain the situation?”
Was this some kind of strategy? The tyrant broke free of the water prison, and Yugra-sama did too. Was it some joint operation? How foolish I was to think that.
“What are you talking about? Water Dragons are so foolish, I couldn’t be bothered with them. If they can’t move on land, there’s no need to deal with them if they fly over land.”
“…Indeed.”
I could only let out a dry laugh. In other words, neither the tyrant nor Yugra-sama had any intention of engaging the Water Dragon Knight Order from the start. They were imprisoned by surprise, but once they broke free, they had no further use for them. They had anticipated that the Water Dragons would be provoked and dive underwater to attack, and they had acted accordingly. And, as expected, they had flown away, leaving the Water Dragon Knight Order submerged in the great river.
Everyone else also forced a wry smile at my explanation.
“For a moment, I didn’t know what would happen, but should we be glad it didn’t escalate into a full-blown battle?”
“To think such a plan would be hatched with Count Yugra present, how absurd.”
Mistral and Ruiseine slumped, looking exhausted.
“Lady Revalia, you are magnificent.”
Lyra, having recovered, stroked the tyrant’s scales with admiration, seemingly impressed by something. Yugra-sama, presumably having explained the situation to those riding on his back, also heard them groaning in despair.
I gravely questioned whether this was a good first encounter with the Yorttenitos Kingdom’s Dragon Knight Order. But as Ruiseine said, perhaps it was good that it didn’t turn into a full-blown war.
The tyrant and Yugra-sama entered the Yorttenitos Kingdom’s territory and continued their flight. Goodbye, Water Dragon Knight Order. I wonder what they are thinking now, submerged beneath the great river. Don’t think about it. It’s too pathetic…
The tense atmosphere suddenly shifted to a deflated one. Laughter and conversation gradually returned. However, it didn’t last long. After flying north over land for a while, structures began to appear faintly in the distance, and something flew forth. It was heading straight towards us.
After the Water Dragon Knight Order, it was the Wyvern Knight Order. There were three of them. Wyverns with red scales appeared, blocking our path.
“Who goes there, halt! Beyond this point is our Wyvern….”
Ignored. Without even listening to the Dragon Knight’s words, the tyrant and Yugra-sama passed through the Wyvern Knight Order in an instant. Of course, no matter how they try to block our way, the sky is vast. It’s easy to dodge and fly past. More importantly, is that really okay!? The Wyvern Knight Order, now far behind, turned around, shouting something, and seemed to be trying to chase us. However, they couldn’t match the flight speed of the tyrant and Yugra-sama, and soon became mere tiny dots. Meanwhile, the structures that had appeared small in the distance came into view. It was likely Fort Cado. And the large cityscape spreading around the fort also came into sight, and we, having forgotten the Wyvern Knight Order, cheered. The fort was built facing the great river, with a portion extending into the river. That area was probably where the Water Dragon Knight Order was docked. And surrounding the fort, a large cityscape had formed on the land. I had expected the fort to be built on a small hill or in a naturally defensible location, so I was surprised that Fort Cado was on flat ground. Even from a distance, the cityscape was bustling with activity. Looking down at the great river from the sky above the land, several sailing ships were navigating. And in the large port spread out next to the fort, various ships of all sizes were docked, with frequent comings and goings of people. A wide road ran east from the center of the port, extending far into the distance. Traveling along this road would presumably lead to the Yorttenitos Kingdom’s capital city. Countless stalls lined the roadside, bustling with people. The cityscape along the riverbank seemed unorganized, with buildings crowded haphazardly, but people were everywhere, and their vibrancy seemed to reach the heavens. The tyrant and Yugra-sama gradually descended, heading directly for Fort Cado. As a huge, unfamiliar dragon approached from above, many people looked up and pointed. However, perhaps accustomed to seeing Wyvern and Water Dragon Knights, not many seemed to panic. When the tyrant let out a menacing roar, the people who were finally surprised began to flee into nearby buildings in a hurry.
“Hey. You shouldn’t startle the townspeople.”
“Fufun. Did you really think I would show consideration for mere humans?”
“Well, no. But we can’t cause trouble right now, can we?”
“I don’t take orders from you.”
Even as it said that, the tyrant circled twice over the town and then began to descend onto the wide, flat rooftop of Fort Cado. Was the rooftop the landing area for the Wyvern Knight Order? It was very spacious; even if the enlarged Nimia landed with us, there would still be more than enough room. Yugra-sama followed and began to descend. As usual, the tyrant landed roughly. It might break through the rooftop, so I wish you’d be a little more subdued. And Yugra-sama’s landing was elegant and leisurely, with no sound at all. As soon as they landed completely, soldiers swarmed onto the fort’s rooftop in no time.
“W-who are you people!?”
From the common entrance to the rooftop, soldiers poured out ceaselessly. At the front, hiding behind a large shield, one soldier shouted. Despite shouting, they surrounded the tyrant and Yugra-sama from a distance, but no one dared to approach. It was understandable. Two unidentified dragons larger than Wyverns, and the many people riding on their backs – this was likely an unprecedented emergency since the construction of Fort Cado. I signaled to Friel, thinking he should introduce himself. But before that, the Wyvern Knight Order caught up from above and began circling over us.
“Will this be dangerous?”
Ruiseine asked with a hint of worry. Surrounded by a large number of soldiers and with three Wyverns circling above, the tyrant and Yugra-sama, now completely landed, were at a disadvantage. If a fight were to break out… Just in case, I warned everyone not to dismount from the tyrant and Yugra-sama’s backs. The Young Girl Group immediately tried to play, but they were subdued by the Twin Princesses. As Friel was about to speak to break the impasse, I stopped him with a hand gesture. I believed that if he announced himself, the problem would be resolved immediately, but I wanted to spare him the trouble of having to repeat it multiple times. I asked Friel to wait for a moment and looked up at the sky. Oh. I felt the confused gaze of the Wyverns.
“Hello.”
I spoke to the Wyverns. “We are from Dragon Peak. I am human, but I am the Dragon King. Beside me is the Dragon Princess. The Golden-Winged Dragon, whom you may know, is Count Yugra.” The word “Dragon King” elicited a flicker of reaction from the Wyverns, who then looked at Mistral, the Dragon Princess, with surprise. They then directed a troubled gaze towards Yugra-sama.
“We have no intention of fighting, so please come down.”
“However…”
At my words, the Wyverns looked bewildered and glanced up at the Dragon Knights riding them. As expected, Wyverns are controlled by Dragon Knights and cannot move on their own volition, can they?
“It’s alright. I won’t let the Dragon Knights get angry at you.”
I wonder about the reliability of my own words, but were they convinced by the title of Dragon King? Despite their hesitation, the Wyverns, complying with my words, began to descend. The Dragon Knights, perplexed by the Wyverns’ actions of abandoning their air superiority, looked confused.
“Priscilla-chan. Please ask the Wind Spirit to restrain the Dragon Knights.”
“Yes!”
It was a somewhat forceful method, but it was the quickest. I could communicate directly with Wyverns through our dragon hearts, but my shouts wouldn’t reach the Dragon Knights in the sky. Therefore, it was unavoidable. Even if I got scolded later, it would be my fault, not the Wyverns’. Priscilla-chan, who responded energetically to my request, gestured and said something towards the empty air. Soon after, screams from the three Dragon Knights were heard from above. When the Wyverns realized their riders were immobilized, they majestically landed on the rooftop. The soldiers who had gathered on the rooftop scrambled to clear a landing spot for the Wyverns.
“W-who are you people!?”
On the back of the landed Wyverns, the Dragon Knights, unable to move, looked at us with contorted faces. Fear was evident in their eyes. We’re not scary people, you know? With the soldiers and the Dragon Knights, the main players gathered, I handed over the rest to Friel.
“I am Friel, the Fourth Prince of the Yorttenitos Kingdom. I apologize for causing this disturbance, but time is of the essence, so please bear with us.”
Friel seemed to know who was the most responsible person here. He fixed his gaze on one of the Dragon Knights and introduced himself with firm words. The Dragon Knight, whom Friel was looking at, also seemed to recognize Friel and looked surprised.
“Th-Your Highness. What is the meaning of this…?”
Upon recognizing Friel’s presence, the surrounding soldiers hastily knelt. Problem solved in one go! The remaining two Dragon Knights also seemed to know Friel, and sensing that a conflict was unlikely, I asked Priscilla-chan to release them. When the Dragon Knights realized they were no longer restrained, they dismounted from their Wyverns and performed a knight’s salute.
“We beg your forgiveness for our rudeness.”
The representative Dragon Knight bowed deeply. No, no, it was we who were rude. I managed a wry smile on the tyrant’s back, and Mistral nudged me.
