We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
An unsettling shadow.
It’s cold. Concentration. Spirit. Effort.
But it’s still cold!
Trembling on Revalia’s back, we head towards the ancient ruins in the north.
The mountain range visible from above has been completely covered in snow, transforming the scenery of Dragon Peak into something I’ve never seen in previous seasons.
However, it seems the harshness of winter is still to come. In the northern regions, mid-winter brings continuous blizzards, causing wyverns to retreat south and even the earth dragons to stop venturing out.
This is a season I, who lived on the plains, could never have imagined.
In such a season, how do the old dragons, facing their end, wish to meet their demise in the northern parts of Dragon Peak?
Shivering, concentrating, with such stray thoughts swirling. We passed through several valleys, crossed peaks, and Revalia and I flew near the highlands where the ancient ruins are located.
The area surrounding the ancient ruins, spreading out below us, had also transformed into a pure white world, like everywhere else.
Somewhere on this plateau, there should be a base for the dragon people and dragon race who have been conducting surveillance.
I stare intently at the ground with Revalia.
Then, Revalia, having discovered something before I did, let out a violent roar and began to descend.
As expected of the ruler of the sky. Her ability to search for things from high above is beyond anything I can do.
Indeed, even when I look closely at where Revalia is heading, it doesn’t seem like there’s anything there from high altitude. It’s just the same silver world as everywhere else.
Revalia descends, stirring up a storm. I focus my eyes on the landing spot.
Then, black shadows suddenly appear, one after another.
Where did they come from?!
I stare again.
There!
Amidst the uniform white world, I was able to discover a faint shadow. It wasn’t a projection on the ground like a building. I found a hole that leads underground.
“Hey!” A black figure on the ground waves towards us.
Knowing that Revalia is descending, yet not showing any fear suggests that perhaps this is someone they know.
I think it would be nice if it were someone I knew, making things easier. But Revalia’s feelings were different.
As if to say, “Don’t be so familiar,” Revalia unleashed a breath of fire onto the ground.
The figure waving below hastily fled.
Then, Revalia landed roughly on the ground where the snow had evaporated from the heat of the flames.
“My, my. That was quite an entrance.”
“What if they were completely burnt?”
“Cough, cough.”
Revalia continues to growl menacingly after landing, but the fleeing figure returned, apparently judging that there would be no further aggressive action.
“Oh, it’s been a while!”
They were indeed people I knew. And what a truly impressive group!
“Hello, Elnea-kun. It’s been a while.”
Another of the Eight Great Dragon Kings, Wol, returned with a gentle smile, brushing away the snow. The snow wasn’t piled up too high, only up to Wol’s knees. He approached with a satisfying crunching sound as he stepped on the snow.
“You’re kidding me. If Milly’s fur had gotten scorched, I would have beaten you to death.”
“Hee hee. What were you doing when the tyrant was rampaging, you coward?”
“Shut up. I just let it slide because it didn’t cause any actual harm around me.”
“Yeah, yeah. Is that so?”
Returning amidst casual conversation were Id, with his violent appearance, and Milly-chan, in her adorable form. Id charged towards us with a fierce momentum, kicking up snow as his outward appearance suggested. Even knowing he was a Dragon King, his imposing presence as he approached was overwhelming. And behind him, Milly-chan followed in the path cleared by Id.
“Hello everyone. Are all three of you the current surveillance team?”
The three greeted Revalia, who continued to growl without being intimidated, and I confirmed the situation.
“That’s right. You’ve returned from the plains only to end up here. I think we’re overworking the Dragon Kings.”
“Wol has been going back and forth quite a bit, just like me, it’s tough.”
“Don’t say it like it’s someone else’s problem. You’re the one stirring things up.”
“Elnea-kun, Id isn’t angry, you know. He always talks like that. Please don’t mind him!”
“Ahaha, I know. His appearance can be misleading, making people misunderstand.”
Milly-chan, desperately trying to defend Id’s tone, is so cute. Her cat-like ears twitched, and I could sense her flustered state. Milly-chan is of the catkin beast race, so her movements are somewhat cat-like. Come to think of it, Milly-chan is my only acquaintance from the beast race. I wonder if other beast races live in Dragon Peak? I’ve never heard anything of the sort, so perhaps Milly-chan is special.
Anyway, putting Milly-chan aside for now.
“I’m fine with it. In fact, I’m enjoying it.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m done. Let me have my freedom. And Wol, you’re in the way. Let me and Milly have some time alone. Read the room.”
“Ehhhh. I don’t want to be alone with Id. He’s scary.”
“You say that!”
Their familiar banter makes me laugh. Then, everyone scolds me for laughing too much.
“So, I overheard something. There’s something unsettling, right?”
“That’s right. That’s right. I can sense it.”
“Elnea-kun, perhaps you could investigate that area?”
“Well, just try not to die of cold and get it done.”
“I’ll do my best, but please give me some information.”
It seems what Zan said was true. I urge the three to elaborate so I can hear the details.
“You know. I can sense it. A good scent.”
“I’ve sensed the presence of someone around the ancient ruins.”
“They’re first-class at running away. They won’t let us get a grip on them.”
What could it be? A being that smells good, runs fast, and even the Dragon Kings can only faintly sense its presence.
“I discovered a golden fur that fell off.”
“There are signs of small animals being hunted.”
“Milly was the first to notice a definite presence. She noticed it recently.”
A beast with golden fur? There are no signs of large animals being attacked, and it seems to target only small animals. Could it be something small?
“So, Elnea-kun, we want you to track down this mysterious creature.”
“Me?”
“Yes. We think Elnea-kun is the right person for the job.”
“Why?”
“Stop dawdling and go catch it quickly. You’ll die.”
“No, no, we don’t have enough information yet!”
Die? Do they mean I’ll freeze to death? It’s true that right now, I’m shivering and curled up while talking to everyone. It’s sad that no one comments on Ares-chan still clinging to me.
“The area around the ruins seems suspicious.”
“We’re preparing warm food, so please return before sunset.”
“At your current state, you’ll definitely freeze to death if you stay out overnight.”
“No, no, let’s all go together! I think we’ll find it faster that way.”
“No, we have other work to do…”
“Have a good trip!”
“We won’t care if you die.”
Everyone is so cruel! What is this feeling of being dumped on? The three quickly leave the scene after forcefully pushing the investigation of the suspicious shadow onto me. Apparently, they are going back to the surveillance post. No, no, if you’re going to conduct surveillance, let’s go to the ruins!
The place the three use for lodging is a hole dug into the ground. The entrance is open in a gap in the snow. It looks like they dug a horizontal tunnel down from there and established their base. They’re not badger-like, but they intend to stay warm underground, aren’t they? I’ve heard that underground is warmer in cold places.
“Hurry up and go. I won’t help you.”
Revalia betrayed me too! With a sigh, I reluctantly started walking. Then I turned back to Revalia.
“So, which direction is the ruins?”
Please tell me at least that much. I forgot to check the direction of the ruins from the sky. When I pleaded with Revalia, she simply pointed in the direction with her chin. Revalia seemed like her role was over, closing her four pupils and curling up.
“Let’s go, let’s go.”
“Yeah, we have no choice but to go. Ares-chan is the only one on my side.”
I readjusted Ares-chan, who was stuck to my stomach, and started walking in the direction Revalia indicated with her chin. A white forest spread out before us.
The piled-up snow makes walking difficult. I lift my feet high and then place them down. The pleasant sound of crunching snow and the enjoyable sensation transmitted to my feet. However, this strange way of walking is wasting my energy. I tried walking by kicking the snow away like Id, but I realized that the snow, which was piled up thicker than I expected, offered more resistance, consuming more energy.
I try to recall how Wol walked. But he just seemed to walk normally. Well, it probably means he moved with the skill to make it look normal.
Preparing for the cold, moving on snow, and a solitary investigation. It feels like I have a mountain of problems, and I’m about to give up right after starting.
“I’ll give you a reward, so keep going, keep going.”
Ares-chan’s encouragement is my only source of vitality. I’m looking forward to the reward!
I marched forward with long strides through the silver world, which could make my eyes hurt if I stared too long. As I advanced, I refined my dragon energy and channeled it into my stamina. The cold began to naturally lessen as I walked, and before I knew it, I was actually sweating.
The Mystrals were right. Once you start moving, your body warms up. Luiseine was right. At first, it’s all in your mind. If you start moving without succumbing to the cold, you naturally get used to it. Perhaps because I was using my body more by walking in an unusual way and the snow resisting my movement, I was expending a lot of energy. However, I could compensate for that with my dragon energy. And I learned that if you move, you sweat even in winter. I finally understood the feelings of the warriors who had been active in light clothing since morning!
Sensing that my body temperature had risen, Ares-chan stopped clinging to me and began walking, holding my hand. But that’s the Spirit. Unlike me, who walked with my feet buried in the snow, she didn’t do anything clumsy. She walked lightly over the snow without leaving footprints.
Would it become easier to move if I learned that technique too? As an application, I might even be able to walk on water. It sounds fun, and I want to learn it. But I don’t have that luxury right now. Focusing on walking, I proceed towards the ruins. I advance through trees with branches spread out, covered in pure white snow instead of green leaves. The primeval forest, untouched by human hands, is a world of snow, presenting me with a fantastic landscape. And it’s difficult to walk through.
Right. Arriving at the ruins isn’t the goal. I need to discover the unsettling shadows that seem to be lurking around the ruins. But can I find someone who can hide from Wol, Id, and Milly, who have beast-like senses? Even with this question in mind, I have no choice but to search. I’d be laughed at by Id if I returned empty-handed.
I also possess the technique to search for presences over a wide area. As I head towards the ruins, I spread my dragon energy like ripples of water into the surrounding forest. I grasp the presences of animals near me that touch the ripples, in order of proximity. I sense the presence of small animals running energetically even in the snow. I can also confirm the presence of large animals here and there. I discovered animals calmly resting, digging holes under the snow, like Wol and the others. Animals without special presences cannot be individually identified. However, occasionally, I sense the presence of magic beasts and dragon race. It’s not just us monitoring; I also sensed the presences of various other beings living in Dragon Peak.
And then, I wonder again. In Dragon Peak, who is this being that hides from magic beasts, dragon race, and Dragon Kings? They seem to have a definite presence, but they can’t be caught. Moreover, the location being the ancient ruins, the source of the disturbance, raises my caution. Yet, the nonchalant attitude of Wol and the others is also puzzling. What if the continuation of this series of disturbances erupts? With a sliver of anxiety, I expand my dragon energy. Then, I sense a faint presence quite far away. Immediately, I discover a suspicious presence and direct my consciousness towards it.
What is this presence…? The distance between me and the unknown being is far, and the other party hasn’t noticed my presence yet. In that case, I’ll approach all at once. I unleash my Dragon Jewel to a degree that won’t alert them. Ares-chan disappears temporarily so as not to be a hindrance. Taking aim at the direction and target, I perform a Spatial Jump. I transfer to the distant view. The silver world scenery updates my vision. Immediately, I jump through space again. While activating them consecutively, I confirm the target.
They noticed! Sensing my presence closing in at lightning speed, the unknown being began to move. Fast! They move across the snow at terrifying speed. While moving, they skillfully try to erase their presence. They are no ordinary being. They are escaping at a speed comparable to Spatial Jump. Furthermore, if their presence is erased, and I can’t see them currently, they’ll get away. I reach the place where the being was initially, but there’s no trace of them anymore. The fleeing opponent has already moved far into the forest. In a brief scan between Spatial Jumps, I confirmed the location where the being had been. Human-like footprints? I see several footprints pressed into the snow. And the tracks of their escape. However, there are no footprints beyond where they ran. How did they escape? That should become clear once I catch them. With renewed determination, I utilize consecutive Spatial Jumps and pursue the unknown being. In the deep forest covered in snow, the being flees with astonishing speed. Moreover, without leaving a single footprint! Their faint presence would be lost in an instant if I let my guard down even slightly. Manipulation of presence. Just that alone identifies the opponent as skilled. If I let my guard down, I’ll fall behind. Maintaining a state of readiness, I pursue them with Spatial Jump.
Slightly. Very slightly. My Spatial Jump has a faster travel speed. This is because it’s disadvantageous for the opponent to flee while skillfully dodging obstacles left and right in the forest. However, Spatial Jump doesn’t care about obstacles. That’s why I’m faster. If it were in an open area without obstacles, their travel speed would likely surpass Spatial Jump. As the distance closes, the fleeing individual’s urgency seems to be palpable.
How long have I been running through the forest? The unknown being, while fleeing, seems to be keeping an eye on their surroundings, not approaching lurking magic beasts or dragons. However, this makes predicting their movement easier. Gradually, I read their movements and choose a route that allows me to get ahead of them. The opponent also realizes they are being cornered and desperately flees.
Finally, the distance closes, and the unknown being seems to have made up their mind. Emerging into a slightly open area, a gap in the forest, the being stops. Then, they turn to face me, who is closing in from behind. I have finally come face to face with the being who was lurking around the ancient ruins.
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