We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Our job is to provide protection.
“Alright everyone, pay attention to the precautions for the Dragon Forest…”
A group of boys and girls gathered at the edge of the forest.
No, not us.
We’re talking about the blooming young boys and girls who turned fourteen this year and will embark on their journey next year.
I’m only sixteen myself, though.
With an outdoor training session about to begin, the energetic boys and girls were receiving instructions from their teacher.
Adventurers and we watched over them from a short distance away.
“Alright, Elnea-kun. Today’s first important point is…”
“Huh? Ruiseine, you have precautions for me too!?”
“Elnea, you’re the one we’re most worried about.”
“Mistral-san, you don’t trust me!?”
“Elnea-kun, what exactly do you do on a normal day?”
“Hahahaha, Elnea. It’s pathetic that as a man, you’re not trusted by a woman.”
“Creacio, Slaton, don’t just believe what you hear. Or rather, I don’t want to hear it from Slaton.”
“You dare deny me, Elnea?”
“Hahaha, Duranel was complaining, Slaton. He said the cow you tried to bait escaped again?”
“Ngh, Duranel told you?”
“Duranel said he’s hungry. He’s still got a long way to go. I bet I’m better at hunting than you.”
“You really said that. Then let’s have a contest!”
“I accept your challenge!”
“Hey, you guys… That’s enough. Your job is to protect the students, not compete in hunting skills!”
“Elnea?”
“Elnea-kun?”
“Slaton?”
” “W-we’re sorry…” ”
Kijirum and everyone else scolded me and Slaton, and we reflected on our actions with dejected expressions.
Haa!
The boys and girls are looking at us with strange eyes.
How embarrassing.
Slaton hid behind Creacio, and I hid behind Mistral and Ruiseine, our faces flushed red.
Slaton is super famous, alongside Listea, the Hero. Everyone knows his appearance.
Rumors about me have also spread, and I’m being pointed at, with people saying, “Is that the master of the Dragon Residence?”
But even more so…
Mistral and Ruiseine’s cold gazes pierce my heart like sharp needles.
“It was the right decision to come along.”
“It was indeed the right decision to come along.”
“You two sound just like Yufi and Nina…”
“Honestly. This is why I can’t leave you alone.”
“That’s right, Elnea-kun. Please don’t cause any trouble.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Meditate on your mistakes properly by sitting seiza.”
“You’ll be sitting seiza until I count to one hundred.”
“Eh!? We have to sit seiza here!? In front of everyone…”
“Kukukuku, Elnea. How embarrassing.”
“You too, Slaton.”
“W-wait, Creacio.”
And so, Slaton and I were made to sit seiza in front of everyone.
It’s incredibly embarrassing.
But it’s my own fault.
If I don’t want to end up like this in the future, I must properly reflect on my actions.
Slaton, unaccustomed to seiza unlike me, had numb legs after meditating and couldn’t move for a while.
Once the students finished receiving instructions and explanations from the teacher, they finally stepped into the Dragon Forest.
As it was nearing late summer, the students, who had been training in places like the Dragon Forest since spring, walked with practiced steps.
It seems the companions who will embark on their year-long journey together are starting to be decided, as they split into several groups and proceeded into the forest along different paths.
Even so, adventurers find it difficult to supervise if they act completely independently, so the extent of their dispersal is somewhat limited. The adventurers followed the students who were cheerfully exploring the Dragon Forest, paying attention to their surroundings. And we entered the Dragon Forest from further behind them.
“Alright, children of the Human Race. We shall teach you what real hunting is.”
“…Why are the Beast race members here!?”
After advancing a little into the forest, the Beast race members who were studying abroad appeared before the students. The dog-kin Jegashin, the cat-kin Lienji, the pig-kin Kuawura, and other Beast race members staying at my home emerged from the bushes, surprising the students. Perhaps it was their first time seeing Beast race members up close, but both the girls and boys were a little hesitant at their beast-like appearances. Without seeming to care about the students’ reactions, the Beast race members began their lesson on hunting.
“Hey, Mistral. Did you know they were participating?”
“Elnea, didn’t you listen to the teacher’s talk this morning? She said that today’s training is about hunting wild animals, and we’ll be receiving guidance from the Beast race, so please be polite.”
“That was when we were making a fuss, right?”
Hmm, I didn’t hear a word of it.
Two Beast race members were assigned to each group, and the hunting lesson began. One seemed to be a carnivorous warrior, and the other a herbivorous Beast race member. The warrior would teach hunting, and the herbivore would guide them in gathering wild vegetables and such.
While the number of people who will require hunting skills during their year-long journey may be limited, it’s not something they can afford not to know. In their future lives, no one knows when or what kind of knowledge will be needed. Therefore, the fourteen-year-old boys and girls learned all sorts of life skills and experienced many things.
I watched the students with deep emotion, remembering how I also studied various things two years ago. I believe my fate was decided when I was fourteen. They, too, might be experiencing something at this very moment that will determine their future lives. As I watched the boys and girls being taught about hunting by the Beast race warriors from afar, Ruiseine looked at me with a gentle smile beside me.
“You’re looking a bit more mature, Elnea-kun.”
“Eh? I am mature!”
“Mmm. You haven’t changed much, Elnea-kun?”
“Creacio, what are you saying?”
“Elnea, you blend right in over there, man.”
“Slaton is the old man!”
“What did you say!”
Slaton pointed at the students. I protested. But even Mistral smiled and said, “As always, your face is so cute,” making me sad about my youthful appearance. If I grew a beard, would my face look more adult?
As we slowly proceeded through the Dragon Forest, the Beast race’s lessons continued. At first, the students were intimidated by the Beast race members’ appearances, but perhaps they got used to them as the lessons progressed. The students, divided into their respective groups, gathered around the Beast race members, walking through the forest and listening intently.
The students were being taught by the Beast race warriors how to handle bows and arrows, set traps, where animals might be hiding, how to move, and what was dangerous. They had likely received such lessons before, but the experience and thought processes of humans and Beast race members differ. The boys, especially those who seemed to dream of becoming adventurers, listened with sparkling eyes to the different perspectives, unexpected knowledge, and trivia.
It seems that on the first day of training, they will be hunting under the guidance of the Beast race. Find prey and hunt it down. If they fail to catch anything, they will have no meal for the day. It seems to be a slightly difficult training session where they have to get through the training period with the meat and wild vegetables they harvest.
“Listen, the basic principle of hunting is to approach from downwind. Follow the scent of the prey. Don’t let them catch your scent.”
“Even when searching for prey, skills in finding wild plants and fruits are useful. Because animals eat those delicious plants, and carnivorous beasts are attracted to them.”
Teacher, I don’t think it’s possible to tell humans about scent, as humans’ noses aren’t as sensitive as Beast race members’. However, approaching from downwind is indeed basic. Even if we can’t smell them, animals can sense it acutely.
The students who received the instruction immediately put it into practice. With the advice of the herbivorous Beast race members, they searched for edible wild plants and fruits. While doing so, they looked around for animals. As it was the first day of training, the students were energetically moving around. Some boys were scolded by teachers and adventurers for being too noisy, but generally, everyone was working diligently. It seems there will be no unnecessary worries. With a smooth start, I relaxed a little as I watched from the rear.
By early afternoon, some groups began to successfully catch prey. Girls who hunted small animals and boys who hunted deer and boars together rejoiced in their catches. The hunted animals were processed with the guidance of the Beast race members to remove blood and skin them. Fire cannot be used within the Dragon Forest, so that will be done after returning outside in the evening. Groups that managed to hunt large prey will likely have a feast tonight.
“Speaking of which, are you not getting lost?”
“Yes. I thought you’d definitely get lost since Elnea-kun is here.”
“Ruiseine, that’s not it. I think I get lost because of Priscilla-chan.”
“What, are you directionally challenged?”
“Slaton, I heard you got lost in the Urangala Forest and caused trouble for the Beast race members.”
“Tch…”
It’s a little question that just occurred to me now. When we enter the Dragon Forest, we get significantly lost. This is because the entire forest is under the Bewildering Technique of Old Man Sleigsta. However, the students and adventurers do not seem to be getting lost even while advancing into the shallower parts of the forest. They can move deeper into the forest if they wish, and they can also leave the forest. What is the difference between us and them? I thought it would be fastest to ask Teacher Mistral about such questions, so I asked.
“I think it’s simply a matter of depth?”
“Depth?”
“Yes. If you go deeper into the forest, they will surely get lost too. And perhaps, it’s about the depth of our connection. Because we are deeply involved with the Old Man, we fall into his technique even more.”
“…In other words, we’re caught up in Grandpa’s prank.”
“That’s right.”
It’s nothing complicated. The frequency and severity of getting lost is all up to Old Man Sleigsta. I’ll protest when I go to the Moss Garden next time.
The group we were watching finally managed to catch prey and began processing it in a slightly open area of the forest. A boy grimaced at the sight of blood and entrails, and some turned away from the task of removing unnecessary heads. In such cases, girls tend to be more composed. Although the boys caught the prey, the girls took the lead in the processing.
A short distance away, a group that caught a second prey was resting. The fact that the students weren’t scattered while chasing prey is a testament to the Beast race members’ skills. While guiding the students, they communicated with their companions and cooperated to ensure that no group became isolated. The adventurers serving as bodyguards, sensing no impending trouble, muttered, “This is easy work.”
As the students’ movement stopped for the processing of the hunted animals, we also took a short break. I sat down in a convenient spot.
“Elnea-kun, here.”
“Thank you.”
I received water from Ruiseine and moistened my throat. While taking a breath, I scanned my surroundings. Even in places I couldn’t see from here, I could sense the students working hard. I sensed the relaxed demeanor of the adventurers, the Beast race members who never let down their wild vigilance, and the animals that were hiding or evading, unaware of the hunters’ presence.
That’s right, let me try something.
We are active in the Dragon Forest. Teachers and adventurers are responsible for escorting the students, and we are in charge of monitoring everyone, but… there are others observing us. Yes, the warriors of the Mimicho race.
If I try to search normally, I still can’t sense the presence of the Mimicho race. However, I have acquired a new ability. I calmed my mind as if in meditation and synchronized my spirit with the Dragon Vein beneath the earth. From there, I expanded my consciousness and felt the world. On the branches of a large tree some distance away, in a hollow, deep within the bushes. A unnatural flow of wind, trampled grass and earth, branches and leaves bent by external pressure. From these subtle anomalies in the world, I could decipher the presence of the Mimicho race, who were hiding their presence.
Amazing. I can only recognize the presence of the Mimicho race if I concentrate like this. The Mimicho race warriors continue to protect the Dragon Forest in secret like this.
“Hey, are you tired already?”
“What are you talking about, Slaton?”
“No, you suddenly got quiet.”
“Ah, that’s not it.”
I wonder if Slaton has noticed the presence of the Mimicho race? The Beast race warriors might have noticed it, perhaps by scent.
“Hey, how are things our way?”
While resting, Kijirum, who was escorting another group of students, came over. It seems Kijirum’s students also successfully caught prey, and he had some free time.
“Things are going smoothly here. I was so bored that I watched the Beast race’s hunting lecture, and it made me want to hunt, so I’ve been itching to go.”
“Oh, that’s good. How about a contest from now on?”
It seems Kijirum’s adventurer’s blood was also stirred. Slaton and I grinned at each other.
“Wait a minute, you two. Our job is to escort the students.”
“Oh, Creacio. That’s what you say, but… If we don’t hunt for tonight, we’ll end up eating dried meat or asking the kids for some, you know?”
“You’re the kid!”
Creacio kicked Slaton’s shin. But Slaton might be right. We brought portable rations just in case, but we’d rather eat fresh meat and vegetables.
“Elnea is grinning.”
“Elnea-kun, that’s creepy.”
Apparently, it wasn’t just Slaton and Kijirum who were grinning. Seeing the men’s behavior, the women sighed in frustration
“What, are you guys going hunting too?”
Jegashin, a dog-kin with good hearing, overheard our conversation and came over. And then, the students sensed our movements and gathered, wondering what was happening.
“I admire Slaton-san. I want to be an adventurer who leaves their name in history someday.”
“I want to be a Dragon Knight. How did you get your dragon?”
“I want to go to Dragon Peak!”
The boys, left with nothing to do while the girls handled the processing, rushed over. I couldn’t help but step back due to the sheer intensity.
“Fwahahaha! Good, you guys. Then, I’ll show you my skills!”
With sparkling eyes directed at him, Slaton seemed pleased. He thumped his chest and started talking about showing them the hunting skills of a top-class adventurer.
“Ho, then shall we compete? We Beast race members will not lose to humans.”
And then, Jegashin and the others joined in. You guys, know your positions. I may be saying this, but let’s be sensible, shall we? However, my worries were meaningless, and the talk of a hunting battle between the Beast race and the adventurers quickly escalated. The story spread to people from other groups, and students and adventurers began to gather.
“This is a good opportunity. Let’s see the skills of the Beast race members and the adventurers.”
With comments like that from the teacher, who was adding fuel to the fire, the outdoor training was heading in an unexpected direction by late afternoon.
“Elnea, as a member of the Styler Family, I will show you that I am superior as an adventurer.”
“It is a joy as a Beast race member to be able to compete in hunting with Elnea in such a setting.”
“Kukukuku. The time has finally come to defeat you, the Dragon King.”
And so, Kijirum, the Beast race, and Slaton, who felt competitive towards me, were present. Why has it come to this? I sighed.
“Elnea.”
“Ugh.”
Mistral stared at me, and I tensed up, thinking I would be scolded again. But Mistral’s eyes seemed to say, “Go for it.” It’s rare for Mistral to join in such a commotion. Surely, Slaton’s words were the trigger. I am the Dragon King. Mistral, who is of the Dragon Race and a Dragon Princess, silently urged me to show the power of the Dragon King.
“…I guess I have no choice. If that’s the case, I, as the Dragon King, will show everyone my abilities.”
And so, a sudden hunting showdown was decided. Adventurers and Beast race warriors gathered in the plaza. Slaton, Kijirum, and I. Who would hunt a large prey first, or catch the most prey? The teachers and students, along with the herbivorous Beast race members, would be the judges. Waiting for the signal to start, the hot-blooded hunters braced themselves. And then, the starting command resounded through the Dragon Forest.
“I don’t care what happens afterward!”
I shouted. While the others who were saying cheeky things in return, like Slaton, were still there, I used Spatial Jump and instantly moved deep into the forest. Everyone was surprised as I disappeared from their sight in an instant. Before the surprised people could come to their senses, I reappeared from the depths of the forest using Spatial Jump again. In my hand was a plump rabbit. I had grasped the animals’ locations earlier by sensing their presence.
People were astonished. But in the next moment, their mouths overflowed with screams of even greater shock.
“Hunting, you say? Then leave it to me.”
“I am the best!”
“Tch, Elnea already caught prey!?”
“Let us join too!”
“Feast time!”
Magic Beasts poured in from the depths of the Dragon Forest! A Great Wolf Magic Beast carrying a deer. A Deer Magic Beast with a snake pierced on its horn. A Great Bird Magic Beast grabbing a boar. See? I told you I wouldn’t care what happened. If they start a hunting competition, the Magic Beasts won’t just watch silently. I knew from the beginning that they would participate without considering the inconvenience to others. After all, they are Priscilla-chan’s friends. The people participating in the training were thrown into utter chaos by the Magic Beasts that assembled with overwhelming power from all over the forest.
