We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 53

We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.

Intruders in the Forest

With Mistral gone, we were left wondering what to do.

Priscilla-chan, tired from playing tag, had wobbled over and clung to Ruiseine.

The two spirits of earth and wind had also returned home.

Priscilla-chan, you played too hard from the morning.

Ruiseine was now busy comforting Priscilla-chan, leaving me with nothing to do. But if I had found myself in the Moss Garden with time to spare, I knew exactly what I needed to do.

I sat down on the soft moss, deciding to meditate.

I had neglected my meditation training while commuting back and forth to the副都 with Ruiseine and the others. Ever since I started studying under Old Man Sleigsta, I had meditated every single day, making it a part of my routine. Without it, I felt out of sorts.

I sat in meditation, closed my eyes, and calmed my mind. Soon, I could feel the mysterious, grand river flowing beneath the earth. The Dragon Vein, when perceived from afar, spreads out in my consciousness like the ocean. However, as I drew closer, I realized it was a strong, turbulent torrent. Yet, when I approached even closer, the flowing Dragon Vein felt like a gentle, deep, clear stream. It was a strange existence, seemingly contradictory yet not.

I gently drew from the Dragon Vein. It’s second nature to me now, but it was incredibly difficult at first. The process of drawing from it is delicate and requires precise control. If I held back too much, I wouldn’t get enough. If I tried to take too much, I was swept away by the current and drowned. Even when I thought I succeeded, I would spill it before I could absorb it into my body.

It’s been less than half a year since I started coming to the Moss Garden, but I’ve become quite capable of many things. At the beginning of spring, I was worried about how I would spend the year after leaving, let alone becoming an adventurer. Now, I’ve experienced so much that even adventurers would be impressed.

And to think, I even ended up with two brides. And beautiful ones at that. This must be one of the most amazing things among my peers, second only to Listea, the Hero. Of course, it’s not official yet, and I still have to win both of them over.

I drew the Dragon Vein into my body, refining it into Dragon Energy, and reflected on everything that had happened.

At first, I was intimidated by the sheer power of the Dragon Vein and the life force of the Spirit Tree. But now, they feel like comforting presences close by. The Dragon Vein gives me strength, and the Spirit Tree feels like it’s gently watching over me. Especially the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword, which pulses with life force on my lap, constantly protecting me.

Speaking of which, this Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. Or rather, the Spirit Tree sapling. Grandma Yuuri, the Grand Elder of the Mimicho Race, told me that a spirit resides within it. When I meditate or at certain moments, I occasionally feel something like a soft breeze passing by me. Could this be the presence of the spirit? Priscilla-chan also sometimes looks in my direction, as if she’s seeing something other than me. Perhaps Priscilla-chan can sense the Spirit Tree Spirit more strongly than I can. Or rather, she probably can. After all, Priscilla-chan was the first to notice the presence of the Spirit Tree Spirit. Priscilla-chan, I wonder what you’re doing now? I can’t see you as I’m meditating, but I can sense you by following the Dragon Vein. Near me, I sense Ruiseine’s gentle presence. A pure presence, befitting a Miko. Mistral also has a clear presence, but I sense more power from her. Is Priscilla-chan clinging to Ruiseine? She must be being comforted while hugging her. Priscilla-chan’s presence is full of energy. Even when she’s sleepy or dejected after being scolded by Mistral, her presence is always full of energy. It’s wonderful when small children are so energetic. It cheers me up too. And Nimia is always with Priscilla-chan. Her body is as small as a kitten’s, but her presence is even stronger than Mistral’s. Even though she’s a child, she is indeed an Ancient Dragon Species. As I sensed their presence while meditating, I could feel an immeasurable strength from Nimia.

It’s all thanks to Old Man Sleigsta that I can now sense everyone’s presence by following the Dragon Vein. If Old Man Sleigsta hadn’t taught me about the Dragon Vein, how to use it, and many other things, I would still be living a life admiring Listea at school. Old Man Sleigsta is now watching over us kindly from a short distance away. His presence is overwhelming, far beyond even Nimia’s, yet it’s not intimidating. It’s a presence that blends naturally, like he’s part of nature itself. I feel it’s similar to the Spirit Tree. It’s so overwhelming that it feels like part of the world. Old Man Sleigsta is the legendary Old Dragon who protects the Dragon Forest. He’s usually like a kindly old man, and seeing him get scolded by Mistral for occasional mischief, you wouldn’t believe he’s a great dragon who has lived for over two thousand years. However, when it comes to the forest, his demeanor changes completely. His golden eyes, usually filled with a gentle light, become sharp, and his immeasurable power still makes my soul shrink. I extend my consciousness, following everyone’s presence. Then, I feel the presence of the animals in the Ancient Tree Forest. Magic beasts cannot enter, but the barrier of the Bewildering Forest doesn’t seem to affect the animals. I can sense the presence of birds flying and beasts running. The Dragon Vein is amazing. As I get used to handling it, I can even sense the presence of creatures that do not benefit from the Dragon Vein, creatures that are unaware of its existence. Mistral and Old Man Sleigsta can apparently understand the situations of those far away. Apparently, this requires the other party to be knowledgeable about Dragon Veins, but I wonder if I’ll ever gain such an ability. For that, I must simply strive to improve. I delve deeper into meditation. I cast out distracting thoughts. Following the Dragon Vein, I refine my Dragon Energy and store it as Dragon Power within my body. As I was meditating, I suddenly felt a strong presence in front of me, beyond the forest. Wondering what it was, I directed my consciousness towards it. A very strong presence. An overwhelming, immeasurable presence, that of someone or something, is heading straight for the Moss Garden without hesitation. The animals in the forest fled all at once from the intense fighting spirit. What is it? I have a bad feeling. I interrupted my meditation and opened my eyes. My vision was filled with the mystical landscape of the deep green moss carpet and ancient trees standing tall. But the sounds of animals in the forest were gone, and it had fallen silent. I looked at Old Man Sleigsta. He was staring intently at a spot in the forest. “Um, Older Brother.” Priscilla-chan and the others must have also noticed something strange in the forest. Ruiseine and Priscilla-chan came to me anxiously. Nimia, held by Priscilla-chan, looked anxiously into the depths of the forest. I gathered everyone close and enveloped them with the Dragon Energy I had been refining. There was no doubt that someone was heading towards the Moss Garden. I had no idea what it was, but that’s precisely why it was best to be cautious. Old Man Sleigsta’s presence also indicated that the opponent was no ordinary being. We huddled together, our bodies tense; we looked towards the place in the forest that Old Man Sleigsta and Nimia were watching intently. Then, heavy footsteps, accompanied by the rumbling of the earth, began to reach our ears. It was an eerie feeling. Priscilla-chan, perhaps feeling fear, covered her ears and buried herself in my legs. Ruiseine also gripped the hem of my clothes anxiously. Old Man Sleigsta lifted his large head. Nimia’s ears twitched, and then she jumped from Priscilla-chan’s head into my arms. “Nyaa, let’s run!” I held Nimia, who was wriggling and hitting me with her front paws. Although Nimia is a child, she is an Ancient Dragon Species and is said to be stronger than Mistral, excluding Old Man Sleigsta. This Nimia is telling us to run. I wasn’t the only one who felt the danger approaching; Ruiseine did too. But that’s precisely why I thought it was better not to run. Anyone Nimia feared would have likely caught up to us even if we ran. I thought it would be safer to stay close to Old Man Sleigsta and be protected by him. The eerie footsteps grew louder. Old Man Sleigsta let out a growl. And then. From deep within the forest, he revealed himself. A roar that shook the Ancient Tree Forest. Her long ears stood erect, and the two horns on her forehead intertwined to form a single, majestic horn. Her body and facial features were dragon-like. Her fur, covering her entire body, was long and beautiful. Her wings were folded against her torso, but when spread, they looked twice the size of her body. Her tail was terrifyingly long, extending into the depths of the forest, its tip indiscernible. What appeared was truly a dragon. Nimia thrashed in my arms. The beautiful dragon that appeared advanced leisurely towards the middle of the Moss Garden and began to glow all over. Before I could even wonder what was happening, the dragon began to grow giant. She didn’t reach Old Man Sleigsta’s size, but she was overwhelmingly large, and she let out another roar. “Uwah!” Overwhelmed by the sheer force, Ruiseine fainted. “Nyaunyaaa!” Nimia thrashed even harder and escaped from my grasp, flying away. And the moment she flapped her wings to flee. In the blink of an eye, Nimia was caught in the hands of the dragon that had appeared. The dragon that appeared, though her horns were shaped differently, closely resembled Nimia when she had grown larger. Her beautiful long fur was dyed pink at the tips. “It’s been a long time since I came to this forest, and I’ve found what I was looking for.” The dragon brought Nimia, whom she had captured, before her. Nimia struggled, but she was being held tightly in a giant hand and seemed unable to escape. “Hmm, it’s been a while, Asher.” “You’re still alive, old man.” The two giant dragons gazed at each other. “Waaah, Mother found me, nyan.” Nimia’s scream echoed throughout the Moss Garden.

Clicking the heart allows you to easily express your support. (Login required)
Support
Login if you have an account
Learn more about the reading experience available on Kakuyomu