We live at the Foothills of Dragon Peak.
Ruiseine is waiting.
Anemone, now brimming with vitality and looking completely different, dangles her legs from the edge of the bed.
Then, she slowly stands up.
I almost rushed to help her, but it seems the current Anemone doesn’t need it.
Anemone stands up firmly on her slender legs.
“It’s strange. I feel energy bubbling up from within my body.”
“Nya. I recovered my energy with the Dragon Jewel, nya.”
Nimie joyfully flits around Anemone, who has stood up.
“I have to report to big brother.”
Saying this, Anemone walks out of the room energetically.
I place Nimie on my head and follow Anemone.
Anemone exits the living room, opens the entrance door, and steps outside.
Outside the house is the village plaza, where Anemone’s older brother, Lanissem, is explaining something surrounded by villagers.
“Big brother!”
Anemone’s energetic shout makes everyone in the plaza turn around.
“W-what’s wrong!?”
Lanissem turns and hurries towards Anemone.
“The one from the dragon side…”
Anemone smiles happily as Lanissem takes her hand.
“The one from the dragon side gave me back my strength.”
Tears well up in Anemone’s eyes as she shows a radiant smile.
“What on earth…”
The man looks at me with a troubled expression.
I explain the events in the room to the man and the gathered villagers.
“Something like that… I can’t believe it.”
Everyone expresses their astonishment, touching Anemone’s body in disbelief.
However, Anemone stands firm without swaying even when touched by everyone, which convinces them despite their lingering doubt.
“I had heard that Dragon Jewels are precious items that the Dragon Race gives to those they hold dear as a final gift, but I never imagined they possessed such a mysterious power.”
Even among the Dragon Race, there are things they don’t know about the Dragon Race.
They really say that close yet distant races.
Also, what I noticed this time is that although the Dragon Race and the Dragon People live on Dragon Peak, they don’t exactly live in harmony.
Sometimes the Dragon Race attacks the Dragon People, and vice versa.
“Nya. Humans also divide into Divine, Demon, and Human races and fight. It’s the same, nya.”
“They are the ones who unilaterally oppress us humans.”
“Nya doesn’t understand it well, nya.”
Are there no humans near Nimie’s hometown?
Since she said they protect the Ancient Capital, I imagine it’s a secluded place where they don’t interact much with humans.
“Humans live in the Ancient Capital, nya.”
“Eh, there are people living there?”
“It’s all women, nya. We protect it so men don’t come in, nya.”
What a paradise that sounds like!
A capital city populated only by women, I’d love to visit.
“Tell Mist Older Sister, nya.”
“Ah, no, no. That’s not allowed. It’s a secret between me and Nimie.”
“Nya wants to eat sweet food, nya.”
What a terrifying child. That must be Priscilla-chan’s influence.
While talking with Nimie, the villagers were looking at us with surprise.
“Lanissem is right. A dragon spoke.”
One woman covers her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide.
“Amazing! So cute!”
Several small children crowd around me, trying to grab Nimie on my head.
Nimie, in a panic, takes flight and escapes.
“Ah, it ran away! Wait!”
The children chase after the fleeing Nimie, running around the plaza.
Go, Nimie. If you get caught, you’ll surely be mobbed.
“Nyaaaah!”
Nimie’s scream is heard from a distance.
“Just who are you?”
Lanissem looks at me with curiosity.
Who am I? I’m just a human boy.
I don’t know how to answer, so I just offer an ambiguous smile.
“Could it be you are a messenger of the Dragon God?”
An old woman timidly asks.
“A messenger? What is that? I’m just a human.”
Sleigsta (Old Man) also said something about us being messengers of the Dragon God to Asher, but I didn’t understand what he meant.
At least, I am not a messenger.
Well, if I had to say, I am a boy who studies under Sleigsta (Old Man) in the Dragon Forest, and who is planned to become Mistral’s future husband. But I feel like I shouldn’t say that.
If I did, I feel like this small village would be thrown into chaos.
“Please, at least tell us your name.”
When asked, I realize I haven’t introduced myself to the villagers.
I hurriedly give my name, and from then on, it turned into an introduction session.
It was truly a small settlement.
There were eight able-bodied young men, all of whom had been monitoring the Rotten Dragon in the valley until just a moment ago.
Only women, children, and the elderly remained in the village, and their total number was less than forty.
I learned that the Dragon People live in clans, with most settlements being this size.
It’s smaller than I expected, I realize anew.
Is Mistral’s village also like this?
If so, their daily lives must be vastly different from the impression we’ve received from Mistral.
I think of Mistral and feel a pang of loneliness.
We parted ways just this morning. So many new experiences today, I guess I’m just tired from it all.
The Dragon Jewel has been safely delivered to Anemone, and I’m thinking of heading back when Nimie comes running, meowing.
“We need to go back quickly, nya. Mother is waiting, nya.”
That’s a lie. You just want to escape from being chased, don’t you?
I hug Nimie, who whimpers weakly.
It would be cruel to tease her too much, and I want to go home too. Shall we go?
When I tell them I’m leaving, the villagers stop me.
“Please, let us express our gratitude.”
Anemone grips the hem of my clothes and looks up at me.
Ugh. I’m weak to such gestures from women.
However, Nimie stops my wavering resolve.
“I’ll tell Mist Older Sister, nya.”
“Ugh, please spare me from that.”
Nimie, you’ve got me where it hurts.
I politely decline the villagers’ invitation and head towards the center of the plaza.
There, I release Nimie and ask everyone to stay away from her.
Nimie lets out a meow and returns to her original size.
All the villagers were astonished. Some of the elderly even bowed.
I say my goodbyes to everyone and move to Nimie’s back.
Once I’ve secured myself by wrapping her lifeline-like fur around my body, Nimie soars into the sky.
From high above, I wave, and the villagers wave back in unison.
Anemone waves energetically too.
Thanks to the Dragon Jewel, her sickly body has been healed.
It feels like the only reward from this incident.
I wave goodbye until the village disappears from view, reluctant to part.
I’ll come back someday.
This time, with Mistral, Ruiseine, and Priscilla-chan.
Once the village is out of sight, Nimie dramatically increases her speed, heading towards the valley where Asher is waiting.
As I watch the scenery fly by at high speed, one thing comes to mind.
“Ah! I forgot about Lanissem!”
Damn it. If Lanissem isn’t there, it seems we’ll have trouble when we return to the valley. If Lanissem were here, he could explain about the village and settle the matter.
How am I going to explain this to the men left behind?
“It’ll be fine, nya.”
Nimie’s carefree words make me laugh.
“That’s right. It’ll probably work out.”
I decide to follow Nimie’s carefree attitude and enjoy the passing mountain scenery.
Looking at the scenery from Nimie’s back, I can clearly see that Dragon Peak has a harsh natural environment.
Sheer cliffs, bare rock faces on steep slopes, deep valleys.
The wind must be strong, as the sparse trees grow at an angle.
And beyond Dragon Peak, the world is already turning white.
Here in the Armēdo Kingdom, it’s still harvest season. But in the depths of Dragon Peak, winter has already arrived.
In the Capital City, it hardly snows, yet seeing the peaks of the distant mountains already dyed white, I can’t help but feel how harsh this world is.
As I gaze at Dragon Peak, a white expanse, different from snow, spreads out below me.
It’s the world of white ash created by Asher.
Looking again, the valley covered in ash is far more widespread than I had imagined.
Asher, your destructive power is too much.
What kind of place is this Ancient Capital protected by such a dragon?
A capital city with only women. Why can’t men enter?
I’ll ask Nimie about it someday. I wonder if she’ll tell me? As I’m thinking this, Nimie begins to descend slowly towards where Asher is standing.
Asher is watching us gently from the ground.
Nearby are the stranded people from the Dragon People tribe.
But something is strange.
Nimie lands, and I quickly dismount from her back.
Then I assess the situation.
“Aaaah, Asher, what did you do!?”
All the Dragon People are unconscious.
“What, don’t blame me.”
“No, no, judging by the situation, you’re the cause, Asher.”
“Nyaa.”
Nimie, now small, is trembling.
“I just warned off a foolish wyvern that flew by.”
“Yes, that’s the cause!”
I force a wry smile.
He probably unleashed a warning roar at the wyvern that appeared in the sky.
The Dragon People, who heard it up close, must have fainted from Asher’s intimidation.
“Nya agrees, nya.”
Oh dear, this is problematic. I can’t just leave these unconscious people here.
Now, what should I do? As I’m pondering, Asher strikes the ground with his foreleg.
A low rumble shakes the valley.
“W-what are you doing!?”
I exclaim in surprise and fall backward.
“If they’re unconscious, wake them up.”
As Asher says in his blunt tone, the men who had fainted regain consciousness in surprise.
They look around bewildered and then notice Asher and us, their faces showing distress.
“Um…”
I look for the most reasonable-looking person and explain about the village.
Whether he believed my detailed explanation of the village or was simply intimidated by Asher, the man listened to me honestly.
“So, we’ll be heading back then.”
I declare with a smile.
Without waiting for a reply, I jump onto Asher’s back.
Nimie was already lounging on Asher’s back.
Asher, with me on his back, begins to ascend gracefully.
Then, he accelerates rapidly, leaving the white-dyed valley behind.
Breaking through the clouds, we head towards the Dragon Forest from high in the sky.
“By the way, how are we getting back to Grandpa’s place?”
I wonder if the barrier of the Dragon Forest doesn’t extend to the sky.
“Hmph, the Dragon Forest is like my own backyard. It’s no problem.”
That’s true. Asher didn’t get lost when he came to the Moss Garden either.
He’s been frequenting the place for a long time, so he knows it well.
Below, the scenery quickly turns into a green carpet, and Asher descends.
The sensation that passes by feels like a faint dizziness, and before we know it, we are flying beneath the branches of the Spirit Tree.
Asher slows down and descends further.
Circling the large trunk of the Spirit Tree, Nimie and I spot a familiar black hill ahead.
We’ve returned safely.
Nimie and I exchange smiles.
“By the way, did you bring back souvenirs for the Old Woman of the Mimicho Race?”
“Ahhh, damn it.”
At Asher’s words, Nimie and I grimace simultaneously.
We forgot.
We should have gotten something interesting from the Dragon People’s village.
Oh, what should we do?
Will Priscilla-chan be angry?
Nimie and I, now belatedly, scramble in panic on Asher’s back.
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