We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Jiludo the Stone Carver
The day after I received the letter, I immediately decided to head north of the capital city where Mr. Jiludo supposedly lived.
In the center of the capital city stands the Royal Castle. To the north of the castle is a sturdy fortress to prepare for surprise attacks by wyverns, and there is also a military encampment.
The south is the residential area for the capital’s citizens, the east is the commercial district, and the west is a town of craftsmen producing goods; this is a rough breakdown of how people live in the capital.
However, not everyone living in the northern part of the capital is a soldier, nor does living in the west automatically make someone a craftsman.
It’s merely a general division of areas.
Therefore, Jiludo is probably not a soldier.
Or rather, since he’s likely of the Dragon Race, I don’t think he would join the army of the Armēdo Kingdom.
Bypassing the Royal Castle, I stepped into the northern district.
The north, unlike the splendor of the south and east, presents a robust and rugged appearance to most observers.
It seems that defense is prioritized over attractiveness, likely due to the possibility of wyvern attacks.
Guided by the map given to me with the letter, I proceeded through the maze-like streets.
I wondered why they didn’t build wider, larger roads in the north, since it’s a military base. Perhaps there are circumstances I’m unaware of.
Walking with the map in hand, feeling half like a tourist, I observed the northern district. Although many people were coming and going, I sensed a prevalence of stern-looking men. I had rarely visited the northern part of the capital before, so I was excited by this new discovery of how different the atmosphere could be within the same city. But in the next moment, the gravity of the trial awaiting me tightened my heart.
If I fail this trial, I’ll have to part ways with Mistral. I can’t afford to let that happen. I don’t want to lose Mistral.
Why are there such strict conditions for a trial that only involves retrieving an item? I wonder what Sleigsta (Old Man) was thinking when he imposed this trial on me. Also, the fact that Mistral has agreed to this situation fuels my anxiety. Does Mistral want to part with me? Or does Mistral trust me, believing I won’t fail? I hope it’s the latter.
I didn’t tell Ruiseine about the trial. I didn’t want to worry her, nor did I want to reveal my own dejected inner turmoil, agitated by the trial’s conditions. So, when I met Ruiseine at school this morning, we just had a normal conversation.
Lost in thought, I continued walking, and the houses became more sparse. The northern outer wall came into view ahead.
The outer wall is only being dismantled on the east side. The other three sides still have robust outer walls, but the northern one is the most fortified. The outer wall, combined with the fortress, reaches a height that makes me look up. It might even be twice as tall as the triumphal arch remaining on the east side. The map indicated that Jiludo lives along this outer wall. The location of Jiludo’s residence is depicted with Mistral’s distinctive meticulous handwriting and drawings, so I could navigate without getting lost. Near the outer wall, the houses became even more sparse. This is likely because wyverns attack. Few people would willingly choose to live in such a dangerous place. Continuing further according to the map, in front of a vacant lot scattered with various large and small rocks and stones, I saw a dilapidated stone house. This is it, no doubt. I couldn’t possibly be mistaken. After all, there wasn’t another house in sight. Dodging the scattered rocks, I reached the target house. Is this where Jiludo lives? My body tensed with nervousness as I knocked on the entrance door. Is Jiludo a difficult person? Sleigsta (Old Man) told me to retrieve a certain item, and simultaneously warned me that it would be a difficult trial. A difficult trial just to get an item… I suspect Jiludo must be someone with a particular reason for this. Is he stubborn? Eccentric? As I waited, wondering what kind of person he was, no one unfortunately appeared from the house. Mumumu. Is he out? Calling Jiludo’s name, I knocked on the door again. However, there was no reaction. This is troublesome. I hadn’t anticipated him not being home. Perhaps meeting him is difficult in itself? While checking if the house was truly deserted, I went around to the back of the stone house. “Ah.” He was there. An old man in shabby clothing was sitting still, holding a rock in his hand. That’s odd. I felt no presence at all. If he were behind the house, I should have been able to sense his presence. “Um, are you Jiludo?” I cautiously called out to the old man who was motionless with a rock in his hand. The old man reacted to my voice. “Hmm, it’s rare for someone to visit here.” The old man who turned around had untamed beard and hair, appearing to be someone who pays no attention to his outward appearance. “Are you Jiludo? I was referred here by someone.” “I am indeed Jiludo. By whose introduction, may I ask?” Jiludo responded to my formal demeanor with a gentle smile. He seemed like a very kind old man, completely different from the strange person I had imagined. Did I worry too much? I breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. “Yes, I have a letter of introduction.” I handed Mistral’s letter to Jiludo, who had approached me. Jiludo accepted the letter with a smile, opened it, and began to read the contents. Could this person really be of the Dragon Race? Jiludo in front of me seemed to have less energy than any of the Dragon Race people I met on Dragon Peak. Was I mistaken about him being of the Dragon Race? Sleigsta (Old Man) didn’t mention that Jiludo was of the Dragon Race. Since he’s someone Mistral went to the trouble of writing a letter to, perhaps I was just assuming he was of the Dragon Race. “Hmm, an introduction from the Dragon Princess,” Jiludo said, gazing into my eyes. He was about my height. Since I am shorter than average, the old man would also be short. “I always thought someone would visit here eventually, but I never expected such a cute boy of the Human Race to come. It’s good to live a long life,” Jiludo said, offering me a gentle smile. I couldn’t help but smile back. “I understand your circumstances and situation well from the letter.” Jiludo beckoned me into the house. Without hesitation, I followed Jiludo inside. The inside of the house was simple, not much different from Anemone’s house on Dragon Peak. The most basic, old furniture. The floor was bare earth, with a mat laid out on it. There was only one room, with the bed and the candlestick all in the same space. It was far simpler than my own home, which I admit is not wealthy. However, within this simple setting, one object stood out as utterly out of place, displayed above the fireplace. A sword. It was what one might call a curved sword; a single, long, slender sword with a curve, decorated with great care. “Well, first of all, thank you for coming all this way.” Jiludo poured water from a pitcher and handed it to me. I thanked him and gratefully drank it. That’s right. From me living in the south of the capital city to Jiludo’s residence in the northernmost part of the northern district, there is actually quite a distance. That’s why I traveled here by circulating Dragon Energy throughout my body part of the way. If I hadn’t used Dragon Energy, I would have probably had to travel overnight. “I know why you came here from the letter,” Jiludo continued, waiting for me to catch my breath. Ah, I haven’t introduced myself. “Um, my name is Elnea Eris. I apologize for the late self-introduction.” “Hmm. Elnea. A good name,” Jiludo smiled. He is truly a kind person. Why does such a kind person live in such a dangerous place in the north? And why is it a difficult task to get something from him? “Since you have come here by the Dragon Princess’s introduction, I suppose I must entrust it to you.” Jiludo picked up the curved sword displayed above the fireplace. “However,” Jiludo then picked up a straight sword that was carelessly placed on the fireplace. “However, I cannot give it to you unconditionally.” He then threw the straight sword towards me. “Now, let’s have a match. If you can take one point from me, I will give you my greatest treasure.” Looking back and forth between the straight sword I received and Jiludo, I was bewildered by the sudden turn of events. “The letter mentioned you are a dual-wielder. I apologize, but I will use what I normally use, so feel free to use it.” “Um, but…” “If you are a dual-wielder, then wield two swords. I am not so weak as to be held back by a youth.” Jiludo maintained his gentle smile, but his eyes had gained a sharper edge. “Well then, let’s go outside at once. The letter said the deadline is by the end of this year. I have no intention of going easy on you, so you’d better hurry.” How much does the letter explain? Does it detail me as well? And if I need to hurry even with the end of the year deadline, does that mean Jiludo is an exceptionally skilled swordsman? I hurried outside the house. “There is no one else here. You can fight to your heart’s content.” Jiludo was already outside, sword in hand. The curved sword, with its beautiful rippling pattern, gleamed blindingly in the light of the setting sun. “Are we really going to have a match?” “Yes. I cannot give my treasure to someone unworthy. If you cannot take even one point from an old man like me by the end of this year, then you should give up on many things.” His words, so stern despite his smile, chilled me to the bone. I had let my guard down, thinking him a gentle old man. So that’s how it is. I have to fight this old man and win. Did Sleigsta (Old Man) know who this old man was and say it was difficult because he thought I wouldn’t be able to win? Can I win against this old man? He looks gentle, and apart from the sharpness in his gaze, he doesn’t seem imposing. “Well, what is it?” Hurried by Jiludo, I hastily readied my weapons. In my right hand, the borrowed straight sword. In my left, my usual Spirit Tree Wooden Sword. The straight sword felt a bit heavy, but perhaps I could handle it with one hand using Dragon Energy. Jiludo narrowed his eyes as he looked at my stance. “It’s written in the letter. Dragon Sword Dance, is it? Let me see it.” Saying that, Jiludo lunged into my interval. Having readied my weapon, I was not letting my guard down. I responded to Jiludo’s lunge by sweeping the straight sword horizontally. It was imbued with Dragon Energy. I thought this would deflect Jiludo’s attack. But it was I who was repelled. As my posture was broken, he thrust forward without delay. I stumbled, unable to fully block, and fell onto my backside. The tip of the curved sword was pointed at my face. I was stunned by the speed of the events. “If this were a real fight, you would be dead,” Jiludo’s stern words made me gasp. “Why did you come here? What resolution did you bring? You cannot win against me with such a half-hearted spirit.” I had been swayed by Jiludo’s aura and had let my guard down. That’s right, this is a trial that must be taken seriously. Sleigsta (Old Man) said it was difficult and gave me a long deadline for a reason. Jiludo seems far stronger than he looks. I regained my composure and stood up. “Once more, please!” And this time, I attacked.
