We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A difficult journey between a human and an earth dragon.
The dense forest itself seemed to emanate an unusual presence, carrying an uncanny sense of the unknown.
Slaton and Duranel carefully cleared the grass as they slowly advanced.
“Tch. Where in the world are we? Where did Listea and the others go?”
“Grrr. I can’t sense them at all. They’re not nearby, are they?”
Duranel responded to Slaton’s monologue. However, Slaton couldn’t decipher Duranel’s intent.
The human and the earth dragon proceeded through the dense forest, checking their footing.
It was the height of summer. Slaton wiped the sweat, which poured out like pearls, with his dirty hand towel.
The tattered hand towel might have originally been an outer garment.
Slaton gripped the hand towel, stained a dark, bloodied black, as blood seeped into it. For some reason, he was almost completely naked.
“Damn that bastard. Give me back my clothes!”
“Give them back? You only damaged them with your pathetic fighting, didn’t you?”
Apparently, Slaton and Duranel had just faced someone.
Upon closer inspection, Slaton’s lean, muscular body was covered in countless injuries.
Some patches of his skin were bright red as if burned, and in other places, it was raw and festering, as if scalded by boiling water.
Duranel’s black scales were also riddled with wounds.
“Seriously, where is this place…?”
Duranel muttered the same words repeatedly, eventually ceasing to react, looking exasperated.
Although his clothes were severely damaged, Slaton seemed to have not lost his precious long sword.
He slashed through the weeds and branches blocking their path with his long sword, creating a way forward.
Slaton took the lead, with Duranel following close behind.
Normally, it would seem more efficient for Duranel, with his larger body than a human, to lead the way.
However, it appeared they had a division of roles.
Slaton visually scouted the front, while Duranel guarded their blind spot in the rear.
It was good cooperation.
This was a dangerous forest, overrun by fearsome dragons and cunning magic beasts.
They could be ambushed from the shade of the bushes, the sky, or even from underground.
By having Duranel, the earth dragon with superior danger-sensing abilities to the human Slaton, guard their rear, they were able to advance, albeit slowly but steadily.
However, this was, after all, the heart of harsh nature.
It was a place where terrifying events could occur, unimaginable to those born and raised on flatlands.
“Slaton, stop!”
Duranel growled a warning.
Although unable to understand the words, Slaton perceived the warning aura emanating from Duranel and stopped. Gripping his long sword tighter, he cautiously scanned his surroundings.
The chirping of birds. The calls of animals. The sound of the wind flowing through the forest.
Normally, this would be pleasant natural music, but for Slaton and Duranel, it likely sounded no more than a disturbing ringing in their ears.
“Tch…”
Slaton clicked his tongue softly.
He had probably gone through similar experiences countless times before. Unseen enemies. Sudden ambushes.
Several days had passed since they were separated from their companions, Listea and the others.
How many times had they felt life-threatening danger and overcome it?
If Slaton had been alone, he might not have survived.
“Duranel, let’s go. We should be able to descend the mountain soon.”
“I can only hope it’s a land where people’s presence can be sensed.”
Slaton, his nerves on edge from Duranel’s vigilance, nevertheless knew they couldn’t remain frozen indefinitely.
He instinctively realized that they could not escape this predicament without moving forward.
They resumed their movement at an extremely slow pace, never letting down their guard.
Slaton didn’t know how many breaths he took with each step.
Slaton and Duranel were descending a mountainside where dense vegetation grew.
Looking back to the east, they could see an endless expanse of rugged mountainous terrain.
However, where Slaton pointed his toes, there were no more steep cliffs or precipices.
The forest seemed to extend endlessly, but there was no mountainside visible. This alone might have brought them some relief.
But hope was swiftly replaced by despair.
“Slaton!!”
Duranel barked sharply.
“Uooohh!!”
Amidst a pathetic scream, Slaton somehow managed to react to the terrifying situation.
Beyond the layers upon layers of branches and leaves overhead, a sliver of the summer blue sky was visible.
That midsummer sky was suddenly torn apart, and a dark abyss appeared.
“Three more tasty lives.”
Then, the giant monster’s hands extended from the darkness that had violently split the sky, descending upon them.
These hands, resembling spider limbs, plunged towards Slaton and Duranel.
Slaton and Duranel scrambled to escape.
With a thud that shook the earth, the colossal spider hands slammed into the ground.
“Wh-wha…!?”
“Gnnnh, wh-what is this!?”
Slaton and Duranel were stunned by the impossible sight of spider hands falling from the sky.
However, the owner of the spider hands seemed unconcerned with the scene below, pulling its terrestrial hand back into the abyss.
“Wh-wha, wha? Wh-wha?”
It seemed his mind had gone blank.
Slaton, uttering inarticulate sounds, looked back and forth between the sky, the hole in the ground, and Duranel.
“This is no good. We can’t go any further.”
Despite being a young dragon, Duranel possessed superior intelligence to humans.
Sensing the danger instinctively, he pulled his partner Slaton, attempting to retreat the way they came.
However, Slaton seemed to have a different idea.
“Na-na, na-na!”
What he was saying was incomprehensible, but it was clear he was resisting Duranel’s attempt to turn back.
“Nn!”
Slaton broke free from Duranel’s restraint and began to descend the slope again.
“Three more little souls, not even enough to sate my hunger.”
“Naaaahhhh—-!!”
For the third time, the sky split open, and spider legs descended. Slaton fled, and Duranel was caught along with him.
The spider legs gouged the ground mercilessly before being pulled back into the sky.
“Na na!”
“Hey, stop it!”
Slaton pointed at the sky. Then, he started walking forward again.
Duranel desperately tried to stop him, but Slaton continued to move.
“Three more souls, not even enough to whet my appetite.”
“Na naaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!”
The third time. However, this time, it was slightly different from before.
Slaton didn’t run.
He waved his arms wildly, as if appealing to the sky, and shouted. Then, the colossal spider hand descended mercilessly.
“Naaaaaaaah…”
“Slaton, you idiot!!”
At that moment, I couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out from the bushes!
“Nn!?”
“What!?”
Slaton and Duranel stared in astonishment as I suddenly appeared from the nearby bushes.
They even forgot about the terrifying spider hand descending from the sky.
However, the colossal spider hand did not impale Slaton, Duranel, and me.
“Welcome back, Elnea-kun.”
“Hi, Teruru-chan, hello. But I’m not back yet, you know?”
I greeted the sky.
That’s right. The one tearing open the sky and bringing down its colossal legs was Teruru-chan, the Thousand-Handed Spider that guarded the forbidden territory. And the fact that Teruru-chan was attacking Slaton and Duranel like this meant…
“This area beyond is the forbidden territory. Those without permission cannot enter.”
Saying that, Teruru-chan disappeared into the darkness, entrusting the rest to me. The sky returned to normal, and clouds drifted by.
“Na?”
“Slaton, you bit your tongue from shock, didn’t you? Licking this will heal your wounds.”
As I spoke, I took out a viscous ointment from a small jar.
“Th-thank you for saving me. But what is this?”
It’s better not to ask about the identity of this secret medicine? I smiled vaguely and applied the ointment from the small jar all over Slaton’s body. His wounds healed visibly.
“Duranel, don’t move.”
Shortly after me, Mistral emerged from the bushes. He then proceeded to apply medicine to us as well.
“Honestly. What were you two doing?”
Finally, as Sefina appeared, Slaton suddenly slumped down as if all his strength had vanished.
“I-I’m saved…?”
“We were all worried about you!”
Especially Crucio!
There are many things I want to say, many questions I want to ask and investigate. But those can wait, right?
First, let’s rejoice that Slaton and Duranel are safe.
I hugged Slaton, celebrating our reunion. Slaton, without any of his usual antics, simply showed his relief.
“But still, what was that? Sis, were you really being foolish towards Teruru-chan?”
Sefina, who was questioning Slaton, wore a smile on her face.
“N-no, Sefina-sama. Duranel didn’t notice, but I knew immediately. That spider-like magic beast… I think I saw it during Elnea and Mistral’s wedding ceremony.”
“Ah, so that’s why you were waving your hands?”
“I bit my tongue and couldn’t speak properly! Besides, what are you guys doing here!?”
When I handed him a tube filled with water, Slaton drank it down greedily. It seemed he was injured, but he looked energetic.
“Well, you see. We…”
Based on rumors circulating among the dragons living west of Dragon Peak, we had been searching various areas.
Soon after, we detected a suspicious presence near the border of the northern Dragon Peak, in a place called Dragon’s Mausoleum, which bordered the eastern part of the forbidden territory.
So, we approached cautiously, just in case, to confirm who it was.
Because even after confirming Slaton and Duranel with my own eyes, I could hardly believe it.
While it was a very slim possibility, I had kept it in the back of my mind, but I never expected that those who went missing in the east of Dragon Peak would actually move west within a few days.
I wasn’t observing Slaton and Duranel’s actions, not at all.
Slaton grumbled, “If you found us, hurry up and join us.” However, I, who knew him well, understood that this was his way of expressing gratitude despite his foul mouth. But sometimes, one’s mouth also needs to be honest.
“Treat your benefactors with more respect.”
Slaton, hit on the butt by Duranel’s tail, gave an awkward, wry smile.
“In any case, if we’ve found you safe and sound, let’s head back. We can discuss what happened then, can’t we?”
“Mistral is right. Crucio is distraught. So, we need to show him your cheerful faces soon.”
“O-oh.”
Hearing Crucio’s name, Slaton’s expression became serious. Surely, just as Crucio was worried about them, Slaton was also concerned about everyone else’s safety.
At my instruction, Duranel moved into Slaton’s shadow.
After confirming this, I signaled to the sky, and Revalia flew towards us.
“Whoa!”
I, Mistral, and Sefina-san mounted Revalia’s back. However, Slaton alone was not allowed to ride. Slaton, held grudgingly by Revalia, was lifted into the air.
“Revalia, please stop by the base village on the way. We need to report to the other collaborators and Lyra who are still searching.”
“Then should we send Slaton back alone?”
“That won’t work, will it? Revalia will pout if you’re not there.”
“I see!”
“Hmph, saying whatever you please.”
“Ouch ouch ouch, aren’t you holding on too tight!?”
Slaton’s displeasure towards us seemed to have been reflected onto him.
Held by Revalia’s ferocious grip, Slaton turned even paler than when he was wandering Dragon Peak.
