We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A visitor from the south.
If we safely discover Slaton and Duranel, who had gone missing, and escort them back to Creacio, that will be the end of this incident!
I wasn’t the only one who thought that.
However, reality was not that simple.
Rather than a complete resolution, this was merely the prelude to the commotion that was about to unfold.
The heroic party of Listea and the others would soon find themselves embroiled in an unprecedented disturbance.
“…So, what do you think?”
“What do I think?! Don’t give me that!”
From within the gaps of Revalia’s ferocious claws, Slaton shouted something.
“But, you see…”
As planned, we parted ways with Mistral in a village west of Dragon Peak.
My companion Sefina, Slaton, and I continued smoothly eastward towards Dragon Peak, nearing the village that served as the eastern search base.
But, that was when it happened.
“It reeks. I smell the Heavenly Race.”
“What!?”
Revalia twitched its nose, acutely sensing a subtle incongruity carried on the wind.
“The Heavenly Race…?”
Unconsciously, I looked up at the sky.
Revalia grumbled unhappily. That’s right. Revalia, the ruler of Dragon Peak’s skies, would never allow outsiders to fly in the sky above it. I reconsidered and looked down at the low altitude.
But, there was no sign of anything resembling it.
“Whoa, what’s up?”
Slaton, who had not mastered the Dragon Heart, sensed the change in mood of the fearsome Wyvern casually grasping him and looked at me with a worried expression.
And so, my thoughts drifted into strange territory.
I returned my thoughts to normal and conveyed to Slaton, who was swaying in the gap of Revalia’s claws.
“Uh, it seems Revalia sensed the presence of the Heavenly Race.”
“The Heavenly Race? Do the Heavenly Race live on Dragon Peak?”
“No, I’ve never heard such a thing.”
I heard that in the southern part of Dragon Peak, there are tribes of the Dragon Race who interact with the Divine Race. However, I’ve never heard from Mistral any rumors about the Divine Race or the Heavenly Race living on Dragon Peak.
Then, I suddenly recalled Lily’s report.
Speaking of which, there was a member of the Heavenly Race who approached the Dragon Forest? Could it be the same person?
“…Troublesome. From here on, return by yourselves. I am going to meet Rim and the others.”
Then, for some reason, Revalia plummeted downwards and, without any further discussion, set us down on the ground.
And, with a fierce flap of its wings, it flew off beyond the clouds.
“What was that?”
Slaton looked bewildered by the sudden change in plans.
I was also a little perplexed.
It was strange. Revalia sensed an outsider’s presence, yet it just let them go.
“Hmm, I have a bad feeling about this. For now, since the village is close, let’s walk from here.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
Slaton seemed to prefer walking on Dragon Peak to being held by Revalia, and started walking, almost completely naked.
“Slaton.”
“Yeah?”
“That’s the wrong direction. If you get lost again, I won’t look for you anymore.”
“I-I’m not lost! I was just testing if you were directionally challenged!”
Hmm, I’ll take your word for it.
Slaton averted his gaze uncomfortably from me, who was grinning mischievously.
Normally, Slaton would resort to violence to restrain me, but he was unusually docile today.
The hardship of being lost and wandering, combined with the sense of indebtedness from being found by us, must have him out of his usual element.
I took the lead and started walking.
Revalia had set us down on the side of the mountain path, so if we followed the road, we would reach the village soon.
However, my unease proved to be well-founded.
“Slaton…”
“Yeah, yeah, what is it? Listea, you look quite dejected.”
Upon arriving at the village, we were greeted by Listea and the Dragon Race people.
However, for some reason, everyone had a sullen expression. Was it because a person with large white wings was among the welcoming party? Or was it because a red-haired man emitting an unusual presence was staring at us with a stern expression?
…It was probably both.
My companion Sefina and I were bewildered by the strange atmosphere, different from when we set out for the search.
Slaton, unable to hide his tension, looked at his partner Listea, perhaps sensing that he was not being welcomed wholeheartedly despite his safe return.
Meanwhile, either oblivious or uncaring of the tense atmosphere, the man with white wings stepped forward and began to stare at Slaton unceremoniously.
He then opened his mouth.
“Are you the esteemed Slaton, retainer to the Human Hero, your tall stature suggesting it?”
“I’m not a retainer, I’m his partner!”
Slaton, indignant at the baseless assertion, retorted. The winged man gave a wry smile as if troubled.
“Oh dear, my apologies. However, I observe that the humans residing on this side live in nudity? How primitive.”
“It’s not like I *want* to be naked!”
Come to think of it, Slaton was almost naked.
While his private parts were protected, he was otherwise only equipped with his long sword. I had intended to ask for a full explanation once we returned to the village, and hadn’t confirmed this until now. But to begin with, why was he almost completely naked?
Listea and the others also seemed concerned that Slaton had torn his clothes, and tilted their heads.
“…A-anyway. Slaton, these people here seem to have something they need from you.”
Slaton directed overt hostility towards the winged man’s rude remarks. However, he did not make any careless movements. What was restraining Slaton from immediately resorting to violence was the red-haired man standing behind the winged man.
And the one who stepped in to ease the tense atmosphere was the hero, Listea.
Listea gestured towards the winged man and the red-haired man.
Indeed, the presence of these two was creating tension throughout the village. Our gazes naturally gathered towards the two indicated by Listea.
“It is my apologies. As you can see, I am Lūvent, of the Heavenly Race. And this gentleman here is my master, Alex, the Fighting God.”
“The Heavenly Race!”
“The Fighting God?!”
My companion Sefina and I were stunned by the introduction of the Heavenly Race member, Lūvent.
It seemed to be common knowledge to everyone except us, who had just arrived, along with Sefina and Slaton. And yet, the Heavenly Race. I had already suspected it when I saw the white wings, but the feeling of knowing something and being confronted with the undeniable truth were vastly different.
Furthermore…
“Uh, when you say Fighting God…?”
“My apologies, my attendant spoke in a way that may cause misunderstanding. The Fighting God was an ancestor of mine from a distant past; I myself am merely a member of the Divine Race living in the countryside.”
“The Divine Race!”
The shock of seeing the Heavenly Race for the first time vanished in an instant. To think that we would encounter a member of the Divine Race on the same day!
I looked at Alex, the member of the Divine Race, once more.
His long, straight red hair was tied back. He was as tall as the lanky Slaton. His noble and refined features, along with his well-proportioned and beautiful physique, informed us that he was no ordinary member of the Divine Race living in the frontier. His demeanor was incomparably calm. Yet, he possessed a profound presence, rivaling that of the surrounding Dragon Race. That alone made it clear that he was no ordinary individual.
And, the Fighting God. I had heard a little about the “Fighting God” from the Giant Demon Lord before. If Alex was that Fighting God, or perhaps a descendant, then he was indeed not an ordinary member of the Divine Race.
However, as this was my first encounter with a member of the Divine Race, I could not discern whether the aura and atmosphere Alex exuded were unique to the Divine Race or a testament to his own power.
“Lord Slaton, is it true that you were abducted by mist?”
To save his master the effort, Lūvent, the attendant, took it upon himself to continue the conversation. Lūvent was a petite man, aside from his wings. His height was probably about the same as mine. However, his wings were incredibly large. Including his folded wings, he was taller than the tall Slaton and Alex. I wondered how large they would be if he spread them. Like the birds that freely soar through the vast sky, Lūvent possessed wings far larger than his body. His pure white wings were exquisitely beautiful, and his feathers seemed as valuable as jewels. His gentlemanly conduct was befitting an attendant of the Divine Race. His friendly smile could disarm anyone. However, his words were somewhat problematic. He probably didn’t mean it, but he seemed to convey an air of looking down on Slaton and the Human Race.
“I am Slaton, and you ain’t wrong. But I ain’t happy about being ‘abducted by mist’.”
Slaton, perhaps sensing the hidden barbs in Lūvent’s words, replied grumpily. Beside him, I also had a question mark floating above my head.
Abducted by mist? What in the world did that mean?
Both Cerise-chan and Naimi, whom we reunited with in the village, also felt something strange about the dense fog during Slaton’s disappearance. Perhaps something had progressed during our absence. And perhaps the awkward atmosphere displayed by Listea and the Dragon Race people was due to that.
Hmm, Lūvent the Heavenly Race member nodded at Slaton’s words.
“Then, Lord Slaton, you are indeed the host of the Mist Monster.”
“What?”
Before Slaton could demand an explanation, a long spear materialized in Lūvent’s hand as he muttered something.
“Finally, I’ve caught up. Now, Mist Monster, let yourself be subdued!”
With those words, Lūvent spread his wings and charged Slaton with his long spear!
“!”
The sudden attack from Lūvent made everyone in the vicinity gasp for breath. However, it did not result in bloodshed. A sharp metallic clang echoed through the village.
“Wait, Lord Lūvent. That’s not what we agreed upon!”
It was the hero Listea who stopped Lūvent’s charge. Listea stepped between Slaton and Lūvent, parrying the long spear with her Holy Sword.
“Hey, hey, a surprise attack like this won’t work on me.”
Behind Listea, Slaton wore a defiant smile like a villain.
“Slaton, retract your killing intent. Both of you, sheathe your blades!”
Listea was not protecting Slaton. If she had allowed Lūvent’s surprise attack to continue, Slaton would have undoubtedly retaliated. And in that case, blood would have surely been shed. Whether it was Slaton’s or Lūvent’s blood, I didn’t know.
“Lūvent, stand down. I will not permit needless disturbances within a village inhabited by the Dragon Race.”
“Lord Alex, but…”
Even though Listea blocked him, Lūvent continued to direct hostility towards Slaton. However, upon being cautioned by his master, Alex of the Divine Race, he showed confusion.
“Even you, formidable as you are, cannot fight against a warrior of the Dragon Race. Furthermore…”
Alex’s gaze was fixed on me, not on the volatile situation. Slaton didn’t need help. Listea was there as well. Therefore, from the moment Lūvent made his move, my attention had been on Alex.
“Young Human, may I have your name?”
“Eight Dragon Kings, Elnea Eris.”
“I see, so you are…”
At my introduction, Alex smiled with interest. Then, Lūvent’s face twitched, and he sheathed the tip of his long spear.
“We have heard much about you from the people of the southern Dragon Race.”
“This boy who is barely old enough to know better…?”
“Lūvent?”
“My apologies. The previous rudeness was indeed a lapse in judgment unbecoming of the Heavenly Race, particularly with my target before me.”
Lowering his long spear, Lūvent bowed deeply. His apology seemed genuine. But, as always, his words carried a sting. Since he probably didn’t mean any harm, his way of speaking would likely continue to be a challenge.
“W-well. Let’s just say what happened just now was a misunderstanding.”
“Hey, Elnea. Are you just going to brush this off as a misunderstanding because it involves me?”
“No, it’s not like that. To keep the conversation going, Slaton, please calm down. …So, what is going on?”
He attacked me out of the blue. I understood Slaton’s anger. However, I needed you to endure this for now. Otherwise, without understanding, we might end up having to oppose Alex and Lūvent.
Appeased by his partner Listea, Slaton reluctantly sheathed his long sword. Confirming this, I proceeded with the questions.
What exactly is the Mist Monster? What does it mean for Slaton to be its host? Why have the Divine Race and the Heavenly Race appeared on Dragon Peak?
The story that Lūvent recounted thereafter would turn my wild speculations into reality. The heroic party of Listea and the others would soon embark on an unprecedentedly harsh and arduous path.
