We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 746

We live at the foothills of the Dragon Peaks.

Momo and the World

“Well then, have a good trip.”

As usual, I was sent off by Mistral and mounted on Nimia’s back.

I had received a request from Grandpa, the elder of the Mimicho Race, to go to the Forbidden Territory to pick up Priscilla-chan.

Grandma Yuuri and her parents had moved to the Forbidden Territory, but Priscilla-chan is still a Mimicho of the Dragon Forest.
And she is destined to become the next tribal chief once she has grown.
So, although Priscilla-chan, who usually travels freely with us, was asked to return to her village properly during the New Year holidays and spend time with everyone. This was the wish of Grandpa Shirohige, who was entrusted with the village as elder.

“Sometimes, I wish I could ride on Revalia’s back?”
“Hmph. Don’t be so familiar. My wings are not cheap.”
“While saying that, you were enjoying a walk in the sky with Laira this morning, weren’t you?”
“Shut up, do you want to be eaten?”
“I envy Laira.”
“Hahahaha! Elnea-sama, then next time, together!”
“Heh, don’t invite him. We’ll get caught up in the commotion.”

But, as usual, we couldn’t depart easily.

“Elnea-kun, we’ll come with you.”
“Elnea-kun, take us with you.”
“Yufi and Nina will stay behind. If you two accompany us, it might cause a commotion.”
“Mist is saying something cruel.”
“Mist is saying something sad.”

Yufilia and Nina grabbed Nimia’s long tail, trying to prevent us from taking flight. Mistral tried to pull them off with a wry smile.

“Sisters, please stop. Elnea-kun is in trouble.”
“Oh, Sefina. Is work good?”
“Oh, Sefina. Is work good?”
“Ugh…”
“Unmarried royalty must have a lot of official duties during the New Year.”
“Unmarried princesses have a lot of events to attend during the New Year.”

Yufilia and Nina, resisting Mistral, directed triumphant smiles at Sefina.
By marrying me, they could prioritize their life with me over their duties as princesses.
However, Sefina, who was still considered unmarried despite their future being promised, had to prioritize her duties as royalty.
And amidst this festive commotion, royalty was extremely busy with events and festivals, dashing here and there.

Sefina herself was also extremely busy, being called upon for banquets held every night at the royal palace and also attending gatherings of adventurers.
It was precisely for this reason that Sefina had come all the way to see me off.
However, in the end, she would end up being busy as the suppressor of her elder twin queens, Yufilia and Nina.

“It’s noisy from the morning. You’ll be back again tomorrow anyway, right? Even so, it’s as lively as ever.”
“Gahahaha. Zan, don’t underestimate them? Elnea and the little ones of the Mimicho Race are together. Can they really return on schedule?”
“That’s right. It’s the strongest combination, isn’t it?”

Then, Zan, Id, and Milly-chan arrived and joined the commotion.
Furthermore, all the Dragon Race people also came.

“I bet a cow that you won’t be back by tomorrow.”
“Five deer for causing a commotion on Dragon Peak.”
“Then, three boars for involving the people of the plains.”
“Hey, hey! What do you guys think of me?!”

And they started betting without permission.
Come on, isn’t there anyone betting that I’ll return safely and uneventfully?!

The Great Eagle looked down on us from the sky, already noisy before our departure.

That’s right. We’re going to have the Great Eagle accompany us.
I need to tell Momo-chan the location of the Forbidden Territory and the mansion.

Ultimately, I missed the opportunity to confirm Momo-chan’s wishes after that.
Now, what are Momo-chan’s thoughts on her future life?
I need to have a proper talk with her.

Once we start moving, the Great Eagle should also leap onto Nimia’s back.
After all, Nimia’s flight capabilities are significantly superior to those of the Great Eagle.
I’ll have a proper conversation then.

“Come on, Yufi and Nina, let go already. Otherwise, you’ll have to help with the serving duty?”
“Mist, you’re cruel. We are also contributors to the subjugation of the Evil Race.”
“Mist, you’re cruel. We are also warriors who stood up to protect humankind.”
“You are princesses, so it’s only natural!”

Sefina said, “It’s your job to even commend everyone who cooperated,” leaving Yufilia and Nina with no room to retort.
After all, one of my wives, Ruiseine, was still serving at the Great Shrine.

Reluctantly, Yufilia and Nina released Nimia’s tail.

“Elnea-kun, I’m expecting souvenirs.”
“Elnea-kun, I’m looking forward to your return.”
“You’re saying the same thing as Priscilla-chan!”

If Priscilla-chan doesn’t grow up properly, Yufilia and Nina will have a big influence on her!

“That’s not true, nyaa. Elnea’s older brother’s influence is the biggest, nyaa.”
“Gah!”

While exchanging such banter, Nimia, with me on her back, took to the skies.
On the ground, everyone waved their hands and tails to see us off.
As we ascended to a height where we could overlook the capital city, we saw people looking up at the sky, making it lively from the morning.
Nimia is also large, and her appearance is beautiful.

“Even if you praise me, nothing will come out, nyaa.”
“No, it’s the truth.”

Nimia slowly ascended.
Then, at the opportune moment, the Great Eagle flew over.

“Good morning, Momo-chan.”
“…”
“Oh dear?”
“…”

It seems Momo-chan was still asleep.
Even when Momo-chan is asleep, the Great Eagle, materialized by magic, behaves as if it were real.
Since there was nothing else I could do, I hugged the Great Eagle.
The Great Eagle did not resist and was held by me obediently.
The Great Eagle’s claws are sharp, so if it clung to Nimia, it would hurt. That’s why I hold it like this during our journey.

“Well then, here we go nyaa~n.”

Once we were above the clouds, Nimia began to accelerate westward.
The scenery on the ground began to flow by.
In the blink of an eye, we flew past the capital city and entered the airspace above Dragon Peak.

Snow was piling up on the highlands of Dragon Peak.
However, it wasn’t as much as on the Heavenly Mountain Range. After all, there was no snow in the lower parts of the valleys or in the forest areas yet.
Even so, if we advanced further in, the entire landscape would turn into snow.

It’s cold this year!
On a winter like this, I want to stay warm and cozy in front of the fireplace while drinking hot tea.

“Grandpa nyaa.”
“Foh, foh, foh. Nimia, it’s alright to ride on my head, you know?”
“Nyaa wants to be warm and cozy with Priscilla nyaan.”
“Ah, traitor!”

While having such a conversation, the Great Eagle I was holding in my arms opened its eyes.

“I woke up in the sky.”
“Oh, Momo-chan. Good morning.”
“Good morning… munya, munya.”
“Waa! Don’t fall asleep. Look, we’ve started moving towards the Forbidden Territory. We’re flying west from our family mansion, and now we’re above Dragon Peak.”

I need to explain the route to the sleeping Momo-chan.
If I don’t, she won’t understand the geography.
In response to my explanation, Momo-chan checked the scenery through the Great Eagle’s eyes.

“Is it far?”
“If Nimia takes you, you’ll arrive by early afternoon.”

The scenery flowed by at high speed below us.
I pointed out the names of the high mountains and the villages of the Dragon Race we passed, explaining where we were flying over Dragon Peak.
The Great Eagle listened to my explanation, gazing down at Dragon Peak.

“…By the way, Momo-chan. About yesterday’s continuation…”

After explaining for a while, I changed the topic to the main issue.
The Great Eagle turned its head and looked at me directly.

“I’ll ask again, Momo-chan, do you ever think about living with everyone?”

With any other person, I think I would have wholeheartedly agreed with whatever answer they gave.
But how about this?
If Momo-chan, who protects the Heavenly Mountain Range and defends the human cultural sphere from the threat of demons, said she wanted to descend the mountain.
What could I do?

I braced myself, wondering what answer I would receive, even though I was the one who asked. Whether she knew it or not, Momo-chan conveyed her thoughts through the Great Eagle.

“I want to be with Mikan.”
“Mikan!?”
“Ugh… I also named a friend.”
“Ah! That, you mean the Great Eagle?”

There was a real Great Eagle on the Heavenly Mountain Range that Momo-chan shared food with, wasn’t there?
Momo-chan named that friend, just as I did.
Still, Mikan…

“It’s Elnea’s older brother’s bad influence, nyaa.”
“Impossible!”

No, no, more importantly now.
I urged Momo-chan to continue without interrupting her.

“I’ve seen people’s lives many times before.”
“I see, that’s right. You’ve been flying around searching for the witch, haven’t you?”

Magic is not omnipotent.
I cannot cast remote magic in a place I don’t know, and I cannot project a place I haven’t been to onto a crystal.
The reason the permanent snowfield appeared on Momo-chan’s crystal was because of a past attempt to send a Great Eagle to find the witch.

In that case, inevitably, she must have seen various villages, towns, and cities before.
And she must have glimpsed the lives of the people.
However, Momo-chan never descended the Heavenly Mountain Range.

“When I flew east, I thought the demons were terrible. I saw many treating other races as slaves. So, demons are enemies. But people in the west didn’t look very happy either?”
“Is that so?”
“Everyone looked poor. The land was barren, and there wasn’t much food. They lived in fear of monsters and slave hunters.”
“Ehh!? There are demon slave hunters even west of the Heavenly Mountain Range?”
“No, it’s different. The ones hunting slaves were from the Winged Tribe.”

I think I’ve heard of it before.
There is a country of the Winged Tribe in the southern part of the Heavenly Mountain Range.
But I never imagined that even the Winged Tribe would hunt humans as slaves.

“I thought the west, with the Temple City where the Miko Queen resides, was peaceful and prosperous. Perhaps the environment here is harsher than on this side?”

The story about the barren land was new to me.
Perhaps the climate is also cold due to the permanent snowfield in the north?

“I don’t know much about the south. But near the mountains and the Temple City, it was poor.”
“Have you flown to the Temple City, Momo-chan?”

I wonder what kind of place the Temple City is.
The Miko Queen lives there. It must be a splendid place.
However, I’m concerned about the barren land she mentioned.
Momo-chan tilted her head through the Great Eagle’s head in response to my question.

“I couldn’t go higher than the sky. It was surrounded by a strong barrier, and my magic couldn’t get close.”
“Hou hou, a barrier.”

A barrier strong enough to repel Momo-chan’s magic must be protecting the Temple City.
Well, since the Miko Queen is there, it’s only natural.

“But I saw it from afar. It looked like a mountain.”
“A mountain, huh.”

I had imagined it as a capital city centered around a great shrine, like a castle town. But it seems the real Temple City is different.
“Like a mountain” implies a unique, three-dimensionally spread-out appearance, rather than a flat, spread-out city.

It sparks my interest greatly.
Someday, I’d like to take Ruiseine there.
But that’s a matter for another day.
What’s important now is how Momo-chan feels about her future life.
I listened to Momo-chan’s story.

“I’ve seen so many people’s lives. But Elnea’s home looked the happiest and most fun.”
“Yes, everyone who gathers at my family home is good-natured. I can be proud of that.”

The Great Eagle nodded in agreement.

“But you know. In reality, not everyone is that peaceful.”

What Momo-chan is talking about is the world situation.
As usual, other races treat humans as slaves.
People live in fear of monsters and magic beasts, and they can die easily from natural disasters or even slight changes in climate.
After all, only those gathered around me are strong and special.
Most people are struggling to survive in a harsh environment.

“I envied Elnea’s life. I thought, ‘That’s nice.’ But…”

Momo-chan, who looked at the oppressed people and declared demons to be enemies.
And Momo-chan, who has a strong sense of justice and has continued to protect the human cultural sphere from the harm of demons.
The answer might have already been given, even before we worried about it.

Momo-chan…

“I’m embarrassed.”
“Ehhhhh!”
“Nyaa!”

I honestly thought she would say something like, “I’ll continue to do my best on the Heavenly Mountain Range to protect the peace of the people!”
Nimia must have felt the same.
And yet, this child…!

The Great Eagle, in my arms, shrunk smaller.

“Because, because…”

That’s right.
Momo-chan is extremely shy!
Even before living with everyone, she’s not good at interacting with people.

“But, I think I might get along with Elnea’s family?”
“With Yufi and Nina too?”
“The twins?”
“That’s right. Those two are very lively. Ah, but they’re not bad people. They’re just uninhibited.”

But come to think of it, Yufilia and Nina might be compatible with Momo-chan.
Momo-chan, who is shy but interested in my family, might be drawn out by Yufilia and Nina.

“Usually, I think you can relax with Laira? Laira is gentle and similar to Momo-chan. Oh, that’s right, Laira is the woman who was friends with the crimson-colored Wyvern. Revalia, the crimson-colored Wyvern, is also a good dragon, so don’t worry.”

Laira herself was quite shy at first, wasn’t she?
That was due to her distrust of people stemming from a difficult childhood.

“If you have any trouble, consult Mistral or Ruiseine. Mistral is the tallest woman, and Ruiseine is a Miko.”

If you have trouble, consult Mistral. That’s a rule in our family.
And if you seek conscience, it’s definitely Ruiseine. You can receive fair and pure advice, befitting a clergy member.

“Also, Sefina-san is serious and good at taking care of people, so if you need cooperation, it’s her. Oh, and! Even though she wasn’t there, Madrine-sama is here too. If Madrine-sama, Yufi, and Nina get together, you’d better run away! You’ll definitely get caught up in a commotion.”

Am I at the center of that commotion?
That’s just your imagination.

“Nyaa.”
“And, when you play with Priscilla-chan, whom we’re going to pick up, it’s a lot of fun. I’m sure you’ll get along with Momo-chan too.”

Regarding Priscilla-chan, she’ll probably become best friends with them right after meeting.

“Ah, however. Yunyun and Rinrin are supervising her, so going too far is strictly forbidden. You’ll be reported to Priscilla-chan’s mother and get scolded severely.”

The Great Eagle, or rather Momo-chan, listened intently to my story.

Ah!
I slipped up.

I was supposed to be confirming Momo-chan’s wishes, but before I knew it, I was introducing my family.
I’m happy that Momo-chan is interested in my family, but what if she says she wants to descend the mountain because of that…

“Momo-chan, do you want to descend the Heavenly Mountain Range?”

I asked directly.
Then, the Great Eagle looked back at me with sincere eyes.

“No, because I like this mountain. There are peach trees, and Mikan too. Also, I want to become like a witch.”

Even before Momo-chan became active as the Eastern Magician, legends of the Northern Witch had been passed down among people.
Momo-chan wants to get closer to the witch she admires.
However, Momo-chan’s legends have already spread widely.

“Someday, I’ll definitely make sure Momo-chan and the witch meet. For that, I need to tell you where the mansion in the Forbidden Territory is.”

After all, Momo-chan had already found her own answer before we even had to worry.
Momo-chan will continue to live on the Heavenly Mountain Range and protect the human cultural sphere from demonic invasions.
No one told her to do it, and it’s not an obligation. But Momo-chan has accepted it as her mission and is trying to fulfill it.

“Momo-chan, you’re amazing.”

“Yosh, yosh,” I said, stroking the Great Eagle’s head. Then, the Great Eagle closed its eyes contentedly.

“Alright, Nimia. From now on, we too will cooperate with Momo-chan as much as possible!”
“Leave the pick-up and drop-off to me, nyaa.”

Nimia’s reliable reply made not only me but also Momo-chan happy.

However, our enjoyable journey through the sky ended, and what awaited us upon our return to the Forbidden Territory was the next commotion.

“Umm, welcome back, big brother!”
“I’m home, Pris… Prisi… Priscilla-chan!?”

She, who enthusiastically hugged me using spatial jump as usual, was Priscilla-chan!?
But the person hugging me was not the familiar young girl figure, but more like a maiden…?

In the short time I hadn’t seen her, Priscilla-chan had grown rapidly!!