We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Battle Smoke Signal
It was not long after the sun had risen in the east.
A call for assembly resounded at the Wyvern Hunting Ground.
Despite the suddenness, many people gathered around the tower located in the center of the Great Fortress.
It was quite the assembly.
The Human Race, led by our hero and his entourage. The Dragon Race, led by the Dragon King. The Demon Lord, his subordinates, and the Divine Race centered around Alex. Beast race warriors were present, as were the Mimicho folk. The Giant Tribe also came. And though unseen, the presence of spirits and magic beasts was there, of course. The Drgon Race possessed an overwhelming presence.
It’s quite a sight when so many diverse races gather in one place.
And it’s thanks to the old Sleigsta, who looks down on everyone from beside the tower, that no conflict arises despite the presence of incompatible races.
Old Sleigsta, with his mountain-sized physique, sat calmly by the tower, his golden eyes gleaming. His silent pressure, conveying he would show no mercy to anyone causing trouble, kept even the hot-headed races calm and the boisterous ones in check. Even the Fairy Demon Lord Kusharilla was quiet.
Well, Kusharilla seemed more conscious of the Giant Demon Lord looking down on them from the top floor of the tower than of old Sleigsta.
At any rate, those gathered around the tower watched us with bated breath.
I raised my voice so everyone could hear and explained the upcoming plan.
“Finally, the time has come for the decisive battle!!”
I spoke of how the curse was intentionally cast upon the Wyvern Hunting Ground, and outlined the unprecedented plan to defeat the Demon King of Yōma that would begin from there.
A murmur rose from the gathered individuals.
However, no one complained.
Instead, everyone showed their eagerness, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
“If we defeat the Demon King of Yōma, we’ll be handsomely rewarded. I never expected to even earn a little extra in a preliminary battle. Our savior is truly generous!”
The adventurers laughed heartily and bravely.
When we defeat monsters, we obtain the core Magic Crystal Stones.
Besides, it’s better to warm up by fighting monsters than to immediately engage enemies as powerful as Yōma.
“Well then, I’ll be counting on everyone’s brave efforts!”
Following the order to begin the operation, war cries resounded across the Wyvern Hunting Ground.
Some raised their weapons and bravely departed for the battlefield. Others consulted with their companions about future strategies. And some, eager to be first, soared into the sky.
The first to show active movement were the members of the Human Race and the Beast Race.
“Orazzzz! This kind of weakling isn’t even enough to warm up!”
Slaton roared as he cut a dull-colored monster that slithered out from the ground in two.
Listea and her group bravely dived into the castle courtyard, which had become a monster’s nest, and performed admirably, living up to their hero status.
Adventurers, too, attacked the appearing monsters one after another, defeating them.
In the blink of an eye, the monsters that had begun to appear around the tower were wiped out.
Then, the hero’s party and the adventurers scattered to various parts of the fortress in search of their next prey.
However, the warriors of the Beast Race had already anticipated this and were there first.
They predicted that the monsters in the vicinity of the gathering place would quickly disappear. Using their natural physical abilities, the Beast Race raced through the fortress, creating their own hunting grounds before any other race.
“Oh, humans. This prey is ours, you know?”
“Tch, if they beat us to it, there’s nothing we can do. But we won’t lose in terms of hunting results!”
“A competition? We accept!”
The curse had been cast upon various locations within the Wyvern Hunting Ground, centered around the Great Fortress.
The veteran adventurers and Beast Race warriors seemed to know that it was more efficient to hunt by chasing monsters rather than fighting over prey in one spot.
However, unlike the Human and Beast Races who moved quickly, some factions chose to remain observant.
“Let the weak chase after petty monsters.”
Fairy Demon Lord Kusharilla said so to her subordinates, and then quickly departed from the tower. High-ranking demons, whether under Kusharilla or the Giant Demon Lord, seemed uninterested in monster subjugation and left as well.
Well, perhaps this is fine for the demon races. If the Demon Lords and high-ranking demons were to go all out from the start, it would leave no room for the Human Race and Beast Race to shine. Considering this, the judgment of the adventurers and Beast Race warriors who moved first was not mistaken.
Compared to the demon races, divine races, and dragon races, the Human Race and Beast Race are at a disadvantage in terms of physical ability. Therefore, if the demon races were to seriously join the fray, their opportunities to distinguish themselves would surely be taken away.
Moreover, it is expected that increasingly ferocious creatures will appear, in order from monsters, to Yōma, and then to the Demon King of Yōma. For those who are holding back, deeming monsters too weak for them, we will let them prove their worth when the battles become more arduous.
Therefore, we won’t force their participation.
For this reason, we also watched the movements of the Dragon Race warriors with great interest.
“Alright, you lot. Consider this fortress your village, and defend your assigned districts as if your lives depend on it.”
“If you can’t defend your village on Dragon Peak from monsters, you won’t be able to defend it from other threats either!”
Under the instructions of Dragon King Yakushion, with his tanned skin, and the imposing Dragon King Sestarinis, the Dragon Race warriors split into groups of four or five. They then dispersed throughout the fortress.
“That’s an interesting idea. Defending a designated area… it means making sure you don’t miss any monsters or Yōma that appear there and eradicating them, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. Originally, Dragon Race warriors exist to protect their villages from outside enemies, so they are better at defense than offense.”
Mistral nodded, gazing at the ridge line of Dragon Peak visible in the far west.
The existence of Dragon Race warriors is extremely significant in Dragon Peak, where the most unforgiving nature prevails. The creatures that attack villages are not limited to monsters, Yōma, or magic beasts. In the worst-case scenario, they might even be attacked by dragons. The role of these chosen warriors is to protect the village and its inhabitants and livestock from such external threats.
This time, it seems they will distinguish themselves with absolute defense, treating the fortress as their village.
“…And the Dragon Kings like Yakushion and the others who gave orders to the warriors, aren’t they going with them?”
Is it my imagination? Yakushion, after giving orders to the warriors, is laughing merrily, holding a pot of alcohol. And the other Dragon Kings are reacting similarly. It is evident that their enthusiasm differs greatly from that of the warriors.
“Hahahaha. If we showed up from the start, we’d just be hindering the growth of the younger generation, wouldn’t we?”
“So, you’ll be drinking and waiting until the warriors get into trouble, is that it?”
I suppose the Dragon Race has their own way of thinking. But I wonder how drinking while on standby is supposed to work.
“Don’t be stupid. Did you think we’d become weaklings just because we’re a little drunk? If you want, I’ll even beat up those demon races while completely inebriated.”
“No, no. Causing trouble among those gathered here is strictly forbidden! Even if it’s a Demon Lord or a Dragon King, troublemakers will be sent home!”
Even as he said that, those who seemed likely to cause trouble had already started to move.
“Um, hide-and-seek?”
At the edge of the courtyard, a bear was hiding its head in a small bush, but unfortunately, its backside was sticking out.
It was unmistakably Momo-chan!
It seems that while it was good that they gathered, they were intimidated by the overwhelming presence of old Sleigsta.
Next to Momo-chan was a member of the Mimicho Race in a trainee Miko’s attire. That would be Istericia. Perhaps the memories from the Forbidden Territory had resurfaced, and she too seemed frightened. Seeing the two desperately trying to hide, Priscilla-chan jumped up and down with delight.
“You know, Priscilla wants to play too?”
Priscilla-chan tugged on Momo-chan’s bushy tail.
“Gya, sca…ry…”
“I am afraid.”
Momo-chan, who had faced even the Fairy Demon Lord Kusharilla head-on, was trembling like this.
“Grandpa, you shouldn’t scare them!”
“How dare you. Do you fear me more than those old women?”
Well, if you’re staring at the ground from a high position with your eyes gleaming, it’s bound to be scary.
“Um, Great-Grandpa isn’t scary, okay?”
Priscilla-chan tugged on Momo-chan’s tail insistently.
“Come on out! Let’s play!”
Then, without further ado, Alicia-chan started pulling at Istericia’s leg.
“You know, grown-ups are all busy, so Priscilla and the others will play by themselves.”
No, no, Momo-chan and Istericia will be busy soon, you know? Only Priscilla-chan, Oz, Grandma Yuuri, and Jab are free enough to play.
Recently, Oz hasn’t been clinging to me either and had been behaving himself in the Forbidden Territory. I had scared him a little before. However, this time, he came out of the Forbidden Territory and followed me.
“I must engrave the commotion you cause into my eyes! For I must report it to His Golden Highness.”
He was so enthusiastic, but I never expected Charlotte to be here. Oz, while he came to the Wyvern Hunting Ground, has been hiding in Priscilla-chan’s pocket the whole time. Anyway, setting aside Oz’s unfortunate circumstances.
“Elnea, do something before this gets out of hand.”
“Yes, I’m going!”
Prompted by Mistral, I used Spatial Jump to move from the top floor of the tower to the courtyard. Then, I calmed down Priscilla-chan and Alicia-chan, who were trying to pull Momo-chan and Istericia out of the bushes.
“Now, you two. If you don’t behave, Mother will get angry, you know?”
They are innocent sisters, but in front of their mother, Lidyana, they are good, obedient children. If they do something wrong and get scolded, it’s really scary! Of course, Lidyana is here at this Wyvern Hunting Ground. So when I hinted at her presence, Priscilla-chan and Alicia-chan shrugged and hesitantly glanced around. Then they realized their mother was no longer there.
“Priscilla-chan’s mother went into the fortress earlier with Grandma Yuuri and Jab?”
“Hmph, Older Brother is mean.”
“Ah, I’ve been tricked!”
I hugged Priscilla-chan, who was puffing out her cheeks indignantly, and gently spoke to Momo-chan and Istericia.
“Momo-chan, don’t worry. Even though Grandpa looks like this, he’s actually kind. He’s my master. And Istericia, there’s something I need to ask of you.”
I’m not scary, okay? I’m not scary! As I patiently tried to coax them, Momo-chan was the first to poke her head out of the bushes.
“Sca…ry… But, al…right?”
“Yes. Momo-chan, you’re not afraid of Nimia, are you? Grandpa is here too.”
“Hmph. Am I not as adorable as a young snow dragon?”
“No, no, no matter how you look, Grandpa is imposing!”
The Giant Demon Lord grumbled from above the tower, finding no end to his cuteness. Then, old Sleigsta let out a growl and glared at the Giant Demon Lord.
“Gyaa!”
Then, Momo-chan, who had just poked her head out, got scared again and hid back in the bushes.
“Geez! Because of Grandpa, Momo-chan got scared again!”
“Mumumu, how unfair. The root of all evil is that old woman over there.”
This is what they mean by “back to square one.” I slumped my shoulders, thinking it might have been better if Priscilla-chan and Alicia-chan had forcefully pulled them out. Just then, Priscilla-chan’s face lit up in my arms, and she exclaimed with delight.
“Um, Priscilla has a good idea?”
“Oh? And what might that be?”
“You know, as punishment for scaring Momo-chan, I’ll have Momo-chan ride on Great-Grandpa’s head.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea!”
“Hmph, very well. For your sake, I shall permit it as a special favor today.”
“Yay! Then Alicia wants to ride too.”
“Um, Momo-chan, can you show us your magic on Great-Grandpa’s head?”
“Gugugu… What shall I do…?”
Priscilla-chan, who had escaped from my arms, now gently coaxed Momo-chan out of the bushes. Momo-chan, tempted by the cute young girl, cautiously peeked out. It seemed that hearing our conversation, including old Sleigsta, had slightly eased her wariness.
If that’s the case, I think it’s okay to leave Momo-chan to Priscilla-chan. If anything happens later, old Sleigsta will be the victim!
“In that case, I shall involve you and Mistral.”
“Wha-!?”
“Elnea?”
“Mistral, that’s not it!”
I did not intend to involve Mistral!
“R-right. More importantly, shouldn’t we do something about Istericia?”
Avoiding Mistral’s questioning gaze from atop the tower, I turned back to Istericia, who still had her head buried in the bushes.
“Istericia, who was so successful in Paradise, I have a request for you. This is a task that only you can do.”
I called out gently. Reacting to the words “only you can do,” Istericia peeked out of the bushes a little.
“I do not possess the power to be of use.”
“That’s not true?”
I am sure that the task I am about to ask is perfect for Istericia. No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it’s something only Istericia can do. Moreover, this is a role that will also benefit Istericia. Therefore, I sincerely hope she will accept it.
Receiving my words, Istericia stared intently at me. I met Istericia’s gaze and told her the important task.
“Um, Istericia. Could you please play tag with the spirits here too?”
“I, despair!”
I asked with a smile. In contrast, Istericia’s face turned pale as she confirmed the presence of countless spirits gathered around.
