We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 84

We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.

The final days of preparation.

I was deceived. I was deceived!

By what, you ask?

Well, Mistral and the others knew about what happened at the tea party.
They knew, and they were teasing me.
It’s terrible, isn’t it?

I became sulky.

Mistral’s accomplice was a Great Wolf Demon Beast.
Why would a Great Wolf Demon Beast appear at the detached palace?
It was because Mistral told me to follow him.
The Great Wolf Demon Beast can never disobey Mistral, you see.

And apparently, the Great Wolf Demon Beast tailed me and reported about the detached palace.
That wretch, he didn’t show the slightest hint of it when I met him earlier.
Is this the way a cunning demon beast is, I wonder?

In any case, my actions were known to everyone to some extent through the Great Wolf Demon Beast.
However, the Great Wolf Demon Beast was discovered by a sharp-witted guard midway, causing that commotion, so it seems Mistral and the others don’t know what happened after that.

It would have been terrible if they had known…

“It’s awful. To spy on me. Am I not a trustworthy person?”
“No, that’s a misunderstanding. Rather than monitoring you, I just wanted to know the movements of the human nobles.”
“Why?”

While I do think noble people participated in the tea party, the selected royal knights from the Armēdo Kingdom and the Yorttenitos Kingdom were overwhelmingly more numerous.

“Elnea, this is a serious matter. You know, from last year, there have been individuals among the Demon Race and Dragon Race showing suspicious behavior, right?”
“Yeah.”

Mistral’s serious demeanor dispelled my suspicion that I was being teased again.

“It is certain that there are some tribes among the Dragon Race who are colluding with the Demon Race.”

It’s because of this investigation and problem-solving that Mistral hasn’t been able to come to the Moss Garden much since late last year.

“But, it’s strange that the Demon Race and the Dragon Race would collude and cause damage to human countries. Perhaps there are collaborators among humans as well.”
“Ah!”

At Mistral’s pointed observation, I couldn’t help but let out a sound.

I see.
I understood Mistral’s thinking.

If the Dragon Race and the Demon Race were colluding. In reality, the ones who would suffer damage would be the Dragon Race themselves.
Betrayal, in its essence, is done to harm one’s comrades.
Yet, damage is being inflicted upon unrelated humans.
Just like the Magic Sword users, and the fake heroes.

But what if we consider it this way?
Originally, humans thought of something bad.
They tried to lure demons to cause chaos in human countries. However, because the Dragon Race resides in Dragon Peak, demons cannot easily enter human countries.
At that time, if the Demon Race and the Dragon Race colluded, demons could easily enter human countries and do evil deeds, right?

“So, Mistral, you wanted to investigate if there were any humans acting suspiciously at the tea party I attended?”
“Yes. If I were more familiar with how humans live, there would be many other ways to investigate, but I don’t know places where many nobles gather.”
“Is that so? Mistral thought the tea party was a place where nobles would gather.”
“Fufufu, it seems it was actually a matchmaking party.”
“Yes, that’s right. I didn’t know until I arrived at the venue either.”

Mistral assumed that the mastermind trying to cause chaos in human countries was a noble.
Since ordinary citizens wouldn’t gain anything from causing such dangerous disturbances. But she thought that among nobles, there might be those who would use the chaos to raise their status, or in the worst case, aim for the throne.
That’s why she had the Great Wolf Demon Beast tail me, who would be attending a tea party where nobles would likely gather, to identify the location and monitor it.

Though the target of surveillance wasn’t me, but rather the people present at the venue.

“But all the soldiers were so skilled that the Great Wolf Demon Beast was discovered.”
“I didn’t expect it to be a place where someone could see through a demon beast’s camouflage.”

Mistral gave a bitter smile.

“So, did you find anything at that place?”
“Unfortunately.”

Mistral shrugged her shoulders.

“However, I received a report that there was someone with strong Dragon Power.”
“Ah, that must be the Twin Princesses.”

Then, I told Mistral about the Twin Princesses and the royal family of the Armēdo Kingdom.

“I see. So, besides you, there were other humans with Dragon Power.”
“It seems so.”

I was also surprised by the Twin Princesses.
Not only do they possess Dragon Power, but there are humans who can unleash high-level Dragon Arts like Dragon Lance Frenzy.

“Yufilia and Nina.”

Jiludo, who had been listening intently to my and Mistral’s conversation, interjected.

“Speaking of which, the Twin Princesses also knew of Jiludo-san, you know?”
“That’s likely. I met them when they were still novice adventurers long ago.”
“What kind of people are they?”

Mistral asked with great interest.
It’s unusual for Mistral to show interest in humans.
Perhaps it’s because they are humans who can use Dragon Arts?

“That’s probably not it. He’s just worried that your wives might increase.”
“Old Man, be quiet.”

I glared at Sleigsta, who had butted in, and then I was also glared at.

Why am I being glared at too?

“Fufufu, Yufilia and Nina, huh? They are one person with two bodies, truly twins.”

Jiludo’s eyes grew distant as he recalled nostalgic memories of the past.

“Dragon Lance Frenzy, huh? That must have been an exceptionally powerful technique.”
“Yes. I never imagined there would be someone who could unleash a barrage of Dragon Lances like that, a technique I was told was high-level.”

Mistral could probably produce more power with a single Dragon Lance than the Twin Princesses’ Dragon Lance Frenzy, but what’s amazing is that a human could unleash a barrage, I think.
I probably couldn’t do it.

“Indeed, that technique is beyond what I’d expect from a human. However, it’s something they can only use together. No, that’s not all. All the Dragon Arts they use can only be used when they are together.”
“What do you mean?”

They can’t use Dragon Arts alone?
Even simple ones?

“First, there’s Yufilia, the elder twin. She possesses Dragon Power comparable to that of the Dragon Race. However, she cannot refine Dragon Energy. Conversely, Nina, the younger sister, has no Dragon Power at all, but she can refine Dragon Energy to an extremely high level.”
“So, the sister refines the Dragon Energy, and the younger sister uses Dragon Arts?”
“That’s correct. Therefore, neither can wield Dragon Arts alone. They are clumsy twin sisters.”

Serise-sama said her Dragon Power was weak, but perhaps it’s good that she can still use Arts alone.
Learning about the Twin Princesses, I felt that they too must go through considerable hardship.

“Yufilia and Nina, I’ve noted it.”

Mistral nodded firmly.
For Mistral, humans who can use Dragon Arts at an advanced level may be targets of caution.

“As I said earlier. He’s just being wary of dangerous individuals who might become your wives.”
“Old man?”
“Guh.”

Mistral, drawing her one-handed club, glared at Sleigsta again, causing his face to twitch.

“Um, can we play?”

Priscilla-chan, who had been playing with the Spirit Tree Spirit Ares-chan, the Wind Spirit, and the Earth Spirit, tugged at the hem of my clothes.

“Priscilla, your mouth is dirty.”

She must have eaten the souvenirs I brought. Mistral wiped the dirt from her mouth with a cloth.

“Me too, me too.”

It seems Ares-chan ate with her too. I wiped the dirt from Ares-chan’s mouth.

Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan are already best friends.
They always act together when I’m at the Moss Garden.
Lately, like some sort of twins, their speech and actions are becoming similar.

I asked Priscilla-chan if she was going to contract with the Wind Spirit and the Earth Spirit like Ares-chan, but she said she wouldn’t.

“Ares-chan likes Older Brother, so I won’t take her away, okay?”

That’s what she said.

Incidentally, Priscilla-chan still can’t decide on names for the Spirits.
When I secretly asked Nimia, she only suggested outlandish names like Pochi and Tama, so all the Spirits and the Mimicho Race rejected them.
I hope they decide on names soon.

The atmosphere among those gathered at the Moss Garden becomes heartwarming by the sight of the two children.

“Um, let’s play tag.”

Since the new year, there have been changes in the tag games we play.
While running and chasing are still the same, Jiludo and Sleigsta’s interference has made it more advanced.

Specifically, Jiludo shoots Dragon Arts at those running away.
He uses very weak ones, but they are terrifyingly fast. Both their activation and flight.
They sting if hit and cause momentary paralysis as an additional effect.
Mistral dodges them with ease, and Ruiseine predicts and avoids them. Priscilla-chan is too young to be targeted.
Hey, I’m the only one actually suffering the damage.

Sleigsta, on the other hand, interferes with the very act of refining Dragon Energy.
This was extremely difficult. When trying to use Spatial Jump or enhance physical abilities while running or chasing, it prevents my Arts from activating, though the exact nature of the Art is unknown.
Not only me, but Mistral was also affected.
To avoid Sleigsta’s interference, one must quickly refine Dragon Energy and activate Arts.
I realized Sleigsta’s prowess firsthand, as even Mistral couldn’t activate her Arts if she was even slightly delayed.
By the way, Ruiseine and Priscilla-chan, who cannot use Dragon Arts, were unaffected.

After playing tag, which we’ll call training, until Priscilla-chan was satisfied, we moved on to meditation, practicing the forms of Dragon Sword Dance, and then practical training against Mistral and Jiludo. It was a very fulfilling afternoon.

Only a short while remains until my departure.
Still lacking, I desperately strive to gain strength.

I finally decided on my goal for the year of my departure after the new year began.
Therefore, I cannot afford to slack off even for a moment.
When Mistral and everyone heard my goal, they trained me without reservation.

By the day of Risshun (the beginning of spring), I want to have gained enough strength to put my parents at ease and gained enough experience to be told “it’s alright” by Mistral and the others.

And so, every day, I trained until the sun set.
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