We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A Selfish Trial
As expected, this was close to the cave where the young Shadow Dragon slept.
Familiar scenery emerged, illuminated by moonlight.
And, beyond the bushes behind the materialized Shadow Dragon Argilthal, the entrance to the cave should be there.
We regrouped and looked up at Argilthal, whose ominous figure floated in the night darkness.
However, there was no fear.
If our family united, we wouldn’t fall behind any opponent.
Besides, compared to Old Man Sleigsta and Asher, we were still lacking!
“Hee hee. If you were the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest, perhaps. But to be inferior to my Asher?”
“Because he’s male!”
I’m not afraid of male dragons who were scared off by Asher, who dislikes men, and scattered to the four directions of the Wyvern Hunting Ground.
Argilthal snorted at my provocation.
“Well, fine. It’s too much trouble to deal with you one by one.”
“No, no, we can’t afford to be ignored. Now, explain yourself regarding this incident!”
Argilthal looked down at us.
His shadow-colored eyes glowed eerily.
“Why did you kidnap Mistral and Sefina? And why did you show us those shadows and illusions!”
Nimia calls the Shadow Dragon a “bad dragon.”
She says he only does bad things instead of fulfilling his duties.
Because of that, it seems hardly anyone approaches the outer defenses that now encircle the Ancient Capital.
Argilthal is said to be the foremost of those “bad dragons.”
Nevertheless, he is an Ancient Dragon Species and a Guardian Dragon protecting the Ancient Capital.
So, there must have been some intention behind this incident, right?
If he acted maliciously on a whim for no reason, it would mean he has truly fallen into being a “bad dragon.”
“However, you don’t believe I have fallen into evil? Hee hee. How good-natured you are.”
Argilthal mocked me, reading my thoughts.
But I ignored his attitude and waited for his reply.
We looked up at the giant dragon.
The Shadow Dragon looked down at us.
For a moment, silence hung in the mountain valleys of Dragon Peak.
“…Tch. How boring.”
Then, Argilthal was the first to break the silence.
Perhaps he yielded to our unwavering solidarity, Argilthal calmed his shadow-colored, glowing eyes. Then, he finally began to explain the truth of the matter.
“First, I was interested in Dragon Princess Mistral.”
“Not in Elnea, one of the Eight Dragon Kings, but in me?”
“Yes. I hear you inherited the Dragon Jewel of the Meteor Dragon and were trained by Sleigsta, the Yin-Yang Dragon. If so, it’s natural to be interested, isn’t it?”
Mistral’s reason for gaining the title of Dragon Princess was inheriting the Dragon Jewel of an Ancient Dragon Species called the Meteor Dragon.
Of course, she has the composure and ability to match the title of Dragon Princess.
But, is that Meteor Dragon really that amazing?
Reading my thoughts, Argilthal sighed.
“It’s so pathetic that someone who knows nothing is a messenger of the Dragon God.”
“I’m sorry!”
But I really don’t know.
When I asked Mistral, “Do you know anything?”, she seemed not to know much either.
“I’ve heard about Lady Shantia, the Meteor Dragon who left the Dragon Jewel I inherited, from the old man. But, as an Ancient Dragon Species, I don’t know much about Meteor Dragons…?”
Argilthal mentioned Old Man Sleigsta’s name but didn’t mention the individual name of the Meteor Dragon.
That means he wasn’t referring to Lady Shantia but to the dragon species “Meteor Dragon,” right?
So, what kind of dragon species is the Meteor Dragon?
Argilthal, though exasperated, told us, who were ignorant.
“Far away, at the innermost part of the Dragon God Mountain Range, the Dragon God is said to reside. It’s natural, of course, for not only us Ancient Dragon Species but also lower dragon species and those connected to their blood to wish to visit the Dragon God Mountain Range and pay respects to the Dragon God.”
Dragon tribes and Ancient Dragon Species revere the Dragon God, just as humanity reveres the Goddess of Creation.
That’s why Argilthal didn’t direct his murderous fangs at us, the messengers of the Dragon God.
“However, reaching the Dragon God’s domain is not so easy.”
Normally, if we knew where they lived, we could go to them. Dragon tribes possess the ability to travel across the world.
But the dragons do not fly to the Dragon God Mountain Range where the Dragon God is said to live. Instead, they strive to reach higher ground by gaining strength and accumulating virtue to earn the right to meet them.
In other words, even if dragons casually go to the Dragon God Mountain Range, they cannot easily meet the Dragon God.
“That’s right. Those without the qualifications will be expelled even if they set foot in the Dragon God Mountain Range. And the dragon species that bear the duty of protecting the Dragon God and punishing intruders in the Dragon God Mountain Range, one of the Four Guardian Dragons, are the Meteor Dragons and the Yin-Yang dragons.”
“The Four Guardian Dragons!”
Just as the Nazari family has the duty of the Four Star Guardians to protect the transcendent Micheila, the Dragon God, who stands among the transcendent beings, also has guardians called the Four Guardian Dragons.
However, while the Four Star Guardians of the Nazari family were four individuals fulfilling their duties, the dragon species known as the Four Guardian Dragons seem to be fulfilling their duties as a whole species.
And one more thing.
I learned a shocking fact.
“Yin-Yang Dragon,” the dragon species of Old Man Sleigsta, was also one of the Four Guardian Dragons who protect the Dragon God!
The next time I meet Old Man Sleigsta, I’ll ask him about this in more detail.
More importantly, it’s about Mistral and the Meteor Dragon now.
Argilthal looked down at Mistral with interest.
And he finally spoke the reason for the abduction.
“Originally, Meteor Dragons reside deep within the Dragon God Mountain Range and bear the duty of excluding intruders. However, like the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest, individuals sometimes leave the Dragon God Mountain Range and venture into the world.”
I heard before that the Meteor Dragon, the source of the Dragon Jewel that Mistral carries within her, once protected a Spirit Tree that sprouted in the Forbidden Territory where we live.
“So, you were interested in Mistral, or rather, the Dragon Jewel of the Meteor Dragon she possesses?”
“No, I was also interested in the Dragon Princess. Meteor Dragons are rare enough in the outside world. And to possess their Dragon Jewel, there is no one else in the whole world besides you.”
Indeed, Mistral might be a rare existence.
But that’s no reason to abduct her without asking!
“I’m happy you were interested, but I’m not satisfied with being tested in such a manner.”
Mistral felt the same way.
We protested, but Argilthal snorted dismissively.
“There is no reason for me to seek your permission. Rather, you should be proud that I showed interest.”
“No, it’s just a nuisance, not something to be proud of!”
When I protested further, he retorted in a low voice,
“Then be proud that a human was able to injure me.”
“You injured Argilthal?”
“You intended to attack my shadow, but I am my shadow. To injure the shadow is to injure me.”
“As expected of Mistral!”
It’s not for nothing that she always punishes Old Man Sleigsta.
Although it was an unforeseen circumstance, Mistral and we were finally satisfied to know that we had managed to trick an Ancient Dragon Species.
“All right. Next, why did you kidnap Sefina as well?”
Sefina is, in a sense, a normal human.
Although she possesses Dragon Power, that applies to me, Laira, and Yufilia as well.
Yet, Argilthal kidnapped Sefina instead of us. What did that mean?
Argilthal then shifted his gaze to Sefina, who was covered in injuries.
“A hot-headed young girl.”
“I’d rather not hear that from you?”
Even when looked down upon by a giant dragon, Sefina retorted without a hint of fear.
Her dignified posture never wavered, no matter the time or situation.
“Hee hee. She also has courage. And that is your strength and the driving force that will lead you to greater heights.”
“Greater heights…?”
Come to think of it, Sefina was told something like that in the darkness, wasn’t she?
So, what could “greater heights” mean?
To our questions, Argilthal said,
“The abyss of technique. A being who can reach the truth of technique through self-cultivation.”
“What does that mean? What is the abyss of technique? What is the truth of technique? What are you trying to say?”
What does Argilthal know?
However, Argilthal responded to our questions by shaking his head.
“I don’t know. It is a height that even I cannot reach.”
“Eh!?”
“However, I understand that beyond mastering technique, an answer connecting to the world lies dormant.”
“Connecting to the world…?”
I’m even more confused.
Sefina is indeed skilled at manipulating techniques. Moreover, not only Dragon Arts but also Curse Arts, Magic, Divine Arts, Spirit Arts, and many other races’ techniques.
The only system of techniques she cannot wield is Law Arts.
In terms of manipulating others’ techniques, Sefina might be superior to me.
It seems Argilthal was interested in Sefina’s skillful manipulation of techniques.
But what exactly are the abyss of technique and the truth of technique?
Argilthal also seemed to have a vague idea, but he didn’t know the details.
“There is no lie in what I said to you. You will eventually reach greater heights through your own power. Rather, those who bind you may become a hindrance.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Sefina immediately denied Argilthal’s words.
“As I said earlier. I think you’ve misunderstood me, so let me correct you. Frankly, it’s absolutely impossible to reach great heights alone. Because the reason I train myself is because I want to catch up to my older sisters and be of help to Elnea-kun and everyone else. So, being aloof is actually impossible for me. I cannot climb stairs without thinking of someone. That’s the kind of person I am.”
With that declaration, Sefina gave her usual cool smile.
Sefina doesn’t like solitude, nor can she live alone. That’s true for everyone else too.
Therefore, we live as a family, supporting each other.
“Also, if I’m going to reach greater heights, I think it would definitely be more fun with Elnea-kun and everyone else. Even if I master something alone, it’s meaningless if there’s no one to understand it or share the joy with.”
Argilthal responded with silence to Sefina’s unwavering words.
He didn’t argue, which might mean he acknowledged Sefina, right?
“Well. Now, you understand why Mistral and Sefina were kidnapped, right?”
Mistral was kidnapped out of Argilthal’s selfish curiosity. Sefina was kidnapped due to Argilthal’s misunderstanding and mistaken assumptions.
While both incidents were a complete nuisance from our perspective, and yielded no tangible results or rewards, it’s good that they both returned safely, I suppose.
However, there is one last thing we need to confirm.
“Let’s go back to the beginning. Why did you show us shadows and illusions?”
I don’t think it was just to hinder us from coming to rescue Mistral and Sefina.
Besides, he said something about qualifications regarding me.
Argilthal, while calling me a “greedy person who wants too much,” answered our final question.
“That little girl seems to be mistaken.”
“Nyan?”
Argilthal’s gaze focused on Nimia.
“I am a Guardian Dragon who protects the Ancient Capital and the Dreaming Shrine Maiden. Therefore, my true purpose is to eliminate those who approach without reason and test those who are qualified.”
“So, in other words…?”
“You should all have some recollection. There are no beings more troublesome and indiscriminate than the gawkers.”
Suddenly, I thought of my family home in the capital city of the Armēdo Kingdom.
In the large garden of the spacious property, dragons often come to play. Then, to catch a glimpse of those dragons, gawkers and tourists gather around the mansion.
Karen, the head servant, once complained.
“We’re struggling more with dealing with the gawkers who gather around the mansion than with taking care of you dragons.”
It seems that among the gawkers, there are those who try to enter the mansion grounds without permission, or even if they don’t enter, they shout loudly and make noise from outside, causing trouble for those inside the grounds.
Argilthal was referring to such people.
“We Shadow Dragons guard the outermost part of the outer defenses. Therefore, our duty is not only to expel intruders but also to prevent those who might act unpredictably from approaching in the first place.”
“I see! If word spreads that just approaching the outer defenses is life-threatening, then fewer people will dare to approach.”
Initially, there might be casualties among those unrelated. However, once terrifying rumors spread, gawkers will no longer approach casually.
Well, this is a strategy unique to Ancient Dragon Species who can be merciless in fulfilling their duties. It’s an idea that cannot be used at my family home, but it’s still a theoretically beneficial way of protection.
And perhaps Nimia, who is still young and uncorrupted, saw Argilthal and the Shadow Dragons’ merciless protection as evil, leading to the evaluation of “bad dragon.”
“However, what does that have to do with us?”
I heard Argilthal’s resolve to protect the Ancient Capital. But it seems unrelated to us, who are not trying to approach the Ancient Capital, right?
Then, Argilthal seemed to read my thoughts and rumbled deeply in his throat.
“You have formed bonds not only with the Dreaming Shrine Maiden but also with many shrine maidens and Lady Suu who live in the capital. Therefore, you may have the opportunity to visit the Ancient Capital someday. Thus, I tested you.”
“So, you mean whether we can cross the outer defenses and enter the Ancient Capital?”
“Yes. Confront your false shadow, and see if you can look towards the future without being swallowed by the darkness of your heart. We Shadow Dragons ask of the qualified.”
Finally, I understood.
The reason Argilthal called me “qualified” meant that I was someone who could undergo the trial without being turned away by the Shadow Dragons, right?
“However, do not get arrogant. Trials await at each stratum. Just because you have overcome the trials of us Shadow Dragons does not mean you will pass the next one safely.”
“How many trials await to enter the Ancient Capital!?”
“All of them, nyan.”
“Meeow!”
If we ever have business in the Ancient Capital, it seems it will be quite difficult.
Among them, is it just my imagination that the trial of the Snow Dragon seems the most difficult?
After all, Asher, who dislikes men, is waiting!
“You are a man. Be prepared for trials far stricter than those for women.”
“I understand. Because even Lady Suu can only enter the Ancient Capital on specific days, right?”
To meet her beloved Lety in the Ancient Capital, Lady Suu lives outside the outer defenses except on specific days.
That’s how strict the entry restrictions are for men in the Ancient Capital. So, I don’t expect to enter casually without any specific business.
And that’s precisely why I don’t intend to visit for no reason.
“Good intentions.”
“Thank you for your praise. However, I would like something more than just words of praise as an apology for this incident!”
Suddenly, Mistral and Sefina were kidnapped, and my whole family was involved.
Just because they all returned safely doesn’t mean I can easily forgive Argilthal.
I’ve overcome the trials, so I’ve earned the right to cross the outermost defenses?
That’s one thing, but an apology is an apology!
Argilthal’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at my shrewd demand.
“To speak such words before me, a Shadow Dragon, without fear?”
“Of course? Because you’re not as scary as Grandpa or Asher!”
“Nyan.”
No matter how much majesty he exudes, it doesn’t work on us. And compared to Old Man Sleigsta, who has lived for over two thousand years, and Asher, who is ruthless towards men, Argilthal still has a long way to go.
“Hee hee. Do you intend to call me immature? Very well, to you bold ones, I shall give you the reward for this occasion.”
“Hooray!” we cheered.
However, Argilthal was still a “bad dragon.”
“However, whether you use my reward or let it go to waste is up to you.”
“Eh!?”
“Listen carefully. Among the Ancient Dragon Species living in the Dragon God Mountain Range, there is a dragon species called the Cloud Dragon.”
“Cloud Dragon?”
“It is said that when the Dragon God soars into the sky, Cloud Dragons lay clouds in the sky to show the way.”
“I see. The Divine Dragon is that enormous, isn’t he? If he flew straight through the sky, he would be conspicuous, so the Cloud Dragons spread clouds to hide him from below, right? So, how does that connect to the reward?”
“Just like the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest, individual Cloud Dragons have departed from the Dragon God Mountain Range. And it is said that those Cloud Dragons hide a treasure that heals everything within them.”
“A treasure that heals everything!?”
What kind of jewel could it be?
But it’s within, meaning inside the Cloud Dragon?
So, can that treasure only be obtained by defeating the Cloud Dragon?
“Cloud Dragons can turn their bodies into clouds, like us Shadow Dragons, nyan.”
“Hou hou. So, the treasure is within the clouds?”
“But be careful. Although they have traveled, they are originally inhabitants of the Dragon God Mountain Range. They will not show mercy for the sake of protection.”
“So, if we carelessly jump into the Cloud Dragon’s clouds…”
“You will dissolve into clouds without question, unlike our trials.”
“Ugh!”
They are truly merciless!
“Besides, it’s not even certain if information about that treasure is useful to us, and we don’t even know where the Cloud Dragon is in the world! Is this the reward for this time!?”
“As I said. Whether you can make use of my words is up to you. Now, the reward has been given. I have no further business in this land. I shall return.”
“Ah.”
Before we could say anything, Argilthal melted into his own shadow and disappeared from Dragon Peak instantly, leaving no trace.
We, who remained, exchanged glances and sighed deeply.
“He’s truly selfish.”
“A bad dragon, nyan.”
“No doubt!”
