We Live in Dragon’s Peak – Chapter 93

We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.

First hurdle.

A permit.

I didn’t know such a thing was necessary.

No one told me when I declared I was heading for Dragon Peak.

Perhaps no one even thought of going to Dragon Peak, so maybe there was no one who knew that a permit was required to pass through the West Fortress.

But, I have to get through this fortress.

It seems I need a permit for that.

What should I do?

I’m stuck at the very first step.

Where can I get a permit?

Is it easy to obtain?

Is there an exam to see if I have the ability to enter Dragon Peak?

What should I do?

“It seems you don’t have a permit, judging by your situation.”

The soldier pats my shoulder as if to console me.

“Without a permit, even a hero cannot pass. So give up, boy.”

The soldier is gently trying to persuade me, but I can’t give up.

“Where can I get a permit?”

In response to my question, the soldier grins.

“Getting that information is also part of an adventurer’s skill. If you don’t even know that, you’ll just die in vain if you go to Dragon Peak.”

I’m not an adventurer, though.

“I absolutely must enter Dragon Peak. Otherwise…”

I won’t be recognized by Mistral. I won’t be recognized by the Dragon Race people.

If that happens, I can’t marry Mistral.

“No, this is troublesome. Even if you throw a tantrum, it’s still no.”

The soldier scratches his head with a troubled look.

I’m also troubled and my shoulders slump.

I don’t even know where to get a permit issued.

Will I be able to find it and get it issued successfully from now on?

One might think the Adventurer’s Guild would issue such things, but if it’s issued by the guild, they probably only give it to adventurers.

And if I try to join the guild now, without being registered as an adventurer, I’d spend at least a few days on the entry exam.

Besides, would they immediately issue a permit to someone like me, who just became an adventurer?

Dragon Peak is a place that even skilled adventurers don’t try to go to.

Trouble.

The soldier is trying to persuade me to give up, but I absolutely cannot.

If that’s the case, should I enter the southern Dragon Forest once and aim for Dragon Peak from there?

There are no fortresses to the south, and if I enter the Dragon Forest and head west from there, I can reach Dragon Peak without any obstacles.

However, the map Mistral gave me will become useless.

As I was pondering, I sensed someone approaching from behind.

I saw the soldier’s face twitch.

“Nina, he’s stuck here after all.”

“Yufi-nee-sama, he’s in trouble here as expected.”

Hearing familiar names and voices that sounded identical, I turned around.

And seeing two people with identical appearances that I recognized, I was surprised.

“Yufilia-sama, Nina-sama. Why are you here?”

“Oh, you remembered us.”

“I’m happy.”

Saying so, the twin princesses hugged me.

“Guf!”

My face was buried in their soft, large chests.

“I figured you’d be in trouble here.”

“I heard about you from Cerise and thought you’d be in trouble here.”

Apparently, Cerise had told them that I was aiming for Dragon Peak.

“But I never expected to meet you here so perfectly.”

“It’s too perfect. This is fate.”

The twin princesses, pressing their chests against me from both sides, made me flustered.

“It… it’s hard to breathe.”

I could breathe if I wanted to.

But if I inhaled, the sweet scent of the twin princesses would fill my nose, and I hesitated to exhale onto their chests.

As a result, I felt like I was suffocating.

It’s a very happy situation, but please spare me.

Putting my intention to be released into action, I tapped the twin princesses.

“Nina, he touched my butt again.”

“Elnea is bold.”

Ah, no, that’s not what I meant.

I panicked.

“Your Highnesses, why are you here?”

The soldier, who had been so polite to me, asked hesitantly.

Although I couldn’t see him clearly because of the chests, I could feel his bewilderment at the situation.

“That’s right. I’d forgotten.”

“I was having so much fun that I completely forgot.”

These two are enjoying teasing me.

The twin princesses finally released me and took something out of their luggage.

“A wooden slip?”

One of the twin princesses took out a small wooden plate.

Yes. From their current appearance, I can’t tell which one is Yufilia and which one is Nina.

“We came to give this to you.”

“You can’t cross the fortress without this.”

With that, the twin princesses, together, handed me the wooden slip they had taken out.

I carefully examined the wooden slip I received.

What is this?

The surface had writing on it.

“This permits the passage of whoever possesses this.”

It was written in an ornate font.

Then, I flipped the wooden slip over and was surprised.

On the back of the wooden slip, the name and seal of His Majesty the King of Armēdo were inscribed in vermilion.

“It’s a permit for the West Fortress.”

“We got it from Father.”

The twin princesses smiled charmingly, surprising not only me but also the soldier.

“This is… the permit.”

I never imagined that the king’s permission was required.

If the twin princesses hadn’t been thoughtful enough to bring the permit, I would never have been able to pass through the fortress.

“Thank you.”

I clutched the wooden slip and bowed deeply.

“We obtained it through a trade.”

“So don’t waste it.”

“Huh? A trade?”

Did the twin princesses make some kind of deal to get this wooden slip from the king?

“We were entrusted with taking care of a prince.”

“A prince of the Yorttenitos Kingdom.”

“Ehh, could that be Grave-sama!?”

In exchange for this wooden slip, I had apparently handed over the twin princesses to that sarcastic First Prince of Yorttenitos.

“Fufufu, wrong.”

“Fufufu, a mistake.”

However, the twin princesses laughed and shook their heads.

“It’s Fourth Prince Friel.”

“He’s one year younger than Elnea-kun. He’s not as cute or interesting as Elnea-kun.”

Hmm. I remember.

The Yorttenitos Kingdom, if I recall correctly, had three other princes below Grave-sama.

And being the fourth prince, one year younger than me, means he’s the youngest Highness.

“Is the Fourth Prince visiting this country?”

“Yes. He’s here for wyvern hunting.”

“But he’ll probably fail. He’s weak.”

“He’s… weak?”

At the twin princesses’ frank opinion, the soldier and I gave a wry smile.

Is it okay to casually call a neighboring prince weak in front of people?

“Then why is that prince hunting wyverns?”

Wyvern hunting was decided to take place this summer.

Currently, preparations are underway, and elite soldiers from both Yorttenitos and Armēdo are gathered in the capital, along with those confident in their abilities and those aspiring to become Dragon Knights.

However, I don’t think it’s necessary to bring a prince here.

And he’s apparently weak.

If he’s royalty, there’s no need to risk his life to catch a wyvern.

Those trying to catch wyverns are primarily those who want to become new Dragon Knights.

Royalty could simply be assigned an existing dragon whose rider has retired.

“We don’t understand the way of thinking of that country.”

“But Friel is weak, so he seems to have been given a trial.”

I see. Although I’m not sure if I should accept this explanation, I kind of understand.

Just as Old Man Sleigsta gave me a trial, Friel-sama must have been tasked with showing his strength by catching a wyvern himself.

“Then, are you two also participating in the wyvern hunt?”

“No. It’s dangerous.”

“We’re just supervising until summer.”

“Ah, I understand. You two are the prince’s tutors.”

“Correct.”

“Elnea is clever.”

No, no. From the flow of the conversation so far, it’s obvious.

“We really wanted to go to Dragon Peak with you.”

“We really wanted to go on an adventure with you.”

“I’m sorry.”

I can only apologize honestly.

After all, the king must have ordered them as compensation for preparing the permit for me.

“It’s fine, let’s have fun when you get back.”

“It’s fine, we’ll have a good time when you get back.”

At the gentle smiles of the twin princesses, I bowed my head once more.

“Thank you. I will definitely repay this kindness.”

“We’ll be waiting with anticipation.”

“Don’t forget.”

We shook hands and hugged.

Then I showed the permit to the soldier.

“This is the permit, right?”

“Yes, it must be.”

After all, it’s something the twin princesses personally brought. It’s real without needing confirmation.

Led by the soldier, I headed towards the fortress.

The fortress gate opened just enough for one person to pass through with a signal from the soldier.

“Be careful.”

“Don’t do anything reckless.”

I waved back at the twin princesses’ concern and entered the fortress.

The soldier followed me and muttered.

“I never thought you, a boy, would know those twin princesses.”

“Yes, we had a small encounter the other day.”

“I see. To be liked by those two, perhaps you’re more skilled than you look?”

“I don’t think I’m that skilled.”

“Hahaha, you’re too humble for a young man. Well, just don’t do anything reckless. Especially when you get involved with those two, you’ll get caught up in unimaginable trouble.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Don’t do anything reckless, it’s not about Dragon Peak, is it? It’s about getting involved with the twin princesses.

With a complicated expression, I parted ways with the soldier who had guided me.

And then, I moved through the fortress.

Inside the fortress, the path continued with the same width.

However, the high stone walls on both sides of the path created a sense of extreme pressure.

If the path had been narrower, I would have felt fear.

From the soldiers’ gazes and presence from the walls, the side paths, and the gaps in the windows, I felt uneasy despite having entered the fortress through the proper procedure with my permit.

They are soldiers guarding a crucial point in the west, so they are constantly vigilant, I suppose.

Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, I quickened my pace.

I want to get out of here quickly.

As I hurried ahead, another gate appeared.

Looking at the gate from the inside, I could see it was heavily secured with several bars.

I showed my permit to a soldier near the gate.

The soldier looked at me with obvious suspicion, but upon confirming the permit was genuine, he signaled the surrounding soldiers to remove the bars.

The bars were removed, and with a low rumbling sound like an earth tremor, a gap just wide enough for one person was created, like an entrance.

“There are those like you who enter Dragon Peak for unavoidable reasons. However, very few return safely after accomplishing their goals. If you think it’s impossible, turn back immediately. Accurately assess your abilities, and remember that choosing to turn back is also a form of courage.”

I nodded sincerely at the soldier’s warning.

I’m aware that it’s a harsh place.

But I will proceed.

Without hesitation, I slipped through the gap in the gate and stepped outside.

Finally, the real test begins now.

Behind me is the West Fortress, the westernmost point of the Armēdo Kingdom.

In front of me, a single road, and beyond that, an eerie forest.

And further ahead, Dragon Peak, with snow still remaining on its summit, sprawled out.