We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Rim and Fio’s Great Adventure
Although a variety of events occurred on the first day of our free time, the days that followed were remarkably peaceful.
Sefina was eventually fined until evening, stayed overnight, and returned to the Royal Castle the next day. Yuphilia and Nina’s runaway behavior, which I was slightly worried about, was also resolved without incident thanks to Karen’s skill.
Well, there was the incident on the fifth day where Priscilla escaped from the Mimicho village, but that was all as expected.
After all, the escaped Priscilla only came to my family home with a Great Wolf Beast, and I made sure to escort her back.
After about ten leisurely days, everyone gathered at my family home without anyone explicitly calling them.
My entire family, except for Priscilla, bid farewell to everyone at their home and the people of the Royal Capital, and returned to the Forbidden Territory on Nimea.
And so, peaceful days awaited us here as well.
We held a travel report meeting with the Mimicho people and everyone in the Dragon King’s Forest who had looked after our home, and worked in the fields during the cool morning and evening hours.
Of course, I visited Spirit Tree every day.
“…And so, Nimea came back from the Ancient Capital in a hurry, and Ruiseine seems to have had a tough time in the sanctuary in the east?”
“Wow, that’s interesting.”
At the roots of Spirit Tree, which had grown into a giant tree, I told her about our journey. And about the stories I heard from my family.
Ruiseine had visited Miko to heal her magic eye, but there she got caught up with Istericia and was teased by the spirits, which seems to have been quite an ordeal.
There were also stories of Laira’s clandestine strolls through the capital with Friel and the King, and Madrine’s grand plan to raise Rubia.
Looking back at the days everyone spent freely like this, only Mistral lived his days as usual.
Mistral seemed to have taken care of Old Sleigsta every day, then returned to Dragon Peak to spend his time quietly with his parents at their home.
“You all, please be a little quieter.”
Mistral had smiled bitterly when he heard everyone’s stories.
“Hey hey, what was Leva-chan doing?”
“Oh, Spirit Tree. You want to hear about that next, do you?”
“Exciting!”
This is a story that goes back a little further in time.
When we were still staying in the Divine Race’s Country, Revalia took little dragons Rim and Fiolina and flew north.
Beyond the deep forest that spread across the borderlands of the Empire, there lies a vast lake. The Dragon’s Forest, guarded by Old Sleigsta, stretches north of this lake, so the Divine Race cannot advance north.
And Revalia had given the little dragons Rim and Fiolina the training of crossing this lake without rest.
“But, that’s when the incident happened!”
“Doki doki.”
For the little dragons, the training of flying continuously over a place with no land to rest seemed to be tough both physically and mentally. Nevertheless, Rim and Fiolina safely crossed the lake and reached the Moss Garden.
However, a further trial awaited them there.
“Oh, training, you say? Then, fly to the North Sea. You should be able to make it back and forth by the time Elnea and the others finish their journey.”
Old Sleigsta, as if imposing a trial on us, ruthlessly assigned tasks to the dragons who entered and exited the Moss Garden.
To us, this was a loving discipline that Old Sleigsta showed to those he had come to trust. But for the little dragons Rim and Fiolina, it was a harsh challenge with no time to rest.
“Go, Rim-chan, Fio-chan, do your best!”
As I spoke, Spirit Tree rustled its branches.
What a strong reaction!
By the way, Ares-chan is relaxing under the swaying branches, feeling the breath of Spirit Tree all over her body.
“And so. Rim and Fio bravely set off. Of course, with their guardian Leva-chan too!”
I looked at Revalia, who was sleeping soundly in the shade of the tree made by Spirit Tree. However, she didn’t react when I called her “Leva-chan”.
It seems she was fast asleep.
She must be tired from looking after the little ones.
“Now then. What happened to Rim and Fio after they flew from the Moss Garden!”
Their first destination was apparently my family home.
The garden of my family home is large enough for dragons to rest.
It seems to be a tourist spot for dragons visiting from Dragon Peak, and my family home is always bustling with dragons.
Rim and Fiolina also landed at my family home to rest their wings and eat a delicious meal.
However, the fact that Rim and Fiolina came meant that their guardian Revalia was also with them!
The dragons who were relaxing in the garden of my family home were greatly alarmed and made a commotion by Revalia’s arrival.
The fear of her as a tyrant is slowly fading among the dragons, but even so, if the ruler of the skies of Dragon Peak suddenly flew in, even the dragons would be surprised.
“You’re as much of a troublemaker as Elnea-kun, aren’t you!”
“I was well-behaved this time!”
“But didn’t you run wild after pulling out the Soul Spirit Seat?”
“You’re being terribly misunderstood! While it’s true I pulled out the Soul Spirit Seat to compete with Lottor-san, I didn’t run wild?”
Oh. The story got sidetracked.
I’ll bring the story back to Rim and Fiolina’s great adventure.
After eating their fill at my family home and recovering from their fatigue, Rim and Fiolina finally set off for the North Sea.
They circled over the Royal Castle with its beautiful white outer walls, gazed at the recovering Royal Capital from the sky, and headed for the Wyvern Hunting Ground.
“Aren’t they going to be attacked by scary, hungry wyverns!?”
“That’ll be fine. After all, their guardian is Leva-chan.”
“That’s right.”
As they headed north, Rim and Fiolina also hunted for prey animals.
They had to catch their own food.
If they flew with all their might, they would get hungry, and in such a state, they wouldn’t be able to reach the North Sea.
Moreover, as it was a trial, Revalia accompanied them but basically did not intervene. She only intervened in dangers and problems that were beyond Rim and Fiolina’s capabilities, otherwise she just watched.
“What did they catch at the Wyvern Hunting Ground?”
“It seems they ate wild horses and sheep. Oh, and they said wild boar was delicious.”
“They’re gluttons!”
Thanks to Revalia’s guidance, Rim and Fiolina became very skilled at hunting.
They would dive from the sky to ambush their prey, or use their small bodies to approach from low altitudes with sudden speed. They would aim for various prey using all sorts of tricks.
And then, they would share it together and eat until they were full.
“Rim and Fio flew past the Wyvern Hunting Ground like that, and finally arrived in the Northern Land.”
Although not as much as the Dragon’s Forest, Urangala Forest is also considerably deep.
If they flew at a low altitude carelessly, they would be attacked by the beasts and monsters lurking deep within the forest.
Rim and Fiolina desperately maintained their altitude, and whenever they found a place to rest, they would cautiously land and take breaks.
“Even with Leva-chan there, they were attacked?”
“They wouldn’t be attacked by the Beast Race, but monsters, especially, attack anything they can get their hands on.”
A cunning beast might gauge the strength of its opponent and refrain from attacking. However, monsters are different. Monsters, with their almost nonexistent intelligence, will attack anything if they find prey.
“In fact, Rim and Fio seem to have been attacked by monsters many times.”
It wasn’t a simple trial of just flying.
They had to secure their own food, find places to rest. They had to fly back and forth across unknown lands while protecting not only themselves but also their partner from attacking monsters and beasts.
I think it was a tougher journey than I heard.
“And finally, when they emerged onto the plains of Iskui, where the Beast Race gathers. Rim and Fio finally encountered the most difficult incident!”
“Kyaa!”
By the time of their journey so far, Rim and Fiolina were already exhausted. So, the two of them tried to rest on the vast plains, which offered good visibility and a comfortable breeze. However, what reached them on the wind were screams and shouts.
Rim and Fiolina quickly returned to the sky. And they saw.
A village of the Rabbit Beast Race being attacked by a terrifying horde of monsters!
“What kind of monsters were they!?”
“Well. They were a fearsome sight. Their heads were like wolves, but from the neck down they resembled grubs, and their legs and tails were伸縮する半透明の触手 (stretching semi-transparent tentacles)!”
“Disgusting!”
Spirit Tree shuddered its leaves with utter disgust.
“Rim and Fio were at a loss. Should they help, or fly to call for reinforcements?”
The Rabbit Beast Race is not skilled in combat. Nevertheless, the men were guiding the evacuation while shouting, trying to let the women, children, and elderly escape.
However, the wolf-headed monsters would grab those who were left behind with their tentacles and attack with their sharp fangs.
Even at the moment Rim and Fiolina witnessed it, a man guiding them and a child who had fallen behind had already become victims.
“Rim and Fio made a brave decision. By the time they call for the combat-inclined Beast Race, many more sacrifices would have been made. So, they decided they should offer their help now.”
They whipped their exhausted bodies and launched an aerial assault. Rim knocked away a monster that was about to bite a woman with a body slam, and then unleashed flames.
Although they were little dragons, they were Revalia’s dependents. In an instant, they turned three monsters into charcoal.
The monsters, taken by surprise by the suddenly appearing powerful enemy from the sky, panicked. Seizing that opening, Fiolina unleashed a beam of breath in a flash.
Many monsters were swept away.
The Rabbit Beast Race was also confused.
The fear of being attacked by monsters was enough to make them freeze, and then dragons appeared.
The people were bewildered.
“Now’s your chance, hurry and escape!”
“If you don’t escape, it’ll be dangerous!”
Rim and Fiolina shouted.
However, the Beast Race people, who did not have Dragon Hearts, could not understand their words.
Nevertheless, seeing the two little dragons fighting to protect them from behind, the Beast Race people realized they were being helped.
“Everyone, now’s your chance!”
“Dragons, we’re sorry!”
As Rim and Fiolina fought bravely, the Beast Race people fled to the plains.
Even after the villagers left, Rim and Fiolina continued to fight.
“After all, if we don’t clear out the monsters, the Rabbit people will have no place to return to. Rim and Fio thought that far and fought the monsters.”
However, the number of monsters was too great.
Despite fighting bravely, Rim and Fiolina were gradually cornered. The fatigue accumulated from the continuous trials in the Divine Race’s Country pushed the little dragons into a crisis.
And finally, Fiolina was caught by a monster’s tentacle!
Fiolina writhed, struggling to shake off the tentacle, but it wasn’t easy. While she was struggling, another monster bared its fangs at Fiolina.
“The sharp fangs… didn’t pierce Fiolina’s golden scales!”
“Well, because they’re dragons!”
“That’s right. Even if they were outnumbered and struggling, wolf fangs wouldn’t even scratch dragon scales…”
However, if attacks were aimed at vulnerable areas like the eyes or mouth, rather than just the scales, it could lead to serious injuries. Therefore, carelessness was forbidden, and the situation where the enemy attacks them absolutely had to be avoided.
“And one more thing. This was the most important thing in the battle…!”
I shifted my gaze.
To the ruler of the skies of Dragon Peak, curled up in the shade and sleeping soundly.
That’s right.
Revalia’s existence.
Until now, Revalia had been watching from above the clouds as a trial for the little dragons and did not intervene, but the monsters had touched a nerve they shouldn’t have.
“You. To dare bare your fangs at those under my protection, you low-class monsters!”
In an instant, the clouds in the sky evaporated. Revalia, her scales shining crimson, descended upon the battlefield.
After that, it was nothing short of a one-sided slaughter. Revalia mercilessly unleashed her fiery breath. The monsters, panicked by the appearance of the terrifying wyvern, scattered, but Revalia would not let them escape. In an instant, a fiery hell appeared on the plains.
“Leva-chan gets angry, she’s scary!”
“Yeah, she’s unforgiving.”
Yes. She’s unforgiving…
With Revalia’s intervention, the monsters were annihilated. However, the Rabbit Tribe’s village was also burnt to the ground, leaving nothing recognizable.
And after everything was over, the Beast Race warriors finally arrived.
“What is this?! We heard commotion from beyond the foothills of Dragon Peak, so we hurried over and found…!”
The warriors who arrived were saddened to see the Rabbit Tribe’s village burnt down. However, the Rabbit people themselves were surprisingly rejoicing.
“No, it’s a blessing just to be alive.”
“If those dragons hadn’t saved us, there would have been many more casualties by now.”
“So, losing our homes is not a problem at all.”
After all, Beast Race tribes do not settle in fixed locations. They move around the Northern Land, following the seasons or their prey. So, the burning of their current village was not a concern. What was more important was that their companions and families were safe. And one more thing…
“Above all, we are happy that dragons, whom we didn’t know, protected us.”
“Normally, we would be prey for dragons.”
“Yet, they helped us.”
For the Beast Race, dragons were also terrifying predators. The Rabbit people were overjoyed that a higher being had helped them. The Beast Race warriors looked at the three dragons, large and small, resting deep within the burnt-out village, wondering what kind of dragons had saved them.
“Ah, I know them.”
Then, the large man of the Lion Species leading the warriors said with a knowing look.
“That is the Flame Emperor of Dragon Peak, who, along with Dragon King Elnea-dono, has quelled many disturbances.”
At the words of Folganne, the man of the Lion Species, those who had never seen Revalia and the others nodded in understanding.
“So, that must be the Wyvern that Dragon King’s partner is rumored to be!”
“Then, it means Elnea-dono has saved us once again.”
“We are truly grateful.”
The Beast Race people, upon learning the true identity of the dragons who had saved them, were deeply grateful.
“Leva-chan and the others did a good deed!”
“I was also happy when I heard this story. It’s great that Rim and Fio helped each other across species. And Leva-chan, who cherishes the little dragons, too.”
“But, the village was also burnt down.”
“W-well, the Rabbit people don’t care about that, so let’s consider it a minor flaw!”
Rim and Fiolina. And Revalia, who showed no signs of attacking the Beast Race, received thanks in the form of meat and other offerings, with Folganne at the center. After eating their fill and resting their wings, Rim and Fiolina’s trial resumed the next day.
“Did they reach the sea!?”
“Yes. They worked hard, flew over forests and mountains, and finally reached it!”
“Amazing. Did Rim-chan and Fio-chan fly around the sea a lot?”
“No, it seems they couldn’t do that.”
Unfortunately, a fearsome ruler exists in the North Sea. The progenitor of Ruilala. I have never seen her form either, but she is said to be an absolute ruler in the North Sea, with no one able to match her.
“So, Leva-chan was also cautious and didn’t let Rim and Fio get close to the sea, only letting them see it.”
“I hope we can all play in the sea someday.”
“We’ll have to ask Ruilala!”
It was then, as I was happily talking about our journey with Spirit Tree.
A chill ran down my spine. A dense miasma was emanating from my mansion, visible in the distance at the foot of Dragon Peak.
“That’s probably the Giant Demon Lord.”
As expected. Shortly after sensing the miasma, I saw a single shadow take flight from my mansion.
“Meow.”
Nimea, who had been resting at the roots of Spirit Tree, then flew at high speed to me. And Lyra, who was riding on her back, rushed to inform me.
“Elnea-sama. His Majesty the Giant Demon Lord has requested your urgent return.”
“Mumumu. Is there an urgent matter?”
This gives me a bad feeling. Considering the recent movements of the Divine Race and the circumstances of the Demon Race, I sense the prelude to another disturbance.
“But, I can’t just ignore it, so I guess I have no choice.”
Well then, I spoke to Revalia, who was sleeping soundly.
“Hey hey, can you give me a ride to my mansion?”
It’s fine to ride on Nimea, but I also wanted to ride on Revalia since she was returning to the mansion.
However.
“You’ve been calling me by a casual nickname repeatedly! I absolutely will not give you a ride!”
“W-what a—!”
It seems she was faking her sleep!
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