We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
A long night.
I was so bewildered by the sudden turn of events that I couldn’t do anything. My thoughts were paralyzed by the unexpected crisis, and I could only huddle in fear, averting my gaze from the terrifying pack of wolves.
A heavy thud, thud, thud of something hitting something else disturbed my ears, and I flinched with each sound.
However, the wolves did not attack me with their sharp fangs and claws.
So, I hesitantly tried to assess the situation, peeking out from the gap between my arms, which were cradling my head.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
There was Ares-chan.
Ares-chan was holding out both her hands towards the wolves. And at the tips of those hands, the wolves were blocked by an invisible wall, unable to bring down their sharp fangs and claws on me.
The wolves rushed in.
I tensed my body.
But the wolves indeed hit an invisible wall and were sent flying back with growls. Several wolves attacked, but all were blocked and repelled by the tips of Ares-chan’s hands.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to be scared,” Arēs-chan said, smiling gently at me.
But seeing Ares-chan’s smile, I was filled with shame. I had let my guard down. My will had been weak. I had come to a non-human realm. I was now truly realizing that I had stepped into a dangerous world that even seasoned adventurers would not enter. I shouldn’t have let my guard down for even a moment. Yet, I had stumbled upon an unexpected feast and had become careless on a quiet forest night. How foolish I was. I had been tailgated by someone as soon as I entered the forest. Even though I had temporarily shaken them off with a spatial jump, I should have anticipated that they wouldn’t give up and would continue to chase me. Yet, I had fallen asleep without any precautions. Perhaps it was this pack of wolves that had been tracking me from the beginning. Because they were chasing me from multiple angles, I might not have been able to pinpoint their exact direction. And it was a mistake to skin the rabbit. I buried the internal organs and inedible parts in the ground, but the scent of blood must have led the wolves here. Even if I had to skin it, I should have done it far away from the campsite.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized to Ares-chan. And I thanked her. If Ares-chan hadn’t been there, I would undoubtedly have become prey to these wolves. Ares-chan, being a spirit residing in the Spirit Tree, had accompanied me even though I intended to travel alone.
“Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you,” Ares-chan continued to smile gently at me, her hands still held out to the wolves. But at the tips of her hands, the wolves were still repeatedly crashing into an invisible wall, being repelled with dull thuds.
“Yeah. Thank you for protecting me.” I pulled myself together and stood up. Perhaps my thoughts of going to pick up Mistral, or traveling Dragon Peak alone, were too unrealistic. Traveling alone means I have to protect myself at all times. There is no one to rely on. This is true whether it’s on Dragon Peak or within the Armēdo Kingdom. This time, I owe my life to Ares-chan. My life could have easily ended here.
“I’m sorry. But it’s okay now. I won’t be careless anymore.” With those words, I held out my hands forward like Ares-chan and began to refine my dragon energy. Seeing me, Ares-chan nodded in agreement. “Go, go,” she cheered. Then, she turned into particles of light and disappeared into the darkness of the night forest. The invisible wall between us and the wolves also vanished simultaneously, and the pack surged towards me.
“I can’t let you stop me!” I transformed the refined dragon energy into a technique and unleashed it. A green, visible gale erupted radially from my fingertips, sweeping away the approaching wolves. With my dragon energy-enhanced eyes, I caught sight of a distinctly large wolf barking behind the scattering wolves. I held out both my hands towards the large wolf, condensing my dragon energy into a thin beam, visualizing it as a single, slender arrow and launching it. The arrow pierced the wolf in an instant, causing a small explosion. The blast sent several of the surrounding wolves flying.
“If you continue to pester me, I won’t show mercy.” I filled my entire body with dragon energy and glared at the wolf pack with a sharp gaze infused with my fighting spirit. The wolves’ movements stopped instantly. “If you don’t retreat, I’ll turn you into shreds of flesh in an instant, just like those wolves.” Though we couldn’t understand each other, my ferocity seemed to have gotten through. The wolves began to slowly retreat, and when the first one turned tail and fled, all the other wolves turned their backs on me and ran into the depths of the dark forest, each trying to escape first. Even after the wolves disappeared from sight, I remained on guard for a while. However, once I confirmed that their presence had completely vanished, I calmed my mind. I had managed to escape the current crisis thanks to Ares-chan’s help.
“Thank you,” I said, touching the Spirit Tree Wooden Sword and expressing my gratitude to the now-invisible Ares-chan. Then, I felt a gentle presence near my ear. Now, I need to regain my composure and take action. It’s likely still past midnight, but it’s better to move. The scent of blood from skinning the rabbit probably hasn’t disappeared yet. Moreover, by killing the wolves just now, I’ve spread even more blood scent. I can’t linger in a place that might attract even more troublesome monsters and magic beasts. I quickly packed my belongings and tidied up the campsite in the rock hollow before leaving. With dragon energy in my eyes, I could ensure visibility even in the depths of the forest where light couldn’t reach. I increased my pace, moving cautiously. First, I would return to the road leading to Dragon Peak and proceed forward. The dark forest path seemed to be reconfirming the fear of nature to me. I now realized than ever that traveling alone was something for experienced travelers and adventurers. After all, there was no one to rely on. If you travel for days on end, you can’t let your guard down against your surroundings the entire time. If you were with someone, you could take turns watching while sleeping. But alone, you are completely defenseless while sleeping. I keenly felt my lack of knowledge and experience on how to rest my mind and body during a journey, and how to sleep while maintaining vigilance. Mistral and old man Sleigsta must have recognized my weaknesses and naive thinking. However, even though they cautioned me, they didn’t try to stop me. This was probably because they knew that Ares-chan, a high-ranking spirit of the Spirit Tree, was attached to me and that I was being protected. And I hadn’t even realized that. How shallow were my understanding and resolve! I became impatient with my own inadequacy.
“Everyone makes mistakes. That’s why you just have to practice,” Ares-chan, who had appeared at some point, said and gently held my hand. “Actually, one mistake can be fatal.” “That’s not true. Mistral makes mistakes too. But that’s when friends support each other.” “Yes. That’s right. Ares-chan, thank you for supporting me. Someday, it will be my turn to support you.” “Yes. I’m looking forward to it.” Ares-chan looked up at me with a beaming smile. It’s impossible for me to be perfect from the start. As pathetic as it is, I still need Ares-chan’s help until I can travel as a capable individual. Mistral and the others, who allowed my ill-equipped solo journey, probably understood this as well. I was the only one who mistakenly thought I could do it all by myself. Mistral and the others knew from the beginning that this journey would depend on Ares-chan. In that case, I apologize, but I will indulge in it for now. Dying would be meaningless. First and foremost, it is essential to steadily aim for Dragon Peak, even if it means relying on someone. I refocused my resolve and, with renewed determination, proceeded through the night forest. I walked all night without rest. I thought about taking a break and getting some sleep, but I was still in an excited state from last night’s events and wouldn’t have been able to calm down even if I rested, so I just switched to a pace I could manage and kept walking. However, since Ares-chan and I alternated keeping watch, I didn’t become too exhausted and greeted the morning. The dense forest was as usual. The rutted road was also as usual. But now, before me, stood a village with its outer walls built from countless log stakes. I had arrived. It was the first Dragon Race village, which I was originally scheduled to arrive at around noon today. Mistral had told me that about a day and a half’s journey from the West Fortress, there was a village where Dragon Race caravans gathered. People gathered from various parts of Dragon Peak would join forces here and form caravans to head to the capital city of the Armēdo Kingdom. This is the easternmost village for the Dragon Race, and the first Dragon Race village that humans visit. There was no gate separating the inside from the outside of the village. Log stakes lined the perimeter, but there were no obstacles blocking the road. I entered the village without hesitation. I wonder if the Dragon Race people will be surprised to see a human child arriving so early in the morning. What kind of people live here? Will they welcome me? Or will they treat me coldly? With a mix of anticipation and anxiety, I entered the village and saw a large number of Dragon Race people. However, their appearance was no different from that of humans. Mistral, and when I visited Anemone’s village before with Nimia, I had the same thought: they are indistinguishable from humans. I just assumed these people were Dragon Race because they were in a Dragon Race village that humans didn’t enter. In the middle of the village, several carriages were lined up along the road, and strong men and lively women were bustling about. Ah, this is the spring caravan. After the beginning of spring, the first Dragon Race caravan of the year arrives at the capital city of the Armēdo Kingdom. The people loading goods onto the carriages in front of me are likely part of that caravan. Since their appearance is the same as humans and they are loading goods onto carriages, it’s no different from human merchants. If I saw this in the capital city, I would never guess it was a Dragon Race caravan. As I was engrossed in the scene before me, a man noticed me. “I’m surprised. How did a human child get here?” At the man’s voice, the other Dragon Race people nearby also noticed me. “G-good morning.” With the eyes of everyone who had been working fixed on me, I tensed up with nervousness at the village entrance hearts.
