We live by the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Everyone for one person.
In the capital of the Armēdo Kingdom, a crucial, urgent meeting was being held in a royal castle conference room that was nearing completion.
It was the day the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest suddenly appeared at the foothills beyond the checkpoint. The shocking story told by the mountain-sized giant dragon. The legendary monster “Kongo no Kirisame” had appeared in the mountainous regions of Dragon Peak and had begun moving towards the Dragon Forest and the capital. Furthermore, it was uncertain whether even the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest could repel this demon, and in the worst case, everything would be swallowed by Kongo no Kirisame.
If it were Elnea. Everyone thought that at that moment.
The great savior who had saved Dragon Peak and the Armēdo Kingdom countless times. As if their prayers had been answered, Elnea and his family, who had been on a distant expedition, returned riding on the back of a winged dragon with beautiful peach-colored fur.
With this, they would overcome this difficult situation. People thought so.
Elnea and his companions took to the skies with the Guardian Dragon to vanquish Kongo no Kirisame.
The people held their breath, waiting for good news.
However, the outcome was something no one had ever predicted.
Elnea, one of the Eight Dragon Kings who had even defeated the Demon King, could not defeat it. Moreover, even his full-power attack had failed to inflict any damage.
The story told by Hero Lisuter, who had received a direct report from Elnea himself, stunned not only the residents of the Armēdo Kingdom but also the Mimicho race, Beast race, and Dragon race who were waiting for the results. The King and his close aides also wore grim expressions at the serious turn of events, gathered in the conference room.
“What on earth should we do…”
One of the military officials let out a heavy sigh.
“If even Elnea-dono cannot do it…”
All eyes turned to the heroes present at the meeting, but Lisuter regretfully shook his head.
“Elnea is a man far beyond my reach. If Elnea’s power was ineffective, then even my holy sword would find it extremely difficult.”
Lisuter clearly stated the difference in power between himself and Elnea, deeming pointless pride inutile at this juncture.
“But if Lord Elnea cannot, what about the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest?”
“That’s right. He must be the master who forged Lord Elnea, isn’t he?”
The tale of Elnea, one of the Eight Dragon Kings, was widely spread by bards. A boy guided to the Dragon Forest and raised by the revered Guardian Dragon to be a leader of humans and dragons. He had forged bonds with various races and had saved the world from crisis numerous times.
A civil official, filled with hope, voiced his thoughts: “Since it’s the Guardian Dragon that Elnea studies under, who has appeared from the Dragon Forest, is there perhaps still hope left?”
However, he was met with heavy silence.
Everyone had realized it. The Guardian Dragon, who should normally reside deep within the Dragon Forest, had shown himself to the people and given a direct warning. Perhaps, this time, even the Guardian Dragon was incapable of handling the situation.
“Unfortunately, as humans, we have no recourse…”
Humans, who struggled even with ordinary monsters and demons, could not possibly face a monster spoken of in legends. All they could do was watch idly as their homeland was engulfed by the demons, or be devoured along with it.
“Then, it’s still…?”
The kings were facing a grave decision. Prioritizing the lives of their citizens, they would abandon the capital.
The King took several deep breaths and finally spoke slowly.
It was then.
“W-wait a moment, Twin Princesses!”
“You mustn’t! Everyone is in an important meeting right now!”
Beyond the conference room, the area outside the door suddenly became noisy.
“You should step aside. If it’s an important meeting, we will participate as well.”
“You should open that door. Because it’s an important meeting, we will participate.”
The moment these identical voices were heard, the conference room door exploded.
“My sisters!?”
Ignoring Princess Sefina’s confused cry, two women with identical appearances burst into the conference room.
“Yufi and”
“Nina’s”
“You fools! What are you doing!?”
“Dragon Speech Diffusion!”
Slipping past the Royal Knights guarding the conference room and the King’s retinue, Yufilia and Nina unleashed their dragon arts without question.
“……?”
However, the chaotic destruction that usually followed did not occur. Those who had fled to hide under desks or by the walls, trembling, tilted their heads in confusion at the lack of any incident and cautiously looked up.
“This voice is echoing throughout the capital of the Armēdo Kingdom.”
“This voice is reaching those who live in the capital.”
The voices of Yufilia and Nina, who had taken over the conference room, resonated. The people in the conference room were astonished as the two women’s voices echoed not only from within the room but also from outside the royal castle. Yufilia and Nina glared at the assembled faces in the conference room. Of course, they glared sternly at the hero and the king alike. Everyone held their breath at the unusual anger emanating from the twin princesses.
“You all are such big idiots!”
Then, Yufilia’s scolding voice rang out.
“What’s important right now isn’t a meeting. What those who govern the country must do is to believe in Elnea-kun more than anyone else!”
Nina said.
“Are you cowering in fear of a legendary monster and making plans to escape? But that’s a huge mistake, and an insult to Elnea-kun!”
The King’s voice, which had started to retort, was also diffused and echoed throughout the capital. Now, every voice within the conference room was being broadcast. The twin princesses’ angry voices continued.
“Elnea-kun has saved our country many times before.”
“If it weren’t for Elnea-kun, the Armēdo Kingdom and the Yorttenitos Kingdom would have already perished from the demon invasion.”
The national army alone could not stand against the demons. Even the hero could not repel the Demon Generals. It was only because Elnea, leading the Dragon Race and Dragonfolk from Dragon Peak, had come to their aid that the Armēdo Kingdom and the Yorttenitos Kingdom had overcome the crisis of their nation’s downfall.
Every citizen knew this. They knew that the peace they enjoyed today in a human kingdom was thanks to Elnea. Without Elnea, this peace would not have existed.
The King was also acutely aware of this. Nevertheless, he could not help but hesitate in the face of this crisis. Elnea, the one he relied on, had been unable to contend with it. Even with the Guardian Dragon of the Dragon Forest, it was uncertain whether they could protect the human capital. Considering this, if they did not prepare for the worst-case scenario now, it would lead to an irreversible situation.
“We too, sometimes must choose a desperate measure. You two, as princesses, must understand this, won’t you?”
Immediately after that voice echoed throughout the capital.
“You’re a big idiot, Your Majesty!”
“You’re a big idiot, Father!”
Yufilia and Nina’s scolding voices overlapped.
“That’s why I’m saying you’re wrong!”
“That’s why it’s a big mistake!”
“Are you already pessimistic because Elnea-kun failed just once?”
“Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Elnea-kun is human too. Sometimes he trips over pebbles.”
“But with that one failure, Your Majesty, you’re giving up on everything?”
“Are you abandoning your rule just because your politics didn’t go well?”
“No!”
“You’re wrong!”
“Anyone, in life, will encounter numerous difficulties, and sometimes make mistakes or set backs.”
“However, if there is a goal to aim for, we will move forward.”
“Therefore,” Yufilia and Nina said in unison, addressing the King, his vassals, and the citizens.
“What is truly needed now is a consultation on how we can support Elnea-kun!”
“What is truly needed now is to believe that Elnea-kun will surely recover and defeat the monster!”
“And yet”
“And yet!”
“The King, who should be most thankful to Elnea-kun for saving the country, believing in Elnea-kun and thinking of abandoning the capital first is a huge mistake!”
The King could not retort to Yufilia and Nina’s cries. For the sake of his people, for the sake of his country, facing a terrifying monster, he had been about to make the decision of abandoning the capital in the worst-case scenario. However, the twin princesses’ words made him realize his error.
“My mistake… as King of the Armēdo Kingdom, is that I failed to fully believe in Elnea Eris, a citizen of this kingdom and a great savior?”
Seeing the twin princesses nod in agreement, the King hardened his resolve. Confirming that the voices from the conference room were echoing throughout the capital, he declared.
“People of the Armēdo Kingdom. Residents of the capital. I seem to have made a grave mistake. But even if I was wrong, even if I failed, we can start over as many times as needed. And we know that hope always exists at the end of continuous challenges. Just as I have corrected my path from mistakes and begun to move forward, Elnea, one of the Eight Dragon Kings, will surely rise again and save this land. I will believe without doubt. Therefore, the King and his subjects will remain in the capital and witness the new miracle Elnea will perform from this point forward.”
“However,” he continued, “I will not force this upon the citizens.”
“Everyone has various circumstances, and their desired future is different. Therefore, I will respect the will of each and every citizen. It is fine to leave the capital. It is also fine to stay. However, everyone, if you share my belief and believe in Elnea until the end, would you please stay in the capital until the end and pray for his miracle?”
Humans knew that if they believed and prayed, a miracle would surely occur. The voices of the citizens, echoing not through Dragon Speech Diffusion but throughout the capital, reached the conference room in response to the King’s words.
“Our destiny is with Elnea Eris, one of the Eight Dragon Kings!”
“Now is the time to believe in Elnea!”
The joy of the people shook the capital and flowed towards the sky of Dragon Peak.
“Uwah! Wow, so that’s what happened while I was sleeping,” I said, feeling embarrassed and wanting to bury myself in the futon at Sefina’s words! It seemed that Yufilia and Nina’s rousing speeches didn’t only affect the people of the capital. While some people did flee the capital, more people from surrounding villages and towns, and even secondary capitals, rushed *into* the capital, apparently expecting me to perform a miracle.
“It’s gotten quite serious!?” As I was surprised, Mistral uttered something ominous, “You’re still too soft.”
“Mistral?” When I questioned him with a twisted expression, Mistral began to recount the events at Dragon Peak. Mistral had entered Dragon Peak searching for any clues to overcome this difficult situation, anything that might help Elnea. The first place he went was his hometown village. To his surprise, all the Dragon Kings, Jiludo, and even Laza were gathered there.
“You guys?” Mistral asked what was happening. Zan sighed, “What about you?” “I…” “Don’t say it. We know. We’ve already heard about what happened on the plains.” The news of Yufilia and Nina storming the royal castle conference room and scolding the King had spread among the Dragonfolk as well.
“That’s a bit unfair, Dragon Princess,” Id, representing the Dragon Kings, said with a gruff complaint. “We made a promise, remember? During the Great Demon King Extermination Battle. We swore we wouldn’t fight in a way that sacrifices anyone. That we wouldn’t fight in a way that shifts responsibility onto someone else.” Id regretted their past mistakes upon the return of Laza, who had been missing for a long time. However, he regretted once again that they had pushed the responsibility of defeating Kongo no Kirisame solely onto Elnea, one of the Eight Dragon Kings.
“He may be human, but he is one of the Eight Dragon Kings recognized by all of us Dragonfolk. So, shouldn’t this problem be tackled by all the Dragonfolk living on Dragon Peak?”
“All the Dragonfolk?” Mistral replied with a bitter smile, but the Dragon Kings were quite serious. “Mistral, how can you, a Dragon Princess, be the slowest to act? We’ve already sent out summons throughout the entire Dragon Peak.”
But Mistral was troubled. As the human king had said, people had their own circumstances, and even among the Dragonfolk, not all, young and old, could fight. Id and the other Dragon Kings understood this. Nevertheless, they issued the order to gather, staking their pride as Dragonfolk.
“If Kongo no Kirisame is heading towards the plains, isn’t it okay to just let it pass without intervening, since it won’t affect Dragon Peak? No! Is it because it’s not affecting the Dragonfolk that we don’t need to get involved? Absolutely not! If this is Elnea’s problem or your problem, then it is immediately the problem of us, your companions, the Dragonfolk!”
“Besides,” Id continued, “If you think about it, it’s a result of our own incompetence, isn’t it? It’s said that Kongo no Kirisame appeared in the territory of that Shōjō. And it was us who let the Shōjō’s territory remain unattended.” Id said, gritting his teeth in frustration.
“But the Elder said no one could win against the Shōjō, right? So, it couldn’t be helped.”
“That’s right. There was no way we could win. Even the Dragon Race couldn’t win against it. So, we left it. But that led to summoning this monster, Kongo no Kirisame. And Kongo no Kirisame didn’t stay in one place but started moving towards the plains. Yet, are we going to turn a blind eye to it? Are we going to just watch because it’s an opponent we can’t defeat? And after the human kingdom is devoured and the Dragon Forest is devoured, will we just shift the responsibility by saying Elnea couldn’t defeat it?”
“That’s not right!!” Id shouted, as if to shake the skies of Dragon Peak. “No! This time, we won’t be wrong! An unbeatable opponent? No, we will win! Instead of pushing all the responsibility onto Elnea alone. We will face it together! If, even then, we can’t win, it’s everyone’s responsibility. But we won’t end with such a pathetic outcome. I swear on the pride of the Dragonfolk! That’s why we are gathering. It’s not someone else’s problem. It’s not a matter for other races. It’s a problem for everyone living on and around Dragon Peak. We must all join hands and face it, taking responsibility without sacrificing anyone. Isn’t that right, Dragon Princess?”
Id regretted the battle with Orta, who followed his master, Laza. Therefore, he vowed not to make the same mistake. “But right now, we are just acting on our own accord. We, who lack strength, have thought and acted on our own.” So, Id looked at Mistral. Mistral understood the intentions of Id and the gathered Dragon Kings. With a wry, bitter smile, Mistral looked around at everyone and said, “I understand. Then, allow me to say this. I, Mistral Eris, as the wife of Elnea Eris, the leader of the Dragon Peak Alliance, do hereby request, on behalf of the Dragon Kings and all the Dragonfolk, to please gather all your thoughts and strength and cooperate with us to defeat the monster ‘Kongo no Kirisame’.”
In response to Mistral’s request, the Dragon Kings responded bravely with “Ooh!!” and began to prepare for their next actions.
“W-wow! Amazing things are happening on Dragon Peak too. Thank you, Mistral.”
“You’re welcome, I suppose?”
“Of course. I was planning to borrow everyone’s strength once I woke up too.”
And so, finally, I began to speak about the dream I had while I was weakened. And everyone let out a collective sigh. Why? I don’t understand.
“You truly are… Can’t you just rest slowly when you’re weakened?”
“I did rest physically.”
“Your heart too.”
“My heart also rested. Because I had time to organize my thoughts, my worries cleared away.”
And now, there are no negative emotions in my heart; I am only looking forward. I am happy that the thoughts in my dream and the actions everyone took while I was sleeping aligned perfectly. It is most reassuring that not only we, but many others, are joining hands and uniting. Failure is no longer an option. However, there’s no way this can fail now!
“Now, Elnea. We still have things to discuss, but there’s another matter you need to resolve first, isn’t there?”
“It’s about Grandpa, right?”
After eating my fill, I began to prepare my clothes.
“I have to hurry and let everyone know I’ve recovered from my weakened state. And about our future plans!”
“Yes. Be careful on your way.”
“Okay, I’m going. …Wait a minute. ‘Be careful on your way’? Mistral, you never say that usually, do you?”
“Is that so? It must be your imagination.”
“No, I’m absolutely sure it’s not. I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”
“That’s just your imagination. Now, hurry and go to the Elder. We’ll be there later.”
“If you’re going, wouldn’t it be better to go together?”
Everyone, for some reason, averted their gaze from my question.
“We still have some preparations to make. Elnea, you go ahead.”
Suspicious! There’s definitely something they’re hiding! My suspicion turned into certainty the moment I left the grounds of my family home.
“W-what is this!?”
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