Azura and I decided to go and meet the Ancient Dragonkin to receive her oracle.
Azura was trying to accept not only her own race but also the darkness that the Dark Elves possessed. I was sure that the youth I met must have been introduced by her. She might be called selfish and eccentric by those around her. Still, Azura was working hard to become a true king.
Then I should also respond to that feeling. I gripped my sword again and turned to face the door.
“My name is Arisugawa Hiroaki, I am human.”
“Wha…!! Y-you don’t mean… It’s not good to lie, you know.”
The next moment, it felt as if small pebbles fell from the door, and then it moved sideways with a grinding sound.
“N-no way?! D-do they really exist?!”
“It seems to be true. Now, Princess, let’s go receive the oracle.”
“Y-yes.”
Azura nodded, her horned head bobbing, and stepped into the darkness. I heard the sound of the door closing behind us. If that’s the case, I’ll go see that legendary figure.
When we passed through the pitch-black path, an altar built underground spread out before us. The light from the torches placed around it illuminated the area dimly.
And in the center, it was the Ancient Dragon depicted in the mural. As the legend told, it was coiled up with a long body. Azura gulped beside me.
“Is… is this it…? O, Ancient Dragon, I am Azura. Daughter of the King of the Earth Dragons.”
Then, the dragon, which had been coiled, slowly began to move. It lifted its head from within the coil. Or rather than a head, what emerged was a child of the Dragonkin?
Though their appearance was different from Azura’s. They had large horns, scales covering their limbs, and spikes growing from their back. They certainly looked impressive, but their wide eyes and cute limbs made them look like a child. Was this child a dragon that had lived for a thousand years?
As for the main part, the long body, it seemed to be a thick tail. In other words, it was a child of the Dragonkin with a tail as long as a snake’s.
“Azura, it’s finally nice to meet you. You’ve grown since you were sleeping.”
“Eh, ah, you know me?”
“Yes, your father brought you when you were born. Now, you came for the oracle, right?”
Azura nodded several times.
“You will become a splendid king someday. Here, this is good, right?”
“…I want you to do it seriously.”
“I am serious.”
“No! I want you to say it so my father can understand, and by extension, so all the residents can understand!”
I apologize for interrupting your anger, but this Dragonkin isn’t interested in her. His true objective is…
“It’s me, right?”
“Ah, yes, you. Say, are you really human?”
“Yes, it is true.”
The Ancient Dragonkin circled around me like a snake.
“Heh, I’ve never seen a human before. Did you come from another continent?”
“No, I came from a different world. I was sent here by the White Witch.”
Hearing the name “White Witch,” the Dragonkin’s eyes widened.
“The White Witch, hmm, I haven’t seen her in a while. I wonder if she’s doing well. She often brings me various souvenirs. This one is interesting, look.”
He said, and took out a miniature car. Azura tilted her head, but I understood.
“Fufufu, they say these strange-shaped things run across the ground at incredible speeds. Do you know about them?”
“That’s a car. A machine that runs on an engine.”
This means the White Witch had come to my world multiple times. But for what purpose? What business did she have in a world without magic?
“I’m envious, I’d like to go too. If only I had her power, but oh well.”
“Are you special?”
“Of course, even I, who has lived a long time, was surprised. She’s the only one who possesses magic to traverse dimensions alone. Even the Black Witch couldn’t obtain it. The Black Witch tried to steal it but failed.”
So, the reason they fought wasn’t just to stop the Black Witch’s rampage.
“The Dark Elves, having lost their strongest backing, were driven into the shadows. And now, their sons are trying to achieve their long-cherished wish.”
“I intend to fight those sons. Could you lend me your power?”
I never expected to obtain such unexpected information in this place. I have to thank Azura. I showed the Dragonkin a paper with instructions on how to get to Heaven.
“Hmm, to think you have even this. It’s nostalgic. It seems it was fate for you to come.”
“What do you mean? I’m heading north without any particular destination. What lies beyond that?”
“Do you know that a long time ago, there were mages who possessed great power?”
That was something I heard at the Shindo Library. The cornered mages created a country, and that’s supposed to be a place close to Heaven.
“They were driven out of the world and reached the ends of the earth. But it was an island of death where sinners washed ashore. Of course, it’s not on any map. It’s a lawless island where people kill each other daily over meager food.”
“The mages used all their power to transform the island of death into an island of magic.”
