episode_0086

“Hedy Marigold won’t be able to join us on this mission.”

“…What?”

“Yes?”

Unexpected news.

After Iris’s announcement, I briefly met Hedy’s eyes and then immediately asked Iris, “Why is that?”

“There has been a change.”

Iris sighed and looked at the documents in her hand before speaking, “A dragon appeared at Wyvern Nest.”

Upon hearing those words, I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

“A dragon appeared…?”

Dragons are highly individualistic beings.

Normally, they do not appear where their lesser kin, like wyverns, reside. Unless the wyverns intrude into the dragon’s territory and provoke a fight.

With their high intelligence, dragons usually do not bother with the instinct-driven wyverns’ territories.

Leaving the still bewildered Hedy aside, I asked Iris, “Which dragon is it?”

“It’s said to be a red-scaled dragon that breathes fire.”

“In that case, it must be the Red Dragon, Scathar.”

“…! How do you know that, Gongja?”

Knowledge.

During Dragon Raids, we encountered many dragons while leveling up characters and looting. Among them were Azure, Water, and Red Dragons, with the most troublesome and powerful being the Red Dragon, Scathar.

“I’ve read a lot of books about dragons in the past, so I have a rough idea.”

I casually remarked to Iris and continued, “If it’s just ordinary wyverns, they would see the dragon and flee towards the empire…”

“Yes. The mission’s difficulty has increased significantly. Originally, it was about exterminating some individuals who had left the nest to maintain security along the border. But now, we have to deal with a large number of wyverns and might have to flee from the dragon at any moment.”

“It has indeed become much more dangerous.”

While it had become more perilous, hearing Iris’s thorough analysis gave me some reassurance.

Seeing me nod silently, Iris mistakenly thought I had given up and accepted the situation.

“It’s a shame that Hedy may not reach 3rd level this time.”

“No, it’s not a shame.”

I then inquired, “Iris, what is the average rank of the Empire’s special forces participating this time?”

“They are all above 4th level. One could consider 4th level as the minimum to protect oneself adequately.”

“Ah, then if they are 4th level, the problem should be manageable.”

Iris looked puzzled, “What do you mean?”

“Iris, keep an eye on Hedy this time.”

“…?”

Suddenly focusing on Hedy, Iris startled her.

“Why suddenly focus on Hedy?”

And then, due to my words, Iris, who had been watching Hedy, widened her eyes in surprise.

“This, this is…?”

It was unbelievable.

Honestly, I couldn’t believe it at first either.

Using the elixirs and techniques I received from Night Raven, I trained her in the same way I did, but her growth rate exceeded imagination.

“Is this possible…?”

“I was surprised at first too.”

Hedy, feeling uncomfortable under our gaze, clung to my sleeve.

At that moment, she seemed like a typical fifteen-year-old.

Still staring blankly at Hedy, I told Iris, “So, when do we depart?”

***

“Oops!”

Thud!

Today, Tia was clumsy again.

Despite having dozens of bandages on her knees already.

It was astonishing even to herself how she managed to trip and hurt herself in the one spot without a bandage.

“Uh… embarrassing, hopefully no one saw that…?”

Looking around, Tia was relieved to find no one nearby.

Perhaps because it was the end of the last semester.

Most students were either out having fun with friends until the break or holed up in the library.

It was a deserted campus street.

“Has Sian gone out to play with friends…?”

Tia thought that she aced the final grade exam all thanks to Sian.

After all, she had no memory whatsoever from the middle part.

She believed that Sian must have carried her unconscious self around, rescuing her with fairy tears.

“I want to express my gratitude…”

Lately, Tia had been frequenting the martial arts lecture hall.

Sian disappeared without a word… When she woke up in the infirmary, he was nowhere to be seen, and he hadn’t sent a single message since.

Though she felt a twinge of disappointment, she couldn’t help but feel glum, thinking it was because she had fainted and become a burden.

“But… I must repay him somehow! It’s all thanks to Sian that I didn’t end up in Class D!”

And so, as she wandered through the martial arts lecture hall once again to find Sian…

“You fool, isn’t it easy to just grab any student from the martial arts department and ask them?”

“Whoa!”

-Thunk!

Startled by a sudden sound in her head, she stumbled and fell again.

“S-Scary! I hear it again!”

“Tsk tsk, still haven’t accepted my existence, have you, contractor? Didn’t I say this body is a spirit?”

“L-Lies! I didn’t make a contract with any spirits, how…! Besides, spirits can’t speak! You must be a ghost for sure…!”

“How many times do I have to tell you that spirit guides can speak?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing! Ugh… Have I hit my head too many times…? Oh no, what should I do now…?”

“…”

Sniffling, Tia stood up. She suddenly felt someone approaching.

“I-I need to get up quickly…”

The person who approached swiftly passed by Tia.

Then, Tia found herself walking again, trying to find Sian.

“Really! If I do that, then Sian-”

“Are you sure? Sian-”

Tia’s ears perked up.

“…D-Did that person who just passed by mention Sian?”

It was certain.

Although she didn’t hear what was being said, she caught a mention of his name, Sian.

“W-Wait a moment-!”

Tia grabbed her injured leg and limped after the two who had just passed by.

Timid and with a demeanor as small as a mosquito, Tia’s voice naturally went unheard by the two.

She continued to follow them with great effort.

“Cough cough!”

Tia suffered from the overwhelming smell of tobacco.

The two she followed entered a deserted alley, where they seemed to be smoking.

“Cough! Ugh… I should ask once they finish smoking….”

The smell of tobacco was so strong that it made Tia, who was frail, feel nauseous.

While tobacco helped enhance magical power when smoked, just inhaling the smoke did not help at all and was also bad for the lungs.

“Cough cough!”

Tia sat against the alley wall, covering her mouth to stifle the cough.

And then.

Soon, the voices of the two conversing in the alley began to be audible.

“What’s the point of all this?”

“Oh, you still don’t understand this deep content?! That’s why Lord Author…”

“If you keep blabbering, I’ll ignore you.”

“Oh, wait a minute! Hold on! Okay, got it. I’ll explain it more simply.”

“….”

Unintentionally, Tia overheard their conversation.

A few minutes passed.

Once again, the topic of Sian began to surface in their conversation.

“Huh…?”

But something was off.

“Isolation? Bring down? Sian…?”

The flow of the conversation seemed to be discussing how to deceive Sian.

Though Tia’s actions may seem naive and foolish, Tia was far from being a fool.

Even in just a short time of listening, she could sense that they harbored ill feelings toward Sian.

Tia realized she was in a delicate situation.

But she thought she had to listen further, even if it was for Sian’s sake.

Soon, they began explaining their detailed plan.

“First, gather evidence, then talk to Aria and Lucy-”

***

Romantically, I thought we were riding a carriage all the way to the wyvern nest that forms the border of the Loment Coast Continent.

-Dagakdagak.

However, unexpectedly, our carriage stopped early.

“Please disembark.”

Following Iris, I got off the carriage.

As I raised my head, a vast, wide, and tall tower filled our view.

With its elegant design, it looked almost like a pointed castle.

Two guards in armor blocked the entrance to the tower.

Approaching them, Iris handed something over.

It was a badge proving her to be a Swordmaster of the Brace Kingdom.

“We have confirmed.”

Upon seeing the badge, they promptly bowed their heads and opened the entrance.

“As expected, Swordmasters are treated as esteemed individuals even in other empires.”

Whether noble or not, their prowess could become a nation’s strength.

In a way, it was only natural treatment.

Walking through the corridor of the tower, Iris spoke to us.

“This is the Matap. When crossing the border, we will use the large mobile magic circle facility here.”

“Will the special forces of the Liana Empire also join us?”

“Yes. As it takes time to prepare the magic circle for transporting many people, we will use the carriage when returning.”

Finally arriving at the door of a certain room.

A sign roughly stated that unauthorized personnel were strictly prohibited from entering.

Whatever consequences there might be.

Iris, unconcerned, pushed open the door.

Then, in the spacious room bathed in the purple light of the magic circle drawn on the floor.

“…Welcome, we have been expecting you.”

A man, seemingly overseeing around 50 people, nodded respectfully to Iris.

He was the commander of the special forces.