5 – Dragon Hunting Dragon (1)
Liana, who was examining my expression, immediately closed her mouth and stood up abruptly.
“Why? What’s going on?” She didn’t ask any foolish questions like that.
I slowly moved towards the direction where the sound was coming from and stood in front of Liana, blocking her.
There were some noisy things approaching.
After waiting for a moment, I could see some distant shadows appearing from the other side of the dark hill.
Upon closer inspection, they were humans riding horses.
“Humans on horseback are coming. Do you have any idea who they might be?”
“Where…? I can’t see anything…”
“I can see them.”
Liana asked, peering over my shoulder.
“Are they armed?”
“Just a moment… Hmm. It seems like they are. They are holding spears and bows.”
“What about their attire? Are they dressed the same or differently?”
“Differently. Some are wearing armor, and others are wearing helmets.”
“Then they’re probably not guards… We should be prepared just in case.”
Liana quickly gathered the scattered items on the ground and stuffed them into her bag.
It seemed like she was getting ready to escape at any moment.
“What could it be… Besides a thief, nothing else comes to mind…”
In the meantime, the humans had approached within a visible distance of each other.
The human at the forefront raised his hand, signaling the group to stop.
He was a young man, adorned in worn leather armor, with a sword at his waist and a large shield on his back.
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“Excuse me, but may I ask you something?”
The human who had approached us alone shouted.
“Have you by any chance seen a dragon around here?”
A dragon? Is he talking about me?
I almost said that I am the dragon, but quickly changed my mind.
These armed humans gathering in the middle of the night.
It might cause trouble if I reveal my true identity without thinking.
And judging by their urgency, it doesn’t seem like they’re here to welcome me either.
“A dragon? Well, I’m not sure.”
Riana quietly whispered to me.
“When humans meet for the first time, they need to show respect…”
“Oh, really? Hmm. A dragon, you say? I’m not sure.”
I replied casually, and the human frowned.
“I was sure it had landed here… Are you saying you didn’t see that enormous thing?”
“Yes.”
The human, who had been silent for a moment, asked abruptly.
“But why are the teachers here? There’s no town nearby.”
“I am a traveler.”
“Travelers, you say…”
The man scrutinized us skeptically, not believing my words.
A deserted wasteland in the middle of the night.
A man dressed in desert attire, completely out of place in this area, and a woman with a large chest covered by a windproof garment.
With this combination, it was only natural for anyone to doubt and question what these people were up to.
They had no intention of giving us any more information, so now I had to find out who they were.
“And what about you? What do you do?”
“Oh, I apologize. I should start with the introductions… I am the captain of the Rosen’s Mercenary Corps.”
“The captain of a mercenary corps, you say.”
Mercenaries, a concept I was familiar with.
They were professionals who fought or took on dangerous tasks in exchange for money.
“Yes. I received a hunting request for the Black Dragon that has been appearing near the Tuscany Province recently. I came all the way here for the job. But I never expected to actually see a dragon.”
Rianna whispered in a soft voice, almost inaudible.
“Sir Erga… I think he came to hunt dragons… Please don’t reveal that it’s a dragon…”
“Hunting dragons? That’s ridiculous.”
But… if it’s a Black Dragon, could it be referring to me?
However, the man used the expression ‘a few weeks ago.’
I had just arrived in this area a moment ago.
Could it be that there are other Black Dragons besides me?
That can’t be possible. Our kind rarely leaves our habitat unless it’s an exceptional circumstance.
I guess I’m just an exceptional case.
But it’s uncertain to conclude that someone has been tracking me.
Even if they were chasing me right after my escape, and even if they managed to get ahead of me while I was riding in the slave traders’ carriage, it’s still today.
But if rumors of dragons appearing have been circulating for a few weeks now, then it’s definitely not someone tracking me.
One of the subordinates who had scattered to the other side shouted loudly.
“Commander! There are traces here! It looks like they briefly landed on the ground!”
“Got it! I’ll be right there!”
The man who responded to his subordinate turned around to us meaningfully.
I wondered if that human would draw his sword and order us to surrender, as he had claimed earlier.
But whether it was due to his mild temperament or not, he soon opened his mouth with a gentle expression.
“Well then, I apologize for any inconvenience. Teachers, have a safe journey.”
The mercenary captain respectfully nodded his head and turned to where his subordinates were.
Liana let out a long sigh.
“Phew… We almost got into big trouble. If Eurga hadn’t mentioned the dragon, we would have been hunted.”
“But that wouldn’t have been an easy task.”
“That’s true. By the way, this is the Tussenu Duchy, right?”
Liana muttered while looking around.
“The Tussenu Duchy… Hm… That means it’s in the southern part of the Veravche Kingdom… I can’t believe we’ve come this far already…”
“Roughly where are we? Near the city?”
“More like a territory than a city. Have you heard of a territory?”
“Well…”
Liana explained the concept of a territory to me.
Essentially, it was when someone of noble status claimed a large piece of land and exercised unlimited rights over everything there.
Crops, fields, various resources, even humans.
“It’s a funny concept. So, there’s all that?”
“If I were to explain further, it would get complicated. Anyway, the area that can be called a city here is the Lordship. That’s where people gather.”
If everything goes according to plan, going to that Lordship is the right move.
But I couldn’t shake off the rumors of a black dragon.
I wouldn’t be able to continue the journey with a nagging feeling unless I made sure of what it was.
It would be good to find out if there really is a black dragon and if so, why it’s here.
And if it’s here to capture me… I’ll have to avoid it and run even further, or worst case scenario, fight.
Summing up my opinion briefly, Liana pondered, touching her chin.
“Hmm… Erega-san, you escaped from where you used to live for some reason and you’re being pursued, right?”
“That’s right. My kin, the other dragons, are using magic to track me down.”
“I see… I understand what you’re saying. We can’t proceed without confirming the existence of another black dragon.”
Liana nodded slowly.
“Hmm… It might be better to follow those mercenaries…”
“No, let’s rest somewhere first. You’re hungry, and it seems like you’re exhausted.”
I was kidnapped according to the slave’s expectations and instantly flew a tremendous distance on the dragon’s back.
It would be strange for a weak human body to not faint immediately.
Upon hearing my words, Liana smiled mischievously.
“Then let’s head towards the Tussenne’s private estate. There might be an inn for travelers there.”
We approached the mercenaries who were examining the traces of the land I had unearthed.
“Excuse me, but which way is the Lord’s Castle?”
“The Lord’s Castle is over there. Please continue east along the visible road.”
One of the mercenary captains, who had been kneeling down from my words, pointed with his finger.
“Although it would be better to give you a ride if possible, we are a bit busy, as you can see.”
“That’s alright. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Please be careful.”
We bid farewell to the mercenaries and headed towards the direction of the Lord’s Castle.
* * * * *
We walked along the road that followed the hilly terrain for a while.
“Ugh. I don’t even know how many hills we’ve crossed.”
Liana grumbled as she crossed another shallow hill.
“Why is the Tussenne’s private estate so vast… Can’t see anything?”
“Well, I don’t see any lights or anything yet. It might be hidden behind the hills up ahead.”
“Ugh. My shoulders hurt, my back hurts… Carrying these two watermelons is killing me…”
“Just a little bit further. The top of the hill is exposed, so it’s dangerous. There’s a thicket over there, so let’s rest inside for a bit… Huh? What’s that?”
Something that appeared to have overturned the low hill in front of us was moving.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a flock of pure white sheep.
“Oh, look. There’s a flock of sheep over there.”
“Huh? Really? What’s going on?”
“Well, this is perfect timing. I’m hungry, so it would be nice to catch one and eat it.”
At that moment, two riders on horses were seen coming towards us from the other side.
Upon seeing them, Liana said,
“Ergha, you should cancel that order.”
The riders, who had raced up the hill, spread out on both sides and surrounded us.
They were humans wearing rough moleskin clothes and boots that reached up to their knees.
They wore hats with dried brims and untrimmed beards grew thickly on their chins.
In their hands, which were glaring at me with suspicion, were ropes and axes, and a long bow was hung on their saddles.
As they slowly circled around us, one of them asked,
“What are you guys doing, wandering around with a flock of sheep?”