A small village surrounded by tall mountains and trees.
In this village, there are few children. Just me, my friend, and about four others. I never quite fit in with the other kids, always finding myself alone. Then one day, a girl approached me. She was always playing in the mud with the boys, not exactly what you’d call a typical girl.
Despite my shy nature, she actively engaged me in conversation, and before long, we were chatting happily about the village, the adults, and what lay beyond its borders. I had never been outside; I was strictly warned not to go, and there were always adults watching the road leading out of the village.
We talked a lot about what was outside the village, what it was like, and what fun things awaited us.
One day, a person came from outside the village. They were much older than us and had a kind demeanor. It turned out they were an Adventurer, and we listened intently to their stories.
My friend seemed to be enchanted by the idea of becoming an Adventurer, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I wanted to go outside the village someday too. If my friend became an Adventurer, then I would go with her. At first, it felt impossible, but if it meant being with her, I would face it. Even if it was scary and dangerous, I could do it with her.
Someday. Surely.
“Just you get away!”
Flames engulfed the houses. My father and mother desperately tried to save me.
I don’t remember what happened after that.
I ran, ran, and kept running. Even when my boots fell off, I continued barefoot.
I had no idea how long I ran. My stomach ached with hunger, my throat parched, and I could barely walk anymore. Why did this happen? What was going on?
Finally, I leaned against a tree, unable to move from that spot. No, I just couldn’t.
I looked around at the scattered armed people before me. Swords, spears, bows, axes, staves. They held items I had only seen in picture books, and they were trying to kill me.
But all I could do was watch blankly. My consciousness flickered, as if I were drifting between dreams and reality. I had no idea what was happening.
My home was burned. There was no food. My shoes were worn out. I walked barefoot. I couldn’t even remember where I had walked. Before I knew it, I was here.
People looked at me with fierce expressions. What had I done? I wanted to ask, but my whole body, even my head, wouldn’t obey me.
They charged at me. My body was wounded. Blood poured out.
It hurt. Why was this happening?
What had I done?
Please, stop it.
I was saying stop, but it was really happening.
Before me, flames roared. More than half of those who attacked me writhed in the fire, burning. Those who refused to drop their weapons were cut down and died. I watched as if it were a scene from a picture book, observing the chaos unfolding around me.
When the last one screamed and fled, an inexplicable exhilaration surged within me. For some reason, I felt joy, and I couldn’t help but scream.
Under the night sky, I shouted at the top of my lungs.
“You sure made a grand mess of things!”
Then another person appeared before me. Amidst the scorched earth, they stood unaffected. Black hair, a large sword gripped tightly. Assuming they were one of the earlier attackers, I glared at them.
“I’m not feeling this.”
That was the last thing I heard. A wave of agony crashed over me, and I collapsed, unable to endure it. Before my head lay on the ground, that person stood there.
Ah, I see. This person attacked me too. I hadn’t done anything. Realizing this, I felt indifferent to everything.
My village was burned, my beloved parents and friends lost. I had lost all hope of living. I could die here, and it would be fine. I gently closed my eyes. I didn’t want to feel pain anymore.
I found myself lying on straw.
When I tried to get up, my whole body ached terribly. I screamed and immediately lay back down. I felt like I had experienced something terrifying, but I couldn’t remember. Why was this person being so kind to me?
“Don’t be afraid. I don’t intend to harm you any further.
On the contrary, once your injuries heal, you’ll be free.”
The Uncle tried to reassure me, dropping his weapon and spreading his arms wide. With a wrinkled smile on his face, he placed two or three apples in front of me.
At first, I hesitated, but I couldn’t withstand the overwhelming hunger, so I took a bite. After finishing, I looked at the Uncle, who silently watched me. He seemed to smile, but then suddenly looked down, casting a shadow.
“They say I’m a skilled Dragon Hunter, but it’s just slaughter.”
The Uncle continued to speak to me, who remained silent. I closed my eyes, and his calm, low voice brought me some relief.
“This hut is a secret place only I know. If the others find you, they will kill you.
So, don’t cause any trouble.”
I didn’t nod, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the Uncle. In this small hut, there was only the straw beneath me and the chair the Uncle sat on.
I didn’t know where I was or why I was here. I understood that this person was trying to help me, injured as I was.
“There are countless types of dragons living in Dragon’s Valley.
I don’t know the details of their ecosystem, but they’ve been here long before we humans arrived.
And what did we do? We came along and gleefully started hunting dragons.
We ravaged their homes, slaughtered them for gold, and if we were counterattacked, we sought revenge. It’s absurd.
I question my past self. I was wrong all along.”
The Uncle covered his eyes with one hand and sighed deeply. This person was saying something strange.
After fleeing the village, what happened to me?
What happened after that? Why was I here? Everything was hazy, and I couldn’t remember.
“For money, for romance. Was that all my younger self desired?
But I won’t stop my son from wanting to become a Dragon Hunter like me. He might feel the same way when he’s my age, but his life is his own.
As a father, all I can do is watch over him.
Well, it’s pointless to complain to you. You wouldn’t understand human words anyway.”
What was this person talking about? I was human.
“Well then, I’ll come again tomorrow. Stay quiet and wait.”
From that day on, the Uncle came to see me every day. He brought food and talked with me.
But each time he came, he always seemed somewhat tired. Once my injuries healed completely, would I have to say goodbye to him? That thought made me sad; if that were the case, I wished my injuries would never heal.
Having been alone since leaving the village, the Uncle’s presence eased my loneliness. I wished we could stay together like this forever.
“Hey, Dad… what happened to you?”
Amid those days, someone finally found me besides the Uncle. This person seemed to be the Uncle’s child and was initially wary of me. But, being the Uncle’s child, they quickly understood and began to take care of me.
“So, I confessed to that girl the other day, but I got turned down spectacularly.”
It was a trivial story. Though older, listening to such tales made me feel like we weren’t so different.
“I’ve made up my mind. From now on, I’ll work on my charm and try to be liked by many girls.
To do that, I need to become a Dragon Hunter like Dad… I hear he’s quite the catch.”
“Oh? By the way, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before…”
Sometimes he said strange things, but it was fun being with him. He often patted my head, and I naturally leaned against him.
As my injuries began to heal, I tried to stand for the first time in a while, and I noticed something.
“Hey, you’re looking better. You should be able to move freely soon.”
I stood up and tried to stretch, but something felt off. My spine didn’t stretch as much as I expected.
“Whoa, what are you trying to do, acting all human-like?”
Why were my claws so long? Why were they so thick?
“Whoa, don’t move your wings in here. You’ll break the hut.”
Thick arms and legs covered in scales. And wings sprouting from my back. My vague memories began to clarify, and I finally remembered what I had done.
“By the way, you look just like that dragon that went on a rampage the other day. Are you the same kind?
I mean, I rebelled against Dad at first, but… I got totally wrecked back then.
All the other adults were wiped out… and I was the only one who escaped. Well, I’ll definitely take it down someday.”
So, I wasn’t human. Why hadn’t I remembered until now? Why hadn’t I realized it before? The way he handed me apples instead of just placing them in front of me. The fact that I couldn’t even respond when the Uncle spoke to me.
No matter how much I attacked, it just kept regenerating. But surely, my father’s strike had to have done some damage, right? With my father’s skills added to the anti-dragon equipment, most dragons would be brought down. Yet here you are, incredible.
Yes, I was rampaging, having lost my sense of self. I didn’t even understand why everyone was attacking me. I was instinctively fighting back. In fact, since leaving the village, I had no memory of what had happened up to this point. I couldn’t recall how I had survived until now.
“If word gets out that the Dragon Hunter helped you, it would be a big problem. So just stay quiet here.”
These claws, this body, the golden scales. Why? I should be human. Why? Why? I fell into despair. How was I supposed to live on as a dragon? Could I no longer live as a human? Why did I have to go through this? Who had done this to me, who had taken everything from me? It was too cruel. It was unbearable.
“W-wait, are you crying? Does it hurt?”
No, that wasn’t it. I wanted to say that, but only a groan escaped my lips. I couldn’t speak because I was a dragon. The moment I recognized all of this reality, my mind went blank once more.
“My injuries are healing well.”
Uncle handed me some fruit as usual. I took a bite, and then his child came over. It was the same old routine, unchanged. But I was happy. Uncle—no, Kirius was so kind. I didn’t understand why he treated me so well, but I loved him dearly.
“But, Father, we can’t keep her here forever…”
“I know. We’ll have to release her into the wild at night.”
“…What if she causes trouble again?”
“That’s…”
What could I possibly do? I wouldn’t cause any trouble. And what did it mean to be released into the wild?
“There are those who are suspicious about the absence of dragon corpses. They probably don’t think I’m hiding one, but it’s only a matter of time before this place is discovered.”
“…Father, maybe I should quit being a Dragon Hunter.”
“Why’s that?”
“I started because I admired you, but looking at her makes me question a lot of things. Dragon’s Valley was originally a nest for dragons, and we intruded and started hunting them. It must be a huge nuisance for them.”
“However, it’s also true that dragons from Dragon’s Valley sometimes attack human settlements.”
“That gives us a justification, doesn’t it?”
“Indeed. Now, Seigel, I won’t interfere with the path you choose, but… if you decide to quit being a Dragon Hunter, then you should leave here and live quietly somewhere else.”
“That sounds nice. Maybe I should quit right now?”
“Only if you let her go.”
The two of them laughed together. I didn’t understand more than half of what they were saying, but I could tell that the time to part with them was drawing near. I didn’t want to end this joyful time. I loved these two. So why did they want to leave me?
“You’ll soon be free. First, get away from Dragon’s Valley.”
With that, Kirius gently patted my head.
A burning hut. The night landscape illuminated in red flickered as if it were the end of the world. Yes, the end. That moment had come.
“…Guh!”
Kirius, bleeding, lay face down on the ground, trying to say something to me. He reached out, as if trying to grab me. I had no idea what was happening right in front of me. Why had it come to this? What had happened to Kirius?
Suddenly, I looked at my arm and saw it stained red from my fingertips to my entire arm. Blood. The stench of fresh blood filled the air.
“Ugh…”
Kirius let out a soundless cry and then lay still. A pool of blood slowly spread beneath him. That spreading pool finally made me realize that life was draining from Kirius’s body. Why? Why? Why? Did I kill him? But this blood…
“F-Father!”
Seigel, Kirius’s son, came running, breathless. As soon as he noticed Kirius’s lifeless body, he approached slowly, kneeling down and shaking him, as if trying to escape from that reality. He shook him repeatedly, and then…
“N-no way… No way!”
Tears and screams continued endlessly. He clung to Kirius, forever. That scene, which seemed like it would last an eternity, suddenly transformed. Seigel’s head slowly lifted, and the hatred that resided in the depths of his tear-filled eyes was directed at me.
“You… you did this…! Damn it! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
He stood up, swaying, and drew his sword with a quiet motion. He raised a battle cry to the heavens, and that blade came rushing toward me.
◆ Hunter’s Nest ◆
“How’s it going, Seigel?”
“This side is no good either…”
After the Flare Dragon emitted a mysterious light and Roel fainted, I carried her to the inn. That night, when I suddenly woke up, I found that Roel was no longer sleeping beside me. A cold sensation spread within me. An emotion I hadn’t felt in a long time surged through me—anxiety, fear, sadness. They all came rushing back, leaving me with no energy to run. Even now, it felt unreal. Why? Why? Why?
“Roel… where are you…?”
Meanwhile, the night continued to fall over Hunter’s Nest, unchanged.
Monster Compendium
[Flare Dragon HP: 10,200]
A dragon covered in red scales with a serpent-like body. It is said to have been born in scorching flames, possessing heat capable of melting ordinary metals in an instant. Its power is such that even a party of dozens of A-Rank Adventurers could face annihilation. The scales are in high demand in the market, but if the peeling process is mishandled, one risks being splashed with blood that is hotter than boiling water.