◆ Hunter’s Nest, In Front of the Dragon’s Belly ◆
From the morning, dozens of Dragon Hunters had drawn their weapons, surrounding their target. Scattered around them were people lying face down or on their backs, in various positions. Their weapons had been thrown aside, and even I could tell they were definitely unconscious.
At the center stood something that was clearly not human. Its head, body, arms, and legs were covered in dragon-like scales, standing on two legs just like us. Its size was not much different from the adults standing nearby, but its appearance was unmistakably that of a dragon.
With its eyes closed, it stood quietly, doing nothing more. Although the Dragon Hunters had their weapons aimed at the dragonfolk, there was no sign of them attacking. It was likely that they lacked the will to fight, rather than any outright hostility. Given that some Dragon Hunters were already down, I could roughly imagine what had transpired.
“Ah, you’ve finally awakened. Good morning, my lady.”
The dragonfolk spoke, its mouth opening wide. Contrary to its appearance, the voice was not particularly deep, but rather gentle, reminiscent of a kind old man, slow and soothing. It was hard for me to comprehend that such a voice came from that dragon-like figure.
“I thought I would wait quietly, but humans are surprisingly aggressive, aren’t they? To think that such weapons are meant for us dragons is quite amusing… Oh, but that’s neither here nor there. My lady, you look splendid today.”
The reptilian eyes of the dragonfolk pierced straight into Kurinka. Perhaps still unable to grasp the situation, Kurinka did not respond to the dragonfolk’s inquiry. Yet, the dragonfolk continued to smile as best as it could with its dragon-like face.
“Your lord has been waiting with great anticipation. Now, come this way.”
“Uh, um? Is that person talking to me?” Kurinka asked, bewildered.
“It seems so. Also, I don’t think it’s human,” I replied.
“I don’t understand what’s going on at all…”
Amidst the pleasant morning air, I was shocked that the dragonfolk had even approached, let alone what it was saying.
“Ugh… I won’t let you…”
A Dragon Hunter who had collapsed behind the dragonfolk managed to stand up, bending his knees. However, he showed no intention of turning to face the dragonfolk, still smiling at Kurinka.
“My apologies for the sudden visit that has confused you, my lady. Please forgive my rudeness. I will explain everything in due order.”
“Shut up… You monster, I won’t let you have your way!”
“…I am merely speaking with the lady.”
With a swift backstep, the dragonfolk delivered an elbow strike that shattered the armor of the uncle Dragon Hunter, piercing through his body and destroying his insides. By the time the dragonfolk’s elbow hit the Dragon Hunter, others were already preparing their weapons, but it was too late.
In that brief moment, the dragonfolk could have easily killed four or five people, showcasing a significant gap in power.
“Gah…!”
“It is my lord’s command to refrain from unnecessary killing… Hm?”
The dragonfolk tilted its head, noticing that the Dragon Hunter who had fallen and coughed up blood had vanished. But I saw it. The dragonfolk had slightly followed my movements with its gaze as I carried the injured uncle back to Kurinka. Although it wasn’t at full speed, being recognized to that extent was a rarity since Lord Daigami.
If that dragonfolk had attacked with its four-fingered claws instead of an elbow strike, there was no doubt the uncle would have died. Even so, if left alone, he would undoubtedly perish.
“Alright, this should be fine.”
“I’m sorry… But you need to escape quickly. That thing is after you…”
“Oh! This is wonderful!”
As Kurinka healed the uncle, the dragonfolk clapped exaggeratedly. It opened its long mouth wide, baring its fangs in a grin.
“Goodness, I never expected you to have grown this much! Our lord will surely be delighted!”
“…What are you to me? Why are you doing this?”
“Oh dear, how rude of me. I am Anima, a servant of the Dragon God, from the Dragonfolk tribe. I have come to welcome you as the wife of the Dragon God.”
“Rua-chan, help me.”
Kurinka looked at me with tearful eyes, seeking help. Of course, I would help her. I truly had no idea what was being said, but it was clear that this creature intended to take Kurinka somewhere. There was no way I would allow that. Even if it appeared human, it was clearly a monster.
“You were guided to Dragon’s Valley by none other than our lord. Despite your youth, you have survived until today thanks to the Dragon God’s blessing. When the Dragon God stumbled upon you wandering, it fell in love at first sight. Since then, the Dragon God has wished to take you as its wife, but you are both dragon and human. We, too, lack the means to raise a human child. Thus, our lord decided to become a demon rather than a dragon, to watch over you. We have eagerly awaited the day you would grow strong and beautiful in the human world. We believed that one day, you would surely return to Dragon’s Valley. What if that day never comes, you ask? Oh, that’s a joke. We would come to fetch you regardless, just as we are today.”
“Uh, okay…”
No one spoke further. Not a single Dragon Hunter seemed to understand the situation. Not one person said, “I see.” The dragonfolk, passionately recounting its tale, was so outlandish that no one could wrap their heads around the content. I imagined many felt the same way.
In short, this creature’s master, the Dragon God, liked Kurinka and was trying to force a marriage. Even saying it myself, it made no sense.
“So, Anima, you are trying to take Kurinka away on the orders of your master, the Dragon God. Is that correct?”
“I believe I have stated that several times already. But, Kurinka, what a beautiful name. Truly befitting of our lord’s wife.”
In this moment, only Seigel was engaging with Anima. I wouldn’t let Kurinka be taken away, but I decided to leave it to Seigel for now.
“What if Kurinka says she doesn’t want to go?”
“I have been ordered to bring Lady Kurinka back, and I will fulfill that duty.”
“Ah, I see. But Anima, Kurinka needs time to prepare her heart. So, could you withdraw for today?”
“…You should be more aware of your position.”
Anima clicked its sharp claws together, glaring with its yellow eyes, clearly agitated. It was evident that the reality of the fallen Dragon Hunters weighed heavily on everyone present; there was no guarantee that even if we all fought together, we could defeat Anima.
I wasn’t foolish enough to misunderstand that, which is why I understood the meaning of Anima’s intimidation and the fear it instilled in the Dragon Hunters. Those sweating and breathing heavily were the ones who understood the difference in power.
And as for me, I was reaching my limit of patience. Yes, Kurinka was cute, and it was understandable to fall in love with her. But marriage could only happen when both parties had feelings for each other. My parents married because they loved each other. To take Kurinka away and force a marriage without waiting for her response was unacceptable.
If the Dragon God loved Kurinka so much, it should come and express those feelings itself. I learned yesterday that confessing love takes a great deal of courage. That’s why those words carry weight. That’s why they resonate.
Words conveyed after overcoming fear are irreplaceable. And today, Kurinka and I are together once more. Neither Anima nor the Dragon God understood that at all.
“Anima, why doesn’t the Dragon God come to tell Kurinka directly that it loves her?”
“…? What need is there for that?”
“Rua, just step back for a moment.”
“Why, Seigel? This thing is…”
“Please, can you just listen to me?”
The seriousness in Seigel’s voice, tinged with anger, conveyed an extraordinary intensity. When he asked me to be quiet, I had no choice but to comply. I had learned that Seigel was not someone who would do something wrong. Kurinka likely admired him because he had been kind to her when he was a dragon.
That made Seigel my benefactor as well. I had to respect that.
“Kurinka, you need to say this yourself. It would be unwise to provoke him any further.”
“Okay, I understand…”
Kurinka brushed the dust off her robe to calm herself and looked into Anima’s eyes.
Up close, Anima was quite large. Seigel was about two heads taller than me, but Anima was slightly taller than him. On top of that, its muscular body was covered in dragon scales. Despite its appearance, its words were polite, making it all the more unsettling.
“Um, Anima-san. I must decline. I already have someone very important to me…”
“…I understand. For today, I’ll take my leave after this greeting. It seems you are not yet prepared in your heart. But please understand this: my master has a very fierce temperament. If Kurinka-sama refuses even by tomorrow, it could affect the very existence of this continent. Please, do not make a hasty decision…”
With those ominous words, Anima spread her wings and took to the sky. From a distance, her large bat-like wings made her look almost like a demon. But the demons I had seen were nothing like that. They were far more sinister and terrifying, beings that were more demonic than any demon.
“Ugh, what a hassle…”
“Seigel-san, why didn’t you stop her? We could have taken her down!”
“Idiot, listen carefully. If she truly is a messenger of the Dragon God, we can’t afford to act recklessly. I told you about the time the Dragon God rampaged, right? That wasn’t just a made-up story; it’s recorded as a part of history.”
“What? Are you saying I can’t defeat the Dragon God?”
“I’m not saying that.”
“Then are you suggesting we hand Kurinka over to someone like her?!”
“Listen! If you were to lose your temper and fight the Dragon God, do you have any idea what would happen?! The destruction from such a clash would be unimaginable! Even if you survived the Dragon’s breath that could scorch the continent, what about everyone else?!”
“Ah…”
Even during the time with Lord Daigami, I had naively thought I could just defeat a god. The Divine Lightning back then could have easily been mistaken for a cataclysm by an ordinary person. Looking back, it might have been sheer luck that there were no casualties from that battle.
“So, what should we do?”
“Get as far away as you can by today. If they pursue you, just play dumb.”
“…That won’t work.”
One of the Dragon Hunters, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a hoarse voice. A young male Dragon Hunter had already sheathed his weapon and stepped a little closer to us.
“If you do that, they’ll only get angrier. Even if they take your words seriously, they’ll use every means at their disposal. They might even go on a rampage across the continent, causing more casualties because of that girl.”
“Kurinka is not at fault!”
“Shut up! It was that monster girl who brought this calamity upon us!”
“W-what…?”
“Rua-chan, I don’t mind. Really…”
Amidst the boiling anger in my head, only Kurinka’s voice rang clear. She clung to me, trying to soothe my trembling rage. The sight of the fluttering golden wings made the Dragon Hunter’s disdain unbearable.
“Kurinka is not a monster.”
“The Dragon God fell in love with her? They make a perfect pair, being monsters together! Just get together already!”
“This!”
“Enough! Both of you, be quiet!”
Seigel’s furious voice crackled through my clothes and skin. Without it, I would have undoubtedly struck that person. There would have been no holding back; I would have killed him for sure.
“Regardless, even if these guys don’t come to Dragon’s Valley, that Anima will show up! She made it clear with her own mouth! And you! If you dare call Kurinka a monster, I’ll take you on myself! Got it?!”
“Ugh…”
With that, Seigel placed a hand on Kurinka’s head, who was on the verge of tears, and gently stroked her hair. At that moment, she stopped crying and looked at Seigel with tear-filled eyes. Seeing her start to sob again, I thought it might have been counterproductive, but it didn’t take long to realize it was tears of joy. Perhaps it was because I remembered being comforted like this in the past. Even when I had lost my memories, I could understand why Kurinka had been so attached to Seigel.
“Seigel-san… You need to calm down too. I understand you want to protect that girl. But how is she going to live with those wings?”
“Well, that’s…”
“There are certainly many who would find her unsettling, even if they don’t say it out loud. Especially in a situation like this, it’s only natural for her to be seen as a spark for trouble.”
“I thought the Dragon God was just a made-up story. I can’t believe it actually exists…”
“You don’t want to harm her, right? Maybe you should just… work with the Dragon God…”
“No! I want to stay with Rua-chan!”
At this point, other Dragon Hunters began to chime in one after another. As one spoke, the noise grew louder. I had been holding Kurinka’s hand tightly the entire time, refusing to let go. This was the only way I could reassure Kurinka right now. It was my silent vow to protect her, and somehow, she had stopped trembling.
“Seigel-san, if Anima comes tomorrow, I’ll make it clear. Kurinka doesn’t want this, and more than anything, I won’t hand her over to the Dragon God.”
We were discussing this and that, but I felt bad for Seigel and the others. I had no doubts from the very beginning. After promising to stay together, if someone tried to break that promise, if the Dragon God were to rage…
“You said your name was Rua, right? Your skill in repelling the Comet Wolf Brigade is impressive, but there are certain things in this world that should never be touched. The Dragon God is one of the five most feared deities in this world. They are said to be embodiments of gods or gods themselves, symbols of awe since ancient times. They are not beings that humans can contend with. And you, being young, may not know this, but there are many dragons in Dragon’s Valley that far exceed human understanding, even if they aren’t the Dragon God. The impenetrable Dragon’s Valley that even Kirius couldn’t conquer is indeed there. I’m not saying this to scare you; courage and recklessness are different. Avoid fighting at all costs…!”
With both hands firmly placed on my shoulders, the Uncle Dragon Hunter spoke passionately, exhaling heavily. But I gently removed his hands from my shoulders. I felt bad for the startled Uncle, but I had already made my decision.
“No matter who it is, I won’t hand Kurinka over.”
With that strong declaration, neither the Uncle nor Seigel nor anyone else had anything more to say.