Chapter 370 - Chapter 11: Fire Dragon
A bassa-bassa flapping sound could be heard from below. It seemed to be hovering right in front of the hole, as the sound was now very close. I asked Wilson-san to create a foothold with a Wind Barrier, and stood on the foothold protruding from the cliff, holding a Firefly in my right hand and the stone Salamander gave me in my left.
The dragon must have been beyond the smoke, as I could hear the sound but couldn't see its form.
I blew on Salamander's stone, causing the flaming letters to float up. I pointed those letters toward the dragon.
A gust of wind blew, and then, from beyond the smoke, a huge winged creature slowly approached.
It must be the Fire Dragon.
It had the same form as the one I saw on the mountain before. However, it was red. To be precise, it was a color that looked like a mixture of red and orange.
Compared to the Black Dragon Child, it was two sizes smaller. I felt its belly was thicker. The Black Dragon Child might still have some slender parts because it was originally a Wyvern. Its wings were large, but the Wyvern's were long horizontally. In that regard, the Fire Dragon's weren't long but had width vertically. The Black Dragon Child is exactly in the middle.
As it approached with a bassa-bassa sound, it thrust its face right in front of me.
It peered at the Firefly and Salamander's stone, comparing them.
It brought its snout close and sniffed with a fun-fun sound.
It wasn't a very good feeling, but I managed to avoid being eaten by the Wyvern with this. If Salamander's scent remained, things might go peacefully this time too.
Whether it felt Salamander's lingering scent or not, the dragon didn't attack but just held out its right hand. When I placed Salamander's stone on it, it then held out its left hand. When I placed the Firefly on it, it seemed satisfied and held both in front of its eyes, gazing at them.
After gazing for a while, it let out a muffled growl toward Salamander's stone in its right hand.
The stone burst into flames with a whoosh sound.
While I was backing away in surprise, the flames on the Fire Dragon's palm grew to about the height of a small child, and four protrusions came out, taking the shape of limbs. Just as I thought it was getting smaller, it finally stuck to the palm and became Salamander.
The Fire Dragon saw that figure and purred with a goro-goro sound in its throat. He said they lived together in the distant past. They must be on good terms.
"Yo! You're earlier than I thought."
He flicked his tongue like a flame.
I didn't think it would have the same effect as a spirit stone.
"What? Did you meet up here? You're lucky, aren't you?"
"Is that so? The Fire Dragon just came up on its own, though."
"Is that so?"
I conveyed the sequence of events from departing the first base to defeating the Wyrm.
"Did you try to melt the rock with magic to dig a hole?"
When I looked at Eleanor-sama, she was puffing out her chest proudly and looking down at us.
"It was... Prominence, right?"
"Well, yes. I can't talk about it in detail, though."
Eleanor-sama was acting smug with a "fufun."
Spirits cannot use holy magic. In other words, he probably doesn't know that attribute magic can be strengthened with Holy Lance. Though, Salamander is a fire spirit. He might unleash something even more amazing than Megiddo Fire.
"By the way, I didn't think the person himself would appear."
Eleanor-sama changed the subject. She probably intends to use it as a bargaining chip.
"It's faster if I talk directly. Besides, you wouldn't be able to talk to the Fire Dragon by yourselves, would you?"
That was true. Water and fire have bad compatibility, and Mel had a fight with the Fire Dragon on the mountain. Salamander's stone was our only hope.
"Is the hot spring okay?"
"An hour or two should be fine. Didn't we have a banquet the other day?"
Saying so, Salamander faced the Fire Dragon and began to talk. I didn't understand what they were saying at all. The Fire Dragon's voice was a low one that vibrated in the stomach with a guon-guon sound, slightly different from the Revenant I faced on the mountain. There might be some difference between being alive and being dead. In any case, there was no point in listening, so I went inside and decided to rest with everyone. Since the Fire Dragon is there, other monsters won't approach.
"The talk is settled."
Salamander got down from the Fire Dragon's palm and crawled to our feet.
"How did it turn out?"
"You can have it, but with several conditions."
As expected. He'll surely say something like we have to fight and win.
"First is the first one. I heard you melted a considerable amount of rock earlier. He says to teach him that method. Please show it to him. Like me, he didn't think humans could completely melt rock."
"I see. I don't mind teaching him, but I don't know if a dragon can do the same thing."
"Ho ho. You say quite a bit. Well, it doesn't matter if he can or can't, does it? It's the difference between humans and dragons."
"It's a secret weapon from when we once defeated the Demon Lord."
"Is that so! That's amazing. Show it to me immediately."
"Before that, there's something I want to confirm."
Eleanor-sama said to tell all the conditions first. Naturally. It would be unbearable to have some completely impossible thing said at the very end after working hard to clear the conditions. If possible, she wants to hear them first, judge if they're possible or not, and in some cases, make it a negotiation.
"Ah, I don't mind. There are four conditions in total. I think humans can do all of them. Though, there are some you'll have to work quite hard for."
"Is there a direct confrontation between the Fire Dragon and us?"
"There is, in a way, but it's not a fight to the death. I've made proper rules so that both sides don't die. I, the spirit, am in charge. Rest assured on that point."
That was good. That was my only concern.
"Thank you. Then, let's hear the conditions."
At Eleanor-sama's words, Salamander began to explain.
The conditions for receiving the Fire Dragon Stone that Salamander translated were four. One we already heard. Whether he'll be able to use it or not is unknown, but it's to teach the Fire Dragon Megiddo Fire.
Next, the second is a confrontation with the Fire Dragon. It seems we just need to win. The method is to be considered.
And the third is to bring enough alcohol and food to satisfy him. When I asked what the Fire Dragon eats, he said monsters are fine. There's no particular favorite magical beast; it's about quantity rather than quality. This point might be easy.
The problem was the last one, the fourth.
"Around the middle of this island, there's a mountain you humans call the mountain and treat as a sacred peak, right? A Fire Dragon acquaintance of his lived on that mountain. It seems he died after fighting with humans several hundred years ago. Since it was a duel, revenge is fine. However, he wants you to find the Fire Dragon's remains and perform a memorial service for him, even if it's in the human way."
This is a problem. Wilson-san turned the Fire Dragon into a Revenant, and then we defeated it and returned it to the earth. If I recall correctly, Henry-sama said that those who turn a dragon into a Revenant will be killed by an enraged dragon. I secretly looked at Wilson-san, and he was looking down and sighing. Eleanor-sama was listening without changing her expression.
"Are those the four conditions?"
"That's right. If you satisfy those four, you can get one Fire Dragon Stone."
Salamander is saying that he even bargained quite a bit.
This is bad. Three are one thing, but the fourth is quite dangerous. Moreover, Gwyn-sama is here now. Wilson-san's true identity cannot be revealed.
"According to the story we heard, the Fire Dragon wasn't killed by humans, but grew weak due to wounds sustained in battle and finally passed away. After that, his remains were discovered by a certain human and he was defending the mountain as a Revenant, but he was dispelled by those who defeated the Demon Lord a few years ago and returned to the earth."
Eleanor-sama explained, including the story she heard from Mel.
"Did you know? And a Revenant?"
"Yes. I heard it from the wind spirit Mel, whom Salamander-dono also met the other day. She is an inhabitant of the mountain. She said she didn't have much contact with the Fire Dragon, but she seems to have been a witness to the series of events."
"Call her. It would be better to talk directly, wouldn't it?"
"Here? She's a great spirit. We must provide hospitality. How about it? We'll change the location and welcome you along with the Fire Dragon-dono."
Salamander, who thought "Hmm," consulted with the Fire Dragon, and in the end, exactly as Eleanor-sama intended, it was decided to have a banquet on the ground.
We rose to the crater in the high-speed bowl.
Before our eyes, a land of ice spread out.
"What is this? What on earth happened?"
Salamander raised a loud voice. Well, that's natural. Yesterday, it was a place where brown soil and rocks full of holes were rolling around. I want to ask what happened.
"Guoooooaaaaa!"
This is bad, the Fire Dragon is angry. He surely thinks his territory has been ravaged.
However, Eleanor-sama was moving her hands up and down with her palms facing down as if to soothe the Fire Dragon.
"Actually, we did some monster hunting yesterday and defeated about a hundred of them. It's not a number we can possibly take home, and yet, it would be a waste to make them food for bugs, so I came secretly last night and froze them. I was thinking of taking them home as profit, but I don't mind giving them all to the Fire Dragon-dono. They were frozen shortly after they died. The silver arrows have been pulled out. If left as they are, they won't melt for four or five days. Please thaw them with your flames and eat them."
Just as Eleanor-sama said, if you look closely, a mountain of monsters is trapped inside the ice. They're the ones we defeated in just under two hours yesterday. Since she said she came at night, it must be Wilson-san.
The Fire Dragon was also pleased with this unexpected present, and immediately spat flames to melt one corner, and bit into a roasted Cerberus.
While the Fire Dragon was eating the roast, we went to the nearest village in the high-speed bowl and procured several barrels of alcohol. We returned just like that and began the banquet. At the same time, we had Henry-sama and the others join us and had them load even more barrels of alcohol.
Both the Fire Dragon and Salamander were satisfied that they liked the strong alcohol of Finis. We were able to clear one of the conditions early. After having them eat and drink in a good mood, we called Mel during that time. Since we had asked her to act as an interpreter with the Fire Dragon in case of emergency, there was no problem in calling her.
"Wow, what a desolate place. Where is this?"
I was suddenly complained to, but it can't be helped. After all, we're surrounded by frozen monsters. Especially the site of the position, since we defeated them with swords and spears, the appearance is too terrible.
I had her drink honey water and explained this and that, and had her talk about the Fire Dragon on the mountain.
"Hmm, let's see. I forgot if it was the right or left, but he hurt one of his wings. Because of that, he couldn't fly. So, he couldn't get enough food..."
The trigger seems to have been that humans visited for Fire Dragon subjugation. Unlike Finis, Medioland is not a country made by ancient people either. At that time, unlike now, it was an era when various small lords were numerous and engaged in power struggles. He must have had a dispute with the Fire Dragon.
Humans, troubled by the dragon's attack, came up with a plan. Knowing that the dragon liked alcohol, they tried to escape trouble by offering alcohol. Fortunately, the dragon liked that measure and drank a lot of alcohol. Eventually, the drunk dragon started to go on a rampage for some reason. He might have been a violent drunk. The humans, whose lives were precious, fought desperately while suffering considerable damage and succeeded in hurting his wing. If he can't fly, he won't attack from the mountain. The humans were relieved, but the ones who made the dragon drunk were the humans. On the other hand, they feared the dragon's retaliation. Thus, time passed, and one day someone appeared who said he would subjugate the dragon. That man fought the dragon and successfully defeated it. This is the record remaining on the human side. When Eleanor-sama explained, Mel said there was no mistake.
"But he wasn't dead. That human didn't deliver the finishing blow. Instead of saving his life, he apparently said let's stop fighting each other."
Mel says that human might not have had the intention to kill from the beginning.
After that, the dragon, who couldn't get proper meals, was barely surviving while being looked after by Mel, but finally grew weak and died.
The Fire Dragon, who was listening to the story, let out a grand sigh that made me think the humans present would be blown away. The human record was backed up by the wind spirit, who was also a witness. It's unknown what the original cause of the dispute was, but for what happened after, the drunk Fire Dragon is also to blame.
"That dragon said he wanted to fight with all his might just one more time before he died."
Salamander and the Fire Dragon became somber. The Fire Dragon even looked up at the sky after closing its eyes.
"The one who subjugated that dragon was the one who founded the country that could be called the predecessor of current Medioland. He, who received the title of Dragon Killer, was recommended as King by several small lords who had settlements east of the mountain to lead them."
Is that how it was. That's why Medioland values spirits and dragons. James-sama, who learned about the curse placed on the Water Dragon and immediately joined hands with Finis, must be because the person who was effectively the first King thought that it wasn't just about subjugating blindly.
"And then, the Fire Dragon died, and I certainly buried him at the foot of the mountain. But he had a chance to revive and fight humans once more."
Salamander, who had been looking down, looked at the Fire Dragon, and the Fire Dragon leaned forward.
"The method was wicked. Because humans made him a Revenant. But normal Revenants don't have consciousness, right? But that Fire Dragon Revenant had consciousness. Maybe the Fire Dragon also wanted it. That's why, at night when the practitioner was resting, he would fly in the sky on his own or go to the foot of the mountain and give a war cry. It was noisy, so I often complained and had a fight every time."
Hearing it was a Revenant, Salamander and the Fire Dragon made strange faces. Because it wasn't the form it should originally be.
"And then, I collapsed part of the mountain and blocked the entrance so he wouldn't come out of the cave. Naturally, a landslide occurred, but he encountered the humans who came to investigate that landslide and a battle ensued."
"W-What happened?"
Salamander and the Fire Dragon leaned forward. In a sense, his wish before dying came true.
"The opponents were a mixed group of those who would later defeat the Demon Lord and become heroes, and those who would participate in the Demon Lord subjugation unit. In other words, although it was a coincidence, it was a considerably powerful composition. On the other hand, the Fire Dragon fought together with the practitioner because he was a Revenant. At the same time the battle began, the Fire Dragon overwhelmed the humans. After all, the Fire Dragon's power was added to the Revenant's magic defense. Watching them, I thought the humans couldn't possibly win."
The Fire Dragon is making a guts pose. Since his breathing is heavy, a fishy wind is blowing byuu-byuu.
"But, as you can probably tell, a Revenant is weak if the practitioner is targeted, right? He was aimed at there, and in the end, he lost. Then, he returned to the earth, and the soul summoned by the art safely returned to heaven with human prayer. So, I think that Fire Dragon's wish was fulfilled to some extent."
When Eleanor-sama emptied one barrel of alcohol into the basin in front of the Fire Dragon, who had slumped his shoulders, he drank it in one go.
He let out a gefu breath that smelled of alcohol.
"Do you resent the one who made that dragon a Revenant?"
Wilson-san asked. After all, he's the person himself.
When Salamander translated, the Fire Dragon stared at Wilson-san. He might have noticed. That the practitioner who turned the Fire Dragon into a Revenant was Wilson-san.
Salamander translates the guon-guon cry.
"Even if a dragon dies, the soul doesn't leave the corpse immediately. When being turned into a Revenant, if the person himself didn't want it, that soul would have resisted fiercely. We are Fire Dragons. Those who manipulate the flames of the underground. Even if he was turned into a Revenant after resisting, it should have been possible to turn the area into scorched earth."
"That wasn't the case. Because I only noticed he had returned to the underground cave after a certain amount of time had passed. That's how naturally he returned. Also, unlike an Orc that just follows orders, the Fire Dragon and the practitioner maintained a good relationship."
Mel stopped on Wilson-san's shoulder. She might intend to be a spokesperson.
"And then, at the end of the battle, the soul returned to heaven with the prayer of Jeanne over there. I, the wind spirit, guarantee it."
I was surprised to have my name suddenly mentioned, but of course it's not a lie.
Performing a memorial service is a usual thing, and it doesn't matter if it's a rat or a dragon. However, since I didn't chant Purification or Ascension, I didn't see anything soul-like.
"It's the same. It's just invisible to human eyes. At that time, that Fire Dragon was finally able to ascend."
The Fire Dragon, who had been silently listening to Salamander's translation, shed a single tear from its right eye, cried guwan-guwan, spread its wings, and soared into the sky. It went above the clouds and became invisible.
"Fire Dragons like to fight. In a different sense than a dispute. In that sense, that Fire Dragon who became a Revenant must have been able to ascend with conviction. One of the conditions is cleared. That Fire Dragon was saying so."
When Salamander raised his right hand and pointed to the heaven where the Fire Dragon would be flying, Wilson-san silently lowered his head.