Chapter 516 - Tenth Story: The Dragonewt of Wind
Since we returned early, Wilson-san and the others were surprised, but when we explained the circumstances, all three of them thought about it together.
"I see, the possibility of an underground city. However, why would they apply camouflage to the surface when the dwelling is underground?"
Wilson-san asked.
"Wouldn't it be because there's an entrance and exit?"
"That would be likely. However, would they make an entrance and exit only up here? It should be more convenient to make one further down as well. But there was no magic reaction midway, right?"
When I looked at the Elf Prince, he was nodding. Since the Elf says there isn't, there likely isn't.
"They can fly in the sky. It might be fine with just the top."
"When you leave the range where the disguise magic is applied, you become visible, right? If so, if that range is watched, the location will eventually be exposed. There should be a place to hide around the entrance and exit."
Now that you mention it, that's true. If Magic Reflection can't be used, it'll be exposed by magic detection. The midway base Alex made also has an entrance and exit only at the bottom.
"In other words, while it's certain they live in the heights, the entrance and exit they usually use is further down."
"It would be reasonable to think so. Likely, around the area where trees grow midway. And that is the territory of magic beasts. Humans rarely enter, and magic beasts won't carelessly approach the territory of the overwhelmingly powerful Dragonewts. Therefore, there's no need to disguise it with magic."
That's why we didn't know even when we flew by bowl. The reconnaissance by the Paratroop Jaegers and the Goblin scout unit targets the magic beasts at the foot, so they haven't looked at the midway part in detail.
Then, what is the disguise for?
When I observed the midway base Alex made, I saw the hole for lighting. It would be nice if it were a glass window, but since it was made temporarily, it's just a hole. However, a cover for rain protection is prepared.
Wait a minute. A cover... For a Dragonewt who can use powerful wind magic...
"Could it be for lighting?"
If so, there's a suspicious place.
"They're hiding the hole. However, if the dwelling is underground... for the scale of a village, it would be quite a large..."
Eleanor-sama stopped mid-sentence.
"Could it be, that pond..."
She seemed to have noticed.
If the pond was made by disguise, it means a huge hole is open. Even if it's called small, that's compared to large lakes and ponds in the plains. It's easily as wide as a human settlement.
"It's a possible story. Dragonewts might disguise that much with magic. However, if that is actually a hole, rain and snow would fall straight in. Well, that might be fine too."
No, no matter how you think about it, it would be cold. If they can endure that cold, I think there's no need to go underground.
"For example, even if that pond is real, what if it has no bottom, or rather, if it's the bottom of a Wind Barrier?"
Light would shine straight underground, and not only water but even rain and snow wouldn't fall in. It's strange that it's in such a cold-looking place and doesn't freeze even in midwinter. If it's a Wind Barrier, it doesn't let water through. That's already been experienced. I went through underground water with Salamander, and in the Gnome's trial, I explored an underground lake. It can also be a substitute for a boat.
"I see. In other words, what the disguise magic really wants to hide is the color of the pond water."
The pond water is apparently murky green. In other words, the bottom cannot be seen. However, if it were actually transparent water... it should certainly be a substitute for a large window.
After Alex and the Elf Prince exchanged glances, they both turned toward me.
"Jeanne, I think that pond is worth investigating thoroughly."
"Yeah, I think so too. The sun is still high. Let's go see."
Since the great spirits second only to the Four Great ones agreed, I guess I was mostly right.
We flew up again to go see the pond. We hovered slightly away from the edge of the pond. It's outside the range of the disguise magic, just in case.
"If Jeanne's idea is correct, there should be water. Let's try causing ripples as a test."
Alex said so, and toward a human-sized large stone buried at his feet, he thrust out his right hand, and with a gesture as if throwing a stone, the large stone dug out from the ground flew toward the pond with a whoosh. It fell straight into the middle of the pond with a splash and a loud sound. It's obviously not something that happens naturally.
No matter how you think about it, something will happen. I hurriedly chanted Magic Reflection and hid ourselves.
I was watching with bated breath, thinking a Dragonewt would come, but far from a Dragonewt, no change occurred. The ripples caused by the stone also subsided, and it was only to the extent that ripples were caused by the wind.
"Shall we try throwing one more time?"
"No, wait. If they are watching from somewhere, the moment we deactivate Magic Reflection, it might be exposed that we are lurking with camouflage applied."
"If it's exposed, it's exposed. Let's just announce ourselves fairly and squarely and have them guide us to the village."
"Now that this much time has passed, wouldn't that also be difficult?"
The Elf Prince was cautious toward Alex.
However, that's likely true. In a battle between those who are lurking, it's a classic that the one who moves first loses. No one would trust a fellow who secretly throws stones while visiting someone's house. If it was going to be like this, we could have just wandered around without hiding ourselves and then thrown a stone just like that. After doing it several times, they might have come out shouting that it's noisy.
"Then, I'll try."
It was Violet.
"What are you going to do?"
"I attached a thread to the stone before throwing it in. If I pull it, I can pull it up."
I see. That's amazing.
Alex, who threw the stone, didn't seem to notice himself and was whistling.
"Then, I'll try."
Saying so, while she was moving the legs on her side, the stone came up to a bank different from where we were now. It's a shock. Normally, it would come toward us.
"I hooked the thread on that rock over there. So, it's pulled up in the direction of that rock. Otherwise, if I pulled it straight here, our location would be exposed."
What, what, she apparently slackened the thread while the stone was flying and hooked it on a rock in a completely different place. When did she do it? Since she was at the very back, I couldn't see her moving her legs, but even so, it's a divine technique. This time, the Elf Prince whistled.
The stone pulled by the thread came out of the water and proceeded drag-drag toward the rock. It's obviously unnatural. If a Dragonewt was lurking, what would they do?
The stone was dragged toward the rock just like that and finally hid behind the rock.
"Nothing's happening."
"Shall we throw it in one more time?"
When Violet swung her arm with a whoosh, the stone flew out from behind the rock.
Crack!
Suddenly, the stone floating in the air shattered.
Crack, crack, sounds were made, and just as I thought several scratches had entered the surface of the rock, finally the top half shattered.
"It's Wind Cutter. To the extent of shattering rock, humans could never imitate it."
"Yeah, that kind of destructive power, even an Elf couldn't produce. The only one who surpasses that is the Black Dragon Child."
The Elf Prince responded to Eleanor-sama's words. Elves are good at wind and water magic. Despite that, it means the Dragonewt is surpassing them. The Black Dragon Child is... well, an exception.
"Since it's the wind attribute, they must be good at wind magic. Here it's earth magic. Can you tell the location?"
"Yeah. There's a camouflage reaction at a height of about ten steps above the center of the pond."
"Alright, Jeanne. Prepare the Light board. Elf, reinforce it with Wind Barrier."
"Hoho, a magic battle? Interesting."
"They're probably only good at wind. Then it's my turn."
"Hmm. Give it a try."
"Yes, please win."
"I'm sure you can win. Good luck."
"Leave it to me."
Why are these people so obsessed with winning and losing?
The Elf Prince thrust out his right hand and pointed to a corner of the sky. Likely a Dragonewt is in that direction.
"Alright, Jeanne. I'm counting on you."
"I don't know what will happen."
"It's just a light sparring match."
"Yes, yes."
I deactivate Magic Reflection.
Simultaneously, Alex activated Clump Stone and flew four stones in the indicated direction.
At the same time as the stones flew, I activated Light with all my might and made a board.
The Elf Prince reinforced it with Wind Barrier to prepare for physical attacks.
Meanwhile, the stones were flying around in the air. The Dragonewt must be changing locations. Each time, the Elf Prince's right hand changed direction, conveying the approximate distance to Alex.
"Close. It moved slightly up."
"OK, leave it to me."
The stones that seemed to have flown away once described an arc in the air and flew again to the place where the Dragonewt was thought to be. During that time, Wind Cutters were flying slash-slash, but we successfully deflected them. Even though I look like this, my magic control is super-advanced level. Moreover, I made the board with all my might. No matter who the opponent is, beginner magic won't work.
"There's a gap now. A Tempest might come."
It was Eleanor-sama. She's renowned as a combat specialist on the White Island.
"Jeanne. Make it the shape of a ship's bow."
"Yes."
I changed the shape of the board as told by the Elf Prince. Just in case, I made the height and width sufficiently wide.
Roar!
It wasn't a gust. This was already a natural disaster-class wind. As proof, the trees around were being mown down.
"Naïve. Don't underestimate the collaboration between Jeanne and the Elf."
It was just as Alex said. We had no damage. I felt pressure, but thanks to the Elf Prince holding his ground, the wall only retreated a tiny bit.
"Your location is crystal clear. Mr. Dragonewt."
Alex, who had firmly grasped the activation location of the ultra-high-level magic, used his left hand while manipulating the four stones flying in the air with his right hand. Countless stones flew toward one point all at once.
The collection of large and small stones was moving wiggle-wiggle like a snake flying in the air. The head part flying toward the place where the Dragonewt was thought to be was, of course, made of gathered stones, but it was flying around as if it had a will and was chasing something, and the part corresponding to the body followed after it. The something it was chasing was, of course, the Dragonewt. Even though he was hiding his form, occasionally the space blurred and a winged humanoid could be seen. As expected, when forced into this much movement, it seemed he was blurring to some extent.
The stone snake, while circling around the Dragonewt, occasionally had the head part attack the Dragonewt as if biting. Simultaneously, the stones above fell one by one and attacked the Dragonewt.
The Dragonewt, who couldn't escape upward and yet couldn't escape sideways either, had his movable range narrowed down more and more.
The pursuit was Eleanor-sama. She released the high-level magic Sand Storm intermittently at the Dragonewt. Whether it became a momentary blinding, his movement became sluggish.
In this situation, Alex would be at an advantage. The stone snake began to connect longer and longer, and like a coiling snake, it began to surround the Dragonewt.
"Violet!"
"Okaaay."
Contrary to her casual reply, she was moving four of the legs on her side simultaneously at a speed invisible to the eye. Whether she attached thread to the flying stones, once the stones became a mass, she finally wrapped them up with thread.
We finally captured the Dragonewt.
When Alex manipulated it as it was and brought it over here, Violet hung it from a rock using the legs on her side. He's like a bagworm.
"You lot, don't think you'll get away with doing this much."
The Dragonewt, with only his head sticking out, was glaring with golden eyes. As expected, his hair is yellowish-green. The color of wind.
"I am sorry, but who on earth are you? You don't seem to be the Demon Lord's army?"
Eleanor-sama said something playing dumb.