kscans

Chapter 230 - The Dragon Race and a Reassessment.

The next morning.

I awoke in the infirmary. I tried to turn my head to look around, but a curtain blocked my view, making it impossible to see my surroundings. My body felt sluggish when I tried to move. There was pain, too. It seemed I wouldn't be moving for a while.

I managed to lift my head slightly and saw Tina dozing in a chair beside me. She must have been exhausted from watching over me. I wished she would get some rest.

I tried to go back to sleep without disturbing her.

"Shinsuke?"

Something must have roused her, because Tina woke up.

Her face was drowsy, a rare sight for her. It seemed she had stayed up all night watching over me.

"I didn't mean to wake you," I said. "Good morning."

"I was so worried," Tina said, her eyes welling with tears. "This time was harsher than ever before. You pushed your body so hard. I thought you might..."

She couldn't say any more.

"It can't be helped," I said with a smile, trying my best to reassure her. It was all I could do right now. "I'm a hunter and an adventurer. I'm prepared for things like this. Still... thank you for worrying about me."

"Hehe, I'll let you get away with that for now," she said, her smile returning, a sign of her relief.

I felt a sense of relief myself. "By the way, did you see it? The dragon flying in the sky."

"I did," Tina replied. "I still remember it now. That form. And the terror. It was the first time in my life I've ever trembled just from looking at something, my fighting spirit completely gone. I was afraid of Amon, too, but my will to fight never wavered. But that... that was on a different level."

She shivered as she spoke.

"Sorry," I said. "But I need to confirm something. Are there dragons, or a similar Dragon Race, in this world? The closest thing I've seen so far are Lizardmen."

"Lizardmen? They're not part of the Dragon Race," Tina explained. "Originally, they were large lizards that gained intelligence by eating a certain fruit, which allowed them to walk on two legs and use weapons like humans. But they don't speak like humans. At best, they're on par with Goblins."

"So, the Dragon Race... or should I call them the Dragon Race?"

"Dragon Race is fine," Tina said. "They are a special race, but they are not on this continent anymore. They used to be here, long ago. It's said that winged dragons ruled the skies."

"Winged... Like Wyverns, or giant dragons like Fafnir?"

"Those are names from your books, aren't they, Shinsuke? I believe both existed. There were several similar dragons in the picture scrolls. Here, we just call them the Dragon Race. These monsters reigned as the rulers of the sky and fought against humans. It was said that the claws, fangs, scales, and meat of the Dragon Race bestowed great blessings. One theory even suggests their fangs were stronger than Adamantite. Because of this, there was a long war. But it ended. Or perhaps I should say, they vanished."

"Vanished? As in, they were wiped out?"

Tina shook her head. "No. They were numerous, and it seems they still had the advantage. But the Dragon Race suddenly stopped fighting and, to the last one, flew away across the sea."

"Flew away? Did they find a better place to live?"

"I don't know," Tina said. "But humans were not the type to give up. They sent out several ships in pursuit, but none returned. Years later, the wreckage of a ship was found on a beach, along with a body. The clothing on the body identified it as a member of the expedition. The conclusion drawn from this was that they had all been wiped out.

"Since then, A-rank adventurers, full of confidence, would venture across the sea, only to never return. This happened again and again, until eventually, no one tried to cross the sea anymore. That's all that's written in the legends. One theory says they are living peacefully in a Dragon Race paradise. But no one has ever proven it."

She took a breath.

"From the sounds of it, things were pretty tough back then," I said. "They were probably so focused on the sky that they let their guard down against the monsters on the ground, leading to a lot of damage. With all the valuable materials they could get from the Dragon Race alone, they probably didn't care about anything else."

I sighed in exasperation.

Neglect always comes back to bite you. It happens all the time with companies back on Earth. 'It doesn't matter,' or 'That's outside the scope of my work.' If you work like that, you'll pay for it later.

No matter what world you're in, that part of human nature never changes.

The only differences are the living environment and the presence of monsters. Humans themselves don't change.

I calmed my gloomy thoughts. "So, the interpretation is that the Dragon Race left because they were tired of fighting with humans?"

"That's one interpretation," Tina said. "But another book of legends suggests that the Dragon Race left as if ordered by someone. According to its description, the war with the Dragon Race was fierce, and the human side was at a disadvantage. It wouldn't have been strange if they had been completely annihilated. But for some reason, they weren't.

"A scholar at the time hypothesized that they were being commanded by someone. Of course, no one believed him. That scholar wrote a book on his own. My parents had a copy, so I've read it."

She spoke with a hint of nostalgia.

"Well, it's better to have more hypotheses," I said, letting out a weary sigh. "A single hypothesis becomes an obstacle when new facts are discovered later. Then you get into debates, with people arguing back and forth with all sorts of quibbles. It's utterly ridiculous."

"Well, that's true," Tina said. "That's all I know. Is it any different from what you know, Shinsuke?"

"Hmm, it's hard to say since mine are just fantasy," I replied thoughtfully. "At the very least, only a handful of humans have ever slain a dragon, and their names are etched in history. That's all I can really say."

Dragons exist in Earth's history, too, but it's unclear if they were real. They could be fantasy, or they could have actually existed. Or perhaps something else was likened to a dragon.

The only way to know for sure would be to travel back in time. As we talked, I started to feel a little tired and sleepy.

"You should get some sleep today," Tina said with a gentle smile. "No one will blame you."

"Ah, right. By the way, that guy..."

My eyelids were heavy, but I asked about something that was on my mind.

"I haven't seen him," Tina replied. "But after we got back, I casually asked a soldier about the situation at the base. He said everything was normal, and no monsters had appeared."

I felt a little relieved.

I had to keep my promise to him. With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.

In the same infirmary...

Alumi, the leader of the adventurer party "Mad Dog," was filled with regret.

She had been seriously injured in the battle at the base and was unable to fight. She had been forced to recuperate in bed, unable to participate in the mission personally led by the General, and was feeling frustrated.

Inwardly, Alumi had hoped the mission would fail and they would be forced to retreat. It was an inappropriate thought, but for her, making a name for herself was important.

But the mission had succeeded, and they had returned, albeit not unscathed.

She was hunched over, ashamed of her own powerlessness and the fact that she had wished for the death of her comrades.

Dord and Loose didn't know what to say. They should probably console her, but the reason she was so badly injured was because she had fought against so many monsters. From an outsider's perspective, it was an admirable feat, something to be proud of.

But for Alumi...

Just then, Mimi spoke up. "Onee-sama, may I have a word?"

Alumi didn't respond.

Mimi continued, unfazed. "When I first met you, Onee-sama, I fell in love with your valiant figure as an adventurer. It was almost like love at first sight. Even in the battle at the border, I'll never forget the sight of you fighting to the very end. But... to be honest, I'm glad you didn't go to fight the boss. Because... you might have died. I know your strength. And because I know it, I know you would have been reckless... and then..."

Her eyes filled with tears, and she couldn't continue.

Sensing her feelings, Alumi sighed. "Aaargh, I know! I don't have the strength of an A-rank adventurer! I'm still just a newbie! So... it's time for a reassessment. Let's leave the Empire and go to the Republic or the Kingdom. I'll probably be a C-rank, but I don't really care. What about you guys?"

"If you're going, leader, then I'm going too," Loose said with a smile. "Someone's got to be there to smooth things over so you don't start any trouble."

"I don't care about my rank either," Dord said. "As long as I can read my books."

He seemed relieved and went back to his reading.

"Whatever you decide, Onee-sama," Mimi said, a broad smile on her face.

Their adventure had just begun.