Chapter 12

Duke Solver's "A Guide to Dragon Slaying for Everyone."

In the second chapter, the order of the slaying operation is described in detail.

Firstly, the fire dragon becomes vulnerable during its water intake. Although the fire dragon has excellent vision, its field of view is not very wide. The area from its side to its rear is a complete blind spot, and it will not notice an approach from behind until it fully turns around.

However, once it spots an enemy, the fire dragon will use its well-developed front limbs to attack with its claws. If it senses an attack from behind, it will swing its powerful tail to sweep away any attackers, regardless of whether they are within its field of vision.

The surface of the tail is covered with spiky scales, but inside is a mass of well-trained muscles. If cut off and made into tail soup, it is said to be extremely delicious.

That aside, when a fire dragon is attacked at the spring it uses for water intake, it will first try to turn around to spot the enemy.

Upon discovering the enemy, the fire dragon will roar, which is originally intended to call other fire dragons. This behavior does not change even if there are no other fire dragons nearby.

Sealing this roar with a 'Silence Bullet' will cause the fire dragon to show signs of confusion, leaving it vulnerable for about ten seconds. If the team is skilled, it is possible to concentrate attacks and take it down during this time. Otherwise, the goal should be to accumulate damage.

The areas with relatively thin scales, such as the base of the tail, the flanks, the legs, and the neck, are suitable targets. However, if too much damage is dealt in one hit, the fire dragon may become enraged and generate intense heat around its body, which could turn the forest into a scorched wasteland if it runs. Therefore, these areas should be avoided until the final stages of the battle.

The legs are the most appropriate target. A large slashing weapon can be used to deliver a powerful blow, and if the attacker is skilled enough, the fire dragon will retreat.

When the fire dragon retreats, if it turns left, it will head to a high ground in the northwest of the forest. If it turns right, it will move to the riverbank in the southeast. The landing spots are generally fixed, and the surrounding area is compacted by the fire dragon's weight.

After landing, the fire dragon's head will always lower. Approaching from the front minimizes the impact of vibrations and shockwaves, allowing for a safe attack on the head. Striking the head with a blunt weapon or shield will likely cause the fire dragon to become dizzy.

At this point, concentrated attacks should be launched. If the attacks are insufficient and the fire dragon recovers from its dizziness, the attackers must redouble their efforts. Due to the structure of its limbs, it is difficult to attack from the side, and kicks are only performed during flight. Attaching to the flanks and attacking is a safe way to accumulate damage.

At this time, it is beneficial to coat the attackers' weapons with paralyzing or sleep toxins. In the final stages, the fire dragon will attempt a fierce counterattack, so slowing it down is crucial to avoid unexpected accidents.

The defenders or decoys, holding shields, must attract the fire dragon's attention if the attackers or archers are in danger from its attacks.

The fire dragon's attacks are very heavy, so using a shield to block is a last resort, but it is likely to stop the attack once. However, the impact is severe, and repeated blocks can be fatal.

Even so, it is not advisable to try to counter the fire dragon's attack with a shield. Only those specialized in close combat at S-rank or higher can do this.

Everything unfolded exactly as described in the book, as if the fire dragon was following Duke's script.

Timis and her team used the animal paths noted in the notebook to intercept the fire dragon's movement. As it landed, Timis, taking advantage of its inability to perform any other actions, charged with her shield.

"――Hey!"

"Rooooo...!"

A heavy thud echoed, and the fire dragon took a step back.

It was really dizzy—by the time Timis realized this, Ria had drawn her sword and attacked the fire dragon.

"I'll finish this...! Haaa!"

Even with the fire dragon vulnerable, Ria's powerful slash did not easily cut through the scales, and she was amazed at their hardness. Still, she believed it was effective and continued her sword techniques, attacking with graceful movements.

"I'll help...! Yaaa!"

Timis thrust her spear at the fire dragon's flank—however, she could not inflict a single wound. Still, she believed the notebook's advice and pulled back, twisting her lower body, and thrust again with all her might.

"――Gaaaaa...!"

The fire dragon took another step back—then, McKinley fired a bullet to finish it off. The bullet, loaded with paralyzing and sleep toxins to slow the fire dragon in the final stages, was initially deflected by the scales but the next one hit the area where Ria's sword had cut through.

"We can do this... If we keep this up, we can defeat the fire dragon...!"

McKinley felt the impact and reloaded. As he aimed, an unexpected event occurred.

"Roooooo!"

The fire dragon, which should have been dizzy, flapped its wings violently to shake off Timis and Ria, who were clinging to it.

"Kyaa...!"

"――Miss!"

Timis, caught off guard by the wind, lost her stance—then, the fire dragon's tail, swung indiscriminately, attacked her.

"!"

Ria, making a split-second decision, pushed Timis away, causing her to roll on the ground.

However, she could not completely avoid the fire dragon's tail—Ria's flank was torn, and a moment later, she was hit by an intense pain.

"What the... Damn it!"

McKinley lost his composure and could not aim at the wound Ria had inflicted on the fire dragon. His bullet was deflected by the thrashing dragon.

The fire dragon, recovering from its dizziness, had a burning anger in its eyes, and its scales glowed red—heat waves rippled the air around it.

Ria, who had underestimated the fire dragon's attack, now felt the reality of death. She stood up, thrusting her sword, even though she knew she could not withstand another attack with one hand holding her wound.

"Miss, please run... I'll...!"

"…No. With a shield, I can withstand one attack... Ria, you should run when the time comes."

"…That's reckless! The fire dragon is enraged and berserk... The next attack will be several times worse...!"

"Even so. I can't let you die, who indulged my whims... Yaaa!"

Ria, injured, could not keep up with Timis's movements, which she could normally stop easily.

Timis, holding her shield, faced the charging fire dragon.

—We were so close to winning.

We couldn't because the fire dragon is a living being, fighting desperately to protect its young.

(Mother... Father. I'm sorry. I... here...)

"―Don't give up! Have you forgotten everything you've learned until today?!"

"…!?"

A voice came from somewhere. It sounded familiar, yet it was more courageous than she had ever heard before.

Her resolve solidified, and the heat returned to her heart, which had been leaning towards death. Timis discarded her spear and held her shield with both hands—then.

"Roooooo...!"

The fire dragon's roar shook the air. Timis, hearing it, continued to hold her shield with all her might, believing in it.

◆◇◆

The sound of the river flowing can be heard.

Warm light is shining through. The position of the sun in the sky indicates it is still before noon.

Not much time has passed since the slaying operation began.

At first, everything went well. They chased the fleeing fire dragon, fought, and then found themselves in a dire situation.

"…Ria! McKinley!"

Timis, jumping up, called out her companions' names and looked around.

The spear and shield on the ground. And—Ria was lying nearby, and McKinley was face down near the bushes.

"Ria… Ah… I'm so glad. I'm really glad you're safe…"

"…Miss…"

Ria, who had been bleeding profusely, now had a closed wound on her flank.

The recovery ability of the tiger beastman is high, and most wounds heal quickly. Still, it was too fast—yet, Timis was relieved and tearful that Ria was safe.

"…A knight must not show tears. As a warrior… one must always remain calm…"

"Yes… I understand, Ria. I'm sorry…"

Ria smiled slightly, indicating she was fine.

Then, Timis felt a new shiver.

What happened to the fire dragon? The answer was behind her.

Turning around, her heart nearly stopped. However, as she understood the situation, a sense of relief and confusion arose simultaneously.

The continuation of Duke Solver's slaying plan is as follows.

If the fire dragon moves to the riverbank and receives sufficient damage, it can be trapped.

At the riverbank, there is a trap set by the 'Forest Hunter.' If the weakened fire dragon is led onto it, the 'Binding Chain' trap will activate and capture the fire dragon.

To slay it, further attacks can be made. If capturing it is the goal, the remaining paralyzing and sleep bullets can be fired at the fire dragon, completing the plan. When a certain amount of paralyzing and sleep toxins accumulate in the fire dragon's bloodstream, it will need a long sleep to cleanse itself.

(…The fire dragon was caught in the 'Binding Chain'… McKinley fired the paralyzing and sleep bullets… No, that's not enough to explain it)

Indeed, in front of Timis was the fire dragon, bound by chains and asleep.

However, the shield she picked up had no damage or dents, even though it should have taken the brunt of the fire dragon's charge. Timis also had no sense of impact from the charge.

If McKinley had captured the fire dragon, it wouldn't explain why he was lying unconscious. There must have been someone else here, but that was impossible, her thoughts circled.

Amidst the confusion, Timis's gaze fell upon something.

"Light… bug…?"

The creature that emerged from her armor when the slaying operation began. Ria had mentioned it lived in the forest.

"…Could it be…"

Timis placed her hand on her chest over her armor. The magic runes that should be there—she wanted to check them immediately. However, she couldn't expose her skin outside, so she gave up for now.

The magic runes, written to help in the slaying of the fire dragon.

If they were meant to save them when they were in dire straits.

The trap set by the 'Forest Hunter.' The numerous paralyzing and sleep bullets fired into the fire dragon, more than McKinley had. The rescue from the fire dragon's charge. The healing of Ria's wound—all of it.

"…Duke Solver… Is it you…?"

The light bug appeared in Timis's vision one last time and then vanished like a mirage.

Only the sound of the river and the forest animals remained.

Timis, though hesitant, picked up a scale that had fallen from the fire dragon, a single one that Ria's attack had peeled off. She held it to her chest and prayed—believing that even if it was beyond her, it was a precious gift.

Then, Timis remembered a passage from the notebook.

—A fire dragon should be slain by a party of no more than four. If more than five attempt to fight, the fire dragon will try to eliminate the threat from the air by breathing fire. With four or fewer, the fire dragon will engage in ground combat. While it is not absolutely necessary to have four, if there are three or fewer, a fourth member should be added, even as a support. This is based on experience, so please understand.

Whether the 'fourth member' was present here is uncertain.

She might not be able to confirm it.

But Timis chose to believe. She believed that a phantom fourth member had saved them.

"…Lord Duke…"

It might not have been him. But she could think of no one else.

A feeling similar to admiration for her sister, yet different, burned in the young knight's heart.