Chapter 27

In the cave that serves as the lair of the fire dragon, there is a hole in the ceiling that allows entry and exit. For some reason, fire dragons do not like to enter and leave their lairs from the ground. It is said that this is because they instinctively fear the possibility of their nests being invaded and ambushed by predators like earth dragons while they are away.

So, we flew out of the dragon's nest through the hole in the ceiling and soared into the sky. The dragon's skin contains magnetic minerals, so the compass doesn't work when we ride it. However, since the direction of the capital is east, we just need to go in the opposite direction.

As Shura the elder said, compared to wyverns, whose wings are integrated with their front legs, the up-and-down movement during flight is less, making the ride more comfortable. The dragon whistle is not something you blow; it's a magical item worn as a necklace that emits sound when infused with magic. By indicating the direction with this, the fire dragon will follow my will and fly west.

"…Hey, are you using some kind of magic? I feel so calm that it's almost scary."

"Of course, anyone would feel fear at this height for the first time. Fear is a high-risk emotion. So, I cast 'Mental Defense' on you."

"I don't think you're the type to enjoy seeing me scared. You could have gotten back at me for all the times I've annoyed you."

"Well, I'd rather you enjoy the scenery. It's a magnificent view that you don't get to see often if you're not afraid."

Miralka still seemed a bit uncomfortable leaning against my back, but gradually she relaxed and her weight shifted onto me. She was unusually light, probably because mental work also consumes energy.

"…I don't want to think that you find me heavy. If you have any concerns, you should say them."

"No, you're surprisingly light. Definitely lighter than the books I carried earlier."

"R-really… that's good to hear. But you might not feel it because you're insensitive."

"You're not as tall as a 'stick,' but I can fetch books for you, Miralka."

"I can reach them if I wear high heels. But I don't like them much because they hurt my feet."

Despite our mission to stop the enemy's invasion, we were having a rather peaceful conversation. This is because, even if the Belvekia army is a large and elite force, they are no match for us in a proper battle.

The Republic of Belvekia borders a different demon kingdom from the magic kingdom of Verlaine. According to Verlaine, the demon king there only has S-rank power. Since they cannot defeat this demon king, they have a treaty to send large amounts of tribute every year. This means that the strongest in Belvekia are only AA-rank—adventurer strength of about 20,000. In other words, the regular soldiers are C-rank or lower. This is the same for the Kingdom of Albein.

In other words, Belvekia does not know that the Albein Kingdom's demon slaying team—us—has already defeated the SSS-rank demon king Verlaine.

Moreover, the House of Vinsbruck believes that even if the demon slaying team is strong, they can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

"It's like adults stepping into a children's fight. I can understand that feeling, too."

"Unless they've actually fought against the magic kingdom, they can't grasp our strength. Human battles are not our specialty."

"If it were a group of vicious monsters, I could just blow them away without a second thought."

Miralka, as she said, has destroyed several nests of monsters that attack humans during our journey to slay the demon king. When intelligent sub-human races form large groups, the damage to nearby human settlements is severe.

After seeing such scenes, Miralka is truly a raging natural disaster for monsters—the "Lovely Catastrophe."

"Dick, I can see something. Your eyes are better than mine, right?"

"The forest has been cleared, and marker stone towers are placed at regular intervals... It's definitely the route to Belvekia that the House of Vinsbruck created."

"To think they used the country's defense budget to build such a thing. Don't you think it's fitting to give them a proper punishment?"

"Yeah, I agree. If Manalina had read the situation when she proposed, things could have been handled more quietly."

"If you could read the situation that well, you could rule this country... If someone wanted to become king after the demon king was defeated, it could have happened."

Thinking about what Miralka said, we are all quite indifferent to power.

Especially Aileen, who lives a carefree life, but if she wanted to, she could easily become a martial arts instructor or even the Fist Saint of this country.

"Even now, we could make Aileen the queen. That might make her more serious."

"That's a good idea, but she has horns, so she can't wear a crown as it is."

I couldn't help but laugh at Miralka's rare joke. It's really a problem that we lack tension—just as I thought.

Following the path through the forest that had been cleared in the mountainous area, I could see what looked like a village.

"That's the village of the people living in this area... The military road passes right next to it."

"Yeah. If there were nothing between us and the Belvekia army... Wait, I can see something. Are those Belvekia's scouts?"

"It seems so. In our country, cavalry doesn't use 'black iron' weapons. But they are..."

Even with Miralka's sharp eyesight, she could see that the enemies were wearing black armor. They were about five in number, riding horses and wearing dark brown cloaks, galloping along the military road in the mountains.

They were shouting loudly, like hunters chasing prey. Scanning the area, my suspicions were confirmed. The Belvekia scouts were chasing someone—just as the cavalryman with a bow was about to release an arrow, I firmly held Miralka's body.

"Kyaa... W-what? We can't be doing this... Kyaaa!"

"Miralka, we're going to descend. They're chasing someone... If we don't act, they'll be killed."

"R-right... I understand. Hold on tight."

I lowered our position, holding Miralka, and pressed the dragon whistle to my chest. The fire dragon, following my command, adjusted its wings and entered a gliding position.

"Ku... By the way, I think the enemy will notice us if we approach from the air..."

"Don't worry, this fire dragon has been fed 'Stealth Zacro.' They won't notice us until we're very close. Even if there are others far away, they won't be able to see us."

"Good preparation... I understand. We'll fly just above them and 'end it with that.'"

The black cavalrymen didn't notice the approaching fire dragon, which was strange. However, as we descended, the pressure from above seemed to overcome the effects of the Stealth Zacro.

"Something's coming..."

"Ry, it's a dragon! Captain, a fire dragon from the sky...!"

"Where were they hiding... Damn, shoot arrows!"

We dove from above in a curved path. At the lowest point, just as we grazed the heads of the five cavalrymen, I saw it clearly.

At a speed that could be missed with a blink, the "Lovely Catastrophe" shrank in my arms but kept her eyes on the cavalrymen—and then.

"Sixty-sixth Limited Annihilation Type: Particle Cutting Array"

A magic array woven from Miralka's body, invisible to the naked eye, unfolded.

It captured the moving targets, the cavalrymen, in the moment of our dive and intersection.

Once within the range of the magic array, all that was left was to activate it—Miralka snapped her fingers, and the deployed magic array silently took effect.

"What, what happened... Why aren't they shooting arrows!"

"The, the bow, the armor... Aaaaaah!"

The cavalrymen probably didn't understand what had happened.

After the sudden descent of the fire dragon from above, the strong wind caused by its passage made the horses stop in their tracks. Not only that, but their armor disintegrated into fine sand-like particles and crumbled away.

After rising back into the air, I ordered the fire dragon to turn and hover above.

Among the five cavalrymen who had lost all their equipment and were now naked, the man called the captain—surprisingly young—managed to control his confused horse and looked up at us.

"What, who are you... Are you the Dragon Masters of Albein!? Take off that ridiculous mask and show your face!"

He still had the spirit to challenge us, but his lack of clothing made his threats less intimidating.

Miralka had deployed the magic array with precise control, leaving only their undergarments intact. It was a delicate and considerate touch, but the act itself was extraordinary. The ability to decompose matter into sand with such ease is a rare talent, and I doubt I'll ever meet another who can do it.

"Cough. You are part of the Belvekia army. We have a reason to prevent you from returning to your main force. Surrender peacefully and allow us to restrain you."

"Of course, from Albein... Damn, you incompetent fools...!"

The target of his curses was probably Vinsbruck. He didn't specify, perhaps to keep secrets, or maybe the scouts weren't told who the informants in Albein were.

"Captain, the horses are fine, we can escape! If even one of us returns...!"

One of the scouts, a young man, suggested in a trembling voice. The captain didn't respond, but all five cavalrymen started to move, trying to escape—however.

"Miralka, cover your ears."

"...? What are you going to do?"

I placed my hands over Miralka's ears and cast a spell to protect her hearing. After she followed my instructions and covered her ears, I did the same and gave the fire dragon a command.

The dragon, a powerful creature, let out a roar while hovering in the air—a true display of dominance.

The horses trembled and froze, and the cavalrymen, unable to withstand the pressure, fainted and slumped over on their horses.

After the roar, the fire dragon landed with a thud. Miralka then declared to the unconscious cavalrymen:

"Even if the heavens forgive, the eyes behind our masks will never overlook evil deeds."

I didn't know what kind of face to make, and since everyone was unconscious, I didn't point it out. I just stood there, chest puffed out, thinking that Miralka looked happy, which was a good thing.

"…Did you all come up with that? The catchphrase for the 'Masked Saviors'?"

"No, I just thought of it now. Perhaps I should include something about 'earth' to correspond with 'heaven'."

"Well, you can change it every time. More importantly, where did the people they were chasing go?"

As I looked around, I heard the sound of clapping.

Turning around, I saw a young beast girl, a bit younger than us, clapping her hands. She had been hiding in the shade of a tree by the military road.

"Miralka, someone is clapping for us. That's good."

"Yes, it's only natural since we saved her. This proves that a catchphrase is necessary. My judgment was correct."

My sarcasm didn't get through, and Miralka looked pleased. Despite being generally mature, her excitement over playing the hero reminded me that she is younger than me. I couldn't call her childish, and honestly, I don't mind this kind of thing.

Thinking about how Miralka had successfully disabled the five cavalrymen while coming up with a catchphrase, I regretted that Aileen wasn't there. She would have laughed heartily without worrying about offending Miralka.

The young beast girl, who appeared to be a tiger person with her ear shape and striped tail, continued to clap her hands, her eyes shining as she looked at us.