Chapter 21

"Without a doubt, it's the Ambrosia flower."

Laidock and his team finally pinpointed the habitat of the Ambrosia after two months of exploration.

Now, before us is the precious herb we managed to collect, just one plant.

I, Reifan, Kyle, Mina, Persia, Alphard, and Laidock gathered in the parlor of the manor.

"Although it took time to find it, we have determined the location. If we go straight, it should take a few days from this village. If the road is well-maintained, it might even be possible to get there in a day."

"Is that with the stamina potion and full-speed movement of adventurers?"

"Yes."

Considering the distance Laidock and his team can cover at full speed, it must be quite far away.

"So... it was there?"

"Yes, it was."

Kyle looked at me and Laidock alternately with a puzzled expression.

"Laidock, I need the details of the monsters you encountered at the herb's habitat."

"Yes. We kept our distance to avoid being noticed, but there's no doubt about it. It was a dragon."

Persia and Alphard shuddered.

"It didn't have wings. I think it's a land dragon. It was entirely green, so it must be a green dragon."

"I see."

Few people have seen a dragon directly, but its appearance is well-known.

It appears in various stories and is a common motif in intricate artworks.

If you live in this country, you will likely know its appearance in some form.

"Not being able to fly might be a blessing in disguise."

"But it's rumored to be tough and powerful."

"If we know our enemy, we can figure out a way to deal with it."

"Of course."

Kyle joined the conversation as I and Laidock exchanged wry smiles.

"Um, I have a few questions. Is it okay to ask?"

"Of course."

Kyle frowned as he inquired about the situation.

"First, Mr. Craft asked Mr. Laidock to search for the rare herb, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, there was a dragon at the habitat. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"But, from what I've heard, it seems like the plan is to defeat the dragon."

"That's not a mistake."

"…What?"

"What we're discussing now is how to defeat the dragon."

"…What!? No, wait! It's a dragon!? Why are we even talking about fighting it!?"

Persia also turned her gaze towards us.

"There must be a reason, right?"

"Hey, Persia?"

Alphard reacted to Persia's attitude.

"We need a large amount of this Ambrosia flower."

"Could it be…"

"Yes. The medicine to cure Kyle's illness… the all-purpose elixir, which is only mentioned in stories, is made from it."

"Mr. Craft!!"

Kyle shouted.

"That's not acceptable! I can't allow you to take such risks for my sake!"

"Well, I thought you'd say that."

"Of course!"

"But, there's a reason we need to defeat it."

"…What?"

"First, the distance. It might take a month for an ordinary person, but for the people of this village, it should take about a week."

"That's still quite far."

"You're not wrong, but it's not so far that it's impossible. Moreover, the habitat is right in the middle of the planned road."

"…What!?"

Even Kyle seemed surprised by this.

The frontier village has various quotas, but one of the most important tasks is road construction.

The planned route is a crucial link between two neighboring countries.

Until now, the area has been a dangerous zone where no development has progressed, but once this road is built, logistics will change significantly.

"I understand why all previous development attempts have failed."

"Stronger monsters tend to gather around powerful ones like dragons. Conversely, if the dragon is defeated, the surrounding danger will decrease significantly."

"I understand the logic, but…"

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Persia?"

"Putting aside whether we fight or not, can we even win against a dragon?"

It's a valid question.

Dragons are dragons because they can't be defeated.

But.

"For adventurers, defeating a dragon is a dream and a goal. If we challenge it, we must win."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but what about the reality?"

"To be honest, I think our chances of winning are high."

"What? The opponent is that dragon? Even the military wouldn't dare to take it on."

"First, the adventurer force. Specialists in monster hunting have gathered in this village. Especially in this area, the monsters are powerful, and the hunters here are top-notch."

"Hmm."

"Some of them take dangerous risks, but that's possible because of healing potions. By constantly fighting stronger opponents, the adventurers' skills are beyond imagination."

"I understand that."

"Furthermore, most of them are equipped with mithril gear. A large mithril-equipped force is something even the military can't easily assemble."

"That's… true."

"That's not all. We know the enemy's location and type, and we have time to prepare. No adventurer would pass up this opportunity."

"I can guarantee that. We adventurers may be a bunch of fools, but we have a keen sense of survival. I'm confident we can do it. If the information is made public, everyone will say the same thing."

A moment of silence followed.

"If we mobilize the entire village… it might be possible."

"Persia!?"

"Al, it might cure Mr. Kyle's illness. Isn't it worth the risk?"

"That's…!"

Alphard clenched his teeth.

As a loyal soldier, he must be struggling between his duty and his desire to help Kyle.

I added more to the argument.

"If we can make more than two all-purpose elixirs, we can present them to the Baron of Vale Road. How does that sound as Kyle's achievement?"

"!!!"

Alphard understood how much this could help Kyle.

"Craft, the elixir is something I've only heard about in stories. Can you really make it? Will it cure Mr. Kyle's illness?"

"Alphard!?"

"Yes, I can make it. It will cure him. My crest tells me so."

"…I see. Understood. If there's anything I can help with, let me know."

"Your job is to protect Kyle and Mina. It hasn't changed."

"Wait! Why is this moving forward!?"

"Give up, Kyle. You're that well-liked."

"I can't accept that!"

"We have a secret weapon, too."

"…What?"

I smiled and took out a cylindrical object.

"Craft!?"

"Don't worry, it's a dummy."

"Don't scare me like that."

"Wasn't that mentioned in the previous report?"

"Yes, it's a magic bomb."

Since Persia and Alphard looked puzzled, I decided to demonstrate its power outside.

There's no point in keeping it secret now, so I showed it to the gathered onlookers as well.

"Jitaro, please."

"Leave it to me!"

I handed Jitaro a magic bomb attached to the tip of an arrow. We had already tested it with Jitaro.

Furthermore, Jitaro's bow is made of hard mithril and has a mysterious property that allows it to shoot arrows strongly even with a weak draw.

This is one of the items that became possible to create thanks to the knowledge Reifan gained from making mithril anvils and hammers.

The magic bomb arrow flew and exploded upon hitting the target rock.

The onlookers let out screams and cheers.

"With this… we can win!"

Persia, clenching her fist, spoke with determination.