Chapter 35

"Item box!"

Hearing the words of the coachman who passed by, I quickly put on my equipment: the [Cat's Hand Gloves] and the [Hare Boots]. Pulling up the hood of the [Hermit's Robe] I was already wearing, I was all set!

"Samu-chan!"

"Here!"

Calling out to Samu-chan, I kicked the ground with the [Hare Boots] and jumped toward where the carriage had made a U-turn. I landed on the top of a small hill. Looking south, I could see a scene that had been hidden from where we had been walking just a moment ago.

"We're being attacked."

What I saw was a luxurious carriage and people on horseback who looked like soldiers. The soldiers were surrounding the carriage, trying to protect it. A dragon was attacking them. The dragon was about 10 meters tall, with copper-colored scales that shimmered, thick front and hind legs, and magnificent wings. Including its tail and neck, it was even longer. The dragon landed on all fours and swung its right front leg, sending a soldier and his horse flying.

"That dragon was guarding the gemstone... It should have been sleeping in the cave, so why...?"

Samu-chan muttered in shock. Yes, I knew that dragon too. In the game before my reincarnation, it was the boss of the cave I had to defeat to obtain the gemstone. The gemstone I obtained in the game and the one Father and Samu-chan obtained for Mother were linked by their locations. That's why the boss monster was the same. The Earth Dragon, which should have been sleeping in the cave, was out on the ground, attacking the carriage—

"Let's go!"

"I'll come with you!"

The dragon swung its left front leg and lashed its spiky tail, sweeping away the soldiers surrounding the carriage. With this attack, all the soldiers guarding the carriage were defeated. The dragon, realizing the soldiers were gone, growled and fixed its rusty iron-colored eyes on the carriage. It grabbed the carriage with its sharp, clawed right front leg. The carriage creaked under the pressure—

"Cat Punch!"

"Roar!?"

Part of the carriage was damaged, but I just made it in time! I soared from the hill to the dragon with [Flight] and threw a right straight punch. However, the dragon, sensing my presence, avoided the [Cat Punch] by flying up into the air before it hit. Even though I was wearing the hood, it shouldn't have been able to see me... Hmm, that's a shame.

"Miss Renny! I'll distract the dragon for now!"

"Okay!"

Samu-chan, who had also come from the hill to near the carriage, said this, drew her bow, and fired an arrow at the dragon in the air. Samu-chan's emerald eyes were sparkling, so she must have been using [Magic Manipulation]. The bow and arrows she showed me in the city of Slanita were incredibly powerful. However, the dragon seemed to be using magic as well, and the arrow was deflected by a barrier before it hit. Samu-chan drew her bow again and fired another arrow while moving away from the carriage.

"Miss Renny, the dragon is creating a barrier with magic to deflect the arrows. Even if the arrows don't hit, I don't think the dragon will come down, so I'll keep firing."

"Okay. Please do. I'll talk to the people in the carriage."

"Yes!"

Samu-chan's voice echoed directly in my head. It was [Telepathy]. This ability to communicate even when voices can't reach is very helpful. As Samu-chan said, the dragon seemed to be distracted by the arrows and stayed in the air, not attacking the carriage. With the dragon's attention diverted, I approached the carriage and knocked on the door.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine!"

The voice that replied was still young. Maybe she was about my age?

"Your Highness, please let us through."

"It's an emergency."

"But—"

"Please, I want to talk. What's happening outside? What about the soldiers?"

There seemed to be several people in the carriage, and the young voice, who was called "Your Highness," responded first. She continued to communicate with me. The voices I heard were all female.

"All the soldiers have been defeated."

"Such...!"

"The dragon is attacking."

"A dragon...?"

The young voice trembled in fear. It must have been a shock to hear that all the soldiers were defeated and a dragon was attacking. They probably didn't know what was happening until now. The carriage was made of wood with lavish decorations, and the windows were small. The curtains were closed, so they likely didn't have a chance to see what was happening outside when the dragon suddenly attacked. Sensing their fear, I tried to reassure them with a bright voice.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of the dragon."

"Renny...? No, are you okay?"

The young girl, who was called "Your Highness," seemed concerned about my safety. The curtain, embroidered with gold, opened, and a girl about my age appeared.

—Fluffy brown hair and suspicious brown eyes.

—A beautiful dress that suited her perfectly.

She must be a child of very high status. Her title, manner of speaking, and clothing all indicated this.

"I'm strong, so don't worry."

I was wearing the hood of the [Hermit's Robe], so she shouldn't have been able to see me. To make her feel safe even though she couldn't see me, I responded with a bright voice. The girl seemed puzzled by my invisibility and looked around.

"Where are you?"

"It's dangerous, so stay there."

I couldn't reveal myself now. So, I only called out to her to stay in the carriage and turned my attention back to the dragon. Samu-chan was still firing arrows, and the dragon was swatting them away with its magic barrier, looking annoyed.

"Samu-chan, I'm going now!"

"Okay, I'll cover you!"

After communicating with Samu-chan in my head, I kicked the ground hard.

"Jump!"

With all my strength, my body shot up. I aimed a right straight punch at the dragon in the air.

"Cat Punch!"

"Roar!"

"Oh..."

I poured all my momentum into my right hand, but the dragon seemed to sense my presence and flew to the left to avoid it.

"Miss Renny!? Are you falling!?"

"...Yes, I'm falling."

"I'll catch you!"

Thanks to the [Hare Boots], I wasn't falling straight down, but my posture in the air was off, and I landed on my back. I don't know how Samu-chan sensed my position, but she used [Telepathy] to quickly catch me. It must have been difficult to catch me when I was invisible, but Samu-chan quickly positioned herself at my landing point and caught me in her arms.

"Miss Renny!"

"Thank you, Samu-chan. It's amazing you could catch me even though you couldn't see me."

"No! Miss Renny's love can be felt in the heart, not seen with the eyes!"

"...Okay."

...I'm not sure I understand.

"I'm sorry. If my arrows could hit..."

"No, if I can land a punch, it'll be fine."

That's right. If I can land a punch, it'll be fine. However, with the [Hare Boots], I can only jump from the ground and then fall back down, which puts me at a disadvantage against a dragon that can freely change its trajectory in the air. Even though I'm invisible, it seems to sense my presence or the air currents and avoid me.

"Miss Renny, I'll keep firing arrows to keep the dragon in place."

"Okay. I'll think of a way to land a punch."

"Okay!"

Samu-chan put me down and immediately drew her bow again, firing arrows. She moved around, firing from different directions to keep the dragon from moving. This way, it might be easier to land a punch if I time it right with Samu-chan. But—

"It can still escape up or down."

In the air, unlike on the ground, the dragon can escape not just left and right but also up and down. One hit would be enough to win, but if it avoids it, it's meaningless.

"...If I could jump again in mid-air."

—If I could change direction by kicking the air before landing.

"I can."

I've never done it before.

Kicking the air is almost impossible according to the laws of physics.

It wasn't a feature in the game either.

But—

"I can. I definitely can."

The strongest 4-year-old, Renny Shulm Guorga, can.

"Double jump should be easy."

Right?

"Samu-chan, I'm going to attack now. Keep the dragon in place."

"Leave it to me!"

Samu-chan fired arrows, trapping the dragon in the air. Looking up at the copper-colored giant, I clenched my fist.

"Jump!"

I kicked the ground in sync with Samu-chan's arrows, aiming to collide head-on with the dragon. The dragon, unable to escape left or right due to Samu-chan's arrows, sensed my approach and flew straight up to avoid me.

"I thought so."

A smile escaped my lips.

This way, I would just pass under the dragon.

The dragon seemed more wary of Samu-chan than of me, who was just hopping around. Maybe it couldn't see me either.

But, that lack of caution would be its downfall!

"Here!"

Directly under the dragon.

I pushed off with my right foot.

—My chest felt warm.

A warmth spread from my chest. I didn't recognize this feeling, but it wasn't unpleasant.

So, I gathered that warmth in my right foot—

"Double jump!"

I felt a solid sensation in my right foot, which should have just cut through the air.

I kicked it with all my might.

My body shot up into the air.

"Cat Punch!"

The dragon's rusty iron-colored eyes met mine.

Ah, maybe my hood came off.

But, it's too late for it to see me now.

I extended my right hand, which had been folded, straight up.

I pushed the dragon's underside with all my strength and momentum!

"Be a star!"

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