Chapter 67

Hikaru had been down with a cold. He was mostly recovered, but he had to go back to work from tomorrow. The Lesser Wyvern was about 50 meters away. The Dragon Kidney Flower was about 20 meters away. It was a simple mission to pluck the leaves and return.

Hikaru approached cautiously, careful not to make noise by kicking pebbles or stepping on small animals.

Just because it was such a large creature didn’t mean it lacked vigilance. It might even have some kind of danger detection method that humans couldn’t understand.

“!”

When Hikaru was about 5 meters away from the Dragon Kidney Flower, the Lesser Wyvern’s eyes snapped open. It had been awakened.

“Giiiiiaaaahh!!”

A single arrow was embedded in its back, and a rock had collided with its wings.

“It’s awake! Chloe and Michael, continue the ranged attacks! With full power!”

“Understood!”

Three figures—apparently adventurers—ran from a distance.

(Oh no! The timing couldn’t be worse!)

They were over 100 meters away, so they hadn’t been detected by Hikaru’s “Magic Detection.” The second shot was already fired. However, the awakened Lesser Wyvern breathed fire at the arrow and the rock. The arrow, made of steel, didn’t burn, but its trajectory was altered and it fell to the side.

“Tch, as expected of a dragon, it won’t be hit twice!”

“It’s effective as a deterrent!”

“That’s right. We have a chance to win!”

The three runners drew their weapons: a longsword, a longsword, and a halberd. The longsword stances didn’t look like those of self-taught adventurers; they seemed to have been properly trained. However, the man with the halberd seemed self-taught.

The Lesser Wyvern aimed its fire breath at the adventurers. This attack, with the same name as the fire elemental magic, was said to have been based on the breath of dragons. The three adventurers, who seemed to have anticipated this, scattered and dodged the flames. They were competent adventurers.

The flames scorched the ground but quickly died out as there was nothing left to burn.

“Giiiiiaaaahh!!”

The Lesser Wyvern roared again, perhaps out of frustration.

(That’s so loud...)

For Hikaru, who was so close, it was extremely annoying. The Lesser Wyvern flapped its wings, but additional arrows were fired. It successfully dodged them, but a rock hit its wings. The accuracy was impressive.

(…)

Hikaru was about to reach for the Dragon Kidney Flower when an arrow pierced the ground just 3 centimeters in front of him. He almost let out a sound.

This was the greatest weakness of stealth. Being invisible to everyone also meant the risk of friendly fire.

(Ah, do this without me around!)

The Lesser Wyvern hesitated to fly. Winged dragons couldn’t ascend and descend like helicopters; they gained temporary buoyancy and then glided. If it took to the air, it would be harder to dodge attacks. On the other hand, it could also fight nimbly on the ground, as it had shown by twisting its wings to dodge arrows.

“Look, the dragon isn’t flying! Just as Lord Bock said!”

“Huh!”

“Sir, don’t get complacent! This is the critical moment!”

“I understand!”

The man with the halberd, who had been scolding the young man with the longsword, ran in. He dodged the lightly breathed fire by diving into the dragon’s chest.

(That’s skillful.)

Hikaru was impressed.

“Whoaahh!!”

A powerful swing was delivered—then,

“!?”

The Lesser Wyvern slapped the man with its forelimb, which had merged with its wings. The movement was casual, but too fast for a human to recognize. The man was flung away and rolled on the ground.

“Oh, Garios!! You, how dare you—”

“Wait, Your Highness!”

“Don’t stop, Lord Bock! We must defeat it to obtain the Dragon Kidney Flower leaves!”

The two longsword wielders, who had been arguing, saw the young man with the longsword charge at the Lesser Wyvern.

(…Dragons are really strong.)

Hikaru was amazed by the monster’s strength. The man who had been flung away was skilled enough to be a knight in the Kingdom of Phonsania. The dragon had easily defeated him, leaving him motionless and unable to fight.

(…He was called ‘Your Highness.’ If I recall correctly, in this confederation, the only ones who could be called that are—)

The confederation was not hereditary; the throne rotated among the seven countries. Therefore, the next heir was not called “Your Highness” or “Crown Prince,” but rather “Next King.” However, the old systems and customs of the seven countries still persisted. There were royal families, and they had inherited the confederation’s rotating monarchy. Some countries still had noble systems, which were maintained within their small territories.

(Kiriharu, Ludansha, Yuraba… and Tsubra.)

Among these, the one who wanted the Dragon Kidney Flower leaves was—

(Tsubra. Moreover, it seems a high-ranking official from Tsubra is here. …It would be a bit problematic if someone dies.)

It wasn’t just a matter of the principal’s position. Of course, even without that reason, it would be unpleasant to see someone die right in front of him.

“Die!”

The “Highness,” who ran at a clearly slower speed than the previous man, launched an attack that barely reached the Lesser Wyvern. He slipped on the gravel slope, which would be difficult even for a trained soldier. The Lesser Wyvern, snorting, prepared to breathe fire.

Lord Bock, who had been with the “Highness,” closed his eyes, imagining the young royal being killed right in front of him.

* * *

In the Lesser Wyvern’s mouth, a flame ignited. The “Highness” watched in despair, but then noticed something abnormal at the edge of his vision. The space seemed to warp, shimmering with a blade’s glint. A short knife, flying at an incredible speed, pierced the dragon’s skin, cleanly severing the bone and instantly taking the Lesser Wyvern’s life.

“!?”

The Lesser Wyvern, which had been unaware of the other presence, didn’t understand what was happening. The short knife had pierced the dragon’s skin and cleanly cut through the bone, instantly ending the Lesser Wyvern’s consciousness—its life.

“…Huh?”

Standing next to the fallen Lesser Wyvern was a boy who looked much younger than Hikaru.

“I tried ‘Sniping’ once, thinking it was a test, but without this, I might not have been able to defeat it. Maybe I should put more points into it when fighting monsters…”

He muttered something while staring at the Lesser Wyvern.

“Eh, um…”

The boy seemed to notice he was being spoken to.

“Oh, are you okay? —No, I wonder if the guy who was flung away is alright?”

“Right, Garios!”

The young man stood up and ran to the fallen man. His companion, who had already reached him, said,

“He’s fine, Your Highness! He’s alive! We can save him with a potion!”

“That’s a relief…”

The companions who had been attacking from a distance with magic and arrows arrived.

“…Your Highness, are you alright? What about that person?”

“Chloe, there’s no need to be on guard. He saved my life. I should be grateful, not suspicious.”

“But! We didn’t see him when we arrived! And he suddenly appeared while we were fighting the Lesser Wyvern!”

“…Even so. If he had wanted to harm me, he could have just let the Lesser Wyvern do it. —I’m sorry. I apologize for my companion’s rudeness.”

“No, it’s fine.”

He must have noticed the tense atmosphere and quickly pulled the short knife out of the Lesser Wyvern, putting some distance between them.

“I am Silvester Gii Tsubra, a royal of Tsubra. I have a request for you, who defeated the Lesser Wyvern. Of course, the Lesser Wyvern’s materials belong to you.”

“Your Highness!”

His companions protested. They had dealt damage with arrows and magic, drawn its attention, and felt like they had been robbed—why should they give up the materials? A Lesser Wyvern of this size could be worth over a million Gil if sold whole.

However, Silvester thought,

(The short knife that defeated the Lesser Wyvern in one hit… it must be a very fine weapon.)

Silvester was on maximum alert. In reality, it was just a disposable short knife he had bought for 4,000 Gil to avoid breaking a more valuable one.

“I ask you, can you let me gather a few leaves of the Dragon Kidney Flower? I need them desperately.”

The boy sighed and scratched his head.

“Well, I don’t know the proper etiquette for such situations, so I might offend you as a royal.”

“That’s fine. I’m an adventurer now.”

“I appreciate that. So, about the Dragon Kidney Flower leaves… it’s fine. You can take them.”

“R-Really! Thank you!”

A relieved atmosphere filled the air, and the boy added,

“…Since our goals are the same, anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was also commissioned to get the Dragon Kidney Flower leaves… for the principal.”

“Oh—so you took the guild’s request?”

No, the boy shook his head.

“I was commissioned by the Green Oni clan of Lumania.”

Silvester and the others—everyone except the unconscious Garios—gaped in shock.

“Did you say the Green Oni clan…?”

The boy nodded.

“Impossible! The Green Oni are the leading clan of Lumania!”

Indeed, the Green Oni were, in other countries, what would be called the “royal family.”