Dragon (1)

The temple Mitchel mentioned was located quite high up.

Going up the steep incline was very strenuous for Mitchel, and even the excellent adventurer Jenny had labored breathing.

In contrast, Ariel did not break a single sweat and simply had a serene expression. For Ariel, this incline was no different from flat ground.

"Huff puff, I can't go any further."

Mitchel plopped down.

"My legs won't move."

At that, Jenny frowned.

"Don't be so dramatic. What are we going to do if you sit down?"

"I think I need to rest for a bit. I might die at this rate. Please."

"Get up right now."

Jenny grabbed Mitchel's collar and forcibly stood him up, and Mitchel had to continue climbing the incline with a sullen expression.

The temple they arrived at boasted a magnificently large size that left one's mouth agape.

Jenny muttered while looking up at the temple.

"...Are you sure dwarves built this? not giants?"

"According to the records, it was definitely built by dwarves. Anyway, I should investigate."

Mitchel wiped the sweat from his face and entered the temple first, and Jenny took Ariel's hand.

"Let's go too, Ariel."

Ariel looked around the temple as she walked with Jenny.

This ancient temple was quite dilapidated, fully showing the traces of time.

Weeds were overgrown on the floor, and vines grew on the walls.

Yet there were no collapsed or damaged areas.

"It certainly does look sturdy, probably because dwarves built it. It could probably last a few hundred years without a problem."

At Jenny's words, Ariel nodded slightly.

To Ariel's eyes as well, the building looked extremely sturdy. She even felt like punching it with her fist.

"Well, it doesn't seem like there's anything strange."

Mitchel said from the front.

"They said an evil aura was detected here, but I'm not really sensing anything like that. Maybe it was just a prank..."

"Then we just wasted our time coming here."

"That's highly likely. If there were any demons or monsters nearby, there would definitely be traces left, but for now... Still, let's check inside just in case."

Mitchel continued walking into the temple interior. The air grew cooler the further in they went.

The inside of the temple was dark, but at least the moonlight shining through the windows allowed them to see.

"Hmm."

Mitchel stopped walking.

Soon after, they arrived at the place that served as the core of the temple.

It was a prayer hall.

The prayer hall had a domed shape and was wide enough to be called a vast plaza.

Ancient drawings, presumed to be of deities, were painted on the walls, and a hole in the high ceiling allowed moonlight to stream straight down.

Far from any demons or monsters, it was a place that felt sacred and solemn.

"There doesn't seem to be anything strange. We should probably just head back..."

As Mitchel said that, they sensed some movement in a corner of the prayer hall.

"!"

Jenny swiftly drew her sword, and Mitchel also began casting a holy magic spell.

Ghost bared her fangs and lowered her stance, while Lu quickly hid behind Ariel's back.

Ariel quietly watched the corner of the prayer hall.

Tuk. Tuk.

Someone was slowly walking this way, making footsteps.

It was too dark to see clearly, but they seemed to have a petite build similar to Ariel's.

The one walking soon reached the center of the prayer hall where the moonlight was shining down, and only then could their appearance be made out.

"...?"

The one who walked out from the corner of the prayer hall.

It was a young girl.

*

"Huh...?"

Jenny made a dumbfounded expression.

This temple was an abandoned place from long ago.

Its location was in a remote, deep forest - in other words, it was a ruin.

For a young girl to be alone in such a ruin.

Moreover, the girl was dressed in an elegant frilled dress, had pale skin, and a pretty face.

With golden hair and eyes, she had an air of grace that made her seem out of place here.

"Hey kid, what are you doing in a place like this?"

Jenny asked as she sheathed her sword.

The girl's identity had not been fully revealed yet, but in any case, she was a young child. There was no need to keep her sword drawn.

Mitchel also canceled his holy magic casting and relaxed his stance.

The only one still on guard was Ghost.

"Did you perhaps get lost?"

Jenny smiled and approached the girl.

Jenny had already judged the girl to be a young lady from some noble family. No matter how you looked at her, the girl appeared that way.

"Heh."

At that moment, the girl laughed.

"How amusing."

The girl looked at the group one by one with an arrogant gaze.

"Humans, elves, fairies, wolves. What lowly beings have gathered here."

"..."

Jenny abruptly stopped in her tracks. Before long, an ominous aura was emanating from the girl's body.

"Normally, I would never let those who trespass into my domain live."

The girl said with a bored expression.

"But right now, I can't be bothered to kill you. Just this once, I'll spare you. So..."

The girl's eyes glowed golden.

[Rot and perish!]

Uwooong!

The girl's final words were not in the human language.

She had directly conveyed her will into their minds.

"Ughh!"

Jenny and Mitchel crumpled to the ground, bleeding, and even Ghost collapsed flatly on the floor, twitching. Lu simply passed out.

"..."

The only ones left standing were the girl and Ariel.

*

Mitchel tried to get up. But his body was trembling uncontrollably and he couldn't muster any strength.

Looking to the side, Jenny was in the same state. Jenny was also biting her lip tightly as she struggled to stand.

'This is....'

It was a symptom he had never experienced before, but Mitchel felt like he knew what it meant.

No, more accurately, he felt like he knew the girl's true identity.

'D-Dragon....'

The girl's final words, [Rot and perish!], had definitely conveyed her will directly into their minds.

However, the real purpose was not to convey her will, but to induce mental terror.

In other words, it was a dragon's fear.

Using dragon fear meant that the girl's identity was that of a dragon.

If so, it made sense for her to be alone in these ruins.

Dragons were a reclusive race, so she may have intended to make this place her lair.

'I-I have to run away....'

Mitchel knew just how arrogant the dragon race was.

To dragons, a human life was as insignificant as dust.

He had to leave while spared. If the dragon changed her mind, they could turn to ash in an instant.

Resistance would be meaningless as well.

Dragons were the strongest beings on the land, surpassing all other life forms.

In fact, there was a case in the past where a kingdom hunted dragons for their scales, claws, and hearts.

Of course, humans could not hunt a fully-grown dragon with their power alone, so they targeted unmatured dragon hatchlings instead.

The hunt was successful, and those who hunted the dragon hatchling were bestowed the title of 'Dragon Slayer' by the king.

The citizens praised the Dragon Slayers as heroes, thinking they had achieved a great feat by hunting the strongest life form on land.

And the next day.

The kingdom disappeared from the continent.

Enraged dragons had turned the kingdom to ashes. It all happened in just a single day.

From then on, humans not only refrained from provoking dragons but even worshipped them.

"Oh my."

The girl, the dragon, made an intrigued expression.

"There's one unaffected by my fear?"

The dragon approached Ariel with a smirk, walking step by step.

The dragon's golden eyes stared unblinkingly at Ariel, and Ariel stared right back at the dragon.

Being of similar short stature, their eye levels matched perfectly.

"An insolent elf. I cannot spare you. You are worth killing."

The dragon reached out her hand. Then, a magic circle formed under Ariel's feet and a pillar of fire shot up.

Gwwwwwrrrrsshh!

The pillar of fire was so powerful it could have melted the surroundings, but Ariel stood unharmed, simply staring blankly.

"?"

The dragon's eyes widened.

"Wha-what, why...?"

Dragons were extremely arrogant beings who never doubted their magical abilities.

This was because they mastered magic perfectly from birth.

To dragons, magic was as natural as breathing.

"My magic... doesn't work...?"

Yet this dragon was now doubting her own magical prowess.

Ariel's appearance was undoubtedly that of a young elf.

To be unable to incinerate such an opponent with magic, it was only natural for the dragon to doubt her own abilities.

However, if it were a more experienced dragon, they would have realized Ariel was no ordinary being and would not have doubted their abilities.

But this dragon lacked experience.

She was a young dragon who had only just left her mother's nest and was trying to claim a lair for the first time.

"It's not hot...? It should be hot..."

The dragon fidgeted restlessly as she poured out her mana.

Gwwwwwrrrrsshh!

The pillar of fire engulfing Ariel's body flared up even more intensely, threatening to spread to Mitchel and Jenny nearby.

"Shield."

However, when Ariel deployed a shield, the pillar of fire was immediately blocked.

The magic that the dragon had desperately poured her mana into caused no harm to the two of them.

"Hey!"

Seeing this, the dragon lost her composure and shouted.

"Come at me properly, elf!"

"..."

Ariel, who had been silently watching the dragon, finally nodded.