Chapter 13: Pathfinder

RUMBLING— BOOM—

As the ceiling of the cavity collapsed, the Jis swiftly moved to a tunnel connected to the former cavity.

Jis briefly glimpsed Imoogi, whose head had been shattered by Black Wolf's attack, picturing him engulfed in flames and crumbling to the ground.

Fortunately, the tunnel created by Earth Drake was wide and sturdy, allowing for their group to pass through simultaneously.

However, the tunnel's entrance partially caved in due to the collapse of the cavity, prompting a check for possible tectonic shifts.

"Chichi, what do we do now? I'm trapped on my way back!"

A terrified Jis exclaimed, frantically clutching his hair.

"Calm down, you fool! Earth Drake must have made another passageway through the tunnel Goblin created. Everyone, pay attention to your surroundings," Chichi instructed firmly.

As they all heeded Chichi's words and surveyed their surroundings, they noticed the partially collapsed tunnel created by the Goblin.

"Here's our path. We can make it through if we clear some of these stones."

When Tyria, a small cat, spotted the tunnel carved by the Goblin, everyone gathered around her. They carefully removed the stones and entered the tunnel.

FUMBLING— FUMBLING—

Thanks to the Blackbee wizard's light magic and Chichi's brightly shining fairy powder, they could see somewhat in the narrow, dark tunnel.

However, their vision was limited. They occasionally had to feel their way cautiously through the cave as they progressed.

The tunnel created by the Goblin was more intricate than the miners' tunnels.

"Chichi, do you know which way to go?"

"Um, it's gone too deep. I can barely sense the airflow from outside, and it's hard to detect any energy since the goblins have already fled far away."

Chichi, attempting to concentrate by closing her eyes to sense various energies, spoke with a grimace.

Grimvald raised his long arm, pointing in one direction, and said,

"If we're unsure of the way, how about we just keep going in one direction until the end?"

"Hmm— The further we go, the more likely we are to find something. If possible, let's keep to an upward path."

Seemingly in agreement with Grimbald, the Blackbee wizard stepped forward to lead the way.

When Jis glanced at Chichi, she gave a shrug and followed the Blackbee wizard, flying along.

Flapping—

* * *

As the group of Jis moved along the dark, uneven tunnel, their shadows cast various shapes on the tunnel walls.

"Hee-hee— Look, there's a bump on Grimbald's back!"

"Is it on my back? But there's nothing there."

"No, not actually on you—look at the wall over there!"

"Aha! You're right. Hey, Rylie, it looked like a dragon appeared behind you, didn't it? How did you manage that?"

"Hee-hee— Where's the dragon here?"

At the end of Rylie's words, everyone froze as if turned to ice, their eyes fixed on her shadow.

A large shadow, seeming to emerge from the deep darkness, was trailing her shadow, growing to encompass the tunnel's walls, ceiling, and floor.

GULP—

The sound of a nervous Jis swallowing his saliva echoed loudly through the narrow tunnel.

Everyone, with wide-eyed anticipation, quickly discussed the best way to escape.

The phenomenon wasn't limited to mere shadows.

The deep, low sound of a dragon's breath resonated, filling the cave, as if a dragon was taking a deep breath before exhaling.

ROAR—

In that moment, the shadow surged up, revealing its true form!

It was a dragon, majestic with brilliant reddish-brown scales, pointed horns, and teeth that exuded terror.

The reddish-brown dragon, with a tail twice as long as its body and razor-sharp in appearance, approached menacingly.

"What? It's a pseudo-dragon!"

Chichi, who had vanished in the tension, reappeared, shouting in astonishment.

The Pseudo Dragon resembled a powerful Red Dragon but was smaller in size.

Although smaller, it was diminutive compared to a cat-like creature like Tyria.

"Ha! A Lesser Dragon? I've got this. Fire bolt!"

The Blackbee wizard, peeking out from behind Grimbald, stepped forward and launched a fiery bolt.

The diminutive Pseudo Dragon fixed a sharp gaze and took a deep, slow breath.

As the bolt neared, the dragon's throat glowed with a fiery purple energy, which it then unleashed through its wide-open snout.

HISS—

In the next instant, a stream of purple poison breath engulfed the narrow tunnel, striking the Blackbee wizard full-on!

"Ah, it burns! Fairy, help me!"

Covered in small blisters, the Blackbee wizard writhed on the ground, crying out.

Chichi, observing the scene, crossed her arms and responded with a mix of sympathy and reprimand.

"Don't be such a crybaby. It's not deadly! The pseudo dragon's poison breath is just mildly irritating."

Though the power seemed weak to Rylie's eyes, it was still impressive to see the Red Dragon-like Pseudo Dragon breathing out flames.

"Wow, even though it's not that strong, it's really cool~!"

'The name of this noble race, to which I belong, is ´Brave´.'

The voice of the Pseudo Dragon, known as Brave, echoed in everyone's minds, sounding pleased with Rylie's praise.

Despite his small size, Brave had a husky voice.

'Hey, boy.'

"Yes, Brave! My name is 'Jis'."

Brave approached Jis, gazing up at the boy and spoke.

'Why so fearful? Be brave. It seems you're lost; I'll guide you.'

"Really? Thank you, Brave!"

Jis, bursting with joy, shouted "Hooray" as if rejuvenated. Everyone else, sharing his delight, expressed their gratitude to Brave.

Chichi, who was looking closely at the scene, flew in and said.

"Pseudo Dragon is neutral and has a good tendency unlike his fearsome appearance, so you can trust it."

As her explanation continued, a look of relief emerged on everyone's faces.

'Hmm-hmm~ I'll take the lead, so follow me well.'

A small pseudo-dragon Brave peered through the tunnel with a subtle sound of footsteps.

The faint light reflected in his pupils felt as if he had penetrated the deep darkness.

RUSTLE—

He went fast without stopping, walking like the ground through the walls of the rough, rocky tunnel with sharp claws.

His head continued forward, and his small nose sniffed along, as if sensing the minute changes around him.

He took the lead and played the role of a pathfinder that guides the Jis group to a safer path.

After some time, a faint light flowed into the complicated underground tunnel.

Brave spread its small wings and flew toward the stream of light that flowed slightly, dividing darkness and dust.

As the group of Jis also ran along Brave, the air in the tunnel soon changed and reached the entrance of the mine.

When he stepped out, the glaring sunlight stung Jis in the eye.

"I'm alive!"

Jis, who was closely following Brave, shouted out loud as he left the mine entrance.

Brave, who brought everyone out safely, also nodded his head once and flew lightly on Jis' shoulder.

'Now, we can go to Stormwatch Castle.'

"What? Do you know Lord William?"

'Hmm-hmm~ He's an old friend of mine. I'm going to see his face after a long time.'

Now a new colleague, Pseudo Dragon, and a group of Jis moved to the castle of Lord William.

* * *

When Jis and his party arrived at Stormwatch Castle, Lord William, who had been waiting in advance, greeted them warmly.

"Welcome, heroes! I was counting on you! Hahahahaha~!"

Then General Gareth, who was near William's lord, said, sticking out his shaved bald head.

"You're back alive, aren't you? I thought they were all dead."

"Wataa~!"

WHACK—

General Gareth flew far away after being kicked up by the lord just as he suddenly stuck his head out.

"I feel heavy because all the soldiers who went with the heroes were killed in action. But! Now peace has returned to the port city of Alexandria because the heroes have accomplished their tasks brilliantly! Hahahaha~!"

CLAP- CLAP- CLAP- CLAP-

When the lord raised one hand and pointed at the heroes, the soldiers in a row in a attentive position clapped their hands in unison.

'Hey, William. I'm here, too.'

At that moment, the voice of the Pseudo Dragon, Brave, echoed in Lord William's mind.

Surprised, Lord William turned his head and, with a mix of anger and relief, approached the Pseudo Dragon.

"Brave! You're alive! I feared you'd been devoured by an Imoogi. Hahahaha~!"

Hearing the lord's voice, Chichi, who was perched atop Jis' head, leaped up indignantly.

"What? You knew about the Imoogi and didn't tell us?"

"I understand now! I'm truly sorry, heroes! I mistakenly thought the Imoogi had left. It was my oversight. Please, accept my sincerest apologies!"

Lord William, bowing deeply in a gesture of remorse, stepped closer to Chichi and whispered.

"As compensation for my error, I'll increase your reward."

"Deal!"

At this, Lord William and Chichi, self-proclaimed fairy queen, clapped hands in agreement, creating a sound of mutual understanding.

Clap!

"Come on, heroes! First, head to your prepared quarters and rest. Heal your wounds, and let's all enjoy a feast tonight! Hahahaha~!"

Lord William's cheerful call was met with a shrug from the Blackbee wizard, who then turned to leave.

"Hehe~ It's been a while since I've had such a workout. Every part of me aches. I'll head in first to rest. Muahaha~! Hmm-hmm."

"You all did well today~! Tyria, see you this evening."

Grimbald murmured, looking for Tyria, only to find she had already vanished.

As Grimbald, visibly disappointed, sank to his knees, Rylie approached, humming a tune. She patted him on the shoulder, offering encouragement.

"Oh my~! Some oak trees may fall after ten strikes, but there are those like her, unyielding even after ten, standing strong and steadfast. Cheer up!"

As Jis looked on at the scene with a mix of pity and confusion, Chichi tapped him on the head and exclaimed.

"What are you waiting for, silly! Shouldn't we also go and rest?"

"Uh... Right, we should. Come on, Longlong, let's go!"

"Long~ long~ long~!"

Jis, unsure how to console Grimbald and feeling awkward, quickly left the area after Chichi's scolding.

"You guys are so heartless!"

Grimbald, left alone, shouted, pounding his chest in frustration.

"Why don't you go and rest as well? Everyone else has already gone in."

As he spoke, General Gareth appeared, his face bloodied from a nosebleed, overlapping with Grimbald's in the fading light.

"Ugh— you startled me!"

"Hahaha! Stay strong, young warrior! I thought time would heal all wounds... But sometimes it doesn't."

General Gareth, attempting to offer comfort but reminded of his own past, stood silently beside Grimbald, tears in his eyes.

"Enough of this..."

Overwhelmed, Grimbald too entered the castle, tears streaming down his face.

"Sniffle— The youth are all so strong. Ha. Ha. Ha..."

General Gareth remained alone, lost in his thoughts until the day faded into night.