The Necromancer and the Priestess (26)

When Yin Mei crossed the demon bridge, she had to say that she understood why the demons would rather migrate to the human world. Barren gray plains, with the occasional tree, spread as far as the eye could see. In the distance where dark shadows of a jagged mountain range, while the sky was dyed a dusky red.

It was an image that Yin Mei expected of the demon world. When seeing this, her first thought was that it was exceptionally fitting. "This is the territory of the beastmen. When we move further, we'll be able to see the capital." El explained, as Rosella moved closer to Yin Mei, her expression nervous.

She thought that this place was far too eerie. Because of Yin Mei's blessing, neither her nor Kai would be affected by the miasma which was always present in the demon world. Even so, although she wasn't affected physically in any way, the demon world was still gloomy enough to make both Rosella and Kai feel down.

The soldiers were now keeping their distance to Yin Mei though, uncomfortable expressions on their faces. Firstly, because they didn't recognize her from before - as the one who now looked like Yin Mei was Eve. And secondly, because she was a light affinity mage. They saw light mages as very dangerous, as their magic was particularly effective against diminishing their strength, since it could purify the source of their power, miasma.

Rosella was angry about the attitude of the soldiers, but Yin Mei was indifferent. She had been a witness to all sorts of human cruelty in the time she lived, so this sort of thing was cute in comparison. Demons and humans - in the end, were they really so different?

The trip to the capital would take several weeks. At first, the demons were worried that the new human companions who had joined them would slow them down further, but that wasn't the case. First of all, they were all riding horses (or some sort of monster that vaguely resembled a horse, but was much sturdier and faster than one). And secondly, even if they tired, Yin Mei could quickly heal their fatigue. As a result, none of them were any worse off than the demon soldiers.

"So it'll take three weeks? That's quite far." Yin Mei commented in the meeting tent. Her, along with Eve, Rosella, and Kai, were here with El and his advisors. Even on faster horses than human horses it would still take three weeks - it really was very far. Yin Mei roughly judged it to be about the distance from one end of a medium sized kingdom to another.

"The area we're in is at the very southern edge of the empire." One of El's advisors, a man with long black hair and black sclera said, pointing at the map placed on the wooden table before them, drawing a line with his finger between their location and the capital city. "We'll have to cross both Aura's Forest, as well as the Dragon Mountains."

"... Dragon Mountains?" Yin Mei turned to look at the masked El, her eyes so bright that they practically glowed in the dimly lit tent, and El wanted to know what exactly was so exciting that she had on such a face.

"... It's said that dragons live in those mountains." He said, and Yin Mei was so excited that everyone could almost see sparkles flying everywhere.

She had been sad when she had learned those fantasy races and stuff like dragons were rare, but who knew that it was because they were all located here, in the demon world! Her dreams of a true fantasy world were still achievable! She'd decided! She would find and tame a dragon, just like the legendary dragon rider Er*gon!!

"What did they say?" Rosella asked, looking confused. She couldn't understand the demon language, so all she saw was that one of the demons had said something, and then Yin Mei had become extremely excited, looking off into the distance in joy.

"He said that the Dragon Mountains that we'll be passing through has dragons." Eve replied, and Rosella paled.

She had heard of dragons before. They were those beasts of legend, as strong, wise, and terrifying as the gods. "Dragons? Isn't that dangerous?" She said, turning a worried expression toward Yin Mei, but the girl wasn't paying attention, still absorbed in her fantasies of dragon taming.

El answered Rosella instead. "It's not dangerous. The dragons haven't come out in many millennia now, and we also have an ancient treaty with them allowing safe passage."

Rosella let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile Yin Mei was looking at El with an extremely disappointed expression, as if the world had ended. El looked away. Dragons were way too dangerous, so why in the world did she wanted to see one so badly?

Yin Mei sat down on a stool, a gloomy aura completely enveloping her. "Well, rare doesn't mean we won't meet any at all right?" Kai couldn't help but say in an effort to comfort the girl. Yin Mei immediately brightened up, and quickly returned to her former sparkling excited self. That's right! Just because they were rare doesn't necessarily mean they wouldn't meet one at all! In fact, if they went hunting for dragons, they would probably be able to find one?

"It's decided. Let's go dragon hunting!" Yin Mei exclaimed, and immediately the group of demons gathered all shouted out, "No!" at once.

"That's too dangerous!"

"We need to hurry to the capital, how could you think of going to hunt down dragons!?"

"Are you seeking death?"

Those sorts of words were thrown around, but Yin Mei wasn't listening. Both Rosella and El could tell - she had already made her decision, and nothing would be able to change her mind about it. Nothing.

Except maybe cookies. Or ice cream. No, wait, this was dragons they were talking about. Not even cookies or ice cream or cake would be able to change her mind now!

The advisors looked toward El for support, wanting their commander to shut down Yin Mei's plan here and now. "It seems interesting enough." But they were instead betrayed by these words.

"!! But commander!"

El put up a hand, silencing those present. "You don't have any... complaints, do you?" A silent pressure filled the air, and everyone paled, except for Yin Mei, who seemed to notice no difference.

"N-no," the advisors replied, bowing their heads. Though they were still reluctant, they couldn't disobey the words of the commander. And that was how the army's goal went from returning to the capital to dragon hunting.

It took them a good two weeks of traveling. Aura's Forest was an interesting place - apparently, it was the most beautiful location among the entire demon world, home to the elves, dryads, and etc. But, elves were slightly different to what Yin Mei had been imagining. In Yin Mei's eyes, elves were an extremely beautiful race in tune with nature, but perhaps because this was the demon world and elves were considered "demons", this was not exactly the case. It was true they were beautiful, with long ears. But they had ash colored skin and red eyes, looking far different from the pale skinned light haired people that Yin Mei thought they would be. The forest as well, though beautiful, was not like an ordinary forest - instead, the trees were of dark black colored bark, and blue, purple, and emerald colored leaves. It was a mystical forest that looked like all the colors of the galaxy.

They stayed a few nights at the city of elves, before leaving to head off to the Dragon Mountains.

The Dragon Mountains - those were the jagged dark shadows that Yin Mei had seen in the distance on the very first day they had arrives.

They were sharp, like thorns or shark teeth piercing toward the sky. Arriving, the stone was a cold gray, and the sound of the wind blowing past was like that of a banshee's howl. Yin Mei didn't even know if banshees were a real thing in the demon world - they might be. Maybe ghosts and zombies also lived side by side with the demons.

Although in the human world, ghosts and zombies were something to be defeated and exorcised.

"So, how are we to find the dragons? They're probably well hidden," The black haired advisor of El's said, resigned to their newfound duty of dragon hunting.

Dragons. They were not only highly intelligent and strong, but they could also use magic as well. Among all of the races of the demon world, they were the strongest.

Their kin, the wyvern and the half-dragon, were also highly ranked on the strength scale.

"If the dragons don't want to be found, then there's no one that will be able to find them," the demon man continued, looking up at the dreary sky, the screeching sound of a falcon echoing through the stone cliffs.

Yin Mei pouted. "But why don't they want to be found? Since I want to find them, then they better obediently show themselves!" She said domineeringly, and everyone was speechless. This sort of arrogance was really...

Kai covered his face with his hand. So the high priestess was in reality this sort of childish person... But he felt this also made sense. Before, the high priestess had been someone who seemed almost like a god, so different from humans, isolated and someone to be respected, worshipped. But now he knew this wasn't the case. In reality, she was still young, and had been stuck in the church since she was ten. Perhaps her time had stopped since then. In reality, she really was quite a childish person, wasn't she?

Such a sheltered person, there was no way that she wouldn't grow up like this, right? She was used to her orders being followed, her every need being met. She had never experienced the real world either. When he thought of things like this, he felt everything seemed to make sense, and he could somewhat accept all of her actions so far.

Actually, wasn't a more human high priestess better than that doll of before?

He shook his head, thinking his thoughts rude.

Yin Mei stood in front of the group, and expanded her senses, covering as much as the mountain range as she could. But, even if Celestina was the most powerful mage of her time, even she could not quite come to be on the same level as a dragon. Perhaps she was not far, but she had yet to reach the level of the being that was considered a god on earth.

If the dragons did not want to be found, then no one could find them.

What the demon had said was very much true. There was no sign of dragons - whether it be physical or magical marks.

But, not all dragons did not wish to be found...

After Yin Mei was disappointed, the group continued to move through the mountains. Though they kept an eye out, they were not expecting much. After Yin Mei's first attempt, she tried a few more times, but it bore no fruit. She even tried the system's surveillance system, but because she didn't even know what exactly that she was supposed to be looking for, it was also unable to show her what she wanted.

It was during this time, that a child suddenly appeared before them.

The child had black hair and black eyes, dressed in a fabulous outfit, that shimmered pale gold in the light, embroidered with small diamonds and silver thread. She didn't look no more than five, and had a haughty air about her, hands on her hips and her lips in a frown, brows furrowed.

"You're that arrogant girl who has been spreading her magic everywhere these past few days!?" She shouted at them, pointing to Yin Mei. "Stop it! Your gross primitive magic has been interrupting my nap time!"

Yin Mei didn't know what dragons were supposed to be like, but her instinct told her that this young girl, who appeared in the middle of the Dragon Mountains with such a proud attitude and tone must definitely be... a dragon!

This was her years of being an experienced reader speaking to her!

No one else could tell, and had on confused expressions - who was this little girl, to speak so arrogantly to them?

But Yin Mei's eyes were sparkling so bright that El had a bad feeling about this. One of his advisors was about to step up, but El held a hand out to stop him.

This was El's experience from years of being Yin Mei's husband speaking. Although he didn't remember his previous life, this was bad a feeling that spoke to him from deep within his soul.

"S-s-sooooo cute!" Yin Mei couldn't help but exclaim. Truly, the human form of this dragon, though a young child no older than five, was indeed the epitome of beauty and adorableness! As expected of the legendary dragon race!

"H-hmph! Of course I'm cute! Compliments won't get you off scott free!" The young girl said in a huff, but her cheeks turned pink.

"And a tsundere!" Yin Mei was immediately sold. She immediately launched herself at the girl, who was so startled that she flung an arm out in defense.

"Oh shi- I forgot to hold back..." The black haired girl said, but soon trailed off as the dust cleared, and Yin Mei was unharmed, the barrier in front of her glimmering before disappearing as she hugged the black haired girl in satisfaction. "Wha- how in the world...! There shouldn't be someone strong enough to be able to block my attack like that! What in the world are you!? Some sort of newly evolved race...!?"

"I'm human," Yin Mei replied, rubbing her cheek up against the little dragon girl's cheek, and the girl's eyes almost popped out.

"H-h-human!?" She turned to look at the group, who all nodded.

"No way! That weak race of the stories could actually block my attack...!" The little girl was so shocked that she immediately passed out.

...

......

Yin Mei: "?? Huh? Why in the world did she pass out?"

El: Mm, my bad feeling was correct...