Chapter 102: Crazy Wizard Part 2

"The only dragon that can have a 'conversation' with humans is Tondra."

"Tondra?"

"Haven't you heard of it?"

"No, I haven't."

"…Well, that's understandable."

Dragons had long vanished from the continent. Rumor had it that they had crossed the sea to the Eastern Continent. Of course, a few dragons still remained on this continent, but after the fall of Ansgar, most of them escaped from the center of the continent and lived in Altan, the land of barbarians. As a result, most people had forgotten about the existence of dragons.

Of course, while people might not know, there could be strange dragons living among humans. However, finding such dragons or recognizing them as dragons was nearly impossible.

"Please explain in more detail."

"Tondra is a silver dragon that has not yet left the Silver Mountains."

The Silver Mountains connected the Dark Forest to Lysette and served as a barrier between the Lake of Life and the Cursed Lands. Along with the Iron Mountains starting from Altan, it was one of the two major mountain ranges on the continent. The terrain was treacherous and the weather even more so, earning it a notorious reputation. Even the dwarves had abandoned their mines there. The only things left were cold, darkness, snow, storm clouds, and various undead monsters.

"Are you sure it hasn't left?"

"I'm sure. I met it ten years ago."

'Meeting it ten years ago and being sure about it?'

Well, a dragon's sense of time was vastly different from that of humans. Ten years might be more like a month, or even a week, from a dragon's perspective. So, the information that Tondra was in the Silver Mountains was quite reliable.

But still…

"I see what you're thinking."

"…Is it that obvious?"

"Tondra said it needed to take a 'nap' in its nest. It left a message not to look for it for a while."

"In that case…"

"It means you can find it if you go to its lair."

"That's good news."

"Well? We still don't know if it's good news."

"Why?"

"Because you never know what will happen if you wake Tondra from its 'nap'."

Nothing was as dangerous as a dragon waking from a deep sleep. Like a person with low blood pressure facing the morning, dragons awoken from their slumber were ferocious to the point of seeming mad…

"Perhaps it might see nothing and try to eat us."

They would be in a starving state.

Climbing the Silver Mountains was madness, and waking a dragon was certainly madness.

But the reward would be just as great.

It had been centuries since a new dragon was born. Dragons were too wise for their own good, leading to a mutual disdain among them, which pushed them toward decline. Occasionally, dragons with an interest in other races would produce a mixed-blood, but the birth of a pure dragon… that was a thing of the distant past.

As mentioned, dragons were exceedingly wise. They laid "eggs", but the "eggs" chose not to hatch in a world on the brink of ruin because they were too wise. With the eggs remaining dormant, dragons eventually stopped laying them.

For a dragon egg to appear in such a situation …

Moreover, the dragon egg I had saved from the swamp of death had communicated with me, even if briefly. It was as if it had shown a will to live.

If a new dragon appeared after centuries, not only the dragons but the entire continent would be astonished.

"My reputation would surely soar, and I might gain other rewards as well."

Of course, I hadn't taken this dragon egg out of sheer goodwill. If there were benefits to reap, I'd seize them and create a mutually beneficial relationship. It was like how Khalid agreed to help only after hearing about the "godfather" story.

And there was one more reason.

There is also a fragment of Earte beyond the Silver Mountains.

Though I didn't know the exact location yet, according to the [??? Map], there was a fragment of Earte beyond or near the Silver Mountains.

Perhaps the Silver Dragon Tondra knew something about the fragment of Earte.

Of course, it was just a possibility and not something to hastily conclude, but…

If I could solve the dragon problem and find the fragment of Earte, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

After discussing various matters about the Silver Dragon Tondra and the Silver Mountains, the sun had already set. Khalid modified a magical tool that looked like a chain net and wrapped it around the dragon egg. It was an item that prevented it from being affected by the magical power of the space ring.

We headed to the inn to have dinner and finalize our plans.

"Somehow, you seem thinner than when I last saw you. Are you eating properly?"

"As much as I need to."

"That's the problem with wizards. They get caught up in their research and whatnot, and they don't take care of themselves."

I clicked my tongue and looked at Khalid. Since he had shaved his beard, his sharp jawline made him look even more gaunt and skinny. This is why it's hard to keep a wizard as a companion; they don't know how to take care of themselves. Of course, Khalid wasn't my companion or party member yet…

For Khalid's sake, we should have a hearty, nourishing dinner tonight.

I called the innkeeper and ordered a special, nourishing meal. The innkeeper looked a bit startled at first, but when I handed over a few silver coins along with the ingredients, he nodded without a word.

Hehe, I finally get to taste the seafood from the depths of Echaits.

The seafood I had gathered while traveling to the deep-sea dungeon to care for Ken had been carefully stored in one side of my space ring, and today they would finally see the light. It seemed that people in this world had little interest in seafood; the Echaits sea was overflowing with abalone, sea urchins, conch, sea squirts, crabs, and even lobsters. It was like a treasure trove of nutritious ingredients; no matter how much I collected, it never seemed to diminish.

Some people can't get enough of these delicacies, but the inhabitants of this pseudo-medieval land don't even glance at them.

Well, in medieval times, lobsters were considered food for prisoners.

This works out well for me. I get to monopolize the abundant seafood. I gave the innkeeper detailed instructions on how to prepare the dishes.

As we were discussing the Silver Mountains, the dishes began to arrive one by one.

First, the fist-sized abalone was finely scored and grilled with high-quality butter. The abalone itself was large and vibrant, so simply grilling it with butter produced an incredible aroma. I had to remember to ask for the leftovers to be used in a soup tomorrow. I missed abalone porridge, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Next was the conch. The conch along with the black mussels already at the inn was simmered with various herbs, garlic, and a whole bottle of white wine I had made myself. The sweet aroma was intoxicating. It was a taste that called for more wine, absolutely. I brought out the white wine I had prepared and shared it with Lloyd and Khalid.

"…It's quite good."

Khalid kept sipping the wine. He seemed to enjoy it more than I expected. I thought he had a more discerning palate, but it seemed I was wrong.

Tearing off pieces of the golden-brown flatbread and soaking them in the conch broth was like tasting heaven. The large conch was perfectly tender, and when I pulled it out of its shell and took a bite, juices burst forth. Ah, if only I had some red chili paste …!

Next were the sea urchin and sea squirt. The innkeeper struggled particularly with these two ingredients. Proper handling of sea urchins and sea squirts was crucial… So, I had no choice but to demonstrate how to prepare them and as a result…

The sea urchin's bright yellow roe had been scraped out and cooked with fresh cream and herbs to make a sauce, which turned into sea urchin cream pasta. Ideally, I would have preferred sea urchin sushi or a rice bowl… but this is good too.

The sea squirt was well prepared and served with various young vegetables, turning it into a salad. Eating it with a sweet and sour flavor wasn't bad at all. It made my palate feel clean. Because of its appearance or something else, no one touched the sea squirt, so I ended up eating it all by myself. Even Lloyd who usually seemed fearless didn't dare to try it. If I had brought sea cucumbers as well, it would have been a disaster.

The lobster was well-roasted and topped with cheese, then served with potato salad. Khalid who at first looked reluctant watched me eat and soon started to carve out the meat and eat it with bread.

"....!"

That's right, that expression is bound to appear. I looked at Khalid with a triumphant face, and he brought his wine glass to his lips again.

"I like the pasta the most."

"You know the taste of sea urchin, El."

Fortunately, El enjoyed her food without any reservations. She showed an enormous appetite and emptied her plate. I watched El like a daughter and diligently refilled her plate.

Ayla was not much different from El. Her way of gnawing at the lobster shell was almost creepy….

Somehow, we hadn't had any real conversation during the meal, and it wasn't until dessert was served that we could talk properly. As I picked up a cookie spread with lingonberry jam, I spoke to Khalid.

"I'd like to hear some advice about the Silver Mountains."

"Advice?"

"Yes. You have been to the Silver Mountains, haven't you, Sir Khalid? I'm curious about how you managed it, what we need to prepare, and what we need to be careful about…"

"There was nothing to prepare or be careful about."

"…Huh?"

"I was with Tondra."

"Wait. Are you saying this will be your first time going to the Silver Mountains yourself?"

"Of course."

"What about the portal?"

"What part of my words did you miss? There's a special magical barrier coming from Tondra's lair in the Silver Mountains."

What the hell…?

So Khalid doesn't have any actual experience climbing the Silver Mountains? I looked at Khalid in disbelief. Seriously, he talked so confidently about the Silver Mountains?

Don't tell me…

I'm going to have to take this weakling wizard all the way to the Silver Mountains?!