15. Dragon Hunting

"Hunting… dragons?" "Yes…" "For to-tem?" "Yes. I just got a warrant from the king of Yevonia. His Majesty said that he felt the presence of a dragon so he asked me and Duke Carrion to hunt it, but because duke Carrion weren't there and..." "And you asked me to replace Duke Carrion?" Aliciaa continued. "Yes. I don't have the magic to hunt. I can only tame and perform subjugation magic..." "I-I see..." Leonhart looked at Aliciaa who seemed reluctant to help him. "Not for me, but for the king of Yevonia..." Leonhart stressed. "I know..." Aliciaa answered in a cold and anxious tone. "So?. You still don't want to help me?. As a student from Yevin academy, you wouldn't do it either?. So why are you at Yevin academy?" Leonhart said to Aliciaa. Aliciaa was stunned to hear Leonhart's words. In her head there were many things she couldn't say, including the reason she became a student at the Yevin magic academy. Aliciaa clenched her fists tightly. She then looked at Leonhart and made a decision. "Looks like I have to bet..." thought Aliciaa. "Okay. I'll help you, but please don't expect anything from me because I've never done a practical hunting exam..." "No problem, I already have quite a lot of hunting experience..." Leonhart had taken his black horse and mounted it. After that he looked at Aliciaa and stretched out his hand to her. "W-what?" "Get on the horse ..." said Leonhart. He motioned for Aliciaa to get on his horse. "Me... I can ride a horse by myself!" Aliciaa answered. Her feeling became strange when she looked at Leonhart's face. The image of her kissing him this afternoon flashed in her memory. "Can you ride a horse?" Leonhart asked Aliciaa. "Of course I can..." Aliciaa answered. She looked up quickly. Her heart was beating very fast now, even though she hadn't ridden a horse at all. "Okay. Just choose a horse that suits you. I'll wait out front..." said Leonhart and then left. That night, Leonhart and Aliciaa went to a place that was located according to the map instructions given by the king of Yevonia. The place showed a forest on the edge of a valley that had never been touched. The sound of leaves rustling in the night wind filled the ears of Leonhart and Aliciaa, who did not speak a word. They seem to be focused on their own thoughts. Aliciaa was busy thinking about how she could hunt dragons without the slightest experience? Meanwhile, Leonhart was actually remembering what happened this afternoon. "Did I faint this afternoon and it was Aliciaa who helped me?" Leonhart thought. Then his memory flashed back to when Aliciaa fell and accidentally kissed him. At that time, Leonhart didn't feel anything. He was so shocked that his heart probably stopped beating. But after he left the room where Aliciaa was staying, his heart suddenly started beating at full speed. "Um. Mr. Leonhart..." "Mr. Leonhart?!" Aliciaa called him once again because Leonhart had not left his memory this afternoon. "Ah. Yes?" "Can I ask something?" "What?" "How did His Majesty the king know of the dragon's presence?" "Dragons have greater mana than any divine creature, so Her Majesty King Yevonia felt that immense power…" Leonhart paused. He seemed to be thinking then continued his sentence. "And then, I think I can fell the presence of a dragon... from its smell" continued Leonhart. "Eh? T-the smell?" "Yeah. I think the smell of dragons is very distinctive, even though the smell is thin, but if there is a big enough wind, their smell will quickly spread everywhere." "And you can smell that thin smell?" "Hm. Yes..." "Is this crazy man also a dog?!" Aliciaa thought. "By the way. Since earlier I've been smelling the scent of dragons around me..." continued Leonhart. He just realized the faint, distinctive smell of dragons. Aliciaa swallowed her saliva and tightened her grip on the reins of the horse she was riding. Her hands trembled slightly and Leonhart realized such a small thing. His eyes are as sharp as his nose. "Don't be afraid. Dragons will not attack humans..." said Leonhart. "Eh?" Aliciaa couldn't help but become confused. He couldn't explain how he should interpret Leonhart's words and his smile at him. It was a faint smile that was also gentle but Aliciaa was mesmerized by that smile. "W-Why?. How do you know dragons don't attack humans?. Isn't the reason you hunt dragons because dragons have attacked humans?" Aliciaa said curiously. "Actually, this is just my personal opinion. After reading the history of dragon attacks... I think dragons attacked humans not because they wanted to, but because there was something that made them have to fight back against humans..." "So, what you mean. Dragons aren't dangerous?" Aliciaa asked. "I don't think so..." "How can you be sure that they are not dangerous just from the history you read?" Aliciaa looked increasingly curious and she started to get serious about her curiosity. "Not only from history, but I've met dragons twice before on a hunt a year ago. At that time, I was still a trainee who only participated in hunting to pay attention. And coincidentally at that time I was separated from the group and lost alone in the forest. And right at that moment I saw a dragon. I was prepared to attack it, but the dragon seemed to have absolutely no intention of attacking me, a human..." "On the contrary... the dragon actually did something so that I could get out of the forest. And when I came out of the forest, my group was already outside and stated that they failed in the hunt because they lost track of the dragon..." Aliciaa listened to Leonhart's story carefully. "A week later since the first hunt failed. King Yevonia again announced the appearance of a dragon. At that time I had graduated as a trainee so I could take part in the hunt at that time... and that was when I noticed the distinctive smell of dragons. I smelled the same smell as in the previous hunt when I met the dragon..." "In the hunt at that time, our hunting group succeeded in trapping a dragon, but unfortunately we had to fail again in the hunt that time..." said Leonhart. His tone sounded a little sad and guilty. "Why?" Aliciaa asked. "Because of the dragon It raged with such power that it killed my father..." "Kill- And you still say that dragons are harmless?. Even though the dragon already killed your father..." "No. He did attack my father, but not because he wanted to... at that moment I realized that he was only protecting himself. I think. If I were in that dragon's position, I would definitely do the same thing... I was only protecting myself and had absolutely no intention of hurting them. Instead, it was them--the humans who actually attacked the dragon. It was humans who made the dragons attack. But unfortunately in history the story was reversed because dragons had power beyond humans so they were seen as evil monsters..." explained Leonhart. After that conversation. The atmosphere between them returned to silence. There was only the faint sound of the wind that continued to blow to disturb the leaves and Aliciaa's long flowing hair. "I see..." thought Aliciaa. "So it's an evil kingdom..." he thought again when he remembered the history book that had been written down by the Yevonia royal family for generations. Aliciaa looked at Leonhart with various emotions that were difficult to explain now. She view of Leonhart changed slightly. "So, what does he think about this hunt?. Did he not really want to do it, but because this was an order from the king of Yevonia, he couldn't help but hunt dragons?. Poor... hunters and conquerors are like pawns sacrificed by Yevonia kings" thought Aliciaa. ***     After the hunt that night failed again because Aliciaa suddenly fainted, Sis Freya said that Aliciaa had left the academy for personal reasons that she couldn't say and she decided to go to a country in the east. At that time, I thought I would never meet her again, but it turned out that I met her again five years later and she had become a very beautiful lady...      Leonhart felt hot in both his ears and cheeks when he remembered his second meeting with Aliciaa until finally they got married. "But, until now I don't know the reason why Aliciaa left the academy at that time..." Leonhart muttered. "Does it have something to do with she fainting when the dragon appeared in front of us?. Is the reason she left the academy because she was afraid of dragons?" Think Leonhart, but he only asked a question that he didn't have the answer to. The only way to find out was to find his wife again. Leonhart continued to look at the face of his daughter who was fast asleep with a happy face. "Did you enjoy the party earlier, dear Cellia?" Leonhart whispered. He seemed happy. However, Leonhart's smile immediately faded when he remembered the message from His Highness Yvone. "Alicia. Are you afraid of dragons?. So how are you now?" Leonhart thought. He thought that if Aliciaa was now frightened by the thing that made Alicia herself unconscious eleven years ago when she saw a dragon, then what if she was kidnapped by a dragon?. Leonhart was very worried if Aliciaa was right. Leonhart was very worried that Aliciaa would really die of fear. "Soon darling. Please wait a little longer... I will definitely find you, Aliciaa," Leonhart muttered. His heart was pounding with sadness and anger. He hated himself for not being able to protect Aliciaa when the dragon came. "I have to learn hunting magic even though it goes against my element... I can't save Aliciaa just with subjugation magic!" thought Leonhart. He racked his brain to get Carrion to help him practice magic that could endanger himself. *** At the lakeside castle. Kharel accidentally saw His Highness Yvone who was wearing a coat and was about to leave. Even though they had just returned from Cellia's birthday party. Kharel suddenly remembered something. "Actually, whose grave does he visit every full moon like this?" Kharel muttered. He was curious and finally followed Yvone secretly, but Yvone's ears were so sharp that he noticed Kharel who was following him secretly. "Ah. Tomorrow Duke Leonhart will come. Will Cellia come along too?. I think I have to prepare something for her..." said Yvone. He deliberately monologued in a voice that Kharel could hear. "What?. Cellia will come to the castle tomorrow?. I have to prepare something for her too!" thought Kharel and he turned around to go back into the castle and ended up not following Yvone to the cemetery. Yvone glanced back and smiled. He thought that small children were really easy to trick and play around with like a dog.