Chapter 124: Fall, and Then… Part 4

We split into three groups to find the dragon's lair.

The first group was Aquila who was knowledgeable about the silver mountains along with Lloyd and El.

The second group was the witch and wizard, Khalid and Didier, who had already visited Tondra's lair before.

And the third group was Ayla and me with my [Explorer] trait.

I herded the goats into a suitable spot and used [Protection of the Forest] to trap them. With this, we wouldn't have to worry about the goats until the search was over.

"If you find anything, use this immediately."

I handed each of my companions an item I made before. It was a kind of "flare" made from watercress and glass flowers.

Watercress stored water in the hollow spaces of its stem and squirted it out when disturbed by insects to drive them away. Glass flowers had petals as transparent as glass that reflected light in all directions like cellophane. I combined these two plants to create a "plant flare".

Pulling the leaves of the watercress created pressure that shot the glass flowers easily several dozen meters high into the air. Upon impact, the glass flowers would burst and scatter sunlight, moonlight, or starlight in all directions; this would signal the group's location. This was much more effective than the powder flares used by mercenaries, though the drawback was that they couldn't be stored for long.

"Nothing should happen, but let's meet safely again."

We exchanged brief farewells and parted ways.

The weather looks ominous.

The dark clouds gathering from afar didn't look like the kind that would pass quickly. Time might be more pressing than I thought. Since we had come this far, it would be good if we could find Tondra's lair before sunset.

– Kunkun.

I followed the safe path Ayla had already taken and slowly surveyed the surroundings. All I could see were snow and frozen rocks. No matter where I looked, the scenery was the same, so I felt dizzy afterward.

…. I need to try something else.

The [Explorer] trait would only be effective once the dragon's lair was close. So, narrowing down the possible area where the lair could be was important.

However, trying to find it by walking and looking around would take a very long time. I needed a more efficient method. For example…

"There are quite a few left."

I still had plenty of morning star seeds in my pocket.

Morning stars were extremely sensitive to "magical power". Therefore, they wouldn't grow properly in a place imbued with strong "magical power" like the entrance to a dragon's lair.

My plan was very simple and straightforward.

First…

I would attach the seed pouch to Ayla and scatter the morning star seeds over a wide range.

Second.

I would use [Breath of the Forest] extensively to make the flowers bloom.

Third.

I would find the spots where the morning stars were glowing. And done!

Wasn't it such an easy method?

However, it wasn't without any problems.

The problem was the environment of the snowy mountains.

Delicate plants like morning stars couldn't last even an hour in the harsh conditions of the snowy mountains, so it was clear that I would have to use a huge amount of my magical power to keep the morning stars rooted and blooming in this barren land.

And who knows what will happen when I enter the dragon's lair? Is it okay to use so much magical power like this?

I looked at the vast snow field and went into deep thought for a moment.

…But if I can't find the dragon's lair, there's no point in having come all the way up here.

I clicked my tongue softly and called Ayla. When I tied the seed pouch to her necklace, she wagged her tail excitedly.

"Alright, Ayla. Run in a zigzag pattern."

– Kuung!

Ayla stretched her head upward and barked loudly.

"Let's go!"

I leaped onto her back. As soon as I settled in, Ayla dashed forward at lightning speed. Before the scattered seeds could freeze in the cold wind, I had to use [Breath of the Forest]. Additionally, I needed to continuously pour magical power to keep the morning stars alive.

This is as crazy as trying to keep a snowman from melting in the desert.

Thanks to my considerable amount of magical power and the blessing of Linshaka, which made my magic overwhelmingly superior in quality compared to ordinary people, I could at least attempt this task.

– Whoosh!

– Pop!

– Poof!

It was quite a sight to see the pure white snowfield transformed into a garden of bright yellow morning stars. The barren snowfield was now brimming with the life force of blooming flowers; it was an incredible scene!

Beautiful.

At that moment, I forgot my fatigue and was completely mesmerized by the sight. Watching this wave of life, the biting cold wind and the freezing snow felt like nothing.

Oh, this is not the time for this.

I had to quickly find the entrance to the dragon's lair before the morning stars froze over. Together with Ayla, I walked through the morning star while searching for the entrance.

Damn it, where on earth is it?

When you think of the entrance to a dragon's lair, it sounds grand, but unless it's a particularly unusual dragon, most dragons don't decorate the entrance to their lair. If the entrance to their lair were conspicuous, it would constantly attract trouble. From thieves looking to steal treasure to fearless monsters or demons visiting their home, it would surely be tiring.

Therefore, the entrance to a dragon's lair is usually hidden or blended naturally with the surroundings to avoid discovery.

And to hide it, a smaller size is generally better.

Perhaps the entrance to the dragon's lair was only the size of a fist.

It seemed like I needed to scan the area from above…

-Beeep!

While I was contemplating this, Beepy who was in my arms flapped his wings and flew above my head. Then he grabbed onto my hair with his small feet and flapped his wings vigorously.

-Flap flap!

"…Your effort is commendable, but it's too much for you."

I grabbed the fluttering bird, put it back in my arms, and used [Beast Summoning].

There was only one creature suitable for this situation.

The snow mountain eagle.

– Eeeeeek….

A shrill cry resounded from afar, like the sound of a sharp wind. A blue dot pierced through the dark clouds and flew towards me.

It was a huge snow mountain eagle that was about three or four meters in size.

I'm glad that it's closer than I thought.

The snow mountain eagle landed lightly and looked at me with its crystal blue eyes. To connect with it, I slowly extended my hand and gently touched its icy cold hard beak.

-Grr…

The eagle tilted its head, then let out a contented rumble.

-Beep!

"Beepy, stay calm. Today, we're going to rely on this friend."

After admonishing Pippi in a stern voice, I carefully stroked the head of the snow mountain eagle. The eagle which had been holding its head high slowly lowered its body.

It meant I could get on.

After bowing slightly to express my gratitude, I climbed onto the snow mountain eagle. And shortly after,

-Whoosh!

The snow mountain eagle soared powerfully into the sky. After a few flaps of its wings, the clouds seemed close enough to touch. At that moment, even the biting cold wind felt like nothing more than a result of freedom. I couldn't help but burst into laughter, like a child on their first amusement ride.

I'm lucky I don't have the fear of heights.

Otherwise, I would have had to search through that entire field of morning stars. Feeling relieved, I looked down at the snowy expanse that resembled a yellow canvas.

"Where on earth is it…"

While the snow mountain eagle flew low and slowly over the densely blooming field of morning stars, I diligently searched for the entrance to the dragon's lair. The morning stars would soon freeze, so I needed to find it quickly…

"...!"

At the moment I bit my lip in anxiety, a gap appeared.

A faint space that was barely a span wide came into view.

"There, take me there."

I gently tapped the snow mountain eagle's wing. It descended slowly. As soon as we landed, I dashed toward that empty span. As I ran, the morning stars began to freeze over. It was a close call. Before the traces of the morning stars vanished, I quickly leaped.

-Splash!

-Crack!

When I lifted my head after rolling on the snowy ground, I saw the morning stars coldly frozen and breaking apart. I pushed aside the frozen flowers and peered into that span-sized space.

"This is...!"

Mountain lotus.

There, a delicate mountain lotus with pure white petals hung gracefully.

Its stem and leaves were buried in the snow. That's why it wasn't visible. I carefully cleared the snow piled around it. Then, a small and intact mountain lotus was revealed.

This was the entrance to the dragon's lair.

More precisely, it was the "puzzle" that opened the entrance.

…No wonder no one has found Tondra.

Who would pay attention to just one flower?

Only someone like me.

It was a miracle it hadn't been trampled on… I let out a dry laugh and gently tapped the white flower buds. To the casual observer, it was just an ordinary flower. Nothing felt special about it.

But.

The secret of the mountain lotus lies elsewhere.

I held the cold snow in my hands and began to melt it with my body heat. As the snow melted, it gathered drop by drop and fell onto the white petals of the mountain lotus.

-Charrr…

With a sound like clear droplets, the water-soaked petals of the mountain lotus gradually turned transparent. One by one and slowly. I continued melting the snow and let the droplets fall until the petals became completely transparent.

-Charrrr…

The mountain lotus was touched by the droplets and gently trembled along its stem, making a continuous tinkling sound. Charrr, charrrr… Soon, I realized it was a sound with a certain "pattern".

A "pattern" to solve the "puzzle".

-Charrr!

When all the petals turned transparent, the tinkling sound stopped. The mountain lotus no longer trembled. I swallowed dryly and cautiously reached out to the lotus.

And then…

-Snap!

I plucked the flower without hesitation.

-Rumble…

At that moment, the entire silver mountain range began to shake.