◎ Dongol City, Adventurers Guild Adjacent Bar
「The ride quality is much worse at full speed.」
「I really dislike it.」
「Well, we won, so I guess it's fine?」
『It also made Jinrai's eyes sparkle a little.』
The women group (+ one) collapsed on one of the bar's tables.
They were a group of considerably pretty women, but the fact that they were members of the White Party and had already hunted 16 Earth Dragons was conveyed to everyone there, so there were no ladies men reckless enough to approach.
Kazane wasn't there because she was handling the dismantling of the Earth Dragons, and the completely healthy Jinrai went out for intensive training alone. Naoki was slightly separated from the women group and was drinking with York at the counter.
「Celebrating the reunion!」
「Celebrating the reunion!」
Naoki and York bumped their raised glasses together and both drank at once.
「Puha, mmm」
「My head is aching, and I can't really think.」
Naoki felt weary. Jinrai and Kazane in the coachman's seat had been fine, but the ride inside the carriage had been the worst. It was strange that no one had vomited.
「Even so, that Ogre Killing Princess-san is your older sister. She looks like a child, but somehow she's your older sister.」
Naoki drily laughed at York's shocked behavior from misunderstanding her age. Her personality was certainly closer to her actual age than her looks. Although Naoki thought that was one of the things that made her so cute.
「Besides, what's with that armor. You obtained something so nice.」
「Aneki gave it to me.」
Naoki replied as York's discerning eyes gazed at his armor. He was a little proud.
「If it's from that Ogre Killing Princess, it must be made from the scales of the Black Rock Dragon. Should I tell you how much those scales are selling for right now?」
「God no. I'm scared of hearing.」
Naoki earnestly replied. Just remembering the amount of money Yumika had told him his sister had spent since coming to this world gave Naoki a headache. On top of that, he knew the Mysterious Warehouse had many items impossible for normal individuals to obtain, like the Indestructible series of items from Coral Temple and unsold materials from the Black Rock Dragon.
「Really? Be that as it may, the strangely mature Naoki really has changed. It feels like you match your appearance now.」
「Organ also said that. I didn't particularly intend to change. Was I really putting on airs to that extent before now?」
Naoki asked York with an indignant expression. Just as he said, Naoki had no awareness that he had changed. Although he certainly felt like the tension he had been feeling until now had washed away.
「Well, you know. No matter how you were before, I like how you are now. You're easier to talk to.」
York smiled and drank.
「Cut it out. Being liked by a man doesn't make me happy.」
Naoki said, although his face wasn't as dissatisfied as he acted.
「But how about those guys? I have a hunch they will be quite perplexed.」
Those guys was naturally referring to Naoki's companions, the Barnes siblings.
「Are Lyle and Emily still in Olboa City?」
「No, they left yesterday. After I told them about you appearing at the tournament, they said they would return to the capital city.」
「Is that so?」
When they parted, Naoki and the Barnes siblings promised to meet again at the capital city.
「Are they doing well?」
「Well, they're healthy, but they were talking about how their rhythm was disrupted and they weren't able to do things right without you. Even though being as capable as they are at their age should be sufficient.」
「Both Lyle and Emily have family burdens to think about. Their ardor is different from ours.」
York retorted (don't just casually lump us together) in his mind. Naoki was far beyond adventurers of the same age, and he was one of the most capable adventurers in Hyvern. At the moment he was rank B, but his combat ability definitely wasn't, and he stuck out due to the amount of high level quests he had done. It was said he would reach rank A within a year.
「If they were still in Olboa City I would ask Aneki to make a quick detour, but if they've already left then we'll just have to meet them at the capital.」
Naoki said. It was difficult to say whether the Barnes siblings on a carriage or Naoki on the Thunder Chariot would reach the capital first.
「Ah, that horse and carriage.」
When York heard Naoki's words, he remembered that morning.
「When I stood before that, I honestly felt like I would die.」
Naoki bitterly smiled at those words. He understood the feeling. Naoki didn't understand his older sister's taste.
「At any rate, even though it's been a little less than a month and a half, I miss them. I want to see them soon.」
York watched Naoki speak, then looked at the limp White Party ladies group. One was an elf Nee-san with a dynamite body, one was a young lady with a peerless beautiful face, and while the other was inferior to the other two, she still caught attention, and York thought she seemed like a lively girl. York felt like she was the most similar to Emily. Anyway, there was no mistaking that all three were attractive women.
(Well, even omitting his older sister the Ogre Killing Princess, Emily definitely has it rough)
That came to mind as York watched them. Furthermore, York was omitting the person who was the biggest problem.
And that problem child was now running around the city to gather every bit of information she could about the Crystal Dragon.
◎ Dongol City, Dyne Hotel
「I think we should accept the quest to subjugate the Crystal Dragon.」
Everyone's feelings had finally settled down, so they returned to the inn (check-in was done when they entered the city), and at the same time they arrived, the problem child showed up and said that. By the way, they met Jinrai on the way back, so he was also there.
「Crystal Dragon?」
Yumika tilted her head, but Louise became excited as soon as she heard the name Crystal Dragon and explained.
「That dragon is said to be a walking jewelry box. Its entire body looks like it's covered in jewels, and just seeing it sparkle is supposed to be exhilarating. I think I heard that its appearance changes based on the dragon it comes from?」
「It seems this one was made from the remains of an Earth Core Dragon, the boss level Earth Dragon. Its size should be about 8 meters. They said it looks like a huge Earth Dragon.」
Kazane took over after Louise's remark.
「I've also heard about that type of monster. Even though it's called a dragon, it's like a golem. If I remember correctly, its Crystal Breath attack turns people into unmoving crystals and corrodes weapons.」
Naturally, as an adventurer from the dragon country Hyvern, Naoki was also familiar with the topic at hand. Although that also meant he knew the terror of that dragon, so his face was somewhat stiff. Thinking about taking one down with this number of people would be absurdly reckless for ordinary adventurers.
「That's right. It seems a group challenged and lost about four days ago. I'm also planning to do a quest to save the adventurers who were crystallized by the Breath at the same time, but does anyone have any questions?」
Naoki thought (Why is she assuming we can do it!) after Kazane's words, but that was her assumption. By the way, Louise was incredibly enthusiastic. It seemed like she was so excited that she was ready to propose going immediately.
「Well, it has been four days since they were crystallized, so aren't they already dead?」
Yumika raised her hand and asked a question. Yumika had heard that even in a best case scenario, nobody could live more than three days without drinking water. She thought there wouldn't be any survivors at this point.
「Ah, good question. It seems a crystallized person enters a temporary state of death, and apparently there have been people who have revived after decades. Although if their body is destroyed, that's the end.」
「That's because they become the Crystal Dragon's emergency rations.」
Louise said.
「Well, our own lives are our first priority. I'm sorry to those who have been crystallized, but they fought knowing the risks, so we don't need to be overly conscious of them.」
If they worried too much about the people who were crystallized, they might not be able to take the appropriate actions and suffer the same fate. So Kazane said so.
「That's right. The opponent is a little too difficult to worry about that.」
Jinrai agreed. It seemed cold, but adventurers acted assuming there were such risks. And that was true for themselves as well.
「So our aim this time are the Dragon Crystals and the rare material Rainbow Heart.」
「Rainbow Heart? A rainbow Dragon Heart, and the fragments alone are a fine product that sells for high prices. If we obtain it, let's carefully look over it.」
Kazane replied「Understood」after Louise's words. She hadn't decided its use yet. There was plenty of time to admire it.
「So what are the Dragon Crystals?」
Then Yumika asked Kazane about the other material.
「They are crystals on the Crystal Dragon's exterior. They are filled with Dragon Spirit, so it seems they can be used for amulets.」
「But Kazane isn't going to use them for amulets, right?」
A revolting smile floated on Kazane's face after Tiara's subsequent question.
「Yeah. I will build a new Hippo-kun. A crystal horse. It will move using a Dragon Heart, so it will be a Crystal Dragon Horse.」
The female members all said「Oooh」after that proposal. Hippomaru-kun wasn't popular among the female members apart from Kazane, but High Hippo-kun was like a white marble statue and was popular with them. Sometimes they would go and stare at it spellbound, and they would also rub their cheeks on its glossy surface. Not only Louise, but all the female members' minds were racing as they thought about the horse that would likely be even more wonderful.
『But we already have High Hippo-kun. Don't we already have enough?』
Ignoring the dreaming women, Mefirus asked the pragmatic question. Louise tried to whack Mefirus' head for saying something unnecessary, but they hadn't used High Hippo-kun since they got the carriage.
But Kazane shook her head. Kazane had another idea.
「We're fine now, but once Naoki's friends come, the number of party members will increase, so it will be necessary when we move around in a dungeon.」
「Aneki!」
「Hmm」
Naoki's eyes filled with tears after Kazane's words, followed by Jinrai's utterance. The other members had expressions like (ah, I see now). Kazane was already thinking based on Lyle and Emily joining the party. By the way, Naoki was too deeply moved to notice the strange remark about riding the horses inside a dungeon.
After that they talked about the details before immediately going to bed to prepare for the battle against the Crystal Dragon tomorrow.
Although Kazane said they would prioritize themselves over the crystallized people, getting into that frame of mind was still a difficult problem. When Kazane was gathering information and saw the tears of the failed subjugation members' lovers and family, she had to suppress the desire to immediately run off and deal with it with an iron will. Prioritize their own lives; those words were also cautionary words to Kazane herself.
Name: Yuihama Kazane
Occupation: Magic Swordswoman
Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner
Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator
Level : 30
Health: 107
Magic Power: 181+420
Strength: 52+10
Agility: 43+4
Endurance: 29
Wisdom : 57
Dexterity : 38
Spell : 『Fly』 『Torch』 『Fire』 『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』
Skill : 『Warrior's Memory』 『Night Vision』 『Crushing Blow』 『Dog’s Sense of Smell』 『Golem Maker: Lv3』 『Rush』 『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』 『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』 『Air Jump: Lv2』 『Killing Leg: Lv2』 『Fear Voice』 『Invisible』 『Tiger Eye』 『Wall Walking』 『Intuition』 『Cheat Death』 『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』『Sturdy Teeth』
Yumika:「A crystal horse? It seems like something from fantasy, or more like a fairy tale.」
Kazane:「But what if you could ride such a fairy tale yourself?」
Yumika:「Um, I might want to try riding it immediately.」