To meet the ice dragon, Kagari-san and I were riding Kumayuru and Kumakyu to the top of the mountain.
"I thought about it when I was talking about the big snake, but you must be too kind to risk your life for someone else." (Kagari)
"Kagari-san has probably been protecting the Land of Harmoni for hundreds of years. I don't think you can talk about people." (Yuna)
For a long time, she had spent so much of her life helping others.
Even when those around him died, Kagari-san continued to protect the serpent seal by herself.
For me, it's an incredible time.
I didn't think it's strange if she felt like throwing it away.
But Kagari-san had been protecting it alone.
"It's a promise." (Kagari)
Apparently, it was a promise she made with a boy she met in the Land of Harmoni.
She said she had been watching over the Land of Harmoni to keep her promise to the boy.
However, maybe that Kagari-san, who had watched over the Land of Harmoni for hundreds of years to keep that promise, was also quite good-natured.
"Well, thanks to you, that role has been completed. From now on, I plan to live my life freely." (Kagari)
I guessed that's why she came with me this time.
"But when I'm with you, I tend to get into a lot of trouble." (Kagari)
When someone said that to me, I couldn't say anything back.
She also caused trouble at that time with slimes.
But it's not like I was bringing her trouble.
Everywhere I went, there were troubles.
If anything, I was getting dragged into the trouble. You could almost call me a victim.
I didn't know because I was stuck at home until now, but maybe I was just the type to get into trouble?
Or maybe this bear's clothes were cursed to bring trouble?
That also seemed quite possible.
"Sorry" (Yuna)
"It's not like I'm complaining. I'm having fun, so don't worry about it." (Kagari)
Indeed, when I first met Kagari-san, she looked like she had given up on everything.
But Kagari-san seemed to be having fun now.
For me, it's reassuring to have Kagari-san with me, and I appreciated her fighting ability as well as her knowledgeable nature.
"Also, I don't know if you're aware of it, but the mana concentration is getting higher. The number of monsters may increase, so you'll have to be careful from now on." (Kagari)
Mana concentration? I don't know.
However, the closer we went to the top, the more monsters reacted.
This might also be due to the fact that the ice dragon had settled here.
"From Kagari-san’s point of view, which one do you think is stronger, the serpent or the ice dragon?" (Yuna)
"I've never fought an ice dragon, so I don't know. Besides, if it was a giant snake, you would have defeated it." (Kagari)
"The one I fought was a weakened serpent that had just come out of the seal, so it wasn't fully formed." (Yuna)
Only Kagari-san, who had fought a perfect serpent, would know.
"I've never fought an ice dragon, so either way it's the same thing. All I know is that neither of them are opponents that people can easily defeat." (Kagari)
Normally, if you wanted to fight a dragon, it was your turn to be a hero.
I didn't think it's the bear's turn.
Bears were definitely not heroes.
"However, I am very clear that I do not want to fight with either of them." (Kagari)
I agreed with that.
"We can have a conversation, so I can handle it." (Yuna)
"You're an optimistic person." (Kagari)
Maybe it's because of the bear equipment.
The bear equipment gave me a sense of security. Also, Kumayuru and Kumakyu were there, and this time Kagari-san was also there, which was reassuring.
Besides, if the situation arose, I could escape at Bear's Transfer Gate, so maybe I was looking optimistic.
For now, I wouldn't know if I would be able to reach an agreement with the Ice Dragon or if it would be a battle until I tried to talk to him.
Kumayuru and Kumakyu passed through areas with few monsters and had detection skills, so they could proceed without being surprised by monsters.
When approaching the top of a mountain, the detection skill displayed "Ice Dragon" instead of "no data."
Registered?
The surrounding area was covered in snow and the trees were covered in ice.
As the distance between us and the ice dragon gradually narrowed, the ice dragon began to react.
Kumayuru and Kumakyu also stopped running when they shouted "Kyuu~n" loudly.
Kumayuru and Kumakyu also seemed to have noticed the ice dragon's movements.
"What's wrong?" (Kagari)
"It looks like the ice dragon is moving here." (Yuna)
"What?" (Kagari)
The ice dragon's reaction was to move towards us.
Kagari-san and I looked up.
"Look!" (Yuna)
I saw an ice dragon flying.
Just when we thought the ice dragon was circling in the sky, he landed right in front of us.
The ground shook and the snow on the trees fell.
"Humans, I came to the west." (Ice Dragon)
He had been talking to us.
When I looked at Kagari-san, she looked at me as if to say, "Don't pick a fight."
I know.
"I want to talk to you." (Yuna)
"Talk?" (Ice Dragon)
I got the words back.
I felt a little relieved that we could have a conversation.
"Would you please leave this place? If you are here, the city will freeze and become an uninhabitable land. Even for the few people who remain, it will be difficult just to survive. That's why other people will... I want you to go somewhere where no one else lives." (Yuna)
Even if he moved to another place, if there were people there, they would also be in trouble.
I wanted him to move to a place where there were no people.
"That's not possible" (Ice Dragon)
"Why? You can fly anywhere." (Yuna)
"That cannot be answered. If you don't like me living here, just leave." (Ice Dragon)
If they could do that, there wouldn't be any trouble.
It was difficult to abandon the hometown where you were born and raised.
Especially when someone important to you was asleep.
It's hard to leave.
"Just to confirm, do you have a reason for being here?" (Kagari)
Kagari-san, who had been silent, spoke to the ice dragon.
"...I'm not going to answer" (Ice Dragon)
If it wasn't my imagination, he had a moment to think.
Was there a reason you're here?
Did he have a purpose?
At that moment, something happened at the top of the mountain.
Something was flowing down from the top of the mountain.
It's mana.
Even I understood.
Mana was flowing down from the mountaintop.
However, the detection skill has no monster reaction. There was also no display of "no data".
"Human child, go away" (Ice Dragon)
The ice dragon spread his wings and flew away.
"It seems like something happened at the top of the mountain. What are we going to do? I don't recommend going." (Kagari)
He talked to me, but he wasn't friendly.
If we ignored the ice dragon's words and headed to the mountaintop, he might be hostile next time.
But if we went to the top of the mountain, we might find out why the ice dragon didn't leave this place.
"I know what you're thinking. You probably think that if you go to the mountaintop, you'll be able to find out why the ice dragon is here." (Kagari)
"Can Kagari-san read minds?" (Yuna)
"I just thought the same thing. But just because I know doesn't mean I can do something about it." (Kagari)
"But it might be possible." (Yuna)
"It's a high risk. If you get close to the mountaintop, there's a good chance you'll incur the ice dragon's wrath." (Kagari)
"That's right, but……" (Yuna)
Even if we went back like this, nothing would be resolved.
The status quo remained the same.
Do you stop moving forward because you are afraid of things getting worse? Do you move forward without fear of deterioration in order to find a new path?
I remembered Lise-san's words.
"I'll bet on you two."
"We entrust our lives to Miss."
"I'll leave it to Miss."
I couldn't go back without doing anything.
"Kagari-san, let's go to the top of the mountain." (Yuna)
"If you decide so, let's go together." (Kagari)
We aimed for the top of the mountain where the ice dragon was.
However, cold air flowed down from the mountaintop as if to refuse.
The cold air turned into a blizzard, trying to block our path.
But Kumayuru and Kumakyu, carrying me and Kagari-san, moved on.
"Kagari-san, are you okay?" (Yuna)
"No problem. This guy is protecting me from the blizzard." (Kagari)
"Kyuu~n"
Kumayuru and Kumakyu covered me and Kagari-san, who were on their backs, with mana to protect us.
Kumayuru and Kumakyu, carrying me and Kagari-san, move forward.
Although the ice dragon must have noticed that we were approaching the top of the mountain, he did not react.
Kumayuru and Kumakyu, who were carrying us, arrived at the top of the mountain where the ice dragon was located.
The ice dragon was waiting at the top of the mountain, as if waiting for us.
Kagari-san and I got off Kumayuru and Kumakyu and stood in front of the ice dragon again.
"Why did you come? I should have told you to go back." (Ice Dragon)
Cold air gushed out from the ice dragon's body.
I built a wind barrier to protect us.
"I can't back down without an explanation." (Yuna)
For the sake of Lise-san and the others, and for myself, I couldn't just go back even if I was told to.
"If you want us to go home, I want to hear something that will make sense. I want you to tell me why you can't leave here. Maybe we can find a mutual compromise." (Yuna)
I would like to know if there was a reason why he couldn't leave.
In fact, if he was injured and could not fly long distances, I could cast a healing spell.
It would be impossible if he was waiting for someone, but if I knew that he would be leaving someday, I could tell Lise-san and the others.
"Do you want to die?" (Ice Dragon)
"I don't want to die. But I'm not going to die for nothing." (Yuna)
At worst, I was thinking of fighting and defeating him. If I couldn't defeat him, I would escape with Bear's Transfer Gate.
"Perhaps you have to protect the eggs?" (Kagari)
Kagari-san grumbled.
"Egg?" (Yuna)
"I feel like I'm surrounded by something other than the ice dragon." (Kagari)
Surrounded us, is that what an egg is?
The ice dragon reacted to Kagari-san's words, and cold air gushed out.
I used wind magic to protect against it.
Emotions were more accurate than words.
Being angry showed that Kagari-san's words were right.
However, there was no indication in my detection skill.
"So, you're here to protect the eggs?"
So, does that mean the ice dragon can't leave this place?
Author's Note
I don't know if I mentioned it lightly in the web version, but Kagari-san kept the seal of the serpent in Land of Harmoni because of a promise he made with a certain boy. The detailed contents will be written in Volume 19. I am very sorry.
...
*Thank you to everyone who reports typos.
Please note that some kanji have been revised to match the book, so some may not have been revised.