As we approached the place where the ice dragon was, cold air flowed.
"Kagari-san, are you okay?" (Yuna)
"It's okay. It looks like they're hostile." (Kagari)
Kagari-san and I looked down at the ice dragon from a high place.
The ice dragons were spitting out something like a blizzard from their mouths, and the surrounding area was in dire straits.
However, since both of them have ice attributes, were such attacks effective? I thought so.
It's the worst environment for the creatures around it.
The ice dragon roared and roared threateningly.
Even to me, it didn't seem like a friendly relationship.
With this, one option for both ice dragons to live together on the mountaintop had disappeared.
That didn't mean things had gotten better.
The battle of the ice dragons would cause the earth to rumble, trees would fall, and if the battle moved toward the city, the city would be damaged.
"If you look closely, it's obvious which ice dragon it is." (Kagari)
Kagari-san looked at the fighting ice dragon and mutters.
Even I understood.
The ice dragon at the top of the mountain was a more pale and beautiful dragon.
The newly arrived dragon was bigger and stronger.
Even though the colors were the same, you could clearly see that they were different.
"The dragon at the top of the mountain is being pushed." (Yuna)
The ice dragon at the top of the mountain was slower and more defensive.
The new ice dragon twisted its body and swung its tail, hitting the body of the ice dragon on the top of the mountain.
The ice dragon of top of the mountain also fought back but was left behind.
"Physical difference?" (Yuna)
"That's part of it, but the big reason is the difference in mana. The newly arrived ice dragon can be said to have perfect mana. However, the ice dragon that was at the top of the mountain has less mana." (Kagari)
"Not much? Even though it puts out cold air like a blizzard?" (Yuna)
As a result, the city was in trouble, and even the mines had to be shoveled.
"That must be the cold air leaking from the egg." (Kagari)
Egg?
"Maybe the ice dragon was pouring mana into the egg to hatch it. They never touched it, so I don't know, but the ice dragon's body must be cold. If you think about it, it's like a normal bird. It should be different." (Kagari)
If you said that, I couldn't say anything.
Even I didn't know anything about dragon ecology.
If Kagari-san could feel the fine details of their mana, there was a good chance that she was right.
"In other words, the ice dragon on the mountaintop has been using mana to hatch eggs for three years, so does that mean it can't unleash its original power?" (Yuna)
"Furthermore, fighting without even running away." (Yuna)
...It was to protect the precious child who would be born in the future.
"So, you said you were going to defeat the ice dragon, but what are you going to do? Are you going to join one of them and defeat the other? Or, once the battle is over, are you going to defeat the remaining one and aim for the fishermen's benefit[1]?"
As Kagari-san said, it would be less dangerous to aim for the fishermen's benefit after the battle with the Ice Dragon was over.
However, when I saw the ice dragon's battle and heard Kagari-san's words, I was reminded of the family members I had met in this world, and my feelings began to fall towards the ice dragon of the top of the mountain.
Fina and Tilmina-san.
Noa and Ellelaura-san.
Morin-san and Karin-san.
And a family of bears in a honey tree.
What I couldn't give myself.
"...I'll help the ice dragon of the top of the mountain." (Yuna)
"I don't care if you decide." (Kagari)
"Aren't you going to ask me why?" (Yuna)
"It's probably because it's protecting the egg. You don't abandon the weak." (Kagari)
"Oh, that's not true." (Yuna)
It's embarrassing when you said it to someone's face.
"And I made a promise to that ice dragon. Once the baby is born, it'll leave from here." (Yuna)
There was also a possibility that the newly arrived ice dragon would stay here. It might attack Lise-san and the others.
It's better to help an ice dragon whose actions you knew, than to help an ice dragon whose actions you didn't know.
"But let's not forget that that ice dragon froze the city and killed Lise and her family." (Kagari)
"I know." (Yuna)
If Lise-san and the others were here, they might support the newly arrived Ice Dragon.
They would bring down the person who killed their family.
In a battle between evil and evil, the enemy was the evil that had done terrible things to us.
My actions might go against Lise-san's feelings.
However, when thinking about the future, it would be better to save the ice dragon of the mountaintop.
I patted the worried Kumayuru and Kumakyu on the head and reassured them before sending them back.
I watched the battle of the ice dragon.
The ice dragon on the top of the mountain spat out a blizzard. The new ice dragon dodged it by flapping its wings, and then went behind the ice dragon on the mountaintop. The ice dragon of the mountaintop swung its tail, but it didn't reach us.
The new ice dragon dodges the attack, then descended and climbed onto the ice dragon of the mountaintop.
The ice dragon of the mountaintop moved its body as if in resistance and bit the nape of its neck.
The new ice dragon's claws dug into the mountaintop's body as if in resistance.
They didn't pull each other.
I moved.
The distance between me and the ice dragon decreased.
I ran through the cold air during the Ice Dragon battle.
I jumped towards the ice dragon. At the same time, a large bear flame appeared in front of me.
"Bear flame!" (Yuna)
I fired a large bear flame at the new ice dragon. When it hit the new ice dragon's body, the claws that dug into the body of the ice dragon on the mountaintop loosened, and it separated from the ice dragon on the mountaintop.
The new ice dragon moved its head.
It caught me. Eye to eye.
The ice dragon roared.
The air was shaking.
……kill.
It felt like that was reflected in the ice dragon's eyes and roar.
When the ice dragon of the mountaintop tried to attack, the new ice dragon flapped its wings to dodge it and flew away.
The new ice dragon circled in the sky and disappeared towards the sea.
"It ran away?" (Yuna)
"It seems so." (Kagari)
Kagari-san and I approached the ice dragon on the mountaintop.
"Human child. Why did you help me?" (Ice Dragon)
"It's a process of elimination. You told me that you would leave here once the child is born. But that ice dragon won't understand." (Yuna)
There was a possibility that it would live there.
"He has recognized you as an enemy. Even if I die, he will still aim for you." (Ice Dragon)
"……as expected" (Yuna)
There was murderous intent in those eyes.
I didn't know what it said, but I felt murderous intent.
"We hate fire" (Ice Dragon)
That's why it was looking at me like that.
"He will not forgive you for getting in the way of killing me and pointing the fire at him." (Ice Dragon)
"So, who is that ice dragon?" (Yuna)
"Someone who aims for my position" (Ice Dragon)
"Your position?" (Yuna)
"I am the one who rules over the ice dragons" (Ice Dragon)
So you mean the Ice Dragon King? Is she a queen because she laid eggs?
"That person was targeting me when I was weak" (Ice Dragon)
As Kagari-san said, did mana decrease in order to hatch the eggs?
"That's not cowardice." (Kagari)
If you wanted to aim for the top, you had to win fair and square with your ability.
"That's a human way of thinking. Beasts don't forgive those who are weak. Of course, there are those who protect them. Humans also protect those they care about, but if the person they're fighting against is sick or injured, it's an opportunity to attack." (Kagari)
"That's right, but" (Yuna)
I understood what Kagari-san is saying, but I wanted to call it cowardly to launch an attack on someone who was weak.
"Chivalry, fair and square. It's a pleasant word. But that's a naive idea. Now, I'll ask you, have you thought about fighting fair and square when fighting a serpent? Did you think about it?" (Kagari)
I didn't think so.
Since it was weakened by the seal, I thought it was a chance.
Even if I could understand it in words, my heart was not satisfied with it.
"But it’s probably the same ice dragon." (Yuna)
"That person is an outcast. He attacks his friends to make them recognize his strength." (Ice Dragon)
"What happens if you lose?" (Yuna)
"I have ordered him not to attack people. But if he gains my position, he will start attacking people." (Ice Dragon)
Maybe that's pretty dangerous.
"Is that ice dragon really that strong?" (Yuna)
"If I am at my best, I will win." (Ice Dragon)
My question was wrong.
Even if you were called strong, you did not know how strong you were, and even if you were called weak, you did not know how weak you were.
"That's why he came after my weak points." (Ice Dragon)
There were people who attacked people when they were weak, but everyone did it.
Even in games, you fight where your opponent is weak and attack their weak points.
Water was the opponent of fire.
The opponent of water was earth.
Fire for the earth.
Light for the darkness.
Darkness for the light.
I didn't think attacks that exploit weaknesses are cowardly, though. I think it's cowardly to attack someone who was not feeling well.
If the opponent was in good hands, a cowardly attack was fine. If your opponent was weak, don't attack.
I had a selfish opinion too.
"Then I'll defeat that ice dragon." (Yuna)
"You..." (Ice Dragon)
"Instead, once the baby is born, just get out of here. Go somewhere where there's no one around." (Yuna)
"Let's promise" (Ice Dragon)
Negotiations had been concluded.
If we didn't defeat that ice dragon, humanity would be in danger.
Author's Note
Thank you for your continued support throughout the year 2023.
There was also a second season of the anime, and there were various years.
As for next year's post, I would like to take a week off.
Well then, I hope to see you again next year.
...
*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.
Translation Note
[1] 漁夫の利