Chapter 91
“I can’t leave my position right now….”
Artisha started to speak.
The story began with, “It was a few months ago….”
“Monsters around the village were found dead…. At first, I thought it was just territory disputes, like monsters usually do….”
But that wasn’t the end of it. More and more hunters returned empty-handed, and even powerful monsters that were normally hard for them to hunt were found dead.
At that point, Artisha realized that something unusual was going on. She assembled an investigation team to look into it, and soon enough, the team led by Artisha herself was able to identify the cause of the problem.
In fact, it was so easy to find that it was strange they hadn’t discovered it sooner.
A massive body covered in thick scales.
With each flap of its pair of wings, a storm-like wind would blow, and its sharp claws easily tore through the hides of its prey.
And the final touch was the dark crimson flame flickering inside its gaping maw.
“We call it ‘Krumo’s Shadow’….”
“…Krumo?”
Why was that name suddenly being brought up here?
The name “Krumo” was one that no one living on the Ardina Continent would be unfamiliar with.
After all, it was a name often heard since childhood.
The name of the evil dragon that once drove the Ardina Continent into despair and ruin.
That was the name of Krumo.
And the evil dragon Krumo was slain by Zigrid with the help of Grasid.
Of course, founding myths are often exaggerated to justify the ruler’s power, but I knew for a fact that Krumo being slain by Zigrid was neither an exaggeration nor a lie.
So, it was a name that shouldn’t have come out of Artisha’s mouth.
Why was the name of a dragon that died hundreds of years ago suddenly being mentioned here?
Artisha noticed my gaze, which demanded further explanation.
“If it were really Krumo, this place would have already been reduced to rubble, so it’s probably not the real one….”
It seemed that even Artisha, who came from Laxia, knew about the story of Krumo.
“Then why did you call it Krumo?”
“I didn’t say it was Krumo…. I said it’s ‘Krumo’s Shadow’….”
“It’s the same thing.”
Whether it’s ‘Krumo’s Shadow’ or whatever follows that name, it doesn’t matter. The important part is why that name is being mentioned at all, not the words that come after it.
“It called itself Krumo with its own mouth…. But of course, I couldn’t believe it, so we’re just calling it that….”
Maybe it really is Krumo resurrected.
But its power is far from what it was during its prime.
If it had the same power as back then, it would have been rampaging and destroying the Ardina Continent out of fury over its death.
It’s different from the Krumo in the stories, but at the same time, it’s not something to be taken lightly considering its strength.
Similar but different.
That’s why they gave it the name ‘Krumo’s Shadow,’ as Artisha explained.
“Krumo’s Shadow, huh….”
Hearing it just like that, I can’t quite get a grasp of it.
Just because one of her horns were cut off doesn’t mean she lost her sight, so it should be a creature that lives up to its name to some extent.
I absentmindedly fiddled with my long side hair and got lost in thought.
“Is that why you can’t leave your position?”
“Yeah…. If I leave, I won’t be able to respond properly if it attacks….”
“Hmm.”
If it was that powerful, it would have attacked long ago.
More importantly, what kind of village is it that collapses if one person is gone?
That’s not an ideal structure in any way.
I grumbled inwardly and suddenly stopped, struck by a sense of déjà vu.
…Wait. Why does this feel so familiar?
It reminds me of a country that was destroyed recently….
Ah, is that why it was ruined?
“I understand your situation.”
If you’re an optimistic person, you might suggest to trust others or that everything will be fine.
But Artisha wasn’t an optimistic person from what I could tell, so saying those things wouldn’t resonate with her.
And I didn’t want to make such idealistic comments either.
However, it seemed Da-eun had a slightly different thought process from the two of us.
“Wouldn’t it be okay if you go and come back quickly?”
Da-eun cautiously raised her hand and voiced her opinion.
Naturally, her opinion was rejected at a speed close to light.
Along with a question of whether she could take responsibility if anything happened.
I patted Da-eun’s drooping shoulders and turned to face Artisha.
“Then when do you think you’d be able to leave your position?”
“Hmm… I don’t think it’ll be possible until that thing disappears or settles down somewhere else.”
In other words, she couldn’t leave until she was certain that it was completely safe.
Considering these people had fled Laxia to settle on the Ardina Continent just to survive, it was understandable that they prioritized safety.
Moreover, since we were the ones making the request, it wasn’t like we could force them to do anything.
Yeah, their aspiration.
We are offering to fulfill the aspiration they’ve longed for, so perhaps it’s not entirely a one-sided request.
But I still haven’t given them enough reason to believe that I can fulfill that aspiration.
If I pushed my position too forcefully in this situation, I might end up hearing something like, “I’ve changed my mind… I’m not going….”
It didn’t seem like Artisha would do that, but you never know.
I dodged Da-eun’s hands as she kept trying to pat my head and spoke.
“Then we just need to get rid of it.”
“Hmm…?”
“You said it’s impossible as long as that thing, whether it’s Krumo’s Shadow or whatever, is still around. So, if we get rid of it, then the problem’s solved, right? That’s easy.”
Eliminate the source of the problem to resolve it.
It’s a simple solution.
But Artisha blinked as if she couldn’t understand this simple solution.
“…Easy?”
Then, looking oddly more tired, she let out a deep sigh.
“It’s not like we haven’t tried to hunt down the shadow….”
Artisha gulped down the contents of her cup in one go.
She did it as if she were drinking alcohol rather than tea.
Clank!
When she placed the teacup back on the saucer, her hand moved a bit more roughly than before.
“The bottom line is, it’s impossible…. We don’t have the strength to take it down….”
For whatever reason, it hadn’t invaded yet, but even the Demonic Race didn’t have the ability to defeat it.
An unproductive and stagnant standoff without progress or retreat.
That was the current situation between Krumo’s shadow and the Demonic Race.
After hearing Artisha’s explanation, I spoke.
“I’ll help you.”
“You…?”
Artisha looked at me with a doubtful expression, to which I raised a finger.
A pink mana started to flicker on the tip of my finger.
Flick.
With a slight movement of my finger, the handle of the teacup fell off.
“You infused your mana with color…?”
Artisha was shocked, sending me a gaze full of disbelief.
If previously, Artisha’s look was one of pure disbelief, as if questioning, ‘You have that level of power?’, now it seemed like she couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed.
“You’re not just a cocky little brat, are you….”
Muttering to herself, Artisha regained her composure.
“So, what do you think? Do you see some potential now?”
“If a strong individual like you is willing to help, I’d definitely welcome it….”
As expected, seeing is better than hearing a hundred times.
While nodding and once again affirming the wisdom of the old saying, I felt someone tugging at the hem of my clothes.
It was, of course, none other than Da-eun.
“Krumo’s Shadow… isn’t that way too dangerous? Kana, you said it yourself before. Dragons aren’t easy to deal with.”
“Did I say that?”
“Um, back when we faced the Rain Buffalo….”
“Hmm. Maybe I did.”
Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely remembered having that conversation.
I might have worded it a bit differently, but the general meaning was the same, so there was no need to correct her.
Perhaps weighed down by the name of Krumo, Da-eun was fidgeting and couldn’t sit still.
“If it were a real dragon, that’s true.”
I’d need to see it in person to be sure, but just listening to Artisha, it didn’t sound like it was an actual dragon.
If it possessed that kind of power, the Demonic Race, including Artisha, would’ve already packed up and fled or been annihilated.
“But it’s still dangerous, isn’t it?”
“That’s true.”
I readily agreed with Da-eun’s words.
“But we can’t just sit around and wait.”
Sitting with our arms crossed, hoping it would simply relocate on its own, would be nothing more than wishful thinking.
We don’t even know if it’s planning to move, or if it’ll move at all.
Just waiting around in hope doesn’t suit me.
And also—
“I’m getting curious.”
To quench this curiosity, I’d have to face it directly.
Judging by the fact that it called itself Krumo, it seemed capable of communicating unlike lower-tier monsters, so it might be worth trying to have a conversation.
If it refuses to talk, well…
Maybe a bit of physical conversation will change its mind.
Tap, tap.
“Kana, you’re scaring me….”
Da-eun, trembling, backed away from me as I absentmindedly tapped on my sword’s scabbard.
…Should I show her what being really scary looks like?
That thought flitted through my mind for a moment before vanishing.
She’s overreacting, and it’s a bit annoying, but now isn’t the time to assert dominance.
“Anything I should be aware of? Any peculiarities?”
“I’m not exactly sure….”
Artisha shared what she had observed with me.
It can fly, it’s extremely fast, it’s shrouded in Magi, and it can’t use magic, and so on.
Listening to her, I tilted my head.
“Just hearing about it, I’d believe it was a wyvern.”
A monster resembling a dragon that can fly but can’t use magic?
Isn’t that just a wyvern?
But Artisha shook her head.
“It’s enormous… too big to be compared to a typical wyvern….”
“I see.”
“And it can also breathe a destructive breath….”
“It’s definitely not a wyvern.”
Breath attacks are the exclusive domain of dragons.
There’s no way a mere lesser dragon species like a wyvern could use a dragon’s signature breath attack.
It doesn’t seem right to call it a dragon since it can’t use magic, yet calling it a wyvern feels off because it can unleash a breath attack.
“I’ll know more once I see it for myself.”
I carefully organized all the information I’d gathered from Artisha in my mind.
“When will you go…?”
Unlike Da-eun, Artisha didn’t try to stop me. In fact, she looked at me with a subtle sense of anticipation.
“Tomorrow.”
There’s an old saying that you should strike while the iron is hot.
It’s better to get it over with quickly rather than dragging it out.
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you go today instead…?”
I pretended not to hear Artisha’s cautious suggestion.
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