Chapter III: Inglis, Age 15—The Ancient Dragon and the (Former) Old King (3)
Clang! Clang! Claaaang!
Hard metallic noises echoed through the forest encampment where the Flygear Port was anchored. Leone and Liselotte swung their weapons repeatedly at the dragon’s gigantic tail.
Leone put her dark greatsword to rest and sighed. “It’s no good. I can’t even make a dent in it.” She’d wanted to slice the tail into pieces, but its sturdy scales resisted any attempt to cut it further.
The scales seemed far stronger than steel. When she approached and looked at where she’d slashed, she couldn’t see so much as a scratch. “If they’re this strong, it would be useful to turn them into weapons or armor—though if the last while has been any indication, that’ll be difficult,” she speculated.
Maybe they could bring the scales back to the knights’ academy and have Principal Miriela or Ambassador Theodore put them to good use. However, Leone was contemplating the possibility of using the materials for the Leclair survivors and the other people in the area who were suffering from food shortages. That seemed like quite a tall order, unfortunately.
“I suppose we have no choice but to simply scoop the meat out from the cut end.” Liselotte stopped swinging her halberd and moved toward the section she was speaking of.
Leone joined her. “Yes. I think that’s all we can do.”
The cut surface, which had once been a clean slice, already had a large hole dug into it. There was no question as to who was responsible. The sizzle of cooking meat and joyful chatter reached Leone’s ears.
“Oh wow, it smells so good! And look how juicy it is! I’ve never seen anything like it!” Rafinha marveled.
“Yes,” Inglis agreed. “Dragon meat must be special. I’d heard it was tasty, but I’ve never had a chance to try it.”
The two were in the process of cooking a clump of meat as tall as an adult. They’d used a spear they found among the Flygear Port’s cargo to skewer the meat, and Inglis was now roasting it over the fire with one hand. This was perhaps a bit short of a proper workout, but it wasn’t bad. By precisely turning it, she could get the heat to every nook and cranny.
To someone unfamiliar with her, the sight of such a sublime beauty grilling a piece of meat larger than she was one-handed might seem out of place, but everyone present had just seen her hauling back the entire tail. No one could be surprised.
She and Rafinha watched the meat as it slowly cooked, their eyes shining dreamily in bliss.
“Ahhh, this is great!” Rafinha exclaimed. “Thinking back on it, I wanted to tour through Alcard enjoying the local delicacies, but we didn’t get the chance until now! Not that this is really Alcardian either, but it’s something even more unique!”
“Yeah. Dragon meat is practically legendary; it’ll be the perfect souvenir for our mothers. I’m sure they’d love it.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea! But won’t the meat go bad on our way back to Ymir and become inedible?”
“If we make jerky out of it so it keeps, it’ll be fine.”
“Wow! That’s a great idea! I guess we’ll have to make plenty, then!”
“Yeah, absolutely.”
“But before that, freshly grilled meat for us!” Rafinha giggled. “It feels bad not to be able to share such fresh, juicy meat with our families, but we’ve earned it by being here! Do you think it’s done yet?”
“It needs a little bit more. It’s a big chunk, so it needs time to cook through.”
“Whaaa? Still? But it smells so good! Whose idea was it to cook the whole hunk in one piece anyway?”
Inglis paused for a beat. “Yours, Rani. You said the impressiveness would make it even more delicious.”
“Well, yeah! When will we get another chance? It’s every girl’s hope, every girl’s dream!”
“I can’t argue with that, but...”
“I don’t think that applies to every girl,” Leone interjected.
Both she and Liselotte had returned, nonplussed tones in their voices. “It certainly is impressive, but...” Liselotte agreed.
“Hey, you two. How’d it go over there?” Inglis asked.
“We haven’t made any progress at all. The scales are too tough to cut,” Leone said.
“There seems to be no use we can make of it here. We can simply hollow it out for food for the people, but...” Liselotte said.
“Maybe I’ll give it a try later,” Inglis said. “There’s something I want to do with it.”
“Huh? Like what?”
“Umm... Just something for safety’s sake. Or maybe to let me enjoy a fight longer.”
“Well, are you actually focused on safety or fighting?” Leone asked.
“Those are two rather different uses...” Liselotte pointed out.
“Anyway, don’t worry about it. I’ll be good,” Inglis answered.
A sudden squeal interrupted her conversation with Leone and Liselotte.
“Squeeeeeeeee! How is this so tasty?! It’s totally different from normal meat!”
Rafinha was erupting in joy. She was in pure bliss as she munched on the meat. In her hand was a small knife piercing a piece of dragon meat, cooked to perfection. It seemed she’d taken the opportunity, while the others were talking, to cut off a chunk.
“C’mon, Rani! No fair sneaking some for yourself!” Inglis protested.
“I just couldn’t wait! And I made sure the part I cut from was cooked through. Anyway, this is soooooo good! You were right, Chris! I’ve never eaten anything like this!”
“Is it really that tasty?” Leone asked.
“I must admit, I am intrigued,” Liselotte said.
“Seriously! It’s incredibly tasty! Even just grilling it, it’s so soft and tender. Despite only seasoning it with some salt, the flavor’s so sublime! Here, have some!”
Rafinha happily gave some of the dragon meat to Leone and Liselotte. The two each raised a piece into their mouths, and their eyes widened in shock.
“It really is! I’ve never had anything like this!” Leone exclaimed.
“It’s entirely different from the meat we normally have!” Liselotte agreed.
“Isn’t it?! And we can have as much of this delicious meat as we want! Let me cut more so we can eat it!” Her hand stretched toward the gigantic clump of meat Inglis was roasting.
“No!” Inglis moved her hand, and the meat escaped Rafinha’s grasp.
“Ah... The meat got away!”
“No fair, Rani! No sneaking some for yourself when I have my hands full! I was holding back too!” Unusually, Inglis pursed her lips in displeasure at Rafinha.
“Aha ha. Sorry, sorry. You don’t need to sulk about it. But you’re adorable when you do.”
“C’mon, I was being serious. If you’re going to be like this, I won’t hold back either!” Inglis again moved her hand, and bit directly into the clump of meat. “Mmmm! Wow, it really is delicious!” It had a strong presence, yet it was tender, and the flavor was sublime. It had a totally different aftertaste than other meat normally had, and it was amazing. To be frank, it was beyond even her own expectations.
This is fantastic. Absolutely the best. The ultimate meat. Just one bite made her smile before she realized it. Inglis chuckled. “This is incredible! It’s so tasty it scares me!”
She chowed down in no time at all. The gigantic piece of meat’s edges receded like an insect-eaten leaf.
Dragon meat is even tastier than it was made out to be! I can’t stop! Inglis’s appetite had been fully whetted.
“I want more too! Give me some!” Rafinha began to bite into the meat from the opposite end. In no time at all, a second opening appeared in the slab of meat.
“Ah, Rahi, fon fuf va mhee vih yuh haeh! Vel geh aw hrifhy! (Ah, Rani, don’t touch the meat with your hands! They’ll get all greasy!)”
“Ahheh nuh fhoi! Ahm vehfuh foo! (I have no choice! I’m desperate too!)”
Leone sighed. “And so it begins again...”
“I don’t understand a word they’re saying, though I suppose they do understand each other,” Liselotte remarked.
“Ihyoo muh. Hya, ih hruh hya. (If you must. Here, eat from here.)”
“Faenf! ♪ ...Uch! (Thanks! ♪ ...Yuck!)”
“Wuffan? (What’s wrong?)”
“Hum... Uhvon fin viffuh uhyeh. (Hmm... I don’t think this part’s done yet.)”
“Hovuh affeh. (Hold on a sec.)”
Fwomp!
A spark of magical flame sprang from Inglis’s fingertips and roasted the part Rafinha had been eating. It seemed there had been a raw bit left. She’d been worried about that. “That should do it.”
“Thanks, Chris! All right, for today, let’s eat! Tomorrow we can chop it up and share it among the towns without enough food!”
“Yes,” Inglis agreed. “And we need to cut off the tail again when it regrows...wyvvh vhvh. (We’ll be busy.)”
“Veffuh ahwuh! Wahh huh, eef weh! (That’s what I want! Work hard, eat well!)”
“Vaf hlai, Rahi! (That’s right, Rani!)”
Once again, the huge piece of meat was chipped away furiously.
“They... They’re probably going to eat the whole thing themselves... That’s a terrifying amount,” Leone commented.
“Well, that’s no issue. Even that chunk is only a small part of the tail. Shall we cut some more and cook it ourselves?” Liselotte offered. “We need to share some with the others too.”
“Agreed. Let’s.”
Before long, Leone and Liselotte had cut out and served the dragon’s meat to everyone. No one left dissatisfied.
The best food doesn’t only fill the stomach. It brightens the spirits of those who eat it, giving them energy to live for tomorrow. Everyone who enjoyed the dragon’s meat would go into the next day with spirits high.
◆◇◆
Five days passed. The sunset blanketed the sky in a warm red.
“All right, coming in for landing,” said Lahti, at the controls of the Flygear Port as he brought it to rest in an open area. Over the past few days, the area around their camp had been cleared and leveled, so there was no shortage of suitable landing strips. Everyone there was busy at work.
Clank! Thump! Clank, clank, clank!
Although their source could not be seen, there were lively sounds coming from the distance.
“All right, good work, everyone. Let’s load up for tomorrow and then call it a day.”
“Yes, Prince Lahti! Hear that, everyone? Let’s get ’er loaded!” Lewin relayed Lahti’s order.
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
“Leave it to us!”
The knights held prisoner in Leclair—now the knights under Lahti’s direct command—responded with energetic smiles. When they’d used the Flygear Port and Flygears to distribute dragon meat to the people in the surrounding areas, it had been met with glee and gratitude. Upon finding out that Prince Lahti had brought the food personally, some townspeople had been so moved that they had burst into tears. The knights couldn’t help feeling fulfilled by such a sight.
“Leone’s probably cutting the meat for us again today.”
“She’s real cute. Plus, she thanks us for our hard work. All right, I’ll be first in line to see her!”
“I think Liselotte’s a nice, classy lady.”
“True, true, but I gotta say Inglis is the cutest of them all. I mean, they’re all cute, but she’s head and shoulders above...”
“Sure, but, uh, you saw what she’s capable of, though it makes no sense why she’s punching a hole in the ground.”
“Yeah. She’s unbelievably cute, but just...out there, you know?”
“Yeah, that’s what I mean. At least I can understand what Leone and the others are up to.”
The knights idly chatted as they went to collect the next day’s cargo. Watching them from aboard the Flygear Port, Rafinha was less than impressed. Lahti could pilot the Flygear Port itself, but it also needed to be powered with mana from someone with a Rune. Today, that was her job.
“S-Sorry you had to hear that. They just don’t have boundaries,” Lahti said.
“They’re hesitant around you, but... Please forgive them for their offense,” Lewin added.
“No, that’s not wrong, but it ain’t what she’s worried about, Lewin.”
“Huh? I’m sorry, Prince, I don’t...”
Rafinha sighed. “Right, that’s not the issue. Just, this shouldn’t be my job. You understand what I mean, right?”
“Hm?” Lewin asked. “Ah. Ah, yes...”
Rafinha didn’t mind helping out, but it wasn’t the proper role for her. They had all agreed that Lahti would be the face of their relief efforts in the community. That way, the people would gain confidence in him, and his prestige would become a political factor. As Inglis had said, they didn’t want to be in the forefront; they wanted Lahti to take the credit and gain that prestige. Rafinha wasn’t upset about that.
Even acting as the Flygear Port’s power source wasn’t a problem. She was happy to see the smiling faces of the residents as she traveled around the towns and villages. Although the physical and emotional scars from a Prismer and Tiffanyer were deep, they could probably move forward now, united around Lahti. That was a relief.
But there was something that kept her from being happy.
“Welcome back, everyone! How were the towns?” Pullum asked.
“Oh, Pullum. Everyone was so happy!” Rafinha said.
“That’s great! You’re about to load tomorrow’s cargo, right? I’ll help out!”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
Rafinha didn’t want to say more in front of Pullum, but the problem did involve her friend. Pullum should have been in Rafinha’s place.
She was from Alcard herself, so it would be better if she were in the forefront. However, there was the matter of her brother, Harim. A nobleman of Alcard and a competent administrator, he had been charmed by Tiffanyer, become a Highlander, and even acted as her right-hand man as she laid waste to the area.
Because of that, Pullum had said she couldn’t face the people. She had stayed in the camp, picking up odd tasks rather than participating in the relief effort. Rafinha couldn’t say that that was wrong, but...
Anyway, it was true that if Pullum visited the villages, they might grow agitated, indignant at her family, rather than react with gratitude for Prince Lahti. Pullum’s family was of ministerial rank in Alcard. Because their position and reputation came with privileges, the repercussions in a situation like this were also major.
Therefore, in order to not cause unnecessary trouble, Pullum had made the right decision in staying behind. Inglis had explained the reasoning to everyone, and Leone had said she understood. Pullum was doing it all for Lahti’s sake.
“Hey, Pullum. Do you want to go with the Flygear Port tomorrow? Don’t you want to see how things are?” Rafinha asked.
“N-No... I’m curious, but if I go, it’ll cause problems... I’m sorry, Rafinha. I’ll stay here and do what I can.”
“Oh, okay...”
Lewin, who had overheard as he walked nearby, turned to Pullum as if to admonish her. “That will be for the best, Lady Pullum. Now is an important time to win the hearts and minds of the people for Prince Lahti. Instead of reminding them of the wounds they’ve suffered, we must push them to move forward.”
“Yes...” Pullum dutifully nodded.
Perhaps Pullum had simply been browbeaten by Lewin, and continuing to stay in camp wasn’t what she wanted. If that was the case, Rafinha felt that she needed to object, but she was having a hard time knowing when to speak up.
“Lady Pullum, we survived Leclair because you risked your life to stop Harim’s plans to execute us,” Lewin added. “You saved our lives. And for that I’m truly grateful.”
“I-It was...”
“Those of us who were saved understand deeply that you and Harim are not the same. Unfortunately, the public does not have the full context of the situation. Please, when their wounds have healed and they have the luxury of being able to view things calmly, then give them your voice and your feelings. Prince Lahti will create an environment where this will be possible. We will do our best to help, so please be patient.”
“Yes... Thank you.” Pullum smiled.
This time, Rafinha’s silence was not disdain. Lewin seemed to be concerned for Pullum in his own way; she understood that now. She couldn’t exactly accuse him of not caring about her.
“That’s right! We’ll do something—we’ll try our best! So don’t worry.” Lahti clapped a hand on Pullum’s shoulder.
“Yes, Lahti. Thank you.”
But this, Rafinha had something to say about. If the situation didn’t change, Pullum would be forced to endure her pain for too long. Lahti was the best person to do something about that.
Previously, Lahti had declared to Rafinha and the others that when he became king, he’d protect Pullum by making her his queen. Rafinha didn’t think he needed to rush into that immediately, but she did feel he should tell her his plans sooner rather than later. That way, Pullum would have a ray of hope even if things were hard for her, and it would be less awkward for Rafinha to help out. Even though she and the others knew of the plan, they were reluctant to tell Pullum themselves.
“No good. Thirty out of a hundred,” Rafinha muttered.
“Huh?! Wh-What do you mean?!” Lahti shouted.
Inglis had said that Lahti just didn’t want to give Pullum premature hope by promising something that wasn’t concrete yet, and not to worry because time would eventually solve the problem, but...
In Rafinha’s opinion, just letting Pullum know that that was his plan would completely change how she felt about things. She was sure that that was the best choice. And even if he didn’t go that far, surely he could do something to ease Pullum’s worries. He wasn’t acting differently toward her at all. Rafinha wanted him to be at least a little romantic.
“C’mon, you need to do something!” Rafinha grabbed Lahti and Pullum’s hands and pulled them together, shocking both of them.
“See, that’s about a seventy,” Rafinha said.
“Wh-What?!” Lahti stammered.
“R-Rafinha?!” Pullum gasped.
“I’ll take care of the loading, you two go for a walk to relax. You must be exhausted from working all day, you need a breather. But stay like that! No letting go of each other’s hands! Now get going! Or I won’t help tomorrow, okay?!” With that, Rafinha pushed Pullum and Lahti toward a side street.
“Okay, okay, fine... C’mon, let’s go, Pullum.”
“Y-Yes, Lahti.”
The two slowly, tentatively, stepped forward on the path. They hadn’t had much time alone together like this recently, and Rafinha hoped Lahti would use it to tell Pullum what was on his mind. Well, even if he didn’t, some time together would be good for both of them.
Lewin didn’t seem particularly opposed to the idea either. He watched them leave quietly.
“All right, as for us, let’s load tomorrow’s cargo!” Rafinha said, energetic now.
Lewin smiled and nodded. “Indeed.”
◆◇◆
Clank! Smash! Clank, clank, clank!
Following the echoing sound of hacks and slashes, Rafinha arrived at where Leone and Liselotte were dissecting the dragon’s tail.
Leone’s dark greatsword Artifact, able to adjust its size, was ideal for cutting out the flesh. Except when cutting off more tails—thanks to Rafinha’s healing Gift and the dragon’s innate regeneration—Leone spent most of her time as the group’s butcher, preparing the meat.
Liselotte assisted her. Her halberd Artifact was likewise suited to cutting, and its Gift of flight helped get to pieces that were normally out of reach.
When Rafinha wasn’t helping transport the food to settlements as she did today, she was busy processing the meat into jerky or smoking it so that they could preserve more servings. It was an enjoyable task for her, as she could “sample” as much as she liked. Liselotte spent some time helping her, thanks to her wings being useful to dry the meat.
Meanwhile, the knights under Lahti had the task of distributing food to the villages and towns. Additionally, they were responsible for the civil engineering necessary to transform their encampment into a proper settlement. Pullum kept mostly to the latter, while occasionally going to Rafinha and Liselotte to provide additional help with the drying of the meat.
Their decision of where to camp had been haphazard; the new site’s location would probably become the center of a new Leclair.
“Look at you two! How’s it going?” Rafinha called out to Leone and Liselotte. The snow here was deep, and of course it was cold, but they were still dripping sweat.
“Ah, Rafinha. Welcome back. As you can see, we’ve still got a ways to go...” Leone said.
“The tails are simply piling up faster than we can butcher them,” Liselotte added.
The tail on which they worked was neighbored by another matching it. Even dragon meat was likely to rot if simply left, so they needed to hurry and butcher it so it could be distributed, dried, or smoked.
“Are you going to be able to? Maybe we should get Chris to help out.”
“No, we’ll be fine. It’s good training, and Inglis seems to have her own things to do.”
“Not only that, but we’re getting faster at it. I suppose we’re getting the hang of things.”
An ancient dragon’s meat was of the finest quality—and extremely delicious—but even butchered, it was simply too springy to cut with an ordinary knife. It was only once cooked that it became tender and the flavor truly came out. Therefore, even with Leone and Liselotte’s Artifacts, this was hard work. Dull, demanding—but everyone was working hard, and it made for good training.
“Anyway, I’m here to get tomorrow’s batch,” Rafinha said.
“Of course. The others have already arrived to do so,” Liselotte said.
“Start with what’s over there. Would you like us to help?” Leone asked.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll get Chris. You two can keep going.” Rafinha went to get Inglis. She was in the woods, farther out from the center of the encampment than where Leone and Liselotte were working.
Clank! Smash! Clank, clank, clank!
The sounds grew louder as Rafinha approached.
Thump, thump, thump, thump! Brrrr! Claaaang!
“Ugh, it’s so loud.” Her ears hurt.
Bam, bam, bam, bam! Thonk! Thonk! Thonk!
Inglis was in a crater that had suddenly opened in the woods. She was ferociously swinging her fists at something at her feet. The noises echoing through the camp were of her pounding on something hard. She’d carved out that crater with only her fists.
“Chris! Stop, stop! Can you give me a hand for a moment?”
Rafinha’s voice stopped Inglis immediately. “Ah, Rani. Welcome back.” The gentle smile on her face was at odds with what she’d just been doing a moment ago.
If she weren’t in the middle of a crater with a fist raised, it would be a fantastically beautiful smile, Rafinha thought.
“You’re not hurt or anything, right? Did something scary happen?” Inglis looked very worried.
If she weren’t in the middle of a crater with a fist raised... Rafinha thought again.
It was because Inglis was always doing things like this that she’d acquired such an odd reputation—one of her unconventionality outshining her beauty. Everyone in the camp had come by at least once to see what the source of all the banging was, only to be taken aback by her actions. At this point they were used to it, dismissing it with just an “Oh, this again.”
“I’m fine. You’re always so worried about me. Anyway, that hole’s so big! You shouldn’t go totally wild on the environment. Won’t it be tough to fill it back in?”
“Ugh... But I don’t really have any other options. I can’t change the shape of this unless I hit it really hard.” She gestured at something long and thin at her feet.
“Do you really need to do that right now?”
“I think I do. It’ll come in handy sooner or later.”
She picked up what had originally been a dragon’s tail. It was warped now and gave a jangling sound. To be precise, it was the skin and scales on the outer part of the tail, the meat all removed by Leone already. Inglis was trying to process Fufailbane’s scales on-site.
The process appeared to be a primitive one, simply beating the scales with all her might. Nonetheless, it was the most effective of the methods available; her fists with Aether Shell were harder than any tool or Artifact. In other words, it was primitive, but it was rational.
“I guess that’s okay, but maybe take it easy? I’m gonna load the Flygear Port with tomorrow’s meat. Wanna give me a hand?”
“Sure. Afterward we can get dinner.”
“Yeah. I’m gonna eat a ton again today!”
“The meat’s tasty, and we can eat as much as we want without it running out. It’s great!”
“Yeah! It’s so different from when we were eating snow! I hope we can stay like this, eating as much as we want until we get tired of it!”
“Then we’ll be here forever, won’t we? I don’t imagine I’ll ever get tired of it.”
“Aha ha ha. So true! I’m getting hungry just talking about it. Let’s get some work done and then head off to dinner!”
“Yeah, let’s do that, Rani.”
They had no way of knowing that the very next day, things would change completely, shattering Rafinha’s dreams of peacefully eating meat forever and bringing Inglis’s preparations into the limelight.
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