We Live in Dragon’s Peak - Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Gentle shaking from Ruiseine wakes me the next morning . The refreshing and clear air feels great, and I immediately wake up . Mistral pulls out Priscilla-chan out of Nymia’s fluffy, long, fur and wakes her up . At the same time, she tries to escape back inside while saying, “Uuugh, want to sleep a little more!” Nymia seems to already be awake and is enduring the battle between Priscilla-chan and Mistral occurring on her neck .

“Good morning . ”

For now, I greet Ruiseine who woke me up . Then, I greet Old Sleigstar who’s gently watching over us from a short distance away . After that, I greet Priscilla-chan as she rubs her eye from sleepiness and Mistral .

Our breakfast is last night’s leftovers .

After finished eating, Priscilla-chan becomes energetic and immediately starts playing tag with her spirits .

Speaking of which, this is Ruiseine’s first time seeing Priscilla-chan’s spirits . She is amazed at how Priscilla-chan uses her space jump to play tag with the two spirits with adult appearances . It seems Ruiseine has some knowledge over spirits . She’s both excited and surprised at how Priscilla-chan’s spirits are both human and appear as adults as she chases Priscilla-chan with her eyes .  

“She moves quite fast . ”
“Rather than fast, it’s an instant move . It isn’t something you can chase with your eyes . ”
“If she uses this sort of movement to enter a blind spot, it will be instant defeat . ”
“If a dispute were to occur with the Long Eared Tribe, I suppose that space jump would be the biggest thing we’d need to watch out for . ”
“Speaking of which, didn’t Ernea-kun also use this against the fake Ristia-kun?”
“It’s a technique I was able to use after imitating Priscilla-chan’s space jump . Just, I can’t use it repetitively due to the large amount of dragon spirit it consums . The moment I fly off to somewhere like Priscilla-chan is doing, I won’t be able to fly to another place again . ”
“Even so, I think it’s very amazing . ”
“Ehehe . ”

Ruiseine praises me, making me bashful . Even though Mistral and Old Sleigstar also praised me the first time I did this technique, being praised still makes me happy .

“Priscilla, you can keep playing like that over there for a bit longer . We’ll be over here . ”

As we watch over Priscilla-chan’s game of tag from a distance, we move just below Old Sleigstar . Ruiseine and I faintly sense what we’ll be discussing from now on .

“I don’t believe this is a matter has anything to do with either of you, but…”

Mistral hands us some drinks, sits down on Old Sleigstar’s nose, and starts reveals the truth .

“First, about the demon beast in the forest from the other day . ”

Mistral said she would tell us about the large gathering of demon beasts the once we returned to the moss-covered plaza . Since there wasn’t a chance to talk about it last night, I guess we’re doing it now .

“I heard about the situation from the great wolf demon beast . ”

I didn’t hear them exchange any words . It must have been done through telepathy .

“Recently, a decaying dragon has appeared in the southern area of Dragon’s Peak . As such, the demon beasts and animals that lived there seem to be migrating into Dragon Forest . ”

Uugh, I swallow my breath .

Speaking of decaying dragons, the twins who founded the Armourd Kingdom and Jortenitost Kingdom are famous for defeating the king of the decaying dragons . The king of decaying dragons was a powerful creature that not even dragons and the dragon tribesmen could defeat . This decaying dragon shouldn’t be as terrifying, but it’s still an existence of dreadful and immeasurable strength to us .

“A decaying dragon, a dragon that was cursed on the verge of death, that decaying dragon?”
“That’s right, a pathetic dragon who couldn’t accept death and became a shadow of its former self . ”
“It’s… pathetic?”
“A dragon who, for whatever reason, couldn’t accept its own death is pathetic . They are disgraceful . ”

Old Sleigstar’s voice is sorrowful as he closes his eyes . The dragon tribe is an immensely proudful race . That’s why, even when it’s about death, they need to face it with pride .

Ruiseine is a shrine maiden . I wonder if she has any thoughts about death?
She’s closing her eyes at Old Sleigstar’s peaceful voice .

“Eetto, even though we now know that know a decaying dragon appeared, how does it connect to the mass migration of the demon beasts and animals?”

I return the conversation to the main topic .

“About that…”

I get the feeling Mistral is troubled over she should explain it .

“Fumu, do humans know about the instincts of animals?”
“No, unfortunately, I don’t know about it . Ruiseine, how about you?”

Wondering if it’s just me who don’t know about it, I check with Ruiseine . However, she also shakes her head .

“I see, then for example, let’s say there is a scary looking person nearby . Would you want to get closer?”
“Rather than getting closer, I want to get away . ”
“Fufufu, this is the same . If there are a powerful mamono is nearby, then demon beasts and animals will run away from fear of being preyed upon or simply even killed . ”
“I see, so since a decaying dragon has appeared, they’re running away from fear . ”
“If that’s the case, does that mean the demon beasts and animals are not afraid of the dragons before they become a decaying dragons?”
“It’s just like what Ruiseine said . Dragons are a dreadful existences, but they still live within the providence of nature . Above all else, they also have a high intelligence . Decaying dragons, however, are rampaging dragons who’ve lost their sense of reasoning . Being near them is terrifying . ”
“I see . ”

Ruiseine nods .

“Allow me to add a supplement . ”

Old Sleigstar says .

“Demon beasts and animals all have their spheres of activity . ”
“You mean like territory?”




“Indeed, as for their spheres of activity, you can say it’s influenced by the prey they hunt . Powerful demon beasts have a strong desire to monopolize . They loath sharing their spheres with other competitors . As such, those strong demon beasts repel other demon beasts from them . ”  
“And if one unreasonably stays and claims territory for itself, there will be a fight?”
“That’s right . Furthermore, this decaying dragon also has a sphere of activity . ”
“I see, so these demon beasts and animals are running away to here from its sphere of activity . There’s nothing they can do against a decaying dragon, after all . ”

Are the demon beasts and animals escaping from the place where the decaying dragon will rampage?

“In other words, there is no one else within that range of activity who is stronger than the dragon . ”

Ruiseine gives a profound nod, “Un un,” as she takes in conversation .

“In which case, I just realized something incredible . ”

“In which case, I just realized something incredible . ”

Ruiseine lifts her index finger as she looks at me .

“Perhaps the reason there are no monsters in this Dragon Forest is because Sleigstar-sama is here . ”
“Ah!”

I see . I finally resolve a question that’s been on my mind for a long time . In other words, since Old Sleigstar’s range of activity is Dragon Forest, there aren’t any mamono here .

“Ahre? But that great wolf demon beast has been around for quite some time . Does that mean these demon beasts are escaping to Dragon Forest?[1]“

Right when I think one question has been solved, another question pops out .

Mistral chuckles at the exchange between Ruiseine and I .

“Who would you like to live with, a dreadful decaying dragon who mindlessly rampages about or an unfathomable, yet gentle ancient dragon?”
“Mumumu, of course I’ll choose grandpa, maybe . ”
“That’s right . No matter how I think about it, I would pick the latter . ”
“They wouldn’t normally want to live inside the venerable elder’s territory, but this time it’s an emergency . ”
“I see, that makes sense . But what about that great wolf demon beast? That guy has been living here since before all this turmoil . ”
“That one’s originally an idiot who got lost here by mistake . The venerable elder has just been leaving it be, hence, it’s just staying here as it likes . ”
“Haaa, what’s with that guy’s poor sense of crisis?”

Certainly, that demon beast had fun chasing me around . Yet, even after Mistral thoroughly beating it up that one time, it still idioticly showed up again .

Actually, a somewhat foolish great wolf demon beast is a bit cute . It makes me laugh .

“Now then, about the demon beasts who have entered the forest . ”

Mistral looks up at Old Sleigstar .

“I wish for you to excuse them living within Dragon Forest until the decaying dragon disappears . Of course, I have confirmed that no harm will come to the forest or humans . ”
“Fumu, there’s no other method this time . However, if they violate the law of the forest even just slightly, I won’t overlook them . ”

Old Sleigstar’s golden eyes give off a sharp light . They’re always brimming with a good natured and gentle light, but whenever it comes to the forest, they become fierce . He is this forest’s reliable protector .

“What do you mean with, ‘until the decaying dragon disappears’?”

Ruiseine tilts her head .

“Would this be something pragmatic like waiting for it to move to another area?”

Mistral gives a troubled smile .

“Considering that it appeared at Dragon’s Peak, I believe that nearby dragon tribesmen are already monitor it . All that said, even we dragon tribesmen will have a difficult time subjugating a decaying dragon . Although allowing such a calamity escape to someplace else is painful, there is nothing we can do at the moment . ”

“Mistral can’t defeat it either?”
“I wonder about that, although I’m sure it would be difficult . There are also other things I need to focus on . ”
“You mean the dragon tribesmen and mazoku . ”

Ahh, that’s right . Mistral does have more to take care of . She needs to find out who among the dragon tribesmen is colluding with the mazoku . If she leaves that person alone, this will become a serious problem . While the existence of the decaying dragon is also a problem, but this is more important .

“Should the decaying dragon come towards the forest, I shall deal with it . ”
“If you defeat the decaying dragon before it even comes to this place, wouldn’t everyone be able to move on from this affair?”
“Ernea, there is a limit to everything . It isn’t good for venerable elder to interfere with matters pertaining to Dragon’s Peak . ”

Mistral has a troubled expression .

“Ah, I’m sorry . I’m butting in too much . ”
“What, don’t worry about that . If I interfered a tad too much, all it’d do is shatter the pride of the dragon tribesmen and the dragons some . ”

“Gahahahaha,” Old Sleigstar gives a hearty laugh while Mistral’s expression grows more and more troubled .

“At any rate, the situation with the demon beasts is just as I said . Ernea seems to be liked by the demon beasts, so be careful when you wander the forest in the future . ”
“I wonder if they like me . I feel like they are only teasing me . ”
“There’s no way you would keep getting teased by someone who hates you, you know . ”
“Really?”
“Fufufu, seems like Ernea lacks awareness about a lot of things . ”

When I tilt my head in wonder about what I should be aware of, Mistral and Ruseine stare at me and laugh .

“Then, I will be leaving with this . ”

Once they finish giggling, Mistral looks at me with a serious expression .

“After this, I will return to the Dragon’s Peak once . If so, I should be back after a few days . ”
“You need to return to your village and discuss this with everyone after all . ”
“Yes . That’s why, if I don’t come back tomorrow, please take care of Priscilla . ”
“Yeah, I’ll see her back to the Long Eared Tribe at that time . ”

I still remember how to go to the village .

If Mistral is busy, I too will have to do whatever I can .

“I will be leaving it to you, then . ”

Mistral strokes my head, making me feel bashful .

“Well then, venerable elder, please send me back . ”
“Yare yare, what a rough young lass, bossing people around . ”
“Venerable elder is not a person . ”
“Mumumu . ”
“Mist-san will be busy then . ”
“Fufufu, I’m sorry . Next time, once the situation has calmed down, let’s do a lot of things together . ”

Mistral and Ruiseine shake hands .

“Now then, goodbye . ”
“Have a safe trip . ”
“I’ll look forward seeing you again . ”

While we are seeing her off, Mistral is enveloped within three-dimensional magic and disappears . Ruiseine’s eyes go round in shock at the ultra-high level magic .

Priscilla-chan recognizes the magic being invoked and waves her hand from far away . I wonder if Mistral noticed Priscilla-chan?

Now, are only Ruiseine, Priscilla-chan, Nymia, the lord Old Sleigstar, and I remain in the moss-covered plaza .

[1] 「あれ、でも大狼魔獣は結構前から居たし、今回の魔獣たちもそれなら竜の森には逃げてこないんじゃないかな」