We Live in Dragon’s Peak - Chapter 53

Chapter 53

With Mistral having taken her leave, we wonder about what to do . That’s when Priscilla-chan, having exhausted from playing tag, teeters over and clings to Ruiseine . The two spirits of Earth and Wind also return .

Priscilla-chan has been giving it her with playing all since morning .

Ruiseine tends to the exhausted Priscilla-chan, making me feel even more bored . But well, if I have time in the moss-covered plaza, what I should be doing has already been decided .

I sit down on the soft moss and meditate . I neglected my meditation practice on my trip to the vice capital with everyone . Ever since apprenticing myself under Old Sleigstar’s, I have meditated everyday without fail . It has already become one of my daily habits . As such, not doing it feels off .

I close my eyes as I cross my legs calm my mind . I immediately feel the great river flowing under the ground . When the dragon vein is felt from far away, it spreads over my consciousness like an ocean . However, when felt from close up, it feels like a turbulent and overflowing muddy current . Then, when felt from even closer by the edge, the dragon vein feels like a gentle, deep, clear stream . It’s a mysterious existence riddled with contradicts .

I gently draw from the dragon vein . Even though I’m used to it now, I really struggled when I first started . Drawing from the dragon vein is a very delicate work . Adjusting the proper amount is difficult . If I draw too cautiously, I won’t be able to get the amount I need . If I try to take it all at once, I will be swallowed by the stream and drowned . Then, even when I think that I did it well, it may overflow before I can take it into my body .

While it hasn’t even been half a year since I first came to the moss-covered plaza, I’ve been able to do quite a lot . Instead of becoming an adventurer at the beginning of spring, I was worried about what to do during my year of travel . But now, I’ve come to have various experience adventurers would never dream of .

Then, out of no where, I got brides . Moreover, two beautiful women . I’m sure that this is just as great as my classmate, the yuusha Ristia . That being said, it’s not official yet . I still have to make them fall in love with me first .

I draw from the dragon vein and take it into my body . As I train, I look back on what I’ve accomplished .

At first, the flow of the dragon vein and the vitality of the spirit tree were too overwhelming for me, but now they feel reassuring . It feels like the dragon vein gives me strength while the spirit tree grants me its protection . The wooden spirit tree sword on my lap in particular gives off a powerful life force, one that always watching over me .

Speaking of which, this wooden spirit tree sword . No, should I call it a spirit tree sapling? The grandma from the Long Eared Tribe said there’s a spirit dwelling inside this . Whenever I meditate, every now and then I’ll feel a rare, gentle, wind pass by around me . I wonder if that’s a sign from the spirit .

Priscilla-chan too sometimes look in my direction, but it always feels like she’s looking at something other than me .  Maybe she can sense the spirit of the spirit tree better than me . Rather, she does sense it . After all, Priscilla-chan was the one who first noticed the spirit of the spirit tree .

What is Priscilla-chan doing right now? I can’t take a look since I am meditating, but I can somehow or another get an idea through the dragon vein .

Near me is the gentle presence of Ruiseine . She has a pure presence befitting of a shrine maiden . Mistral also has a clear presence, but hers are a lot more powerful .

Is Priscilla-chan sticking to Ruiseine? I’m positive, surely Ruiseine is soothing her in her arms . Priscilla-chan is full of energy . Regardless of whether she’s sleeping or getting scolded by Mistral, she is brimming with energy . Such an energetic small child sure is quite nice . Being with her makes me energetic .

Then, as always, together with Priscilla-chan is Nymia’s presence . Her body is small like a kitten, but her presence is even more powerful than Mistral’s . Although she is just a child, she is an ancient dragon after all . Investigating Nymia’s presence while I meditate lets me feel just how tremendous her strength is .

It’s all thanks to Old Sleigstar that I can feel the presence of everyone by following the dragon vein . Had Old Sleigstar not taught me about the existence of the dragon vein, how to use it, and many other things, I might still be spending my days just admiring Ristia at school .

Old Sleigstar gently watches over us from a short distance away . Nymia can’t even reach the foot of his overwhelming existence . Yet, it isn’t overpowering . He just naturally bends in, kinda like the spirit tree . They are both overwhelming, yet they feel like they are a part of the world .

Old Sleigstar is a legendary ancient dragon who protects Dragon Forest . He is a good-natured being . His occasional mischief infuriates Mistral . During those times, I find it really hard to think of him as a giant dragon that has lived for two thousand years . However, when it comes to the forest, his demeanor completely changes . His usual gentle, golden, eyes flare with a sharp spirit . The force of it still makes freeze up in fear .

I follow everyone’s presences and expand my consciousness . Doing that, I now feel the presence of the animals in the ancient forest . While there are no demon beasts in this area of the forest, the barrier doesn’t seem to have any effect to the lost animals . I can feel birds flying around and beasts running .

The dragon vein sure is amazing . Getting used to the dragon vein doesn’t mean I will benefit from it . On the contrary, I get to sense the presence of various living beings I didn’t even know about .

Once I become as strong as Mistral or Old Sleigstar, will I be able to know the situation of someone far away from me? Although I won’t be able to do such for those unfamiliar with the dragon vein, but I should be able to acquire that ability someday . But for that to happen, I’m gonna need to work hard .

I diver deeper into my meditation . I expel my worldly thoughts . I follow the dragon vein, refine the dragon spirit, and accumulate dragon power .

As I meditate, I suddenly feel a strong presence in the forest . As I wonder what it is, I direct my attention towards it .

It has a very strong presence . So strong, it could even be called immeasurable . Someone with an overwhelming presence is coming to the moss-covered plaza without getting lost in the forest .

The animals in the forest flee all at once at the intense fighting spirit .

What is it? I have a bad feeling .

I cut short my meditation and open my eyes . Entering my view is majestic scenery of the deep green moss carpet and the tightly packed old trees .

However, the animals are no longer crying from the forest . Everything is completely quiet .

I look at Old Sleigstar . Old Sleigstar’s haed stare is fixed towards a specific section of the forest .

“Nnmtto, Onii-chan . ”

I wonder if Priscilla-chan too notices the discomforting situation within in the forest . Ruiseine and Priscilla-chan come towards me with expressions of unease . Nymia, who is held by Priscilla-chan, gazes deep into the forest in anxiety . I wraps my arms around everyone and envelop them with dragon spirit I had refined .

Whoever this person is, there’s no doubt he or she is coming to the moss-covered plaza . I have no idea what it could be, but that’s exactly why I need to keep wary .

Judging from Old Sleigstar’s actions, I can more or less tell that he also knows that this whoever isn’t anyone ordinary .

Our bodies stiffen as we huddle together . Sleigstar and Nymia both stare at the same direction of the forest .

Then, the ground trembles as heavy footsteps gradually reach our ears .

How eerie .

Priscilla-chan is so terrified, she holds both of her ears and buries herself in my legs . Ruiseine too clings to the hem of my shirt with anxiousness .

Old Sleigstar raises his massive head .

Pikun, Nymia’s ears twitch . She then takes refuge in my arms from Priscilla-chan’s head .

“Nyaa, run away, nyaa!”

Nymia thrashes against my forearms . To stop her, I hold her tight .

Nymia may be a child, but she is still an ancient dragon . Furthermore, while she can’t compare to Old Sleigstar, she seems to be stronger than Mistral . That Nymia is telling us to run away .

Danger is drawing closer . I’m not the only one who feels that way . Ruiseine is the same .

Still, that’s exactly why I think not running away is better . Against someone even Nymia says we should escape from, we’d be caught instantly . My bet is that we’d be safer beside Old Sleigstar where he can protect us .

The eerie footsteps gradually increase .

Old Sleigstar growls, gururu .

Then,

It appears from the forest’s depths .

Gaaaaah, its roar shakes the ancient trees .

It has long ears . On its forehead are two entwined horns coming together to form a single majestic horn .

Its body and features are like that of a dragon’s .

The whole body is covered with long and beautiful fur .

Its wings are folded behind itself, but if they were expanded, they would be big enough to cover twice the size of the body .

The tail is awfully long . It reaches so deep into the forest, I have no idea to where the tip even is .

Appearing from the forest is without a doubt a dragon .

Nymia thrashes about within my arms .

The beautiful dragon that appears before us carries itself with composure . It gradually makes its way to the center of moss-covered plaza . Once there, it’s entire body shines .

What the? Before I can even finish my thought, it grows into a gigantic dragon .

It’s not as big as Old Sleigstar, but it’s still overwhelmingly large . It then roars once again .

“Haa…”

Ruiseine faints from the sheer pressure .

“Nyauu nyaa!”

Nymia thrashes about once more and springs out of my arms . She flaps her wings to escape and is then caught within the hand of the dragon . It was so fast, I could even see it .

The dragon that appeared before us, even though its horns are different from Nymia’s, it looks similar to her when she turns big .

The tips of its long, beautiful, fur are pink .

“I come to the forest for the first time in a long while, I finally find what I was looking for . ”

The dragon holds the captured Nymia before its eyes . Nymia thrashes around, but she can’t break free from the enormous hand’s grip .

“Fumu, it’s been a while, Asher . ”

“So you’re still alive, grandfather . ”

The two giant dragons stare at each other .

“Uwaaaan, mother has found me, nyan!”

Nymia’s scream echoes across the moss-covered plaza .