53 - Carry Me (2)
Not only war heroes, but also royals, duchy officials, famous noble families, knight orders, and high-ranking guild executives began flooding into the academy. That was just how much attention the academy's ranking battles drew.
With the ranking battles looming, the final weekend arrived.
"I know where it is. The Armored Evil Dragon. If you take me along, I'll tell you."
The demon dragon that stole a war hero's comrade, and Scarlett's hatred for it, ran deeper than I'd imagined. She dragged Dustin along and secretly summoned me out today, a weekend, insisting we check it out right away. Since they had schedules even on weekends, we had no choice but to set out at the crack of dawn.
"There, done? Now spill it."
"It's in Domentoum."
"Domentoum? That's inland, and the sanctuary purification already..."
"A trick. Camouflage magic."
"Huh?"
Domentoum—a barren desert far from Clarice Academy, devoid of human presence. Dustin, who had been silently listening to my exchange with Scarlett, made one suggestion before we departed.
"Then let's just confirm if the Armored Evil Dragon is there and head back. We have schedules today, and Umberto's away on urgent business anyway."
"......"
Scarlett didn't respond much to him.
Heroes sure have it good...
Thanks to a portal Scarlett had prepped in league with the magic tower, and using mana stones like they were going out of style on exclusive mounts, we made this distant trip a day trip. We'd already arrived at Domentoum, the field dungeon known as the Barren Nest.
-Sizzle...
"Hotter than I thought."
Dustin undid a few buttons on his leather armor. This place was nothing but barren earth and rock—like the Grand Canyon back on Earth—and as he said, the climate was the worst. Not only did no human footsteps reach here, but even as a field dungeon, there wasn't a single monster. In a word, it looked like there was absolutely nothing, the perfect realization of "the darkest place is under the candlestick."
According to the original game, a fairly renowned black mage had holed up in this desert, spending ages building a barrier. And the setting was that the Armored Evil Dragon, gravely wounded in a long war, was hiding here to recover.
"You little punk, you could've just told us the location."
"Who knows. Even if you're war heroes, if you pretend it wasn't there, I'd be the one in trouble."
"...You're way more suspicious than you look, huh?"
"Thanks for the compliment."
"Tch, annoying brat."
I brushed it off vaguely while mentally reviewing the Armored Evil Dragon's patterns...
"Heave-ho!"
Dustin, knight-like with his solid muscle mass, stretched as he asked me,
"So, what's the deal with that girl from earlier?"
He meant Aria.
> ['Aria Bluebell's surveillance level on 'Lev Denek' has risen to 3]
Probably thanks to the last dungeon survey practical, her surveillance level had hit 3. And when I tried sneaking out at dawn,
-Can you take me too...?
She'd shown up before me, dragging her still-healing body.
-Huh, this young lady?
-I know a bit of healing magic. I know it'll be a burden, but please.
-Sorry, but I don't take injured folks on my journeys.
-...
-Ah... My apologies.
Fortunately, Dustin's firm conviction—honed from watching countless comrades—kept Aria from tagging along.
Anyway, a delicate young woman coming out barefoot at dawn to see a man off. Who knows if that's how it filtered into Dustin's head, but he seemed suspicious of our relationship.
"She's pretty cute, huh? That determination to join her comrades without holding back her body—that spirit's precious."
"Yeah."
And sure enough, he leaned in close and pried,
"You think she's got a thing for you?"
"Haha..."
This was the classic trope I'd seen plenty back in my old world—middle-aged guys prying into young folks' puppy love.
"Mm-hmm, no doubt she likes you..."
What a pain...
Right now, I needed to simulate every single one of the Armored Evil Dragon's patterns in my head. No time to play along with this teasing.
"Yeah, you're right. We're dating."
"Oho!"
"Two months now. I confessed. The rest is private."
I admitted it straight up and clammed up. Dustin swallowed regretfully but didn't press further.
"Ahem! Knew it! My eyes haven't gone dull. Man, you kids these days move fast..."
War heroes' youths were probably all demon hunting, so his reaction made sense.
As Dustin nodded in admiration, a jab came from the side.
"Dustin, please. Shut it."
"Why? The pure, fiery love of youth is so innocent and fun. Scarlett, you were like that once too..."
"Shut your trap already."
Scarlett's hand went to her wand.
"...I'll shut it."
Probably like in those fanfics—if he mouthed off once more, she'd slap a Silence spell on him.
"Hold up."
Then Scarlett's voice cut short. She raised her hand like she was miming and muttered,
"Didn't think camouflage magic like this really existed..."
She continued, astonished,
"You wouldn't notice unless you got right up close..."
Scarlett eyed me suspiciously still.
"Something's definitely here, like you said. From now on, if you value your life, listen to me."
-Crunch crunch.
Scarlett took out a magic pen and started bypassing the barrier like a pro. She furrowed her brow now and then when she hit snags, but since it was just for three people, it didn't take long.
"Dustin, focus forward from here."
"Got it."
"And you, little punk—stay back and don't get in the way."
"Yes, yes."
Of course, I had no role whatsoever.
Likewise, at the academy on this weekend, Yeriel—with her lovely silver hair braided to one side and pinned with a butterfly clip—watched Edwin and Abelin spar.
Since the dungeon survey practical, Edwin had grown more proactive. Feeling his desire to grow stronger, his practice sessions had lengthened. He was charging at S-rank, the Sword Emperor's daughter, Abelin Ballantes, without fail.
"Hah!"
-Thud!
Of course, his battle cry didn't last long before he tumbled to the ground.
"I sense nothing from your sword. Challenging me is like an egg striking a rock."
"One more time, please."
"Really... You never tire. I have club activities too, so this is the last."
Abelin was humoring Edwin with one hand, looking annoyed.
Yeriel, watching, had other thoughts. About Lev Denek.
-Then from now on, we can be close...
-You wanna be friends now?
-...Yeah.
What was a friend? Someone you could rely on and ask favors anytime? Or someone you could share secrets with freely?
Today, she'd helped Edwin train with Abelin because,
-Yeriel, Edwin says he needs your help.
It had been Lev's request the other day. Helping each other was what friends did, right?
-Lev! Good morning...? But he'd vanished early that morning.
And just now, Sinatis had approached and told her.
-Dawn, academy, outside, went. Aria too.
He'd gone out. With Aria Bluebell.
-That time, with Aria, why... holding her...?
-Wasn't holding. Tripped.
-Oh, I see!
-…………
An awkward silence.
"Lev, liar."
If they were friends, he shouldn't lie. A slight ache tugged at Yeriel's chest.
I'm not that oblivious...
Soon the spar ended once more. Abelin's victory again.
"Hah, hah."
"!!"
But Abelin was now gripping her training sword with both hands. Edwin had grown... a bit.
Watching, Yeriel murmured softly,
"Friends are hard."
She just wanted to cheer them on as friends. Why this feeling? A gentle ripple stirred in Yeriel's faintly smiling heart.
How long had we walked inside the barrier? A familiar mana wavelength etched in her mind.
"It's real..."
Scarlett felt her blood surging backward.
What she faced was a jet-black dragon armored head to toe in tough, dark shell. Once called the Black Shell Armor.
The Black Shell Armor was asleep, recovering, unaware of the three of us including Scarlett.
"Scarlett, that's enough for today. We've confirmed it—let's go back."
Dustin grabbed her shoulder, calming his own excitement.
-Tremble tremble...
"Scarlett...?"
But she couldn't contain the boiling rage surging within.
-Scarlett! Researching again?
-Eat this while you do!
-Scarlett? Sleep?
-Wanna join our party?
Adrin, the divine archer who'd first reached out to the prickly Scarlett, who'd built walls around herself. The one comrade she'd truly opened up to.
And Adrin had sacrificed herself to save Scarlett. Taking in the black mana pouring from that beast with her own body...
-Take care, Scarlett.
That's where it ended.
"Kill... it..."
The Black Shell Armor's left wing membrane hadn't fully regenerated with black epidermis. That scar was surely Adrin's final strike. Her last desperate fight to save her comrade...
"Gotta... kill it... revenge..."
"Scarlett? Calm down!"
-Groooaaar...
Suddenly, mana erupted wildly from Scarlett's body.
"W-Wait, calm down Scarlett! There's still chances! Today we just confirm... Gah!"
That murderous mana wave—
-◼◼◼◼...?
Made the Black Shell Armor open its eyes.
-◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼!!!!!!!!!
"Urk!"
A deafening roar split their ears as its wing membranes unfurled. Black mist instantly engulfed the three.
"You two, fall back!"
The situation had turned dire. We'd agreed to just check and leave.
Of course, the Armored Evil Dragon—Black Shell Armor—was a dragon beastified artificially, not some centuries-old dragon tier. But it was no mere beast.
Even if the ten war heroes were strong, that was among humans. Not a full five-man party now, just a two-man with a freshman cadet to boot—hardly helpful for combat power. If anything, it'd be a liability to protect...
Then the Black Shell Armor unleashed breath right away.
-◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼◼!!!!!!!!!
"Everyone, this way!"
Dustin deployed a holy guard dome ahead.
-Kakakakakakang!!!
The dome of light clashed with black mana. Fortunately, the Black Shell Armor wasn't fully recovered, so its power wasn't at peak.
-.......
Scarlett's eyes had gone blank, chanting nonstop.
"Damn it!"
The situation was FUBAR. Dustin was frontline defense specialized. Without Scarlett snapping out of it, no proper damage trade-off was possible.
"Ho ho..."
I knew Scarlett had a soft spot for her comrades, but pulling off troll-level antics this spectacularly...
As I eyed Dustin's aura, a status window popped up announcing boss encounter.
Ding!
The Black Shell Armor was a sub-adult dragon that fell to a pact with demons. Hence its dark-affinity, beast-like nature—akin to a demonized human. But a boss two tiers above flame imps.
And... as expected, I...
> [Hermit - Gamer trait activates]
> [Hermit] [Aggro: 0]
> [*Aggro reaches 100: Enemies (beasts) recognize you]
On this wasteland like a desolate desert... my presence was zero, as always.
As long as I don't strike first, I'm invincible...
-Kakakakakakang!!!
Regardless, Holy Knight Dustin was tanking the Black Shell Armor's breaths nonstop.
Two war heroes vs. a top-tier demon dragon boss. Ever get that itch in games?
-Commander NPC vs. Chapter 2 hidden boss—who wins?
-Hidden boss, duh? Infinite HP.
-Nah, if you move right, commander takes it.
A spectacle worth munching popcorn for. I actually pulled out some academy popcorn and shoveled it in.
-Crunch.
Anyway,
"The killing blow's mine."