Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Fall, and... (4)
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To find the dragon's lair, we split into three teams.
The first team consisted of Aquila, who had extensive knowledge of the Silver Mountains, along with Lloyd and El.
The second team included the witch and the mage, who had already visited Tondra's nest before, plus Khalid and Didier.
And the third team was me, with the [Explorer] trait, and Aila.
I herded the goats into a suitable spot and used [Forest Protection] to enclose them. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about the goats until the search was over.
"If you find anything, use this right away."
I handed out items I'd made myself to the group—one to each. They were a kind of "flare" made from squirtweed and glass flowers.
Squirtweed stores water in the hollows of its stems and shoots it out like a water gun to fend off pests. Glass flowers have petals as transparent as glass, reflecting light in all directions like cellophane when exposed to it. I'd combined the two to create a "plant flare."
Pull the leaves of the squirtweed, and the pressure launches the glass flower high into the air—dozens of meters at least. The impact of the launch bursts the glass flower, scattering sunlight, moonlight, starlight, or whatever light is available in every direction to signal your position. It was far more effective than the gunpowder flares ordinary mercenaries used, though the downside was that they couldn't be stored for long.
"Of course, nothing will go wrong, but let's all meet back safely."
We exchanged brief farewells and parted ways.
'The weather looks ominous.'
The dark clouds gathering in the distance didn't seem like the kind that would pass lightly. We might be short on time more than I'd thought. Since we'd come this far, it would be great to find Tondra's lair before sunset.
-Sniff sniff.
I followed only the safe paths Aila had stepped on first, slowly scanning the surroundings. The area was filled with nothing but snow and frozen rocks. The landscape looked identical in every direction, to the point where it was starting to make me dizzy.
'...I need a different approach.'
The [Explorer] trait would only kick in once we were close to the dragon's lair. For now, narrowing down the possible area was key.
But searching on foot with my own eyes would take forever. I needed a more efficient method. Something like...
"Plenty left."
My pouch still held a good amount of moonflower seeds.
Moonflowers are extremely sensitive to "mana." That's why they wouldn't grow properly in places infused with powerful "mana," like the entrance to a dragon's lair, unlike ordinary soil.
My plan was simple and straightforward.
First, have Aila scatter the moonflower seeds widely with the seed pouch attached to her.
Second, use [Breath of the Forest] on a wide scale to make them bloom.
Third, find the spot where the moonflowers glow. Done!
A truly effortless method, right?
But it wasn't without issues.
The "environment" of the snow mountains was the problem.
Delicate plants like moonflowers couldn't survive even an hour in the snow mountains' conditions, so keeping them rooted and blooming in this barren land would definitely consume a significant amount of my mana.
'What if something happens once we enter the dragon's lair? Is it okay to burn through this much mana?'
I pondered for a moment, gazing out over the vast snowy expanse.
'...But if we can't find the dragon's lair, coming all this way will have been for nothing.'
I clicked my tongue softly and called Aila. I tied the seed pouch to her collar, and she wagged her tail excitedly.
"Alright, Aila. Zigzag as you run."
-Woof!
Aila stretched her head up high and let out a big bark.
"Let's go!"
I hopped onto her back. The moment I was settled, Aila shot off like an arrow. I had to use [Breath of the Forest] before the scattering seeds froze in the cold wind. On top of that, I'd need to steadily infuse mana to keep the moonflowers alive.
'It's as insane as keeping a snowman from melting in the desert.'
The fact that I had a substantial amount of mana, and thanks to Lynshaka's blessing, its quality far surpassed that of ordinary people, made it barely feasible.
-Whoosh!
-Pop!
-Boong!
The pristine white snowfield transformed into a garden of brilliant yellow moonflowers—a truly spectacular sight. A barren snow plain devoid of even a single blade of grass, now bursting with vibrant life!
'Beautiful.'
For a moment, I forgot my fatigue and lost myself in the scene. Gazing at this wave of life, the biting cold wind and snow felt like nothing at all.
'Oh right, this isn't the time.'
Before all the moonflowers froze solid, I needed to find the dragon's lair entrance quickly. I wove through the moonflowers on Aila's back, searching for the entrance.
'Damn it, where the hell is it?'
A dragon's lair entrance might sound grand, but unless it was an unusually flashy dragon, most kept their nest entrances simple and unadorned. After all, decorating the entrance to your cozy sanctuary with extravagance would invite endless annoyances—from thieves after treasure to brainless monsters or even demons dropping by, all of which would be a headache.
So, dragon lairs were typically blended seamlessly into the terrain or hidden completely.
'And to hide it well, smaller sizes are better.'
It could be a space no bigger than a fist.
It looked like I'd need to survey from above to get a better overview...
-Peep!
As I mulled it over, Ppippi fluttered out from my bosom and hovered above my head. Then the little thing grabbed my hair with its tiny talons and flapped vigorously.
-Flutter flutter!
"...Your effort is admirable, but you're not up for this."
I caught the fluttering creature and tucked it back in, then used [Beast Summon].
There was only one suitable summon for this situation.
'Snow Mountain Eagle.'
-Pyoooo...
A sharp cry like tearing wind echoed from afar. A blue dot pierced through the dark clouds.
A massive snow mountain eagle, easily three or four meters in wingspan.
'Good thing it's closer than I thought.'
The eagle landed lightly and fixed its glass-like blue eyes on me. To commune with it, I slowly extended my hand and gently stroked its icy, hard beak.
-Gurgle.
The eagle tilted its head curiously, then let out a pleased rumble from its throat.
-Peep!
"Ppippi, behave. I'm asking this friend for help today."
I scolded Ppippi sternly, then cautiously stroked the eagle's head. It had been holding its head high but slowly lowered its body.
A sign it was okay to mount.
I bowed slightly in thanks, matching its posture, then climbed onto the snow mountain eagle's back. And shortly after.
-Whoosh!
The eagle launched powerfully into the air. A few flaps brought the clouds within arm's reach. The skin-cutting cold wind felt like a mere byproduct of freedom. I burst out laughing like a kid on their first ride.
'Thank goodness I don't have a fear of heights.'
Otherwise, I'd have had to scour that moonflower carpet on foot. I sighed in relief and looked down at the snowfield, which resembled a sheet of yellow drawing paper.
"Where are you...?"
As the snow mountain eagle flew low and slow over the densely blooming moonflower snowfield, I rolled my eyes frantically, searching for the dragon's lair entrance. The moonflowers were starting to freeze now—I had to find it quick...
"......!"
In my anxious lip-biting, I spotted a gap.
A space less than a handspan across flickered faintly into view.
"There, take me there."
I softly patted the eagle's wing. It descended slowly. The moment we touched down, I dashed toward that "handspan" of nothing. As I ran, the moonflowers began freezing too. A razor-close call. Before the traces vanished, I hurled myself forward.
-Splat!
-Crash!
I tumbled across the snow and looked up to see the moonflowers shattering as they froze. Pushing through the iced-over flowers, I peered into that "handspan."
"This is...!"
Mountain lotus leaf.
There was a mountain lotus leaf, its pure white petals drooping gracefully.
The stem and leaves were buried in snow. That's why it hadn't stood out. I carefully brushed away the surrounding snow. A single small cluster of mountain lotus leaf revealed itself fully.
This was the "entrance" to the dragon's lair.
More precisely, the "puzzle" to open the entrance.
'...No wonder no one could find Tondra with it like this.'
Just a single flower—who would pay it any mind?
'Anyone but me, anyway.'
As long as you didn't trample it... I let out a hollow chuckle and tapped the white bud. It looked utterly ordinary. Nothing special.
But.
'The secret of the mountain lotus leaf lies elsewhere.'
I scooped up handfuls of cold snow and began melting it with my body heat. The snow melted drop by drop, falling onto the white petals.
-Drip...
Along with a clear, bell-like sound, the soaked petals of the mountain lotus leaf grew increasingly transparent. One by one, slowly. I kept melting snow and dripping water until every petal turned clear.
-Driiiip...
The mountain lotus leaf, hit by the droplets, quivered its stem softly, continuing the bell sounds. Drip, driiiip... I soon realized it was forming a kind of "pattern."
The "pattern" to solve the "puzzle."
-Dring!
Once all the petals were transparent, the sound stopped. The mountain lotus leaf no longer quivered. I swallowed hard and cautiously reached for it.
And...
-Snap!
Without hesitation, I plucked the flower.
-Rumble...
Then, the entire Silver Mountain range began to shake.