Chapter 241
Chapter 241
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 241
Chapter Title: Omen of Disaster? (1)
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The tip of the arrow gleamed sharply in the moonlight. I steadied my breathing and peered beyond the bushes shrouded in darkness.
-Squeeeeeeee!!!!
As I released the bowstring, the arrow shot out swiftly. Then, with a thud! it struck true, and a massive red stag collapsed on the spot. The arrow had pierced right through the center of its head—instant death.
I approached the fallen red stag and pulled the arrow from its head.
-Rustle.
“……!”
At the faint noise, I whipped my head around. There stood another red stag, staring right at me. It looked young, still a fawn. The rest of the herd had long since fled, but for some reason, this one remained frozen in place, gazing at me as if rooted to the ground.
“…….”
I lowered the arrow and quietly met the red stag’s eyes. It stared back, one front hoof raised. We locked gazes for a long time. It must have been the offspring of this magnificent red stag. Poor thing.
“I can’t apologize.”
-…….
“I have mouths to feed, too.”
-…….
“Just know its death won’t be in vain.”
-Trot trot!
The young red stag leaped over the bushes and vanished into the darkness, never once looking back or pausing. I watched the bushes until it was gone, then turned my attention to the fallen red stag.
Survival of the fittest.
This was a world ruled by that absolute law.
Regrettably, someone had to be prey.
So that someone else could live.
“…….”
I, too, had grown accustomed to that rule. So I set aside any false pity and silently set about butchering the red stag.
Being devoured wasn’t necessarily tragic.
The cycle of life began right there.
I bound the red stag’s body securely with vines, then pulled out a massive Roaju leaf large enough to carry it and slid the carcass onto it. Hoisting the vines over my shoulder, I began dragging it along.
An average red stag weighed over two hundred kilograms. This one was particularly huge—probably close to three hundred. Even with my passive skill [Sturdiness], it was too much to handle. To drag it all the way to the lakeside, I had no choice but to activate [Beast’s Might].
Thanks to the surge of temporary strength, I managed to haul the red stag with relative ease. Crunch, crunch—the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling underfoot echoed. I hoped the hide wouldn’t get damaged. Would the Roaju leaf hold up until the lakeside? I wiped the sweat beading on my forehead and hurried on. Through the dense trees ahead, the lake’s silvery shimmer occasionally glinted, thin as a thread.
“Whew, it’s heavy.”
It was even bigger than I’d expected, so catching two had been out of the question. If Storm had been here, maybe I could have snagged one more. Then, suddenly, the fawn’s eyes flashed in my mind. Yeah… one would be enough. It was big, and with all the sweet potatoes Phew harvested, that should tide us over.
The lakeside drew nearer. Ah, damn. Even with [Beast’s Might], my shoulder felt like it might dislocate. Adults weren’t wrong after all. Raising just one kid was bending me over—literally.
“Whew…….”
Almost there. Just a couple more trees. I paused to catch my breath. The smell of smoke from the campfire we’d lit to avoid the damp ground wafted over. The savory aroma of stewed vegetables drifted too—must be fully cooked. Good. Time to butcher the meat and boil up a big pot.
-Boom!!!!!!!!
…Or so I thought. The ground shook violently, and I stumbled, tumbling onto the red stag. What the hell?
-Booooom!!!!!!!!
The vibrations emanated from the lakeside. The earth trembled, and the massive sequoia trees rooted in it swayed. Birds took flight into the night sky once more. I scrambled to my feet and bolted toward the lake. Only one thing came to mind as the source of this quake.
“Legion!”
Legion. That’s who it was.
Leaping bushes and weaving through trees, the vast lakeside came into view. With half its water receded, the lake looked eerily different from usual. Legion—where’s Legion? I scanned the spot where he’d been lounging, basking his scales in the moonlight. Gone. Legion was nowhere. In his place, several deep footprints cratered the ground.
Reflexively, I looked up at the sky.
“……!”
No moonlight, no starlight. Only vast darkness filled my vision, like a curtain of night. No—it wasn’t darkness. It was Legion’s enormous wings.
“Legion!!!!”
Was he too high up? Or were his wingbeats too loud? Legion didn’t seem to hear me. He flapped fiercely and opened his maw. Black flames roiled deep in his throat! I whipped my gaze toward the target of those flames.
“……!!!’
Damn it! The curse slipped out. How could it not? Where Legion was about to unleash his breath, jaws agape…
“Callisto!”
Callisto was there. He seemed to realize what Legion was about to do and spun around, leaping away. Probably trying to flee into the sequoia forest. But,
“No!!!’’
That wouldn’t work. Legion’s black flames could incinerate even a barren desert— if they hit the sequoia forest, nothing would remain. Those flames didn’t go out! Without a second thought, I activated [Leaf Step] and bounded toward Callisto. Springing forward like a coiled spring, I barreled into him from the opposite side as he lunged for the forest—practically a tackle.
-Thwack!!!
Like playing football, maybe?
I collided with Callisto, wrapped him in a bear hug, and we rolled across the ground.
-Roarrrrrr!!!!!!!!
Soon, the black inferno engulfed us. Unquenchable black flames licked from head to toe, rippling along my back. This heat could reduce bones to ash—no, it would burn the ash away entirely.
“Hah, huff…….”
I waited for Legion’s breath to stop. Was it his agitated state? It dragged on far longer than I’d expected. Planning to keep going until my heart burst? I wanted to shout, but would he even hear?
After what felt like an eternity, the scorching heat on my back faded, and I pushed myself up.
-Cough! Cough!
Ash filled the air, making me cough. I waited for it to settle, then looked toward the lake. Through the smoke, crimson eyes gleamed coldly. Pupils honed sharp as sword blades sent chills down my spine.
“……Le, cough! Legion!”
But those razor-sharp pupils rounded and softened at my voice in an instant.
“«Theo?»”
“Y-yeah, cough, hack. It’s me. Me.”
«Theo!»
-Whoosh!
Legion blew a gust from his maw, scattering the ash and smoke around us.
Spotting me through the haze, Legion lunged with a front claw and scooped me up. Then, in a voice thick with irritation, he whispered,
«Theo. Dangerous.»
“No, Legion…….”
«Theo. Legion protect. Legion will.»
With that, Legion puffed out his chest again. Heat radiated from deep within—I could feel it. Plenty of black flames remained, enough to raze the entire sequoia forest. D-dangerous. Dangerous. Dangerous!
“Stop!”
I bellowed at Legion.
“Stop! Stop! Stop!”
«……Chirp!»
Legion swallowed the flames he’d drawn up to his throat, body shuddering with a gulp. Wait—this felt like déjà vu…?
“No, Legion!”
«……Theo! No. Dangerous!»
“No, no. It’s not dangerous! That’s Callisto over there! Sniff him good!”
At my words, Legion sniffed toward the darkness. Then he growled low again.
«Theo. There. Sword.»
Ah, that’s it. I yelled urgently toward where Callisto was.
“Cal! Drop your weapons!”
Legion must have caught the scent of Cal’s twin blades. Dragons were sensitive to metal. And with blood lingering on those blades… it had set off Legion in his hyper-sensitive state.
-Thud!
-Clang!
The sound of Cal dropping his twin blades rang out. Only then did Legion stop growling, though he still grumbled at me peevishly.
«Theo. Legion no do. Bad thing.»
“I know. I know. Callisto got too close and startled you, right?»
«Theo. Legion no startled. Angry.»
“……Yeah, close enough.”
Approaching an ultra-sensitive post-molt dragon while armed—under normal circumstances, Callisto would be dead several times over. Luckily, I’d arrived in time, and Legion’s breath had no effect on me at all. Talk about heavenly luck.
“Theo…….”
Callisto emerged slowly, raising his empty hands to show he’d dropped his weapons. I nodded and gestured, and he lowered his hands, approaching us with extreme caution.
“Cal. I specifically told you not to enter the forest.”
“……Yes. I know. But…….”
Callisto explained why he’d had no choice but to enter. He’d meant to stand guard, but the ‘omen of disaster’ had appeared from the forest, so he thought I was in danger and had to come in.
‘Omen of disaster,’ huh. Yeah, I could see that.
Before earthquakes or tsunamis, birds, rats, and wild dogs flee in chaos. Legion revealing his true form for molting would be a catastrophe to the animals. Small birds and beasts had fled, and seeing that, Callisto assumed I was in peril.
He’d done it out of worry—I couldn’t even scold him. Still clutched in Legion’s grumpy front claw, I alternated glances between him and Callisto. What now…….
“……Legion, forgive him just this once.”
He did it because he was worried!