The Saint Who Survived the Dragon
Suddenly I realized I’d been chattering away with Akia like there was no tomorrow.
How long had it been since I last giggled under the blankets before bed? I thought of Mia and Iruse, who used to burst into my room clutching pillows whenever thunder rolled through the night.
My tiny bed had become impossibly cramped, fragrant strands of hair tangling under the pillow and catching on our fingertips.
Because the thought of them dying made me sad too, we really had been friends.
I should write them a letter once we reached the capital, telling them I was doing well. Whether I should add that I’d be heading back soon was something I still hadn’t decided.
We’d already found the Cup of the Golden Star, so I couldn’t make up my mind whether to end the journey here and return to Dmitry or follow Ash all the way to the end of the Path of the Trial.
If Ash reached out his hand, I was willing to take it. And once I had hold of it, I’d drag him straight up onto the crown prince’s throne and plant him there with pride.
I’d also do a little light pruning so that no one ever laid a hand on my friend. That was exactly where the problem lay.
Ash knew me far too well to reach out easily.
He knew exactly how casually I killed anyone I decided was an enemy.
If we joined hands, his enemies would become my enemies.
And Ash’s enemies were essentially the most powerful people on the continent.
That damn sense of honor of his. All he has to do is grab my hand… but no, Ash is such a pacifist.
I was simply waiting for him to find the courage.
Kill everything that annoyed him and become the crown prince! Make my friend the crown prince! If you can’t do it, I will! That was what friendship meant, wasn’t it?
Mercy was something there was never enough of even for my own side.
This journey had been unnervingly smooth.
First of all, there was no Lox around to nag me, so I felt light and cheerful. Having already survived the big crisis, my shoulders felt unburdened too.
The rest of the party seemed to feel the same; everyone looked like they were in a permanently good mood.
The only unusual thing was Akia’s determined efforts to get closer to me, so that pretty much said it all.
It was utterly peaceful.
True to the peaceful kingdom of Heidricke, we encountered no monsters, and the bandits had apparently been wiped out by Robenin. The roads really were so boringly safe that it was almost disappointing.
I couldn’t tell whether we were on an adventure or simply running through the beautiful pathways of a fairy-tale picture book.
We rode in the carriage along wide-open roads, humming tunes, passing hills covered in flowers, listening to strange bird calls. When we grew bored we read books, and when even that became tiresome we wrote letters, enjoying an incredibly peaceful stretch of time.
Chatting about meaningless things with Akia, laughing and talking, the nights arrived in the blink of an eye.
Then we would light a campfire, sit around it, gather delicious ingredients, and enjoy a hearty dinner… Yes! This was exactly the kind of journey I had imagined! Perfect!
“Gail, your cooking is truly amazing! How does it taste this good?”
“You flatter me…”
“I really must learn. Do you have a secret?”
“I only know what my mother taught me… It’s embarrassing how much you like it.”
The party’s noticeably improved atmosphere was partly thanks to Akia’s generous praise. I didn’t bother saying things tasted good out loud. I simply ate every last bite and hummed happily instead.
I hereby dedicate this song to the freshly grilled fish I’m eating right now!
I was humming a little tune meant for peaceful evenings and well-earned dinners after hardship, gently peeling away the crisp skin of the fish, when the middle-aged man sitting diagonally across from me spoke up in a booming voice.
“Hey, you lot! The young people over there. You look awfully carefree. Have you heard the rumors going around?”
“Ah, you mean us?”
“That’s right. There’s been some incredible news lately. You’d be a fool not to know.”
“Well… if it’s about the tundra, we’ve heard—”
“Nonsense! Everyone traveling this road is heading there to see it. Who wouldn’t know about that? But there’s something even bigger!”
At public rest stops, it was natural for different parties to mingle once they laid out their spots.
We shared campfires, divided food, exchanged rumors, and warned one another about nearby dangers.
A rest stop was a place to rest, but also a hub where travelers traded all kinds of information.
Right now three separate groups were mixed together.
“Something bigger than the tundra? Is that even possible?”
“Ooh… what is it?”
“We’ve been traveling from the outskirts, so rumors reach us late. Please, you must tell us!”
The middle-aged man stroked his beard with a satisfied expression at the young men’s interest.
It was news they would hear soon anyway, yet he acted as if he were bestowing a great favor.
“Ahem, I knew it! I figured you folks coming from that direction wouldn’t have heard yet! It’s already the talk of the capital… Get ready to be shocked, everyone!”
“What exactly is it?”
“Well, you see… it’s…”
He was clearly building up the drama, waiting for every eye in the shelter to turn toward him. Whatever it was, it had to be something big.
I was the only one ignoring the performance and continuing to eat. The middle-aged man seemed determined to wait until even I was paying attention before he continued.
In the silence broken only by the crackling campfire, I felt several pairs of eyes giving me meaningful looks. Some belonged to our own party, others to the different groups.
I had no choice but to set the fish down for a moment.
Damn it. Don’t ruin my small happiness! What idiot’s story is worth all this fuss?
“So, so! They say… the Saint is alive!”
“What?”
“…The Saint… you mean Lady Crowell?”
“Exactly! She came back alive from the dragon’s grasp! What do you think? Incredible, right? Amazing? Far bigger news than the tundra! How could any citizen of the continent possibly miss this rumor!”
“Oh my god…! I can’t believe it. Jeanie Crowell is alive!”
What? That’s it? I take back calling it an idiot’s story.
Inside the buzzing atmosphere I went back to tearing apart my fish.
I had grown used to hearing my own story from other people’s mouths. It seemed the rumor that I was alive was finally starting to spread.
Still, it took long enough. It happened months ago, yet only now is it reaching people’s ears. Maybe because I’ve been stuck in the middle of nowhere, the news travels slowly.
It needs to reach my brothers and Bright soon. Only then will those idiots finally go home.
Since they’re even hearing about it on this island kingdom of Heidricke, it must be all over the mainland by now.
The tundra incident had drawn so many travelers that the rumor probably spread even faster.
“This is true divine protection! As expected of the Saint… Oh, what a moving story. It gives me chills!”
“I can only marvel… To think we live in the same era as someone who was taken by a dragon and returned alive… These days really are full of extraordinary events.”
“Right? It makes life worth living lately. And get this—the information came straight from the Dmitry royal family! So it has to be true! Well? Hey? Why aren’t you young people over there surprised? Did you already hear?”
I kept chewing while glancing sideways. Everyone in our party except Akia and Chad looked distinctly uncomfortable.
In contrast to the young people from the other parties who were exclaiming and gasping in awe.
The three men with stiff, frozen faces who kept sneaking glances at me, unsure what to do, were Ash, Enk, and Gail.
“Ah, no… This is the first we’ve heard…”
“Haha… ha…”
“Well, it’s just… we were so shocked we lost the ability to speak, you know?”
They looked like they were struggling terribly to act.
On the other hand, Chad was eating without a single thought in his head. He even reached over to give Akia—who couldn’t bring herself to stick her hand into the campfire—a piece of grilled fish. He clearly thought this was someone else’s business.
Akia only recently joined us, so it makes sense she wouldn’t know, but Chad… exactly where does he keep his brain? We haven’t even tried to hide it.
Ash had known from the beginning, and Enk and Gail seemed to have caught on recently.
Probably when I called Endairon. Lox might have given them a hint.
If you’re going to tell people, you should have told Chad too. Though with how dense he is, maybe it wouldn’t have made any difference.
“But… how did she survive the dragon’s grasp? Don’t tell me she actually killed the dragon…?”
“Come on, how could one person kill a dragon alone? Especially a delicate young woman. Impossible.”
“Delicate? That’s rude! Lady Crowell is an incredibly powerful Spirit Master who blocked a dragon’s breath all by herself! Haven’t you heard the rumors? Hundreds of nobles survived because of her that day…”
“I heard that, but blocking one attack and killing a dragon are two completely different things.”
The young men and women from the other party started arguing about whether I had killed the demonic dragon or not. The middle-aged man jumped in again with gusto.
He looked proud of knowing things others didn’t.
“Ahem! From what I hear, the dragon took quite a liking to her and they formed a friendship that transcended species! They say she even received a gift as proof of their bond!”
“Wow… That’s incredible. Not only did she survive the dragon, but she’s friends with one! She really is a living legend!”
“Huh? I heard a different story. That the dragon fell in love with Lady Crowell. They say she’s an incredible beauty. With golden hair that flows like the Milky Way and eyes bluer than a summer lake, so that anyone who meets her gaze freezes at her beauty.”
Oh, everyone does freeze. Because I’m unlucky like that.
It seemed the middle-aged man wasn’t the only one who knew the rumors. A merchant who had been listening quietly joined in.
Rumors tended to have more bad functions than good ones. And the further they traveled, the more distorted they became. There were already multiple versions.
Me being in love with the demonic dragon… Friendship was much closer to the truth.
If I had to describe it precisely, it was more like a tender affection toward a pitiful creature.
It was unusual that the demonic dragon saw me that way and I saw him the same, but still.
Even though his intelligence was low, as a dragon he occasionally treated me like a hamster.
I felt a few gazes briefly turn my way.
Yes, I have golden hair and blue eyes. What about it? Haven’t you seen golden hair and blue eyes before?
Golden hair was common enough that there was no fear of my identity being exposed.
I lightly ignored them and continued my task. I had begun selecting my third piece of grilled fish. It was an operation that required extreme care.
I had to pick the biggest, meatiest one by sight alone. Hmm… You. You’re the one.
“I heard this too. The token of friendship the dragon gave her was a famous sword so rare it’s hardly seen in this age. She presented it to the king without the slightest hesitation. Thanks to that, the Dmitry king’s influence these days is so great that even the Emperor of the Empire has to yield to him.”
“That makes sense. It’s all thanks to Lady Crowell that His Majesty the Emperor survived. They say he was forced to his knees before the dragon at the founding anniversary celebration.”
“Calling it humiliation… Is there any human who could have done otherwise?”
“There is now! Lady Crowell. I wonder what it feels like to be friends with a dragon?”
“Surprising. To think she was such a loyal subject… I thought she was the quiet scholar type. I vaguely heard she spent her whole life training.”
“Then what is she doing now? What’s Lady Crowell up to these days?”
As the story ripened, all kinds of questions and curiosities poured out.
With so many people, everyone had different things they were curious about. The middle-aged man who had started it all seemed desperate to act like he knew everything.
“After such a huge ordeal, she must be resting comfortably back home, right? Or perhaps she’s been invited to parties by nobles every day and is enjoying herself!”
“That’s true. Her family was elevated to count status in recognition of her achievements. She must be spending her days elegantly, receiving everyone’s praise.”
“Indeed. As everyone’s hero, she must be invited to every party. How wonderful…”
“I don’t know. I hope she’s getting plenty of rest. She went through so much. I imagine her soaking in a warm bubble bath scented with rose water, then resting surrounded by all the treasures people have gifted her!”
None of you are even close.
Bzzzt! It's a party all right, but the wrong-answer party!
That’s right. Sorry for shattering all your fantasies, but the correct answer is! Not at some fancy party hall, but right here at an outdoor camping rest stop. Thanks to making the right choice, I’m enjoying grilled fish that still has plenty of meat no matter how much I tear off.
When I felt something on the corner of my mouth and rubbed at it roughly with the back of my hand, Ash, who was sitting beside me, let out a small sigh and wiped it clean with his handkerchief.
It was soot. How long had it been there? Was that why everyone had been staring earlier?
That peaceful Heidricke night, the rest stop stayed noisy until dawn with talk of the Saint’s miraculous survival. And the person least interested in the subject was, of course, me.
After all, no one knew better than I did that I was alive.