Offer Tribute!
"Your Grace! We must assemble an elite knight order and pursue it at once! We should also request support from Tower Master Aria to prepare for the worst…!"
"I'll summon every platinum-rank adventurer from the guild…! But if the foe is a dragon from legend, who knows how many casualties we'll suffer…!"
In a large suite at the Wintervalt Hot Spring Resort, Knight Captain Sedric and Guild Master Walter Knight, along with the other retainers, wore grave expressions as they poured out their fervent pleas. Count Lian chimed in, his face drained of color.
"We need to send warnings to nearby territories and temporarily seal off the trade routes! If that dragon attacks a merchant caravan, Wintervalt's reputation will crumble in an instant!"
Everyone was carrying on as if the North was on the brink of doom. But Kailan, seated at the head of the table, waved them off with a relaxed expression.
"No need to make such a fuss."
"…Your Grace?"
The retainers stared at him in bewilderment before quickly composing themselves, focusing intently on their lord's words. Whenever their master opened like this, problems had never gone unsolved.
"No need to muster adventurers or knights. Instead, prepare five bottles of banana milk and some freshly steamed onsen eggs."
"…Pardon?"
"And get a variety of breads too. From the fanciest bakery in New City."
A strange silence settled over the room. This time, even the retainers couldn't fathom what their lord meant. Sedric's overactive imagination seemed to short-circuit; he just blinked in stunned silence. Walter ventured cautiously,
"Your Grace… are you saying we should prepare rations for the pursuit team?"
"No. The great Water Dragon has come all the way to distant Wintervalt. The least we can do is offer some tribute."
Kailan smirked as if it were all amusing.
"Not gold or jewels, but banana milk and eggs?"
Though Walter sounded incredulous, Kailan simply shifted his gaze instead of answering. It landed on a corner of the room's hallway, where the Gail party huddled awkwardly, dragged in by the guild master's emergency summons. They were familiar faces to Kailan, given how often they'd shown up at construction sites.
"We're here on our own dime for vacation—why are we stuck standing here…?"
"Shh. It's the guild master's orders, Rick. Don't you wanna rank up to gold? This could be your big break."
"G-gold rank sounds great, but you're not saying I have to fight a dragon, right…? No thanks—I've only got one life…!"
Kailan suddenly addressed the Gail party, who were muttering among themselves. Specifically, the one trembling like a leaf: Rick.
"You there."
"…Y-yes? A-are you calling me?!"
Rick jumped, pointing at himself.
"Come here."
"Y-yes, sir…."
Rick shuffled forward like a lamb to the slaughter.
"What's your adventurer rank?"
"S-silver rank…!"
"Perfect."
"R-really…?"
Kailan nodded in satisfaction.
"Yes, perfect. I'd like to give you a personal commission."
"A commission straight from Your Grace the Grand Duke—to me?!"
He's gonna throw this silver-rank scrub to the dragon as bait! Rick's face went from pale to ghostly white. Gazing at him, the incarnation of capitalism whispered low,
"The pay will be generous. Generous enough you can't refuse."
***
In a dark cave where damp groundwater trickled.
"…."
Something huddled miserably in the shadows. Empty banana milk bottles and eggshells from heated stones littered the floor.
It had followed the delicious scents to a place overflowing with food. All well and good… until the monster showed up.
If it'd escaped even a moment slower, its heart would've frozen solid by now.
"So good… so sweet…."
The dragon clutched an empty milk bottle in both feet, licking desperately. Days of this had worn away any taste, but a faint scent lingered, making it impossible to stop.
"Not enough… I want more…! Hiiiing…."
Should it head back to the humans' land? Sweet yellow liquid, savory eggs, soft bread… Just thinking made its mouth water.
But… That human was so scary and strong-looking…!
The chill aura from that massive sword had pierced the hot spring water straight for its heart. Recalling it made its scales bristle.
B-but… I want more food… Maybe that guy's gone home by now?
Gulp.
Food or safety. The somewhat inept dragon agonized endlessly between the two.
Then—
Thud. Thud. Tremble tremble… Footsteps echoed from the cave entrance. From the quaking ground, the legs must've been shaking violently. Like a deer barely escaped from a predator? Much like itself.
"A-aygo~ my legs~ W-well, there's a cave here, so maybe rest a bit~ H-haha! T-this is some lucky break, huh?"
The dragon tilted its head, blinking round eyes in the dark. For a mutter, the voice was awfully loud. The trembling steps soon invaded the cave proper.
"B-before heading to the next village to sell m-milk and eggs… gotta rest a bit…!"
Milk!? Eggs!?
No way. Sweet fragrance wafted in.
"Sniff, sniff…!"
The dragon's snout twitched wildly. This maddeningly sweet scent.
M-milk…! Eggs…! And bread too!
It crept toward the entrance to spy on the intruder. A scrawny human laden with baskets. Nothing like the terrifying one from the hot springs—utterly feeble.
The dragon's round eyes narrowed. One puny human like that….
Hee hee hee hee….
Scare it, and it'll drop the milk and eggs and flee, right?
Yeah! Dragons are great! No guilt in taking weak humans' stuff! They should tribute the mighty me anyway!
Justifying itself, the dragon slurped up groundwater, inflating its body massively. Then it revealed itself majestically.
"Grrrrr—!"
Whoosh—!
A colossal watery form surged from the dark, showering the ceiling with dirt.
"U-uwahhh—!"
"Human! Dare invade my domain? You wanna die?!"
Overwhelmed by the giant, the human froze like stone on the spot.
"H-hiiiik…! D-d-dragonnn…!!"
The reaction thrilled the dragon.
Yes! Fear me more! I am the great dragon! S-so hand over those sweets!
"G-great Dragon Lord…! Sp-spare me! T-take it all, just please don't kill me…!!"
Trembling, the human thrust forward the milk bottles, egg basket, and bread sack.
Got it!
With a dainty motion unfit for its huge forefoot, the dragon popped a banana milk lid.
"Sniff sniff…."
Rich, sweet aroma. No doubt—the same milk stolen from the hot springs.
Gluttony overwhelming it, the dragon gulped the whole bottle down.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
Hnnng~! This taste! This is it!
Puha—!
Setting down the empty bottle, it snorted in satisfaction. One bottle gone in seconds.
But it didn't stop. It devoured eggs and bread in one bite, then inhaled the second milk bottle like mad. Its snout twitched happily.
Not enough… want more….
Having wolfed down the floor's tribute, its eyes now fixed on the bag on the human's back.
Bet there's more in there!
The dragon stepped forward, shaking the cave.
"Grrrng! More! Give more! Or face my wrath…!"
"U-uwahhhh!! It's a real dragon!!"
Eyes gleaming, the massive watery beast advanced. Unable to bear the terror, the human bolted for the exit.
"Where do you think you're going!!"
That bag surely had more food! Couldn't let it escape.
Losing all reason, the dragon chased the food out of the cave in a frenzy.
***
"Uwaaaah!! Your Grace!! It's a real dragon! A huge real one!!"
Outside the cave. Rick screamed desperately, crossing the snowy plain. Behind him rumbled the massive Water Dragon in pursuit.
Kailan had waited leisurely until Rick lured it out fully.
Now.
Snap—!
Crack-rumble!!
At Kailan's signal, steel trees erupted, sealing the cave mouth instantly. The work of Wintervalt's forest warden, Pochy.
"…Kishit! You can't pass now!"
Then, waiting Green Tower Master Aria tossed seeds into the air and swung her staff.
"Bloom!"
Vast vines burst forth, blanketing the sky and forming a giant dome prison that pinned the dragon in place. Flight and escape blocked—perfect.
"Eek! W-what is this!!"
Realizing its retreat was cut off, the dragon thrashed in rage inside the dome.
"You insolent humans! Daring to defile me! You all wanna drown?!"
Grrr—!
The dragon gaped wide, charging the breath that had once blasted knights away from the hot springs.
On the snowy plain, the dragon hunt's curtain rose.