A Journey with Rat and Dragon (1)
The next day, after packing my scant belongings, I finished preparing for the journey with Tia. With all sorts of anxieties weighing on my heart, I was setting off on a trip relying on my mom's letter. To be honest, the thought of Is this really okay? kept circling in my mind... But what can I do? I have no choice but to go.
When I was little, I resented her for abandoning me and leaving... But if Mom had her own circumstances, if it was to ensure my safety... then it must've been an unavoidable choice. If that same mom is now in danger... it's my turn to help her this time. Even though I'm just a country girl who's never properly swung a weapon... With Tia—the Dragon Priestess, a massive dragon and the hero's partner from the stories—by my side... I feel like we can save her.
So, I forcibly mustered some courage from deep within. Toward the world beyond the village. Toward the unknown. I took my first steps.
I woke up from a nap of several hundred years to the sound of a tiny noise right in front of my nose, and there was a little gray-haired rat beastkin looking terrified. Through what felt like some web novel cliché, I ended up traveling with this small rat beastkin named Maybel.
To be honest, I didn't have to travel with her... But after sleeping for centuries, you kinda wanna see how the world's changed, right? While I was hibernating, my spirit children handled all my tasks for me. Thanks to them, nothing piled up.
So yeah, I had the leisure to leisurely tour the world. And... I got a bit interested in Maybel and her mom's story. The way things unfolded on their own without my interference was... pretty intriguing.
Her mom... Ella, was it? Ella Cinder. No matter how you look at it, she gives off total Cinderella vibes. Persecuted by a stepmom and two stepsisters—just like the fairy tale. Well, she reclaimed her inheritance through her own strength, without any glass slippers or balls. No midnight magic wearing off at twelve, either.
Hmm. Anyway, setting her story aside for now.
"Hoo... haa..."
"You okay?"
"Y-Yeah... I'm fine..."
Maybel trudged along the rugged mountain path, a massive bag slung over her back.
"Still, thanks to getting stronger, it's kinda manageable now."
"Is that so?"
With a backpack bigger than herself, Maybel looked hilariously unbalanced. Honestly, a normal human wouldn't last long carrying that much. Even in a march, you don't pack that heavy.
"Want me to carry it?"
"No, it's fine. It's my stuff."
Using her giant hammer as a walking stick, Maybel prodded the ground as she went. Hmm. Small and cute, but strong— that imbalance gives her a weird charm. But... she's clearly struggling. Can't just leave her be.
So.
"Then let me help for a bit."
"Huh? No, really, it's okay! It's my bag, so I should carry it!"
"I'm not offering to carry your bag. Just lend me that hammer for a sec?"
"The hammer? Earthshatter?"
I nodded slightly, and Maybel handed it over, half-doubting. Hmm. It caught my eye from the first time I saw it. I was curious how dwarf enchanting techniques had evolved.
I examined Earthshatter this way and that.
"It's well-made, but the mana conversion part feels a bit rough."
Like this, it consumes 10 mana for about 4 worth of enhancement. Roughly a 40% strength boost—not bad, but optimizing it could make it sleeker. 10 mana for 8 enhancement—double the effect.
"There. A quick tune-up. You'll feel the strength boost more now."
"Really...?"
Maybel gripped the slightly modified Earthshatter, her face lighting up in surprise.
"Whoa! It really got stronger! How'd you do that?"
"Just tweaked the dwarf runes a bit. Cut unnecessary mana waste and smoothed it out. That's all it takes for this kind of performance jump."
"Doesn't sound simple..."
Well, no one handles mana like I do. I can wield it like an extension of my limbs now.
"Th-Thank you."
Maybel bowed to me, then inspected the hammer eagerly. She could definitely feel the improvement—a smile crept onto her lips.
Satisfied with her upgraded hammer, Maybel looked up at me and spoke.
"But... why does Tia help people like this?"
"Hmm?"
"Tia's... a dragon, right? A mountain-sized one at that. To you, humans must seem like bugs crawling on the ground. So why help humans like this?"
Hmm. Why help humans, huh. Thinking about it, I don't have to... Hmm... If it weren't for my followers worshiping me as the Life Goddess... Would I ignore humans? Nah, probably not. I was human once. As long as those memories linger, I can't turn away from them.
Of course, I can't say that. A dragon's reincarnation as a human? No one'd believe it. Not even my kids.
"Is it because of the Life Goddess? Did she tell you to look after humans?"
I'm the Life Goddess. I don't take orders from myself. I do it 'cause I want to.
"I do it 'cause I want to."
"But I don't get it. Humans don't care about bugs' plights, so isn't it normal for dragons not to care about humans'?"
Hmm... Maybe. But I do it 'cause I want to. If I didn't care about life and such... I wouldn't have created it in the first place. So... am I just taking a bit of responsibility for what I made?
"Could be, could not be. If a small animal's shivering from cold, some hunt it, some ignore it, others help it, right? I'm just like a human helping an animal—helping humans."
Not that humans are on par with animals, mind you. Just that I have some compassion.
"True... People do adopt orphaned animals sometimes. Kinda like that, huh?"
Strictly speaking, no. But anyway.
"Yeah, think of it that way."
No point explaining in detail—too bothersome.
"Alright, let's keep going. We need to reach the village before sunset."
I could teleport us there in a blink, but that's too convenient. I could warp to the other side of the continent, but that kills the travel vibe.
"Yeah! We gotta hit the next village before dark."
And so, Maybel and I pressed on through the rugged mountain path.
We arrived at a decent-sized village. Nestled beside a small river, with golden wheat fields swaying in the wind all around—probably their main crop.
In that village.
"So, where to now?"
"New village means inn first, right?"
Secure lodging wherever you go—basic rule. No bed means exhausting travel. A good rest spot is key.
"Inn? The priest told me about one. I'll lead the way."
"Heard about it? You know the exact spot?"
"Yep! Priest gave me the full rundown on this village. I could map it out from what I heard!"
"Then lead on."
Could ask locals, but she's so confident. Might as well trust her.
With that, I followed Maybel through the village.