As we finished our meal, Karen, Chocola, and I expressed our gratitude and began to clean up. Mother, with great enthusiasm, volunteered to wash the dishes. Her attitude, so delighted to be able to do some “motherly things”, was so pronounced that it made me feel a bit embarrassed.
「Hey, Karen. It takes quite a while to get to the nearest town, doesn’t it?」
「Hmm, if it’s just us, it would take about five days. We could do it in three if we don’t sleep, but there’s no need to rush. However, we will be bringing back supplies on our return trip so… Viole-sama, can we get a lizard carriage?」
「A lizard carriage? We have one prepared. I received a message yesterday that a Tarasque has been procured.」
Mother continued washing the dishes as she answered.
「Is that lizard carriage okay to use in the forest?」
「It might be a bit tough in some places. We may have to cut down trees as we go. But if we all work together, we can travel as fast as if we were on a main road.」
Even if monsters attack us— even if they are mutants, we can probably defeat them easily. Or rather, mother can.
「If it’s the same as the main road, it might take about five days.」
「So, because it’s in the forest, it will inevitably slow us down, right?」
「That’s right.」
For a moment, I thought, why not just clear the forest and build a road? But if that were possible, this place wouldn’t be called a dangerous magic power place. I guess my wisdom is still too shallow.
「The only thing I’m a bit worried about is leaving the house unattended for a long time if we go.」
「Don’t worry, if it’s the current Sui, barriers can be activated remotely.」
「Well, I guess that’s true. I feel like I can do it even from afar. But still, it’s a matter of feeling…」
No matter the environment, there’s always a bit of anxiety about leaving home for a long time.
「If you’re really worried, Mother could go alone… But Sui-kun, you’d like to see the town at least once, right?」
「That’s right.」
Mother, having finished washing the dishes, joined us. Then, the three of us, along with one pet, entered into a post-meal relaxation. The main topic of conversation was when to go to town. It seems we will depart within the next two or three days. If it takes five days to get there, I wonder what kind of preparations we’ll need—
As I was thinking,
「Bark! Bark bark!」
Chocola, who had been curled up, suddenly stood up and started barking towards the porch—or rather, the front yard.
「What’s wrong?」
「…..Could it be that a mutant is attacking again?」
「No.」
This bark was a little different from one signaling imminent danger.
It wasn’t a warning or a threat.
I remember a similar bark back in Japan. It happened when someone from Father’s company or a neighbor stood at the front door, about to ring the bell, and he sensed it.
「It seems like “someone” has arrived… but how would we even have a guess here?」
「Bark!」
While feeling puzzled, I open the sliding window. I put on the shoes that were left under the eaves and stepped out into the courtyard.
「Eh」
—It came from the sky.
The first thing I saw was that it was gliding slowly through the air with its wings spread wide.
Then, without making a sound, it began to approach us. It was getting closer and closer.
It’s huge. I estimate—no, how many meters is it? I can’t even estimate.
Its face, while reptilian, doesn’t resemble a crocodile, snake, or lizard at all. It has a certain majestic aura. The horns on its head are sharp, yet beautiful.
The scales covering its body reflect light, appearing blue, white, or green depending on the part.
The wings on its back are spread wide and majestic, reminiscent of the functional beauty of a fighter jet. But it doesn’t seem to be flying according to the laws of physics. From its thick body extends a robust tail, and beast-like limbs hanging down, left to dance in the air.
It hovers slightly above our house, flapping its wings, then descends straight down into the garden, like a VTOL aircraft.
A gust of wind swirls around.
However, despite its massive body—occupying about a quarter of the courtyard—the disturbance is quite modest.
The barrier doesn’t activate. This means that, in the short-term future, it will not harm us or our home in any way.
I was more awestruck by its beauty than frightened or surprised.
Its face, body, wings, limbs, and eyes which were calm and filled with intelligence.
Indeed, compared to this, the wyvern I encountered on the first day was just a big lizard with wings.
「Dragon…」
I murmured dreamily, and the dragon spoke to me in our language.
「Sorry for the sudden visit. I felt the magic of Heavenly Bell-dono and got curious. Oh, was it wrong to land in the courtyard?」
「No, surprisingly friendly.」
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