「「Dragon Slaying!?」」
Upon returning to the shop from the guild, I conveyed the proposal suggested by Gregory-san to everyone. Their reactions are all as expected.
—except for one.
「That’s quite interesting, isn’t it?」
Hanon, the Alraune who impeccably pulls off the clothes chosen by Martina and Kiara, had a different response.
「W-what’s interesting about that……that’s a dragon, you know!?」
「That’s right! They are dangerous!」
「Not all dragons are hostile to humans.」
「I think so too. That’s why I decided to wait and see what they would do first even if it meant we have to fight against a dragon.」
「「Wait and see?」」
Martina and Kiara exchanged glances, puzzled by my words.
I……it’s understandable.
I’m aware that this world exists within the framework of the Fantasy Farm Story, so not all dragons are inherently hostile toward humans, as Hanon rightly pointed out. Some dragons even exhibit friendliness toward humans.
However, considering that Martina and Kiara have never seen a real dragon and rely on biased information, they likely perceive my plan as nothing short of suicidal.
-0-
Still, I believe I should meet the dragon.
It has the potential to significantly alter our lives, and I can’t simply overlook that opportunity.
Yet, I hesitated to force these two frightened individuals to accompany me. So, I informed them that only Hanon, who fears no dragons, and I would venture forth.
「I-I didn’t say I won’t go.」
「I-I’m in too!」
While there are various considerations, we’ve decided to head toward the dragon in question together.
「Thank you both.」
「Well, let’s consider this valuable experience. It might even benefit my next report.」
「To become stronger adventurers, we can’t cower at the mere thought of a dragon!」
Dragons—aren’t they considered high-level monsters? Then again, labeling them as mere monsters seems odd. In games, they’re sometimes deified entities.
After preparing our items at the guild, we promptly returned to the treehouse to get ready for our first encounter with a dragon.
-0-
Next morning.
I entrusted the field management to the woodmen and made my way from the rooftop area and through the forest to the designated meeting point, Driessen’s Adventurer Guild.
Around the guild, armed adventurers had gathered in large numbers.
It’s much more crowded than the participation count I heard from Guild Master Felix-san yesterday… Perhaps they recruited even more people after that?
「Ah! You’ve come!」
Amidst the crowd, the person who greeted us was none other than the renowned Felix-san.
「Good morning, Felix-san. Quite a crowd here.」
「Yes. Given the rare opportunity to encounter an actual dragon, many adventurers have expressed interest in participating. From our perspective, having increased manpower is desirable.」
It’s purely a sightseeing mood, isn’t it?
Although I feel a bit uneasy… the gathering consists of formidable warriors who could easily make casual remarks like that. To them, our party—composed mostly of children—might appear to be on a picnic rather than a serious mission.
-0-
Later, Gregory-san and the company’s exclusive adventurers joined us, and we finally set off toward the forest path where the dragon awaited.
「Now then, this should be interesting.」
「Ugh… I suddenly feel nervous.」
「K-Kiara-chan, are you okay? I brought pickled Flame Tomatoes and Thunder Paprika for our lunch. Would you like some?」
「I’m not sure if I’m nervous or not but I would decline…..」
Our group’s energy remains unchanged.
Well, I find this more reassuring—it’s our style, after all.
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