Simone.
Eselda.
Vinessa.
The Dragonkins we’d encountered so far were all rational, communicative beings. Simone, especially, had been a long-standing companion, someone we lived and worked alongside. Because of this, everyone at the dungeon farm held the Dragonkin in high regard. Sure, their dragon forms could be intimidating, but beneath that, they were no different from us.
—But, apparently, not all Dragonkin fit this mold.
The source of the roar echoing through the forest was said to be starving for human flesh. Vinessa had claimed this, though it was merely a rumor: that Dragonkin sometimes experience an urge to consume humans. To verify the truth of this unsettling possibility, we had no choice but to confront the dragon responsible for the cry.
Simone’s reluctance to leave the forest seemed directly tied to this dragon as well.
After some time walking, we emerged into an open area, and what we saw there left us speechless.
「D-Dragonkin… so many of them…」
It was a village.
The place looked like an ordinary settlement at first glance, but the residents’ distinctive ears and tails revealed them to be Dragonkins, like Simone.
I hadn’t expected to find a village here, but what stood out even more was the demeanor of the Dragonkin we encountered.
They seemed lifeless, as if something had drained the vitality from them. Their expressions were clouded with fear, their movements hesitant and subdued. When they noticed us approaching, they didn’t react with curiosity or suspicion, as one might expect. Instead, they quickly retreated, avoiding us entirely.
「You’d think they’d at least show some interest, given that humans have wandered in.」
「They must have more pressing concerns.」
Vinessa’s tone was calm, but her gaze was fixed upward.
Following her line of sight, I tilted my head back to see what had captured her attention.
And then—
「Wha—!?」
The sheer scale of what I saw left me frozen in place.
The others, alerted by my reaction, followed my gaze and were similarly stunned.
Until now, the dense trees had obscured our view, but towering above the canopy was an enormous dragon’s head. Its sheer size was beyond anything I’d ever seen. This had to be the dragon responsible for the earlier roar.
While the rest of us stood paralyzed, overwhelmed by the sight, Vinessa alone stepped forward, her fists clenched and her eyes burning with determination.
「Finally… I’ve found you.」
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