Chapter 7 | We Have Done Too Much Damage to Their Species.

Approximately two weeks passed before we finished traveling through the forests and fields. Lyshåndn was only a few kilometers away, although it wasn’t a particularly long journey from Dorsberg. Majestic adapted very well to his new traveling companion;  honestly, they seemed to understand each other perfectly. 

From village to village, we made a living by selling our supplies. The arrangement was quite efficient. However...  

“Get out of here!” a furious local merchant shouted, waving his arms in the air. 

 We’re working!  What’s the problem?!” Itsuki immediately replied, crossing his arms.

“Citizens!” I raised my voice toward the crowd walking along the commercial street.  “We’re offering you an absolutely wonderful price! We have a little bit of everything!  Pure wheat flour so you can make your own bread. Enough with believing the lies of local shops that claim their products are ‘freshly baked’! We all know that’s a lie!”

“Guikyume... I think we should leave,” Itsuki whispered, gently tugging at my sleeve. 

“...?!”

“Get out of here before we call the guards!”

...

I wonder how Einer is doing now that he has taken over leadership of the village. I hope he’s doing well. Although, to be honest, I wasn’t too worried about him; Einer had always proven himself to be an extremely intelligent and determined man.

“I hope everyone back there is doing well...” I murmured to myself.

Before we could cross the large entrance archway, two guards equipped with heavy armor blocked our path.

“Identification,” the one on the right demanded in a cold tone.

“We’re adventurers. We don’t have formal city identification,” I replied calmly.

Itsuki handed his card to the guard on the left, and I handed mine to the other. Both of them carefully examined the metal plates, checking the seals.

“You survived the Forest of Disconnection! That’s incredible!” the other guard exclaimed with obvious curiosity. “It must have been quite an adventure, right?”

“Ah... yes, yes... Very fun, actually,” I lied with a slight grimace.

The gears creaked as the imposing oak-and-iron doors slowly opened to let us through. All right, our priority now was to head directly to the local guild and settle there for about a week.

“That would be the most reasonable option. Let’s go.”

“One gold coin?!” I protested when I heard the price over the inn counter.

“Guikyume, it’s fine... Let’s just pay,” Itsuki said, trying to accept the expense.

...

The room was actually quite spacious and comfortable. Itsuki stared at it with bright eyes when he noticed that there were two single beds. I understood him perfectly: after constantly alternating between sleeping outdoors and renting cabins, this was a huge change.

“I don’t care. Deep down, I still prefer camping,” I replied indifferently.

The golden light of the sunset filtered through the window, filling the room with a slight sense of melancholy. I took my bag and placed my belongings on the wooden table.

“All right... Here’s my personal notebook. In this one, I wrote down the routes and unexpected events from the journey. This one contains a detailed record of our entire trip... and these are the two books Leif gave me, which I still need to learn how to translate. Finally, the parchment...”

Thinking about it, I still hadn’t had the time or resources necessary to investigate the letter and the implications of corrupt magic in depth. Learning the ancient language was going to be a real challenge, but I was determined to accomplish it.

“Yes, yes.” My companion’s voice brought me back to reality. “What is it?”

“There’s no need to cook. It’s fine, we can go to that restaurant.”

Suddenly, he froze, as if he had remembered something important.

“Oh, no, nothing. I just remembered that our main goal is to continue toward the Kingdom of the Seven Sages... but I’d like to stay here in Lyshåndn a little longer.”

“Sure! Oh, by the way, I heard a rumor at the entrance about some territorial disputes along the border. We should gather more information about it later, because there’s a good chance we’ll have to change our route.”

“Let’s go!”

We had an excellent dinner at the tavern in the center of town: a thick stew accompanied by well-seasoned meat and a wide variety of local vegetables. When we finished, we went straight back to the inn and lay down to rest; after all, we had gone several days without sleeping properly.

“Hey, Itsuki... Wake up,” I murmured, my voice noticeably tired.

“We should go to the guild and check the notice board.”

“Hmm, yeah...” Itsuki nodded, his voice still muffled by exhaustion.

When we stepped outside, the streets of the capital were already bustling with activity: merchants calling out their offers and children running through the alleys. The urban scenery was truly impressive. I approached a knight guarding the entrance to the tavern out front and asked him for directions to the main guild. He gave them to us politely.

This guild was considerably larger than the previous one. Its walls were rustic, and the windows were unusually large. Above the oak door was an enormous emblem representing the guild.

We pushed the door open. The first thing I noticed was the murmur of several adventurers, probably speculating about the newcomers. I looked to the side. The announcement board covered an entire wall on the right, right beside the receptionist. We headed straight there, paying no attention to the stares.

“Hello, newcomers,” the receptionist said, crossing her arms.

What an unusual way of speaking.

“Yes. How can we register?” Itsuki asked.

“Very simple. Your adventurer guild cards.”

We handed over our cards, and she wrote down the information on one sheet while writing something else on another.

I found her way of speaking interesting. She emphasized her words with a constant rise and fall and avoided unnecessary pauses. It reminded me of the formal way nobles spoke, although hers was much more casual. At least in Dorsberg, nobles spoke that way to emphasize their status. In her case, however, it simply seemed to be an accent with a distinctly rhythmic tone.

“Here you go, boys. You can check the announcement board. You’ll see that the requests in the blue section are the ones you can accept based on your rank... Hmm, it’s fascinating that you participated in an event like the one in Dorsberg. Oh! Yes, you can also buy equipment here if you need anything.”

“Thank you very much, miss,” Itsuki said with a nod.

Let’s see...

There were some fairly basic requests on the board, such as escort jobs and gathering magical herbs. Well, that was interesting. There were also expeditions... Hmm, there were even requests for supplies, such as hides.

“We could take this one. Look.” Itsuki took one of the notices and showed it to me.

“Well...”

“Well?”

“All right. We’ll take this hunting request. It’s been a while since we’ve done one.”

I read the notice more carefully.

“Although it looks like there’s a chance we’ll encounter gray wolves. According to this, they’re larger than normal.”

“Sounds good. I’ll go get some bread.”

“All right.”

We were sitting at the last table in the spacious guild when, suddenly...

BOOM!

A man stumbled inside, looking as though he were on the verge of collapsing.

“Help! Help!”

The receptionist quickly approached him to try to calm him down, but the man ended up dropping to his knees in front of her.

“They won’t listen to us! They’re ignoring us!”

“Sir, calm down. Tell me, who?”

“The Royal Cavalry! We’ve been sending letters asking for help. We’ve also requested supplies because our village is in a desperate situation!”

“I see... What do you need? Tell me, but please lower your voice. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask you to leave. All right?”

“Thank you, truly, young lady. I’m sorry...”

“It’s all right. Please stand up.”

“A... dragon...”

“Yes?”

“It protects a sacred forest. Several people have already suffered the consequences of getting too close to the Lucierganas Forest. Merchants... My-my village has been attacked several times by that creature! We’re so close to that forest...”

“Sir... I understand. What is it that you want?”

“For someone to help us get rid of the dragon!”

Apparently, a group of adventurers began approaching them.

“I understand. Tell me, how much is the reward?” one of them asked.

“That’s what I want to know too!” another shouted from the back.

The man, with tears in his eyes, handed the adventurer a small pouch.

“We can only offer two hundred silver coins...”

Laughter began spreading throughout the guild. The adventurer roughly handed the pouch back to him.

“Look for help somewhere else. This is an absolute joke.”

“Two hundred silver coins wouldn’t even be enough to rent a room or repair our equipment,” a swordsman argued from the reception area.

Everyone turned toward him. Some continued staring at the man in surprise.

I remained silent.

I analyzed the situation. Two hundred silver coins for a job this dangerous... It was a miserable reward. If we were being honest, it would barely cover any expenses.

“Guikyume...” Itsuki whispered.

“What is it?”

Meanwhile, the man picked up the pouch and the coins that had spilled onto the floor amid the laughter of the others.

It was a shame.

“Guikyume, you’ve always wanted to see a dragon, right?” he said, leaning toward me.

“I know, but we have to be aware that it’s a risk. The reward is absurd. Itsuki, two hundred silver coins would barely cover anything, and you know that.”

“Guikyume, we’ll only go and take a look. We can assess the situation and see if there’s anything we can do to help. But if things get out of control, we’ll come back. What do you say?”

“We know absolutely nothing about the creature.”

“I know, I know... Just think about it, okay?”

I frowned as I watched the situation.

The man was still picking up the scattered coins through his tears while the others mocked his poverty.

“What are we going to do, Guikyume?” he insisted.

“I understand...”

I stood up and adjusted my bag as I looked at the man carefully.

Then I remembered that ordinary day...

I remembered her.

Sylaine’s words echoed through my mind with painful clarity:

“We’ve already caused too much harm to their kind...”

I took a deep breath.

“We’ll go. But we’re not going to do much, all right?”

“Very well! I knew you’d agree.

We went straight over to the man. The receptionist was still trying to calm him down, but he remained overcome with sobs.

“We’ll take the request,” I said in a deep voice that abruptly silenced the murmurs around us.

They probably thought it was a suicidal and reckless decision. Part of me knew they were right, since that pitiful amount of money could hardly be considered a real reward. The farmer raised his head, this time with a glimmer of hope illuminating his face.

“Are you sure? To be honest, this isn’t a request that should be taken lightly,” the receptionist warned, crossing her arms.

“We know. However, we’ll give it a try,” Itsuki replied firmly.

“Thank you so much, young men! Truly, thank you!” the man exclaimed as he repeatedly bowed, creating an almost uncomfortable scene.

“Let’s go. The sooner we leave, the better, right?” I ordered, adjusting my equipment.

...

“Too much damage has been done to their species...” Sylaine’s words remained etched into my mind, echoing with the rhythm of every step we took. We left the imposing walls of Lyshåndn’s capital behind and crossed vast green fields before entering the depths of the forest, guided by the farmer...

The poor man had walked all the way from his homeland to the capital without stopping. Desperation and necessity can sometimes strip a person of every last bit of dignity. We settled him in the back of the carriage and offered him a handful of dried fruit; he devoured it within seconds, on the verge of collapsing from hunger.

Thinking about it more carefully, if the Royal Cavalry had read the letters requesting aid and simply turned a deaf ear to them, that meant they had abandoned an entire village to its fate. However, there was something I couldn't quite make sense of: if the creature posed such a tremendous threat, why hadn't the villagers simply evacuated?

I understood that it was a heartbreaking decision, and that abandoning the place you called home could cost you a piece of your soul. Even so, I would never consider fleeing from death an act of cowardice.

At the edge of the road, the vegetation parted slightly. I looked to the right and stopped dead in my tracks when I caught sight of metallic flashes among the foliage.

Knights? Heavy crossbows?

I abruptly halted the carriage, extending an arm to stop the others.

“Follow me,” I ordered in an icy whisper. “If this is a trap... I won't show any mercy.”

We climbed down from the carriage and silently slipped through the undergrowth, hiding behind the thick trunks of two ancient oak trees.

“Didn't you say they hadn't responded to your letters?” I questioned, fixing him with a suspicious stare as I tightened my grip around the hilt of my dagger.

“No, no! I'm just as surprised as you are!” he replied, trembling uncontrollably.

“Are you trying to deceive us?”

I frowned and gave Itsuki a subtle signal with my hand. He took several steps backward without making the slightest sound, drew an arrow from his quiver, and pulled the string of his bow back with deadly precision.

The man dropped to his knees in the mud, clasping his hands together in desperate supplication.

“Please, young men! I have no idea what they're doing here! I swear it on my life!”

“Silence...” Itsuki hissed coldly, without loosening the tension on the string by even an inch.

“We're not willing to tolerate deception. What are you really after?” I demanded, taking a step closer and holding the icy edge of my dagger mere millimeters from his throat.

“I only want your help... I'm sorry for this inconvenience, but I swear on everything sacred that I didn't know the soldiers would be here,” he pleaded, his voice broken by genuine panic.

The farmer's reaction was completely genuine. We had to find out what the cavalry was doing there, even though the entire situation felt wrong.

“All right... Itsuki, I'll go talk to them,” I said, returning my dagger to its sheath.

“Are you sure? What the hell are you planning to tell them, Guikyume?” Itsuki asked, slowly lowering his bow while remaining on guard.

“They're going to make a rash decision. It's obvious. I'll tell them to let me inspect the area first.”

“But Guikyume, we agreed that we were only coming to observe!”

“We accepted the request, didn't we? Then we decide how to approach it.”

“Whatever you say...” Itsuki sighed, resigned.

I turned toward the villager, who was still wiping the tears from his face on the ground.

“You. Where exactly was the dragon spotted?”

“On... on the second hill,” he answered with a trembling hand, pointing toward the distant slope. “There's a rocky stretch... If you head straight in that direction, you'll see the old trade route in the distance. Almost nobody uses it anymore, but the path is still marked.”

“All right. Itsuki, stay here with him and look after Majestoso.”

“Guikyume, you can't be serious!” he exclaimed, taking a step forward.

“I am completely serious. I just want to try something.”

I ran toward the slope, sliding down its incline while taking advantage of the shadows cast by the bushes, then continued at a steady pace toward the line of guards.

When I approached the perimeter of the military camp, three soldiers immediately stepped in front of me, crossing their spears before my chest with a sharp metallic clack.

“Stop and identify yourself!” one of them demanded.

“May I show you my Adventurer's Guild card?” I replied with absolute coldness, slowly reaching into my bag.

“Go ahead.”

I handed him the metal plate. A man wearing noticeably more ornate armor approached, took the card, and examined me from head to toe with a critical gaze.

“You're from Northern Zure, aren't you?” the apparent captain asked.

“How do you know?”

“Your accent,” he replied with a faintly disdainful smile. “People from there tend to be too direct and informal when they speak.”

“I see.” I nodded, maintaining my composure. “May I make a suggestion, Captain?”

The officer casually gestured toward the guards.

“Let the young man through.”

The soldiers lowered their spears. I gave a brief, impassive bow of respect.

“Captain, with all due respect to your rank, you should consider conducting a preliminary inspection of the area before carrying out a deployment of this scale.”

“Oh? And why would I do something like that?”

“I can inspect the area for you. After all, I accepted a formal request from a farmer from the village near this forest.”

“The village beyond the forest, yes...” the captain said, returning my card without giving it much thought. “Although that doesn't concern me at all. I wasn't ordered to protect those people. The creature was spotted along the kingdom's trade route, and my duty is to eradicate it before it disrupts the flow of goods or approaches the capital.”

“I understand your concern,” I replied, though I felt nothing but deep contempt inside.

When money is at stake, they react immediately. Yet they abandon an entire village to its fate.

“Even so, a terrain check wouldn't hurt,” the captain continued. “If you die in there, it's not our responsibility. Is that clear? Lure the beast toward the ambush point if you find it.”

“Thank you, Captain. I'll determine the most suitable combat area to avoid casualties among your ranks.”

“Excellent. Remember, it's a dragon, not an ordinary beast. Consider this an order and go investigate.”

I nodded, turned around, and entered the forest at a brisk pace. As I dodged branches and made my way through the dense vegetation, confusion began to cloud my mind.

What am I supposed to do? Why am I doing this? I really want to see the dragon, but I also want to keep it from suffering...

The second hill appeared before my eyes. I headed straight toward it until I came across the largest clearing in the forest. How could I make the creature chase me? According to the descriptions, it was supposed to be extremely aggressive.

I began searching cautiously among the trees. Suddenly, I saw it and stopped dead in my tracks.

The creature was resting on the ground. I have to admit, a sharp mixture of uncertainty and pure excitement washed over me; I had never seen anything like it in my life. The dragon had vibrant blue scales arranged in a structure that resembled natural armor designed for protection. However, its breathing was labored and irregular.

I remembered reading about this particular species: the Sky Dragon. They were peaceful creatures, not aggressive at all, and were believed to be extinct or to have migrated to the southern continent due to humanity's relentless hunting in order to expand their cities.

What is it doing here?

I decided to try waking it. I approached cautiously, one step at a time. The creature moved with obvious difficulty, barely shifting.

My heart began pounding violently against my chest.

Is it fair that they can't reclaim their own territory?

I moved closer. The involuntary crack of a single branch broke the silence. I tensed immediately. The creature opened its large pale-blue eyes, but it didn't seem to react with immediate fury. It released a peculiar sound, like a broken, mournful howl.

It slowly stood up and turned around, revealing a deep crossbow wound on its back... Had they attacked it? I looked around and noticed a trail of disturbed earth; surely it had been trying to fly through the area when it was struck in the back, forcing it to crash.

Can I help it?

“I don't want to hurt you... I just want to help you, okay?” I said calmly.

I knew that taking another step would mean invading its safety margin.

“Can I come closer? They... they want to hurt you. You have to leave this place, do you hear me? Tell me, can I come any closer?”

The creature stared at me, frowned, and suddenly stood up, limping. I slowly crouched down to show that I had no hostile intentions.

“Foolish human... run away,” it said in a deep voice, though there was a clear trace of fear in it.

“You can speak... You understand me. Please, listen to me.”

“Leave me alone...”

It moved awkwardly toward me. I took a couple of steps backward, keeping my hands visible.

“I don't want to hurt you.”

Silence reigned over the clearing until, suddenly, the creature lunged at me in a fit of rage. I ran toward a slope in the terrain, but the dragon abruptly spun around; its enormous tail cut blindly through the air. I tried to propel myself away, but the impact hit me head-on. I was sent flying through the air and slammed violently against the trunk of a tree. A dull pain cracked through my ribs, and I spat out a thin stream of blood.

My vision blurred for a moment, but I forced myself to remain composed. He stepped backward a few paces, keeping his head lowered.

“I just want to help you!” I shouted breathlessly, leaning against the tree.

“No... I didn't mean to do that... You don't understand!” the creature growled heavily. “Mother, father... my species is gone. Humans are to blame. Only a few of us remain hidden. We allowed you to build your cities, and you still keep destroying the land!”

“Believe me, I understand... I know it hurts... Are you angry?” I approached again, moving weakly and slowly.

“To love one's homeland is to be at war. That's why I feel anger... a deep pain.”

“This was your home before, wasn't it?”

“The forest... I want it to remain as it is. I won't allow them to erase our last memory.”

“I understand, but attacking others won't get you anywhere.”

“No... I didn't attack them. I only reacted. Their crops are growing on stolen land; they killed the ancient river to build their dams.”

It was true. He hadn't deliberately caused widespread destruction; he had only wanted them to leave.

“I understand... But you have to run away.”

“Who will protect our land, then? A foolish decision!”

“They'll kill you! Understand that... Tell me, what place will you protect if they kill you?”

The dragon seemed to shrink slightly at my words.

“And you?” he asked, staring into my eyes with his pale-blue eyes.

“All right, I can try. Let's make a deal...”

“You aren't evil. I can sense a void inside you... What is it that you want to protect?”

“I tried before... but my mother, my father, my people...” I paused, feeling a knot forming in my throat.

The creature tilted its head toward me, shortening the distance between us.

“Did they make you feel this emptiness too?”

“It wasn't the humans... It was the Walkers. I want to protect whatever I can on this journey... the people I love.”

The dragon released a faint howl, a low vibration that conveyed complete understanding.

“I didn't mean to hurt them... My anger and emptiness got the better of me. I'll leave.”

“Running away doesn't make you a coward,” I assured him.

“Foolish human... humans don't understand time. Humans destroy the land; the land bleeds and cries for help, but humans don't listen. You... you can make a difference.”

“I know... I'll try.”

“The earth trembles on its own. There will be no warning before the consequences come.”

His words lingered in the air. The dragon began moving with obvious difficulty, spreading its wings as it prepared to take flight.

“See you later,” I murmured.

“Good human...”

Suddenly, a metallic whistle cut through the air! Arrows! Crossbow bolts!

A swarm of projectiles rained down upon the clearing. The dragon roared desperately as the Royal Cavalry burst through the trees, attacking without restraint.

They launched a heavy iron net that tangled around its wings and limbs, preventing it from spreading them. The creature made one final attempt to break free, but collapsed helplessly into the mud.

“Stop!” I shouted.

An armored knight carrying a spear charged directly toward the helpless creature.

No... no!

I lunged forward, placing my own body in the path of the attack. A strangled cry escaped my chest as the cold metal found its mark...

...

I opened my eyes with difficulty... What had happened? The light was dim, and I recognized the ceiling of the room...

I pushed myself upright, my vision still slightly blurred and my head heavy. Beside me, Itsuki was sitting in a chair, nodding off from exhaustion.

“Itsuki...?” I murmured hoarsely.

He tensed instantly. He jolted upright, suddenly wide awake, and awkwardly straightened himself.

“Guikyume! You’re alive!” he exclaimed, his face filled with relief.

“I know... Why are you so surprised?”

“Don’t ever do something that reckless again!” he scolded me.

“What exactly happened?”

Suddenly, the memories of the battle crashed into my mind like a wave: the cavalryman’s spear, the metallic impact, the pain cracking through my chest...

“I hope the creature is all right...” I said, feeling a knot tighten in my throat.

“It is. It managed to escape,” Itsuki replied, letting out a long sigh.

“That’s good... But how am I still alive?”

“The dragon managed to break free from the nets after the impact. It grabbed you and flew somewhere far beyond the soldiers’ reach. I saw the whole thing from the hill and ran after you... I thought I was going to lose you, but in the end, you were here! And the strangest thing is that you came back without that fatal wound. We found you in a river.”

“Did I pass out?”

“With the pressure from the air and the blood loss, it was the most likely explanation. Do you really not remember anything after that?”

“A little... The dragon licked my wound. Apparently, something in its saliva had healing properties and closed the cut. After that... everything becomes blurry.”

“I see...”

“Where’s my bag?” I asked, looking around the room.

Itsuki stood up, picked up the bag resting on a nearby table, and gently tossed it onto the bed. I immediately opened it to check its contents; there it was—the scroll...

“Are you feeling better now?” he asked when he saw my reaction.

“Yes... For a moment, I thought I had lost it. What time is it?”

“It’s been two whole days, Guikyume. It’s nighttime now, so you should rest and regain your strength. By the way, you have an admirer.”

“Really?”

“A young demi-human from around here. He was completely impressed by the determination you showed when you stood against the Royal Cavalry. He told me that when he grows up, he wants to be like you.”

“I see... I think... I’ll get some more sleep.”

“All right. Rest.”

“By the way... Thanks for worrying about me, Itsuki.

Tomorrow, we’ll take some supplies to the affected village.”

“All right, whatever you say. Still, what I did is nothing compared to what you risk every time. The dragon was the one who saved you, no one else.”

“I just hope it can be happy and live in peace... Good night.”

“Good night, Guikyume.”

...

The next day, although I woke up with a sharp ache throughout my muscles, I felt capable of standing and carrying on. We bought a load of supplies at the market in Lyshåndn and set off in the carriage toward the forgotten village.

“I really like the views this kingdom has to offer,” Itsuki commented from the driver’s seat, gazing at the meadows illuminated by the morning light.

“Hmm, yes. It’s quite a remarkable landscape... Could you drive for a while?” I asked from inside.

“Sure, no problem. What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to write about my encounter with the dragon in the travel journal.”

“Magnificent, Majestic!” Itsuki joked, adjusting the reins.

I moved to the back of the carriage, grabbed my bag, and began rummaging through it to retrieve the journal. My fingers brushed against the leather covers of several books, but something about their arrangement felt wrong.

“Where is it...? Where is it...?” I muttered, feeling an icy chill run down my spine.

“What’s wrong, Guikyume?” Itsuki asked, turning his head slightly toward me.

“It’s not here!” I exclaimed, dumping the contents of the bag onto the wooden floor.

“The travel journal?”

“The scroll... The letter...”