Episode 69: Black Dragon
“…This cave, the presence of monsters here is really strong.”
Edgar said this, his expression serious, before they entered the cave.
He was right. A powerful sense of monsters could be felt from deep within.
(There were plenty of them when we checked with the magic mirror yesterday too…)
On top of that, the cave’s interior was saturated with black magic stone.
Black magic stone had the effect of strengthening monsters’ magic, so even the low-level monsters inside the cave were likely stronger than usual.
“Um, Mr. Burkhardt. I believe you’ve actually taken part in a black dragon hunt before, haven’t you?”
“Yeah. It’s docile enough until we strike first, but its counterattack is ferocious. It’s important to keep the fight as short as possible, as much as we can.”
Even so, a quick decisive battle against a black dragon was easier said than done.
(For now, we’ve just got to try…)
Right before entering the cave, Noel handed each of them a light-torch.
It was a torch imbued with light-attribute magic, a handy item that lit up the darkness.
It was the kind of implement pre-charged with magic in advance, so none of them needed to spend their own.
(The opponent’s a black dragon, after all. Even if it’s only a little, it’s probably best to conserve magic where we can.)
Grateful for Noel’s consideration, she stepped into the cave, light-torch in hand. The instant she did, a sound of beating wings echoed through the cave, loud enough to make her want to cover her ears.
“Fledermaus! Their scratch numbs your limbs. Be careful!”
In the dim cave, telling monsters apart was difficult, so Burkhardt’s quick, precise instructions were a relief.
For now, she cast a barrier to protect herself and Yuria.
The cave was narrow, and careless use of magic risked hitting the others.
It seemed the other three had reached the same conclusion.
(The thing is, I can’t attack without dropping the barrier either…)
While she was wondering what to do, Noel pulled several small vials from inside his coat.
Inside was a pale purple liquid.
“E-everyone, cover your noses…!”
Unused to raising his voice, Noel’s words cracked halfway through.
Dropping his barrier for just an instant, he hurled the vials against the wall.
The moment they shattered, an outrageous stench filled the air.
(He said cover our noses, but that’s nowhere near enough…!!)
It was a smell that threatened to twist her whole body out of shape, not just her nose.
After enduring it for a while, a mass of fledermaus came dropping to the ground, apparently having passed out from the sheer stench.
Dropping their barriers, they split up to finish off the fledermaus.
Quick, erratic flight made them a troublesome monster, but unconscious, they were nothing but small fry.
“You…! I keep telling you to use that as little as possible! What am I supposed to do if the smell gets on the great me!?”
“Eh? I-I think you could just take a bath…”
“That’s not the point here!!”
Edgar seemed thoroughly unhappy about it, but given how efficiently it had disabled the enemy, Noel probably deserved thanks instead.
Fiine was fairly sure she’d ended up smelling of it too, but there was nothing to be done about that.
“Enough fussing, let’s keep moving.”
Burkhardt urged them on, and they pressed forward.
Various monsters attacked along the way, but each time, someone dealt with it precisely.
(Everyone’s amazing…)
Burkhardt, instinctively drawing on knowledge and experience to call out each monster’s traits and weaknesses, Noel using his implements to dispatch enemies efficiently, Edgar flashy as ever but landing the finishing blow with precision.
Even in the middle of such an important mission, she couldn’t help feeling a little thrill, fighting alongside such capable companions.
“Wait. I can hear something, faint, but there. It might be the black dragon’s cry.”
At Yuria’s words, everyone stopped at once. Yuria had sharp hearing.
Straining to listen, Fiine could indeed make out some kind of cry.
She glanced at Burkhardt to confirm, and he nodded silently.
(It’s in there, further ahead… the black dragon…)
Steeling herself, she pressed on with Burkhardt in the lead.
At the very back of the cave, the black dragon sat waiting.
A body wrapped in scales blacker than darkness itself, golden eyes glowing in the gloom.
A creature with a strange pull to it, the kind you’d find yourself staring at even knowing it was the enemy.
“…Let’s go.”
Burkhardt gave the signal. They’d arranged beforehand to attack all together, at the same moment.
Maximum-output fire-attribute magic, hurled straight at the black dragon.
Simple, but powerful as an opening strike.
Timing it together, they unleashed their fire-attribute spells. The instant the flames grazed the black dragon, it let out a roar like the ground itself shaking, gooooooohhh‼
From its wide-open jaws, it breathed out jet-black flame.
They leapt aside to dodge it, but the hem of Fiine’s clothes was singed slightly even so.
Every time the black dragon moved, the cave’s walls were torn apart.
A fine lair for it, perhaps, but far too cramped for something its size to move freely in.
The black dragon raised one massive claw, aiming to run Yuria through.
“Yuria!”
She threw herself in front of Yuria to shield her, at the same moment summoning five earthen golems.
She sent them to attack the black dragon, but they were burned away almost instantly.
(Its scales really are tough… attacking the surface alone isn’t going to cut it…)
Just as she was trying to recall her next move, the black dragon let out a high-pitched cry.
The instant it did, monster cries began sounding from outside the cave.
(It called more monsters!)
To shut its mouth, they focused their attacks on its jaws.
But the black dragon kept crying out regardless.
“…This is bad.”
“Right. If a lot of monsters get into the cave from outside, we’ll be caught between them…”
“That’s not it.”
Burkhardt glanced briefly toward the entrance.
Monster cries could be heard, but strangely, hardly any seemed to actually be coming inside.
“If they’re coming here, that’s fine. But if the monsters it’s called end up attacking the city instead…”
“Ah…!!”
A monster with high enough intelligence would come into the cave to help the black dragon.
But lower-level monsters might not.
If there were man-hunting monsters among them, they could well head for the city instead, in search of prey.
Even a low-level monster was a terrifying monster to ordinary civilians.
“S-someone should go guard the city, shouldn’t they…!!”
“Fiine. Leave this to us and go.”
Burkhardt gave her a push on the back. There was no time to hesitate.
(Besides, it’s probably better to leave the black dragon to the others than to me, right…?)
Someone with years away from real combat, like Fiine, shouldn’t be the one they relied on here. Better to leave it to their far more experienced hands.
“Yuria, let’s go! If it comes to it, please help guide the townspeople to safety!”
“Leave it to me! I’ve got confidence in my lungs, if nothing else‼”
Leaving the three of them behind, she headed out of the cave with Yuria.
She felt no anxiety. She was certain the others would bring the black dragon down safely.