212 - - the owner of a lake

"Wow, that's a big snake."

"...... No, that's probably a water dragon."

Finding a feature on the upper part of the body similar to that of a fish, Thor corrected Sola's blurting out.

He explains the difference to the girl with a question mark on her face.　

You see, they have a dorsal fin. Snakes don't have a dorsal fin. And the scales are the most obvious. Can you see them?"

"Hmm, red?"

"I see Moo perfectly, To-chan!　It's kind of big."

"Wow, you can see it pretty well from here."

"You're a little guy, aren't you, little Moe?"

Roloff and his three siblings, who were also staring at the child, praise him in surprised tones.

Among the purple-eyed people, whose eyesight is outstanding, Moo's eyes seem to be even better.

"Dragon scales have a unique shape. They call them spiny scales.

Come to think of it, flying dragons have bumpy scales, too. But is that a dragon?

That's right, Sora. That's the master of this lake."

According to Rorolf's explanation, a monster called a lake dragon lives in the depths of this blood pool lake.

Although it is a dragon, it is actually not much bigger than the blue-striped serpent in the Yokashi Swamp, and although its body tissue is far more resilient, it is not an opponent that cannot be defeated if one challenges it in a prolonged battle.

Therefore, defeating a dragon with reddish-black scales was a condition for promotion to the next rank of Shiraiwa (D rank).

However, since Bossalia was temporarily in a state of devastation, the number of dragons has increased to such an extent that they have become a gregarious species, resulting in the birth of such a gigantic monster.

Fortunately, dragons are very territorial, so that one of them has taken over the others, and no one else has grown to that size.

It is said that dragons are a species that has been strongly blessed by spirits.

Their bodies are covered with strong armor, and they have wings, fins, and other organs that are suited to their environment.

The life force that resides in their huge bodies is also strong, and they can easily regenerate from injuries that are half-heartedly sustained.

They are also said to be resistant to magic.

It is said that the higher koryu species even have the power to manipulate spirits at will.

"I see...so that's the troublesome monster in question..."

"Normally, they're only found further into the lake, but they've been popping up all around here."

Because of this, they can't cross to the small island in the middle of the island, and even the number of aquatic horses has increased.

So he asked me to do something about it.

"Thank you for being so quick to respond, Brother Thor. I have a matter I need your help with."

I'd like to hear more about it.

"Then why don't we have dinner first?　And it's simmering just the way it should be."

At Dialgo's suggestion, we had lunch for the time being.

It seems that they had secretly prepared a large amount of food in preparation for the guests.

The crates are quickly pulled out and more chairs are added around the table.

The star of the show is a pot of stewed green beans and jumping striped mussel meat.

It is dusted with a generous amount of red hot pepper powder, giving it a color that resembles the lake in the distance.

Riccar swallows hard at the tingling smell, but rolls his eyes when he finishes his first bite.

Oh, curry!　But umeeeee!"

"Yes, I like the spiciness that comes afterwards."

"I miss ....... Yes, I used to eat this when I was a child.

"You've improved again, Mr. Diargo."

Sola, Alethea, Ecklie and the others seem to like it as well.

In contrast, Sisan, Hinck and Moe, who do not like spicy food, looked at their friends with suspicion.

"Don't be fooled by those words," they said. Moo knows!　It makes my mouth hurt so bad!"

"Yeah, because spicy just makes your tongue stupid."

"But it looks so delicious. It smells so good, I might just try it."

The leader suddenly betrays us, and the two remaining members of the group look on in disbelief.

"Yes, it's delicious. Do you want to try a bite?

Sisang takes the wooden spoon offered by Alethea into her mouth with a snap.

After biting down on it, his face breaks into a smile.

"Ugh, it tastes so good. And it's not as spicy as I thought it would be...,Karakko!　Karak!　Ugh!"

Hinck and Moe held hands and shook as Sisang sipped the water in a desperate gesture.

Then Dialgo, who was serving them, placed a plate of steaming water in front of them.

Sorry for the wait. Here you go, without the red pepper.

"Yum!　The beans absorb the flavor of the shellfish, and it's a dish I can't get enough of.

I'd like a refill, please!

"Hahahah ......,...... I wish they would have served ...... more,...... quickly."

The leader, usually a cautious shield, showed a lot of openness when it came to food.

While the younger members of the group were devouring the food, Thor and the others were thirstily enjoying themselves.

After emptying his mug of barley wine, Roloff exhales a deep and satisfied breath.

"Hmmm, this is the drink I've been looking for.

"Yeah, it's great cold."

"Is this chilled on a cooling plate by any chance?"

Thor couldn't help but ask as the coolness of the liquid slid down his throat.

The cooling board, a magical stone tool, has the effect of cooling what is placed on top of it.

It can also prolong the life of the prey you have killed, but its large size and heavy weight make it an item that few adventurers would bother to bring into the hunting grounds.

Moreover, they are very expensive and it would be unfortunate if they were to break down accidentally.

"Ah, Mr. Yuril told me that barley wine tastes better when it's chilled.

It's a drink I can't stand when it's sunny like today.

"Hmmm, in Stora they dip them in snow to cool them down."

As Thor and Garudo looked at each other in dismay at the use of their money, a young man of the Tea Horn tribe in a frontsuit began to lay out a new plate.

"Yes, it's baked. It's already salted, but if it's not enough, just pour this over it.

The scallops on the skewers were thick and steaming.

I sprinkled a little red pepper powder on the scallops and let them cool down a little before eating them.

As you bite into the scallop, the spicy flavor is added to the juices that overflow from the inside, creating an all-encompassing taste.

Thor nodded his head in agreement as he drank the cold barley wine down the back of his throat.

"This is an unbeatable combination."

"Right?"

While enjoying the meal, Thor discusses with the three brothers the outline of the plan.

"So you want me to use my to fix the raft if it breaks?"

"If the Lord attacks us on the way to the islet, we'll be finished there.

What are the odds on that little island?

They call it a small island, but it could easily be larger than this riverbed.

But even so, I don't think there is enough space to challenge the giant lake dragon.

And to begin with, it is not clear how to lure a water dragon, which specializes in underwater activities, to the surface.

"That's part of the strategy. Those aquatic horses are the key.

The three brothers grinned at each other as they looked at Thor, Euril, and Garudo, who tilted their heads.