CH 93

Before heading to the Fairy Country, I dropped by the mine and wood harvesting area for just a bit.

Since I was happily able to strike upon a vein of Light Metal at the mine, I spent just 10 minutes mining before I withdrew.

As for wood, there aren’t any highest grade trees, but a somewhat good tree has sprung up, so I harvest just one tree.

It’s just a little bit, but I’ve got my hands on some, so this time I’m going to steadily walk carefreely on the path to the Fairy Country. When I think back to the first time I reached the Fairy Country, unsatisfactorily, I was unable to see much of the scenery, after all.

I walked steadily along that path that was surrounded by trees to its right and left.

Although the trees grow thick together, the players investigated the trees here, and determined that there are no suitable trees for crafting, and so there was no opportunity to cut them down.

Tree therapy1 inside the game … it’s not like that, but even so, with this I can be refreshed. Of course I have <Danger Perception> activated; if a monster’s shadow drops in I will immediately prepare my weapon.

This time my objective is not fighting, so if they’re not definitely targeting this direction, then I’ve decided to ignore them.

This is good … or like, every single time, events occur until I can’t stand it, but the Fairy Country’s north gate is in site. Last time I came from the south, so this time let’s see how it goes with the west or east … just when I thought that.

『Kuo~n……kuo~n……』

That cry(?), I suppose it’s alright to call it that, a strange cry-like thing can be heard. I don’t have any memories of a monster that can produce that cry, so I stop and concentrate, searching for the direction the cry-like thing can be heard from.

『Kuo~n……』

I understand what direction it’s coming from, but no matter how I think about it, it’s in the middle of the forest, na…

『Kuo……n……』

The cry is becoming more and more weak.

If I don’t hurry I won’t make it in time, but I have yet to see the owner of the voice.

— I’m not making progress so I resolve myself, leap upwards with <High Jump> and land on the boughs of a tree.

From there, with <Fly> I’m able to increase the amount of time I remain in the air and, like an anime ninja, I move by leaping from limb to limb repeatedly. Of course the MP consumption is extreme, but if I don’t make it in time then it’s all meaningless.

And after moving like that for about 3 minutes, I spot my objective.

“— Dragon?”

This one here is the western-style type with 4 legs with wings, that dragon that spits out dragon’s breath that’s often used in fantasy.

It’s just, I don’t know what this situation is, if it’s all about dragon hatching or what; around half of it is in the shell of an egg. And around it were about 10 human and wild animal corpses lying scattered around.

The proportion is 4 humans and 6 animals … and, those corpses became particles of light, and then disappeared.

With the corpses gone, what was left there was just the hatchling dragon.

Seems like it’s worn out from crying so it doesn’t have anymore strength to make noise … uumu, as expected, abandoning it now would leave a bad taste in my mouth, huh? Jumping off the branch of the tree, I approached the dragon.

To be safe, I sprinkled a Rare Potion on the dragon’s body, and after that I tried taking it out of the egg shell.

The color of the scales is red; in other words, it’s probably a fire specialist red dragon’s child.

Was it that the potion was effective, or was it that its hunger was diverted, I’m not sure which, but with a cry of 『Kuo-n, its vitality was back.

It’s size is that both hands is about enough to hold it … in real-life it would be about one size smaller all around than a rabbit.

Now then, helping it is good and all, but now what? Going to Faust and Nexia are definite nos. That situation where we’ll stand out also won’t let this child rest.

Like that there’s no other choice than to continue like this and go to the Fairy Country, but … the Fairy Country that has a lot of history with various races, and has gone to war with them, will it be okay to take this child there?

Not like I know if it exists, but temporarily assuming that a dragon empire exists somewhere, would taking this child with me become a diplomatic issue?

On top of that, even though I said I helped it, those guys, the 4 people who got turned into corpses, I can’t exactly dismiss the possibility that they carried that dragon egg from somewhere after stealing it. Would dragons be able to have confidence in the same human race?

… Impossible, na, those 4, whether they stole the dragon intending to sell it somewhere, or intending to train it to be one of their strengths, right now I don’t know which it is, but from a dragon’s standpoint, there’s nothing other than (Mine darling child hath been stolen!) … Even if a human helped it out, there would probably only be wrath…

What I should do from now on is, for the present, leave the forest from the side … begging the dragon to “Please be good for a bit>, it gave 1『Kuon』cry and stilled its movements, so once again using <High Jump> to leap onto a branch, with <Fly> I moved by jumping from branch to branch.

To be on the safe side, I only moved by jumping to branches that are a suitable thickness … and so finally I made it back to the open road.

“Now then, it’s all good and well that I made it back, but what to do now … first it would be to secure this guy’s food.”

When I looked at the dragon while saying that, the dragon went 『Kuon』 and looked like a small animal as it tilted its head.

There happens to be good prey around, so I prepare my bow; coming this way is an unwary Wardeer; to this deer-type monster, with <Stealth> as a combo to the attack, I commence hunting.

Half of the meat I had gotten from hunting I made into a meat and aromatic herb soup for myself, and the other half was for this small red dragon-sama to eat.

“They often say that having compassion in life is as important as having a companion in travels2 … but will it become commonly used in this world as well~?”

With terrifying vigor it devoured the deer meat, and further more, although the soup was food that it had only seen now for the first time, the tiny dragon begged for it, and while giving a bitter laugh, I leaked out that kind of soliloquy.

When I presented the soup on a suitable, flat plate, once again it ate with terrifying vigor; exactly what kind of appetite do you have?

Maa, this kind of time spent isn’t so bad either; this type of carefree time also exists.

SKILLS

[Wind-Blown Hunting Bow]Lv17 ↑1UP

[Assaulting Kick]Lv22

[Farsight]Lv53

[Craftsmanship]Lv56

[Small Shield]Lv 6

[Stealth]Lv41

Reserved Skills

[Woodworking]Lv33 ↑3UP

[Blacksmithing]Lv40

[Alchemy]Lv43

[Advanced Cooking]Lv11

ExP 4

Titles Possessed:  The One who Charmed Even the Fairy Queen, The One who Defeated a Great Foe Alone, ???

Second Names: “Fairy King Candidate”(jealous), “Chef of the Battlefield-san”

A/n:The travels with chibi-dragon begins … I guess?

No matter who the player is, events will happen more or less.

And, whether you ignore it or meddle in it is all freely up to you.

Aside from big events, the events are all made by the game itself.