Chapter 504: A Surprise Meeting With Our Eldest.

Chapter 504: A Surprise Meeting With Our Eldest.

[“Inferno Nest. Long time no see, I would say, if it wasn’t just about a week ago or something,”] I announced to my passengers on Hestia Airlines as we entered the “city’s” airspace. [“Small bit of turbulence, but a safe landing is all but assured with [Air Shield]. Everybody, please, take care and put on your seat belts. We will be landing shortly.”]

[“... You really have the weirdest quirks, Donut,”] Vifi complained as I fastened my [Unheiliger Engel] “seat belts” around the twins, Vifi, and Ryra. [“Then again, I guess it is better than your usual flights. Next time, add an obsidian bed or some seats to make this actually comfortable. Feels like I’m sitting on burning coals here.”]

Oh, complain more, why don’t you? This is probably the best flight experience in all Peolynca, and you can only get it at Hestia Airlines. Best of the best!

“Urrrgh ...”

However, just as I made that declaration, I heard somebody loudly groaning in pain on my back. I reflexively snapped my head around, only to stare in horror as I saw Ryra covering his mouth, looking ill, as if he was about to puke!

[“Oi, don’t just vomit on your little sister’s back!”] I shouted, hurriedly ordering Shay to make an ice bucket for him to empty his stomach into. Once the worst passed, I let out a deep sigh and stopped flying to see if he was okay. [“My goodness, I didn’t think you had such a weak stomach. I wasn’t even flying that fast.”]

[“I’m not used to traveling on other’s backs ... I always fly myself,”] Ryra excused himself, still looking a bit sick.

Maybe it wasn’t so smart to have everybody eat such a large breakfast this morning ...

Or, maybe it wasn’t smart to have everybody rush over to Inferno Nest on the same day Phso proposed this idea. Frankly, this did warrant some urgency, since Ellaine did lose Klea in that blizzard, so making the armor for her to enter the snowlands of Carmaniate was our party’s highest priority.

Ryra, as he showed me during our fight, had the wings to fly in his dragon form, but his top speed was vastly slower than mine. If we wanted to make it to the mainland before the sky started to turn orange, he had to ride on me.

With the sight of volcanoes and large mountains finally coming into view, I continued flying, but slower this time. [“Where am I supposed to land, Ryra?”]

Having accepted my nickname, he replied, [“Our paternal clan possesses a mine in the center of the nest. Same situation as the mines on Iceskale—the dragons use them as lairs—but ours are currently uninhabited and are only used as a source of wealth for the Kargryxmor dragonewts. The ores and minerals are mostly common stuff like iron, copper, coal, and stuff; in general, there’s nothing very special here.”]

[“Yet, Phso recommended that I find some ore here.”]

[“I didn’t say there isn’t anything sort-of special, just nothing extremely special. Phso is Mother’s heir, so he knows the mining industry well. I only know how things work, not the details. He probably has something in mind, but we should ask our clan’s miners for hints,”] he said.

[“So the same situation happens here as well, huh?”] Vifi interjected. [“If the number of mountains equals the number of mines, what do you dragons even do with all the ores? Didn’t see any factories on Coral Beard like the ones the dwarves use.”]

[“Continent is humongous, demonkin. You think our entire population fits in a single city? Coral Beard isn’t that huge,”] Ryra responded with a sharp tongue. [“No, we got multiple dragonewt cities, towns, and villages, all fitted for the local population, unlike Coral Beard, which acts as the seat of power for the kinkyuro. It’s Loatryx’s capital.”]

[“Huh? Do you mean there are cities within the borders of Kargryx? I thought Miononbolax was divided between Kargryx and Loatryx, almost in the middle,”] I asked, confused at the difference from what I was hearing now and from Mom.

[“No, you got it correct,”] he stated. [“You saw all the empty land on our dragonkin side. Dragonewts serve us like servants and retainers, but commuting from a dragonewt city to their masters would take days or weeks, which is why hamlets are built here and then. Don’t expect much cultural or technological progress, though, as these places act similarly to the castle towns human nobles have in their domains.”]

[“Ho, that would explain it. Lady Hestia, didn’t Lord Cernust speak about his experience living here? I think I remember that he called it boring, or something,”] Beth remarked.

[“No, no, you’re correct. Cernust did complain about it here and there in the subspace, although I mostly tune out of his ramblings. Think Neill said something about it, too.”] I shrugged, mentally. [“Ryra, Cernust is a woodland drake, and I met him during his pilgrimage in Artorias. Said that the dragon side was completely boring and that he preferred going down to Loatryx for fun. Is it actually true even for the mainland?”]

[“‘Even?’ You got the same feeling on Frozen Nest too, huh?”] Ryra laughed a bit. [“There is nothing to do here outside of hunting, sleeping, and training for most of us. The dungeon the old fart in the sky gave us is also used as a time ‘waster,’ and that is only really useful for our old, ancient kinsmen to find things large enough to eat and level with. For us younger generations? We can tell the difference between Kargryx and Loatryx, and we know where its more fun to be once we’ve sated our curiosity once.”]

To summarize, there were dragonewt places within mainland Kargryx, but most of them provided zero entertainments for a dragon whelpling or fledgling to indulge in, which made it “boring.” Even Ryra, a sleep enthusiast, preferred going down to Loatryx if he needed some sorta stimulation.

In fact, most of these dragonewt hamlets basically doubled as storage places for the local nest’s main industry. These materials would then be transported over to Loatryx for production, which included the ores Ryra mentioned.

Kargryx’s and Loatryx’s main usage for metals was the production of dragoon armor and daily necessities, as well as construction of new living spaces for the slowly growing dragonewt population. In fact, metal demand was quite high since dragoon’s and dragonewt adventurers frequently break their gear during hunts against the strong monsters on this continent.

Honestly, hearing this made me flinch a bit, since I was used to the extra hardy stuff Grimnir would make for my party. Sure, a chip or dent was natural, but none of our stuff broke completely. I grew slightly baffled when Ryra explained how these smithing cities were constructed similarly to dwarven holds, with many of their master smiths and runesmiths having even gone under a dwarven apprenticeship.

Despite my expectations, I guess not every smith was all that interested in quality ...

[“About the dungeon, where exactly is it?”] I asked, as I wanted to visit the [Dungeon of Infinite Feasts] one day.

Ryra groaned a bit, taking his time before speaking, [“It’s south of Quake Nest, inside a ‘neutral zone’ where no dragons live. Close enough to the borders for humanoids to visit. Little sis, take things slowly, will you? You got enough on your plate, from the looks of it.”]

[“Just curious. What’s with the snap?”]

[“Because it’s irritating how full your schedule is. Mother complained to us how much your mother kept praising you for being such a responsible and hard-working daughter ... Urgh. Chime it down, will you? So Mother doesn’t keep looking at me as if I should be doing something?”] he pouted.

That was an instant laugh for me. Ryra truly was the image of a lazy child and I could see him lounge inside his room all-day snacking on chips if he had access to the internet or some electronic device. Complaining to his little sister for her being diligent. How cute ... although, maybe he should be more active.

“Ieerrrraaaghhhhhh!”

My body froze in place as I suddenly heard that bone-chilling roar, but I was the only one, as the three dragonkin on my back instantly reacted, breaking out of their seatbelts. The twins readied themselves to transform back into wyverns, while Ryra only glared at the direction of the sound. Vifi was the only one who wasn’t considering the roar a threat.

In fact, the few dragonkin in the area—both lesser and true—reacted by either fleeing or congregating below my shadow. The latter group consisted of tougher-looking lava drakes and fire dragons. I couldn’t tell if they were adults or older fledglings from up here, but from the way they were posing, it seemed like they wanted to guard something.

“IerrgghhhhhhAAAAA!” A second roar, this time even louder, as if it was coming closer.

“Krraauuuughhh!” Only for it to be followed up by a new one. A fight was happening.

[“Hestia, fly back! Go lower, don’t take to the skies. We’re avoiding this fight, but I want us to stay close enough to see what’s going on!”] Ryra ordered, which I diligently followed before he jumped off my back to transform into his dragon form. With an explosive, air-rumbling cry, he immediately gave some quick commands to the surrounding dragonkin in Draconic.

Just as this happened, I saw the entrance of a nearby cave be blown away as an almost ship-sized purple-yellow dragon flew right out of it. Lightning surged from its body as it let out that “iergha” roar, channeling yellow lightning inside its mouth before releasing a railgun-like lightning breath into the cave’s entrance, collapsing and atomizing the small hill before it.

Mana Eyes.

Thunderous Quake Dragon: An earth dragon with innate lightning abilities due to being born inside lightning-aligned crystals, creating a special thunder sac and heart able to channel thunder as an alternative to blood to oxidize its body. Although it still requires both blood and air to survive, it can thrive in less ideal situations. This special metabolism allows it to supercharge its organs with lightning to release a concentrated beam of thunder at its enemies, vaporizing even those with strong [Lightning Resistance]. After activation, leftover electricity will channel around scales. Rank A

... Huh? Random rank A? What? I just came here!

[“Uh, Ryra?”] I let out, baffled. I was used to random monsters appearing before me due to my terrible encounter luck, but a random rank A? Seriously?

[“Just keep it together! That thing is only level five and doesn’t have a name,”] he stated, confusing me with what he was trying to say. Noticing my silence, he elaborated. [“It’s a wild! A monster spawning. That thing is just a feral dragonkin!”]

[“A feral? Wait, shouldn’t monster spawning happen all the time, so why are you making such a fuss abou—”]

I snapped my attention back to the dragon when the lightning beam stopped. Releasing a loud cry of victory, the lightning dragon swung its neck around, assessing the situation before it noticed us. It roared as sparks shot out from its scales, as if it was trying to intimidate us, before it turned around and was about to fly away, only for the ground to suddenly shake underneath it.

The dragon quickly jumped up as the earth underneath it collapsed, leaving a hole behind as two dark-red scaled dragons jumped out with their mouths aflame. Flame breaths were aimed at the fleeing feral before the two fire dragons shot out their shed scales, creating a dome-like barrier around the area to trap it, keeping it from escaping.

Just as the lightning dragon was about to charge another railgun breath, multiple smaller signals began surrounding it. Looking closer, I saw a host of dragonewts and wyverns; the moment the scale barrier was taken down, they descended.

With sharp spears and armor-fortified claws, respectively, the two dragonkin groups charged right into the dragon, piercing and mauling the feral to bits. The electricity shooting from its body was seemingly hurting the dragon’s aggressors, but through the usage of [Defense Rune: Auracoil], none of them seemed to be taking lethal damage.

Regardless, from the looks of it, all of this was merely the distraction. Unable to protect itself from the constant assault and unable to keep track of its surroundings, the spawned dragon became prey to the two fire dragon’s crushing maws. The two swung their bodies around, throwing the lightning dragon onto the ground before they unleashed a stream of dragon fire to prevent it from fleeing, long enough for the third dragon to finally appear.

“Krraauuuughhh!”

That’s the same roar from before! The second dragon I heard, right?

[“Maybe, but resting isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. And, as you can see, I do not truly know what you are doing, so how am I supposed to put myself in your shoes and see if ‘resting and speaking’ is truly a luxury or not? I am ignorant of your life, Brother. Why not explain it to me?”] I urged, nudging my head to the side. [“Not like this big guy looks interested enough to explain it to me.”]

[“It’s true,”] Ryra agreed, sounding proud about it ...

In any case, to deal with a no-nonsense type of guy, appeal to their rational side as long as they were sane. People like the boss of Shaturein, good ol’ Grazlahta, and even Farron, to a certain extent. They were stoic, responsible, and efficient, looking at things in a more logical and self-interest manner.

Their conduct might feel colder, but they usually had a reason for it. Whether it was good or bad, only you could guess, but it wouldn’t do you any good to respond by acting cold in return. If they found small talk wasteful, then stop doing it and get to the point. Some sincerity would go a long way for many people.

Also, using that small sister charm I have ... How exactly do you do that as a dragon?

[“Hmm ...”] Kahalameet pondered, looking back and forth at his squadron and me, causing Ryra to let out a loud “Eh?” as we waited for our older brother to respond. When he finally did, he let out a deep sigh. [“My duty is multifold, and I must open up time in my schedule for those various tasks. Speed is no issue for me, but the whole point of my schedule is to fulfill everything I wish during a single day.”]

... He’s overworked. My poor brother.

[“Right now, I am participating in peacekeeping. Hestia, monster spawning is equally as problematic on Miononbolax as on Altrust, but we rarely manage the mana levels due to it being impossible to do so. Therefore, true and lesser dragonkin and dragonewts participate in monster culling to maintain the peace. The feral you saw just now has been causing mischief for over two months of existence. She had to be put down.”]

[“Two months?”] I tilted my head.

[“Kargryxmor started as a feral. Many of the original dragons did as well; therefore, Kargryx has a law to allow dragonkin monster spawns a grace period of existence. If they are able to develop a conscience and live within the constraints of society, they are allowed to integrate themselves. Otherwise, they will be judged. If they create issues or are unable to see the legitimacy of Father’s rule, then—”] He turned to his squadron again. [“—they will be hunted down just like any other criminals.”]

... I guess that makes sense. Subjugation Quests act pretty similarly. If a monster causes issues for others, of course they would be put down with a bounty on their head. Although that last reason does sound a bit like a dictatorship.

I was a member of the hunter’s guild. The mindset made sense to me.

[“If that is the case, then good job, Brother,”] I cheered, prompting him to nod his head. [“So, after you’re done here, what will you be doing?”]

[“... Quite inquisitive, aren’t you, Hestia? Fine, I will answer more of your questions once I visit Iceskale for your training and education. Unfortunately, as I said, I do need to abide by my schedule right now,”] Kahalameet shut my request down. [“Do be careful with your adventure, dear sister. This is our land, but we do not control every single monster here. Tell those who you meet that I am aware of you being in Inferno Nest, and those who will not listen deserve your condemnation. Farewell, Hestia, I was fond of this little meeting.”]

And with that, my second encounter with our eldest ended, although it left me still confused about his personality. This was too little to know him well enough, making me wonder if our age difference really was that daunting.

Here was the thing – in his dragon form, he was humongous and quite intimidating with his black-red scales. I felt like Saori whenever she called my dragon form frightening to look at. Nevertheless, I did have to continue our discussion the next time we met if I wanted to find a way to stop him and Wendriosa from duking it out in the future.

[“What an unlucky meeting ...”] Ryra sighed when Kahalameet had left, prompting me to ask him what was going on. [“Our Eldest is usually impossible to meet due to his busy schedule. Either he’s training to become a rank S, or off performing his duties as a prince, just like now. In the over 82 years I’ve been alive, I’ve only met him during family gatherings or when he had to speak with Phsothophus. Anytime I wanted to meet him, he always had no time or had to go before we could speak ... Sheesh, why is everyone showing you this much interest?”]

Huh? So what Wendriosa said about Kahalameet being hard to meet wasn’t just an exaggeration?

[“I-I’m sure you had some moments here and—”]

[“Don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not saying that we aren’t close. But they’re babying you like they did Fargryneill, and people are expecting me to do the same. It’s bothersome.”] Ryra sighed in derision. [“Come on, let’s go to the mines.”]

... What’s his problem?

Pretending everything was fine after that little outburst, Ryra led me to our clan’s mines, formerly used as a home for Kramps. While it wasn’t as humongous as the other mountainous caverns in the area, it was ours. Brother explained that while the mines we owned weren’t as abundant compared to other clans, none of our clan members planned on expanding it, preferring to leave it as is.

Our uncles and aunts did conquer other mines during their lifetime, but these places were granted to our father’s retainers and loyalists once he became the emperor. Knowing this, I asked Ryra how our mines weren’t depleted at this point.

[“The ore veins grow back to life over some years due to the mana and various monsters leaving behind metal ore dust. We leave dead mines to rest while we mine others, and Loatryx isn’t in such a need of ore that we have to strip our mines of everything. We work them slowly, relying on the other clans’ mines to keep up demand,”] he answered.

Sounds like a farm at that point.

After we got the okay from the dragonewt miners, our party entered the cavern with Ryra transforming back into his humanoid form, as the caverns weren’t large enough for his dragon form. The twins and I stayed in our draconic form; not only because Ryra warned us monsters could be found in the depths, but more importantly, I needed my extra scales to protect the twins from the massive heat.

[“The heat is rising!”] Beth complained as she and her brother let out a deep sigh.

The change in temperature was similar to the mines on Frozen Nest, but this time the cause was different. The mines were all in the very depths of the continent, directly inside a massive magma chamber that spanned about 80% of the landmass of Inferno Nest. The ecosystem I saw when I first flew over the nest was just the peak of the metaphorical iceberg; all the interesting little details Mom told me about this nest would soon come into view.

Feels almost like Cedarraile’s dungeon. Gotta stay ready then.

I sent out my scales, creating a barrier for the wyverns to mostly keep the heat away, but they still had to chill the air with ice to keep themselves from spontaneous burning up. Vifi was fortunate, as she was wearing some older armor Grimnir had made for Ellaine using my scales, so the heat wasn’t as terrible for her.

[“This ... will be a bit of a challenge, my lady,”] Shay said but I told him to not worry too much about it.

[“Consider it training, you two. I don’t think we will face too many issues down there with Vifi and Ryra around. Try your best to level up your [Fire Resistance] so we can work better together whenever I have to use my Territory.”]

[“We will try ...”] Shay said solemnly, while Beth cheered. [“A Territory would be good though ...”]

Hearing this, I turned around, looking at him with a raised brow. [“You could use Mom’s ice to—”]

“Kruuusagii!”

However, before I could finish my sentence, I felt a group of signals quickly approach us following that echoing roar. Yet, it didn’t sound like a normal roar, as Hikari managed to understand it as Draconic for “Please, wait!”

Doing just that, I turned around, noticing the signals were from six fire wyverns, all armored like the ones following Kahalameet. Once they reached us, all six bowed before me, greeting me as their princess and how much of an honor it was for them to finally meet me. Suspecting they weren’t just here for a polite introduction, I urged them to tell me their actual reason.

[“We lower our tail in your presence. Please, allow us to serve under you as your retainers, Princess Hestia!”]

... Huh? Retainers?

[“I-I see, but wh—”] Yet, once again, I was interrupted. This time by the twins.

“Krruuuugh!” Both roared out as they flash froze the moisture around their body, creating the ice armor I was used to seeing. They jumped in front of me, snarling as they glared at the six wyverns before us.

[“Begone!”] Shay shouted.

[“Princess Hestia is ours!”] Beth screamed.

... Maybe I shouldn’t have jinxed ourselves with the no issue part.

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A note from AbyssRaven

Huh? Random retainer acquisition? More party members? In my 6 man party composition???

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