Volume 2 - CH 10

Volume 2: Red Girl

At first, I just wanted to worry my dad.

I was just going to hide in the woods for a little while and then return to the mansion right away.

But I was stupid and went deep into the forest, and got… lost.

I tried to find my way back using my memory, but no matter where I went, there were only trees. Which way is the mansion…?

“Hungry… I’m hungry…”

Since I left the mansion when no one was awake, I hadn’t eaten anything yet today. Rubbing my growling stomach, I walk through the forest without any clue where I was going. Ugh, my legs are getting sore too…

I’ve heard that it’s better not to move when you’re lost, but if I stop now, I’m afraid that my hunger and loneliness will get the better of me.

“Dad, where are you…?”

Stomp~ Stomp~

I’m sure I just heard a sound. It was the sound of someone stepping on a leaf.

“It must be Dad! He came looking for me…!”

I was so sure of it that I forgot my hunger and the pain in my feet, and started to run.

But it wasn’t my dad, rather it was a… big “dragon.”

“Rururu……tsu!”

A big Flying Dragon with blue scales.

I had seen Earth Dragons pulling luggage and small Flying Dragons ridden by Dragon Knights, but this was the first time I had seen a wild Flying Dragon.

Naturally, the feel and horror is completely different from the dragons that people tamed. This is a real Flying Dragon…

“I have to get away from here.”

It’s not a matter of whether I can win or not. Because if I challenge this scary dragon, it will eat me from the head down and that’s the end.

I have to get away from this place before it notices me.

However, the more I think about it, the harder it is to move. As a result, I stumbled on a tree root and made a noise.

“Ruru!?”

The Flying Dragon immediately reacted to the sound and discovered me.

Its eyes are frightening. It made my legs weak and sweat began pouring out all over my body.

“N, no…!”

I tap my trembling feet and forced myself to move. I have to run, far away.

Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot.

I desperately try to move my legs to get away. Please don’t follow me, I hoped. But…

“Gogaaaahhhh!”

I heard the sound of despair coming from right behind me.

It’s chasing me, I am sure of it.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the rough breathing. That Flying Dragon is going to eat me.

I’m scared… scared. What a stupid thing I have done. I know my Dad loves me, so why did I do something to test him?

It must be because I am weak. I couldn’t trust him because my heart is weak.

And because of that weakness, I will die.

“Kya~!”

I stumbled on a stone and fell to the ground. Both of my legs are trembling. I’m too scared and tired to run anymore.

I try tapping on them to calm them down, but the cramps didn’t go away. This could really be the end for me…

The ground shook as the dragon approached. Its face looked quite angry, I wonder if I had gotten into its territory.

But I no longer have the time to think of the reason for its anger, as the dragon opened its big mouth and bared its fangs at me.

———Just as I was about to die, I remember an old casual conversation I had with my dad.

“Hey, Dad, you used to be a knight, right? So why are you fighting alone now?”

“That’s a tough question. It is true that your Father was once a knight in the service of a respected Master. But I didn’t want to serve the successor. So now I am fighting alone.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that! Aren’t you looking for someone new to serve?”

Dad lowered his eyebrows as if he was troubled.

Looking back on it now, it’s a pretty rude question. But at the time I was genuinely curious.

“Well, Dad has Kris now, and I don’t think I’m going to look for another person to serve. I don’t know if I will find a person that I want to serve.”

“Hmmm. I want to be a great knight like Dad, but I wonder if I can find someone to serve.”

Dad gently stroked me to ease my worries.

He then patted me on the shoulder and said, “You don’t have to look. When the time comes, you will know. Kris’ body will know naturally when you meet someone you truly believe that is greater and deserving.”

It was a gentle and warm light amidst this darkness.

Although it didn’t give me the knowledge to escape from this pinch, but it did give me the courage to rouse my nearly broken heart.

“—-Ah!”

I pulled out my sword and caught the Flying Dragon’s incoming teeth as I shouted. However, the dragon was too strong and my body ended up being blown backwards. I bounced on the ground several times, getting scraped here and there.

It hurts. I am scared. I feel lonely.

I feel crushed by anxiety, but I used my sword as a walking stick and stood up.

“I have to run…”

However, when I looked up, I saw the wide-open mouth of the Flying Dragon in front of me.—-

“Crap…”

My vision darkened.

It thought I was eaten and it was all over.

But the next moment, my vision was no longer tinted with darkness but rather with…. a dazzling light.

“<<Let There Be Light>>!”

The Flying Dragon was flashed in its eyes and let out a “Gawr!” and got frightened. The next moment, I was held by someone and carried to a remote location.

Who in the world?

I looked up and saw the boy who I had assumed to be weak.

“Callus… why…?”

I managed to ask that aloud, and Callus said in a bright, strong voice.

“You did a great job, Kris-san. We’ll take care of the rest!”