CH 111

It happened suddenly, in the early morning just as everyone was waking up.

A large shadow was cast over Pottery City Ceramics as something flew overhead. Whatever it was seemed to be observing the city, and after seeming to confirm something, it turned back around like it was satisfied and returned eastward.

Two people, the Hero Gray and thief Gise both rushed out of their rooms when they heard sounds of screaming coming from the streets.

“What’s wrong?”

The woman they came to’s lip was quivering as she dumbly pointed towards the sky through the window. It had already traveled a great distance, but the outline of a large bird could still be seen flying away.

“Did you see what that thing was?”

Gise tightly gripped the woman’s shoulders, trying to shock the woman back to her senses. The woman was frozen, but she was eventually able to choke out an unbelievable answer. A huge bird made of crimson fire.

“So it’s a bird, not a dragon?”

The woman silently nodded her head to Gise’s repeated questions.

“For now, let’s investigate. This bird flew east, so we’re going east as well.”

Gise nodded, and the two men hurried down the hall together.

This was the home of Pottery City Ceramics’s lord. He had welcomed the Brave Party into his city as honored guests. And now that very party was in his home trying to collect information on the large bird that had flown past earlier.

“Birds are unrelated to us.” Dams was jumping to a conclusion.

“I don’t want to agree to some weird contract without the proper compensation.” Peach was imagining a life of being pampered in the royal castle after becoming a Dragon Maiden.

“The bird’s already flown away. Let’s look for a dragon.” And Cliff greedily advocated for ignoring the bird, completely ignorant to the gravity of the situation.

Gray and Gise’s spirits fell when they saw their three party members like this, but then with excellent timing, the lord entered the room.

“Brave Hero, that bird is in fact the legendary dragon rumored to live near this city! Its crimson hue leaves no doubt in my mind!”

The party received the confirmation they needed, and so Gray turned on the three idiots.

“I can’t say whether that creature is really a bird or a dragon, but it is definitely what we came here for. We will head for the direction that bird flew away towards!”

“Then shall I inform the people that the Brave Party will be investigating the large bird believed to be a dragon spoken of in legend?”

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

And so as the Brave Party began making preparations to head off, a large signboard was erected in the city circle, announcing to the townspeople how they should be relieved as the Hero would be investigating the morning’s incident.

Meanwhile at Ellis’s inn.

“That’s a dragon Ellis.”

The Land Dragon Ra-chin informed Ellis about the presence he had felt coming from that large bird which suddenly appeared in the morning. Shortly after his report, the news about the signboard in the center of the city made its way back to her as well.

And so Ellis had to make a decision. Should she try to find the dragon before the Hero, or would it be better to just follow them?

“If it’s just the Brave Party, then there is no way for them to make a contract with it even if that bird is a dragon.”

“But there is a danger of the Hero killing the dragon.”

Frau and Claire both chimed in their own opinions on the matter.

“Let’s take a look around before we make a decision.”

Ellis decided to head to town for breakfast and see if she could gather up even a little more information.

“Ellis, there’s a crowd of people over there.”

After enjoying a wonderful omelet, Reeve pointed out a large group of people gathered a ways away. When the girls got closer, they saw what was probably the signboard and a man who looked like a soldier speaking.

“We are currently organizing a garrison to defend the city in case that large bird from this morning attacks. The Braves will be protecting our city today, and the garrison will be in charge of defense starting tomorrow. While our troops are defending our city, the Hero will venture forth and take care of this beast once and for all. Everyone, rest assured.”

“Lucky.”

Ellis gathered everyone together and started explaining the strategy.

First off they would spend all day today looking for the dragon east of town until the sun begins to set. If they were to find him, then everything would end like that. But if they couldn’t, they would immediately head back to the inn, and Ellis would break into the lord’s mansion. She would find out everything she could about the Braves plans. If it looked like they were bringing an adequate Dragon Maiden candidate with them, then the girls would resume searching for the dragon even if it meant running the risk of running into the Braves. If there wasn’t a good candidate, then they could follow the Braves safely from a distance.

Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.

“Then let’s go explore!”

After everyone had made their way out of the city on a horse-drawn carriage, they moved to a space where people couldn’t spy on them. From there they searched the surrounding area on Storm Dragon Su-chan’s back while Land Dragon Ra-chin tried to sense the dragon’s presence.

“We’ve got nothing. It can’t be helped.”

The girls continued to search until evening, but they had nothing to show for it. Eventually it came time to return to the city.

“Well then I’m off.”

Ellis changed into her Abyssal leather uniform and would be using the Intelligenceheadband and earring to keep in contact with Reeve like usual.

“Ellis, will you really be all right alone?”

“I’ll be okay. This is my main job after all Ra-chin.”

Ellis patted Ra-chin’s worrying head as she left through their rooms window and faded into the darkness.

“Reeve, can you hear me?”

“Ah Ellis, everything’s loud and clear.”

Ellis had successfully infiltrated the lord’s castle. Reeve was waiting outside in the shadows to provide back-up in case anything happened.

Thanks to her equipment, Ellis was able to move from one shadow to the next , moving down each hallway while listening in for any information. It wasn’t long before she was clued in to a loud voice in the distance. She immediately made her way up to the attic and looked down through a crack in the ceiling into what appeared to be a room meant for hosting guests. Currently inside was the lord, his garrison captains, and the five party members of the Brave Party all sitting down and having dinner while discussing what would transpire the next day.

“First off we’ll ride our horses towards the east. If we can find any new sightings, we’ll follow them. If not, we’ll keep heading east.”

Gray’s was a simple strategy. So simple, it’s almost like he has no plan at all……

“Also, if the target really is a dragon, we will try to form a contract with it. If it succeeds, we will immediately bring the dragon to the capitol. If we can’t form a contract or it’s not actually a dragon, we’ll kill it. Is this okay?”

Everyone wanted to point out the large holes in his strategy, but since nobody else had any better ideas, they had no choice but to nod.

Gise thought heading blindly east was foolish, but he couldn’t discount them getting lucky which was why he decided to leave it alone for a day.

Only the three idiots had zero problems with the plan as is.

Thus the dinner party ended with almost everyone feeling uneasy for the next day’s affairs.

The Brave Party all began to make their way to the guest room together with Ellis following above them. As soon as they had closed the door, Peach walked up to Gray.

“If I do establish a contract with the dragon, I’ll have to stay in the capitol right?”

And Gray politely answered back.

“If Peach does become a Dragon Maiden, the king won’t stay silent. We will have to dissolve the party as Peach will undoubtedly be appointed as a royal soldier.”

Dams and Peach shared a look. They were both weighing their options on a scale–the five billion ril penalty fee for dissolving the party on one end and being a royal Dragon Maiden on the other. The royal Dragon Maiden was the clear victory.

“Well, I’ll be said if that happens, but I promise that even with the party dissolved, I will support Gray from the royal palace.”

Peach had already formulated her plans of becoming a Dragon Maiden, and Dams was clearly set on accompanying her as a guard or some such. Cliff was clearly set on attaching himself as well as the large grin spread across his face showed he wasn’t even trying to pretend to be sad about the party breaking up. Of course everyone felt that way inside, so nobody chided him for it.

Ellis however was the happiest among the people there. Since she knew the truth, she had to immediately leave the castle then and there. Otherwise she would have definitely alerted them to her presence after how loudly she started laughing.

Everyone met with Ellis as soon as she had gotten back to the inn, and they all started laughing just as loudly as Ellis had when they heard her story. There was no way Peach was qualified to be a Dragon Maiden.

Just in case, all three of the Dragon Maiden’s they had there asked their own dragons about the contract.

“Hey Ra-chin, can a non-virgin form a contract with a dragon?”

“It’s impossible Ellis.”

“Su-chan, what if a non-virgin were to name the dragon and try to force a kiss on it?”

“Then they dragon will spew ectoplasm out its nose. Just thinking about it makes me shiver Reeve.”

“Ah-nyan, can you force a contract through by forcibly kissing a dragon nya?”

“Very rarely can a person force a contract on a dragon without their consent, but they do still have to have the qualifications. Isn’t Katie a good example of that?”

Ah-nyan’s joke gave everyone another good chuckle as the final plans for tomorrow were finalized. They would follow the Braves until they discovered the dragon. They would come to a decision on what to do next as the situation changes.

“We’ll get up early tomorrow and tail the Hero.”

Ellis’s strategy was as follows.

First, they’ll have a miniature Su-chan mark the Hero so he won’t lose track of him when flying at a high altitude. Reeve will use {Share Sight} with Su-chan so that she can keep an accurate watch on the Braves and direct where the party needs to go to follow them.

Ellis’s party and the Brave Party were both going to move as such.

And in almost no time at all, the Hero found his giant bird.