Chapter 157
Dragon's Valley
(Wait,
wait, I didn't come here just to soak in the other-world atmosphere in the
first place.)
I
asked Hosen-san about the current situation here in the Dragon's
Valley. From the way he spoke, slowly and as if biting off his words, I
immediately understood that the battle situation was not favorable.
「Currently, Dragonia is barely
managing to hold back the fierce onslaught from the enemy demon army here in
the Dragon's Valley. The enemy demons are extremely powerful... and
quite a few Dragon Knights and dragons have been killed. Among them, the most
troublesome are the dragon demons on the enemy side.」
「Honestly, I wish they'd stop. We
could never acknowledge such vulgar, base creatures as our fellow dragons,」 Mion said.
Demons
possess the characteristics of monsters, and their base stats and the extent to
which they increase upon leveling up generally fluctuate depending on their
original monster traits. And dragon demons are demons that possess the traits
of the strongest monsters: dragons. Naturally, their latent potential is
top-class even among demons.
「Since we are one with our dragons,
we do not lose to other demons in aerial combat, but against dragon demons who
possess the same flight capabilities as dragons, it becomes an even match. Mion
and the other dragons aren't at fault; the truth is, it would be fine if we
Dragon Knights who ride them were stronger... Even with the stat corrections we
get from riding them, it is often a harsh struggle against demons due to the
sheer difference in our lifespans and combat experience.」
Clenching
his fists and gritting his teeth as he spoke, Hosen-san looked ashamed
of himself. Seeing that, Mion-san gently nuzzled his palm. Their hearts
truly are connected. I wonder just what the contract between humans and dragons
entails.
「Corrections... you say?」
「Yes. For some reason, humans who
ride dragons can exert a power far greater than what they originally possess. I
do not know why it happens, but while riding a contracted dragon, one's stats
increase.」
「I see...」
That
must also be a power obtained through the contract. Even so, having your stats
increase while riding is quite an incredible feature, isn't it? ...Maybe I
should contract with a dragon too? Though I don't even know if it's possible.
「Furthermore, they use a special
skill called Dragonification. When they use that skill to transform into
mighty dragons, our casualties are massive... It takes several highly skilled
Dragon Knights forcing a desperate suicide charge just to barely manage to take
one down. Because of that, the attrition rate of our excellent Dragon Knights
is severe, putting us at a significant disadvantage.」
「If the Elder Dragons—our
matriarchs—fought, those mock dragons would be flattened in an instant... But
no, we have to manage it ourselves. It's no good trying to cling to others.」
「Elder Dragons?」
While
Dragon Knights like Hosen-san are produced by the Dragonia Dragon
Knight Kingdom, the dragons they ride come from the Star Dragon Alliance
to the south. Those hailed as the Seven Pillars in the Star Dragon Alliance
are the strongest dragons, the Elder Dragons. It is said they rarely
leave their territory and do not make contracts with humans in the first place.
It's
true that having seven such dragons would turn the tide of the war. But since
the people of Dragonia surely understand that as well, making a contract
with them must be incredibly difficult.
「...Excuse me, a messenger has
arrived. It is likely that we will be heading out to the battlefield as well.」
I
still had many things I wanted to ask, but seeing a knight riding a dragon
approaching from afar, Hosen-san cut the conversation short and
straightened his back. His expression sharpened into that of a strict soldier,
and he stood at attention, awaiting the approaching Dragon Knight.
To
be able to take flight at a moment's notice, Mion-san lowered her body
and assumed a standby posture. So this is a dragon that fights alongside a
Dragon Knight...
The
messenger ordered Hosen-san and his unit to attack. I hurriedly stopped Hosen-san
as he was about to leave.
「If possible, could you carry me to
the battlefield as well? I have knowledge of Recovery Magic; I won't get
in your way.」
「...Understood. Fortunately, we still
have room in our carrying capacity, so let us head there together.」
Thus, riding on the back of a dragon, I headed toward the Dragon's Valley, the fierce battleground between humans and demons—.
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