Erman realized for the first time that so huge a being could glide so gracefully.
His face, tinged with wonder and awe, was turned toward the direction in which the dragon, soon out of sight, had flown.
Beautiful, strong, huge, and something long since buried in sand and rotten earth.
Yet something that must never be forgotten.
***
The dragon escaped.
The last dragon that had existed in Tintagel was gone, and the culprit said to bring down the walls became something that had never been at all.
We ran from the spot, narrowly ahead of the guards catching us. I never knew I'd hear things like 'Catch these bastards' close behind me inside a game like this. No, is it more of a problem to hear that in reality?
Pidrin and Daren, who'd done splendidly as the lure, were temporarily detained in the end. I debated whether or not to free the guys bawling that it was unfair, but,
Erman begged that we couldn't just leave them like this, so in the end I shook out Estan's traveling money and paid their bail. That bail for two gets pretty expensive was a fact I didn't particularly want to know.
"My prince, thank you, thank you. For not forgetting us. Sniff."
"Honestly, why thank them? They're the ones who told us to! Of course they should bail us out, shouldn't they? Huh?"
"If not for Erman you guys would've nearly lived here your whole lives. You should say thanks, right?"
"Isn't this a crazy little bastard!?"
Watching the squawking Pidrin and the sniveling Daren, all I could do was sigh.
Having left the royal castle at last and come all the way to Tintagel, the tutorial Story Quest failed. The dragon flew off. No reward. All of a sudden just these annoying lumps hanging off me, and how on earth I was going to deal with them from now on was a problem too......
"......Huh?"
"What's wrong, Albion?"
「Albion Story Quest:
Traces of the Fairies Left in Tintagel – Taming the Dragon (In Progress)
The dragon that was bringing down the walls of Tintagel has begun to rampage again. Thanks to your prophecy, humans have found the dragon, but they have not found a way to subdue him. Return to Tintagel, drive off the dragon, and help the walls of Tintagel stand upright.」
I'd idly checked the quest window, and the quest there was still showing as in progress.
The dragon was gone, and unless I changed class to something like a dragon slayer, there was no way to catch the dragon again. My Ogham skill's only level 4 at most. So I'd been thinking this quest was practically failed, but.
Why's it still showing as in progress?
Does it count as possible since the dragon's alive, not dead? The possibility of me killing the dragon? With Ogham skill level 4? A minnow going to kill a lion with a bamboo spear would have a far higher success rate.
I wanted to think a bit about the quest's failure and success conditions, but Erman tugged at my arm beside me, so I had no choice but to lower the system window. I'll look again tonight.
"It's nothing. More importantly, let's go back to the castle. Was seeing the dragon fun?"
"Yeah! I'm glad we could free the dragon. Thanks, Albion. It's thanks to you."
"My prince? What about me? What about us?"
"Of course, you there also contributed greatly. I express my heartfelt thanks."
Erman's so generous.
And so we left Tintagel and climbed the hill. Walking the road with a full view of the city on the low coastal land, letting Erman's chatter beside me about how beautiful the dragon was wash past my ears.
As we walked like that, someone called me, so I looked back.
"Why'd you call me?"
"What? Who says anyone called you?"
"No one called you, attendant."
The prickly Pidrin, Estan retorting in irritation. Daren only shaking his head. Strange. I was sure someone had called me. Did I hear wrong?
It was the moment I picked my ear and started walking again.
<Halt there.>
"See, you called me! Do you lot take me for a fool?!"
"What are you talking about? Did you eat something bad?"
"Who told you to fool around? Who is it? You told me to stop! I'm already troubled enough with the road to Puil so far away, and you're going to be this uncooperative? If you want a taste of my curse, say so, say so!"
<Who said they wished to receive your curse, wretch? And it is not there.>
"What do you mean it's not...... huh?"
The three were staring at me almost as if at a crazy guy. But that wasn't what mattered right now. This voice.
<Below. Human. Look below.>
My head slowly turned down. As a black lump nosing around between Daren's feet wriggled out through his legs, Daren absently looked down and screamed.
"What's this?!"
"Whoa, a lizard? It's huge?"
"That is no lizard. A lizard could not be that size."
Avoiding Daren's tap-dancing feet, the lump lightly flew up.
Flapping wings, vivid golden eyes and slit vertical pupils right in front of my nose. Every time the mouth opened, tiny teeth and a bright red tongue flickered into view.
<I barely chased you this far. What are you doing, wretch, not even looking at me? From your hurried steps, are you being pursued by someone?>
"You're."
<Indeed. I am the dragon of Tintagel. The only dragonkind who has lived on this land since ancient times. So you are the wretch who saved me when I was captured by the humans who woke me from sleep.>
The black dragon had shrunk beyond comparison with what I'd seen yesterday. A little bigger than my forearm, perhaps? The dragon flew a lap around me and settled on top of my head.
"H, heavy."
<Endure it. It has truly been long since I smelled the scent of a fairy. But within it, faintly...... there is the scent of a human as well. Hm? It is not enough to bother me, so rest easy.>
"I didn't ask, you know? Get down. What on earth did you chase me all the way here for?"
<Is that not obvious?>
The feel of the dragon's feet patting my crown several times as he adjusted his posture. The jet black scales on his back grew paler toward the underside. Unlike an ordinary lizard's, his hard, turtle-like snout was slightly hooked, as if it could tear anything.
Puffing out his chest covered in gray scales with dignity and showing off his sleek black scales under the sun, the dragon spoke solemnly.
<It is repayment of a kindness.>
"......What kindness?"
<I said repayment of a kindness, you half-fairy wretch. Dragons do not forget kindness or vengeance. You saved me yesterday, wretch, and I received a kindness. Did you not help me escape the pain of iron? Therefore I too must repay you with a kindness equal to it.>
"Hold on, wait. Repay? Specifically, just how big is this 'equal' kindness?"
<Let me see.>
The dragon fell into thought for a moment.
<If you had not come, wretch, I would have died right there beneath the iron chains. So I deem it fitting to aid you until the end of this one's life. What do you think?>
What's he talking about? I said, what's he talking about?
Suddenly a dragon the size of a piglet flies over, sits on my head and says he'll follow me around for life? I've already got two thief lumps hanging behind me, and now I have to take responsibility for a dragon too? Seriously?
You want to do that with someone whose quest doesn't complete unless he kills you?
"No. You don't have to repay any kindness, just get down. My neck's breaking."
<Yesterday I heard that little human shout your name. Albion, was it? It has a fine ring. A name befitting one who has inherited the blood of fairies.>
"I never asked you to rate my name, you know?!"
<As with all dragonkind, I too have been called only the dragon of Tintagel since birth. Albion, let us make a contract. And after that, give me a name.>
"No! I said no! You all over there, quit just watching and get this dragon off me!"
"Wh, what do you want taken off? What is that?"
"A dragon? That's a dragon? Pfhahaha! Hey, it'd be more believable to just call it a fat lizard! Ahahahaha! Hey, Daren! That's a dragon, apparently. A dragon. Ahahahaha!"
"I was wondering why you'd been talking to yourself. You can converse with a dragon? How is such a thing possible for a mere commoner attendant? Even the most famous magician can't understand the language of fairies."
"Fuck, is that the problem right now, all of you!?"
You guys! When you see someone in need, help them!
While I staggered, the dragon stretched his head out from on top of mine and looked down at me. His eyes sparkled.
<To refuse a contract with a dragon. You are a rarely unselfish and modest one. Is it because fairy blood flows in you?>
"No, it's not about fairy blood, I just don't want a contract, I'm telling you!?"
<But there are many benefits to contracting with me. Have you not heard of the humans in myth who vanquished evil with dragons? That mere humans could muster such strength was entirely due to the contract.>
"I don't know any of that crap!"
<First of all— I see. I have heard that sharing a dragon's mindscape has the effect of strengthening Spirit. And bodily functions improve further as well.>
Spirit.
At that word, my struggling stopped. Is that talking about the Spirit stat right now?
Albion's maximum Spirit stat is 350. Tremendous compared to an ordinary person, but considering it cost 40 Spirit to heal one of the dragon's wounds, it isn't that plentiful. If a being with high Magic Resistance appears, I'd have to spend more Spirit.
Plus, who knows what'll appear after the tutorial quest, so it seems best to raise my stats as much as possible, but.
While I was racking my brains, the dragon clicked his mouth in satisfaction.
<Does it whet your appetite a little? Furthermore, you may take dragon scales as you please. Provided I permit it, of course.>
"What use are your scales? And you're saying I can't take them if you don't allow it, right?"
<Do you think this one would act stingy toward a contractor? I may look like this, but this body has lived a good 800 years. Moreover, it would be the ugliest of spectacles to be stubborn over a few scales with the savior of my life.>
"......And?"
<And, if you keep me by your side.>
The dragon triumphantly blew a puff from his nose. It wasn't as strong as yesterday's wind, but faint heat shimmered from nostrils the size of the dragon's claws.
<It is exceedingly stylish.>
"......"
Ah. Things were going great, and then he pours vinegar on it. As I kept silent, the dragon flapped his tail.
<I know what you are thinking, unselfish half-fairy. But listen. Humans respond more to 'what is seen' than they appear to. Do you know how important appearance is to those who, unlike fairies, do not grasp the essence? Going about all alone and going about with a dragon at your back are very different. So consider it seriously.>
"No, well. That's probably true, but."
Didn't I hear something similar when I finished the first tutorial quest and headed for Puil?
Aside from the player's looks, NPC Affection, or persuasion or something, changed depending on social status and such; I think Titania said something like that.
True. I went through all that trouble raising my Ogham skill level and coming all the way to Tintagel. Honestly, it does make my stomach ache to get nothing just because I failed one quest. But what actually happened to the quest? Did it fail, or succeed? If it failed, it could at least say it failed, or offer some other success condition or......
<Hyah.>
"Huh?"
The dragon's hard mouth, or beak, or whatever it was, tapped my forehead. In that instant the sounds and scenery around me receded all at once.
From head to toe I tingled as if a faint current was running through me. A feeling as if only the dragon and I were left in a gray world.
The golden eyes, black scales, and that body that flew cleaving the dark sky, I remember those too. The strong wings and the roar that rang through the air as well. But this.
Asleep inside the outer shell visible to the eye, my eyes met the gaze of a being more essential and impossible to pin down.
Something that dares not be described. Something different from energy or air. A creature that lives and breathes and yet feels as if it doesn't exist in this world where we set our feet. No, can that even be called a creature? A being whose glance alone brings out cold sweat?
My chest felt pressed and stifled. The air was thin. My lungs couldn't expand properly.
Before something so overwhelming I couldn't even think of wanting to escape, I barely staggered and took just one step back, and then.
<So you can indeed see me, half-fairy.>
"—Haah!"
The world came back.
My palm, which had been clawing at my chest, was damp. The three and Erman looking at me in bewilderment. A satisfied voice came from overhead.
<With this the provisional contract is complete. I look forward to working with you.>
"What on earth was that just now...... what, provisional contract? What provisional contract?"
<Did you not see me, wretch? I too saw you, wretch. To see is the act of recognizing existence. Therefore you recognized me, and I in turn perceived you from the soul.>
Black wings spread triumphantly wide. The dragon spoke proudly.
<So the provisional contract has been established. Consider it an honor.>
"Huh?"
The blood drained from my face. At the same time, a clear and cheerful sound, the one I least wanted to hear in the world just now, rang out.
「Albion Story Quest:
Traces of the Fairies Left in Tintagel – Taming the Dragon (Completed)
Reward → 50 Pennies」
Hold on, this could work like this too?!