“I can’t leave my post right now…”
Atysha started the story with, “How long has it been…?”
“Monsters found dead around the village… At first, we thought it was just the usual territorial fights among monsters…”
But discovering the dead monsters was just the beginning.
Hunting parties were increasingly returning empty-handed, and strong monsters that couldn’t be easily hunted were often found dead as well.
By then, Atysha sensed something was off and formed an investigation team to look into the matter. Led by Atysha, the team soon found the source of the problem.
It was oddly easy to discover, almost as if it should have been found much earlier.
A massive body, covered in tough scales.
Each flap of its wings stirred up tempestuous winds, and its sharp claws effortlessly tore through the skin of its prey.
And to top it off, there were sinister crimson flames flickering from its gaping maw.
“The Shadow of Krumo… That’s what we call it…”
“…Krumo?”
Why does that name suddenly pop up here?
Anyone living on the Ardina Continent would know that name. After all, I’ve heard it more than a few times since I was a child.
In the old tales, it was the wicked dragon that plunged the Ardina Continent into despair and sorrow.
Its name was Krumo.
And the evil dragon Krumo was defeated by Zigrid, aided by Gracis.
It’s known that the founding of nations tends to exaggerate for the sake of legitimacy, but I knew that the fact Krumo was defeated by Zigrid was neither exaggeration nor a lie.
So, that name shouldn’t be falling from Atysha’s lips.
Why, after hundreds of years, is the name of a dragon that died so long ago suddenly coming up?
Atysha noticed the questioning look in my eyes.
“If it were the real Krumo, this place would already be in ruins, so it’s probably not the real thing…”
She, who came from Raxia, seemed to know of Krumo as well.
“Then why call it Krumo?”
“I didn’t just call it Krumo… I said the Shadow of Krumo…”
“Is there really a difference?”
Whether it’s the Shadow of Krumo or Krumo itself, the important thing is why that name is mentioned, not what follows.
“It called itself Krumo… but I still can’t believe it, which is why I call it that…”
Perhaps it really could be Krumo back from the dead.
However, its power was nowhere near that of Krumo at its prime.
If its power was the same as before, it would have gone berserk in fury over its death, rampaging to destroy the Ardina Continent.
It was different from the Krumo in the stories, but it didn’t mean I could dismiss it, either. It possessed quite a bit of strength.
Similar yet different.
That is why Atysha explained it was called the ‘Shadow of Krumo’.
“The Shadow of Krumo.”
Just hearing the name doesn’t quite capture the meaning.
If one of its horns was cut off, it’s not like its sight would be degraded, so it’s probably something that lives up to its name to some extent.
I pondered while playing with my long side hair.
“Is it because you can’t leave your post?”
“Yeah… If I leave, we might not be able to respond properly when it attacks…”
“Hm.”
If it had that much power, wouldn’t it have attacked already?
Above all, it’s strange that a village is in danger just because one person is missing.
That’s not a sound structure by any means.
While grumbling internally, I suddenly paused, caught by a strange déjà vu.
…Huh? Why does this feel so familiar?
It seems like I heard a similar story about a nation that was recently destroyed…
Ah, is that why it fell?
“I understand the situation.”
An optimistic person might have said to trust others, that everything would be fine, or something along those lines.
But Atysha didn’t strike me as the optimistic type, so such words wouldn’t be of any use.
I didn’t want to make such a fervent remark either.
However, Da-eun seemed to think differently from both of us.
“Wouldn’t it be okay if we just left for a bit?”
Da-eun gently raised her hand to express her opinion, only to have it rejected faster than the speed of light.
Then someone asked if she could take responsibility if something happened.
I patted the sulking Da-eun and turned to Atysha.
“So when can you leave your post?”
“Well… until that thing disappears or finds another nest, it seems unlikely…?”
That meant she couldn’t leave until a certain level of security was ensured.
They had left Raxia for the sake of survival and settled in the Ardina Continent, so prioritizing safety was understandable.
Moreover, we were in a position of asking for help, so I couldn’t push them.
Right, it’s a wish.
It’s not just a one-sided request; it’s a wish they fervently desire to fulfill.
But I still hadn’t given them any faith that I could grant their wish.
In that situation, if I forcefully pushed my agenda, I might hear “I changed my mind… I’m not going”.
I felt that Atysha probably wouldn’t do that, but you can never be too sure.
As I dodged Da-eun’s hands trying to pat my head again, I said, “Then we just need to get rid of it.”
“Huh…?”
“If it’s a Shadow of Krumo, then unless it disappears, it’s a problem that needs solving. So we just need to eliminate it.”
Removing the cause of the problem eliminates the problem itself.
It’s a simple solution.
However, Atysha appeared baffled, blinking her eyes at my straightforward conclusion.
“…Simple?”
Then her face showed a strange weariness as she let out a deep sigh.
“We haven’t tried to defeat the shadow…”
Atysha downed the contents of her cup in one gulp.
Not tea, but what seemed like alcohol, downing it like a toast.
Clang!
The way she set the teacup down on the saucer was rougher than before.
“Simply put, we can’t… We don’t have the ability to subdue it…”
For some reason, even though they hadn’t attacked yet, the demon race didn’t have the power to defeat it either.
An unchanging and stagnant standoff.
That was the current situation between Krumo and the demon race.
Listening to Atysha explain, I said, “I’ll help.”
“You…?”
Atysha looked at me with a skeptical expression. I raised my finger.
With pink mana rising on my fingertip.
Thwack.
I swung my finger and the handle of the teacup broke off.
“Did you just dye your mana…?”
Atysha gasped in astonishment, her expression shifting from pure disbelief to one of not being able to trust what she just saw.
“Looks like that kid isn’t just some brat…”
Muttering, Atysha regained her composure.
“What do you think? Do you see a bit of potential?”
“If a powerhouse like you is willing to help, that’d be welcome…”
Once again, it’s true that seeing once is better than hearing a hundred words.
As I nodded, realizing the wisdom of the ancestors, I suddenly felt someone tugging on my clothes.
Of course, that someone was Da-eun.
“Shadow of the evil dragon… Aren’t you trying to take on a bit too much? Didn’t Kana say dragons aren’t easy to defeat?”
“Did I say that?”
“That, during the Rain Buffalo incident…”
“Uh-huh. I think I did.”
Hearing that made me recall our previous conversation.
I might have said it a bit differently, but in a broad sense, it means the same, so there’s no need to correct it.
Da-eun appeared to be restless as she was weighed down by the notoriety of the name Krumo.
“If it were a real dragon, then yes!”
I wouldn’t know for sure until I see it myself, but from Atysha’s words, I felt it wasn’t a true dragon.
If it had such power, the demon race, including Atysha, would have left long ago or been completely wiped out.
“Still, it’s still dangerous, isn’t it?”
“That is true.”
I willingly acknowledged Da-eun’s words.
“But we can’t just keep waiting.”
Just sitting here with my arms crossed, hoping it’ll nest somewhere else is hardly anything but wishful thinking.
Who knows when it might move or if it will move at all?
Hoping and waiting idly isn’t my style.
And—
“I’m curious about it too.”
If I want to satisfy my curiosity, I need to confront it directly.
Considering it called itself Krumo, it seems to communicate differently from lower-tier monsters, so it might make sense to attempt a dialogue.
If it refuses to talk then…
Thwack, thwack.
“I’m so scared of Kana…”
Da-eun began nervously tapping the innocent scabbard, trembling as she distanced herself from me.
…Should I show her what real terror looks like?
That thought flickered through my mind before disappearing.
While her fussing was annoying, this wasn’t the time to discipline her.
“Is there anything to be cautious about? Any peculiar details?”
“I don’t know much, but…”
Atysha shared what she’s noticed with me.
It can fly, moves incredibly quickly, shrouded in mana, can’t use magic, etc.
As I listened, I tilted my head.
“From what I hear, it could easily be mistaken for a wyvern.”
A monster that can fly but can’t use magic?
Isn’t that simply a wyvern?
But Atysha shook her head.
“It’s way bigger… It’s not comparable to an ordinary wyvern…”
“Huh.”
“And it can breathe fire…”
“Definitely not a wyvern then.”
Breath is a trait exclusive to dragons.
There’s no way a lesser dragon like a wyvern could breathe fire, a characteristic of dragons.
It doesn’t quite fit as a dragon due to being unable to use magic, yet it’s troublesome that it can breathe fire if it’s classified as a wyvern.
“Guess we’ll find out the details when we see it in person.”
I neatly organized the information Atysha shared in my head.
“When are we going?”
Unlike Da-eun, Atysha didn’t try to stop me; instead, she looked at me with a subtle sense of anticipation.
“Tomorrow.”
There’s a saying that you should strike while the iron is hot.
It’s better to wrap this up quickly than drag it out unnecessarily.
“Then wouldn’t we need to do something right away?”
I pretended not to hear Atysha’s timid rebuttal.
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