Chapter 33: Dragon Rider

A few hours ago.

According to Flua, Arsep might improve if she took up a hobby, but I couldn’t think of one that would suit her when even my own newly found hobby involved making coffins.

Still, things had to be done, and perhaps, with time, she might overcome it on her own.

“Good, good…”

Regardless, I bought a horse from the village.

I couldn’t let Arsep and Flua walk every time we traveled a long distance, so I requested a sturdy and fine horse from the village guard.

It was possible to capture a wild horse living in the Demon Realm, but they weren’t easily tamed and might be dangerous for the two of them to ride.

“How about it, Flua? Want to try riding it?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you know how to ride?”

“…I do.”

‘Why does she know that?’

Flua skillfully mounted the horse.

I grew up in the countryside, so I’d ridden and raised cows and horses, but I didn’t expect ten-year-old Flua to know how to ride.

“I learned it from my beastkin sister who planned to escape with me before I ran away… We escaped on horseback…”

So that was the reason.

Beastkin are known to have a natural affinity for animals, excluding monsters, and are generally skilled at taming various creatures.

Perhaps that was why her beastkin sister taught her how to ride, even at a young age like Flua’s.

“Really? Where is that beastkin sister of yours now? I should thank her for helping you escape.”

“She was hit by an arrow… while we were escaping together on horseback…”

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”

I thought I’d grown quite close to Flua after spending time with her, talking frequently, and even baking cakes for her, but conversations about these parts of her past were still difficult.

Or maybe I just wasn’t perceptive enough.

It might be better to avoid bringing up that topic in the future.

“Anyway, it’s good you know how to ride. So, how about taking a little trip on your own?”

Flua nodded.

“Ah, since we’re out of eggs, could you go to the village and buy some for us?”

“…I can.”

Surprisingly, Flua could already make the round trip between this castle and the village on her own.

Of course, at first, I was worried—even though I’d cleared out most of the nearby monsters.

But Flua was much braver and stronger than I’d anticipated.

I wasn’t sure if it was a Dark Elf trait or something unique to her, but according to Arsep, she had an excellent ability to detect magical energy.

Even skilled assassins found it difficult to approach her undetected.

So, whenever a monster or a dangerous person appeared nearby, she knew to hide in advance.

It was nerve-wracking to watch from afar, but she was quite remarkable.

Perhaps that was her secret to surviving alone.

“Be careful on your way! And with the leftover money, feel free to buy something you want to eat!”

“…Got it.”

‘Of course, unexpected things could always happen.’

‘Even though demons tend to be amicable toward Dark Elves, there are still times when monsters not native to this area would appear and cause trouble near the castle.’

‘Given the distance from here to the village, I could vaguely hear Flua’s breathing, so I wasn’t too worried.’

‘If the surroundings got too noisy to distinguish sounds, I could simply quiet things down.’

‘Looks like she rides even better than I do…’

So, watching Flua skillfully guide the horse, I returned to my seat and resumed my guard duty.

I’d prepared plenty of bricks as a contingency in case something happened to Flua.

And by something, I meant things like a sudden dragon attack from the sky.

It was a very simple solution that allowed me to resolve problems without having to leave my post.

Just throw a brick.

“I haven’t seen any dragons around here. No way…”

It had been 30 minutes since Flua left on horseback.

A dragon I vaguely recognized started targeting her as she rode back on the horse.

Judging by its reaction, it seemed more interested in the horse than Flua herself.

‘Was it jealous because she was riding another animal instead of it?’

If that was the case, it was a misunderstanding I needed to clear up.

I loosened my grip on the brick and tossed it.

[The distance was approximately 2 kilometers.]

I, of course, prefer dragons, but when it comes to moderately distant places, I’d rather walk or ride a bicycle than drive.

More importantly, riding such a huge creature into the village would definitely cause chaos with cries of a dragon’s arrival.

‘Eh, my luck’s been terrible these days.’

The dragon fiddled with its not-yet-fully-grown horns and decided to fly along a different route than usual.

It worried that if it used its usual path, it might encounter that demon again.

A monster who could wipe out 200 wyverns with a single brick, who could even topple an entire squad of kin brought for revenge with just a small stone.

Thankfully, the kin who were hit on the head suffered amnesia afterward, or else, even as a dragon, it might have developed a fear of demons.

The event had left such a shocking and terrifying impact, even for a dragon with a long lifespan.

‘If I want to live a long life, I need to build a healthy body.’

In any case, it had heard there was a place nearby frequented by humans.

To avoid that demon and start the day with a healthy routine, it set off for a morning jog there.

‘But why don’t I see any monsters?’

When exercising, consuming protein is essential.

However, strangely, in the Demon Realm, which was usually teeming with monsters, not a single one could be seen in this area.

Of course, it wasn’t that there were no monsters—they were all hiding.

‘Those monsters… Did they sense my arrival and hide out of fear?’

It felt as though they had no intention of coming out, terrified of someone.

The dragon figured they must be hiding out of fear of it.

‘I don’t really want to dig them out…’

For a dragon, digging up the ground to hunt monsters wasn’t exactly dignified.

Still, replenishing protein was important.

The dragon kept its eyes wide open, looking for a good source of protein as it jogged.

Just then, it spotted a horse on the ground.

‘Perfect, I’ll eat that.’

A single horse wouldn’t make much difference to its muscles, but it was better than nothing.

There was someone riding it, but the dragon assumed they’d run away on their own as it descended.

‘Why aren’t they running away?’

Strangely, the person on the horse didn’t flee at the sight of the dragon.

Even a blind person would notice a massive dragon descending with a gust of wind.

However, the rider simply glanced at the dragon and showed no further reaction.

‘…An elf I’ve seen before?’

The rider was a Dark Elf—a young one with pale skin that the dragon recalled from memory.

‘Ah.’

Suddenly, the dragon remembered the skeletal demon with blue glowing eyes.

This was the Dark Elf who had been following that demon.

Regretting its actions too late, the dragon realized it was already doomed.

“…Damn.”

It cursed quietly as a brick came flying toward it at an unavoidable speed.

***

“So, that’s what happened.”

After listening to the story of why the dragon was here, Arsep looked at it with a gaze as pitiful as her own situation.

Still, thanks to the dragon’s presence, I had a perfect way to cheer her up.

When dealing with stress, the best solution was to blow all worries away, and with a dragon right here, we could literally soar into the sky.

Moreover, with its high intelligence, the dragon could adjust its flight to suit her.

Perhaps dragon riding was the perfect hobby for her in her current state.

She hadn’t shown any particular dislike when riding it last time, either.

“I was just thinking of going outside. Thanks to you, I can feel the fresh breeze and fly through the sky.”

Fortunately, Arsep showed a slight smile at the sight of the dragon.

Considering how she’d been moping in bed with a gloomy expression, this was a significant improvement.

“And about the missing staff, let’s take our time to look into it. Berard said he’d investigate who might have purchased it.”

“It’s been three months, so it might be hard to find, but… it doesn’t hurt to try.”

“Just think of it as a change of pace.”

If it wasn’t a problem that could be solved by worrying, then there was no need to dwell on it.

Right now, what she needed was a distraction.

“Understood. And what about Flua?”

“I brought a horse back, and she’s in the stable wanting to get closer to it. She said we could go on our own since she won’t be venturing far from the castle.”

Besides, the horse was sturdy enough to be used as a warhorse, capable of sending weaker monsters to the afterlife with a single kick, so it was like having a reliable bodyguard.

“…I see. It’s good that she’s made a friend.”

“Well then, please mount up. I’ve already prepared a seat.”

“Alright. I’ll accept your hospitality.”

I packed a basket with food for our ride, like a picnic for a scenic meal.

Just as food tastes better at the top of a mountain, food eaten while enjoying a beautiful view always tastes better.

Then, as I stroked the dragon’s horns, I ‘asked’ for a favor.

To carry us and take a grand tour around this area.

“These horns—they’re still pretty new, aren’t they?”

It seemed the new horns had just recently started growing.

“Yes.”

“Since I saved you from a misunderstanding, you can do me this favor, right?”

“Of course.”

“Let’s do our best.”

“Leave it to me.”

The dragon gave a wide grin and confidently accepted.

For Arsep, it was kind enough to carry us on its back once again—a truly generous dragon that readily granted our request.