After a week of persuasion, I could feel that her attitude had definitely softened. If three of us had gone on the first day, she probably would have attacked without hesitation. But today was different.
She asked me about the relationship between Yuna and me. Instead of rushing in or throwing a knife, which is what might have happened before. And at the end, there was even a visible waver in her eyes. With the thought that this might actually succeed, my steps naturally grew lighter.
The cost of bringing food or such offerings had only amounted to about 1 gold so far. Essentially wasting all the money we earned for our trouble, but I wasn’t too bothered by it.
Rather, the fact that we managed to recruit a Half-Dragon as an ally for merely 1 gold was almost unbelievable. And that 1 gold was just given to us for standing around doing nothing anyway.
“Looks like you’re in a good mood, Myungho. This is the first time I’ve seen you show emotion like this. Are you expecting something?”
“Yeah. Yuna, don’t you feel it too? Alterra was really pondering things. Even if she couldn’t understand our words, I thought her expression gave it away.”
“That’s true. From what I see, Alterra did appear to be thinking deeply.”
“If you two say so, then that’s how it must be. Still, stop trying to take advantage with just 1 gold and some teeth cleaning. Isn’t that a bit too much? Is it right to treat a dragon like some cheap mercenary off the street?”
Akashi complained while looking at Yuna, though he seemed to be almost convinced, so I decided to let it slide this time. It was still a good outcome overall.
“Hey, hey, hey, stop! My head’s going to explode!”
“…I still can’t understand how someone as reckless as you could be an incarnation of one of the Four Kings.”
“People talk nonsense sometimes, asshole! Let go of this already! My head’s really going to explode!”
When Akashi earnestly pleaded, Yuna released him with a look of disdain. Because she had grabbed him by the head and lifted him into the air, he landed quite awkwardly on his behind.
“…Ah… That… Alright. So, where’s our next destination, leader? Just wandering wherever our feet take us again?”
“Hmm… Probably. There’s no particular signal from back home anyway. The map isn’t exactly accurate either, so just going wherever feels fine, doesn’t it?”
If it seems unplanned, well, it is. Back home, they’ve more or less written off this Hero, so it’s best to think positively. After all, there are still places in this world untouched by human feet; exploring those wouldn’t be bad.
“…Adventuring is certainly enjoyable, but we should visit a Dwarf village soon. My arrows are almost depleted, and I need adjustments made to my arm braces.”
Ah, right. Looking at Yuna’s quiver, it was indeed nearly empty—maybe just ten or so arrows left. By the way, I’m not sure if there’s a Dwarf village nearby.
“Alright. Then let’s head down. We don’t know what kind of beasts might appear, so stay alert.”
Even as I said this, I lacked conviction since the most threatening animal we encountered in the mountains over the past week was just a starving wolf.
When we returned to the city, the atmosphere felt restless, unlike when she arrived, and there were no whispers of strange excitement in the air.
The source of the commotion was clearly the Adventurers’ Guild, so I urged the group to head there. Once inside, we immediately understood why the atmosphere was so chaotic.
The guild hall was much busier than usual, yet eerily quiet. The receptionist was speaking worriedly to a man who looked like a noble, holding a request form.
“…I’ve heard of the prestige of your Gu family, but this is still too dangerous. You should prepare thoroughly before attempting this…”
“No. I will proceed. I’ve already made all the preparations I can. Every soldier has been equipped with dragon antidote herbs and weapons made of mana-absorbing steel, and their morale is sky-high. Moreover, we’ve gathered intelligence on the target.”
So, they were probably a group of mercenaries or similar types sent to capture Alterra. We quietly eavesdropped on their conversation.
“Do you also know the extent of its power? Many have attempted the feat of slaying dragons, including many groups like yours. Their reports were all the same. Are you fully aware and still committed to this challenge?”
“Yes. For this day, I’ve dedicated the last five years. I have nowhere else to retreat. Either I hunt the dragon and restore my house, or I perish with it.”
He likely intended to revive his declining family using the dragon’s heart. He must be from a once-renowned family on the verge of collapse. However, judging by appearances, they didn’t seem capable of succeeding.
To begin with, I don’t know exactly what level of members you’d need to hunt a dragon, but at least these guys were far from sufficient.
The soldiers appeared motivated, but their skills seemed lacking, and the few veterans among them muttered doubts under their breaths. From the start, it was troubling.
“Hey, what do we do? Your girl looks like she’s about to get killed by those guys.”
“No, that level is insufficient. What do you think, Myungho?”
“Yeah, it seems pretty tough.”
Not just tough—it’s impossible. Though we stayed quiet to avoid drawing attention, a few glances came our way.
Their apparent leader stood on a table giving a rousing speech to boost the soldiers’ morale. Despite protests from surrounding adventurers, his loud voice drowned them out.
“…So, leader, are you planning to just leave them be? Even if that woman is strong, I doubt she can kill all these people without injury. Shouldn’t we at least show some courtesy and help out?”
Akashi spoke casually, but his words weren’t to be taken lightly.
As registered adventurers, Heroes or not, harming other adventurers is taboo.
Breaking the taboo means… well, my name will be posted on the wanted board there. Do I really need to risk such danger after all the hard work it took to earn my Gold Rank?
Thinking about it, the value of a Half-Dragon is worth losing my Gold Rank and becoming a fugitive… but do I really want to sell my future for this?
“Well, we’ll have to see how things play out once we get there. Rest for now, but stay alert. We may need to follow them anytime.”
Akashi and Yuna bickered as they headed upstairs.
Then I… maybe I should test the waters with those guys over there. The speeches ended, the noise subsided, and the soldiers gradually left the guild building.
Apparently, they went out to gather supplies nearby, so the apparent noble leader remained inside.
“Excuse me, I heard you’re going to hunt a Half-Dragon?”
“Hm? Who are you? Are you an adventurer interested in joining us? Unfortunately, we’re already full.”
They’re already thinking they’ve got it in the bag… Alterra won’t fall to these amateurs. Still, I don’t wish for them all to die either.
“No, I’m not here to join. Rather, I came to ask if you’re truly attempting the great feat of dragon hunting. You see, I’ve… met that dragon. We fought a few times.”
It’s not a lie. She didn’t use her full strength and mostly defended herself, but it was still a fight. And technically, we just met a few hours ago.
“Really?! How… Ah, I see! That insignia—you’re the Hero Koluscia! Indeed, a warrior of your caliber could rival a dragon! Allow me to propose something bold: Would you join me in this great endeavor of dragon hunting?!”
As soon as he said that, his gaze toward me changed. Before, he had just glanced over me casually, but after speaking, he scrutinized me intensely.
“Let me reiterate: No, thank you. First, my blessings aren’t combat-oriented. And… yes. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
There’s no need to reveal that I’ve established some sort of connection with her. Whether it qualifies as a connection is questionable anyway. And… there’s another reason, but I don’t plan to share that with the party.
“I see… what a pity. If you change your mind later, please come by anytime. We’ll set out to the dragon’s lair in the evening.”
Evening? The place is barely visible during the day, and they’re heading out at night? That’s practically suicide. There were countless things to criticize, but pointing them out wouldn’t change anything, and it seemed they had no intention of reconsidering, so I kept quiet, responded vaguely, and left.
Something felt off. A premonition of bloodshed. My intuition isn’t always accurate, but this time, I have a bad feeling.
With plenty of time until evening, maybe I’ll catch a quick nap.
—
—
“Grgh… Ahh…! Ah─!”
It hurts. It feels like my horns are burrowing into my bones. My arms itch. My legs feel like they’re about to burst. My back twists painfully. My heart feels like it’s about to leap out of my mouth.
I thought killing them would be easy, but I was wrong. Each one died spreading poison or wielding strange weapons that pierced through magical defenses.
This is why I hate it. This is why I despise it. This is what I wanted to avoid. I tried to steady my breathing despite my heavy gasps.
But underneath my skin, something felt like it was trying to break through, causing unbearable itching and pain.
Though I knew there was nothing there, I couldn’t help but scratch myself frantically with my nails. After scratching for a while, chunks of skin clung to my nails.
And beneath the flaking skin, grotesque black scales emerged.
My hands… my feet… When did this happen? The bandages I wrapped around myself had already been shredded by the scales into tatters.
Even the bandages around my chest were barely hanging on, soaked in blood.
In a daze, I approached the pool of blood from the one I just killed and examined my reflection.
My limbs were already covered in scales, and half of my chest was hidden, leaving only the valley of my breasts exposed.
Scales under my eyes, under my chin, and along my neck.
The cursed proof of blood was sprouting everywhere.
…I won’t forgive this. Making me into this… monstrosity?
“…Not a single one… will I let live.”
I shook the blood off my hands and leapt towards the remaining light of the lone torch.
