It took us about a day to pass through the Forest of the Demon Tree, and another two days to make our way through the woodlands.

We encountered monsters only on the first two occasions, and for the next two and a half days the journey was uneventful.
It is not common to encounter monsters on the road.

So, around midday on the third day after leaving the capital, our party finally arrived at the foot of the Fire Dragon Mountain.

'Haha, we've finally come this far. It's been a long time.

Satsuki said, and sat down on a reddish brown rock nearby.

Irene smiled at her and suggested that they take a break.
We all sat down and began to sip water from our water bags.

I sat down with Irene on the large rock she was sitting on.
Eileen looked a little awkward and uncomfortable, but then she took a deep breath and calmed down.

I wondered a bit about her behavior, but there was no point in worrying about every little detail.
I took my attention away from her and looked up at the fire dragon mountain towering in front of us.

From where we were, there was an expanse of rocky terrain with large reddish-brown rocks and boulders lying here and there.
Gradually, it became an uphill slope and continued onward.
The summit was still far away, and from here we could only see its silhouette in the haze.

'Oh, it's a big one. It's just as I expected from a place where dragons live.

Irene said, fidgeting next to me.
But what she said did not match my knowledge.

'Is that so? It's not a very high mountain, is it?

'Oh, is that so? But, Will! But you still have to talk to me in these situations! The atmosphere is important in this kind of situation!

'No, I think accurate information is much more important.

'Ugh! Yes, but! That's true, but...''

Irene was fidgeting uselessly.
I couldn't understand what she wanted to do.

Incidentally, Fire Dragon Mountain was only a few hundred meters above sea level, and although the mountain roads were not well maintained, it was an ordinary mountain that could be reached in three or four hours.
The slope of the mountain is relatively gentle, and it does not require any serious climbing skills.

Therefore, once you've come this far, you're only a short distance away from your destination.
I would like to reconfirm with Irene.

'I understand that our mission this time is to meet the dragon that lives at the top of the Fire Dragon Mountain and get its cooperation. Is that correct?'

'Yes, that's right. It's fine until we get to ......, but after that is the problem, isn't it?

'According to His Majesty Andrew, there's no guarantee that we'll get any cooperation?

'That's true, isn't it? He said that if I showed this to him, it would at least be an 'add-on'. It's a sword that was given to me by the dragon as a token of affection.

And then Irene popped the sword strapped to her back.
It was one of the treasured swords that her father, the current King Andrew, had acquired in the past. It was much longer than her own sword, which Irene carried on her hip, and was classified as a bastard sword.

While we were talking about this, Satsuki, who was sitting on a rock nearby, stood up and asked me a frank question.

'By the way, what will happen if the dragon does not cooperate?

'Huh? Well, ......, what's going to happen?

Irene tilted her head.
When I saw her reaction, my shoulders slumped.

'Irene......, stop talking like you're Satsuki......'

'Hahahaha ....... It seems that I was under the impression that the dragon would cooperate with me.

Irene stuck her tongue out at me.
I sigh in dismay.

'Don't try to fool me with your pretty face. You're idealistic and dreamy, and I personally don't mind that about you. I think it's very strange that that's the way a princess or a knight of a country should be.

'Heh heh. So, how about Will always being next to me and supporting me?

'You know, it's okay to rely on people in moderation, but don't be dependent on them. You should be on your own.'

'...... Yes.'

Irene puffed her cheeks and replied.
Just when you think you've become a little more mature and independent, there it is.

I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I'm here. Assumption is a scary thing,' they said, not really understanding.

Anyway, I pulled myself together and replied to Satsuki's question.

'If we don't get the cooperation of the dragons, and nothing happens, then this journey will be a waste of time. If we make it back to King's Landing without catching anything, the four of us can get a commission from the government, but the fight against the Demon Lord will be tougher. But this is still not the worst case scenario.

'......, is that so? So what's the worst case scenario?''

Irene asks me this, so I go behind her and claw at her temple.

I'll go behind her and gouge her temples.

'Ouch, ouch, ouch! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

It's auspicious that she apologizes with tears in her eyes instead of defending herself with her aura, but I think it can't be helped even if that part is auspicious.
I sighed again and released Irene's temples, and gave my opinion on the aforementioned 'worst case scenario'.

'It's possible that the dragon will try to kill us all on a whim. Isn't that what His Majesty said? The dragons of Mount Fire are fickle, and if he doesn't return, you'll have to replace him. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

'Oh, ...... that's right, that's how it's going to be. ...... So, does that mean I asked Will and the others to 'die with me'?

'Well, yes. I'm surprised you weren't aware of this. ...... But even if you were, I'm not going to let you kill me.

'I see. ...... I'm sorry. ...... But if they're not going to kill us outright, how can we fight a dragon ......?


I sighed and put my hand on her head and gave it a good scratching.

'Wafu! What's with the ......!

'Don't get so worked up. We're the ones who decided to take the job. If we die because of it, it's not your responsibility.'

'Well, that may be true, but ......!

'And even if the opponent is a dragon, this party has a good chance of winning. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out when you accept the request. In addition, I've got a new story. I'm well prepared.



When I tell her, Irene makes a puzzled face.

'...... New story? What is that? Is it some kind of spell we don't know about?'

If she asks that, I'll answer in full.

'No, it's something better. I can show you a new world of magic that no one else in this world knows.

'What, ......? I'm not sure what to make of that. ...... What? What the hell is going to happen?

Eileen's surprise was pleasant.
But it's also tempting to talk big.

The other day, I received a scroll from the duo of Glenn and Cecilia.
When I deciphered all of them, I found that there was a tremendous amount of skill lying there.

Cecilia probably couldn't decipher the contents of this scroll because it was too gibberish for her.
There may be no other wizard-grade sorcerer at this stage who can honestly decipher this, except me.
I was delighted when I finished reading the scroll last night, thinking that I had been blessed with good fortune.

However, you can't be too sure about that.
This skill is a double-edged sword that can choke you if you use it wrong.
It should be used as a trump card (joker) to be used only in critical situations.

But even so...

'Hmmm ...... hmmm ......!

'Oh wow ...... Will is broken ......'.

When Irene, Satsuki, Cyril and even Mee saw that I could not control the excitement overflowing from inside, they all shuddered at the same time.