96 - a village where dragons sleep underground






 From the appearance of the chief's house, Clogo's house, I did not get the impression that it was a deserted village.

 The other houses were also quite well built.

However, for such a well-made house, there is only a simple fence around the village.



 I guess there are plenty of trees around the village, so there is no need to worry about materials. ...... but it also seems that there are skilled craftsmen in the village, even though it is in the countryside.



 The house is carpeted with carpets and decorated with rare vases and paintings that you would never see in the city. It must have cost a lot of money to prepare such things in the countryside.

 It would take some time, but with this kind of money, they should be able to go to the city to buy some magic stones. ......They must have been in such urgent need of magic stones.



"Here you go, I hope the tea from the countryside is good for your taste. ......"

Thank you very much. It was cold outside, so a warm cup of tea would be nice.



 Krogo offers me a cup of tea, and I let it cool down a little before sipping it.

 The tea has a gentle aroma that escapes from my nose, and a sweetness that I have never tasted before spreads suddenly in my mouth.

"Wow,...... it's so good!"

 I was surprised at how delicious it was.



"You can talk to me as usual. This tea is called Yukicha, and it's a rare variety that can only be found in snowy areas around here. The snow leaves endure the cold of winter, and when spring comes, they suddenly become sweet and have a unique aroma, making them quite popular.



"I have never had such a delicious tea.

 The moment you put it in your mouth, the sweetness and unique gentle floral aroma tickles your nostrils, and the more you drink, the happier and more relaxed you feel. The more I drank, the happier and more relaxed I felt. My body, which had been cold until now, became warm from the core at once.



"It is well-known that drinking this tea helps you relax, and many aristocrats seem to love it as well."

"If it tastes this good, it's no wonder the nobles come to buy it. Can I buy this tea here?

No, we don't sell it in this village, but we do sell it in the village of Kolon. They also sell seeds there as souvenirs. But unfortunately, even if the seeds are planted and germinated outside of this area, they don't seem to have such a rich aroma and sweet taste.

"I will definitely buy some as souvenirs to take home."



"I think that would be a good idea. I think it would be a good idea to bring it to the city as a souvenir for the aristocrats. Seeds of snow tea are called "jewels of the snow field" because of their shining white color, and many people buy them as jewelry. In our village, they are not very sweet, so everyone eats them, so we don't have enough to sell."

"So you can eat the seeds too?"

"The seeds have a concentrated sweetness, which is one of the few things we can enjoy in this snow-covered village.

 You eat what you can sell to the nobility ......?

 I can tell from the things in the house that they live a rich life, but it still seems strange to me.



 I take another sip of my tea. But with such good tea and so little entertainment, I can understand why people say it's better to consume it by yourself. It makes me want to come here every year.

 If seeds are sold at ...... colon village, I can buy them on my way home and plant them in my box garden.

 If it grows small, we might be able to drink it every day if we plant it in large quantities.



 I put down my teacup and see the surface of the tea shaking a little.



"Hmm?"

 The shaking is not only on the tea, but it is so big that I can feel it.

"It's an earthquake. It may be rare for people from outside, but it happens often around here.

"Are you being attacked by demons?

 Unexpectedly, we search in all directions for any sign of demons.



 There was a demon near ......! But it was not above ground.

 There is a sign of a big monster in the basement of this village. It seems to be about one size bigger than Lucky.

 It may just be ....... It's big but ...... weak, or it doesn't seem to be there at all.

 I don't know any more details, but the fact that the monster is moving violently seems to have something to do with the earthquake.



 The shaking of the ground subsided after only a few seconds, though it seemed to last a long time.

 It was not so big that something fell from the wall, but it was not very pleasant.

From the reactions of Kurogo and the people around him, this seemed to be an everyday occurrence.



"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I startled you. Actually, the need for the magic stone has something to do with this earthquake. The ...... what do you call it ......"

 The mayor seemed very reluctant to explain.

 It is true that even if we told them that there was such a big monster on the ground, there is a possibility that they would not believe us. Even if they did, they would want to run away right now.



"Does this have something to do with the demons under this village?"



 Krogo looked at me with a surprised face, and his expression turned grim all at once. He looked a little wary instead of his usual relaxed manner.

"I have the skill of searching for demons in my ability, and I thought it was impossible for the ground to shake, so I checked around me. It's not very often, but the ground can shake when large monsters attack.



"Huh. ...... I was wondering how to tell you about the demons underground, but Mr. Locke seems to be a very capable man. It would be hard to fool them. As a matter of fact, there is a red-colored dragon called the Flaming Dragon sleeping under this village."

"Is it a dragon? I'm surprised it doesn't go berserk.



 Dragons are said to be found in unexplored areas where they have little contact with humans, and they rarely come close to human settlements. They are a different species from wyverns and other dragon species.

 Basically, when a dragon was discovered, it was normal to request the Royal Knights to slay it.



 Of course, it was not an obligation.



"This land has always been a strange land where there is no snow. We Yuki-jin fled here because we were persecuted for our land at a time when subhuman discrimination was worse than it is now. When our ancestors found this place, they thought it was a paradise. Some time after they built their village here, they found out that there were dragons sleeping under the ground. The heat emitted by the dragons keeps the land snow-free.

Are there dragons under the village of Kolon?

No, the village of Koron has a cave that is connected to this village underground. If you can fly, the straight line distance is not that far. It's just that it's a bit of a detour to get to a place where people can easily walk, so it's quite a distance.

 I recall there being a cliff or something along the way. If we jumped over the cliff, the straight line distance would be closer, but since the villages are in the middle of the mountain, it would be difficult to walk unless we took the long way around.



"What does this have to do with the sudden need for the magic stone?"

"Actually, it is said that the lifespan of a ...... dragon is in the thousands of years and lives in a completely different sense of time than we do. It is said that dragons live on a completely different time scale than we do. We used to bind the dragons here, but recently the dragons suddenly went berserk and said that the magic power of those who sealed them was insufficient, so we urgently needed a magic stone."



Sealing a dragon is nothing but dangerous.

"I understand what you are saying, Mr. Locke. I understand what you're saying, Mr. Locke, but we have no other way to live. Swords and magic can be used to kill and protect. Dragons and tools are only as good as how we use them.






 A dragon sleeping underground: .......

 I understand what the mayor is trying to say, but it makes me feel uneasy.