To Slay The White Dragon

“S-sorry. I understand you want to defeat the White Dragon… the Lindwyrm, and to borrow Jonah’s power, but what will you do?”

Patricia, who had been silently listening until now, asked Fafnir.

She, too, had come at the request of the Kingdom of Karelia to slay the White Dragon. Even if Fafnir were to kill the Lindwyrm, Patricia had the responsibility to see it through to the end.

“We dragons are always resonant with one another. Because of that, I can know as clearly as if holding it in my hand where Lindwyrm is now and what he is doing.”

According to Fafnir, dragons are so rare in this world that they constantly broadcast their existence to other dragons of the same species.

This allows a dragon to know of the existence of other dragons besides itself.

“There are eight dragons in this world now, including myself and the Lindwyrm.”

“R-really!”

The dragon-related legends recorded in the book of legends that Jonah carried were not limited to just ‘the pair of dragons.’

If that were the case, it made sense that there were other dragons, and upon learning this fact Jonah’s eyes brightened involuntarily.

“…Fortunately, for the two weeks since my defeat, that one has neither attacked humans nor shown itself much; it hides to heal the grievous wound I dealt it. Well, the same can be said of me.”

Fafnir looked at the large wound on its own belly.

That, too, must have been inflicted by Lindwyrm.

“I know it’s difficult to ask, but with that wound, can you hope to defeat Lindwyrm…?”

“You won’t know until you try… but I cannot afford to lose. That one has committed a taboo.”

Fafnir answered Patricia’s question in a voice laced with bitterness.

The taboo Fafnir had told them about earlier—‘feeding on humans.’

Was that such a sweet temptation that it could drive a dragon, a being far above humans, mad?

Yet as a result, the capital of the Kingdom of Karelia, Helsing, had been left half-ruined by Lindwyrm.

With the consequences already manifest, that was what it meant.

“In any case, if we don’t act right now the damage will surely spread further. First we must make contact with Lindwyrm and make sure it cannot escape anywhere. But before that…”

“Hmm… is there something?”

“Yes. There’s a boy named Henrik who came with us to Mount Baldia. We need to regroup with him first.”

“That’s right.”

Henrik had been searching Mount Baldia with Kuu for traces, to come to terms with the father who was probably already dead.

If Jonah and Patricia left with Fafnir now to hunt Lindwyrm, they would be leaving him alone on this dangerous mountain.

“So please wait a moment.”

Jonah pointed his index finger at the ground, rapidly drew a magic circle, and teleported straight to Henrik.

“Whoa!?”

“Vof!?”

Henrik and Kuu cried out in surprise at Jonah suddenly appearing before them.

However, the place they were was the foot of Mount Baldia where they had parted earlier.

“Jo-Jonah, don’t scare me like that…”

“Hehe, sorry. So… did you accomplish your goal?”

Jonah smiled apologetically at the relieved Henrik and asked with a serious expression.

That said, the fact they were here likely meant it was all over.

“…I found this.”

Henrik said that and held out a dirty leather shoe.

In other words, the shoe belonged to his father.

“So Dad really did die here. It’s been five years already, so he probably got eaten by a beast or something.”

“I see…”

Henrik spoke matter-of-factly, but inside he was surely feeling sadness and pain.

As proof, his shoulders had been trembling the whole time.

“S-so, where did Jonah go…? I mean, come to think of it, you suddenly appeared right in front of me!? What did you do!?”

Remembering Jonah’s earlier teleportation, Henrik peppered him with questions.

“Oh right! Princess Patricia is waiting with Fafnir at the summit of this mountain, so Henrik, let’s go with them!”

“Uwaaah!?”

Jonah, remembering his original purpose, drew a magic circle on the ground and grabbed Henrik’s hand.

Kuu, pulled along, also stepped into the magic circle.

“…!?”

“Voow!?”

The scenery shifted abruptly, and before them stood a gigantic dragon and Patricia.

Not understanding what was happening, Henrik and Kuu looked at each other in stunned silence.

More than that.

“Hmm, Henrik has come as well.”

“Oh… the boy and the Wolf King who were with you, hm?”

“That’s right.”

Jonah cocked his head, seeing Patricia and Fafnir conversing familiarly before he knew it.

What on earth had happened between that one woman and that one beast while he went to fetch Henrik?

Moreover, Fafnir had said something intriguing.

It looked at Kuu and called him the ‘Wolf King.’

“Um… Fafnir, what do you mean by Kuu being the ‘Wolf King’…?”

“He is the mystical wolf descended from the king who once ruled the Northern Forest.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaat!?”

“Voow?”

Jonah and Henrik exclaimed at the startling revelation.

Kuu himself didn’t really understand and tilted his head.

“H-Henrik, did you know!?”

“No way! When I was little, my dad brought Kuu home, who had become an orphan!”

Hearing that only made Henrik’s father seem even more suspicious.

Before disappearing from this mountain five years ago, he had brought back large prey and jewels—what on earth was his father?

Of course, it couldn’t be denied that it might all be mere coincidence.

“Now then, everyone, mount my back. We will go to where Lindwyrm is.”

“Y-yes!”

“Aah!”

“Voou! Voou!”

Jonah and the others all climbed onto Fafnir’s back.

However, since Fafnir’s back was far too high to clamber onto, they teleported up there using Jonah’s magic.

“Hold on tight.”

“Waaahhhh!”

Fafnir’s mountain-like bulk rose gently, and Jonah and the others took off toward Lindwyrm’s location.