25 — Chapter 25

The golem car proceeded at a low speed through the forest. I sat in the driver’s seat, whistling a cheerful tune. There was no longer any need to be on guard for a dragon like we were on the way here. It was a truly comfortable journey.

We were currently on the path back to the settlement. Alice was in the passenger seat, and the dwarves surrounded the vehicle. Following behind us were several dozen golems.

Alice had manufactured these golems in a hurry. Because she had prioritized quantity over quality, their shapes lacked any uniformity. Each one looked like a pile of rocks stacked into a humanoid form, and more than a few seemed poorly balanced. These rock golems were carrying chunks of scaled meat and bone.

This was the dragon’s corpse. We were having them transport the dismantled remains. The dragon had originally been about the size of a passenger plane; obviously, we couldn’t fit the whole thing in the golem car. On the other hand, leaving it behind was out of the question. It had already been proven that dragon materials were rare and useful—even a fragment of a claw could become a powerful weapon. I couldn’t let such a haul go to waste. Thus, the decision was made to carry it back using a mass of golems.

Incidentally, I intended to discuss things at the settlement and share the dragon’s remains with the dwarves. They had fought bravely and contributed to the victory. They hadn’t been mere dead weight brought along to fill numbers. They deserved a reward commensurate with their performance.

In fact, the bombardment from the dwarves had been a huge help. Without their cooperation in the first place, I wouldn’t have been able to assemble this level of equipment. Besides, I wouldn’t be able to carry this volume of remains on the rest of my journey anyway. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have them owe me a favor.

Midway through, as the sun began to set, we halted our movement and decided to camp on the spot. We could have pushed on after sunset to reach the settlement, but I took the dwarves’ mental state into account. Even if they hadn’t suffered major injuries, they had experienced a fierce battle. The mental fatigue was likely immeasurable. During the fight, they were blinded by the exhilaration, and even now that joy was masking it, they were surely feeling the strain.

There was no reason to rush back to the settlement, either. No matter how leisurely we traveled, it was a distance we could cover by tomorrow afternoon. There was no need to hurry.

As soon as the camp was decided, the dwarves began their preparations with practiced speed. When I tried to help, I was politely declined.

“Master Jack must be exhausted. Please, relax and take it easy,” one of the dwarves said with a smile. It seemed they were showing consideration for me after my desperate struggle with the dragon.

‘I don’t really need the special treatment, though…’

To be honest, I wasn’t tired at all. I’d always had confidence in my stamina, but with the high-level corrections, I had transcended human limits. I was almost always in peak condition. That said, this was an act of goodwill from the dwarves. I decided to accept it gracefully. They were efficient enough that it didn’t look like there was anything for me to help with anyway.

I gave a wry smile and sat down to wait. To kill time, I looked at the golems standing around us. They were acting as guards, ordered to drive away any monsters that approached. So far, they hadn’t had to act once. Well, if anything happened, I intended to deal with it myself. There shouldn’t be any monsters stronger than a dragon out here, so it would be an easy win. Even if such a creature appeared, I could handle it with ease; I still had plenty of the weapons I’d prepared left over.

Contrary to my self-confidence, no monsters appeared at all. Curious, I asked Alice, who was also waiting, about it. She answered as if it were obvious.

“The scent of dragon blood is keeping the other monsters away. It must be triggering their survival instincts.”

“I see. I didn’t know the corpse would have that kind of effect.”

I was impressed. If I used dragon materials, I might even be able to make monster-repellent items. Regardless, it was a good thing that no unnecessary trouble was occurring.

While we were talking, the dwarves started a pot over the bonfire. It was a stew of vegetables and meat. The meat they used was from the dragon.

I peered into the pot. Tender pieces of dragon meat were swimming in the soup. The rising steam and aroma were mouth-watering.

“Please, Master Jack, have the first serving.”

“Ah, thanks.”

I accepted the wooden bowl.

Just what would a dragon taste like? I was genuinely curious. With an expectant heart, I brought the bowl to my lips. After savoring it carefully, I offered my assessment.

“…Yeah. Well, it’s not bad.”

It was a flavor that was difficult to describe. It wasn’t revolting. However, it wasn’t particularly delicious, either. On a scale of one to a hundred, it probably wandered somewhere around sixty. My disappointment was substantial, mostly because I had been expecting a supreme delicacy.

However, it seemed excellent in terms of nourishment. I could feel a sensation of strength surging through me. If someone gulped this down right after waking up, they’d likely be able to move energetically for the rest of the day. Alice and the dwarves seemed to be eating with satisfaction. It appeared my underwhelming review was simply a result of my own inflated expectations.

After the meal, the camp transitioned into a time for casual conversation. The dwarves, their tension finally evaporated, laughed together with lively expressions. The pressure they had been under must have been immense, considering they had carried the fate of their settlement on their shoulders. I had nothing but praise for them for fulfilling their duty.

Glancing at the boisterous dwarves, I checked my own Status. Since I’d taken down a big game like a dragon, I figured something might have changed. That prediction was spot on.

In the skill column, a new entry had appeared: [Dragon Slayer B+]. I learned that Alice and the dwarves had acquired a skill of the same name, though theirs were Rank C. I could only assume the difference came from whether or not one dealt the finishing blow. I couldn’t think of any other reason.

Additionally, I was the only one who had acquired the skill [Blue Dragon’s Bloodline A]. According to Alice, the factor was likely the fact that I had been drenched in the dragon’s fresh blood. I decided to have her explain the detailed effects of the skills.

“First, regarding [Dragon Slayer B+], it provides attack corrections in combat against dragons, as well as success corrections for intimidation actions. It also improves performance when using equipment made from dragon materials. The higher the rank, the stronger the effect.”

“Then what about [Blue Dragon’s Bloodline A]?”

“Acquisition of regeneration abilities and enhancement of physical attributes. Also, I believe it grants resistance to attack magic.”

“That’s quite a generous haul.”

Both seemed like convenient skills with high versatility. My [Bomb Manufacturing EX++] was extremely useful, but that was a capability that shone during preparation. It wasn’t the sort of thing used in the heat of battle. These two new skills primarily provided direct support for combat actions. They seemed like they would be useful in any situation.

Through this experience, I had learned something: the difficulty of living in this world. Monsters infested this land. Beings like that dragon weren’t necessarily rare. This world was certainly not kind to humanity. There would likely be cases where the combat techniques I honed in my original world, or even my high-level corrections, wouldn’t be enough. It wouldn’t be strange to lose one’s life in a heartbeat. I could never afford to be complacent.

I will definitely return to my original world. To achieve that, I had to make use of whatever was available to me. I more than welcomed any skills that would boost my survival rate.

As an aside, it seemed Alice and the dwarves had leveled up significantly. It was likely because they contributed to the dragon subjugation. On the other hand, my level hadn’t budged. According to Alice, my level was already so high that the experience points required for the next level-up were in a completely different league. There was nothing to be done about that. I’d just have to wait patiently. My level was high enough as it was; I’d just consider it lucky if I happened to level up.

After a bit of small talk, we turned in for the night. We used the transformed golem car as our respective beds and lay down. It was a deep sleep, free of dreams.

And the following day.

Refreshed in both mind and body, we resumed our journey. As before, we encountered no monsters and proceeded smoothly through the forest. We returned to the settlement just before noon.

The people of the settlement were shocked that we had returned with zero casualties. They had fully considered the possibility of a total wipeout, and even if we survived, they expected the majority to be dead. Apparently, that was the standard expectation for anyone challenging a dragon. How bleak. Well, the reality was that we had achieved the best possible result. There was nothing to worry about.

After we gave a brief summary of the events, a lavish victory feast awaited us. Despite their pessimism, it seemed they had prepared for our return nonetheless. The feast was a long affair, lasting three days and three nights. The dwarves continued to make a racket day and night with all the liquor and food they could muster.

During that time, no matter where Alice and I went in the settlement, we were the stars of the show. Consequently, I ended up having to tell the “heroic tale of the dragon slayer” until I was sick of it. Still, an experience like this isn’t bad every once in a while. It feels good to have one’s achievements praised. Resigning myself to the attention, I thoroughly enjoyed the days of celebration.