“Right! You rest, Sir Will. We’ll handle—”
“No, no, no. I can’t do that.”
“Oh yes you can, you’re having a break. You’ve been going way too nuts.”
“Agreed. I never thought you’d go for the kill at a moment like that. It was a damn good strike, though.”
“Indeed it was. I don’t believe I will ever forget that flash like the sun. We shall have to have a victory celebration when we get back!”
“Oh, nice! Let’s invite the Lothdor bunch, too, and get them to play for us.”
“That sounds wonderful! And we’ll have food and drink—”
“Tonio and Bee probably have it all worked out already. We’ll be having a blast for sure.”
“Ooh, I think I’m looking forward to it already!”
We were all chat and smiles. Started by no one in particular, the glorious sounds of high fives filled the cavern.
After that, we acquired a number of dragon scales and treasures as proof that we’d successfully killed the dragon. With regard to Valacirca’s corpse, it would be a problem if we just left it there to rot, so I used benediction to place the Miracle of Preservation on it. According to Reystov, almost all parts of a dragon’s body made for high-grade ingredients and materials, so it was possible that we’d end up returning later with equipment to take it apart.
The idea of dissecting the remains of my adversary and making tools from him left me with some complicated feelings because of my sensibilities from my previous world. But that was what it meant to slay a dragon here. I was sure Valacirca had been prepared for that, and I wasn’t about to hesitate, either. Having won, I intended to make full use of my victor’s privileges.
That said, there was a staggering amount of treasure and dragon to move. It was too big a job for now with only the five of us. Considering the possibility that it might all get taken away by the remaining demons, we decided that for now we’d set up thorough barriers with Words and Signs and go back to the city the same way we came. The reason for not going down to the east on land, instead leaving to the west and going around the water route, was so that we could also check on the state of Lothdor and fill them in with what happened.
Incidentally, as for clothing, we’d brought some spares and also found some magical clothing embroidered with Signs among the dragon’s treasure hoard. With all this together, we had just enough to make do. Full-blown winter was almost upon us, and walking around half-naked wasn’t my idea of fun. Even more unamusing, I might add, was the fact that my body had turned into something that would probably cope just fine in these conditions.
On the way, everyone helped me test the capabilities of my body now that it had been exposed to dragon blood. To put it bluntly, they were quite inhuman. It was mostly just as the god of undeath had said. My muscular strength and endurance had been raised even further beyond the level I’d trained them to. My defense, especially, was very far from human. I couldn’t be cut or stabbed with a worker’s knife. While being very careful, we did a restrained experiment to see whether Reystov could slash me, and that went through just like normal, so apparently I wasn’t invincible or immortal.
It was a similar story with my Words. I tried incanting a few, and I was amazed at how accurately I could produce the results I wanted. My precision had increased. When I honed my senses, I felt that my process of converging mana both inside and outside my body had changed somewhat. My maximum power had increased as well. I had a feeling that if I felt like it, I might be able to reduce this entire area to scorched earth with a single shout. I truly was a dragon in human form.
As for my take on all this, I felt that the situation I’d been put in wasn’t very good. It was true that my battle strength had gone up. I would probably have the upper hand against Stagnate’s Echo if we had a rematch, and I thought I could even put up a reasonable fight against Valacirca on my own. Judging purely by my physical abilities, if I faced an ordinary beast like the ones you could find around here, I’d probably be able to hum to myself as I crushed them without the slightest risk. And that was bad news.
It was incredibly dangerous to have risk disappear from battle. If I got used to this body exposed to dragon blood and took it for granted, the way I fought would become arrogant and lax. Once that happened, I was bound to die sooner or later. I wasn’t sure whether it’d be by running into an enemy stronger than me, making too many enemies, or simply by being murdered, but in any case it wouldn’t be pleasant. It was the same as the warning I’d received from Blood when he gave me Overeater.
What’s more, it would be bad for me both as a religious person and as someone involved in politics. How strongly and for how long can a person empathize with the vulnerable if he never lets the heat or cold discomfort him, doesn’t know hunger or thirst, and has the strength to survive in any place all on his own? I could see myself eventually becoming an ignorant and arrogant person who knew neither the freezing cold nor the hunger of having nothing to eat and whose only qualities were strength and intelligence.
This power wasn’t a blessing from the dragon. It was a curse. I wondered if Valacirca had foreseen this. He almost certainly hadn’t expected me to survive the breath he unleashed when we crossed in those final moments. But I could imagine him laughing and saying, “Dragons are beings who curse champions and bring their lives to destruction.” I had no idea how to eliminate the dragon factor mixed into my body and soul, and anyway, even if I did find out, this power was certainly useful. I couldn’t possibly relinquish it until things were a little more settled.
In short, right at the last moment, the dragon had got me good. I had won the battle, but the war between me and Valacirca would continue for my whole life. If I met my destruction as the foul-dragon intended, I would lose. If I didn’t, I would win.
As we finally exited the seemingly endless network of underground tunnels and made our way out of the West Gate, I looked up at the mountain and muttered, “You won’t beat me.”
◆
We went out the West Gate and made our way down to the foot of the Iron Mountains. When the rocky paths lined with boulders came to an end, our field of view opened up. A refreshing breeze blew.
“Wow...”
Fresh buds had sprouted on what had been rows of dead trees. The poisonous sludge had vanished and become fertile soil. Where there had been bog, there was now either firm ground or rich fen, depending on where you looked. It was completely different from the wet and dismal sight I’d encountered when I first came here.
“Heeey! Heeey!”
A group of elves called out from the distance and headed our way. At the head of the group was an elf with golden hair and violet eyes I recognized as Dine.
“So you are all right!” she said, running up to us. “We heard the dragon howling so many times, and the next thing we knew, everything went quiet and suddenly this strange fire rushed past us and this whole area was clean...”
Then, taking in the fact that none of us were missing, she hugged us all, sobbing out, “I’m so glad you’re safe!”
The smell of poison no longer surrounded her, either. The only smell floating around her now was a pleasant one, a mixture of a womanly scent and the smells of earth and greenery.
“You’re making a big deal of it,” Menel said.
“I am not! I really... thought you might never come back...”
“We won, though. I mean, look around, the dragon’s dead. Will killed him.”
In contrast to Menel’s curt attitude, Dine’s voice was choked with tears.
“Look, I’m not dying yet. I’ve got stuff to do.”
“Stuff?”
“Well, for starters, this place needs restoring. This area’s still dealing with the aftereffects of the foul-dragon’s poison, right?”
“That’s a good point.” Al nodded and frowned with a concerned expression. “There were some traces of miasma left in a few places in the mountains, and there are probably some demons left over, to
o.”
Certainly, it seemed that quite a lot of the miasma had been cleared away, but it wasn’t to the point where I couldn’t sense any at all. Besides, the dangerous demons who had settled here because of the toxic environment wouldn’t leave so easily. It looked like it was going to be a while yet before the Iron Country and Lothdor could regain the bustle they’d had in the old days.
“We have a mountain of the dragon’s treasure, so for the time being we can draw a little from that.”
“We shall need to consider how to distribute it, as well.”
“It’ll be no good to have a ton of wealth entering the system and screwing up the balance of goods and money. Have a chat with Tonio or something.”
“Right!”
“Also, since we’ve taken back the mountain, the people who lived in the old Iron Country will try to come back, right?”
“So we’d better make sure it’s ready to take them or we’re gonna have a mess on our hands.”
The list of things to do kept growing longer.
“I don’t much feel like it, but maybe I should show my face back at my old home forest as well and ask if they could send out a few talented elves,” Menel muttered with a frown on his face.
The silver-haired half-elf who had once run away from that forest would be returning there as a decorated dragon-slayer holding the qualification of Lord of the Woods and carrying an item that once belonged to one of their departed heroes. When I thought about just how much drama that would create, well, suffice it to say his expression didn’t surprise me. Menel wasn’t the kind of person to think of going back successful so he could have the last laugh. If he wasn’t comfortable somewhere, he was the type to burn his bridges behind him and cut the whole thing out of his life. He’d probably never intended on bothering to go back there.
However, when it came to adjusting the delicate balance of mountains and forests, it was better to have multiple skilled elementalists at hand who knew about the workings of nature and the fae. There was no question that it would be to our advantage if Menel could regain his connection with his homeland.
“Then I’ll come as well,” Dine said.
“You?”
“We’re the ones they’re helping! Of course I have to come and bow my head to them!”
“Uh, well, I guess. Let’s take a trip across the sea in spring, then. You okay with that, Will?”
“Of course,” I said with a laugh and a nod.
I had the feeling that it would just make for even bigger drama, but I couldn’t see how that was going to hurt me!
“Damn you, grinning like it’s not your problem!”
I laughed again. It looked like it was going to be a while yet before the Iron Country and Lothdor could regain the bustle they’d had in the old days. But even if it took some time, I was sure: one day, the splendid townscape of Lothdor would be rebuilt and filled with beautiful songs and music, and the furnaces of the Iron Country would again glow with bright-red fire as the sounds of hammers echoed through its halls.
◆
After the warm reception at Lothdor, we got back on our boat, set sail up the now clear-flowing river, and arrived at the lake. We crossed the lake, made our way through the mist, and headed back to the city of the dead.
“Aha!” Gus was there. He was floating near the outskirts of the ruined city, looking restless.
As a completely random aside, the sight of a ghost under bright sunlight is incredibly strange.
“So you didn’t snuff it. Hmm...” Gus looked at me suspiciously. “Your mana flow is odd. Dragon factor?”
He got it in one. It was no wonder they called him the Wandering Sage.
“That’s a curse, you know.”
“I know. I’ve come to terms with it, too, Gus.”
It was the price for my victory over Valacirca and the proof that that prideful foul-dragon had indeed seen his draconic philosophy through to the end.
“Good,” he grunted. Then, with a switch of attitude, he said, “Come on, then! You all look very tired!” and invited us into the temple.
I hadn’t been too aware of it until now, but I guess I was quite high-strung. I kneeled in front of Blood and Mary’s graves, told them all about my battle with the dragon, and then, completely spent, I slept like a log. I had fought battle after battle, and now I had finally arrived somewhere where I didn’t have to be on my guard. Having been exposed to the blood of a dragon, my body was hardly complaining of tiredness at all. However, I had been put at risk of death so many times that my mind must have been in need of a break. I fell asleep, forgetting even about my morning prayer routine, and I dreamed of the days of my childhood with Mary and Blood. It was a fun dream of running around on that temple hill.
◆
Our brief moment of rest came to an end. It came time for us to return to Torch Port.
“Let us return the weapons we borrowed,” Al said to Gus. Gus casually waved a hand.
“No, no. Take them, I won’t use them.”
“But aren’t they mementos of the precious allies who fought with you?”
“You’re an upright lad, aren’t you?” He smirked. Gus was actually pretty fond of people with conscience like this. “That they belonged to comrades-in-arms is all the more reason they should be passed down to new users. Weapons and armor were created as tools. Leaving them locked up in storage, not even presented for anyone’s appreciation? Nothing could be more meaningless.”
“Then I’ll take these with many thanks.”
“Mm. They will be the equipment of a new dwarven lord. You will do that gear an honor.”
“Oh.” Those words reminded me. “Calldawn.”
That golden sword was still strapped to my hip. I hadn’t thought about it until now. My primary weapon, Pale Moon, had been seriously damaged, and I couldn’t afford to use Overeater lightly. There had still been a chance of a battle with roaming beasts or the remnants of the demons, so I’d kept Calldawn on me all this time...
“No. That sword belongs to you, Sir Will.”
“I can’t take this. It’s been passed down among the dwarves for generations. It’s your treasured sword!” I insisted that he’d need it to demonstrate he was their legitimate ruler and so on, but Al refused to take it from me, saying that Lord Aurvangr had deliberately given it to me.
“Sir Will, you were born under the star of a hero. Please take this sword to help you so you don’t lose your life in the battles to come.”
Despite all that, I couldn’t simply take this sword. So I decided that I would borrow it instead and put down in writing that the sword was to be returned to the Iron Country after I died.
“Anyway, you’re kind of talking like stronger and stronger enemies are going to head my way. I faced a dragon this time. A dragon! That’s gotta be it, right? It’s not like enemies stronger than that turn up every day of the week!” I said, finishing with confidence. Everyone was silent, looking at me with gazes of pity. It felt like they were thinking, Knowing him, there’ll be swarms of them, or something. So cruel!
“Uh, y’know, live... strong.” Reystov patted my shoulder clumsily but gently. “We’ll help you out a little bit.”
“Um, that really doesn’t make me feel any better!”
Reystov made a troubled face. It was such an unusual expression for him that everyone laughed.
◆
We traveled downstream from the city of the dead and returned to Torch Port. As we drew close, the buzz was already starting to spread. Women doing work on the outskirts covered their mouths with both hands in great surprise and almost tripped over themselves in their rush to get back to town. I heard voices exclaiming that their liege had returned and everyone was safe.
Before long, a large, noisy crowd of people had spilled out from town. By that time, we had docked our boat at the wharf; and by the time we made it ashore, Tonio was there at the head of the group to greet us. His hair seemed kind of messy, and there were bags under his eyes. I’d l
eft him in charge before I left, but now that I thought about it, there must have been a lot of trouble during the times when the dragon was howling. It looked like I’d put a lot of strain on him. I felt pretty bad about it.
“I’m pleased to see you back. Were you... successful?”
In answer to his question, I untied a package that I’d given to Ghelreis to hold onto, revealing the twisted end of a horn and a large, thick scale.
“The demons who live in the mountain, and the foul-dragon Valacirca,”—I held the horn high in the air—“have been slain!”
A great cheer went up. Valacirca’s roars and growls had reached all the way to this town. They must all have been pretty worried. And in this very moment, all their worries had been resolved.
“Woohoo! Congrats!!” A red-haired halfling came flying at me from out of the crowd. I caught her and spun her around. Bee laughed. “You’re all fine, right?! That’s great! And oh my god is that a dragon horn? Show me a sec, I’ll put it in a story later! Wait... What the—your new gear is amazing! Where did you get it?!”
She was really getting carried away. I could tell we were all in for a grilling later. She was going to dig down to the last detail. I was still thinking about it when a wave of joyous and thankful people swallowed me up.
There was Agnarr, Dwarftown’s leading figure. Thori and Hodh were here, too. Marcus of the Bluffers, whom I’d asked to serve as a decoy on our way out, had returned safely. He grinned at me in congratulation of our joint success.
The old dwarf Grendir had his arms around Ghelreis and Al’s shoulders. His eyes were streaming with tears. I spotted Anna, the priest, talking to Reystov with a smile and expressing her appreciation. Reystov nodded back. Menel seemed to have snuck away and was watching the fuss from a distance. That was very much like him. At least he looked like he was in a good mood.
I was mobbed. Thanks, congratulations, well dones, hoorays, and more flew about. As I handled them with smiles, hugs, and handshakes, eventually things started to settle for the time being, and Tonio clapped his hands together loudly to get everyone’s attention.
The Lord of the Rust Mountains (Complete) Page 35
