I, Viretta, Am Going to Hunt a Dragon-Chapter 62

Saffron grumbled, and Viretta and Ranken shut their mouths.

Ironically, this was no exaggeration. Dillon Medlit was an unscrupulous merchant who sold his sister in various ways at any opportunity.

Not knowing about the Medlit family must be a blessed life. After casting a quick glance at Saffron, they moved on to the next topic.

"Probably, the teeth or claws won't get damaged easily from lightning. When lightning strikes, it's usually the flesh that gets damaged."

"Is that so?"

Saffron, feeling Moslin's gaze, flinched instinctively. He had already sensed Moslin's aggression and replied reluctantly.

"...Right. It’s rare that the bones get damaged from lightning. If it were a rabbit or badger, I might understand, but a dragon, honestly..."

"Honestly, what?"

Moslin glared at Saffron, whose eyes had become glazed over.

"...With the perspective of a slave, I was trying to say I’m not sure if even Moslin’s firepower can bring down a dragon, hehe."

"You're saying you don’t trust my power as a slave? Want a taste of it?"

"No, what good would it do if I win? A weak human like me would hardly even compare to a dragon, hehe."

"Watch carefully. A dragon can't win against my lightning."

"Hmph, you're doing something reckless, not even knowing the value of your life. A slave like me couldn’t even think of such things."

"That’s right!"

Moslin grew angry, and a lightning bolt struck above her head. It hit the stone floor, leaving a black mark, but it was a dangerously close call.

Roberto, the innkeeper, was startled and widened his eyes. Witnessing his lover destroying the precious inn, he quickly lowered his eyes, thinking for a moment, then embraced Moslin.

"Yes, yes, you're that kind of woman."

He thought only his match with Saffron was strange, but the chemistry between Moslin and Saffron was clearly something else.

Viretta, subtly relieved that she wasn't the only one clashing with Saffron, erased the contents on the blackboard and began sketching the maps of the forest and mines. After drawing a neat picture, Viretta lightly tapped the board.

"Then, we’ll use the lightning strike, right? The plan is simple. We’ll lure the dragon to where you’re waiting and strike its head with a strong lightning bolt. Even a dragon should die from that."

"If it's Moslin's lightning, that much should be easy."

Roberto clapped his hands, welcoming Viretta’s plan. His flirtation during the serious meeting was becoming increasingly obnoxious to Viretta and the others.

For a moment, Viretta thought, When will this guy leave?

Seeing her boyfriend acting so casually was an eye-sore. It made her think that everyone in the group should avoid making such a spectacle.

"So, how will we lure it?"

"I’ve thought of about four ways. Blocking both its wings and legs at the same time is a bit tricky. It would be best to throw it into a lake, but there isn’t a lake nearby."

"Dragons can fly. Won’t it fly away?"

"If we grease its wings and set them on fire, or stick mud to them in advance, it will be hard for it to fly."

"That’s a devilish idea."

Iola’s questioning had become routine by now. Viretta circled a few spots on the board.

"What if we use a forest area with tall trees to prevent it from flying and dig pits here and there to guide it?"

"Even with tall trees, a dragon can still fly."

"It can fly, sure. But a dragon is still an animal. If it's not in danger, it probably won’t try to fly in an inconvenient place."

It’s like how humans can swim, but they don’t dive into rushing waters. Viretta reasonably inferred the dragon’s psychology.

This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.

"A horse can walk on a thorny path, but it avoids the dangerous spots."

"Hmm, yeah. That makes sense. I can’t be certain about dragons, though."

"That’s exactly why we’re going to find out! Since we’re arriving early, we can take our time and figure it out. We’ll try things one by one."

"Right, yes, I get it."

Iola's eyes darted around. In times like this, ominous words usually came up, but this time she didn’t open her mouth.

Iola kept her lips shut, and instead, Saffron nervously drummed his fingers on the table, hunching his shoulders.

"What if it really flies away?"

"Then it flies."

"...That’s it?"

"Yeah, if it flies, it actually becomes safer. Once it flies away, it won’t bother chasing us to attack."

This was all Iola’s information. Viretta extended her hand, passing the chance to speak to her, and Iola happily chirped away.

"That’s right. A dragon won’t actively try to harm humans. It might push us away if we get too close, but it won’t chase us down just to bite."

That’s why bounty hunts for dragons are rarely issued. Even if they nest in the mountains, as long as people don’t enter, it doesn’t matter.

"Their attitude towards us is similar to how we see dogs. Unless they're particularly bad-tempered, they won’t kick a dog that doesn’t bark or bite."

The overwhelming size difference leads to tolerance. There aren’t many creatures that are violent without reason.

To a wolf or bull, humans are a great enemy, but to a giant dragon, humans are like small dogs or cats.

If there’s a pack in their nest, they’ll feel uneasy and drive them away, but they often leave one or two lingering without bothering them.

If a bothersome human flies away, the dragon won’t bother chasing them to bite again. This is the behavior of dragons that they’ve observed so far.

"So, does that mean it’s not as dangerous as we thought?"

"No, it’s still dangerous because of their immense size, but there’s no malice behind it."

Even if a dragon swings its tail carelessly, a human would die instantly.

That’s why there are few stories of humans lingering near dragons.

By now, Saffron, who had become extremely gloomy, pulled on his long bangs.

"What if it’s a dragon that kicks dogs around like a trashy person?"

"Then that’s unfortunate."

"Unfortunate? Is that the same as saying, 'I’m sorry' after an incident? If we fail, there’s no turning back. Saying sorry doesn’t cut it."

"Fair point. So, for now, let’s circle around the area, look for weaknesses, and think about what kind of trap to set."

Viretta slammed the chalk down on the blackboard.

The chalk shattered and white dust scattered. In the midst of the swirling dust, Ranken swallowed a groan in silence.

Viretta’s plan wasn’t entirely ridiculous.

It was a strategy where the success or failure depended entirely on the abilities of the participants, and the problem was that she was trying to force it with excessive confidence.

For example, when a famous actor once decided to become a star, getting people to fill the theater was the easy part.

The hardest thing was getting an audience, and she succeeded magnificently at that.

When it came to stepping on stage, however, her skills showed, and the atmosphere became awkward.

This dragon hunt felt like it might meet a similar end.

If that happens, will it be the time to be truly hurt and frustrated?

If she actually sees the dragon, even Viretta’s spirit might be crushed.

A fortnight wasn’t a bad length for a pre-engagement trip. Ranken focused his mind and rested his chin in his hand.

"Yeah. Instead of wasting time talking about things that make no sense, let's go on a reconnaissance. We’ve come this far, I want to see what the dragon looks like."

After listening to Iola's dragon stories for ten days, even Ranken’s curiosity about dragons was growing.

There was no boy who wouldn’t be in awe of a legendary creature that could fly over ten mountains and breathe fire.

And didn’t Viretta say she wanted to see one?

He couldn’t help but come this far by trying to recover the boast he made to Iola, but Viretta also wanted to look up at a dragon.

At that point, Ranken had no other choice.

It might even be true that he always ends up losing to Viretta.

"Let’s go."

"Ranken! You really are my light, my knight!"

Viretta jumped up from her seat and cheered.

The next day, Ranken would deeply regret this decision.