Vol 9 – Chapter 11 – Mountain Range Encounter (Part 2)
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Tek here, birthday parties, Christmas parties, new year’s parties, ‘I’m bored, so let’s party’ parties--there are various types of parties, and they are good for getting to know each other and facilitate communication. Though, people who don’t know their tolerance for alcohol can be troublesome though.

 

“Whoa!” Just before the fang impacts my shoulder, I drive my fist into it without holding back. The broken fang injures the Black Dragon’s mouth, and blood comes out.

 

Well, it should heal quickly, since it’s a Dragon, right?

 

Using the momentum, I twist my body and hit the side of the Dragon’s head with a roundhouse kick.

 

However, carelessness really is one’s greatest enemy--I didn’t think that Flexible Shield and Flexible Armour would be smashed that easily. I was considering countering when the fang was stopped by my protective Spells, but since it went straight through--and I lost my composure.

 

I look at the Black Dragon who has fainted right beside me.

 

Did I kick it a bit too hard?

 

I think that I may have felt its skull let out a cracking feeling--but it was still alive, and it should heal quickly--they’re the strongest creatures, after all.

 

However, after waiting for nearly an hour, even after the Fainted Status disappeared, the Black Dragon doesn’t seem to be waking up.

 

Is it playing dead?

 

Come to think of it, the Dragons depicted in the picture books of this world seem to all like drinking alcohol--some of the ones in my world liked to feast as well.

 

I put a barrel of liquor near the tip of the Black Dragon’s nose.

 

It’s a strong liquor, even among the breweries at the Duchy Capital, called Dragon Slayer.

 

I use the broken fang to punch a hole in the lid of the wooden liquor barrel. An almost overpowering smell of alcohol spread out like an almost visible cloud.

 

The Black Dragon’s nostrils expand--and it peeks--but it quickly closes its eyes in a panic when they meet mine.

 

Err, you’re a little too late there.

 

“You’ve woken up, right? Why don’t we share some alcohol, I feel thirsty after a good fight.”

 

“Hmm, very well, I’ll make an exception for this special, draw. However, this amount isn’t enough for exchanging cups.” While sounding like he was begrudging, the Black Dragon climbed to his feet.

 

I understand that you’re trying to keep your dignity, but it fails if you stare so intently and fixedly at the barrel of Liquor like that. I’m being tactful here, and urge the Dragon to go ahead, and it begins to taste the Liquor.

 

“Hmm, excellent. Liquor that Humans make is really tasty. But, Dragon Liquor won’t lose to it, y’know? I’m returning the cup, now, let’s drink Dragon Liquor--” The Black Dragon begins to howl, almost like it’s singing.

 

It is a fantastic Magic that summons a spring that gushes out liquor instead of water. It’s called a Liquor Spring, Soul Well.

 

Since just drinking doesn’t feel right, I add a roasted whole Wyvern, and 200 kilograms of grilled Monstrous Fish as well--for the Black Dragon to eat alongside the drink.

 

I cook them using Forge.

 

While I was drinking and cooking the meat--the Black Dragon was eating the meat--I contacted Arisa with the Magic called Telephone. Since there were howls, roars, and explosions--this was to put them at ease. Arisa and Liza seem to have been worried.

 

I told Arisa and the other that I will be back soon, but--it became a simple drinking party.

 

He drinks most of the alcohol while I listen to the Black Dragon’s stories, which are mostly about its battles. I’m relieved to hear that there are other living Dragons.

 

Apparently, only 70% of the Dragon population lived in Dragon Valley, while the remaining 30% are located here and in other continents. I’m glad that they’re not on the verge of extinction.

 

The Dragons on this continent--except the ones who where in Dragon Valley--are the Black Dragon in front of me, the Heavenly Dragons that reside on the Sacred Mountain to the west, and several Young Dragons. Besides these, there are only Lower Dragons.

 

Lower Dragons are more or less Dragons, but they don’t have a clear intellect, and aren’t different from beasts. According to the Black Dragon, likening Lower Dragons to Dragons is like lumping goats and Humans together because they’re both Mammals.

 

Using goats in analogies seem to be the Black Dragon’s favourite, I think he really likes goat meat, it appears very commonly in his story.

 

When I look at the clock after the battle and drinking party is over, we had been busy for around half the day. His tolerance for alcohol is incredibly--and his abilities are amazing, he seems to fight at a much higher level than his level of 100. He may not be as strong as the Golden Boar-Head King, but he wouldn’t be defeated instantly.

 

I send another Telephone message to Arisa and say that I will be coming back tomorrow, since the Dragon seems to want to keep talking--he seems like a lonely Dragon, and I don’t mind listening to his very interesting stories.

 

>>Title: Friend of the Black Dragon Acquired.

>>Title: Mountain Crusher Acquired.

 

***

Dawn of the next morning, I’m crossing the mountain range on the back of the Black Dragon.

 

I wanted to ride a Dragon at least once.

 

Now, I need to find a female Dragon who can take a Humanoid form--then I can ‘ride’ a Dragon.

 

Coming out of the sea of clouds, I look at the dwelling of the Black Dragon on the highest peak, and we pass the mountain range. The morning sun shines on the Sea of Tress--a forest that extends further than even I can see.

 

There, at the center of the forest, faraway from where we are--there’s the strange thread which extends from the ground and into the sky, which I have been able to see since we entered the Duchy Territory--Mia told me that the thread, is the World Tree.

 

However, it doesn’t really look like a tree--if anything, it looks like a Space Elevator. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a glass elevator somewhere nearby.

 

“What’s wrong, my kindred-spirit, Kuro? Do you find the World Tree unusual?”

 

‘Kuro’, that’s what the Black Dragon calls me.

 

This is something that happened during the drinking bout, by the Black Dragon’s request, I gave him a name: Heiron. He had intended to ask for a name when someone that could equal him in combat appeared. Looks like Dragons don’t tend to give individual names, at least ones that Humans or Humanoids can pronounce--they identify each other by scent and colour, as well as their Magic Signature.

 

Maybe because I had my name set to Sine Nomine (Nameless), he gave me the name of Kuro. As for why ‘Kuro’? It was the name of a child that the Dragon raised, on a whim, 900 years ago. Since the name sounds like the Japanese word for ‘black’, the child might have been a reincarnated person, or a summoned child.

 

Going back to the main subject, we are speaking about the World Tree right now.

 

“Yeah, I’m just considering how far the World Tree extends.”

 

“It continues up and into the Void--even with my wings, I don’t know how many days it would take.”

 

Is that so?

 

Dragons can fly into space, huh?

 

The forest before my eyes is the Bornean Forest. However, where the World Tree is, is another map. About 10,000 Fairykin, beside the Elves, living in small villages scattered around on the edges of the Bornean Forest.

 

“I’d like to take you to the World Tree, but that High Elf hag will get noisy. When I got close back in the day, a thunder cloud descended on me, and half of my top scales were torn--I was in pain for 100 years, until it was time to shed. Therefore Kuro, you should only come this close.”

 

I see, so the defense mechanisms of the Elves can even repel Dragons, amazing.

 

I should contact Mia’s parents with Telephone and have them come and pick us up after we cross the mountains.

 

I want to meet a High Elf at least once.

 

***

I parted with the Black Dragon Heiron at the place we met yesterday.

 

He didn’t need the fang, which I broke in the fight, since it would grow back in 100 years, so I received it. Since there are broken pieces of Dragon Scales when I search around the area of the fight, so I collect all of them.

 

Although the Liquor Spring will apparently turn into a normal water spring after a few days, it’s still gushing out Liquor now, so I fill the barrels in my storage with it. I’ll send some to Dohar and Galhar when we get back to normal civilization.

 

I wonder if it’s because of the fight with Heiron, or because of the cleaning up the Monsters that were running around afterwards, but there weren’t any more hardships as we crossed the mountain range--and finally arrive at the border of the Bornean Forest.

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