Chapter 31

The temple Mitchell mentioned was located quite high up.

Climbing the steep slope, Mitchell struggled greatly, and even Jenny, an excellent adventurer, was breathing heavily.

On the other hand, Ariel didn’t shed a single drop of sweat and maintained a calm expression. To Ariel, this slope was no different from flat ground.

“Huff huff, I can’t go any further.”

Mitchell plopped down.

“My legs won’t move.”

Jenny frowned at this.

“Stop exaggerating. What are we supposed to do if you just sit down?”

“I think I need to rest a bit. I might die like this. Please.”

“Get up now.”

Jenny grabbed Mitchell’s collar and forced him to stand. Mitchell, with a tearful face, had no choice but to continue climbing the slope.

The temple they finally arrived at was so grand it left them speechless.

Jenny muttered as she looked up at the temple.

“…Was this really built by dwarves? Not giants?”

“According to records, it was indeed built by dwarves. Anyway, we should investigate.”

Mitchell wiped the sweat from his face and entered the temple first. Jenny took Ariel’s hand.

“Let’s go, Ariel.”

Ariel walked with Jenny, glancing around the temple.

This ancient temple, though worn, still bore the marks of time.

Weeds grew thick on the floor, and vines climbed the walls.

Yet, there were no signs of collapse or damage.

“Indeed, it looks sturdy, probably because dwarves built it. It’ll probably last for centuries.”

Ariel nodded slightly at Jenny’s words.

To Ariel, the building seemed incredibly sturdy. So much so that she felt like punching it.

“Well, nothing seems out of the ordinary.”

Mitchell spoke from ahead.

“They said they sensed evil energy here, but I don’t feel much. Maybe it was just a prank…”

“Then we’ve come all this way for nothing.”

“Most likely. If there were demons or monsters nearby, there’d be traces, but for now… Still, just to be sure, let’s check inside.”

Mitchell continued walking into the temple. The air grew cooler the further they went.

The temple’s interior was dark, but moonlight streaming through the windows provided some visibility.

“Hmm.”

Mitchell stopped.

They had arrived at the central part of the temple.

It was the prayer hall.

The prayer hall was dome-shaped, so vast it could be called a plaza.

The walls were adorned with paintings of what seemed to be ancient gods, and a hole in the high ceiling allowed moonlight to stream straight down.

It felt more like a sacred and solemn place than one inhabited by demons or monsters.

“Nothing seems off. Maybe we should head back…”

Just as Mitchell said that.

Something moved in the corner of the prayer hall.

“!”

Jenny quickly drew her sword, and Mitchell began casting sacred magic.

A ghost bared its teeth and crouched low, while Roo quickly hid behind Ariel.

Ariel quietly watched the corner of the prayer hall.

Tap. Tap.

Someone was walking slowly toward them.

It was too dark to see clearly, but the figure was about Ariel’s size.

The figure soon reached the center of the prayer hall, where the moonlight shone, and its appearance became clear.

“……?”

The figure that had walked from the corner.

It was a young girl.

*

“Huh…?”

Jenny looked utterly baffled.

This temple had been abandoned long ago.

Located deep in the forest, it was essentially a ruin.

For a young girl to be here alone…

Moreover, the girl was dressed in an elegant frilly dress, with pale skin and a pretty face.

Her hair and eyes were golden, exuding a noble air that made her seem out of place in such a setting.

“Kid, what are you doing here?”

Jenny sheathed her sword and asked.

Though her identity wasn’t clear, the girl was just a child. There was no need to keep a sword drawn.

Mitchell also canceled his sacred magic and relaxed his stance.

Only the ghost remained wary.

“Did you get lost?”

Jenny smiled and approached the girl.

Jenny had already pegged the girl as some noble’s daughter. She certainly looked the part.

“Hmph.”

The girl laughed.

“How amusing.”

She looked at each of them with a haughty gaze.

“Humans, elves, fairies, wolves. How interesting to see such lowly creatures gathered here.”

“…….”

Jenny stopped in her tracks. An unusual aura was emanating from the girl.

“Normally, I wouldn’t let anyone who trespasses into my domain live.”

The girl spoke with a bored expression.

“But I’m too lazy to kill you now. I’ll spare you this time. So…”

The girl’s golden eyes glowed.

[Get lost!]

Whoosh!

The girl’s final words weren’t in human language.

It was a direct mental command.

“Ugh!”

Jenny and Mitchell collapsed, bleeding, while the ghost flattened itself on the ground. Roo simply fainted.

“…….”

Only the girl and Ariel remained standing.

*

Mitchell tried to get up. But his body trembled, and he couldn’t muster any strength.

Looking beside him, Jenny was in the same state. She clenched her lips, struggling to rise.

‘This is…’

Though he’d never experienced it before, Mitchell had an idea of what this meant.

No, more accurately, he had an idea of the girl’s true identity.

‘D… Dragon…’

The girl’s final words, [Get lost!], were clearly a direct mental command.

But the real purpose wasn’t communication—it was to induce mental terror.

In other words, Dragon Fear.

Using Dragon Fear meant the girl was a dragon.

That explained why she was alone in this ruin.

Dragons are a reclusive race, so she might have claimed this place as her lair.

‘W… We need to run…’

Mitchell knew how arrogant dragons were.

To a dragon, human lives are as insignificant as dust.

They had to leave while the dragon was willing to spare them. If she changed her mind, they could be reduced to ashes in an instant.

Resistance would be pointless.

Dragons are the strongest beings among all living creatures on earth.

In the past, there was a kingdom that hunted dragons. They sought dragon scales, claws, and hearts.

Of course, humans couldn’t hunt adult dragons, so they targeted young ones.

The hunt was successful, and those who killed the young dragon were granted the title of “Dragon Slayer” by the king.

The people hailed the Dragon Slayers as heroes. They thought hunting the strongest creature on earth was a great achievement.

And the next day.

The kingdom vanished from the continent.

Enraged dragons turned the kingdom to ashes. It happened in just one day.

Since then, humans not only avoided dragons but also worshipped them.

“Oh-ho.”

The girl—the dragon—looked intrigued.

“There’s one who’s unaffected by my Fear?”

The dragon, with a smirk, walked toward Ariel.

The dragon’s golden eyes stared unblinkingly at Ariel, who stared back just as intently.

Both were short, so their eyes were at the same level.

“Arrogant elf. I won’t spare you. You’re worth killing.”

The dragon reached out. A magic circle formed beneath Ariel’s feet, and a pillar of fire erupted.

Whoosh!

The flames were intense enough to melt the surroundings, but Ariel stood unharmed.

“?”

The dragon’s eyes widened.

“What, why…”

Dragons are incredibly arrogant and never doubt their magical prowess.

They master magic perfectly from birth.

To dragons, magic is as natural as breathing.

“My magic… didn’t work…?”

But this dragon was now doubting her own abilities.

Ariel looked like a young elf.

Failing to burn such a foe with magic naturally made her doubt herself.

Had it been a more experienced dragon, she might have realized Ariel was extraordinary and not doubted her own skills.

But this dragon was inexperienced.

She was a young dragon who had just left her mother’s care and was trying to establish her lair.

“Not hot…? It should be hot…”

The dragon fidgeted, pouring more mana into the spell.

Whoosh!

The pillar of fire engulfing Ariel grew even fiercer, threatening to spread to Mitchell and Jenny.

“Shield.”

But as Ariel cast a shield, the flames were blocked.

The dragon’s intense magic caused no harm to the two.

“Hey!”

The dragon, losing her composure, shouted.

“Fight back properly, elf!”

“…….”

Ariel, who had been quietly watching, finally nodded.