In the frontier City of Gilm, the guards at the main gate remained vigilant. Following the mass arrest of spies about two weeks prior, they continued to monitor their surroundings diligently, even as the snow fell relentlessly around them.
Winter was now in its peak. Snow had fallen sporadically all morning, already piling up to nearly ten centimeters.
Given the conditions, there were no travelers or merchants arriving at the gates. Though it was already past noon, not a single person had entered or left the city all day. Despite the lack of traffic, the guards remained on high alert, enduring the cold thanks to the magic item coats they had been lent—or rather, had foisted upon them—by Ranga, the captain of the Guard Force. Yet, even these vigilant guards failed to notice the approaching presence.
While the guards surveyed the ground, the entity traveled through the sky. Furthermore, even if one of them had thought to look up, spotting it would have been an exercise in futility. After all, the creature’s body was only about twenty centimeters long.
"Kyu, kyu!"
The little creature gave an adorable cry as it flew along—a tiny, stylized version of a dragon. Flapping its miniature wings and wagging its five-centimeter tail, it soared through the air. Despite its diminutive size, it traveled faster than a galloping horse; anyone who caught sight of it would surely have doubted their eyes.
"Kyu!"
As it chirped, the dragon-like creature noticed the City of Gilm growing larger in its field of vision and gave a happy trill.
It was clearly no ordinary monster, nor was it a dragon found in nature.
Dragon hatchlings usually remained under the protection of their parents until they reached a certain size, as their combat power was low despite their hidden potential. A dragon the size of the one currently approaching Gilm should, by all rights, have been tucked safely away in a nest under a parent's wing.
Yet this tiny dragon was flying toward its destination at a speed no ordinary hatchling could achieve. Its body was also wrapped in cloth, almost like a small garment.
"Kyuuu—"
Letting out a soft cry, the young dragon rejoiced as it finally reached the airspace above the City of Gilm.
It was fortunate that two weeks had passed since the spy incident, meaning the barrier covering the city had been deactivated. Had it still been in place, the young dragon likely would have used some other means to enter, given its innate ability to sense magic power.
"Kyu!"
Relieved that it could descend into the streets normally, the young dragon gave a short chirp and dove down toward the heart of Gilm.
It had a mission to fulfill.
"…I see. As I thought, the sea is home to a lot of high-rank monsters."
Back at the Dusk Wheat Inn, Rei lay across his bed, engrossed in a book he’d purchased the day before: Monster Encyclopedia (Sea Edition).
Unlike on land, monsters in the ocean faced few, if any, natural predators, which allowed many of them to grow into high-rank threats. While they did fight amongst themselves, the general absence of adventurers at sea was a major factor in allowing these high-rank monsters to develop such a unique and formidable ecosystem.
"Come to think of it, the Axe of the Thunder God mentioned they were once sent to some port town as reinforcements to take down a powerful monster. I think Elena was with them at the time."
As he muttered to himself, he recalled the faces of the three members of that party.
Rhodos had defeated the Blue Caterpillars alongside Rei only half a month ago, but the achievements of the man meant to be the successor to the Axe of the Thunder God had been completely overshadowed by the chaos of the prison carriage attack incident that occurred that same day. Rhodos had likely been left with some very conflicted feelings.
As Rei pondered this, something about the current train of thought struck a chord. The Axe of the Thunder God. The sea. Monsters. And…
"…Damn it."
He reflexively snapped the book shut and covered his face with his right hand.
I completely forgot about writing that letter to Elena like Ara told me to.
It had been more than half a month since he returned to the City of Gilm from the City of Baar. Between the various incidents and settling back in, he had completely forgotten about the promise he’d made to Ara.
"If I write it now, will it even get there in time?"
The paper and his never-ending ink pen—a type of magic item—were both tucked safely away inside his Misty Ring.
He had bought the pen at a general store out of curiosity, and he’d stocked up on paper assuming it would eventually be useful.
Technically, he could start writing immediately. The problem was the delivery. Had he written it the moment he stepped back into Gilm, there would have been caravans or traveling merchants looking to make one last trip before the deep winter set in. Now, however, the merchants had all departed. If he wrote a letter now, there was no telling when it would reach Elena. At worst, it might arrive after the war with the Bestia Empire had already begun. He might very well reunite with Elena in person before she ever saw his ink on the page.
"But then again, skipping the war with the Bestia Empire isn't an option."
Rei had clashed with the Bestia Empire enough times to know that if the Kingdom of Mireana lost this war, his own life would be in danger. Moreover, he had a personal distaste for the way the Empire operated from the shadows to interfere with him and his friends. He and Seto had happened upon Gilm by chance after leaving the Forest of Magic, but he had grown to love this city regardless of its location. And above all…
"If war breaks out, Elena will definitely be on the front lines as the Princess General."
Rei had often found himself captivated by Elena’s beauty. If the Kingdom of Mireana were to fall to the Bestia Empire, her striking looks and feminine grace would undoubtedly lead to a fate worse than death. She was a warrior who had plagued the Empire for years; her treatment at their hands was obvious. Execution as a war criminal would be a mercy. She might be turned into a plaything for the soldiers to sate their grudges, or perhaps the alchemists who created the beast soldiers would turn her into an experimental subject, given that she had completed the Ritual of Inheritance with an Ancient Dragon magic stone.
"I can't let that happen."
He pictured Elena's dignified face as the Princess General. Then, the way she looked when her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. And then…
Rei reached up and touched his own lips.
The lips that had, just once, been pressed against hers.
"Wait, what the hell am I thinking? No, the focus right now is the letter."
He sat up on the bed and pulled the paper and pen from the Misty Ring.
"Alright, even if I do write it… what should I even say?"
Rei had spent his life in a rural, mountainous region. He’d never had much reason to write letters, and his home was in a dead zone for cell signals, so he’d rarely even exchanged emails. If he had something to say to someone, he said it to their face.
As he sat there for several minutes agonizing over the opening lines, he felt a sudden presence and looked toward the window.
"…A dragon?"
The word escaped his lips before he could stop it. Hovering outside the glass, flapping its wings and staring at him with wide, round eyes, was a creature barely twenty centimeters long. Its form was unmistakably draconic, but at that size, it inspired nothing but a sense of adoration rather than a feeling of threat.
"Kyu?"
The dragon gave a soft chirp, as if relieved it had finally been noticed. It began pressing its small, maple-leaf-shaped palms against the glass repeatedly, clearly wanting to be let in.
"…?"
Baffled by the sight, Rei approached the window. He didn't think something this small could be hostile, and his curiosity won out. He turned the latch and pushed the window open.
"Kyuu!"
As if saying, "Finally!" the tiny dragon hopped through the window into the room and flapped its wings, flying straight at Rei.
"Whoa!?"
Unsure if it was a monster or not, Rei hesitated to strike it and instead caught the creature in his hands.
"Kyu, kyuu!"
Delighted to have been caught, the dragon chirped happily and began nuzzling its face against Rei's skin.
The gesture was strikingly similar to the way Seto acted when he wanted to be spoiled. Feeling a strange sense of familiarity, Rei reached out and stroked the dragon’s head.
"…Hm?"
He noticed that a piece of cloth was wrapped snugly around the creature’s torso.
"What's this?"
"Kyu!"
The dragon seemed to understand the question. It gave a short chirp and turned its back toward him.
"You want me to untie this?"
"Kyuu!"
The dragon nodded vigorously.
Watching the creature, Rei realized that it understood his words perfectly.
Does a dragon hatchling this intelligent even exist? If it can understand human speech, it must be a very high-level species. But why would the child of a high-rank monster come to me?
Puzzled, he carefully unwound the cloth wrapped around the young dragon. Inside the folds, he found a single envelope.
A dragon and an envelope. The pieces clicked together in Rei's mind instantly.
"No way!"
The person who came to mind was the very one he’d been thinking of just moments ago. As if to confirm his suspicion, the envelope was sealed with a wax stamp bearing a familiar crest.
Rei knew that mark. It featured a dragon’s face with a rose and a sword crossed diagonally behind it. It was the same crest he’d seen carved into the side of the noble's carriage he had used to reach the dungeon. Which meant…
"Elena?"
"Kyu!"
The young dragon wagged its short tail as if to say, "Bingo!"
Rei felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He pulled a mithril knife from the Misty Ring, carefully sliced through the wax seal, and pulled out the parchment.
The moment the letter was opened, a faint, elegant scent wafted up—unmistakably Elena's perfume. It was the scent he had smelled once before, just as they had shared their kiss before she left Gilm. Because the memory was so vivid, the fragrance had remained etched in his mind.
Rei unfolded the letter and began to read it slowly.
Greetings, Lord Rei.
Writing formal reports for my superiors, including the Knight Commander, is a routine task for me, but this is the first time I have ever written a personal letter to an acquaintance. I may lack the proper etiquette for such correspondence, so I hope you will overlook any improprieties.
I was quite surprised to hear from Ara that you two reunited in the City of Baar. According to her reports, Magic Fever was prevalent there, and I have been worried about whether you might have been infected. I am aware that the fever rarely affects those with significant magic power, and I was told you spent a week there without falling ill, but I cannot help but worry nonetheless. I hope you are in good health.
In any case, Ara told me she spoke to you about a letter when you were returning to the City of Gilm. That conversation piqued my interest in the idea, so I decided to try writing to you.
On a different note, here is an update on what has happened since we parted in Gilm. The majority of Viscount Sails's House was brought to justice by the Knight Order of Duke Kerebel's Territory, but a few individuals managed to flee to the Bestia Empire. I was told Vel was not among those captured; he has almost certainly escaped across the border as well. I will ensure he pays the ultimate price for his betrayal. A man who deceived us for so long and took Kyuste’s life as if it were a game... I will make him learn the weight of his actions with his own flesh. This is a duty I must fulfill as Elena Kerebel for failing to see through his mask.
I apologize for the heavy tone. Let us change the subject.
I believe you remember me receiving the power of the Ancient Dragon magic stone at the Altar of Inheritance. I am currently training intensively to master that strength. My physical ability is increasing steadily, and my magic power is amplifying in kind. Controlling such power is a daunting task, but it is deeply rewarding. Furthermore, there is Dragon Language Magic, a discipline only available to those with draconic mana. Research materials are scarce, so my progress is slow, but I am mastering the arts bit by bit.
The small dragon that delivered this letter was created from my own magic power using that very Dragon Language Magic. I have named it Ielo. Since I am still a novice, I can only manifest a dragon of this size, but they say that as one becomes proficient in the language, they can eventually create magnificent, great dragons. Of course, this dragon is not a true living creature. It is a manifestation of my mana—a pseudo-living entity, or perhaps a familiar. Since I poured every ounce of my current magic into its creation, it accidentally developed a certain special ability. You should have it show you later. However, perhaps as a side effect of that ability, its combat power is practically non-existent. I suppose I still have much to learn. Even Ielo’s ability was more of a fluke than a calculated result.
If you give Ielo a letter of your own, it will bring it back to me. I look forward to hearing from you.
I have written quite a lot, so I shall put down my pen for now.
I expect we shall see each other when spring arrives, but until then, please stay safe.
From Elena Kerebel, with love.