Thanks to the Fast Road we used right away, we arrived in front of the Dragon Adventure attraction. As expected, the Rocky Mountain was staggeringly massive.
A building stood before the Rocky Mountain, and it appeared that this was our starting point. Considering the sheer scale of the amusement park, there were quite a lot of Invited Guests attending this pre-opening.
This was because any invited individual was allowed to bring as many Companions as they liked, provided they registered them in advance. Consequently, almost our entire household had come along. I’d seen several groups of families and coworkers on the way here, so the total headcount seemed quite high.
However, we were a bit of an exception. We had prior knowledge of how amusement parks worked, and thanks to Hina's advice—as she was determined to conquer every area—we had narrowed down our list of attractions to visit.
Hardly anyone else was heading straight for Dragon Adventure, which was located relatively deep in the center of the Aqua Area; most guests were likely stopping at the various attractions between the entrance and here.
At the very least, there were no lines to speak of. It felt as though we were the first ones to arrive at this specific attraction.
"Are we the first ones here? Let's head inside right away!"
"……Um, does this mean that the Rocky Mountain over there is unrelated to the ride?"
"No, I think the attraction will eventually take us inside it. This building is likely just the reception area."
"Ah, I see……"
While watching the high-spirited Hina, I gave Sieg-san a brief explanation after she murmured in wonder. Given our background, we could guess that a coaster would eventually carry us into the heart of the Rocky Mountain, but to someone unfamiliar with amusement parks, it probably looked like we were just entering a building completely separate from the mountain.
Once inside, the first thing that caught my eye was a sign regarding Entrance Restrictions. It read: "Mandatory Shrinking to 3m or Less." This referred to the size adjustments larger races had to make using Humanization or Body Shrinking Magic. It seemed to be a standard size limit—roughly three meters or less appeared to be the baseline, much like the rules found in the city.
Further in, we found an area that looked somewhat like an Adventurer Guild reception desk, where we registered for entry. Since no other customers were waiting, we were guided through immediately, following the staff member’s instructions.
Waiting for us was a 10-passenger Coaster. Most fortunately, it had exactly enough seats for our entire group, meaning we could all ride together in a single turn.
"Aoi-senpai, let's sit in the very front! The front row!"
"Eh? No, I’ll pass on the front…… my hair will get all messed up……"
"Then, Kaito-senpai! Let's ride in the front row together!!"
"Ahaha, sure thing."
Watching the incredibly excited Hina with a smile, I agreed to sit in the front row with her as requested. I’d expected a safety bar or something similar to lock us in, but when the staff member operated the coaster, rings made of Magic Power wrapped around our waists.
I suppose they were the magical equivalent of seatbelts. Since they didn't secure our shoulders, I figured either the ride didn't reach high speeds, or the coaster itself was protected by a Fall Prevention Formula.
Before long, the coaster started moving. At that exact moment, the scenery directly in front of us blurred, and a humanoid bird appeared. He had a cool air about him, wearing a Survival Jacket and Goggles.
『Yo. Are you the adventurers who accepted the same investigation request as me? Names Falcon. I'm a bit of a well-known adventurer, believe it or not. Well, since we're on this joint investigation together, I look forward to working with you.』
Apparently, the narrative premise was that we were adventurers who had been hired to investigate that Rocky Mountain. It seemed this Bird Beastman named Falcon was acting as the Moderator for the attraction.
"Eh? That's amazing. Is that a 3D image?"
"It's probably Phantom Magic or something like that."
"Whoa~"
As Hina let out an impressed sound beside me, the coaster proceeded at a slow pace while Falcon, our Moderator, continued his briefing.
『Word is, all sorts of Dragon Species have been gathering at that Rocky Mountain. Normally, most Dragons have strong territorial instincts, so it's rare to see multiple species clustered in one spot…… Maybe there's something in that mountain drawing them in…… Hm!?』
Falcon’s expression suddenly turned grim mid-explanation, and he began scanning the surroundings restlessly.
『This is bad. A Red Dragon and a Wing Dragon are going at it nearby. Getting caught in their crossfire would be a nightmare. Let's hurry inside the Rocky Mountain!』
As he spoke, a sound like a Dragon's Roar echoed through the air. Ahead of us, we could see a red and a green dragon engaged in fierce Aerial Combat.
I was certain this was another display of Phantom Magic rather than the real thing, but the intensity was incredible. As we drew closer, a ball of fire erupted from the Red Dragon's mouth and flew straight toward us.
『Tsk, we're breaking through!』
The coaster accelerated toward the approaching flames, and we plunged headlong into the fire. I reflexively braced myself…… but as expected from a Phantom Magic performance, I felt no heat.
Even so, the quality was top-notch. It looked like this was going to be an impressive experience.
"A Red Dragon and a Wing Dragon…… ecologically speaking, the probability of those two species sharing a habitat is quite low. However, there have been a handful of documented cases where they were spotted together……"
I also noticed we had a total expert sitting in the back seat…… It was Lilia-san, of course.
Serious-senpai: "Is that Bird Adventurer based on Alice's Bird Kigurumi?"
Mystery Entity: "I…… Alice-chan suggested using the original Bird Kigurumi as is, but Kuro-san wouldn't budge. She said, 'Hmm, rejected,' so we kept only the bird motif and turned it into a different character ssu."