Lilia-san, with her deep love for dragons, had described it as a rarity. Given its overwhelmingly powerful appearance and the fact that our guide, Falcon, had alluded to its significance earlier, I suspected this Miragaia was likely the star monster of the attraction.
As the Miragaia turned toward the coaster and let out a bone-shaking roar, the vehicle shuddered in response before spinning 180 degrees to face forward once more.
"In any case, we’re running for our lives!" Falcon shouted.
With his words, the coaster accelerated to its highest speed yet. The heavy thud of massive footsteps echoed from behind, and a gargantuan fireball streaked past us.
"Dammit, it’s even spitting fire! And the Miragaia is fast—at this rate, it’ll be on top of us in no time!"
"T-Things are certainly getting tense!" Hina-chan said excitedly. "Eek?! The sounds and lights are incredible! This is so intense!"
"You're right. It's not quite at jet coaster speeds, so we can still talk, but it’s fast enough. Between the speed and all these sharp curves, it really feels like the climax."
I agreed with her. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Since we were being pursued from the rear, we couldn't see the Miragaia itself, but various Dragon Species kept appearing in our path. We darted around them as fireballs struck other dragons or cave walls, causing rockfalls and explosions. The production quality was phenomenal.
At several points, the Miragaia even seemed to catch up, forcing the coaster to dive between its legs or through narrow gaps to escape. It was a real heart-pounding experience.
"...?! W-What is this chamber... and that orb over there...?"
After a frantic flight from the Miragaia, we arrived in a massive cavern. Countless Dragon Species were gathered there, surrounding a floating jewel that emitted an eerie purple glow.
The orb seemed to be exerting a pull on the dragons; even as we entered the hall, none of them spared us a single glance.
Soon, the coaster changed direction again. I saw our pursuer, the Miragaia, enter the chamber... but instead of coming after us, it turned its focus toward the gemstone and began moving in that direction.
"Don't tell me... Is that the legendary Secret Treasure said to summon dragons... the Dragon Orb?! I see, so that's why there are so many different types of Dragon Species in this Rocky Mountain..."
If I recalled correctly, Secret Treasures were essentially OOPArts. Most of them were items Shiro-san had created experimentally in the distant past and scattered across the world. Was the Dragon Orb one of hers? It was likely just a prop for the attraction, but it felt plausible that such a thing could exist in reality.
(I take offense at that. I have not created any item that attracts Dragon Species.)
Oh, so you didn't? It was just an original Secret Treasure invented for the attraction's story. I apologized for the misunderstanding... Wait. She said she hadn't created an item that attracts Dragon Species? Did that mean she had created a Secret Treasure that attracted monsters in general...?
(............Shouldn't you be focusing on the attraction?)
She definitely has a specific one in mind! That reaction was a dead giveaway that she’d made something like that before. Well, Shiro-san was right; there was no point in worrying about it now. I needed to focus on the ride.
"Are we... safe? No, this is more than a lone adventurer can handle. I'll have to get the Guild to organize a massive recovery team... For now, we need to get this information out of here. Fortunately, they're distracted by the Dragon Orb and haven't—Wait, hold on? Legend says the Dragon Orb attracts Dragon Species in cycles..."
As the coaster slowed to a crawl to let Falcon’s narrative take center stage, he muttered that ominous warning. Immediately—as per the script—the eerie light of the Dragon Orb flickered out.
Based on the explanation, the orb functioned in a cycle of activity and dormancy. It had just entered its dormant phase, and the power drawing the dragons had vanished.
A heartbeat later, the countless Dragon Species in the hall turned their gazes toward us in unison. The sheer pressure was staggering.
"R-Run for it—!!!"
The coaster snapped forward and surged ahead at a speed truly comparable to a jet coaster. Overlapping roars tore through the air, and footsteps like localized earthquakes rumbled through the mountain.
The intensity was through the roof. It was total chaos—dragons of every variety were constantly catching up to us or getting knocked aside by their kin, while fireballs and lightning bolts flew in every direction. It was the perfect climax.
As we fled through the madness, a sliver of light appeared far ahead.
"The exit?! Hurry, get outside at full power!!"
The coaster rocketed toward the light... Wait, this was a splash-style coaster, wasn't it? And they’d mentioned a large Lake near the Rocky Mountain earlier... which meant the big finish for this attraction was...
"Alright, we're out—huh?"
We burst into the blinding daylight. As expected, we were high up on the Rocky Mountain, and far below us lay a massive Lake. The conclusion was obvious.
"Ah, we're falling... Waaaaah!"
We plummeted down the vertical drop toward the Lake. We fell from a dizzying height, hitting the water with a massive splash. The coaster seemed to be protected by magic, so we didn't actually get wet, but as I sat there with the lingering sensation of weightlessness, I marveled at what a powerful attraction it had been.
～Illustrated Treasure Guide～
【Skyscraper Jewel】
A jewel that indiscriminately attracts monsters within a radius of several kilometers. Because it can be misused to artificially trigger a stampede, it is a dangerous Secret Treasure designated for sealing.
As per the usual pattern, this is one of the items Shiro created experimentally and scattered about.
While it can be toggled on or off, it has no usage restrictions and can be activated even if a child touches it carelessly, making it an extremely dangerous object. Tens of thousands of years ago, Kuromueina recovered and sealed it with an exasperated expression.
To this day, the Underworld King Kuromueina still possesses it; she keeps it sealed within a subspace inside her coat.
【Jewel of Heavenly Control】
Presumed to be one of the Secret Treasures, but its effects are currently entirely unknown, and its purpose is a mystery. It is displayed in the Treasure Museum in the Hydra Kingdom as a Secret Treasure of unknown utility.
Its actual effect is "to control at will the monsters attracted by the Skyscraper Jewel." However, since it only works on monsters under the influence of the Skyscraper Jewel, and because Kuro has the Skyscraper Jewel sealed away, the conditions for its use cannot be met. Consequently, it is currently truly nothing more than a mere gemstone.