That day's lunch featured a spread prepared in the style of the Shouro Empire.
Inside the Guest House dining hall, Empress Emerita Hilde, Flora, Sion, Marikka, and Jin sat gathered around the table.
Reiko stood attentively just behind Jin's shoulder, while the 5-Color Maids were lined up behind Empress Emerita Hilde and Flora.
"This is truly delicious, Sion-san."
"Hearing you say so puts my heart at ease."
"Marikka-san, what kind of meat is this? It has such an exquisite texture and rich savory flavor."
"That is meat from a Gondoa caribou. We hunt them during the winter and smoke the cuts."
"Ah, so that explains this wonderful aroma."
Somewhat surprisingly, Flora had also grown quite friendly with Marikka.
"...So, Sion, that's happening today, right? That hunt you mentioned."
Jin asked to confirm as he sipped his tea after the meal.
"Yes, that's right....It's twelve-thirty now, so we'll be departing in about an hour."
"I see. Excellent."
Hearing the two of them exchange words, Empress Emerita Hilde's curiosity was piqued.
"Jin-kun, what are you two talking about?"
"Well, there's not much point in keeping it a secret anymore....Sion, would you mind explaining it to them?"
Jin deferred the explanation to Sion.
"...Well, you see, numerous dragon species inhabit this Gondoa Continent. We are scheduled to hunt one of those varieties, known as a 'Sham Dragon.'"
At this revelation, both Empress Emerita Hilde and Flora stared in sheer astonishment.
"What?! You hunt dragons?!"
"I-Is such a thing truly possible...?"
On the Lauren Continent, the only dragon one might ever hope to encounter was a Sea Dragon.
That was because dragonkind only inhabited regions with dense concentrations of free ether.
Sion explained in response:
"Sham Dragons are terrestrial dragons. Because they frequently ravage our cultivated fields and cause damage to our settlements, we cull them on a regular basis."
While Sham Dragons ranked as the lowest class of dragon, their combat strength and defensive capabilities were formidable. Though they possessed a pair of wings on their backs, they were incapable of flight.
Their thick, springy hide made for an exceptionally useful crafting material. The membranes of their wings were thin yet remarkably tough, and their fangs were highly resilient and resistant to impacts. Their meat, however, was tough and tasted awful.
While other dragon varieties had dwindled drastically following the Ether Stampede, the Sham Dragon population had slightly increased.
Naturally, like most dragons, they were heavily concentrated in the northern territories.
In the past, when Jin had vanished from the laboratory due to a Warp Gate malfunction, Reiko had teleported all over the region while tracking his trail.
During that search, she had slain one of these Sham Dragons in the north.
"Would you like to come watch the hunt?"
When Jin finally offered the invitation,
"I want to see it! I definitely want to see it!!"
Empress Emerita Hilde leaned forward, her voice ringing out with excitement. Flora, however, maintained her composure.
"Jin-dono, is there any danger involved?"
she asked calmly. Jin replied:
"No, it will be perfectly safe. Sham Dragons have wings, but they cannot fly. Besides, we plan to observe the entire hunt from above aboard Konron 3."
"Ah, in that case, we can rest easy!"
Reassured by Jin's words, Flora nodded in agreement.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, with Sion and Marikka on board to serve as guides and commentators, Konron 3 took to the skies over the Nord Federation.
"As for our altitude... yes, about fifty meters should keep us well out of harm's way."
"Understood. Edgar, take it up."
"Yes, right away."
With the floor viewports opened wide, the terrain directly below was clearly visible.
"The hunt should begin in about twenty minutes," Sion said. "Until then, allow me to explain a little about the local geography."
The All-Creation clan territory lay toward the eastern reaches of the Gondoa Continent, set a fair distance apart from the other clans.
"Because of that isolation, we have no history of banding together with neighboring clans to confront external threats."
Handling every crisis entirely on their own—such had always been the way of the All-Creation clan.
"Therefore, to prevent a nuisance like the Sham Dragon from overpopulating, we have carefully managed their numbers through regular hunts."
"I see, that makes sense."
Empress Emerita Hilde nodded thoughtfully as she listened to Sion's explanation.
"Today, we will be hunting Sham Dragons dwelling along the middle reaches of the Lugarda River."
The Lugarda River was the only river flowing through the eastern part of the Gondoa Continent.
Because the snow accumulating on the northern mountain ranges turned into perennial snowfields and glaciers, liquid water suitable for drinking and daily living was scarce.
Perhaps for that very reason, a rich variety of wildlife and magical beasts congregated along the banks of the Lugarda River.
"Um, once the river comes into view, could you head upstream along its course?"
"Not a problem....Edgar, take us up the river."
"Yes, leave it to me."
Just as Sion had described, various animals could be seen scattered across the middle basin of the Lugarda River.
"Ah, Flora-san, look down there. Those are the Gondoa caribou."
A herd of about twenty large beasts, resembling Earth's reindeer, were bathing in the river.
"I see, so those are the ones."
"Their pelts are exceptionally warm, so we use them as material for cold-weather clothing. Their antlers are treated as works of art."
Their antlers, which were twice the size of a reindeer's, were harvested and crafted into ornate accessories.
"Lately, folks from the Lauren Continent have started buying them whole, wanting to put them on display just as they are."
"Yes, I can certainly understand the appeal of displaying a set of antlers like that."
Jin chimed in with a nod, quietly musing to himself that some people probably used them as racks to display swords and katanas.
"Ah, there they are!"
At Sion's shout, everyone looked in the direction she was pointing. Over a dozen people had formed a perimeter around two massive beasts.
"So those are Sham Dragons."
"It appears so. Though in the past, I brought one down with a single strike of Thunderbolt," Reiko murmured softly under her breath.
"...I feel as though I just heard something rather absurd."
"Well, it is Reiko-san, after all."
Sion and Marikka exchanged wry, knowing smiles.
Moments later, Konron 3 arrived in the airspace directly above the hunting ground.
"They're finally about to begin."
Having been notified beforehand that Jin and his guests wished to observe, the hunters had apparently held off until Konron 3 was in position.
Down on the ground, twelve hunters sprang into action.
Their quarry consisted of two Sham Dragons, pitted against twelve young warriors of the All-Creation clan.
"First, two hunters pair up to cast Gravity Magic and pin down the target's movements."
"Ohh."
A single person could generate a gravitational force of roughly ten times normal—10 Gs. Together, a pair could exert twenty times normal gravity, or 20 Gs.
Two hunters cast their Gravity Magic simultaneously upon each of the beasts.
Even a mighty Sham Dragon could not withstand the crushing weight of twenty times gravity. Both creatures flattened onto their bellies, pinned helplessly to the earth as though stitched to the soil.
"Next, two hunters move in to deliver the physical strikes. However, if they get too close, they would also be crushed under that 20 G force. So the remaining two casters place an opposing Gravity Magic on the two attackers to cancel it out."
This technique required the four spellcasters to maintain precise control, strictly isolating the magical effects between the Sham Dragon and the vanguard. It was a high-level strategy that only seasoned veterans could pull off.
Wielding the monstrous physical strength characteristic of the Northern People, the two attackers aimed their massive battleaxes straight at the Sham Dragon's neck.
The heavy blades came down once, twice, three times, and by the fifth strike, the Sham Dragon went completely limp.
The second squad was composed of novices, so they kept their distance and focused on magical barrages instead.
Three members pinned their Sham Dragon under 30 Gs of gravity, while the other three unleashed offensive spells.
Arcs of magic remarkably similar to Thunder blasted in rapid succession from the three attackers.
After three concentrated volleys, the second Sham Dragon also ceased all movement.