Spring arrived, one way or another.
I have the impression that I spent the entire winter doing nothing but cooking. In truth, that was probably the case. I like to think my culinary skills have improved significantly—or at least, I want to believe they have. Lu and the others always told me everything I made was delicious, so I don't really know for sure. I almost wish they would tell me if something tasted bad.
"I say it’s delicious because it really is," Lu insisted.
"Please, have more confidence," Tia added. "It truly is wonderful."
Emergencies always seem to strike without warning. Zabuton’s wooden alarm began pounding out a warning, the sheer volume of the sound telling me the situation was dire. Just as I started to run in the direction Zabuton was signaling, Lu stopped me.
"Look up!"
High in the sky, exactly where Lu was pointing, a massive creature was flying. It looked like a bloated lizard with the wings of a bat. It was difficult to judge its size from such a distance, but its total length had to be at least twenty meters.
"A dragon?"
"No, it’s a Wyvern!" Tia corrected me. "Lu, defensive magic!"
The moment she corrected my assessment, Tia cast a spell. Lu followed suit. The Wyvern rapidly closed the distance, hovering for a split second before exhaling a massive ball of fire toward us.
The fireball was truly enormous—at least ten meters in diameter. The temperature spiked instantly, the heat blurring the air around it. Its target was the Great Tree where Zabuton lived. The moment I realized this, I screamed Zabuton’s name. A second later, the massive fireball struck an invisible barrier and shattered.
Fragments of the fire rained down on the house and the fields.
"We’re putting out the fires!" Ria shouted as she and the other high elves began running around with water.
...
Lu and Tia stared at the Wyvern, their faces tight with anxiety. They looked as if they believed it would be impossible to prevent damage to the village. Seeing how much they cherished our home made me happy.
At the same time, a quiet fury stirred within me.
Why? Why did it attack this place? Was it just a whim? Or was it acting on someone’s orders?
...
The Universal Farming Tool was already in my hand, shaped like a spear. I threw it at the Wyvern with every ounce of strength I possessed. Under normal circumstances, it was a distance my physical strength could never have bridged. However, the spear of the Universal Farming Tool flew in a perfectly straight line and sheared right through one of the Wyvern’s wings.
The creature plummeted, its expression one of pure bewilderment at the sudden attack. Had I missed the kill shot? The spear returned to my hand instantly. Before the Wyvern could hit the ground, I hurled it a second time.
Again, it flew true, and this time it struck the body. A high-pitched scream echoed through the forest. It was a persistent monster, but this was surely the end. I noticed Kuro and his pack waiting behind me and gave them the signal.
"Go finish it off."
At my command, the pack dashed off in unison toward the spot where the Wyvern had crashed. I watched them go and forced myself to calm down. It was time for a status check.
"How is the fire?"
"It’s under control," Ria replied. "We've extinguished all of it."
"And the damage?"
"The house is safe. The tomato fields took a bit of a hit. Also, Zabuton’s webbing..."
The specialized silk she had stretched over the fields must have been incinerated.
"I see. Lu, Tia—thanks for blocking that first strike. It helped a lot."
"Y-Yeah," Lu stammered.
"I did my best," Tia said.
They seemed strangely distant. Perhaps I was making a terrifying face? That wouldn't do. But the memory of that senseless attack made my anger flare up all over again.
"Was that... the Demon King’s doing?"
"Huh? The Demon King? I doubt he has anything to do with this," Lu replied.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," Tia said. "I believe it was just a wild Wyvern. If it were under someone's control, it would be a waste of resources to deploy it alone."
"I see. A wild one... Are there many of those things? Are Wyverns common?"
"They exist in certain regions, but they’re generally considered rare," Lu explained.
"Exactly," Tia added. "And a Wyvern capable of breathing a fireball that large is something you'd encounter about as rarely as a Dragon."
"So we just happened to have an extremely unlucky encounter?"
"Yeah, I'd say so."
Just bad luck, then.
...
I needed to cool down. I decided to treat it like a natural disaster and let the resentment go.
"Ah, Kuro and the others are back. They’re calling for us."
We walked over to where the Wyvern had fallen and were struck anew by its gargantuan size. It looked even bigger than the sperm whales I’d seen on TV back in my old world. It seemed the creature had been on the verge of death from the crash alone; Kuro and the pack hadn't even needed to finish it. Despite that, they were standing atop the corpse looking quite proud of themselves.
Oh, they were acting as lookouts. They were making sure no other monsters approached the kill. Good dogs.
Still, it was massive. I wondered if the meat was edible.
"Wyvern meat is considered a delicacy," Lu noted.
...
We decided to enjoy it as a meal. Dismantling the beast and carrying it back was a grueling task, but the flavor was certainly worth the effort. I used a generous helping of the seasonings I had developed over the winter, and the whole thing turned into a massive banquet.
I didn't realize it at the time, but shooting down that Wyvern sent shockwaves through the region.
Back at the house, Lu and Tia spoke in hushed tones.
"Tia... that attack the Husband launched at the Wyvern... could you have blocked it?"
"Absolutely not. What about you, Lu?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I couldn't."
"Right? It tore through the Wyvern’s triple-layered magical barriers like they weren't even there. And it didn't just pierce the body—it completely gouged the flesh away."
"...I'm starting to think we were lucky to be attacked by Kuro's pack first," Lu whispered.
"You might be right. If we had been the Husband’s enemies from the start..."
"Just thinking about it gives me the chills."
"Let us be grateful for our fateful encounter."
"And to Kuro and his pack as well."
"Even if it is a little frustrating to admit."
Meanwhile, at the Demon King’s Castle:
"A Wyvern was shot down in the Iron Forest? Don't give me that crap."
"It’s the truth! I saw it while I was out on reconnaissance. One second the Wyvern of the Iron Forest was spitting fire, and the next, it was blasted out of the sky by some incomprehensible attack."
"...Are you serious?"
"Yeah. I reported it to the higher-ups, and the whole place is in an uproar."
"I bet. If that thing even gets close to a city, we have to mobilize the entire army. If there’s something out there that can take it down that easily..."
"This is bad. Maybe I should resign while I still can?"
"Don't panic yet. We don't know if that person is an enemy."
"I-I guess not."
"It could have been one of the Four Heavenly Kings for all we know. Let's just wait and see for a while."
"Right. Got it."
And finally, the Dragon of the South Mountain:
"...Perhaps something is wrong with my eyes."
"Don't worry, Master. Your vision is functioning normally," his attendant replied.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I saw it quite clearly myself."
"I see."
"Indeed."
"If that attack were aimed at me, what do you think would happen?"
"I believe it would pass through you quite cleanly."
"Right. ...What should I do?"
"That is for you to decide, Master."
"Don't say that. Give me a suggestion. Please."
"Speaking personally, then... I believe the wisest course of action would be to establish a friendly relationship before that spear is ever pointed at us. Hostility would be a fool's errand."
"Mu... Muu."
There were various repercussions, but it would be some time before they finally reached me.