Draim, the Gate Guardian Dragon.
"Gate Guardian Dragon?" I asked.
"It’s because his nest is located in the mountains between the Forest of Death and the Iron Forest," Frau explained.
While Lu, Tia, Ria, Ann, and Rusty were all knowledgeable in their own right, Frau was easily the best when it came to general common sense and worldly affairs.
"Since he prevents the monsters of the Forest of Death from migrating south, he has been known as the Gate Guardian Dragon since ancient times."
"I see. Are there other gate guardians for the other directions?" I wondered aloud. Perhaps a Gate Guardian Chimera or a Gate Guardian Giant?
"No, only the south. The terrain in the other directions is incredibly treacherous, so the southern route is the standard way to enter this forest."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Though, to be fair, hardly anyone ever tries to enter this forest in the first place."
I see. It seemed this place was considered even more of a deathtrap than I had initially realized.
Incidentally, while one could enter the forest from Howlin Village to the east, it wasn't recognized as a proper entrance. The reason was simple: just reaching Howlin Village was an ordeal in itself. Well, it was deep in the mountains, after all.
As is usually the case, trouble arrived without warning.
It was a dragon attack.
After circling the village, the dragon hovered over the forest, clearly trying to provoke us. Just as I was considering whether or not we could talk it out, the beast suddenly breathed fire, igniting the woods.
This was a declaration of war.
Granmaria and her sisters moved to intercept, but they were swatted aside. I didn't want them doing anything reckless. Rusty, who might have been a match for it, was currently away visiting her family.
The dragon was massive. Based on its color, I was certain it wasn't Draim, his wife, or Rusty. Without further hesitation, I threw the Universal Farming Tool in its spear form.
The dragon dodged. Unlike the time with Draim’s wife, it was clear this dragon had intended to evade from the very start. Did it just look at me and laugh?
I threw a second spear. It dodged again.
However, I immediately threw a third toward the exact spot it had moved to. If I couldn't hit it with one, I would just keep throwing until I did. I never grew tired when throwing the Universal Farming Tool, and as long as I willed it, the tool would return to my hand instantly. I had an infinite supply of ammunition.
I steeled myself for a war of attrition, but first, I tried a trick. I made the thrown spear vanish and return to my hand just before it reached the dragon, then immediately threw it again.
It was a simple feint. I wasn't sure if it would work, but the dragon fell for it. The spear tore right through one of its wings.
I’d done it.
In my momentary excitement, I was a split second late in recalling the tool. The spear continued past the dragon and struck the mountains far in the distance, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that was visible even from here.
Easy now, I told myself.
By the time the spear was back in my hand, the dragon was gone. It had apparently dropped into the forest to hide.
I wasn't about to let it escape. Since Granmaria, Kudel, and Corone were still recovering from the initial clash, I had Lu carry me into the air. From a higher vantage point, the dragon’s hiding spot was obvious. It was sitting right there.
I threw the spear again. The dragon tried to move, but the dense trees hindered its escape. The spear pierced its remaining healthy wing, pinning the beast to the ground.
I readied another spear for the finishing blow. Even if the pinning spear disappeared, the dragon wouldn't be able to dodge in time. I took aim at its massive torso and let fly.
It was a direct hit. Or so I thought. At the exact moment of impact, the dragon’s form shrank, allowing it to evade. The spear buried itself in the earth, the resulting tremor crushing the surrounding trees.
An illusion? No, I’d seen this before. It was the same phenomenon that occurred when Draim or Rusty transformed into their human forms.
"I surrender! I surrender! I'm sorry, please forgive me!" a woman's voice cried out.
"Ehehe... Sorry about that."
The woman now kneeling formally in apology at the village entrance was the dragon from moments ago. Her name was Hakuren. She was a beautiful woman with a somewhat airheaded aura and an impressively large chest. I was stunned when she was introduced as Draim’s elder sister.
Beside Hakuren, Draim, his wife, Rusty, and seven other strangers—presumably also dragons—were all kneeling in a row.
"Let me introduce everyone," Rusty said with a bow. "From the right, we have my Grandfather and Grandmother; my Father's second elder sister and her husband; their daughter; my Father's younger sister; and my Father's younger brother."
As Rusty introduced them, I looked over the seven people I didn't recognize. There was a dandy middle-aged man, a kind-looking middle-aged woman, a woman with sharp eyes, a fierce-looking muscular man who looked like a general, a girl younger than Rusty with horns and a tail, a woman with gorgeous ringlets, and a handsome young man.
They gave me their names, but it was too much to take in at once. I’d have to ask again later.
"So, in short... we have Draim’s parents, his second sister and her husband, his niece, and his younger siblings. And Hakuren is the eldest sister, right?"
"That is correct," Rusty confirmed.
Before lining up to kneel, Draim and the seven relatives had worked together to extinguish the fire Hakuren had started in the forest. I accepted that they truly meant no harm.
"Now then, what was the point of all this?"
At my question, everyone—including the girl younger than Rusty—turned their heads away. Since they were dragons, even the young-looking ones were probably much older than me.
Since no one seemed willing to volunteer an answer, I decided to target the one who looked the most likely to crack.
"Draim’s wife. Could you please explain?"
From what I could see, Draim would never dream of defying his sister. He was the classic "younger brother who can't win against his big sister" type I’d seen in my previous world. Similarly, the woman introduced as the second sister was out. If she were the rebellious type, she would have spoken up immediately. Since she stayed quiet, she was clearly the type to follow her sister’s lead. (In my subjective opinion.)
Her husband, the muscular general-type, was trying his absolute best to blend into the background. I felt a strange sense of kinship with him, so I let him be. I couldn't very well grill the niece, either. Draim’s younger sister was likely the youngest daughter, and youngest daughters are usually experts at navigating family politics; she wasn't about to speak up and invite her sister’s wrath. I didn't want to start a family feud that might level the village.
As for Draim’s younger brother... he was a handsome youth, but he radiated the same "can't defy my sisters" energy as Draim. Well, that made sense. A younger brother who can actually defy his older sisters is a myth. (In my subjective opinion.)
That left Draim’s parents, his wife, and Rusty. The parents were likely to protect their daughter or would have scolded her already if they were going to. Between Rusty and Draim’s wife, I judged the wife to be the most straightforward. To her, Hakuren was a sister-in-law, but given her attitude toward Draim, I figured she was the type who could handle her in-laws without flinching.
"To explain the sequence of events..."
My intuition was right. Draim’s wife took the lead.
It had all started with Rusty’s visit home. I’d assumed she was going to Draim’s nest, but she had actually gone to see Draim’s parents in the North Mountain. The whole family had been gathered there, and they’d spent the time catching up on recent events.
Allow me to digress for a moment and speak about my recent nights.
Ever since Lu gave birth and Tia became pregnant, the "desire to conceive" in the village had reached a fever pitch. Consequently, I was never left alone at night. Protesting was useless. Even though I insisted on only spending time with those who truly wanted to, the numbers just kept growing. Before I knew it, someone was always slipping into my bed. There was no resisting it.
I had somehow ended up in an intimate relationship with all of the High Elves, the High Ogre women, Granmaria, Kudel, Corone, and Flora. Among the Beastmen, it was only Sena; the other beastman women had refused on the grounds that their bodies were still too small. Since there were beastman boys in the village, I’d instructed everyone not to rush things, and this was the result.
In any case, the village had reached a point where I only found true peace when talking to the Dwarves or the Lizardmen...
In such an environment, Rusty and Frau had tried to hold out. They really had. But eventually, they were swept away by the atmosphere. With a little "cooperation" from everyone else, they too had entered into a relationship with me.
The last remaining strongholds were Rusty’s maids, Bulga and Stifano. Hang in there, girls. They sometimes looked at me with strange, suspicious eyes, but I wanted them to stay strong.
End of digression.
"So, basically... you attacked the village because you snapped after finding out your niece got a partner before you did."
"That’s not it! I was just testing the strength of my niece’s partner!" Hakuren protested, her cheeks puffed out in a pout.
I felt the strength leave my body at the sheer absurdity of it. At the same time, I finally understood why everyone else had been so tight-lipped. Who would want to admit their daughter or sister was jealous of her own niece?
"Fine... If you're not going to cause any more trouble, let's call it a day."
"Is it really okay?" Draim asked.
"Yes. I’m sure kneeling like that is exhausting. I’ll have seats prepared. Please, stay for a meal."
They were Rusty’s relatives, after all, and they were dragons. Given my relationship with her, I couldn't exactly kick them out.
"Hooray! I heard the sake here is delicious!"
Hakuren was the first to spring up, but as she tried to head toward the village, I reached out and grabbed her by the face.
"Eh?"
Not so fast, Hakuren. You are the exception.
"How is your wing feeling?"
"Eh? Oh, um, I won't be able to fly for a while, but... why are you holding my face?"
"Don't worry about it. If you make a mess, you have to clean it up, right?"
"I-it hurts a little..."
We had to do something about the burned trees and the craters left by my spears. Ordinarily, I would have just tilled the area with the Universal Farming Tool, but my conscience wouldn't allow Hakuren to enjoy a banquet while I was out there doing manual labor because of her.
"We're going to work hard and get this all cleaned up, okay?"
It was three days later when Hakuren was finally allowed to join the feast.