Character Introductions:
Dos: The Dragon King. Raimeiren: Dos’s wife. Giral: A Dark Dragon and Dos’s rival. Guronde: Giral’s wife. Hakuren: Dos’s eldest daughter. Suiren: Dos’s second daughter. Marksbergark: Suiren’s husband. Draim: Dos’s eldest son. Graffaloon: Draim’s wife. Sekiren: Dos’s third daughter. Kuorun: Sekiren’s husband. Domaim: Dos’s second son. Kuon: Domaim’s wife. Rusty (Lastismun): The daughter of Draim and Graffaloon. Hiichiro: The son of Hakuren and the Village Head. Gural: The daughter of Giral and Guronde. Helze (Helzelnark): The daughter of Suiren and Marksbergark.
Dos took the lead, followed by Giral, Raimeiren, Hakuren, Suiren, Marksbergark, Sekiren, Kuorun, Draim, Graffaloon, Rusty, Domaim, and Kuon.
Trailing slightly behind them was the observation group—Hiichiro, Gural, and Helzernark—along with their escort of about thirty dragons from the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race.
Anyone capable of comprehending the true power of dragons would have looked upon this sight and shrieked, "Are you trying to destroy the entire world?"
The target of this draconic legion was a massive pod of Flying Whales.
There were forty small whales of the 30-meter class and fifteen large whales of the 300-meter class. Even on its own, this would have been the largest pod of Flying Whales in recorded history, but there was one more.
An ultra-gigantic Flying Whale of the 1,000-meter class.
From its sheer presence, it was clearly the boss of the pod.
However, no matter how large it was, a whale was still a whale. They possessed high defense but low attack power. Moreover, compared to dragons, they lacked mobility and were often described as sluggish.
The dragons began their assault as they always did. It should have been a routine extermination, but there was a wild card they hadn't anticipated.
This particular pod of Flying Whales had guards: Flying Sharks.
At roughly ten meters long, they were faster than dragons and possessed enough offensive power to actually wound them. Seven of these sharks had been lurking in the massive shadow of the 1,000-meter whale.
It was a perfect ambush.
But there was no need for panic. Dos, Giral, Raimeiren, and Hakuren—the vanguard of the group—evaded the sharks' initial strikes and countered with lethal precision. In an instant, four of the sharks were either sliced clean in half or incinerated into ash.
I assumed the remaining three would meet the same fate shortly, but the Flying Sharks were cunning. They steered clear of Dos and the other powerhouses, diving instead for the weakest members of the group.
Namely, the observers: Hiichiro, Gural, and Helzernark.
Draim was the one who intercepted them and protected the children.
That was why Draim was covered in wounds when he returned. He was in such bad shape that he couldn't even shift out of his dragon form. The bite marks were painful just to look at.
Fortunately, his life wasn't in danger. He had already been treated with healing magic and medicine; now, all he needed was quiet rest. Draim declined the use of a World Tree Leaf, perhaps because he was comparing his own injuries to the severity of Guronde’s past wounds.
Regardless, I felt nothing but gratitude toward Draim for protecting my son. Because of that, I listened to his "heroic tale" for the third time with a genuine smile.
Then there was Raimeiren.
She still had the escort dragons over there holding a "reflection pose." I wondered if it was about time to let them off the hook.
Not yet?
I understood her anger, but they were all in dragon form outside, and the snow was starting to pile up on them. When I pointed this out, I was told they wouldn't die even if they stayed under the snow for an entire winter.
It seemed like further persuasion was impossible. Raimeiren wasn't the only one fuming; Dos, Giral, Hakuren, Graffaloon, and Rusty were all livid. The only ones trying to soothe them were the children who had been saved, Hiichiro and Gural.
I suspect Helze would have been on the soothing side as well if she were here, but if Helze had stayed, it would have meant Suiren and Mark were here too, which just would have meant two more angry adults. Helze and her parents, along with Sekiren, Kuorun, Domaim, and Kuon, had already headed back to their respective homes without stopping by the village. It was a bit of a shame I didn't get to see them.
Wondering what I could do for Draim, I headed to the hot spring area and began swinging the Universal Farming Tool. I wanted to build a bath large enough for a dragon to enter while in their natural form.
The winter chill was harsh, but it wasn't an issue while I was working with the Tool. Plus, the Death Mage was using magic to raise the ambient temperature, so it was actually quite comfortable. I wasn't the only one working; the thirty dragons of the Post-Age of Gods Dragon Race were assisting as well.
I had been worried at first if they would follow my lead, but there were no problems. It helped that I had asked Raimeiren and the others to release them so I could use them as labor.
The massive bath was completed on the south side of the hot spring area, slightly removed from the main facilities. It was large enough for two dragons to lounge in comfortably, shaped like an inverted cone that grew deeper toward the center.
Now, while this was intended for Draim, I figured I was entitled to the first dip as the one who built it. When I asked the thirty dragons who helped me if they wanted to join, they refused with everything they had. I suppose there are social hierarchies to consider. I didn't push the issue; I just told them they were welcome to use it after Draim was finished.
For now, I tested it out alone.
It was essentially an incredibly deep, warm swimming pool. And it was a bit on the hot side. Since it was some distance from the source, I was letting the water fill it directly without diluting it with river water.
At any rate, it was dangerous for someone of human size. I had to swim just to stay afloat. If I got lightheaded in the deep section, I’d likely boil to death. I decided caution was paramount, so I built a log fence around it and put up a warning sign. I also made sure to inform the Death Knights and the Lion Family.
After that, I just needed to hear Draim’s feedback to make any necessary improvements.
Draim ended up falling asleep in the water. He was smart enough to keep his head above the surface so he wouldn't drown, but he was floating on his back. For a split second, I was terrified he had died. I only felt relieved once I heard his snoring—though I kept that a secret.
When he woke up, he asked for a headrest. Understood. I worked with the escort dragons to construct one for him.
He also asked for sake and food. I prepared the sake in large barrels. As for the food, I told him to wait a bit while I prepared the whale meat they had brought back.
Dos and the others had returned with about ten of the 30-meter class whales. I was worried about how we'd eat it all, but it turned out to be a massive hit with Kuro’s pack, Zabuton's children, and the Lion Family. They were happily devouring it raw, so consumption wasn't going to be an issue. Naturally, I made sure they set aside our portions.
Since I didn't know any specialized whale recipes, I used it as a substitute for regular meat. We had it as sashimi, steak, karaage, and nitsuke. The flavor was distinct from beef or pork, making for a nice change of pace at the dinner table.
Hiichiro and Gural, both in dragon form, carried the food out to Draim in the hot spring, with Raimeiren accompanying them. I made sure to tell the escort dragons they were welcome to eat as well and didn't need to hold back.
According to Dos, they had killed about half the pod—including the ultra-gigantic boss—and driven the rest away. Apparently, it has been passed down since ancient times that they shouldn't completely exterminate the whales. However, they had wiped out the Flying Sharks to the last one. There were no traditions regarding the sharks, so it wasn't a problem.
Besides, they couldn't forgive the sharks for putting Hiichiro, Gural, and Helze in danger. While Dos said that, I think he was also secretly fuming that his son Draim had been so badly hurt. When I mentioned it, he actually got a bit bashful.
After three days of soaking in the hot spring, eating, and sleeping, Draim was fully recovered. His regenerative abilities are truly incredible.
Once Draim was all better, I found Dos sleeping on his back in the dragon-sized hot spring.
Like father, like son, I suppose.