Nameless Wyvern

I was a nameless wyvern.

I was the one who claimed the skies in this area as my territory. You might ask exactly what "this area" entailed. Generally speaking, it was as far as the eye could see. Well, not beyond that mountain over there. And not beyond that mountain over there, either. Don't tell me it was narrower than you expected; the sky is a vast place.

At the time, I led a pack of about thirty wyverns. I held the position of the Wyvern Race Leader for this entire region. However, I wasn't actually the strongest member of my flock. It felt odd to say it myself, but I was only about the third or fourth strongest.

As for why I was the leader despite that, the answer was simple: I was a sacrifice.

In the past, the wyverns of this region had been utterly trampled by Lady Hakuren of the Age of Gods Dragon Race. From that day forward, we were required to go and offer our greetings immediately whenever she arrived. If we didn't, we would be wiped out. Unfortunately, even if we did show up, our lives were forfeit if Lady Hakuren happened to be in a bad mood.

The pack had eventually established a policy: the one who went to offer greetings would be prepared to give up their life to settle the matter. However, it was problematic for the group if the strongest member died every time she visited. Thus, the role of "sacrifice" was born.

Naturally, no one volunteered for a job that guaranteed death. So, I stepped forward. Among the wyverns in the area, I had lived a reasonably long life, and I felt I had to protect the younger generation. That was the only reason I became the leader. For the most part, the others followed my instructions, mostly because I’d threaten them by saying, "Fine, then you be the leader," whenever they complained. In these parts, leadership was not a coveted position.

Then, everything changed.

When Lady Hakuren arrived recently, I steeled my resolve and went to greet her. To my shock, she told me there was no longer any need for such formalities. Not only that, she actually apologized to me. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was some kind of trap. Even though she was in human form, Lady Hakuren—a dragon!—bowed her head to someone like me. It was an overwhelming, terrifying sight.

But it was also true that I felt an immense sense of relief. We no longer had to live in fear of her. I shared the news with the rest of the pack. Looking back, I realize I was being careless, but I simply wanted them to be able to live in peace.

A few days later, Lady Hakuren left the area. During her stay, there were no reports of her going on any sort of rampage. Immediately, a scramble for the position of leader broke out. Since being the leader no longer carried a death sentence, it was only natural for the order to reset. The strong should be the ones to lead; things were simply returning to their proper form.

A fierce power struggle erupted within the pack. Luckily—if you could call it that—I wasn't challenged right away. If the leader changed too frequently, the surrounding packs would perceive us as weak. So, I was overlooked for a time. I was meant to be the final opponent, the one the ultimate winner would defeat to claim the title.

I had prepared myself to die as a sacrifice, but I hadn't prepared for this kind of internal politics. Still, I had no intention of going down quietly. I planned to resist with everything I had.

While I was mulling this over, the pool of candidates was narrowed down to two. They were both significantly stronger than me. It made sense that I stood no chance of winning, but these two were absolute fools. Both were short-tempered and had personalities completely unsuited for leadership. They wouldn't be able to lead a pack; they’d likely keep a few females and exile or kill everyone else.

I ground my teeth in frustration. If only they would wound each other deeply during their fight, I might have a chance. But I couldn't interfere with beak or wing. All I could do was watch their battle begin, hoping to challenge the winner while they were exhausted. It was a pathetic plan, but it was all I had.

"Come on, you two!" I thought. "Make this a real mess! Give me the most exhausting, drawn-out fight of your lives!"

The battle began. It was a spectacular exchange of violence. The aftershocks of their attacks leveled trees and gouged the earth. I knew I couldn't match that kind of power. I regretted my foolishness. Telling them they didn't need to fear Lady Hakuren had been a mistake. I was also furious at these two for staying so quiet until she was gone. I wanted to land at least one solid blow on them.

Suddenly, the air itself began to vibrate. It was so intense that the two rivals instinctively stopped their fighting. I searched for the source and looked toward the sky. High in the atmosphere, I saw something wreathed in red flames.

A meteorite? Had someone summoned one with magic? No, I didn't know of any meteorite that could shake the air like this before impact. As I watched, the red flames vanished, and a blue, shimmering form revealed itself.

That pressure... there was no mistaking it. It was Lady Hakuren! She had returned! And so soon! Where was she heading? At that angle and speed, was she planning to land right in the middle of the lake where the fools were fighting?

Lady Hakuren descended. She was wearing a suit of armor and carrying a large pack, but it was definitely her. Despite the fact that she was a being to be treated with the utmost reverence, the two idiots actually had the audacity to complain that she had interrupted their duel.

Lady Hakuren looked at me. I wanted to say they were strangers, that I had never seen these wyverns before in my life, but I couldn't lie.

"I am sorry," I managed. "They are members of my pack. Please, forgive them."

I turned to the two fools. "You idiots! That is Lady Hakuren! Get your heads down!"

They didn't listen. They started whispering about how a proud dragon wouldn't act as a luggage carrier and that she had to be an imposter. Even if she were an imposter, she was a dragon emitting that kind of pressure! There was no way they could win.

"Lady Hakuren, please," I pleaded. "Stay calm. Please, ignore them. Their words are nothing more than the barking of common lizards..."

"I am calm," she replied. "I'm not angry."

"I-is that so? That's good..."

Then I noticed the person who had been riding on her back. He stepped down to the lakeshore and looked ready to fight the two rivals himself.

"Um, Lady Hakuren? What is that person doing?"

"I’m not angry," she said, "but the Village Head is. He's upset because they insulted me."

"Are you sure he'll be alright? I'm ashamed to admit it, but those two are stronger than I am..."

"It will be fine. The Village Head is stronger than I am."

Lady Hakuren had no reason to lie. Therefore, it had to be the truth, no matter how unbelievable it sounded.

"By the way... has the Village Head-sama ever fought a wyvern before?"

"Oh, I didn't see it myself, but I believe he defeated the wyverns of the Iron Forest."

My heart nearly stopped.

"U-um... by any chance, is this Village Head-sama the one from the Village of the Great Tree? The one in the middle of the Forest of Death?"

"That's the one."

I let out a scream that probably echoed across the horizon.

No, no, no! You absolutely cannot fight him! The Wyvern Race Elders had given us strict orders never to get into a conflict with that man! If we laid a hand on him, every wyvern in the world would become our enemy! The entire pack would be slaughtered!

Driven by sheer, frantic desperation, I lunged forward.

"Village Head-sama! Please, wait! I will handle these insolent fools myself!"

They were two opponents I should never have been able to beat. But that day, I won. It was the difference in our resolve—or perhaps just the fact that I was more terrified of the alternative than I was of them. Regardless, I was simply glad I managed to take them down.

The Village Head-sama was kind enough to say he wouldn't make a big deal out of the incident. Truly, I was saved.

Because I defeated those two, I ended up continuing my role as the leader of the pack. While it should have been a celebratory outcome, the mental toll was staggering. I've had more than enough. I want to hand the position over to someone else.

I keep trying to find a successor through peaceful discussion, but the moment I even hint at the idea, every other wyvern in the pack suddenly finds a reason to fly away. It's really quite cruel.