"I can’t leave my position right now…."
Artisha began to speak, her story unfolding with, "It was a few months ago…."
"Monsters around the village started showing up dead. At first, I thought it was just the usual territory disputes that monsters have…."
But finding dead monsters didn't end there. Hunters began returning empty-handed, and even powerful monsters they couldn’t normally handle were showing up as corpses. Realizing something unusual was happening, Artisha organized an investigation team, leading them herself. It wasn’t long before they found the source of the problem—so quickly, in fact, it was strange they hadn’t noticed it sooner.
A massive body covered in tough scales. Each beat of its wings stirred a tempest, its sharp claws effortlessly tearing through prey. And from its gaping maw came flickering black-red flames.
"We call it the 'Shadow of Krumo.'"
"…Krumo?"
Why was that name coming up here all of a sudden?
Anyone from the Ardina continent would recognize the name Krumo. We’d all heard of it since childhood. In old tales, Krumo was the dark dragon that plunged Ardina into despair and misery. It was only through the hero Sigurd, with the help of Gracid, that Krumo was defeated.
Founding legends were often exaggerated for political legitimacy, but I knew for a fact that Sigurd’s victory over Krumo wasn’t a myth or overstatement. That made it strange to hear the name of a dragon slain centuries ago coming from Artisha.
Seeing my questioning look, Artisha offered further clarification.
"If it were the real Krumo, this place would already be a ruin. So, it’s probably not the real one…."
It seemed Artisha, even as a newcomer from Raxia, had heard of Krumo.
"Then why did you call it Krumo?"
"I didn’t call it Krumo… I called it Krumo’s Shadow…."
"Same difference."
Whether "Krumo’s Shadow" or something else, what mattered was the reappearance of the name itself.
"It called itself Krumo… but since we couldn’t be certain, that’s why we call it the Shadow."
Perhaps it really was Krumo resurrected. But its power fell far short of the Krumo of old. If it had that strength, it would have raged across Ardina, destroying everything in revenge for its death.
It wasn’t exactly Krumo, but it couldn’t be ignored either; its strength was significant. Thus, they named it "Krumo’s Shadow," Artisha explained.
"Krumo’s Shadow, huh."
Just hearing about it didn’t bring a clear picture to mind, but if it warranted that name, it had to be formidable. I absently tugged at a lock of hair, thinking it over.
"So, you can’t leave because of that thing?"
"Yes. If I leave and it attacks, we won’t be able to defend properly…."
"Mm."
If it were that powerful, wouldn’t it have attacked by now? And really, relying on a single person for a village’s survival was far from ideal.
I was grumbling internally when a sense of familiarity made me pause. …Wait, didn’t a country recently collapse due to similar issues?
"Got it."
An optimist might tell her to trust others or that nothing would happen. But Artisha wasn’t an optimist, and such words wouldn’t reach her. I wasn’t inclined to offer empty reassurances, either.
Daeun, however, seemed to have a slightly different perspective.
"Would it be alright if you just went and came back quickly?"
She raised her hand, cautiously offering her opinion. Naturally, it was shot down at the speed of light, with Artisha adding whether she’d take responsibility if anything went wrong.
Patting the now-downcast Daeun on the shoulder, I turned back to Artisha.
"Then, when can you leave?"
"Well… I guess only if that thing goes away or nests elsewhere…."
In other words, she wouldn’t leave until safety was ensured. I couldn’t really blame them; they were the ones who had fled to Ardina to survive. Prioritizing safety was natural. And we were the ones asking for a favor, so it wasn’t our place to push.
Still, since I was here to help fulfill their wish, maybe it wasn’t entirely a one-sided request. But I hadn’t earned their trust yet. Pushing my way would only backfire, making them reconsider helping.
Dodging Daeun’s hand as she kept trying to pat my head, I said:
"Then let’s just get rid of it."
"Huh…?"
"If Krumo’s Shadow or whatever it is doesn’t disappear, then getting rid of it solves the problem."
Eliminate the cause and you eliminate the issue. Simple enough. But Artisha blinked, as if the obvious answer hadn’t occurred to her.
"…Simple?"
With a weary sigh, she gave a long, tired look.
"It’s not like we haven’t tried…."
She downed her tea as if it were liquor.
Clink.
Her hand was a bit rougher as she set the teacup down.
"In short, we can’t handle it. We don’t have the means to bring it down…."
While the creature hadn’t attacked yet, the demons still lacked the strength to eliminate it. The current situation between Krumo’s Shadow and the demons was a deadlock.
Listening to her explanation, I replied:
"I’ll help."
"You will…?"
Artisha gave me a skeptical look. I raised a finger, pink mana glowing at the tip.
Tap.
I flicked my finger, and the handle of her teacup fell off.
"Colored mana…?"
Artisha stared in shock, her expression shifting from mere disbelief to stunned recognition.
"So you’re not just some arrogant kid…."
Artisha murmured as she regained her composure.
"How about now? Do you see a bit of potential?"
"If a strong one like you is willing to help, then I’d welcome it…."
This only proved the old saying that one show of strength is better than a hundred words. Just as I was feeling satisfied with my approach, I felt someone tug at my clothes. It was, of course, Daeun.
"A shadow of an evil dragon… Isn’t that too dangerous? Kana, didn’t you say once that fighting a dragon isn’t easy?"
"Did I say that?"
"You did… during the Rain Buffalo fight…."
"Oh, yeah, I think I did."
Now that she mentioned it, I vaguely remembered that conversation. Daeun was clearly unsettled by the infamous name of Krumo.
"If it were a real dragon, then sure."
While I couldn’t be certain without seeing it myself, Artisha’s description didn’t seem to match that of a true dragon. If it were as powerful as a real dragon, the demons, including Artisha, would have either fled or been wiped out by now.
"But it’s still dangerous, isn’t it?"
"That’s true."
I agreed with Daeun’s assessment.
"But we can’t just sit around waiting, can we?"
Sitting around with our arms crossed, hoping it would relocate on its own, wasn’t my style.
Besides—
"I’m also curious."
If I wanted to satisfy my curiosity, I’d have to face it myself. Given that it called itself Krumo, it probably had enough intelligence to communicate, unlike lower monsters. Maybe we could talk.
If it refused… well, we’d have a more physical conversation to help it reconsider.
Tap, tap.
"Kana, you’re scary…."
As I lightly tapped my sword’s scabbard, Daeun shivered, backing away from me. …Should I show her what real fear looks like?
The thought flitted through my mind, but I let it pass. She was just being a bit dramatic, and now wasn’t the time to instill discipline.
"Anything we should know? Any peculiarities?"
"I don’t know much, but…."
Artisha shared what she’d observed: it could fly, move incredibly fast, was surrounded by miasma, and couldn’t use magic.
Hearing this, I tilted my head.
"Honestly, it sounds like a wyvern."
A flying monster that resembled a dragon but couldn’t use magic? That just screamed "wyvern."
But Artisha shook her head.
"It’s huge… much bigger than a regular wyvern."
"Hmm."
"And it can breathe fire…."
"Definitely not a wyvern, then."
Fire breath was a dragon’s exclusive trait. No wyvern could breathe fire. And yet, it wasn’t quite a dragon, either, since it couldn’t use magic.
"I guess I’ll understand better once I see it."
I tucked the information away in my mind.
"When are you going to go…?"
Unlike Daeun, Artisha didn’t try to dissuade me. Instead, she watched with a quiet eagerness.
"Tomorrow."
Strike while the iron is hot, right? Better to deal with this swiftly.
"If that’s the plan, wouldn’t it make sense to do it today…?"
I pretended not to hear her quiet objection.
Tftc