Chapter 306 Only Spoken of in Myths (2/2)
”Guarding!” the Dragon exclaimed with pride.
”... guarding?” both Lino and Hannah exclaimed softly. ”Guarding... what?” Lino asked further, looking around. Snow? Ice?
”Eeh... what... what was it...” the Dragon, clearly flustered, mumbled, as both Hannah and Lino nearly toppled over and fell. ”Something crystal something... aah... Mother told me to remember carefully!” M-mother? Lino's brows twitched. If this kid was Level 25,000... aii, let's not think about it... ”What are you two doing here?” the Dragon quizzed. ”Mother told me that Writ Bearers haven't stepped foot on these lands in a long time...”
”....”
”.... y-you know?” Lino mumbled meekly.
”Uhm!” the Dragon said, blinking innocently. ”You both stink. Really badly. If I wasn't lonely, I would have frozen you just to clean you up!”
”I-is that so?” Lino stuttered, clearly having not expected to be made out so quickly. ”Will you tell anyone?”
”Nope!” the Dragon said. ”Ah, but if Mother asks... I...”
”... where's your Mother?” Lino quizzed, wondering.
”She's at the center here,” the Dragon replied happily. ”She's helping those poor people with something.”
”...” Jackpot! Both Hannah and Lino exclaimed inwardly as they glanced at each other.
”Are they far away? We would also like to help.” Hannah chimed in with a smile.
”Eeeh? What could you two do?” the Dragon looked at the two rather oddly. ”If even Mother is having trouble...”
”Eh? Don't you know?” Lino chimed in as he realized Hannah was at a loss for words. ”We can cheer them on! Half the battle is in the morale! If we can increase their morale, we doub--trip--no we increase their chances of success by a hundredfold!”
”.... really?” the Dragon still seemed rather unconvinced, causing Lino to suddenly take out something from the void world.
”I'll give you this.”
”They're really far away but I can take you there quickly!!” the Dragon suddenly exclaimed as it eyed the item Lino held. Hannah shifted her gaze sideways to see what could suddenly entice a creature like Dragon, only to see an ordinary piece of uncooked meat. What the fuck?! she cursed inwardly.
”Ha ha ha, good, good,” Lino said as he threw the chunk of meat back; the Dragon suddenly heaved its maw open and extended the tongue, wrapping the chunk of meat and devouring it whole. ”How's it taste?”
”... aah, like heaven...” the Dragon replied, closing its eyes in satisfaction.
”He he, I've got a whole lot more of where that came from,” Lino chuckled, as he glanced toward the Dragon's back, seemingly itching for something. ”So, you said you could take us there?”
”Ah--b-but... M-mother told me... t-to stay here...” it was clear that the poor Dragon was terrified of its mother, but Lino couldn't care less at the moment -- there was something monumental, legendary, only-spoken-of-in-myths in front of him... and he wasn't about to let it slip out of his hands.
”Don't worry! When we increase their morale, not only will I give you more meat, your Mother will certainly praise you!”
”R-really?” Hannah felt terrible as she saw old, creepy uncle taking advantage of a clearly innocent kid, yet she had no heart to reel him in; she saw that mad passion in his eyes... and she would lie if she said she wasn't imagining exactly what he was.
”Of course! I would never lie! Ask her! I have never once in my life told a lie!”
”...” however much she hated being dragged into his lies, Hannah was helpless. Integrity really was a fickle thing, she realized... ”He's... telling the truth...” she grit her teeth and said.
”A-alright!” the Dragon said. ”I'll trust you! Get on my back and hold tight!” Lino barely held himself from screaming out in delirious joy. After all... how many souls -- living or dead -- could claim to have ever ridden a Dragon? He would be! F-fuck, I can't use tools to record it... shit, nobody's gonna believe me. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Despite everything, he still ached over knowing he would never be able to show off properly...