Chapter 1: Back to Merte

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On my way to the village of Merte, I didn’t run into any trouble. On the contrary, I ended up reaching the village far sooner than expected thanks to the tireless efforts of my wyvern, Claimh Soras. The prospect of another meal from Priestess Sela had likely gotten its wings flapping faster than usual.

I’d already notified Ishka’s Adventurer’s Guild and government officials, who were still in the middle of fending off a monster stampede, that I’d be away for a while. Some of Ishka’s bigwigs had disapproved of my decision, but once I’d told them I’d be bringing helpers back with me to defend the city walls—namely, Raz, Iria, and Priestess Sela—they’d finally backed down.

The first thing I did upon arrival was observe the state of the village from my position in the sky. As far as I could tell, it didn’t look any different from when I’d visited the first time. There was nothing indicating that monsters had attacked, nor had any neighboring villages come for spoils I’d gifted Merte, for that matter. But therewas something peculiar: There were far fewer villagers walking around than before.

Feeling a vague sense of unease, I guided Claimh Soras to the ground in the back of the village, where I’d kept the wyvern before. Almost immediately, the three brats, Ein, Zwei, and Dora, came running over, likely having spotted the wyvern overhead. I was certain they’d have big smiles on their faces, overjoyed to see their favorite dragon again—but I was wrong. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Their faces were scrunched up as tears streamed from their eyes.

My first thought was that something must have happened to Sela, and a chill ran down my spine. The face of the poor soul who’d been ruthlessly afflicted by the hydra’s deadly poison appeared once again in the back of my mind.

In the end, my suspicions were half right; there was indeed someone who’d fallen victim to the hydra’s poison. However, it wasn’t Priestess Sela. It wasn’t even Iria. It was none other than the leader of the Falcon Blades, Raz.

There was a monster known by some as a water horse. Others knew it by its proper name: kelpie. As one might expect, it was often sighted on the shores of lakes and rivers. Its mane was made of water weeds, it had a fishlike tail, and its torso and legs were covered with countless fins.