Chapter 234 – Dragon Scales

“It’s been a long time, Claudia.”

“I didn’t expect you to visit me immediately after the seal was released.”

I heard calm male and female voices. The voices didn’t seem to come from the water dragons’ mouths but rather from somewhere else. I could faintly hear extremely high-pitched sounds at the edge of human hearing. They were probably using some kind of magic to communicate.

“Yes. Good morning. How are you feeling after waking up?”

At Claudia’s question, the water dragons narrowed their eyes. They seemed to be acquainted with Claudia.

“Not bad.”

“Though I am somewhat hungry.”

Claudia laughed at the male dragon’s slightly joking tone.

“That’s wonderful to hear. May I introduce you to each other?”

After the water dragons nodded, Claudia introduced us to each other. The water dragons were a married couple – the husband was Pernas and the wife was Invel.

I was introduced as her fiancé… but the dragon couple stared at me with great interest.

“I see… Is that why you’re traveling with the princesses of the royal family?”

Claudia gave a wry smile at Invel’s words.

“That’s part of it. May we receive the Orb?”

“If both the master of the labyrinth and members of the Verdgar royal family have come to receive the Orb, we have no objections.”

“After all, we agreed to cooperate for this very purpose.”

“Thank you.”

Throughout Verdgar’s long history, there seem to have been various kings. Some were wise kings like King Melvin, while others were tyrants.

As a result, there were generations where the traditions were lost. However, Claudia, who desired stability and the safety of the Labyrinth Village, never actively involved herself with the royal family despite her internal conflicts.

So… while the royal family might have forgotten about these water dragons… the water dragons probably haven’t forgotten their promise with the royal family.

I wanted to ask more about the Orb, but as I was thinking that, they turned their gaze toward me.

“We don’t mind handing over the Orb… but we’d like to speak with your fiancé for a moment. Would that be alright?”

“I don’t mind. I wanted to ask you some questions too. In the meantime, could you retrieve the Orb? It doesn’t seem like there are any Golems or Gargoyles stationed here.”

“Understood.”

At my words, everyone headed toward the Spirit Hall. After watching their backs, I turned to face the water dragons.

“You don’t seem intimidated facing us alone. That’s commendable courage.”

“Well… if I got scared fighting demons, I wouldn’t get anywhere.”

“Is that so. You fight demons… The refinement of your magical power, to reach that level…”

Invel narrowed her eyes as if trying to see something through the light, looking slightly dazzled.

“We’re quite surprised by this. You could say we’re interested in you. That Claudia would travel with the princesses and smile so gently…”

“Claudia was always kind. I think she recognized that she tended to be too lenient with herself, which might be why she tried not to get too involved.”

Even though she was badly betrayed and tried not to get involved, I think she came out because she was worried as the seal release approached. The fact remains unchanged that she has consistently been an ally of the surface people and has continued to protect the residents of the Labyrinth Village.

“…Perhaps you’re right. We too are not eternal. Our living places are different. Once we fall asleep, we won’t be able to meet for a while.”

“That’s why we wanted to speak with you.”

I see… They’re worried about Claudia.

“I want to destroy the Last Guardian and free Claudia from the labyrinth.”

“I see…”

Invel closed her eyes as she spoke.

“May I ask you about the Orb and the Miasma Orb too?”

When I asked, both of them nodded.

“However, we cannot guarantee we know what you wish to learn.”

“Our promise with the royal family was to protect the four Orbs.”

“Not just the one here?”

“Indeed. When the Orbs fall into the hands of wrongdoers, we are to reveal their location to the royal family and retrieve them if necessary. Therefore, we are not particularly knowledgeable about the seals. Probably to prevent too much information from being extracted from us.”

Probably because if they went outside, they didn’t know what would happen if they fought demons. In fact, they seem to have been wounded in battles with demons before. So by cooperating with the royal family – I think there’s also the purpose of preserving the traditions about the Orbs.

In exchange for being bound by this duty, the water dragons have made this Magic Light Water Vein their peaceful home.

As Guardians of the Water Spirit Hall, they can teleport anywhere within the Magic Light Water Vein. They can even emerge near the Termwills coast… This aspect is similar to Tephra. Even though they’re bound by contract to protect the Orb, they don’t seem particularly restricted.

Still… the water dragons know the locations of the Orbs.

Then I should assume they can do the same with the Miasma Orbs. There are indeed risks in hiding or destroying the Miasma Orbs.

“What about the demons from that time?”

“Those beings haven’t changed since ancient times… but during the era when there was a leader, they seemed more organized than now.”

“What kind of power does the leader have? I don’t think they’d follow someone just because they’re strong.”

“The leader was said to guide demons toward awakening. However, there’s no comparison between lower demons awakened by the leader and high-ranking demons who achieved awakening on their own.”

I see. The flowering of each demon’s abilities.

Being able to raise the overall combat power is indeed threatening. It leads to strengthening the demon species as a whole, not just individuals. Also, the water dragons might not know everything about the leader.

“I’m sorry our information isn’t more helpful.”

“No, it was useful.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Invel dove into the water… and returned after a while. She placed what she was holding in her mouth on the platform.

This is – scales? And multiple ones at that.

“We hear humans value our scales and fangs. These are from our last molting, and we tried to select the best condition ones… but can these be of any use to you?”

“More than enough.”

Dragon scales. If processed, they can be used for both weapons and armor. I need to consider various uses.

Grace and the others returned from the Spirit Hall. The Orb was shining in their hands.

“We will always be here. If there’s anything we can help with, please come anytime. If you set foot in this place, we will know.”

After exchanging these words, the water dragons slowly swam toward the vast space extending behind the Spirit Hall. Along the way, another one – a small water dragon – appeared.

Turning around, the family bowed as if in greeting before disappearing into the water. …I see. So they’re a family of three now.

My eyes met with everyone who was watching the water dragons depart with narrowed eyes. Everyone seemed to have their own thoughts about the scene – about the water dragons’ circumstances, their faithfulness in still keeping promises made so long ago.

“Shall we return?”

“–Yes.”

When I said this, everyone smiled and nodded.

“Dragon scales…!”

“And water dragon scales at that–!”

We delivered the Orb to the Royal Castle and reported on the outcome of this mission. Afterward, I brought the dragon scales to the workshop.

Viola and Miriam’s excitement upon seeing the dragon scales was quite impressive. Miriam had come to report since she had finished various arrangements for toy orders placed through the merchant guild.

“May we touch them?”

“Go ahead.”

When I answered, the two picked up the scales and cheered.

“Ooooh…!”

“They’re light–! So light! I thought they’d be heavier!”

They remained excited the whole time.

“How should we process them?”

Alfred showed a wry smile at the scene.

“Hmm… First, armor, I think. Like chest protectors that can be worn under clothing.”

After all, we have enough for all Party Members. Given their thickness and lightness, they shouldn’t hinder movement. We want armor that can particularly protect vital areas like the neck, heart, and spine. And if we apply Enchantment, it should significantly improve defensive capabilities.

After equipping everyone with armor, we can use the leftover pieces for Irmhild’s giant arrowheads or to reinforce the edges of Marlene’s Saucer. This should allow for a good enhancement of our combat strength.

“Understood. Then we’ll focus on equipping armor first.”

“Right. And about the Magic Tools around the ritual site… well, I’ve been thinking of several ideas. Spell Formulas for creating bubbles, for drawing up or flowing water. I’ll demonstrate them for you later.”

“I’m looking forward to that.”

“Though they’re not particularly high Difficulty Techniques.”

For the main attraction of the public bath, we want to prepare jacuzzis, water slides, saunas, and such. By offering rare entertainment at the public bath and charging admission fees, while keeping the therapeutic baths free of such things and maintaining them as places for medical treatment, we can clearly differentiate between the two.