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“To hunt a dragon, we need to gear up first.”

We need to know where the dragon lives, what color it is, and how big it is. All of this information is crucial.

Next, we’ll need weapons specifically for dragon hunting.

Especially bows, spears, and harpoons; those are a must-have.

Right now, we’re not prepared at all.

After ten days of expedition, all our resources were drained, and our bodies were exhausted.

But we couldn’t just avoid the fight.

“Grab your bows!”

At my command, the boy soldiers fumbled to grab bows and the remaining spears from the cart.

I too took a bow and hook for myself, strapping them onto my body.

From afar, Burgor came rushing towards us on horseback.

“Lady Vivian! Over here!!”

Behind him were the surveillance unit and Burgor’s knights.

I hurriedly handed Vivian the reins of her horse and shouted,

“Go that way.”

“B-but…”

“Hurry!”

Just as I was about to send her to Burgor’s side, a massive roar of a dragon echoed and someone shouted.

“Get down!!”

Before we could react, the dragon swooped down, unleashing flames between Burgor and us.

The surveillance unit vanished in an instant behind the wall of fire.

It was an attack that split the Punishment Unit in half.

‘Uaaagh!!’

With someone screaming, it seemed we had casualties from the fire.

The boy soldiers were now in panic.

Vivian’s hand trembled in unison.

As fear dominated the air, I could feel all eyes on me.

Not just Vivian, but everyone in my unit was looking to me for answers.

They were searching for someone to rely on.

I swallowed hard and said,

“Ignore the dragon. That’s not our fight.”

Martin raised an eyebrow. “…Kyle?”

“Our priority is to protect Vivian.”

Upon hearing me, they slowly began to regain their composure and nodded.

The fear seemed temporarily suppressed by my orders.

I made it clear to them,

“If you don’t keep Vivian safe here, none of you will be safe. So… make it your top priority.”

Thanks to Vivian’s actions over the past few days, our unit didn’t express much resistance to this order.

In fact, being told they had to protect her only fueled their determination.

Vivian appeared quite surprised by the resolve of those around her.

She blinked as if in disbelief, looking at me.

Gone were the days of petty disagreements; now we stared earnestly at each other.

I gripped the reins and mounted Vivian’s horse.

With nowhere for her to run now, I figured it was best if I controlled the horse myself.

I sat behind her.

“K-Kyle?”

Vivian questioned, but there was no time for conversation.

The dragon turned its wild eyes towards us.

To the boy soldiers of the Punishment Unit, I said,

“Spread out…! Scatter in different directions and shoot from various angles…! If you can hit its eye, we might stand a chance! I learned that its eyes are the weak spot!”

The blue dragon circled and came flying back toward us.

It seemed targeted at Vivian.

There wasn’t much time to talk.

“Disperse!!”

As I shouted, the boy soldiers scattered, leaving the cart behind.

“Yahh!”

I pulled the reins tight and charged the horse forward.

Vivian’s trusty steed picked up speed and took off.

-KWAH!!

Simultaneously, a blast of fire erupted right where we had just been.

All the spoils we had painstakingly gathered over ten days went up in flames, turning to ash in an instant.

“Ahh…!”

Vivian lamented what we’d worked for, but there was no room for regret.

Even from a distance, I could feel the heat of the flames.

How perilous the flames were—it became real in that moment.

Being this close to Vivian, feeling the heat, reminded me of a memory from a few months ago.

“…It feels like I’m back in the Castle of Rondore,” I said.

“You dare say that in this situation?”

Vivian replied incredulously.

I tightened my grip on the reins and urged the horse to go faster.

I held her chin up, shutting her mouth.

“Keep your mouth shut. You’ll bite your tongue.”

This must’ve been Vivian’s first time riding at such a speed.

I could tell just by how she awkwardly bounced against the saddle.

She seemed to lack strength in her legs, swaying precariously, so I wrapped my arms firmly around her waist.

“…!!!”

Vivian flinched but soon accepted my hold. The tighter I held her, the stronger my grip became.

Thinking back, it seems absurd to think it was okay to embrace her when she was cold. Isn’t that a contradiction?

I looked back, keeping an eye out for the dragon.

“…What the heck…”

And a truly bizarre sense of dread washed over me.

The dragon was honing in on us, as though it had set its sights on Vivian again.

Despite everyone scattering, it only followed us.

The speed of the dragon made it feel like it was closing in.

I kept glancing back at it, concentrating on when its mouth would open.

-CHURR…

“Ugh!”

As its mouth opened, I yanked the reins hard to the right.

-KWAH!!

Another blast of fire whizzed past the path we were racing down.

The dragon flew above us, unable to gain momentum, then turned to glare at us from afar.

It definitely seemed to be targeting Vivian.

There was no time for reasoning; reality demanded a response.

In that moment, Burgor’s knights emerged from the flames and rode towards us.

Burgor sped up, lifting his visor, asking,

“Lady Vivian, are you okay?!”

Once the horse slowed down, Vivian finally opened her mouth.

“…Yes, yes… thanks to Kyle…”

I kept my eyes locked on the dragon.

The dragon was steadily closing the distance.

I spoke directly to Burgor,

“It’s targeting Vivian.”

“What?”

“It’s targeting Vivian—Yahhh!”

As soon as I finished that sentence, I tightened the reins again.

The knights of Burgor did the same.

The dragon was too close now; there was no room to talk.

-CHURR, its mouth opened again, and flames split the gap between us.

As we momentarily separated, Burgor launched a spear upward.

The spear struck the scales on its belly, bouncing off feebly.

I clicked my tongue, continuing my thoughts.

I was prioritizing escape and survival, but could it even be possible now?

If the dragon was hell-bent on targeting Vivian, would she even survive?

“Kyle, really…? It’s after me…?”

“I told you to be quiet, or you’ll bite your tongue…!”

Vivian gripped my arms around her waist in fear.

Yet instead of despairing like before, she lifted her chin and began contemplating something.

We found ourselves luring the dragon like bait.

As we charged ahead, the dragon followed, and the knights of Burgor trailed us.

The knights aimed their bows and managed to score some hits on the dragon’s wings, but it didn’t even flinch.

This is insane, I thought to myself.

With frustration running high, I yelled to Vivian,

“Haven’t you had enough? Are you so despised by people that even dragons from Roktana want a piece of you?”

“Ugh…!”

Vivian twisted slightly, showing her annoyance.

While we raced across the plains, we hit a steady decline.

The horse picked up speed, widening the gap between us and the dragon.

But the dragon stubbornly pursued us, flying low.

Its enormous face was now at eye level with us.

I seized the opportunity, handing the reins to Vivian.

“You take the reins.”

“What?”

I swiftly drew the bow that I had strapped to my waist.

I wasn’t experienced in archery, but I was out of options.

We had only five arrows.

If I could just land one of them in the dragon’s eye, I could turn the tide.

I was more likely to succeed seeing it head-on than those shooting from behind.

I nocked an arrow, slowly aimed, and pulled back.

-THWOK…! Thwip!

The arrow flew through the air, barely grazing the dragon’s jaw and splintering apart.

My heart raced, and the horse shook; it wasn’t easy to aim.

It seemed the dragon only grew irritated at my attack.

“Aim straight!”

“Ugh..! It’s not easy…!”

The dragon’s wide eyes seemed ready to kill me.

I had learned that staring into a dragon’s eyes can invokes a fear phenomenon known as ‘dragon dread.’

Now that I was face-to-face with it, I felt it.

Cold sweat dripped down my hand; it felt like death was materializing before me.

Hadn’t knights prided themselves on catching these beasts?

Now I understood why dragon hunters were so revered.

-THWIP!

-THWIP!

-THWIP!

The second, third, and fourth arrows met a similar fate.

The galloping horse and my shaking hands made it nearly impossible to hit the dragon’s eyes.

Now it was down to my last arrow.

My hands trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing me struggle, Vivian glanced back at me, worry in her eyes.

We raced back onto the plains.

Burgor and his knights tried to draw the dragon’s attention, but it was relentless, keeping its eyes glued to Vivian and me.

“Ha…Ha…”

I nocked the last arrow, my hands shaking.

If I missed this shot, what would happen?

I didn’t want to find out.

-THUD.

Just then, Vivian’s hand landed on my thigh.

In that instant, my pounding heart settled strangely.

The shaking in my hands and my gaze steadied.

For some unknown reason, I found calmness and clarity in my target.

-THWIP!

The arrow flew through the air and pierced the dragon’s eye.

The dragon’s mouth flung open wide, letting out a deafening roar.

Startled, the horse stumbled, and our speed diminished greatly.

The dragon, still thrashing about, caught up to us.

With razor-sharp claws the size of great swords, it swiped at our heads.

Blinded and in agony, the dragon flailed its claws, sending a boulder crashing down.

-BANG!

Shards of rocks showered down on us.

“AAAH!!”

I instinctively tried to shield Vivian with my body, but the sharp stones left deep gashes on her arm.

“Vivian!!”

“Ugh…!”

The horse slowed to a halt. The dragon, losing an eye, thrashed in pain and soared back up into the sky.

In that brief yet fierce moment, we stood still and felt the chilly winds and a moment of quiet.

I gripped Vivian’s arm, examining her wound.

Blood, the same color as her hair, began to flow down slowly.

This wasn’t just a minor scratch; it was a serious, gaping wound.

I felt my heart race again as I stared at her blood.

I couldn’t say anything, only ask the most basic question.

“…Does it hurt?”

“…K-Kyle…”

Her grip around my arms tightened.

I looked up at the dragon.

Our approach had slowed the dragon thanks to Burgor’s knights, who had peppered it with arrows.

Vivian, sensing something in my expression, caught my arm and asked,

“…Are you okay?”

My silence spoke volumes.

I unfastened the harpoon strapped at my hip.

For some reason, I felt my resolve crystallizing anew.

“Vivian, hold the reins again.”

As I spoke, my focus returned to the dragon barreling towards us.

Vivian took the reins without hesitation.

Now Burgor rode up beside us and shouted,

“Kyle, you did well!! You hit its eye! If we keep pressing it, the dragon will surely flee—”

“—No.”

I told Burgor.

“No way.”

It’s not going to run away.

I had resolved to catch that dragon one day to confront Baelor.

There was no reason to delay that any longer.

With an arrow lodged in its eye, it was time to finish this.

The dragon lunged toward us directly.

And we charged right back at it.

I spun the harpoon above my head and said,

“Vivian, just need to dodge one more time. Got it?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Burgor watched me, saying,

“Kyle…! One harpoon won’t hold down a dragon! We don’t have anything ready!”

“Doesn’t matter! Just shoot arrows!”

Burgor couldn’t spare another moment worrying about me as his knights fired arrows at the oncoming dragon.

Dozens of arrows flew toward its remaining eye.

It seemed the dragon was rather annoyed by the arrows swarming towards its face, shaking its head side to side.

At that moment, its mouth opened wide.

“Now!”

Vivian pulled the reins sharply to the side.

-WHOOSH!

Simultaneously, I threw the harpoon straight into its mouth.

-KWAH!

With a sound of something catching, I gripped the rope tightly.

In that instant, I felt myself flying upwards.

The ground receded in the blink of an eye.

Vivian, who was now far below, called my name.

The rushing wind filled my ears.

The harpoon had lodged itself in the dragon’s mouth, and I was being carried into the sky.

“Ugh…!”

But I couldn’t afford to be concerned with that.

Clinging to the harpoon, I began to climb upward.

There was no telling when the harpoon might come loose. I had to regain my senses quickly.

As I alternated my hands, I pulled with all my might along the rope.

Flying high in the sky for the first time felt surreal; the ground below seemed incomprehensibly far.

From this height, I could see all of Roktana’s territory in one glance.

On the corner of my vision, I even caught a glimpse of the Castle of Rondore far off.

“Ha…ha…”

The more I climbed the rope, the closer the roar of the dragon grew, and droplets of its blood began to splatter on my face.

With one eye closed, the dragon had no idea I was clinging to it.

This was an opportune situation.

Below me, I saw hundreds of members of the Punishment Unit.

They were all shouting my name in shock.

“Kyle!!”

“Hey!! What are you doing!!”

“Stop shooting arrows!! Kyle’s up there!!”

-THWACK!

Arriving at the dragon’s mouth, I faced its terrifying visage, and I swallowed hard.

Seeing the creature bellowing and panting, I hooked onto the arrow stuck in its eye.

It finally realized something was on its face and began to struggle.

But it was already too late.

I was thigh-deep on its neck and withdrew my two-handed sword.

As I sensed the situation nearing completion, I felt a strange sense of relief wash over me.

Letting out a deep breath, I said,

“Got you, you bastard.”

With the blade aimed at the dragon’s neck, I gripped the hilt and slammed the sword downward.

-THUNK!

The sword met a resistance, embedding itself into the dragon’s neck.

Instead of a roar, it emitted only gurgling sounds, expelling blood, and began to descend slowly.

The overwhelming speed left me dizzy.

At this rate, if we crash into the ground, I wouldn’t be safe either.

The plains, the forest, and the lake appeared all at once from this high place.

I hastily calculated and grasped the sword’s hilt like a steering wheel, directing the dragon’s fall.

Twisting the sword towards the lake, the thrashing dragon began to plummet toward it.

Before long, the ground was drawing closer.

I took a deep breath, bracing for impact.

-CRASH!!

 

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