The wide road stretched ahead as the Metal Secret Dragon thundered forward on its legs like a hunting tyrannosaurus. On its back, Anne and Guleia were in high spirits, taking in the scenery around them.
"This is the puppet technology of the Holy City? It's amazing!"
Anne's earlier displeasure at being forced by Olgis to throw away her luggage had already vanished. Manaria had similar technology, but their puppets relied on magic shaping for a short time. Once the magic was depleted, they would return to dust. A mechanical unit like the Metal Secret Dragon was therefore especially fascinating to them.
"We're not here for sightseeing…"
Olgis shook his head quietly at the two of them. Still, it didn't matter. New adventurers were always like this at the start. Compared to that fool he'd seen back in Bretonnia, these two were already doing well—especially considering they were pampered princesses. As for the rest… reality would teach them soon enough.
Thinking of this, Olgis turned his gaze toward Lorena.
"Lorena, you're sure it's in the north?"
"Yes, Sir Knight."
The praying Lorena opened her eyes and nodded.
"We've met quite a few refugees from the north while in Manaria. They all say the same thing—there's an evil dragon rampaging there, and no one dares stay outside anymore."
"Let's hope we're headed in the right direction."
That was all Olgis could say. In this era, many borders weren't clearly defined, usually marked by natural features. The Empire's border with Bretonnia, for example, was separated by the Grey Mountains, which happened to be dwarven territory…
It was the same for Manaria. The northern border ran along a river, but plenty of people lived on the opposite bank. Strictly speaking, the evil dragon had already begun attacking humans—it just hadn't invaded Manaria's core territory yet, so it was considered not an immediate threat.
People are always like this—never crying until they see the coffin.
"Sir Knight, how should we search for the evil dragon?"
This time, Owen spoke. They knew that Fafnir and its [Evil Dragon Legion] were rampaging in the north, but no one had exact coordinates.
"Well, first we find the villages and towns destroyed by the dragons, then track down the [Evil Dragon Legion], beat those oversized lizards, interrogate them about Fafnir's location, then plan our route…"
"Huh? It's that troublesome?"
Anne immediately called out in surprise.
"When you said it so decisively earlier, I thought you already knew where Fafnir was!"
"That's just how adventuring works."
Olgis gave Anne a sidelong glance.
"Adventuring is often like hunting—you track the prey's traces, follow its path, find its lair, and only then think about how to kill it. Fafnir's no fool. If we already knew its nest, the two kingdoms wouldn't be making such a fuss."
Indeed, the [Joint Task Force] had failed partly because no one knew the exact location. The north was vast, and searching it by manpower alone could take years.
"So much trouble…"
"If you don't like it, you can go home."
"Ugh…"
Anne pouted, hugging Guleia.
"Guleia, Sir Knight's bullying me!"
"…"
Olgis just shook his head wordlessly, but soon his attention shifted forward and his eyes narrowed.
"There's a small town ahead. Let's check it out—maybe we can get some clues."
"A town?"
Anne quickly lifted her head to look. Sure enough, in the distance, a small town stood on the horizon.
But…
"Why is there smoke? Did something catch fire?"
Before Owen could explain, Olgis gave him a look, signaling him to stay quiet. For a naïve girl like her, only reality's harsh blow would bring clarity.
When they finally reached the town, the sight before them left everyone stunned.
The town had been completely reduced to a burned-out ruin. Charred remains of houses still smoldered.
And…
"How horrible…"
Anne's face went pale, her lips trembling. Beside her, Guleia stood frozen, speechless.
Scorched corpses lay before them, frozen in their final moments—some kneeling in desperate pleas, some caught mid-escape, some shielding children in vain. All had been turned to ash beneath a dragon's breath.
"Olgis, Lorena—search for survivors."
Olgis was unfazed. He'd seen far worse dealing with Chaos cultists. Calmly, he ordered Olgis—no, ordered Olgis's companion—and Lorena to search.
As for the two princesses… let them cool their heads here.
Olgis strode through the wreckage, scanning for life signs. Survivors usually hid in basements or cellars.
Sure enough, he soon detected life beneath some rubble. Circling around, he found the cellar door—buried under debris. Without rescue, those inside would soon perish.
"There are survivors here. Come help."
His shout brought the others running. He cleared the debris and opened the door, gesturing for Owen and Lorena to check inside—his size would only get him stuck.
"What should we do, Sir Knight?"
Anne and Guleia stood helplessly nearby. Their emotions were heavy, but they didn't know how to act.
"Just stay there and don't get in the way."
Olgis's answer was curt, and they obediently stayed silent.
After a while, Owen and Lorena emerged with a small group—men and women, old and young—about four or five in total, all gaunt and haggard.
"What's the situation?"
Olgis asked Owen, who quickly replied.
"They're townsfolk. The dragon horde attacked suddenly, so they hid in the cellar, waiting for the dragons to leave. They stayed there until now."
"Ask them which direction the dragons came from and what they know about them. Then…"
Olgis paused, glancing at the refugees.
"Give them food and money, and let them go."
"…Understood."
Owen nodded and went to speak with them.
Soon, a small boy looked up at Olgis, then ran to him, gazing up.
"Are you going to kill those dragons?"
"This…"
Anne and Guleia froze at the question, but Olgis simply nodded. The boy lowered his head.
"Please… please kill all of them! They destroyed my home! Buck, Mary, everyone is dead! Please avenge them—kill every single one of those dragons!"
Guleia's face was pale as steel; Anne was speechless. Olgis gave them a meaningful glance, then looked down at the boy and nodded.
"Of course. That's exactly why we came."
Then, he spoke again.