Chapter 8

Zig ran northeast through the forest.

The eastern side of the mountain was a good hunting ground, so a narrow path had been made from the village.

As he ran faster than a horse, he sensed the presence of many people.

Leaving the path, he ran between the trees and spotted soldiers marching along the narrow road.

(They’re quite relaxed, aren’t they?)

But he understood.

Many dragon species become less active from dusk to midnight. They probably plan to approach and launch a surprise attack at night.

He ran alongside them without being noticed, confirming each face as he headed to the front.

The infantry was in two columns, but the twenty or so riders at the front were in a single column.

The man leading the way was a slender middle-aged man. His lackluster expression was familiar.

(Lord Harkim. Hunting monsters on the frontier...)

He didn’t want to describe it as a fall from grace.

But the fact was, he had fallen.

He once held a key position in the military and was active on the front lines in the war against the Demon King. However, he couldn’t navigate the power struggles after the Demon King’s defeat.

No, Zig clenched his teeth, the cause was his own.

He had heard that Lord Harkim refused to be summoned to the Grand Tribunal to judge the Supreme Sage.

He said, “If I lie in the Grand Tribunal, my head will roll.”

In the end, whether he gave false testimony or not, it had no impact on the majority.

But he wanted to repay that sincerity someday.

(Luna apparently challenged him to a duel...)

For a simple village girl to challenge a noble, she could have been executed on the spot. Given his gentle nature, he probably accepted the challenge.

(By the way, where’s Luna?)

He had a bad feeling.

Zig returned to where he could see the rear of the column and asked one of the soldiers in a slightly lower voice,

“Hey, what happened to that village girl, Luna?”

The soldier turned around and responded.

The soldier behind him looked puzzled.

“Huh? What’s with the sudden question?”

“Huh? Didn’t you ask?”

“Huh? I didn’t say anything.”

The soldier who heard Zig’s voice tilted his head and said, “Maybe I imagined it,” before turning back.

Zig, who had amplified his hearing with magic, picked up their voices and increased his speed like a gust of wind.

(As expected. Luna’s bad habit has come out again.)

He had to hurry.

Even against a dragon, Luna had a good chance of winning. She was that talented.

However, the leader of the unit was the seasoned warrior Lord Harkim. If Luna had to be at least as strong as him to escape, she would surely be in a tough fight.

Leaving the unit behind, Zig dashed, cloaked in the wind.

On the way, he sensed a few presences.

(They don’t seem to be part of Lord Harkim’s unit. So they must be...)

They might be the ones trying to infiltrate the village.

It was concerning, but protecting Luna was the top priority now.

He increased his speed even more, almost flying through the air, when a rumbling sound reached his ears.

*Boom!*

The ground-shaking roar and,

“Kyaa!?”

A girl’s scream reached him.

“N-no, I’m not your enemy! Please, listen to me!”

The desperate cry was unmistakably from his well-known student.

(So she came to persuade, not to fight.)

She must have approached the dragon before the extermination team to negotiate and get it to a safe place.

Her kindness towards monsters, though sweet, was naive. But he couldn’t say much about that himself.

The forest opened up.

A massive shadow loomed in the midst of the rocky terrain. It was a black dragon, about thirty meters long.

(A Dark Dragon. It’s still young, but...)

It didn’t seem injured, and Zig quickly realized it was too much for Luna.

Below the black dragon.

On a large rock, a girl stood with a large sword, dressed in loose clothing that made her look like a village girl. Her red hair was tied back in a ponytail, swaying like a horse’s tail.

Facing the giant dragon without hesitation, her red eyes showed determination, and her lips were tightly pursed.

It was Luna.

“!?”

The black dragon opened its mouth. A black sphere formed inside and was fired at Luna.

“Huh!?”

Despite the shrill scream, she nimbly dodged the black projectile. The large rock she had been standing on shattered into pieces.

“Hey! Please, listen to me!”

Her plea was in vain as black projectiles continued to be fired one after another. The dragon seemed quite agitated and wasn’t listening.

Luna hopped around the rocky terrain, showing remarkable talent for a fourteen-year-old.

But she couldn’t keep it up against the relentless attack.

“Kyaa!?”

The rock she landed on crumbled. She threw herself into the air, and a massive black projectile approached her vulnerable position.

“Ugh...”

The pitch-black magic projectile, which would leave no trace of flesh if it hit, didn’t reach her.

*Pang!*

With a sound that seemed almost light, it disappeared.

“Teacher!”

Zig caught her and landed on a rock. A shimmering magic barrier had been deployed in the air.

The black dragon’s eyes widened, and it fixed its gaze on him.

“Unfortunately, your voice isn’t reaching it. If you want to persuade it—”

Zig deflected the dragon’s killing gaze with his own.

“You need to show that you’re on equal or better footing.”

A surge of magic power blew the surrounding rocks away—.