Dragon Knight Chronicles ~ From a mere mercenary, rise to success through tactics! A small harem with the princess and the lord's daughter!? I'll also develop my territory! ~ - Chapter 111

Chapter 111   Journey with Charlotte 4

“Kumama~♪”

Grabbing the hem of my trousers was a bear cub, no taller than my knee. It adorably rubbed its face and soft white chest fur against my pants.

“A bear?”

It seemed like it wanted to follow us. The mother bear appeared to be the monster bear we had just encountered. She was watching over us, holding her wound while smiling gently.

“Are you coming along?”

“Kuma~♪”
“Poko~♪”

Though it might seem odd to have too many monsters tagging along, it might be a good thing for Pokorina to have another friend.

Thinking this, we bid farewell to the mother bear and successfully escaped the cave. Our journey as the queen’s companions continued.

◇◇◇◇◇

Mid-December, Year 567 of the Unified Calendar—

We were heading north through the uncharted territories, making our way through the snow-covered mountains.

Along the way, we repelled goblins—small creatures—several times, continuing up the mountainside.

Before us, a mist-like steam was rising. Perhaps there was a hot spring nearby.

“Hey, water!”

Spotting a steaming spring, the queen rushed forward. For travelers venturing through these uninhabited lands, fresh water was more valuable than any treasure.

“Your Highness, please wait!”

“Huh!?”

It was Eclair who stopped the queen from running ahead. Upon closer inspection of the spring, we noticed numerous skeletons submerged beneath the water’s surface.

“The water looks clean, but it’s eerie!”

The queen remarked, to which Eclair replied:

“In fact, clear water is more dangerous! You mustn’t drink water that is so transparent that even insects don’t live in it!”

“R-Really?!”

To demonstrate, Eclair dipped a piece of dried meat with bones into the spring. In no time at all, the meat dissolved, leaving only the bones behind.

“…Oh? Your knowledge is impressive! You shall be rewarded when we return to the castle!”

“Thank you very much.”

Eclair, a shadowy figure, was bashfully flustered by the queen’s high praise. It was a rather heartwarming scene.

…But at that moment, suddenly, the master of the spring appeared in its center.

The master was a fairy, seemingly a beautiful young woman. However, she quickly took on a fierce appearance and attacked us.

“Now that you know the secret of my spring, I cannot let you leave alive!”

To her, the creatures who drank the water and perished must have been her sustenance. She spread her wings wide and breathed fire upon us.

“Your Highness! Please step back!”

I raised my infantry shield, protecting the queen from the flames.

“No need! I shall make this girl the rust on my sword!”

The queen leaped forward and swung her longsword in a single motion. With a follow-up second strike, she brought down the spring fairy.

“Gyahh!”

The fairy clutched her wound in agony. She must have relied too heavily on the power of the spring, leaving her individual strength weak.

Out of mercy, the queen delivered the final blow. Then, she submerged her body into the spring.

“Oh! Even these rocks could be used for medicine!”

Afterward, Professor Gunter, looking around the spring, seemed quite excited. The sulfurous-smelling area around the spring appeared to contain many rare minerals.

We took a break in a small hollow a short distance away from the spring to have lunch. Today’s meal consisted of black, hard bread made from Ishtar wheat. We washed it down with some near-spoiled goat’s milk, then resumed our journey.

◇◇◇◇◇

Two days later—

We were about to reach the summit of the Teichi Mountain Range. The Teichi Mountains were known as the roof of this land due to their towering heights.

“Here we go!”

The queen grabbed onto a large rock to climb the cliff face. But suddenly, that rock and the surrounding cliff face began to rise, taking on the form of a giant made of stone.

It was a golem—a magical creature—but judging by its majestic appearance, it seemed different from an ordinary golem. Perhaps it was the ruler of this mountain peak.

“Who goes there!?”

The rock giant swung its massive arm toward the queen, who leaped back, narrowly avoiding the heavy blow.

“Pokoko~♪”

Pokorina quickly cast a fire spell, but it was deflected by the rock giant.

The dull glow within the rock caught my eye. I faintly recognized it.

“Could it be… that its material is magic stone!?”

“…”

Hearing my shout, it seemed like the rock giant gave a slight grin.

Clang!—

The queen’s famed sword struck the rocky creature. While the rock’s surface began to chip away, it astonishingly returned to its original position and hardened again.

In other words, it had self-repaired. It must possess regenerative abilities as a magical being.

“Take this!”

Even when Eclair and I attacked, the result was the same. Despite our combined assault, the rock giant’s regenerative ability seemed to outpace our strikes.

“Tch, it can’t be helped. I’ll have to use this! Everyone, get back!”

I spread out a parchment inscribed with a magic circle on the ground. Then, I activated the summoning magic that had been pre-prepared.

“…Gau?”

With a roar and a burst of flame, a massive figure was summoned from the parchment. It was Gau, the mithril golem who had been adopted by Pokorina.

“Gau, take it down!”

“Gau~♪”
“Poko~♪”

The abilities of the mithril golem and the magic stone golem were evenly matched, but we also had the support of our other members.

Gradually, the magic stone golem’s self-repair could not keep up, and after a fierce battle lasting two hours, we finally succeeded in destroying the magic core, the heart of the magical creature.

“…Gau, ugh.”

Although we had won the battle, Gau looked somewhat sorrowful. Was it the emotion of losing a kindred spirit?

However, even the magic core would regenerate over countless ages. They possess a lifespan far beyond anything we can imagine.

Understanding Gau’s feelings, the queen placed a flower she had picked earlier onto the golem’s remains. After taking another half-hour to return Gau to the magic circle on the parchment, we finally reached the summit of the Teichi Mountain Range.

Below us spread the Ram Basin, the stronghold of Cade. The surrounding high mountains were covered entirely in deep snow, a vast expanse of white.

High above the mountains, wyverns were flying, a clear sign that this place was not under human control. The beautiful scenery was soothing to the heart, leaving us with a serene feeling.

Then, we descended the mountain and entered the land of Cade.