Egret

Everyone's gaze turned to Sage with curiosity. Sage, slightly embarrassed by the spill, scratched his cheek and spoke.

“Shin Dragon lives in that basin lake. ”

“…… Shin Dragon? ”

Everyone faced each other in a strange name they had never heard of.

“Coming down from a distant old sky. So you're like God's surrogate? It looks like a dragon, but I don't know if it's a real dragon. ”

"No way. All the dragons left for the Dragon Warrior a long time ago. I've never heard of a dragon living on a lake, even if it's still there.

UNI decisively denied Sage's communication and added additional information.

Sage continues to unravel the stories she hears from the villagers, even though she doesn't know she has a tackle from the spirit.

“Anyway, I guess that Shin Ryong started living in the lake and did a lot of good things in town. Mountain beasts and monsters raiding the town are disappearing. People believe Shin Ryong will protect the town. But this Shin Dragon has to offer a living sacrifice every hundred days. ”

At first, even a goat would have to increase its sheep more and more over time. Although the village's ancestors offered cattle every hundred days according to their customs, from one line to another it began to be a burden. Moreover, the period during which offerings had to be offered was shortened to once a month.

Recently, I was not satisfied with five goats. More than that, however, it was almost impossible to offer sacrifices every month to the people of small mountain villages.

Angry when the sheep were not filled, the lake stopped the waterway from flowing into the mountain.

Baikal asks questions with a curious expression.

“Yes? Sage, what do you mean you blocked the waterway? ”

“I don't know about that. ”

Sage shakes his head excitedly.

Instead, Uni, who was sitting on Judas' shoulders, added more information again.

That Shin Dragon seems to have great power. When he was angry, he blew out a fire and boiled the lake like a big pot.

He said it was great, but Uni turned on the base and shook his wings.

[Chuckles] The source of this mountain range is almost the lake where he lives. The water will boil and evaporate, or the water road will be cut off, so you can't live in a human environment.

"Argh? Fire monster?" But why live in the lake?

Do you know Nandles? I don't know if it's your taste. Respect me.

There was no major change in Judas' expression when he heard the stories of the spirits.

Instead, I kept silent with something deeply locked in my mind.

“…… Hey, travellers. ”

At that time, the woman who approached them carefully opened her mouth.

“I suggest you don't be more curious about Shin Ryong. ”

It was a baby mother who received great help from Judas a little while ago. The baby in her mother's arms had no difficulty playing tricks with her hands, unlike when she was stretched out.

Judas stood up and asked.

“Is the child okay? ”

“Ah! I've become very healthy thanks to you. Say hello to the sorcerer, Ciel. ”

“Woo?”

As the woman hugged the baby and held her back so that she could see Judas, the baby curled her blue eyes and smiled softly.

The name Ciel, named after the expansive coast beneath the mountain, was a very fitting baby.

“Shit.”

Ciel stretches out his short arms and puzzles.

Ciel's mother was embarrassed by the gesture of wanting to go to Judas, but she stubbornly refused.

In the end, Judas gently sought understanding as he watched the baby's eyes become moistened.

“Can I hug you? ”

“Oh, why is he doing this..... I'm sorry, but would you do that?”

The woman handed the baby over to Judas with a sorry face. As he embraced her with a familiar hand, he gave her a slow back, and soon she laughed again.

“Come on, baby. His name is Ciel. You have a pretty smile on your face. ”

“Ugh?”

“That's right. Are you feeling better now? ”

“Abu!”

Even though he was not a talkative opponent at all, Judas looked at him and warmly asked, and his group looked dumb as one.

‘Wait, this is something..... ’

‘…… I have a feeling of urgency……. ’

Baikal and Edan came up with the same idea at the same time.

It was as if I saw a baby crying and wandering around in a hurry, in an attitude that my grandfather regarded as a grandchild.

The two thought again at the same time.

Somehow.

‘Isn't everyone like that baby in front of Judas in the meantime? ’

Then the two of them, who were unwittingly faced with snow, laughed loudly at the food.

Convinced that they had the same idea, Baikal shrugged.

“…… right? ”

“Maybe.”

Edan did not deny it.

In the meantime, Judas, who handed the delightful baby over to the street woman, returned to the subject he was talking about.

“But why did you ask me not to wonder about the Shin Dragon? ”

“That.”

The woman's face suddenly darkened.

“If Shin Dragon is angry, no one can stop him. The water will boil like lava and the earth will split apart and everything will be burned down..... In fact, we didn't have any more water to drink in the village. We were all going a long way together. ”

“You mean you were leaving town. ”

“Yes, because it has become a land where there is no more livestock, no more water to drink. So get out of this mountain. What would have happened if we hadn't met the travellers? ”

“You made a difficult choice. ”

They were refugees.

Judas looked at the faces of the weary and pointed his chin.

‘Shin Dragon, Shin Bee. ’

I was roughly pictured in my head as to what the situation was. Shin Dragon, who the villagers believe to be the goddess's representative from the beginning, is probably a fake.

Judas did not react much, even though he had warned her enough, and she hastily added.

“Please don't stay long. We're going to leave at one o'clock. ”

It was because of this that the woman spoke to them. Those who left the village to escape the wrath of Shin Dragon tried to leave here quickly without a chance to regain their strength.

That's when Judas called her up.

“Please wait. ”

“ ……? ”

“I'll meet Shin Dragon. ”

Laryngoscope.

I heard things dropping everywhere.

The refugees, who were watching their conversations, opened their mouths as if they were going to fall apart.

On the contrary, the group that followed Judas started filling up as if they thought they would.

“I told you it was on the lake, so it won't be that far. I will leave enough drinking water and food, so please relax here. ”

“Oh, no..... ”

Judas smiled slightly and kissed the woman who couldn't hear a word and the baby she was carrying.

“I will leave those who will protect my safety. If you do not return before evening, please leave without delay. ”

“Don't go. What happens to travelers when Shin Ryong gets angry ― ”

“I'll be right back. ”

Judas turns to a light step, as if on a walk. Touching the hat he was wearing, he ordered all the rest of his relatives to protect the refugees, except Edan and Baikal.

Cole naturally followed and gave Sage the choice of whether to stay and wait and go to see Shin Dragon together.

Sage replied without hesitation.

“I'll follow you. ”

“Will you? You are very brave, though you may find the dragon punishing you. ”

Judas nodded at his fourteen-year-old brother, who was already climbing a horse.

Sage, who heard it, grabbed his head and said, "What are you talking about?"

“You're my brother.”

“Hmm?”

“You're not acting without thinking. There's got to be a way. ”

Sage's courage came from Judas. I believed Judas' choice over fear of the Shin Dragon cutting the ground and boiling the water.

Judas paused to hear an answer full of trust and burst into laughter.

“Brother? ”

“Hahaha.”

He laughed so loudly that it was usually hard to see.

Sage, of course, stares at him with a face bitten by the astonishment of the whole group he was watching.

As he winked like a sleepy koala at his brother's unfamiliar appearance, Judas snuck up on his horse.

‘Yes. Now I always..... ’

You have people who believe in you.

He didn't really want to explain why he suddenly burst into laughter. Instead, I lifted my soft eyes and looked back at my brother.

“Thank you for your trust, Sage. ”

Judas smiled with a 17-year-old boy's face.

* * *

Judas ran horses with Edan, Baikal, Cole and Sage to reach the basin lake.

The lake was not so far away. Uni, who guided us to our destination, flew captive and checked the side of the lake.

"Wow, this is really boiling!

"It's real. Does it look like lava?

What they found was a boiling lake. Even though it was still late winter, the opening of the hook was pushed.

Unlike Tony, who flew over the lake as if he had found a fun toy, Carney stuck to Judas' shoulders.

The Spirit of Fire, accustomed to the heat, looked at the lake with lustrous eyes and looked at my opinion.

Uh-huh. It looks like cute lava.

…… I don't feel very cute.

Looney mutters with a clenched ear.

The lake, which was originally supposed to be cold, bubbled out white steam like an active volcano, and the surrounding area was full of fog.

Baikal said, "Of course, I can see the water vapour that burns as well as breathe."

“It's not a hot spring. Turns out this is why the temperature went up. I also wanted to get the rest of my Robe to be self-tortured with so much heat.. ”

“Baikal, get a visual. ”

“Yay. Yay. ”

He looked at Edan, who was chopping off his dagger like a teenage son who heard her mum murmuring.

Then I turned around and grabbed a whirling staff for fog.

No.

With a properly held staff, the glittering little magic particles began to gather.

“Sight Lamp. ”

Magic power was magically expressed when the arrangement was completed with the starter.

What appeared at the end of the staff was a transparent amber lamp.

Double-room lamp sits in the air.

It was a buff magic that gave the Wizard a special visual ability to penetrate unclear vision by fog or a barrier.

Small magic particles spread everywhere, like Mr. Dandelion. Then, even in the dark fog, some vision was obtained.

The group who found the lake boiling in the bubble was stunned, unlike the spirits.

“Huh. This hot spring is killing me. ”

Baikal swallowed a dry spit and threw a joke.

The lake was boiling with terrifying temperatures that would ripen like a turkey if it drowned on its feet in vain.

I felt like I was in hell.

Uni, who heard the joke, took it.

Yes. The hot stuff will be perfect for a Red Dragon bath.

It was a joke I wouldn't hear from Baikal anyway, but even if I heard it, I couldn't smile.

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