This is Shiva, the Dragon of Wisdom.
After much work and effort, I achieved my goal: I managed to buy almost all the books I wanted from the city of Zhanty.
Although I have some problems... two problems, to be exact: Amelia's team, more specifically the musclehead and the chubby one.
I had to swallow my pride and accompany those foolish earth dragons to ensure that Amelia and her group safely crossed the monster zone...
Wait a minute, why am I babysitting these guys?
“Shiva, you look very upset. Did something happen to you?” Amelia asked me, somewhat concerned.
Currently, we are in the monster zone between Zhanty and the Lowlands of the North. She and her group are riding the earth dragons, but I prefer to walk; I don't get tired of walking anyway, but getting on one of those dragons seems very immoral to me, and it makes me uncomfortable to see Amelia riding one.
“It's nothing, Amelia, I just have some existential conflicts. I just wanted to go shopping, not on an excursion.”
Hearing my words, Eduard says, “Tsundere dragoness, stop making a fuss and just admit that you've grown fond of us.” I angrily respond to Eduard:
“In your dreams, chubby. I'm only worried about Amelia; you two are too weak to protect her. When you find your short-dicked friend, if I determine he's strong enough to protect Amelia, I'll go back to my nest to arrange my new books.”
Yubel responds with a smile on his face and in a loud voice:
“Ester isn't the strongest man, but he has always managed not only to protect Amelia but to protect all of us. He's not a perfect man by any means, but the four of us complement each other, as we are the hero's team that will defeat the demon king.”
Amelia says, “Well, we won't be remembered as the 'humble hero's team,' that's for sure.” Even in such a serious moment, they were joking. I almost envy the kind of relationship these humans share...
It took us almost a week to cross the monster zone because of how slow those dragons were and because of the monsters we encountered along the way.
Do you want to know what kinds of monsters we encountered? Well, monster zones usually have unique creatures that can't survive outside this environment because they depend on the miasma found only in these zones.
Therefore, they are unique creatures, very similar to giant insects, but in many varied forms. However, like any animal, they have a strong instinct, and when they sensed that a real dragon like me, and not those pathetic earth dragons, was near them, they simply kept their distance...
That's why crossing the monster zone was like a walk in the park, though it was a bit slow...
Once we exited the monster zone, we arrived at the Lowlands of the North and could see a small village in the distance. It was a small passing village, where they raise earth dragons and livestock for human use.
The first thing we did was split up. Yubel and Eduard went to the village leader's office to check if there were any problems with monsters or bandits and to gather information about the dungeons in the area, while Amelia and I went to sell the earth dragons to buy a horse and a cart.
…
“I can trade you the three dragons for a used cart in good condition, and some money so you can buy a horse,” said a merchant interested in the earth dragons.
It wasn't a bad deal... but I wanted to ensure a fair price for those foolish earth dragons...
After a negotiation process, we got the cart, money for the horse, and some pocket money.
“Hey, Shiva, how did you negotiate so well with the merchant?” Amelia asked me... Yes, it was I who got such a good deal.
I replied, “It was just some knowledge of economics and how much money can be made from earth dragons. They are useful for crossing monster zones, but their bodies also serve as materials for various potions and curses, or to break these same curses. That's why in this village, they raise and export them to other nations.”
“Wow, you really live up to your name, Shiva,” Amelia said to me with a big smile on her face.
After finishing our tasks, we met up with the rest of the team at the inn where we would be staying for the night.
Yubel shared with us the information he had gathered today. It turns out there are several dungeons in the area; some adventurers have explored them thoroughly, but they haven't been completed.
“This is our chance to gain more power and experience,” Yubel said.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
It's true that humans become stronger by killing monsters, but Yubel has a strange ability to absorb the mana sources of dungeons...
Typically, humans destroy the mana sources to end the dungeons that are a threat, but if the dungeons—or more specifically, the materials from the dungeons—were economically profitable, they usually wouldn't destroy them and would instead dedicate themselves to exploring them indefinitely.
However, Yubel doesn't destroy them; he absorbs them, increasing his power. I think he's the only human who does that... at least that I know of.
I remember the first time I went to a dungeon with Amelia and these fools.
…
I noticed that Amelia and her team quickly took care of the kobold nest. They weren't strong, but there were many of them. I didn't fight the kobolds; I just followed Amelia's group in silence, limiting myself to protecting Amelia with my fire magic, but I avoided killing the kobolds.
“Shiva, why do you avoid harming the monsters?” Amelia asked me. I replied:
“It's simple, because I don't want to die.
There is a pact around death between monsters and adventurers. A monster that attacks a human runs the risk of dying, just as an adventurer takes the same risk when fighting a monster.
I know they look at me differently after I helped those girls in Rusthia, but I want you to know something: if I helped the girls in that human village, it's because they were innocent. If those girls were to become adventurers in the future and their decisions led them to a similar situation, I wouldn't have helped them. But Amelia is special to me, only her. If I have to sacrifice the musclehead and the chubby one to save her, I'll gladly do it.
Just don't forget that.”
Needless to say, after saying those words, being around Yubel and Eduard until we finished the dungeon was a bit awkward…
Even so, Amelia and her team continued conquering dungeons. Yubel became stronger than when I first met him, and the other two humans also became better fighters.
…
After we left the village where we sold the earth dragons, we continued traveling in our new cart and saw a man in the middle of the road.
That man wasn't moving; he was just there, standing still in the middle of the dirt road. In case you're wondering, that man had a normal appearance, but his clothes were disheveled and tattered.
His face, though human in its features, was marked by an empty and lifeless expression. Despite his deteriorated appearance, there was an unsettling energy around him...
image [https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/079/221/703/large/duval-saul-rewrwrere.jpg?1724313107]
“I think that guy must be lost. I'll go see what he wants,” Eduard says as he heads towards the person, but then I realize:
“Eduard, be careful, that man is a herald.” Eduard took a hit to the face, which he tried to block with his hands, but he still took a lot of damage...
“That must have hurt, but there's something that intrigues me, Shiva… you know who that man is,” Yubel asked me with a very serious expression.
“That guy is a forgotten herald, a servant of one of the deceased celestial kings.
After the death of a celestial king, their heralds were left scattered across the continent, with no one to serve, but thanks to the powers granted by those celestial kings, some can't die in a conventional way.
I wonder how long he's been wandering in this area.”
But Yubel, with a serious face, says to me, “That makes sense. I've heard something about those heralds…”
At that moment, Eduard distanced himself from the forgotten herald and began to laugh quietly…
“Hey, foolish man, was that hit you took really strong, or why are you laughing like an idiot?” I shouted at Eduard.
Ed grabs his shield and says, “It's not that, Shiva, hahaha. It's the first time you've called me by my name. Anyway, I think I heard about heralds from my master. This is going to be a tough fight.”
I took a deep breath and said, "This time, I'll help you. He attacked us first, and I always defend myself against hostile people..."
I began to conjure a spell to prevent that herald from escaping...
"The fire in my stomach, now burning in my hands, scorches my enemies. Trap them so they can't escape their sins. Fire Cube!"
I created a cage of fire around us so that the forgotten herald couldn't escape.
"The earth beneath my feet will turn to iron in my hands, Earth Spears!" Amelia conjured earth magic that solidified the ground under her feet, and from it, several stone spikes emerged, which she used to attack the herald. But that guy was very agile; he dodged her attacks and moved closer to strike Amelia.
The forgotten herald clasped his hands as if in prayer, and from them, black flames emerged. I think he was going to try to hit Amelia with that attack...
Seeing the herald's intentions, Eduard blocked the attack with his shield.
Yubel struck the man with his axe, delivering a deep cut across his back, but the herald still wanted to keep fighting. He ignored Yubel and kept hitting harder until he broke Eduard's shield.
Amelia didn't waste any time and, using the same earth magic, conjured a solid earth spike as hard as steel that shot up from in front of her feet, impaling the man and suspending him in the air.
"Good job, guys," Yubel said as he prepared his final attack.
Yubel quickly decapitated the herald, but the man's body kept trying to move... I think that confirms my suspicions: that herald was just a puppet...
I removed my fire cage and said loudly:
"Step aside, you're strong, but you can't stop that thing on your own."
Hearing my words, Amelia and her group moved away from the impaled herald's body. Then I took a deep breath... I exhaled my volcanic breath, burning the man's body until it turned to ashes.
"Oh, my head... right now, I miss Ester..." Eduard sighed sadly as he looked at his shattered shield. "My shield is destroyed; I need to repair or reforge it," Eduard said, looking at his shield in desperation.
Seeing how depressed he was, I handed him five of my scales.
"I saved these scales to get some money and buy more books, but I suppose I'll need your help to protect Amelia. Use them to reinforce your shield, chubby."
Eduard smiled, and the idiot tried to hug me... of course, I knocked him out, sending him to sleep.
Once everyone returned to the cart to continue our journey, I saw a little girl in the distance watching us...
I suppose that must be Charlotte. It would make sense why that lost herald ended up in this place. I see that bitch is still causing trouble for humans.
As soon as Charlotte noticed my gaze, she disappeared from my sight quickly...
That woman is still a coward.
Anyway, if I see her again, I'll burn her until she dies, but for now, I'll let it go.
image [https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/079/221/699/large/duval-saul-rwerrererw.jpg?1724313103]