Chapter 31

『Why is she headed for Oberislein? There is a line of towns along the imperial highway leading to Enz.』

『Because Green Dragons are convoluted in their thinking. She’s probably thinking something silly like how Enz is the closest, most obvious target so there’s probably some trap waiting for her there.』

『So she’s going to Oestestadt because Enz might contain a trap. She can take her time with the three cities on the Golden Strand because they have a longer evacuation route. Maximum damage with minimum risk. Is there anything we can do to force her from her course?』

『Attempting to force her to do anything will inform her of the difference in power between us.』

As Ilyshn’ish pointed out, their main advantage was the idea that they had hurt her before. Both Ludmila and Ilyshn’ish had a Ring of Nondetection equipped, which prevented their opponent from discerning their strength using direct methods. Deriving conclusions from mundane observations – such as how many warriors gauged their opponents by observing movements, crossing blades and assessing techniques – was still very much possible.

If they made consistently weak attacks, the illusion that they were a significant threat would crumble and shatter. They were rapidly approaching the limits of their deception.

The lights of Oestestadt appeared in the distance as they descended along the slopes of the southern ranges. Ludmila retrieved a longbow from her Infinite Haversack.

『How will that help?』

『I’m not sure if it will, but we have to dissuade her somehow. The strength and severity of a ranged attack are highly dependent on equipment, so direct assessments of strength won’t be so straightforward.』

『Do you have anything that can hurt her?』

『Yes. At least I think they should. Alchemical arrows only have to hit; they don’t have to penetrate to deliver their content.』

Ludmila reached into her pouch again, wondering how she could present herself as an unignorable threat. Green Dragons were immune to acid, Holy Water would be just as useless and the scales of an Ancient Dragon required highly-enchanted arrowheads to penetrate, ruling out roughly half of her inventory. She took two high-volume glass arrows filled with Alchemist’s Fire between her fingers.

『How close can we get?』

『If she’s preoccupied, we can probably land right on top of her like we did the other day. If not…a hundred metres, maybe?』

The Viridian Dragon continued picking up speed as they closed in on the city. Ilyshn’ish adjusted to follow.

『Will you be able to keep up with her?』

『At this angle, easily. In a sheer dive, she can end up faster…actually, what does this saddle do?』

『I’m not sure – Lord Cocytus didn’t say anything about it. Since it’s a saddle, shouldn’t it have a related enchantment?』

『I don’t feel anything different…I guess we’ll find out when we find out. We’ll be over Oestestadt in about fifteen minutes at this rate; have you figured anything out?』

『As long as you can keep up, we can wait until we’re closer to the city. There are a dozen Death Cavaliers patrolling around the walls that I can call into the fight.』

『How will that be useful in any way?』

『If she can sense how strong they are, she might associate them with the Death-series servitors used in the ambush. She’ll be wary of getting too close to the ground if they’re waiting for her. After that…it was the left wing that we injured, yes?』

『That’s right. You can see how sensitive she is to her injuries still.』

Ludmila examined the Dragon Lord ahead of them, unable to discern what Ilyshn’ish had pointed out. Even with all of their preparations and the extended battle, they had only managed to bring her health down by a fifth before she had withdrawn. Her Life Essence currently showed that she had recovered half of that.

There was a clear discrepancy between the absolute condition of their target and how injured she still felt. Either fear of injury or delayed recovery was limiting her movements or the working condition of a living being’s body was not accurately represented by the ‘health’ indicated by Life Essence. Either way, it was something that they could exploit.

『I’ll focus on attacking the same wing we damaged before. It will be good if we can slow her down, but stoking her fears and putting her on the defensive should be fine.』

『…I can appreciate the struggles of my prey, but you just enjoy tormenting everyone, don’t you?』

Ludmila frowned at the thought.

『I can’t say that I enjoy it, but, now that I think about it, my constant focus on problems and weaknesses might be interpreted as that.』

They closed within five minutes of Oestestadt. Ludmila issued a warning to the city garrison before calling out for the Death Cavaliers. The peal of bells washed over them as distant figures on the walls ran back and forth.

『Any distraction is better than none, I suppose…』

『That wasn’t my intent, but how much closer do you think you can get?』

『Fifty metres? It depends on how preoccupied she is with her attack – oh, she’s levelling out and slowing down.』

Ludmila was pressed down slightly into her saddle as Ilyshn’ish adjusted her course.

『Did she notice us?』

『No. She’s probably planning to make some sort of megalomaniacal statement before attacking them.』

“FOOLS! You worms dare turn against me?!”

『See?』

『Let’s sneak closer.』

Late as it was, the streets of Oestestadt were mostly empty. The windows of the wealthy lit up at the sound of the alarm. Faint screams started to rise from below as the Viridian Dragon Lord’s voice boomed over the city.

“I have graciously allowed your existence in my domain for a mere pittance, but you have repaid my benevolence with short-sighted treachery. The passing of generations has filled you with empty pride. Now, you shall choke on it!”

The Dragon Lord banked over the far wall and headed back towards the city centre. Ludmila stood in her stirrups, leaning forward as she drew her longbow against the massive Green Dragon below. Earlier in the day, as she watched the Imperial Air Service perform reconnaissance for the army and mark out targets, Ludmila realised that she did have something that would simplify aerial archery. She waited for her target to straighten her course again.

“Know fear and tremble in despair! Curse your mindless greed as you gasp out your last–”

A draconic shriek echoed over Oestestadt as the middle of the Viridian Dragon Lord’s left wing burst into flame. Ludmila’s second Sounding Shot shattered, splattering Alchemist’s Fire over the leathery membrane, adding fuel to the blaze.

The Ancient Green ascended, crossing right in front of them. Ilyshn’ish released a stream of frozen breath into the base of the flaming wing. Ludmila grabbed the pommel of her saddle and tightened her legs as the Frost Dragon dove away in the opposite direction.

『Hmm…it has occurred to me how bad other Dragons might be at fighting.』

『What do you mean?』

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Ilyshn’ish winged over the nearest wall, dipping low to the ground as she banked to follow it. Cheers from the Imperial Knights manning the walls trailed in their wake.

『I wish they wouldn’t do that. They’re giving away my position…』

The cheers stopped as Ludmila informed the city’s defenders. Ilyshn’ish swept around the fortifications along the river, rising from behind the garrison keep. Their draconic adversary circled warily over the city but seemed to have lost them. The Dragon Lord’s head went back and forth in her search of her ambusher.

『Anyway, she fights instinctively. Something happens and she reacts without thinking. Since Green Dragons are notorious schemers I thought there would be more to it than that, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. When you startled her, her first reaction was to get to a presumably safer altitude. It was so predictable that I could precisely hit her wing with my breath.』

『Frost Dragons don’t do the same thing?』

『I think we all do when we’re younger – that part can’t be helped. Frost Dragons are weak compared to most other Dragon species, however: Even as Adults we have a larger number of competitors that we can’t easily overpower through strength alone. Due to my bardic pursuits, the training under Master Tian and working for the Adventurer Guild, I would dare say that I’ve become a far more capable combatant than Dragons who simply rely on raw power to achieve their goals.』

Ilyshn’ish levelled out and banked towards the Viridian Dragon Lord. Though the ambush had thoroughly startled her, Ludmila’s Life Essence indicated that, despite their visually-impressive attack, she had not taken any significant damage. Still…

『Does that mean you can beat her?』

『Hardly. Power is power, after all. She’s so powerful that I wouldn’t stand a chance in a direct confrontation. We may be able to – as you say – pester her to death, however.』

If that was the case, they would first need to get her away from the vulnerable settlements lest the Dragon Lord lash out at them in a fit of rage. Ludmila nocked a lightning arrow, leaning forward to line up another attack. They were twice the distance as before, but a hundred metres was still relatively close. As soon as the arrow left her bowstring, however, the Dragon Lord swerved. Ilyshn’ish ascended as a snarl rose from below.

『…what was that?』

『Blindsight. You and I can conceal ourselves, but your arrow cannot. Now that she’s looking out for attacks, it won’t be so easy for you to land them.』

The Dragon Lord banked westward. Her flight speed had noticeably slowed, but it was still terribly fast. They had also probably reinforced her fear of crippling injuries, which was something to be thankful for.

Ilyshn’ish continued to shadow her and the Death Cavaliers followed their quarry from below. A trickle of worry coursed through Ludmila as they rapidly closed on a village along the highway. She turned her attention to the Undead cavalry.

『Make sure that the chain you’re carrying is clearly visible – herd her away from the road if you can.』

The Death Cavaliers spread out, displaying the heavy chains of Oestestadt’s city gates between them. Ludmila’s weight shifted as Ilyshn’ish mirrored the Dragon Lord’s reaction, ascending slightly as their course settled over the churning waters of the River Islein.

『It’s beginning to frighten me how you can reliably manipulate your enemies like that.』

『Well, luckily for us I’ve always been that way.』

As they sped high over the valley, Ludmila occasionally sent an arrow toward their adversary. Her frustration rose as her attacks were continually evaded.

『Those arrows take just over a second to reach her. How can something so huge dodge so easily?』

『I’m not sure why you’d question that. She’s an Ancient Dragon.』

『I think I know why Brynhild has Martial Arts that track her target now…』

『She has what?!』

“Have you no pride?”

The Viridian Dragon Lord’s voice rolled out into the night.

“To be in league with these puny Undead. To have that thing riding upon you! No true Dragon Lord would submit themselves to such disparaging treatment!”

『You’re a Dragon Lord?』

『I don’t know why people have been calling me that recently…』

Below them, the Ancient Green scoffed.

“No answer? Well, I suppose it is not a slave’s place to speak. Then I shall address your mistress. Who are you? A Vampire Lord? A Shade? Corpus of the Abyss has no business being here.”

“How do you know about Corpus of the Abyss?”

『What…what are you doing? Just speaking with her is dangerous!』

Ilyshn’ish’s worried thoughts were accompanied by a slight ascent, putting more distance between herself and their opponent.

『It’s an opportunity to gather information. She assumes that we’re from Corpus of the Abyss because of all of the powerful Undead accompanying us, but that organisation is not actually something we know much about.』

“What do you take me for?” The Dragon Lord’s sneer filled her voice, “Do not mistake me for one of those teeming mortals who squirm in their puny hovels, ignorant of the world beyond. I know that you are far from where you should be; far from any of your centres of power in the frozen tundras of the south. Since you do not appear to have the strength to decisively confront me, I suggest that you leave and never return to my domain. There is nothing here for you but savage tribes and even more savage Humans.”

As the Viridian Dragon Lord spoke, Ludmila gauged her with her Skill. Oily ‘darkness’ filled her senses: a disgusting sensation that she could nearly taste, growing thicker with every sentence. Sickening revulsion beyond anything she had ever experienced filled her being. Whether or not she spoke truly, this Green Dragon would forever exist as a reviled foe of the Sorcerer King.

“I do not answer to Dragon Lords,” Ludmila told her. “By His Majesty’s Will, the chains that you have lashed upon these lands shall be broken.”

“Hoh…so the little mistress has a master of her own? Who might ‘His Majesty’ be?”

“His hallowed name is not fit for your vile tongue.”

“Lively words for a talking corpse!”

The Dragon vanished. Ilyshn’ish pitched forward into a dive. Her alarm flooded Ludmila’s mind.

“「Invulnerable Fortress」!”

Her Defensive Art activated, but it wasn’t enough to stop the attack. Massive claws slashed open her back, sweeping her off of her saddle in a spray of blood and the pungent odour of aqua regia.

『Mistress!』

『Don’t come after me!』

“「Fireball」!”

As Ludmila tumbled towards the trees below, a sphere of flame streaked through the air in front of Ilyshn’ish.

“「Fireball」!”

The Frost Dragon manoeuvred in a wild dance as the Ancient Green pursued her, unleashing spells along the way. After falling for a dozen seconds amidst torn pieces of her spine, ribs and organs, Ludmila activated her Frostburn Phoenix Hairpin, steadying herself and slowing her descent. She pulled a shortbow out of her Infinite Haversack.

『I’ve levelled out beyond her Blindsight range and I’m concealed. Are you alright?』

『I told you just speaking with her is dangerous! She might have had something interesting to say, but she’s been trying to figure out how to fight us at the same time. When she disappeared…she must have silently cast something like Dimension Move. Mages usually use it to get away, but she used it to get behind us.』

Another Fireball hurtled across the night sky, followed by the searing lines of a Scorching Ray spell.

『I’m sure she silently cast some enchantments on herself while you were speaking, as well. This just got a lot harder…at least these fire spells she’s using need to be aimed.』

『Can you reverse your positions?』

『I’m trying! She’s slower than I am because of her injuries, but every time I evade one of her spells, I lose speed. She’s aiming them purposefully so I can’t do anything to outmanoeuvre her. Actually…shouldn’t this fire resistance ring cover most of the damage?』

『Keep dodging.』

『Why?』

『If you can stay ahead of her, keep dodging. She doesn’t know you have fire resistance and, if you keep flying erratically, she can’t predict where you’ll be for another Dimension Move. It seems like her only option is to slow you down with spells. If we can run her out of mana, we won’t have to worry about her magic.』

Ludmila flew west after them, but the flight effect from her magic item was nowhere near close to the same speed as the two Dragons. She sighed as she was forced to powerlessly watch her companion evade the attacks of the Dragon Lord. To her surprise, Ilyshn’ish started to come back her way after a few minutes.

『What happened?』

『She turned me around! I was hoping to drag her over to Thingvellir…』

『That’s – wait, what did you say?』

『I was hoping to drag her over to the Frost Giants? These stupid Green Dragons and their stupid thinking! Woah!』

The Frost Dragon dipped as another Fireball streaked between her wings. Ludmila looked around with a furrow on her brow. Further to the west, the icy peaks of the Azerlisia Mountains loomed. Below was an expanse of forested foothills.

『Ilyshn’ish, how high above the ground are you?』

『Right now? About six thousand metres. I’ve been trying to pull ahead by gaining altitude, but she keeps forcing me back down.』

『Drop to a thousand.』

Ilyshn’ish folded her wings, entering into a spiralling dive towards the forests below. The Dragon Lord dove after her and Ludmila descended as well. Less than two minutes later, the Frost Dragon and her pursuer levelled out again.

『Fly straight.』

『Er…』

A sphere of flame blossomed in the night sky as a Fireball struck Ilyshn’ish.

『Ow! Some of that got through! She’s faster than me after that dive, too! Hiiiieeee! Why are her teeth so big? Did I sacrifice all of my altitude just so she could reach my tail?! Uwah! She just went for it again!』

『No, I had you come down because Lord Mare once mentioned that Lady Aura’s effective direct fire range is around two kilometres.』

A streak of light flashed out of the forests below, piercing through the Viridian Dragon Lord. The invader plummeted from the sky without a sound.