LIGHTNOVELONLINE [Translator – Peptobismol]
Chapter 54 – At Linus’s House (8)
Hindrasta was soaring through the sky.
There was no Demon King pestering her, nor were there two insane humans relentlessly chasing her, determined to kill.
It was just Hindrasta, the sun, the clouds, and the faint, round outline of the horizon.
At this moment, Hindrasta was freedom itself.
“Hindrasta!”
Yes, my name is Hindrasta.
The White Dragon who left her nest for the thrill of causing chaos.
“Stop right now! I’ll skin you alive!”
I’ve often heard that dragon hides fetch a high price in the mortal realm.
Especially the shimmering scales of a White Dragon, which could buy several buildings with just one.
If I sold my scales piece by piece, I’d be rich in no time.
“So you won’t stop?! You’re dead today! You damn son of a—”
“Dian, we agreed not to use such language.”
Hearing the deadly curses, Hindrasta finally realized that what she was hearing wasn’t an inner voice but an external noise.
With dragon instincts, she pinpointed the noise as coming from above. She turned her head.
There was something with wings spread wide against the sun. An eagle…?
But it was too big for an eagle, and more importantly, eagles don’t speak human language.
As Hindrasta squinted, she recognized it as a wyvern.
Why is a wyvern here?
Dragons are the apex predators among monsters, and most creatures wouldn’t dare approach a dragon.
A wyvern, while a carnivorous monster, is no match for a dragon. It’s like comparing an owl to a chicken.
Yet here it was, boldly flying above her.
“Hindrasta! This is your last warning! Land immediately!”
Then, out of nowhere, the wyvern dived rapidly.
As the wyvern got closer, Hindrasta could see two humans riding on its back.
[Those crazy bastards?! They’re riding a wyvern?!]
Using wyverns as mounts isn’t unheard of. The Demon King’s army has wyvern riders, chosen for their exceptional strength and courage.
But those riders usually have saddles and reins…
These humans were riding the wyvern bareback!!
“You damn trouble lizard! Stay still, or I’ll blow your head off!”
Dian, with his tousled brown hair, yelled from the diving wyvern. Having been severely beaten by them twice before, Hindrasta knew they weren’t bluffing.
If they catch me, I’m dead…!
Without a second thought, Hindrasta unleashed a Dragon Roar.
[Raaaaahhh!!]
The Dragon Roar, a trait special to dragons, instills overwhelming fear, causing the wyvern to panic and veer away, fleeing wildly from Hindrasta.
“What’s wrong with this thing?! Get back there!”
“Not that way, this way!”
Despite Dian and Linus’s commands, the wyvern wouldn’t comply. It kept climbing higher, trying to escape.
Hindrasta smirked with satisfaction. Not even these lunatics could do anything now.
They wouldn’t dare jump from such a height. If they missed even slightly, they’d smash into the ground and their bodies wouldn’t even be recognizable.
[Wha—?!]
“Dian! No!”
Ignoring Linus’s shout, Dian kicked off from the wyvern and threw himself towards Hindrasta.
“One of us is going down today!”
Dian screamed, arms and legs spread wide as he plummeted towards Hindrasta at terrifying speed.
“You’re dead!!!!!!”
Just as Dian was about to land on Hindrasta’s wing, a sudden gust of wind blew him off course.
Could it be the goddess’s mercy, feeling pity for a dragon pursued by vicious humans?
“Damn it! I almost had her!!”
Dian reached out in vain as he fell past Hindrasta.
“Dian! I’m coming!!”
Seeing Dian fall, Linus raised the club he was holding and shouted fiercely.
“Descend now!”
“Kieeeek!”
Linus struck the wyvern’s neck with his club, making it screech in pain.
“Descend! Or I’ll break your neck right here!”
Thwack! Thwack!
“Kieek!”
“Get down!!”
Whether understanding the words or just unable to bear the beating, the wyvern turned sharply.
It was an unbelievable maneuver for a creature under the influence of a Dragon Roar, a miraculous act.
“Go down! Hurry!”
Prodded by Linus, the wyvern folded its wings tightly and began a mad descent.
“Dian!”
Almost crashing into the ground, the wyvern opened its wings and soared up, drawing a fierce U-turn to catch the falling Dian safely.
Leaves exploded from the tree the wyvern brushed against as it ascended.
“Hey, you damn lizard! Next time we meet, you’re dead for sure! Got it?! If you mess with us again, I’ll really kill you!!”
Dian shouted curses at the retreating Hindrasta.
Seeing this, Hindrasta made up her mind.
She had to run away.
Just flee far away and hide.
Humans have short lives, so hiding for a few months to a year should make them give up.
Meeting them again would surely be fatal.
Luckily, the wyvern showed no further signs of pursuit, and Hindrasta managed to escape quickly.
[Translator – Peptobismol]
“Hindrasta.”
Feeling finally at ease, Hindrasta flapped her wings and flew as far as possible.
After flying for a long time, as the sun set and the surrounding landscape turned barren, Hindrasta slowly lowered her altitude and landed between the rocky mountains.
“Hey, Hindrasta.”
She had returned to her nest, having left briefly to cause chaos in the war.
Having exerted herself so much to evade pursuit, Hindrasta wanted to sleep as soon as possible.
“Wake up.”
She was hungry, but sleep came first.
Hindrasta folded her wings and slowly entered the cave, collapsing onto the floor and falling asleep immediately.
“Wake up. Let’s go home.”
Who was it, anyway? She had just fallen asleep.
If it was another demon coming to pester her, she’d burn them to a crisp.
I’m resting!
Angry, Hindrasta opened her eyes, and what came into her view was a human with tousled brown hair.
It was Dian.
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!”
Screaming, Hindrasta kicked off the covers and sprang up.
“Nooo! What are you doing here, even in my nest?!”
“What nonsense are you spouting?! Get up! It’s time for breakfast!” Dian kicked the edge of the bed, and Hindrasta blinked, finally understanding the situation as she looked around.
“Oh… it wasn’t my nest….”
Feeling embarrassed, Hindrasta scratched her head.
# # # # # #
The dining room was already set with a lavish breakfast.
Scrambled eggs, bacon, tomatoes, smoked salmon, butter croissants, strawberries and blueberries, baguettes, cheese and ham platters, pies and tarts, pastries, roasted potatoes, toast, cinnamon rolls, pancakes with syrup, waffles, yogurt with honey, granola with milk, roasted vegetables, omelets, smoked ham, roast beef, avocados, walnuts and nuts, jams, jellies, warm milk with ginger and honey, ham and cheese sandwiches, salmon cream cheese sandwiches, various smoothies, apple pie, oranges, grapefruits, and more.
Hindrasta’s eyes widened at the sight.
As soon as she sat down, she tried to grab food with her hands, but I pointed at the fork and knife.
“Use the utensils. Don’t act like a brute mercenary.”
We started eating while teaching Hindrasta some table manners.
“Now that I think about it… I was invited to attend a festival in the Tatanok Village last year.”
Linus spoke up during the meal.
“Do you remember? The village that was attacked by the Demon King’s army and couldn’t evacuate in time.”
“Of course, I remember. We nearly died because you insisted we couldn’t leave them behind. What festival?”
“They commemorate the day Linus and you saved the village every year. They invite Linus annually.”
Celine explained.
“They always send two invitations, but since we didn’t know where you were, we couldn’t send yours.”
“It’s not necessary for me to go. Linus can represent us both.”
“That’s not true, Dian. The villagers are waiting for you. How about attending this year’s festival?”
Celine suggested, and I smiled awkwardly.
“Well… that kind of thing suits Linus better. I’m not really…”
“Dian, Celine is right.”
Linus interrupted.
“Let’s go together this year.”
“What? No way!”
“The villagers will be very disappointed if you’re not there again.”
“That’s ridiculous. They’ll be thrilled to have you, the hero of the continent. They won’t mind if a mere sidekick doesn’t show up.”
“Haha, sidekick. The villagers don’t see it that way. Anyway, I’ll expect you to come with me. It’s early next month.”
“Haa…”
I had wanted to live quietly, but Linus’s request had made me a professor at the academy.
I hoped to keep a low profile outside the academy at least.
However, I was also a bit curious.
I wondered how much the children we saved had grown and how much the village, which had been burned to the ground, had been restored and developed.
I wanted to see if our sacrifice was worth it.
“Alright. I suppose I can’t refuse if it’s with you.”
“The villagers will be delighted. And about the Tiraellen Forest.”
Linus changed the topic again.
“The elf forest that was burned down by the Demon King’s army.”
“What about it? Is there a tree planting festival I have to attend there?”
“It’s something similar. I visit there every year. Let’s go together there as well.”
[Translator – Peptobismol]