The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

Seori was crying, clinging to the warmth of my hand.

Thank goodness. It seems she no longer has any intention of choosing death.

I took a breath and let go of Seori's hand to pat her head.

"Can you wait here for a bit? I'm going to talk to that dragon."

"Ah!"

She made an incredibly lonely face.

Just a few minutes ago, she would tremble at the sight of me, but now she's afraid of being separated from me.

"Do you want to come talk with Seori? I'll protect you no matter what is said, and it's a chance to vent your resentment."

"No, it's okay."

"I see."

Seori seemed to have no interest in Riseto, who had already betrayed her. Her gaze remained fixed on me. It was quite an intense stare.

...I might have overdone it a bit.

With that premonition, I left Seori for now and returned to the dragon pinned to the ground.

Riseto glared at me with resentful eyes. It's not often you get to see the pupils of a giant reptile up close, so I took in the intensity of the moment.

"Don't glare at me like that. I'm not going to kill you right away."

"G-Gunu..."

"But if you don't tell me what you know, I won't hesitate to kill you. I've decided not to hold back against enemies. If you value your life, stay quiet until I give you permission. If you want to defy me even if it means death, feel free to keep growling."

"......"

Riseto seemed to not want to die after all, and became quiet, as if holding his breath.

"Good, now I'm going to release only the restraint on your mouth. If you try to attack, I'll instantly behead you. Answer the questions obediently. If you understand, close your eyes."

"......"

"Alright, it's going to hurt a bit, but bear with it-- 'Synthesis'."

"Nngh!"

I retracted the earth stake piercing his jaw.

Of course, leaving it as is would lead to death from blood loss, so I poured a potion on the wound. The bleeding stopped immediately, but a mere potion doesn't have enough effect to close a puncture wound. It's just to stop the bleeding.

"Can you speak? If you can, say something. Be careful not to make it your last words."

"...Who are you?"

I didn't expect to be questioned with the confirmation words.

Even though he's corrupt, he's still the strongest species. His will is stronger than I imagined.

"I'm an adventurer. Nothing more, nothing less."

"I can't believe a mere adventurer could overwhelm me like this. You must be hiding something."

"That's quite confident of you. Are you considered particularly strong among dragon-kind?"

"I'm third after the Dragon King. I boast the fastest flight speed."

Oh, he's a higher-ranking individual than I expected. I guess it's not convincing to keep up the act of just being an adventurer.

Well, I should make an excuse.

"There's such a thing as compatibility in battles. More importantly, are you willing to answer my questions now? Then let me ask, you're the one who brought that child from the elf village, right?"

I was certain about this.

It would be impossible to transport someone from the elf village to the dragon capital within two days without an extremely fast means of travel. Like a flying dragon species.

"That is correct. I brought it."

"Just that child? What about the others?"

"The only one I know of is that young one."

That was unexpected.

I had assumed all the abducted children were gathered together. I had taken it for granted.

Then perhaps they were all transported individually?

If that's the case, it's going to be quite troublesome. As far as I know, this is only the first child we've found. That means the other 8 might be transported to separate locations.

"You, were you looking for the elves?"

"I'm the one asking questions here. You just need to answer."

"Nuu..."

"Next. You said your purpose was to make dragon-kind and elves hate each other, right? Why is that?"

"...I was dissatisfied. From the moment I was born, the Dragon King was near me, and I grew up under an absolute powerhouse. Even though I'm supposed to be excellent, I've never received proper evaluation because of that unreasonable being. Moreover, when the princess was born and I was ordered to be her caretaker, my life was determined to be used as a tool. True Ancestors have long lifespans... I would have to live as the princess's tool until I died. Therefore, I thought if the previously peaceful dragon-kind and the elves, who are respected by all races, were to fight, something might change. Something that would break this worthless world..."

A tool, huh?

I can understand wanting to vent frustrations if you've been living such a life, like an office lady seeking stimulation in an unchanging, boring daily routine.

...I'd better keep quiet about that or I'll definitely get snapped at.

"Was it Berlander who ordered you to bring the elves?"

"That's right. He acted as an intermediary and gave various orders. In the process, he seems to have misunderstood the purpose and almost accidentally killed the princess in the dungeon."

"...Intermediary?"

I couldn't let that pass.

I had thought Berlander was the mastermind. That Riseto was just his collaborator.

As I looked puzzled, Riseto fell silent for a moment, then spoke as if having made up his mind.

"Yes. Berlander is merely a puppet. However, he's been lining his own pockets quite well with the almiraj incident and this moonflower incident. Even before that, he was expanding his own faction using the princess's name. That guy is far greedier than I am. Originally, he was just a weak noble, and only by chance did he pick up the princess--"

"Wait, let's set aside Berlander for now. More importantly, who was giving orders behind the scenes? What was their purpose?"

"That is-- Ugh!"

Riseto, who had been answering obediently, suddenly widened his eyes and froze.

"...What's wrong?"

"Agh! Gu, Aaah... Guoaaaaaaaa!"

Suddenly screaming, Riseto started thrashing about, ignoring the stakes piercing his hands and feet. His muscles started tearing with audible pops. Blood sprayed, bones protruded, and his body began to swell greatly.

"Hey, what's happening!"

"Ugagaaaa! Ooouuuuaaaa!"

He started bleeding from his mouth, nose, and eyes.

Judging this wasn't normal, I reluctantly tried to put him to sleep by chanting "Word Soul", but at that moment--

Bupah!

Riseto's stomach exploded.

What flew out was something like a gem mixed with emerald and scarlet. When I appraised it in a flash, it showed--

"[Fire Wind Dragon's Core]!?"

Could it be the origin of dragon-kind?

I had never thought such a thing existed, but some monsters like slimes have cores that form the basis of their bodies. I didn't know that dragon-kind, such beings, also had cores.

Riseto's eyes, from which the dragon core had been expelled, had already lost their light.

He was clearly dead.

Why would the core suddenly fly out from inside the body?

I was completely baffled, but regardless of my thoughts, the situation took a turn for the worse.

Crack-- Bang!

Just as I heard the dragon core crack with a sound, the next moment, it burst.

At that instant, an enormous amount of mana took form and flew out.

It was a gale and intense heat.

As if the fire wind dragon itself was rampaging, a tremendous energy raged through the surroundings.

"Whoa!?"

I instinctively covered my face with my hands. The first to reach me was the shockwave of fire. The intense heat was nullified by "Domain Arbitration" as it was judged to be an attack, but the wind that raged afterward was different.

Perhaps because there was no damage even when hit directly, it wasn't considered an attack, and I was blown into the sky as if caught up in the sudden gust.

"Whoaaaaaa!"

If I had to compare it to something, it's like that 360-degree rotating roller coaster that runs around chaotically near Mt. Fuji in an amusement park. It's beyond the level of enjoying the surrounding scenery. That's a ride for masochists.

What the dragon core explosion created wasn't just intense heat and mere gusts.

In my spinning vision, I confirmed several tornadoes forming in the surroundings.

"Master--!"

Luckily, the place where Seori and the elf child were was safe. But the flames fanned by the strong wind could blow over at any moment, and the tornadoes were starting to lift up surrounding trees and rocks.

I immediately tried to transfer to their location-- but was forced to abort.

Due to the extreme turbulence, my position couldn't be fixed.

Transfer calculations are based on my coordinates as the starting point. If my coordinates are moving, the deviation at the time of activation directly translates to deviation at the landing point. If I hit the ground or obstacles, that would be fine, but if by chance I appeared at Seori's or the elf child's coordinates, they would undoubtedly explode and die.

There's no way I could transfer with such a risk.

"Damn it! I can't stop!"

The air currents are wind attribute objects.

The only way I can manipulate attribute objects with my mystic arts is shape manipulation with "Synthesis". But wind is formless to begin with. I, who don't have any aerial movement techniques, desperately tried to figure out how to get closer to Seori and the others.

But mercilessly, trees and rocks flung by the tornadoes were raining down on Seori and the others.

"This is bad! Dodge, Seori!"

What was that about protecting her?

What was that about me saving her?

I had mistakenly thought I had become stronger. With increased stats, more skills, and power that could even overwhelm dragon-kind, I was basking in a sense of omnipotence thinking I could protect anything... What an idiot I am!

Even that invincible master had many things he couldn't protect.

There were many times when even he made mistakes.

How foolish of me, with not even half his power, to act so complacent. That wasn't composure, it was just arrogance.

I was too slow to realize.

I'm truly a fool and an idiot for not being able to reach the girl I swore to protect just a few minutes later.

As if mocking me, the wind, the flames, the fallen trees, and the rocks mercilessly approached Seori--

"'Probability Manipulation'!"

In an instant, formulas expanded like a barrier.

It was a skill that replaces all random numbers with absolute numbers. The solutions of the world, rapidly changing due to the violent winds, were adjusted to match the probabilities as she wished.

Before I knew it, Saaya was standing there, protecting Seori. Elen and Punisuke were right beside her.

"Leave this to us! Ruruk, escape from there!"

"You saved me!"

Wondering why they were here can wait.

More importantly, I thought about how Saaya was able to accurately transfer to Seori's location in the midst of these countless storms... and it hit me.

"I'm a real idiot!"

Even if surrounded by tornadoes, it doesn't mean the view from outside these tornadoes is completely blocked.

Cursing myself for not even realizing such a simple thing, I roughly transferred to the upper air outside the storm.

Of course, the influence of the violent winds disappeared, and a stable free fall began.

From that height, I could see Saaya and the others in the forest. All that was left was to transfer safely. If direct transfer was impossible, I should have thought of going outside first. Come on, me.

Having transferred next to Saaya, I patted her head. All the wood, rocks, and soil flying towards us were coincidentally deflecting away. Not even a splinter of wood was reaching them - a cheat-like safe zone.

"Saaya, thank you."

"Ah, you're back. Then I'll leave it to you, Elenora."

"Mm-- 'Air's Lock'."

Elen activated her magic.

The dragon core explosion?

Indeed, that was a tremendous burst of mana, but Elen's magic surpassed even that. In an enormous range encompassing all the countless tornadoes and raging heat flames, she fixed all the air in place.

The sound abruptly ceased. The storm of flames and wind disappeared, and the objects that had been swept up were fixed in mid-air. It was like a scene where time had stopped.

As soon as Elen released her magic, the winds that had been raging regained their senses and returned to a natural breeze. The trees and rocks floating in the sky fell straight down.

Saaya and Elen effortlessly showed me what I couldn't do.

They're truly reliable companions.

Uncharacteristically, I found myself hugging them both.

"Thank you. Really, you saved me..."

"W-What, Ruruk!?"

"Mm, mmm!"

The little girls' faces turned bright red.

Just let me be sincere in my gratitude for now.

"...Master..."

Feeling a gaze, I turned to see Seori looking at me with a face about to cry.

It's okay, I hadn't forgotten this time.

I separated from the little girls, ignoring their "Not enough!" and "Mm, more," and approached Seori to reassure her.

"Sorry. I said some big words, but I was useless."

"Hehehe. Master was worried about me..."

Huh?

Rather than being angry at my lack of power, she seemed happy that I was worried about her. She's blushing and grinning.

This is getting a bit embarrassing.

Come to think of it, not being able to hide your true feelings no matter how much you lie... isn't that quite a punishment game?

"...What's with this atmosphere? Ruruk, did you do something to Seori?"

"Mm. Smells of infidelity."

Whoa, I'm being glared at by the little girls.

Well, now that the situation has calmed down, I should explain.

"Before that, let's take care of a few things."

Information exchange is important, but there are more pressing matters.

We need to take the unconscious elf child to a safe place, and we should probably pay respects to Riseto's remains. Although he was an enemy to me and Seori, there were parts of him we could sympathize with.

Most of Riseto's body had been exposed to the violent winds and intense heat, leaving it charred beyond recognition. But it didn't feel right to alter it, so I dug a large hole and buried him there.

I also set up a gravestone.

As I finished making the grave and was offering a silent prayer, Elen found and collected some undamaged emerald scales. I thought she was going to offer them with the body, but...

"Mm. Materials."

"No, no, Elen-san, isn't that a bit cruel?"

"Hm?"

"Is it?"

"?"

"?"

Elen, Saaya, Seori, and Punisuke tilted their heads at my comment.

Huh? Am I the one who's wrong?

"But it's part of his body, right? Doesn't it feel wrong somehow?"

"Materials. Monsters are materials too."

"Yeah, but that's for monsters..."

"Dragon-kind are a separate lineage, so it's okay to treat them like monsters when defeated, right? Wyverns are dragon-kind too."

"...Is that how it is?"

"Master, are you ignorant of the world?"

"I'm a monster too! When I die, I'll become materials!"

I won't let Punisuke become materials.

But is that really how it is? Are dragon-kind completely different creatures from us humans after all? Even though they can take human form?

"That's right. Your level goes up when you defeat them, right? By the way, our levels don't go up if we kill humans, beastkin, or elves. Because we're all human species."

"Levels... Whoa!? Seriously?"

When I checked my status just in case, it had increased dramatically.

Level 59 → Level 71

Apparently, I was credited with defeating Riseto. Maybe because he was a level-capped dragon, my level, which hadn't budged even after defeating many monsters, suddenly jumped up like this.

Even though the end was kind of like self-destruction, maybe it became my experience points because I had dealt damage.

So the dropped materials are mine...?

Hmm, it's hard to accept somehow.

But objectively speaking, I'm probably the one out of sync with this world's common sense.

"Well, if Ruruk doesn't like it, we'll use them for the memorial. Right, Elenora?"

"Mm. Can't be helped."

"No, it's just... he was kind of like Seori's brother, right? I'm having mixed feelings about treating the remains of someone like that as materials."

I glanced at Seori, and she said,

"Master defeated him, so the materials are Master's."

She said it as if she couldn't care less.

Seori's interest seems to be directed only at me now...

I don't think it's a very good trend, but for now, I'll consider it as her overcoming her trauma. Don't call it denial, I'm aware of it.

"Then Elen, you keep those. I don't have the courage to hold onto them myself."

"Mm. Understood."

"By the way, Ruruk, what's with Seori calling you 'Master' and being so attached to you!? You better explain properly!"

"Mm. In detail."

The little girls were pressing in on me.

I managed to pacify them by suggesting we let the elf child rest first, and then we all transferred together back to the inn.