“What is this! You tricked me! Kiyu!”
3,000 meters above Gallia.
Sylphid the rhyme dragon, who is carrying Tabitha on her back to Lutèce, deftly uses her paws to take something out of her mouth while yelling.
“You would make a legendary dragon eat this trickery!”
Putting her paws behind her back and sticking the contents in it in front of her master, Tabitha, who is reading a book… Held within her hand is a brown, meaty, bread-shaped mass of something.
Despite having something so revolting shoved into her face, she completely ignores it, and continues to flip through the pages of her book without even seeming to register what is in front of her face.
“Eat.”
Sylphid dexterously moves her head to look behind her, than twists the blob towards Tabitha’s mouth.
Tabitha takes the food without any expression on her face and swallows it… And, without complaint, continues to read her book.
“It tastes bad, right? There is no way it can taste good! Kiyu! What even is this? It tastes like meat but it isn’t meat! It’s fake!”
What Sylphid had been fed was a meat substitute that recently has become available on the market that is made using magic. It is a bread like dough made from beans and magically flavoured to taste like meat, commonly bought by commoners who cannot afford to eat much meat.
While it cannot be said to taste delicious, it is still better than a meal without any meat and so has been selling fairly well.
“You can eat it.”
Tabitha spoke matter-of-factly. Sylphid however continues to scream and spit out words of protest.
“Mou! Even though Sylphid might look like this, I am a gourmet foodie! I want real fish and meat. A master is responsible for feeding their familiar. Sylphid insists that you meet her natural rights as a familiar!”
“I do not have any money.”
Tabitha again with no expression in her voice spoke of the reality of the situation to reject all claims.
“You buy new books all the time and you still think you can say that! You cannot eat books! You need to focus your money and mind on the harsh realities of life, not books!”
“No matter what I feed you it will nourish your body. But books can nourish the mind, and quality is important for books.”
Tabitha emotionlessly dismisses her familiars request.
Sylphid began to shake her head with a “kiyu kiyu“, but it is clear that she doesn’t want to deal with Tabitha anymore, who returns to reading her book in silence.
“Trying to make me eat this is terrible!”
Sylphid continues to fly towards Lutèce while making her displeasure known by screaming loudly.
Lutèce, the capital of Gallia. At Petit Trois, at a distant corner of the Palace of Versailles that spreads out on the outskirts of the city, is a palace boasting bright pale pink walls and within it the owner of the palace eagerly awaiting Tabitha’s arrival.
Her long blue hair is the same colour as Tabitha’s. However, the atmosphere behind her eyes is so different from Tabitha’s that even though they are both cold it is hard to believe that they are related by blood.
Compared to Tabitha’s cold-breeze like aura, the princess of Gallia, Isabella, is a coldness that is unsettling to the viewer and could be described as ruthless.
“… She is late. That doll girl really irritates me.”
Whenever she speaks with her low growl like voice with her cruelty on full display, her maids and servants who wait on her can only react in horror. Whenever this princess is in a bad mood, it is a bad time for all those around her. In fact it is not an exaggeration to say that their life is at risk.
“Alright, while I wait let’s why don’t I talk about this alcohol and lunch on the table in front of me? This alcohol and food… It doesn’t taste bad at all? It is actually quite good. However, I cannot eat all of it. Why don’t you guys finish it all up for me.”
Isabella spoke, glancing at the various dishes on the table in front of her. It is a sumptuous lunch prepared by only the finest chefs and cooks from all over the country, working tirelessly within the palace kitchen. The price of one plate… With that much money the average person could live comfortably for a year.
– Everyone looks relieved. They had been worried about what might happen if the food had been bad… But it seems like there is no problem with it at all.
However, Isabella quickly splashes some cold water on the relieved faces of her maids and servants.
“However, don’t take your time when eating it. Even going a minute over counts as a fail. If you go over the limit by even a minute, I won’t let you eat for a week.”
The faces of the servants in front of her begin to distort into fear. However, on Isabella’s face as she declares that is the look of one eyeing up the ultimate treat.
“I do not like it when people don’t appreciate food. Now start eating. You have already wasted seven seconds.”
The servants and maids rush towards the food, forgoing the use of utensils and instead begin devouring the food with both hands.
“Ahahaha! Look at you, eating live lowly livestock!”
Isabella begins to let out a loud laugh at the sight before her.
However at that moment… The voice of a summoning guards rings out.
“Seven-sama! Is here!”
Isabella’s smile froze in an instant, turning her already sharp smile into one capable of killing whoever might see it.
“Come in!”
The servants who had been crowding around the food all look relieved… Thankfully their tyrants interests had shifted onto something else.
Seeing Tabitha enter without saying a word, Isabella points at the food that until just a few seconds ago was being eaten by her maids and servants.
“Ya know, why don’t I treat you once in a while? See this feast? All of these dishes were prepared by top-class cooks with all of their skills. It is a feast that you could never hope to fully eat, even if your stomach was double its size. Eat it. All of it.” (TL Note: a small line here was changed because the original description about how Tabitha can’t eat it all is dumb.)
While it might have originally looked like a luxurious meal, after the servants ripped through it all that is left now is scraps… Not something a former royal should be eating.
Seeing Tabitha not react however caused Isabella to become annoyed. Lifting her wand, she points it at Tabitha.
“Eat. That is an order.”
Without saying a words, Tabitha approaches the table and grabs a fork. Isabella grins a malicious smile at her.
“Don’t use a fork. Only royalty are allowed to use forks in the royal court. Don’t you know even that?”
Tabitha narrows her eyes slightly and reaches for the food. Grasping the remains of some meat or vegetables with her hands she begins to eat.
“What do you think? It’s delicious, isn’t it? You should be thanking me. These are high quality ingredients that you won’t ever be able to taste again in your entire life.”
With a slightly stiff expression on her face and only using her right hand Tabitha silently finishes her dish.
Once Tabitha has finished, Isabella tells her her next mission.
“Now then, this next mission… It isn’t an official mission. It is a personal mission from me so to speak. You have no reason to complain, right? Well, for you it doesn’t matter whether it is an official mission or a personal mission anyway I guess.”
Isabella orders her coldly while recrossing her legs.
“I am getting tired of eating the same kind of food everyday. I want you to fetch me a bird of paradise egg.”
The expression of the servants who are standing behind her in fear quickly changes. Instead their faces are now tinged with sympathy, seeing someone being given a harsher fate than themselves.
“… As I am sure you know a bird of paradise lays eggs twice a year. However, it is not easy to get eggs from a bird of paradise in this laying season. So normally I would have no choice but to wait for the next laying season but… I want to eat a bird of paradise egg right now. That is why I am willing to put your life on the line. Purely so I can eat delicious food that I want.”
Isabella declares all this with a satisfied look on her face.
“A bird of paradise egg! Kiyu!”
When Sylphid had been told about this mission from Tabitha she had let out a squeak of surprise. Tabitha had left the royal palace and flew on Sylphid’s back to the southwest of Gallia. The bird of paradise is a bird that lives in the Fire Dragon Mountains that tower over the horizon there… Along the mountain range that forms the border between Gallia and Romalia.
“Yes.”
Tabitha answers in her usual tone.
“There is no way you ca get one! Onee-sama, the birds of paradise built there nest where they did for that very reason. Bird of paradise make their nests in caves up high on mountains… But that is not just their home, it is also the home of fire dragons! During this season fire dragons too lay their eggs. And what do you think will happen if you went there in the midst of this season? Anything that gets even close to their nests will be charred to ash by their breath!”
Sylphid is right.
It is for this reason that the eggs are harvested during the other laying season, when the fire dragons are not nesting. At this time of year attempting to gather a bird of paradise egg is suicidal.
Isabella’s argument of forcing Tabitha to gather delicious food is nothing more than another form of harassment for her.
“Fire dragons in the midst of nesting and raising their young will show no mercy to even Sylphid or other ancient dragons! Fire dragons are those who evolved their flames rather than their intelligence… They are incomprehensible to even us wind dragons and their reliance on violence is rather straightforward! Kiyu!”
Sylphid began to yell and squeak as if she were yelling about rowdy cousins, but all Tabitha does is nod her head in response.
“Hurry up. I want to arrive by tomorrow.”
“Mou! You really do not understand just how scary fire dragons are!”
Although Tabitha could only complain, she was not about to just abandon Tabitha and run away to save her own hide… So she had no choice but to fly Tabitha to the Fire Dragon Mountains.
The Fire Dragon Mountains are a long mountain range with 6,000 meter-high mountains. However… Along these mountains is not a single glacier or snowflake.
Just as the name “Fire Dragon” suggests, the mountain is instead made up of red rocks and jet black lava stone continuing all the way up to the very top. All along the floor are flows of red-hot lava erupting everywhere, turning any fallen rain into vapour instantly. Cover the floors is a cloudy white fog and a suffocating heat.
It is as if the whole mountain range is a steam bath meant to cook all who enter.
Tabitha stands at the foot of the mountains, looking up at the top of it. Birds of paradise nest in the holes in the rock face a kilometre above from here.
However… That is also where the fire dragons live. Should she had made her way up to the peaks on Sylphid’s back she would have been spotted and attacked in no time at all. Therefore, Tabitha chose to secretly climb up the mountain from the foothills to reach the bird of paradise’s habitat.
“… Why am I being forced to climb the mountain in this form.”
A fire dragon would quickly notice Sylphid in her dragon form, so Sylphid had been forced to use her transformation spell on herself to turn into a human being. Dressed in an outfit of clothes that Tabitha had brought for her, she walks behind the silent Tabitha, grumbling as her long blue hair sways behind her.
Tabitha naturally ignores the complaints, continuing to make her way up the mountain, climbing up the rocks one by one.
Of course there is no mountain or hiking trail here. Steep cliffs and gigantic rocks one after the other stand in the way of Tabitha and Sylphid as they make their way to the peak. In order to conserve her mental strength Tabitha mainly uses her hands and feet to climb over obstacles in her way, keeping her usage of flying and levitation magic to a minimum.
Sylphid continues to grumble from behind her, following her master as best she can with her limited experience using a human body.
“That awful princess’s greed is completely outrageous! After all she put me, Sylphid, a rhyme dragon, all this trouble just for a stupid egg…”
– It took half a day to move just one kilometre, walking 15 minutes before taking a 5 minute break, meaning lots of time is wasted. Sylphid squeaks out in excitement at the sight of the bird of paradises shining azure blue in the midst of the thick water vapour clouds.
“Those feathers! Those are the feathers of a bird of paradise!”
Tabitha turns around to look at Sylphid, a finger over her lips.
“I-, I see. This also where fire dragons nest… Kiyu.”
Nodding her head nervously in understanding Sylphid began to silently follow Tabitha, who has bent her knees and is walking slowly and silently. In a cloud of steam she began to once again endure the heat as she begins her search for a bird of paradise nest.
This haze, or rather steam, is really uncomfortable. Not only that I can barely see even a few feet in front of me.”
“But, it also makes it hard for others to see us.”
Tabitha speaks to Sylphid in her usual cool voice. Looking over at her master Sylphid couldn’t believe that even she is somehow remaining calm and level headed in this scorching hell-scape.
However, even for her the elements are brutal. Her blue hair is stuck to her forehead from the sweat and steam. Her shirt is drenched in sweat and stuck to her skin, revealing clearly the shape of her slender body. Her body is also covered in dust and dirt from their climb up the mountain.
However even looking like that her cold and noble aura remains unwavering. There is no hint of fatigue in her eyes and her mouth is drawn shut, as if she were no more stressed than when she is reading a book.
Despite it being so hot and humid that merely standing is agonizingly hot and with fire dragons flying around, Tabitha doesn’t seem to be fazed at all.
“You are no ordinary girl after all, aren’t you Onee-sama? Kiyu.”
Tabitha bends down and begins to peer into the hollows of the rocks. Birds of paradise build their nests in the hollows and crevices of these rocks.
However… A bird of paradises nest is hard to find. The birds themselves are occasionally seen, but they do not build their nests in easy to find locations. Time begins to pass in vain.
Sylphid begins to fidget and become visibly nervous… There is no guarantee that a raging violent fire dragon won’t show up at any moment, ready to burn her to ash.
“… Onee-sama. Why don’t we give up for today? We can try again tomorrow. Kiyu.”
However Tabitha doesn’t respond to her familiars request. As if she were looking for a quill that had fallen under a desk, she continues to check every crevice and crack in the rock.
“There.”
However, eventually Tabitha does speak up.
“Wait, really? Are you sure?”
Sylphid runs over, looking into the gap in the rock that Tabitha is pointing at.
Inside the gap is a bowl-shaped bird of paradise nest made from pieces of chipped rock. Within a lining of animal hair are three eggs shining a lapis luzuli colour.
“Amazing! Wow you really found one! Kiyu!”
Sylphid began to overflow with happiness, her hips shaking from side to side. Whenever her emotions run high she doesn’t know how to express them in her human body, leading to strange demonstrations like this. Not even glancing a second glance at Sylphid Tabitha reaches into the hole for the egg.
However, the crevices between the rock are deep, making the nest impossible to reach. Just before Tabitha casts some magic to move the nest forward, however… The owner of the returns.
Byaabyaa! Byaabyaa!
The bird of paradise is, as its name suggests, a bird. With a wingspan of 70 centimetres and a crest of shining azure blue it is a big and beautiful bird, however currently it is acting violently and wildly, trying to dig its claws into Tabitha in an attempt to protect its eggs. While it is a brave and noble act, Tabitha’s life is now on the line… Trying to avoid having to kill it Tabitha begins to wave her staff to scare it off.
However while the bird was scared off by Tabitha’s efforts… It flies up into the sky and begins to yell out with an even higher pitched cry.
Byaa! Byaabyaabyaa!
“Seriously, you are such a noisy bird!”
Sylphid began to complain at the noisy and irritating sounds.
However Tabitha began to have an unpleasant feeling in her chest from the birds cries… And then she raises her head to look into the mist.
“Huh? Onee-sama, what is the matter? Hurry up and get those eggs so we can go back home.”
At the same moment that Sylphid mutters those words, a huge shadow appears from within the mist. Tabitha immediately waves her staff, chanting magic and pulling Sylphid away to the side. At the same time, she immediately takes cover behind a rock herself.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
A thick pillar of flame rips through the space where Tabitha and Sylphid were just a moment ago.
“A fire dragon!”
Sylphid yells out. What appears from within the mist is a large, but young fire dragon, about 15 meters long.
Its body is larger than that of a wind dragon like Sylphid, and its claws and fangs are thick and ominous in comparison to Sylphid’s.
However, the most eye catching part of it is its red scales, reminiscent of crystals of solidified flame. The fire dragon turns its body in the air and begins to move towards Tabitha and Sylphid, spreading is ferocious wings as if it were the embodiment of a raging flame.
At that moment, Tabitha jumps out from behind her rock cover.
“Onee-sama!!”
Sylphid begins to shout in a panic.
As far as Sylphid can tell, Tabitha intends to end this fight with a single blow.
The sight of the petite Tabitha facing off the gigantic and enraged fire dragon fills Sylphid with the feeling that the sight before her cannot possible be a real sight.
However the pitifully small in comparison Tabitha doesn’t show any signs of fear. With dignity and pride she holds her staff in front of her, a staff larger than herself, and begins to chant one of her most powerful spell.
Within just a few short seconds Tabitha, an expert in practical magic, completes her spell. A massive spear of ice forms from the tip of her staff.
“Javelin”.
Tabitha fires the javelin straight at the approaching fire dragon.
However, the fire dragon’s breath vaporizes the ice javelin in a mere instant.
“!”
Tabitha couldn’t hide her shock. How could such a thing and powerful javelin of ice melt and disappear in a mere instant?
Even the calm and composed Tabitha can have a weakness. Tabitha has always fought while anticipating the next moment, formulating a strategy with that, and fighting, much like battles to her are just a shogi match.
Therefore, if an unexpected situation occurs during the fight, there is a tendency to make more mistakes in your judgment. A weakness of hers purely because she is so confident in her abilities.
In this case, Tabitha had misjudged the strength of the fire dragon’s breath.
With a slightly irritated look on her face, Tabitha again begins to chant a spell.
A wall of ice appear in front of Tabitha.
“Ice Wall”.
However… Tabitha has cast an ice wall in a scorching environment on burning red rock. Sylphid, who threw herself onto the ground to protect herself, begins to yell.
“Onee-sama! It’s impossible! Run away!”
But it is already too late.
The fire dragon belches out a bright red burning breath of flame.
The ice wall is immediately engulfed in flame. Sylphid jumps out from her cover, grabbing Tabitha’s small body and pulling her away from the wall.
However, that is not the end of the attack as the fire dragon fly’s through the wall, the tail of it hitting the pair! The two of them, like nothing more than a ball of crumpled paper, and thrown clear into the air.
Before either of the pair could do anything, they slam into the ground and immediately lose consciousness.
“… Are you awake?”
Waking up, Tabitha could tell that she is in a tent, lying down on a bed of straw and covered in a blanket. Trying to lift her body up every inch of her began to ache. Looking down at her body her normally unblemished skin had been wrapped in layers of bandages.
Sylphid is sleeping next to her, still in her human form. The tent, constructed from animal hides and pliable tree branches, had been filled with items to allow one or two people to live here for a long time.
The image here recalls to mind the tents of nomads that she had once read about in a book.
However the strangest thing isn’t the tent or the bandages. It is who asked her if she was awake… A girl, seventeen or eighteen years old, looking into Tabitha’s face with concern. Her hair is tied back carelessly, and her face is smeared with mud… Her clothes are in tatters with holes and rips all over.
However, behind her pale auburn eyes rests a strong willpower. Her clothes, while dirty and reeking of a commoners life, she radiates an atmosphere peculiar to those of noble birth.
Things begin to make sense once Tabitha sees the staff in her right hand.
This is a noble.
“Did you help me?”
The girl nods.
“That is right. I watched you fight the fire dragon from behind a rock a little bit away. That was reckless, a human trying to fight a fire dragon is just…”
“How did you save me?”
“I saw you being blown away, so I hurriedly made noise to distract the dragon. Once the fire dragon went back into the sky to find the noise I snuck up on you and your friend, carrying you away with wind magic.”
It seems that the girl had used magic to lift Tabitha and Sylphid to carry them away. For her to be able to achieve such a feat before the dragon returned she must be quite the expert mage.
Shortly after Sylphid came too as well, and noticing her situation began to scream.
“Onee-sama! Fire dragon! Kiyu!!”
The girl, panicking, jumps towards Sylphid and quickly covers her mouth.
“Shhh! Please don’t make any more noise! This tent has been disguised as a rock using magic, but the fire dragon will notice we are here if you make any loud noises!”
Sylphid shaking swallows her words.
“You, what are you doing here?”
Tabitha asks the girl.
The girls name… is Lulu.
“I was born in Luchon… I was the daughter of a government official.”
Luchon is a city in western Gallia. Tabitha herself has never been to it, but she has heard that it is a pleasant city with a comfortable warm climate.
Lulu told Tabitha about her upbringing. As the daughter of a government official she knew no inconvenience, and could eat all of the delicious foods and sweets she could ever ask for…
“Because of that I became interested in “gourmet food”. I bought delicious foods from all over the world, using my own money. I even went on journeys to Romalia and Tristain just to have lunch their and try their local food. Over time though I became interested in the art of cooking itself.”
Normally aristocrats, even girls, are not seen in the kitchen. This is because the act of cooking is considered a low status work.
“If you are simply making sweets you wont get complaints, but when a noble, even a daughter, wants to seriously cook there is a lot of criticism that comes with it… That among other things led to me running away from home. As I wandered the country eating what I could I came to realize something…”
Lulu, clenching her fist, stares at the ceiling.
“Most people don’t know the taste of truly delicious food! That is the truth.”
Sylphid at the sudden loud voice biku! And jumped from her spot. Earlier Lulu had gotten angry at her for yelling since the fire dragon might notice but once she became to talk about a passionate topic she seems to have forgotten about the danger that is a fire dragon. While Lulu might look like a quiet and introverted girl… Apparently she has a fire burning within her for food.
“During my journey many people showed me kindness… Once while wandering around I was unable to find a place to sleep, and a farmer offered me a place to sleep. Another time while I was lying on the side of the road with nothing to eat and was so hungry I couldn’t move someone gave me bread to eat. I thought to myself… It is not right that those who are kind and honest should not be allowed to eat all the delicious food they want like I once could!”
Lulu clenches her fist even tighter, nodding along with every word she says.
“Gourmet food should not just exist for nobles! It should be common place, available for all to appreciate!”
Sylphid leaps towards Lulu with stars in her eyes.
“Amazing! Sylphid agrees! Kiyu kiyu!”
Lulu lowers her head though, looking embarrassed.
“… Sorry. I just get so passionate when it comes to gourmet food.”
Tabitha replies back in her usual voice.
“What are you doing here?”
With an appreciative look for listening to her story, Lulu hurriedly begins rummaging around in a pouch along the side of the ten… And then pulls out a piece of substitute meat, the same kind that Sylphid had been complaining about earlier.
“Eww! That disgusting fake meat!”
Looking and sounding even more embarrassed, Lulu looks down at the ground.
“… That’s right. This is a failure.”
“Did you create this?”
Tabitha asks, noticing the change in her tone. Lulu nods.
“… Yes. I came up with the idea. I thought hard and for a long time about what I could do to make delicious food available for even the common people, and so I created this meat substitute. Delicious food is only a privilege for the few since there is so little of it available. But if there were lots of it available, and it was as easy to get as bread, wouldn’t that make delicious food more accessible?”
Tabitha nods.
“This is a meat substitute I made using beans and alchemy. I made deals with the merchants in town and have it stocked in many store. It is not selling bad, but…”
“It doesn’t taste very good.”
Agreeing, Lulu nods with a sad look on her face.
“Well, at least the texture is like meat. But still, something is missing, something important. That is what is holding back this meaty “thing” from being actual meat.”
Sylphid, who is quite picky about her food, nods and murmurs with an agreeing expression.
“That is merely because I don’t have enough training yet.”
“Huh?”
“I need to know more about delicious foods form all over the world. That is why I am here.”
“Bird of paradise egg.”
When Tabitha said those words, Lulu began to act with a level of passion bordering on violence.
“That’s right! Is that why you are here too?”
Sylphid and Tabitha look at one another before nodding.
“Then, that means we have the same goal! Oh I want to try the bird of paradise egg so much! It is considered one of the seven delicacies of the world! Not to mention how rare it is! I’m sure it will taste even better this season than the other laying season!”
“So, because of that you are pitching a tent in a place like this?”
“Yes… I’ve been trying to get one for almost a month now, but the fire dragons are block my way and I cannot get close enough. Not to mention whenever a bird of paradise sees you it will call out to the fire dragons for help.”
Tabitha nods, remembering the bird of paradises actions from earlier.
“Those birds are smart.”
“First, we need to defeat the parent bird than.”
“… IF you do that then all the birds in the area will gather at your location. Then the fire dragons will come… If that were to happen I don’t think you will be able to get off this mountain alive.”
Tabitha nods, agreeing.
Lulu continues with a troubled face.
“Besides.. Birds of paradise mate for life. If you kill one the other will be alone forever. We need to get the egg without doing that. I cannot kill an innocent bird like that.”
“Then, what are we going to do?”
“That is what I have been thinking over…”
“… For almost a month?”
“Yes.”
Lulu nods without any hesitation.
Sylphid mutters to Tabitha in an exasperated voice.
“This girl is kind and super nice, but… She is kind of laid back?”
Even as the night drags on, however… They couldn’t come to a common consensus on what to do.
“Let’s fight the fire dragon together” Tabitha recommends, but Lulu immediately shakes her head.
“I can’t do something that terrible!”
Sylphid, too, shakes her head.
“Mou. Sorry, this little girl is really good at telling jokes. Didn’t you just witness the power of a fire dragon first hand?”
Guri guri, Sylphid began to twist Tabitha’s head with both hands.
“Fire dragons might not be very smart, but their breath is so powerful that even the most powerful fire magic doesn’t come close to it. You saw it yourself, it melted your ice in no time at all.”
Tabitha began to bite her lip. Is this frustration? To Sylphid Tabitha became so cute when she shows these childish gestures of her that she began to nibble on her neck.
“Mou! You are so cute when you show this girly childish competitive side of you! But what you are suggesting is extremely dangerous, so fighting the dragon is prohibited. I think you should think of another strategy.”
Lulu, who had been thinking with her arms folded and her head down until now, looks up.
“… How about this? One of us makes a whole lot of noise… And becomes a decoy?”
The next day, Tabitha is running around along the rugged rocks, three very angry fire dragons chasing after Tabitha and breathing fire at her.
Yesterday there had only been one… But it seems like the fire dragons living nearby had gathered around due to the commotion.
Tabitha quickly and effortlessly casts wind magic and begins to float and maneuver in the air like an acrobat, dodging the breath.
The strategy is rather simple.
While Tabitha attracts the fire dragon, Lulu grabs the eggs.
But… Even one is too much for Tabitha to handle, with three chasing after her Tabitha cannot merely run away forever with them on her tail.
Sweat began to appear on her forehead. In addition to the temperature and humidity, Tabitha herself is unusually anxious causing her to sweat more.
The fire dragons relentlessly chase after Tabitha, breathing fire hot enough to burn her to ash in a second.
(Isn’t about time for Lulu to have gotten the eggs…?)
Tabitha thinks to herself, chanting a spell she had prepared for this very occasion.
“Raguz water der winde!”
Ice particles begin to fly around, wrapping itself around her body.
Once the particles disappear, Tabitha’s appearance had suddenly disappeared. The fire dragons who had been chasing her begin to start looking around, snorting all the while.
However, no matter where they look, Tabitha cannot be found.
The fire dragons, having given up their fruitless search, return to their lairs one by one.
Once the surroundings become quiet the ground swells up, and Tabitha, now covered in mud, appears. She had used her Ice Storm spell to shroud herself, using that time to dig a hole with a wind spell and hide herself within.
As she approaches the location where Lulu and Sylphid had been collecting the eggs, still covered in mud, suddenly a scream yells out.
“KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEE!!!”
“DON’T BREATH ON ME!! DON’T ROAST SYLPHID WITH YOUR BREATH!!”
Running towards the screams, Tabitha could see an extremely large male fire dragon chasing the two of them around.
Tabitha sneaks up and approaches them, casting an Ice Storm to hide them, allowing the two of them to escape the dragon.
“This is impossible, isn’t it?”
That night, Sylphid spoke with a muddy face.
Lulu also shakes her head, a resigned look on her face.
“I guess it is no good after all… A bird of paradise egg in this season… I underestimated just how many fire dragons there are. It must be true after all, the fire dragons from all over Halkeginia gather at the fire dragon mountains to breed during this season…”
Radiating from the two of them is a growing sense of total resignation.
Meanwhile, amidst all this, Tabitha is calmly reading a book.
“Onee-sama, even though Sylphid and Lulu are thinking so hard… Why is your attitude as if it doesn’t matter?”
Tabitha holds out her book to the two of them.
“What is this? Characteristics of the dragon race and their ecology?”
Lulu reads out a passage from the page that Tabitha opens to.
“Fire dragons mainly attack and eat animals such as cows and horses. Whenever they do so, they like to bury and roast the food in the heated ground of the fire dragon mountains.”
“Huh, even though they are dragons they like yakiniku.”
Tabitha then speaks quietly.
“Prepare a large amount of this.”
“Ehhhh? How? Do you expect me to catch a whole bunch of cows and horses? That is impossible!”
Tabitha responds back to Lulu, who has begun to panic.
“You make it.”
“… Eh?”
Lulu’s mouth drops open.
“You use magic to create a large amount of the fire dragons favourite food and use that to attract it. I take advantage of that opportunity to grab the eggs.”
“A small amount wont fool a fire dragon!! And there is no way I can make enough to trick them!!”
“Still, try.”
Tabitha says, calmly.
The next morning… Tabitha and the rest of the trio head down to the village at the foot of the mountain, re-pitch their tent, and begin making the magically created meat.
The trick to creating this meat substitute is the usage of alchemy.
A peculiar characteristic of alchemy is that the closer the material is to the desired output, the less effort is required to make it and the better the final product.
As an example, to create steel iron is the easiest material to work with is iron.
A few things more as well to note.
The more you know about what you want to alchemize, the closer you can get to actually creating it.
It also depends on the casters taste and rank to some degree… But the most important aspect is knowledge on the intended result, and the ability to accurately visualize what you want to make.
“The key is passion for the result.”
While saying this Lulu thrusts her staff at a piece of meat, straw, and dirt that had been placed in front of her.
An earth element spell begins to come from her lips. Surrounded now in a pale light… The straw and soil begin to change before the groups eyes.
“Ohhh, it’s meat!”
Sylphid began to squeak and jump in joy. But then she takes a bite and spits it out.
“Peh! What is this! It looks like meat, but it doesn’t taste good at all! It is impossible to fool a fire dragon with something like this!”
Lulu began to slump her shoulders. After saying that however Sylphid quickly realizes what she just said and began to try and comfort Lulu.
“I-I’m sorry.. I said that after you went through all that trouble to make this for me…”
Later that day in the evening… Lulu is absentmindedly holding her knees to her chest while staring out at the distant scenery. At the foot of the fire dragon mountains, a wasteland spreads out before her… And beyond that lava is a beautiful green grassland spreading out.
The fire dragon mountains themselves are a barren land with not even weeds growing, but the mountainside and surrounding area itself contains plenty of nutrients for plants to grow. Toxic components from the wasteland are filtered out leading to a beautiful grassland.
The village at the foot of the mountain range is one of the many mining villages along the fire dragon mountains. During this time when the fire dragons are nesting however the mines are temporarily closed.
The drunken miners began to laugh at the nobles who had pitched their tents on the outskirts of the village. They must be thinking them to be lunatics to be trying to enter the mountain range this time of the year.
Letting out a sight for the umpteeth time, Lulu notices someone behind her. Turning around there is the blue-haired Tabitha standing there, staring at her with her cold eyes.
“Tabitha-san.”
Tabitha remains silent, and sits down next to her.
“… Why can’t I make meat that tastes like the real thing? Maybe I don’t have any talent for this?”
Lulu spoke in a tired and defeated voice. Tabitha looks at her, deep in though for a moment, but then.. As if having trouble saying these words, responds back.
“… That is just how alchemy works. It is difficult to make something exactly the same as the original. Even a square earth mage will have impurities in the result. For practical purposes that isn’t a problem, so there is no concern with that fact. However…”
“However?”
“When it comes to food that isn’t true. People’s sense of taste can pick up subtle differences, no matter how slight it might be. That is why it is difficult to alchemize food.”
As if in agreement, Lulu sighs.
“Magic certainly is powerful, but… It is truly no match for food prepared by a skilled cook. I might as well give up now…”
Responding back with a cold voice to Lulu tired voice, Tabitha looks at her with her equally cold eyes.
“In that case, we should go back down the mountain and leave.”
Lulu responds to Tabitha, who has stood up and started walking away.
“By the way, I never did ask you. Why did you two come here for a bird of paradise egg?”
Tabitha doesn’t answer.
Instead she just stares at Lulu with her cold eyes. Within them Lulu could make out an indescribable will and reason behind them, and falls silent.
However as Tabitha continues to walk away, Lulu chases after her.
“Wait! Wait Tabitha-san! I think you might be able to answer me! Surely a mage as good as you will know the answer! Someone like you, a mage not even afraid of a fire dragon! Why can’t my alchemy beat real cooking? Why?”
Tabitha answers her with her back still turned.
“Because to you this isn’t a real problem you want to solve. The key to magic is the strength of ones mind. And the strength of your mind is determined by how badly you seek the end result. Gourmet food is not an absolute necessity for you. You have never truly experienced hunger before yourself, what it means to have “no food”. It is for that reason that you yourself cannot make the real food that you seek.”
At Tabitha’s words Lulu looks down in embarrassment
“You may be right, Tabitha-san. I… I actually haven’t even truly run away from home. My family still sends me all the money I might need. While there may have been times where I have had to beg for food… That was only ever for a single night, until the next time money arrived. Maybe it is just presumptuous for me to “make meat for those who cannot make meat themselves”.”
However Tabitha’s steps do not stop. And so, Lulu asks her another question.
“But, then what am I supposed to do! It is not my fault that I was born into a noble family! And it is also true that regardless of that fact I want to help those in need! Please, just tell me what I need to do!”
Tabitha doesn’t answer her.
And in responds Lulu collapses to her knees on the ground, her head hanging low in dismay and defeat.
Sylphid upon seeing Tabitha packing her things back at the camp became confused.
“Onee-sama, what’s wrong?”
“we will do this mission the right way.”
At this Sylphid’s face turns blue. This was the last thing she had wanted to hear.
“What are you talking about? Lulu is going to make the meat and use it to trick the dragons…”
Tabitha shakes her head.
“Impossible.”
At this Sylphid falls to her knees in the tent, as if her whole body just lost all of its strength.
“… Father and mother. Please forgive me for the misfortune and disgrace that will soon precede me. Illococoo will soon die at the hands of a lowly fire dragon who lacks the wisdom to even speak… Kiyu.”
Even if Tabitha were to launch a proper attack at full strength there was no chance of her winning should she just charge straight at the dragon.
And thus the strategy that Tabitha chose itself is just as outrageous as the thought of fighting a fire dragon.
“I knew you would have a plan which, admittedly, was a slight relief… But this is even more dangerous than the straight forward attack you talked about earlier. Kiyu.”
The appearance of Sylphid complaining is nothing new. However… This time is different. Bright red scales adorn her body, and long fangs protrude from her mouth…
“To turn me, Sylphid, into a fire dragon… What a horrible person you are!”
Sylphid, who had used her transformation spell to turn herself into a fire dragon, began to scream and squeak in protest.
During the nesting period, it is mainly the male fire dragons who act violently and feisty to win the females favour.
Therefore, Tabitha came to the conclusion that if Sylphid, disguised as a female fire dragon, were to walk around… The males would willingly approach her.
However Sylphid had never transformed herself into a fire dragon, and had a hard time doing so. For the past three days Sylphid had been forced to undergo a special training regiment to perfect her transformation into a fire dragon.
After repeatedly watching fire dragons from behind a nearby rock and undergoing the transformation, eventually Sylphid reached a level that was satisfactory for Tabitha.
“Now then, let me ask you something important.”
“what?”
“So Sylphid does her best and attracts the nearby fire dragons. During that Onee-sama retrieves the egg. After that what is Sylphid supposed to do?”
Tabitha pats Sylphid’s leg.
“I leave that to you.”
A long and quiet moment passes between master and servant. Sylphid finally turns her head, looking off into the distance solemnly,
“Onee-sama, sometimes Sylphid has the urge to return to the wild. Yes, for example, like right now. If I were to bite and swallow you right now, not only would I feel a little bit better but you might feel just a little bit of the despair I feel right now. Kiyu.”
Tabitha completely ignores Sylphid’s words and approaches the bird of paradise nest. Like a predestined event, byaabyaa! And out cries the angry squawks of a bird of paradise.
And attracted by that cry… A fire dragon appears just like all the previous times.
Sylphid takes a deep breath and begins to walk slowly with a relaxed gait. Stretching her neck, looking up, and walks elegantly on her toes, occasionally opening up her wings slowly before folding them back. This is Sylphid’s best flirtatious act that she can muster.
Attracted by that cry comes a young male fire dragon, and as soon as he notices Sylphid… He approaches her.
His nose flaring open once he draws near he begins to sniff Sylphid’s neck enthusiastically.
Sylphid shudders as she feels the dragons hot breath on her neck.
“Kiyu… Kiyu… Kiyu kiyu…”
Sylphid became so frightened by this that a small squeak involuntarily escapes from her mouth… However it would seem that the male dragon is rather fond of her cute sounds. It began a courtship dance, spreading out its wings and circling Sylphid, bouncing up and down as if to show off his size. To the wise Sylphid, whose race would never do such an embarrassing act, this entire dance looks unbelievably foolish.
Sylphid almost began to laugh involuntarily, but she manages to bite her tongue. If her true identity were to be revealed here… She would be reduced to ash in no time.
– Shortly after the first one a second lands, then a third. One after the other they join in on the courtship dance, causing Sylphid to shudder and look at Tabitha. Thanks to the deep mist the fire dragons couldn’t see her but Sylphid began to pray that the plan was going well on her end.
Tabitha on her end took aim at two eggs in a nest. Above her head the parent bird, about to lose their eggs, continues to scream at her.
Kneeling down on the ground to look into the nest, Tabitha chants a telekinesis spell and picks up the two eggs to take them out of the crevice.
Byaabyaa! Byaabyaa!
The bird of paradise takes to the sky, screaming even louder than before, becoming desperate for any help.
Grabbing the eggs and place them into a basket, she is about to go down the mountain when…
An incredibly thick breath of fire flies towards Tabitha.
BUOOOOOOOOOOO!!
“!”
Tabitha immediately throws herself to the side, still holding onto the basket. Just in case something like this were to happen she had cast “fly” on herself earlier.
The ground melts into a ling line of boiling lava under the hot breath, a temperature far more terrifying than one could possibly imagine.
Turning around… A huge fire dragon, 18 meters long, is looking down at Tabitha.
Its head does not have the crest that male dragons have.
The colour of its scales are darker than a males, resembling a scorched flame.
It is an old female fire dragon.
It must have responded to the female bird of paradise cry without being distracted by Sylphid’s act.
The huge fire dragon lets out a cray, as if the anger of the bird of paradises whose egg had been taken away had just been transferred to her.
BYAAAAA!
Although the fire dragons is much louder, its cry is similar to that of a bird of paradise. The bird of paradise must have evolved, and learned to protect its young by imitating the cries of female fire dragons.
The female dragon swing her body to the side, swinging her large tail at Tabitha. All along the tail are rugged protrusions with a large knob at the end making it resemble a hammer.
Using fly Tabitha is just barely able to float into the air and avoid the attack.
Behind that swing was enough force that when the bump at the end of the tail slams into a rock sticking out of the ground it bursts into pieces.
And while the tail itself missed her, some of those fragments slam into Tabitha.
One of the larger pieces crashes into Tabitha’s back, causing her midair to writhe in agony.
That alone is enough to cause Tabitha to plummet from the air, slamming into the ground.
The pain screaming from her back was enough to make her think that her back had been split open, but even still Tabitha holds onto the basket of eggs under her arm. She would protect her goal even if it meant using her body as a cushion.
Tabitha manages to stagger to her feet.
The female dragon looks down at Tabitha.
This old female fire dragon was easily at last three time the size of Sylphid.
The female fire dragon roars at Tabitha, her huge red-scaled body trembling in anger.
BYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
This roar itself is enough to scare the average human or animal to death.
The size difference between Tabitha and the dragon is like comparing a wolf and a mouse. However the dragon doesn’t seem to have any intention of eating this little mouse.
The dragon instead looks up the sky and roars again.
Flames begin to overflow from her mouth.
Even with just the overflow the air itself around her looks to be burning.
The heat of such a flame is not capable of even being comprehended.
Tabitha could only stare at the flames and size of the dragon in horror. No matter how skilled a mage is, there is simply a limit, a wall that cannot be overcome… And this dragon is both of those.
However even as the heat began to encroach onto Tabitha and singe her skin, she readies the staff in her right hand.
Suppress your fear with the anger hidden deep within your heart.
Wrap and snuff out that fiery fear with your frozen anger.
Tabitha begins to chant a spell.
“Raguzu isa wateru…”
At the tip of Tabitha’s staff, a thick and massive spear of ice begins to swell and form.
The female fire dragon opens her mouth wide and begins to breath out a breath capable of melting rocks, all in order to burn an arrogant mouse to ash.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
At the same time, Tabitha launches her javelin at the breath.
The breath attack and the javelin of ice impact each other in a violent explosion in the air.
BWAA!
The ice spear melts entirely due to the enormous amount of heat in that breath.
The breath of flame as well is cooled by the ice javelin and burns itself out.
In terms of time… This entire interaction only lasts a mere moment.
And once the heavy steamy fog clears… The sight before the female dragon truly surprises her down to her core.
Standing in front of her is still that human figure, not dead but instead confronting her with her staff at the ready.
“……”
The female dragon cannot believe that there is a creature on this planet capable of receiving her breath and surviving.
Gugurururururu….
A startled groan escapes from the back of her throat.
She tries to breath out again, but… An unknown emotion, never felt before, begins to swell from within her.
(What if my breath is blocked again by this human?)
(If that happens again… How could I behave as one who reigns as queen over the planet?)
(No, not only cannot I promise to be able to protect others… I myself might be hunted.)
(What if I were to be hunted by those disgusting humans like I hunt wild horses and cows?)
The female dragon simply cannot comprehend this new emotion born within her heart.
This is the first time this fire dragon, who had lived for over one hundred years, has felt fear.
She cannot bear the emotion that is fear.
Once again, she looks down at the mouse blue-haired girl standing before her.
Behind her sapphire blue eyes are no emotion.
The dragon began to get chills from the cold air stinging her scales as she stares into those icy cold eyes and the determination and will behind them.
(This human… Will not back down.)
This is the fire dragons true thoughts.
All the while… The cold air wraps around her scales, much like her flames wrap around her prey, stinging and hurting her.
The female dragon begins to shake her head in fear and groan, uguru… guru… A groan of frustration, confusion, and fear.
Then spreading her wings and flying into the sky… It disappears.
With the fire dragon gone… Tabitha falls to her knees in agony. Even still, she has the basket safe.
She had noticed that her knees had been shaking the entire time.
If… If that dragon were to breath on her again, there was no way to avoid it. Tabitha had expelled every single ounce of her mental strike in that one javelin attack. She would have no way to counter another attack. Her body, both mentally and physically, are exhausted.
Tabitha instinctively closes her eyes and hugs her shoulders. At no other moment in her life has she ever loved her own existence and body than in that moment when her life flashed before her eyes.
Perhaps that fire dragons attack hadn’t been blocked and her past self had been burned to a crisp by that fire dragons breath, leaving the old Tabitha behind.
In that moment her body became filled with relief that her life hadn’t been extinguished, and for just a moment Tabitha began to act like a girl of her age instead of her usual self.
But she couldn’t stop here. This only lasts a mere moment.
Shortly after she could hear Sylphid’s screams.
“ONEEEEEE-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAA!! PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! THESE GUYS ARE SO PERSISTENTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT! KIYU!!”
Turning around there is Sylphid, still disguised as a fire dragon, running towards her.
And now there is a hoard of male fire dragons running after her behind her.
A gloomy feeling of despair begins to spread within Tabitha.
Tabitha doesn’t have the mental strength left to cast a single spell.
“ONEE-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”
But even still, Tabitha readies her staff. She cannot abandon her familiar, her pride as a mage is on the line.
A group of fire dragons is charging towards her with Sylphid in the lead.
Then…
The ground before Tabitha begins to glow pale and white.
“?”
Before she could turn her head to look away the pale light disappears… And the air that had once been full of the scent of sulphur is not filled with an indescribably delicious scent.
And the fire dragons, too, have noticed this change.
They had previously been chasing after Sylphid all over the place, but one by one they begin to stop and their nose begins to twitch in the air.
Byao, byaobyao.
One by one their animalistic sense realize that the source of the scent is underground and they begin to burrow their nose into the ground.
Byao!
One of them lets out a cry of joy, digging his snout deeper and deeper into the ground until he grabs the object causing this smell.
Tabitha then mutters in a stunned voice.
“… Meat?”
And as the scent would imply, this meat has been grilled to perfection.
Meat juices with an appetizing aroma begin to overflow from the fire dragons mouth and drip onto the ground as it holds the meat in its mouth.
The other fire dragons begin to swarm around the area, digging for the meat under their feet one after another.
Suddenly the area begin to erupt with growls of joy at the delicious feast that had suddenly appeared beneath the dragons feet.
Sylphid, finally freed from the entourage of male fire dragons tilts her head at the scene.
“What just happened?”
Amidst the mist, Tabitha notices a figure.
Lulu, holding her staff out and breathing heavily.
“I… I did not eat for three days straight.”
Lulu spoke while on Sylphid’s back and heading back towards Lutèce. In the basket in her hand is a shining bird of paradise egg, which Tabitha had shared with her.
“For three days!! Three days!? I can’t believe it!!”
Sylphid began to cry out. Tabitha had already lied to Lulu about Sylphid’s true identity as a gargoyle.
Tabitha says nothing and instead stares at Lulu. Three days of fasting had changed the appearance of this once noble girl. Even during her fast, she must have continued chanting spells and practising her alchemy. Her cheeks have become sunken, and there are blue and black circles under her eyes.
But even despite this drastic change, Lulu still speaks in her usual lively voice.
“But thanks to you… I was able to learn how to feel earnest towards food. This is the first time in my life that I have truly wanted to eat meat. I was truly craving it.”
At these words Lulu began to smile.
“This is all thanks to Tabitha-san. I won’t neglect these eggs… I am sure I will be able to recreate their taste.”
“But since you went through all that trouble, I bet that these eggs will taste delicious! Kiyu! Such a delicious taste is wasted on that stupid princess! Kiyu kiyu!”
At Sylphid’s words, Lulu tilts her head.
“Princess?”
Tabitha without saying a words pokes Sylphid in the head with her staff.
“Ouch! Don’t worry about it! Kiyu!”
After that commotion Lulu stares at the egg in her basket…
“Would you like to eat it?”
Tabitha asks.
“Ehhh, that is part of your training Lulu-san, right?”
“It is training but it is just eating. Since I am just recreating the taste one bite is all I need I suppose.”
After saying that Lulu pulls out her egg and chants a spell. The air around the egg begins to heat up, and the surface of the egg which is an azure blue turns into an earth colour.
“It doesn’t look very tasty, does it?”
“The taste of food has nothing to do with its shape or colour.”
Peeling the shell of the steamed egg reveals a juicy white flesh. Shortly after peeling the shell a delicious smell fills the air around the girls.
“So this is the egg of the elusive bird of paradise in the most dangerous of the nesting seasons… Kiyu.”
The two girls and Sylphid happily cut the egg into three pieces and begin to eat it. This egg required all three parties to work hard, even putting their lives on the line to acquire. Surely it must be an exquisite taste that one could only dream of trying.
“…….”
“…….”
There is silence for a moment.
“… Umm, I guess the cooking method must have been wrong?”
Lulu mutters in a sad voice.
“That isn’t right. Simple cooking methods bring out the flavor of the materials to its fullest. Eggs in this season… It seems just aren’t suitable for eating.”
“I see… The elusive taste we were after was just an illusive taste after all.”
Tabitha however cut them both off with one word.
“Disgusting.”
Lulu and Sylphid both begin to laugh at this.
“Getting to see the disappointed face of that selfish princess is going to make this all worth it!”
At this Sylphid began to squeal happily.
Silvered Tongue Reborn 