Published: September 10, 2025
※2016/5/12 Typographical errors corrected.
※This time, the perspective is not from Satou.
"Damn it, after all this walking, not a single dragon scale..."
"Even the Demon King can't inflict a single wound on the ancient dragon, huh."
The knights in travel gear exchanged words.
The group dispatched from a country in the southern part of the ancient dragon continent for investigation numbered 50, including knights. All were mounted on highly mobile running birds.
"Hey! Hurry over here!"
Beyond the wasteland, one of the scouts was waving his hand vigorously.
The four who went together were captivated by the ridge on the other side and didn’t turn back.
"T-this is..."
"I can't believe it."
The young captain snatched the distant viewing tube from one of the scouts and stared intently at the scene before him.
The red-haired female vice-captain beside him peered into the distant viewing tube she had obtained in the same manner.
"Beyond the wasteland lies fertile land."
"That's not the surprising part. Look over there! The city is intact!"
"Impossible. I clearly saw the capital city of the Katahira Kingdom burned down by the Demon King’s army. More than half of the city walls were shattered by the huge magical beasts of the Demon King’s forces."
Unlike the wasteland so far, in front of the investigation team lay a city filled with lush greenery and neatly aligned houses, indicating habitation.
"We can't tell anything from here. Let's head to the city."
"B-but, it might be a demon race trap."
"Then have the summoner call a messenger swift bird and send the report."
Having finished ordering his subordinates, the captain whipped his running bird and set off.
"Scout team! Move ahead of the captain! Don’t miss any dangers!"
"““Understood!””"
At the vice-captain’s orders, the scouts hurriedly mounted their running birds.
Being lightly equipped, they would likely soon overtake the captain and enter the city first.
The vice-captain led the following units and quietly directed the line towards the mysterious city.
â—‡
"—Is no one living here?"
Though the houses all looked livable, not a single person was around.
There were built-in furnishings, but no signs of daily life such as dishes or food.
Unbelievably, every house was equipped with complete water supply and sewage systems.
"Captain, the central castle’s doors are also wide open."
"I see. The gates of the outer walls also opened automatically when we touched them."
"Are we being invited in?"
"I don’t know."
While feeling uneasy, the captain and his team did not stop their exploration or retreat.
After wandering the wasteland for nearly two months, they finally arrived at the ruins of the city—or rather, a city filled with vacant houses that looked almost new—and they could not just leave it be.
"But these buildings are strange. I’ve never seen buildings like these before."
"Yeah, they seem weak against earthquakes."
In the ancient dragon continent, which had many volcanoes, stone buildings in the style of the Shiga Kingdom were rare.
Though houses and mansions built by construction magic were much more earthquake-resistant than they appeared, only the later arrivals had appraisal skills capable of detecting that at first glance.
Having entered the central castle, they dismounted their running birds and soaked their hands in the fountain in the front yard.
Seeing the running birds dipping their heads to drink water, they judged it safe.
"Seems safe. Let’s drink too."
"Yay! It’s been half a month since I drank such clear water."
"Tastes great, no gritty feeling at all."
Unlike the captain, who had access to drinks created by water magic, the other soldiers had been filtering and drinking muddy water. They eagerly plunged their heads into the fountain water to drink.
The later-arriving units, seeing their comrades dipping into the fountain, lost themselves and rushed over, only to be scolded by the vice-captain.
"So, does that mean it might exist?"
"Yeah, the outer gate opened automatically, and the fountain is working. There’s a possibility."