That man was always half right, half wrong.

That’s twice as bad as being entirely wrong.

Zombie Powder.

It was a drug used by those who put their faith into what was called Voodoo back on Earth.

Made with a combination of several toxins, it was a drug that could induce a dead-like state in humans if enough was ingested due to the Fugu’s tetrodotoxin within it. I’d owned some myself in my previous life. I didn’t actually use it though, of course.

On Earth, it was simply just a poison. Depending on the amount used, it truly could induce a state similar to death, luckily—no, perhaps unluckily? That same process would lead to one’s frontal lobe being destroyed, resulting in a zombie-like state. That was all.

[In other words, it prolongs one’s life by breathing the tree of life into a body that’s reached a dead-like state, is that it?]

[… Probably so.]

Once I’d compiled the information I got from the elf that had guided us, that’s what it seemed to be.

[Is it impossible to breath the tree of life into someone who hasn’t taken this medicine?]

[Without first taking the medicine, it is not possible.]

It had likely already been tried.

[So to put it simply, it destroys one’s foundation of life… what we call the soul?]

The elf stared at me in puzzlement as I said that.

According to what he said, not even he understood the theory or principles behind it. He just comprehended that that was what worked through sheer experience.

[Soul? Livestock have souls?]

It wasn’t contempt, but genuine doubt.

As elves themselves were long-lived, they had no reason to use Zombie Powder on themselves.

It appeared to be something meant for use on goats or cows—livestock.

And although they weren’t actually livestock, humans were in the same category as far as the elves were concerned.

It could be thought of as cruel treatment, but it wasn’t too great of a difference compared to what the humans on Earth did.

Even favorite pets like dogs or cats that humans treated practically the same as other humans would be sterilized through surgery. Neutered males were said to gain a more calm personality, while spayed females would go out of their way to avoid the act of conception. Having the surgery done was even considered a natural thing to do since the culture around it said that it would cause the owners to be even more so the target of the pet’s affections.

From human society’s point of view, it was a justifiable reason. The animals themselves may have had a different opinion on the matter, though.

And in this world, the person I love is on the animal side.

[Thank you. I will try asking Eldest-san for another method.]

He said that he knew of several methods.

It other words, this shouldn’t be the only one.

And besides, I concerned about Nina.

Bidding farewell to the elf that led us here, we decided to return to Eldest’s cave.

Walking through the forest, I suddenly heard something.

It sounded like two hard things. .h.i.tting each other. However, I couldn’t imagine hearing something like that in a forest where there’s nothing but trees, leaves, and gra.s.s.

Continuing to advance after thinking I’d imagined it, I heard the noise even louder than before.

I looked around to see where it came from since it sounded like it was close, but I couldn’t find it.

“Mentor, is something wrong?”

“No, but have you heard any strange noises?”

“Strange noises…? Not really.”

Ai looked confused after seeing me, but neither she nor Darg seemed to hear it.

A fist-sized rock struck against my t.i.tled head, making a sound.

[Ah, whoops.]

When I looked towards where the rock came from, I saw Ultramarine looking at me with an expression that seemed to say, “I’ve done it now…”

So that’s what was making the noise?

[Y-you finally noticed, lizard!?]

It seems like she’d been trying to catch my attention by throwing stones at me. My scales were too hard, though, so I didn’t feel anything from the small pebble. Not even that larger rock from a moment ago made me feel any pain, I only felt that I’d been hit by something.

[—san!]

When I turned to glance at Ultramarine, she added the honorific in a panic.

[What is it?]

[Are you all trying to go to Eldest’s place?]

Now that she mentions it, she was trying to keep us from going there last time.

Is she planning on forcing us to stop now that Nina’s not with us?

[That’s our intention, can we not?]

Raising my head up and looking at her, I looked at her with a simple threat.

It was the kind of stance I took back then with Darg.

It was obvious that I’d managed to frighten her more than intended.

[Are you going… to save Dropout?]

But despite her trembling, Ultramarine asked me something unexpected.

[Save her? Is Nina in a situation she needs saving from?]

[Idiot! Who would use someone’s name as sprightly as that!? Call her Dropout!]

Ultramarine criticized me with an angry look.

She didn’t say it with contempt or disdain, it was more like anxiety and concern.

[What do you mean by dropout?]

I had regarded the term as something to use in derision, but judging by Ultramarine’s att.i.tude, it doesn’t seem to have that meaning.

[What do you mean what does it mean? It’s as I said.]

Ultramarine frowned, puzzled.

[The one whose flowers drop and whose leaves fall out. The princess’ task is to be us forest people’s cornerstone.]

It was just as I began to think that I had no idea what she meant…

[If you don’t do something, she’ll be turned into a tree.]

[… What!?]

What crossed my mind in that instant was the method of prolonging life by breathing in the tree of life. And then that huge tree.

[No way, that tree the Eldest lives in…]

[Yeah. It’s become very old, so they have to change it soon.]

No way, were all of the house-trees they lived in here previously elves?

By the time I realized what I was doing, I was already running to the giant tree the Eldest lived in.

“Eldest!”

“You came to ask about another life prolongation method… at least you had, at first.”

The conversation from a moment ago would be known to Eldest due to the surrounding forest trees. It appeared that Ultramarine throwing those stones at me was originally in an attempt to induce me out of the forest. It’s unfortunate, but that didn’t go well.

“Please return Nina.”

“Speak of something else. The princess is not yours.”

It was a sound argument, but I couldn’t back down.

“She is someone important to me, I don’t want her to become a tree.”

“She’s important to us as well, it goes without saying. Still, it is necessary so that our clan may continue.”

I’ll just destroy it then—is something I very much couldn’t say.

Sacrificing a piece for the whole is not wrong as a survival strategy.

It just so happened that that piece was my friend.

I couldn’t destroy them for the sake of my own ego.

“In that case… I’ll protect you.”

However.

I couldn’t fail Nina anymore.

“I’ll defend you all, help me cooperate with you. There must be some other way than sacrificing Nina.”

Eldest drew his brows together in regret.

“I am thankful for your feelings, oh dragon child. But that is not possible. Be it as it may that you are a fire dragon, you are still too young. With your small body, you couldn’t be even a century old. Far from defending us, you likely wouldn’t even be able to defeat us.”

Understandable.

I didn’t want to admit it, though.

“Well then, this will be easy.”

The one to break into our conversation was Darg.

“How about you and us have a fight?”

“Mortal, it is surprising enough you could learn how to speak. Let alone the dragon, you wouldn’t even make it a fight for us.”

He was neither mocking him nor was he being careless.

Sure, there were no humans that could fight an elf.

“Try me.”

Darg laughed fearlessly, his fist held up. He didn’t even wield his crag blade.

[… This one is the company of the dragon we owe. Do not kill him.]

An elf stepped forward when Eldest said that.

At the same time, countless tree roots sp.a.w.ned from the ground and tied themselves around Darg’s limbs.

Elves were all natural-born magi. Humans weren’t a match for them.

—However, that was only if the human wasn’t a magus.

“You’re someone we’re talking about protecting. I won’t kill you.”

Darg threw the words back. He tore off the roots that bound him and sunk his fist into the elf’s stomach, moving almost fast enough to make my eyes lose him.

“Now then, who’s next?”

Darg smiled wildly, like a tiger.

“Hey you, let’s take this outside.”

“Unnecessary, we’re already outside.”

Our surroundings turning into an empty lot as he spoke,

I realized that I’d made a mistake in picking a fight against him.

“… Sure then, why not. If that’s what you want, I will admit that you all are strong enough if you can defeat my three elites. This place is too confined, though.”

Saying that, Eldest led the three of us outside.

Swinging his hand after we moved outside, the surrounding trees began to rusle, moving away as though they had minds of their own and quickly left behind an open area. He manipulated the trees even more skillfully than Nina and didn’t even need an incantation to do it.

[Are you sure you want to move your weapons so far away?]

[It won’t be a problem. Evergreen, go play with him.]

[Yo, Pipsqueak. You’re planning on going against me head on with a body like that?]

He was small compared to Darg’s more than two meter tall muscular body.

[Do you know why Eldest said that it wouldn’t be a problem, despite moving the trees away?]

[Because it won’t change how you’re about to lose?]

Darg responded to the elf’s question in jest.

[Nah—]

With a sound similar to crackling bones, Evergreen’s physique swelled up.

A number of muscles on his arms turned into thick, reddish-brown branches. Scale-like bark covered his body as it turned into a thick trunk.

[—it’s because we ourselves are the forest, Pipsqueak.]

He was around ten meters tall.

Having turned into a large tree, Evergreen literally looked down on Darg as he shook his leaves.

[Heh.]

Looking up at him, Darg responded noncommittally, seemingly uninterested.

[Try not to die, alright?]

The giant tree’s branch rose, then slammed down on Darg.

Like that, he stood and allowed himself to be crushed.

“Darg-san…!”

Ai called out from my side.

[I wonder…]

However, we heard his usual banter come from beneath the shade of the elf’s leaves.

[This tree’s your body, yeah? If I wrecked it, would you die?]

[Nah. It’s just a temporary vessel. No need to worry about it.]

After answering, a crack began to travel along Evergreen’s body.

[Sounds great.]

Darg spoke as the giant tree continued splitting in half.

[It’d suck if you wound up dying from that.]

[Admirable…!]

Appearing from within the ruined tree, he fell to his knees.

[You still good for more?]

Hearing Darg’s question, Evergreen refused with a bitter smile.

[C’mon, who’s next? May as well send both of them, doesn’t matter to me.]

[Violet. You go next.]

Ignoring Darg, Eldest sent the next opponent forward.

This time, it was a pet.i.te elf.

[I will be your opponent.]

The elf named Violet spoke politely, holding her left hand out in front of her.

Following that, her body was covered in thorns in the blink of an eye, further turning into a s.h.i.+eld and armor. From her hands grew the stem of a long rose she used to point at Darg with like a sword.

[I see, Violet, eh?]

Understanding, Darg nodded.

Violet roses appeared here and there amongst the thorns that made up her armor.

I thought that Evergreen and Violet were simply unusual names, but now I see that it’s referring to the magic they use. It should be the same with Ultramarine, she should have some leaf or flower colored ultramarine.

But a.s.suming that’s the case, what about Nina?

Ultramarine called her Dropout… the one whose flowers drop and whose leaves fall out, if I recall?

But Nina can’t make dead trees move?

Even as I was thinking about that, Darg and Violet’s duel had begun.

[Tch…!]

Darg drew back and clicked his tongue. Fresh blood was dripping all along the area from his fist to his chest.

[Harder than it looks, seriously.]

Not even Darg’s attack would break the thorn armor that easily.

The thorns pierced his fists when he went to attack with them, so Violet was able to continue flicking away his attacks with her weapon, keeping him at bay.

[It will be dangerous if you continue bleeding. Please, resign.]

Violet pointed her weapon at Darg.

The only kind of magic Darg could use was strengthening magic.

If he were able to summon fire or snowstorms like me and I, it would have been easy to win against Violet.

He might not have bled so much if he had his crag blade, at least.

But that wasn’t the reason he was driven so far into a corner.

[How sweet of you. Guess I should apologize before this, then.]

Hearing Darg say that dismissively, Violet c.o.c.ked her head to the side.

“I am quick. I am solid. I—”

It was an amazingly simple incantation.

Darg could only use magic that strengthened him.

That much was certain.

“—am STRONG!”

By by no means did that mean he was weak.

The single attack Darg used wasn’t a closed fist, but a fully stretched palm.

Sounding like a truck ran into her, Violet’s body—armor and all—got blasted back.

Continuing for a ways, she eventually crashed into a tree trunk at the edge of the of the open area and fell, unmoving.

[She didn’t die, right?]

Blood dripping from his palm, Darg grumbled.

[… I… surrender…]

Seeing Violet somehow manage to raise herself back up, Darg clapped his chest in relief.

“Bro would’ve beat me half to death if I killed a woman.”

Well, looks like Darg’s much better at not treating women as objects… I think?

He probably would have won a lot easier if it weren’t for his agreement with me.

[Send over the last one. Let’s hurry up and get this done with.]

“I’ll go.”

Darg quickly paled upon seeing who stepped forward with a cold voice.

The third person was even smaller than the pet.i.te Violet.

Hair pinned up and s.h.i.+ning gold due to the sun’s light making its way through the trees, her eyes were as clear a blue as a sacred spring’s water. She looked innocent, but not in a childish way. Her refres.h.i.+ng expression was filled with composure, with dignity.

She had a mysterious beauty, like some mythical G.o.ddess. Looking at her, I feel relaxed, my anxiety calming down—like I’d been living with her for decades.

“… Hey. Can I surrender?”

“No.”

To be more precise, it was Nina.

Swords, spears, axes, hammers, scythes.

Various sorts of weapons made from wood lined up before Darg and threw themselves together at him all at once.

“Wait—I said wait! Please wait, Sis!”

Even though Darg was able to avoid the first, break the second, catch the third, deflect the fourth, and endure the fifth, they wooden weapons Nina continued to launch at him were never ending. Having to face that overwhelming a.s.sault head on, Darg wasn’t able to keep up and was pushed back.

“Ridiculous…”

Saying that, Darg fell to the ground.

I agree with him.

The one who remains after the leaves drop from their branches, after the flowers fall out.

The seed.

In other words, Nina’s ability—[Dropout]—was to freely birth and grow plants.

I see, that’s definitely a fitting power for one called a princess.

I’m not sure whether she has that power because she’s a princess or she’s a princess because she has that power, though.

Either way, I can’t figure out why she’s opposing us.

“I guess I’m misunderstanding something though.”

Nina looked at me with cold eyes and spoke.

“Coming back to this forest, that was my decision. Don’t b.u.t.t in.”

“That’s a lie.”

Unexpectedly, Nina was bad at lying.

She can’t forget where she grew up due to her amazing memory and her uneasy expression is saying that she didn’t return out of actually wanting to. Even I can understand that much.

“You’re pus.h.i.+ng yourself for Nina’s sake, aren’t you?”

“… I’m not pus.h.i.+ng myself to do anything.”

Responding in a pout, Nina diverted her eyes.

“You don’t care about me. You only ever think about Ai.”

“I do care!”

Nina’s very unusual response upset me, causing me to unintentionally raise my voice.

“That’s not what I mean! You should only care about what’s important—”

“You’re plenty important to me too, Nina!”

Nina’s mouth shut tight, glaring at me like she wanted to say something.

“You—”

Enough. This fight is our win, admit defeat.”

Nina started to speak, but Eldest interrupted her.

“Wait.”

However, Ai spoke up.

“I will fight.”

“… Why…?”

Hearing Nina’s unbelieving mutter, Ai looked at her and smiled.

“Because you are important to me, too.”

“… Is she insane?”

Eldest didn’t ask Ai that, but me.

He wouldn’t even recognize her enough to talk with her directly.

“She—”

I responded.

Among us, Ai was the only non-inborn Magus.

She was a genius when it came to magic.

Darg becoming a Magus was due to his naturally blessed physique.

He was only able to use self-strengthening magic due to his belief in his own strength.

Nina and I were similar to that as well, in a way.

I happened to be born a dragon. She happened to be born an elf.

Therefore, we were strong.

In that sense, Ai was the most talented among all of us here.

Perhaps the most talented was Nina.

Similar to how Darg was born so strong, Nina was a genius even among the elves.

Given that Evergreen and Violet are both obviously older than Nina, seeing as how her appearance hasn’t changed in more than ten years, they’re at least a century older.

Even so, Nina’s stronger than them. No matter what, that could only be called a genius.

Which is exactly the reason why.

“She… is strong.”

Ai was the best one suited to showing off the strength of the human race.

“… Give it a try, then.”

After closing his eyes for a moment, Eldest accepted it.

Ai and Nina confronted one another quietly.

“I won’t go easy on you.”

“I know.”

Ai nodded in response to Nina’s words, then smiled.

“Neither will I.”

I get the feeling that there are sparks flying in the air between the two of them.

Huh?

Wasn’t Nina fighting for Ai’s sake?

“I won’t give you the chance to recite anything!”

As soon as Nina shouted that, innumerable trees shot up from the ground and reformed into weapons, the same as earlier.

No, she really isn’t holding back, just like she said.

The myriad of weapons she arrayed against Darg only appeared in front of him, but she’s surrounded Ai with them entirely. It was a complete lockdown, impossible to escape.

Ai, lacking the time for a drawn-out incantation, faced the weapons and pointed.

“Appear.”

All that Ai recited was that short statement.

In the next moment, the duel was decided.

“Once again—”

She sounded truly frustrated.

“—you improved, didn’t you…”

Everything around them was frozen, their surroundings a world of pure white.

“Hoh, hoh, hoh.”

Jack Frost’s voice echoed loudly against the frost.

Like introducing yourself in a forest.

–A metaphor for avoiding danger pa.s.sed down through the Scarlet Clan

“Thank you, Jack Frost.”

“Hoh, hoh, hoh.”

The snow spirit faded away laughing once Ai patted its head lightly. Just then, the wooden weapons she’d had frozen in the air clanked down onto the ground.

The ice that covered the ground and trees also melted away.

The strong point of humans was their growth speed.

Not just in body, but in mentality, technology, and magic. It all improved and grew at a frighteningly rapid pace. This, of course, held true for Ai, who was able to control Jack Frost himself.

It had gotten to the level that I’d lose if we fought now and I didn’t take it seriously.

“We should be able to go back together now, right Nina-san?”

Ai looked over to Nina who had sank to the floor, crestfallen.

“… Oh well then. A deal’s a deal.”

Nina sighed in relief and turned away, but she answered clearly.

“No!”

Yet even so, Eldest raised an objection.

“After something so ludicrous… why would I approve!?”

Despite knowing j.a.panese, he still didn’t understand Darg and Ai’s strength yet.

Us being able to take Nina back after winning the bout was never an established condition.

However, while that may be true, that was something I wouldn’t back down on.

“A promise is a promise. I will be taking Nina.”

When I approached the still-sitting Nina to take her hand, Eldest deliberately rose from his seat and stood in front of me.

“This will be the end.”

He scowled at me with a severe look to him, declaring haughtily.

“I will be your opponent.”

What was magic but a collection of meanings? Whether I use the incantation or not, it doesn’t change.

In other words, the longer you’ve been alive, the more you know of, the more it is strengthened.

There was no doubt that Eldest, an elf that had lived for unknown centuries, would be a powerful Magus.

“Although I say that…”

What sort of magic will he use?

Thinking that in vigilance, Eldest quietly held his hand up toward Ai.

“It won’t be a fight.”

Just then, Ai’s body fell to the ground.

“What did you do to Ai!?”

“Hmph… as expected of a dragon, I suppose. What? Don’t be so anxious. I just put her to sleep.”

Saying that, he then held his hand up toward Nina, causing her to slump to the ground in a similar manner.

What in the world is going on here!?

Finally, he put Darg to sleep, then turned toward me.

I don’t get what sort of magic he used at all.

He put them to sleep, so did he spread some gas or pollen with a sleeping effect?

But even those wouldn’t be able to cause the three of them to fall asleep that fast, unable to show even the smallest glimmer of resistance.

“You’ve produced four people, so that means I can fight now.”

“That’s quite alright, I don’t mind.”

Eldest nodded in a grand manner, reaching his hand out toward me.

I don’t understand what he did, but I should knock him down before he has the chance to do anything.

However, it feels like approaching him carelessly would be just as dangerous.

“Freeze.”

Eldest spoke in the moment I hesitated, I instinctively stopped moving.

“As expected, even a dragon stops moving if I speak?”

What… does he mean?

“You were too careless, too ignorant. No matter how strong the magic you can use is, you cannot defend yourself.”

I didn’t understand what Eldest was getting at.

“Now then, you nod off too.”

Eldest faced his palm out to me and my eyes slowly closed.

For now, I’ll give lightly biting his hand a shot.

“Guah!?”

Just as I did that, Eldest screamed and held his hand.

“How!? How can you move!?”

Even if you ask me why…

“It’s not like I stopped being able to move to begin with though?”

I stopped in spite of myself when he told me to, but it wasn’t as though I stopped being able to move.

When I tried out moving my tail, it moved as faithfully as ever.

“What idiocy… stop! Freeze! Mentor! Do not move from there!”

Oh, so that was it?

I finally recognized the type of magic he was using and was disappointed by my own stupidity.

Why didn’t I realize it until now?

Magic was driven by knowledge, one’s awareness of the world. That very awareness was shaped through names.

In that case, one must not expose one’s name to a Magus.

That’s probably the reason why the elves all refer to each other with the names of colors.

It may not be easy for anyone other than Eldest to do it, but there’s no harm in doing it.

“Sorry, Eldest-san. It looks like your magic doesn’t work on me.”

In truth, it’s just that my name isn’t Mentor, though.

I placed my claws against Eldest’s shoulder and spoke with flames rising back in my throat.

“Now then, will you accept defeat, or do you want to turn into a pile of ash? It’s one or the other.”

“… … … … I give up.”

This time, Eldest admitted his defeat.

“Gaaah! Stupid! You idiot…!”

“Don’t be so angry, didn’t it turn out well?”

Nina had been in a bad mood ever since we left the elven village.

But I don’t know why she’s angry at all.

“We got Eldest-san to recognize an alliance between our village and his, we got a method on how to prolong life, and you could come home with us, what’s so bad about any of that?”

“Gah… that’s why I’m saying you’re an idiot!”

Nina punched my neck over and over from her position on my back.

“Nina, you didn’t want to turn into a tree, right?”

“What are you… wait. No way, you’re not telling me you took those words literally, right?”

“What do you mean?”

Hearing that, Nina pressed her hand against her forehead and sighed deeply.

“Becoming a tree… means that I will work as busily as a tree does in growing leaves, making flowers, and producing fruits as the seasons change.”

“Eh… b-but Ultramarine said that Eldest’s tree was too old so it needed to be changed to a new one?”

“That kind of tree is troublesome to take care of until it grows big. I hated doing it, so I had Ultramarine cooperate in me escaping the forest…”

Taking another glance at my face, Nina sighed again.

“Honestly, helping you is way more troubling. People don’t turn into trees…”

Nina spoke in a way that made it sound like she was amazed from the bottom of her heart. I’d normally agree with her, but there’s no way I’d know that, everything in this world goes against my common sense!

But really, being preoccupied with taking care of trees is just way too different. Just how carefree are those elves?

“Then why did Eldest dislike the idea of me taking you away so much?”

Hearing her explanation, I stopped feeling a sense of urgency like them being destroyed without Nina there. But still though, it felt like Eldest was awfully desperate.

“Well yeah… what do you think a parent would do after seeing their daughter run away from home and come back with a dragon?”

“Eldest is Nina’s father…?”

Thinking about it, isn’t that natural?

The elves were obviously a community built with its eldest member leading it.

In that case, Nina—the one they call their princess—would naturally be his daughter.

“Then… Nina, did you not want to return with us?”

Did I end up forcing her into something she didn’t want because of my misunderstanding?

In that case, Nina being angry would be natural.

Just as I started to think about that, Nina silently pulled on my horns with a jerk.

“Ouch, Nina, that hurts.”

“You did something unnecessary, that’s all. Even though I’d prepared myself for it…”

Nina spoke in a low, muttering voice.

“But… I want to stay with Ai… and you too, I, umm…”

“Yeah. I also want to be with you, Nina.”

Unable to hear what she said as her voice trailed off, I gave her a firm response. However, she gave my horns another strong tug.

“I said that hurts!”

Even so, I get that she did it to hide her embarra.s.sment.

“Sis wanted to stay because of me too!”

“I don’t care about you.”

Darg spoke up to poke fun at her, but she instantly shot him down.

“So cruel!”

Darg smiled, shouting as though he didn’t actually mind as his voice echoed through the sky.

“Really, you’re so stupid—”

Nina spoke both astonished and somewhat amused.

“But Nina-san staying with us makes me very happy!”

Seeing Ai smile free from worry, Nina couldn’t stop herself from smiling back.

“Oh well, guess there’s nothing to it but to hang around a bit longer.”

An elf’s a bit might be a fairly long time.

Relieved at that hunch, we returned home.

—Those days were the happiest I’d ever been.

I had no idea how many times I would later think back on them.