Chapter 6: Venomous Dragon

Morning sunlight illuminated Suka Farm.

 

Before six o'clock, the farm was already bustling with activity. Some people were watering the crops, while others carried hay and feed through the livestock enclosures.

A few early-rising visitors had also stepped out of their accommodations, taking leisurely strolls in the morning light.

 

The rustling of hay being shoveled, the occasional clinking of metal tools, people's conversations, and the calls of livestock all mingled in the morning air.

Despite all the activity, there was a simple, comforting sense of peace.

 

The sight left Solya, who was gazing out from the balcony, feeling especially refreshed.

 

"Mmm—!"

She stretched her arms and body as far as she could, welcoming the morning breeze.

 

"Mornings like this are so much nicer than being at the temple!"

Solya took a deep breath. The fresh air carried the faint scent of grass, trees, and earth, bringing a contented smile to her face.

 

"Solya? You're up this early?"

Vela had just finished giving Romy her instructions in the neighboring room and came back through the door.

 

"Mm-hmm! I couldn't wait to go explore the farm!"

Solya smiled at Vela, barely able to contain the excitement on her face.

 

Seeing how eager she was, a gentle smile appeared on Vela's lips.

 

"Then shall we have breakfast first? Martha gave me breakfast vouchers yesterday, too," Vela asked with a smile.

 

"Sure~! It's been so long since I've eaten anything from outside the temple!"

 

Solya happily raised both hands, curling them into fists. For someone who rarely had the chance to leave the temple, even an ordinary breakfast at a farm was something to look forward to.

 

Solya and her companions arrived at the farm's buffet restaurant.

Though it wasn't as elegant or grand as a large hotel, the buffet offered quite a generous selection of dishes.

 

To Solya, these perfectly ordinary meals enjoyed by common people felt wonderfully new.

Before she had even picked up a plate, she was already looking around with excitement, her gaze wandering from one dish to another.

 

"Good morning~! Martha~!"

 

Martha, the farm's owner, was busy behind the counter.

As soon as Solya spotted her, she broke into a bright smile and greeted her cheerfully.

 

"Good morning, dear." Martha, who had been busy with her work, turned around at the sound of Solya's voice.

 

"Here, I made some savory pies especially for the three of you. A little something extra for breakfast. Eat plenty! Thanks again for all your help yesterday!"

 

As she spoke, Martha brought out a plate of freshly baked savory pies from behind the counter and placed it in front of the three.

But unlike yesterday, her voice lacked its usual cheerfulness. She sounded somewhat subdued, and a faint look of worry lingered between her brows.

 

"Thank you, Martha~!"

Solya thanked her happily, but quickly noticed that something seemed wrong.

 

"But... what's the matter? Are you all right?"

 

Solya was quick to sense that something was amiss.

Although her personality and appearance often had a childlike quality, years of living in the temple, where everyone was accustomed to hiding their emotions beneath their words and actions, had made her especially sensitive to even the slightest changes in people's expressions.

 

"Ah... well... I'm sorry about that."

Realizing that Solya had noticed her mood, Martha gave a slightly embarrassed smile.

 

"It's just... a few of our Ibecsaurs aren't doing very well, and I'm a little worried."

She forced a smile, but couldn't quite manage to sound cheerful.

 

"Not doing very well?" Solya paused in surprise.

Martha's answer also caught the attention of Vela and Romy, who had been standing nearby. Both turned toward her at once.

 

"A few days ago, some of our Ibecsaurs were attacked by a Galan."

As Martha spoke, her brows furrowed even more deeply.

 

"A Galan? That's the dragon with bright blue stripes all over its body, right?"

Solya thought back for a moment.

 

"Yes. It also has decorations on its head and back that stick outward, almost like a punk hairstyle."

As Romy spoke, she raised a hand above her head and made a few gestures to demonstrate the Galan's appearance, all while maintaining a perfectly serious expression.

 

Solya watched Romy gesturing above her head and blinked. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly, leaving her with an expression somewhere between a smile and a straight face.

"A punk hairstyle, huh..."

 

"And... it came onto the farm twice, several days apart, and attacked our Ibecsaurs both times," Martha continued.

 

"...Twice?" Solya's expression grew serious.

 

"I really don't understand... How could a creature that normally lives deep in the mountains come onto the farm twice?" Martha said helplessly.

 

"As you probably know, Galans are large and venomous. A few of our Ibecsaurs barely survived its attacks, but they were all poisoned..."

She paused, and the smile she had been struggling to maintain gradually faded.

 

"To make matters worse, Galan antiserum is extremely scarce. We've been waiting for it, but it still hasn't arrived. If this goes on... I'm afraid our Ibecsaurs won't last much longer."

 

"But I remember there's a medical facility near Kalmok. They should have the equipment to produce antiserum, shouldn't they?"

Solya asked.

"With today's technology for producing antiserum against dragon venom, it should only take a few hours."

 

"They do have the equipment..."

Martha let out a helpless sigh.

"But the veterinarian told me they don't even have the Galan venom needed to make the antiserum. Without the venom, the equipment is useless."

 

"And to collect the venom, someone would have to get close to a Galan. That's far too dangerous... No one is willing to take that risk."

 

Vela frowned slightly as she listened.

"Galans are extremely cautious by nature and usually avoid areas where humans are active. One accidental visit might be possible, but for one to enter the farm twice, and even attack the Ibecsaurs here... That doesn't make much sense."

 

"Yes, we thought it was strange, too." Martha nodded, still looking uneasy.

 

Vela looked at her and asked another question.

"Did you see the Galan at the time? Was there anything unusual about it?"

 

"Yes, there was definitely something strange about its appearance... It didn't look quite like the Galans I've seen before."

She hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure how to describe it.

 

"It was unusually aggressive, and it seemed to have some features that shouldn't have been there. It looked a little like... a wolf?"

 

"A wolf...?!"

At those words, Solya, Vela, and Romy were all stunned.

 

Vela turned to look at Solya.

Their eyes met briefly, and Solya gave a small nod.

 

"Martha, since there's no telling when the antiserum will arrive, why don't we help you collect the Galan venom needed to make it?" Solya turned back to Martha.

 

"Huh?" Martha clearly hadn't expected Solya to say that. "No, you can't! It's too dangerous!" She hurriedly shook her head.

 

"Don't worry~! We might not look it, but we're all soldiers! We've been through just about every kind of training there is~!" Solya gave Martha a bright smile, her tone completely carefree.

 

Hearing this, Vela and Romy instinctively glanced at each other.

 

"I-I see..."

Martha was still hesitant, but then she remembered how Solya had kicked a robber straight off a vehicle the day before. Looking at Vela and Romy beside her, she finally felt a little more reassured.

 

"Then... thank you so very much."

 

She looked earnestly at the three of them, still unable to keep herself from adding a warning.

"But please be careful. Don't push yourselves too hard just to collect the venom."

 

After breakfast, Solya and her companions mounted their Ibecsaurs and left the farm, following the location Martha had given them toward the deep mountain region where the Galan lived.

 

Along the way, they followed a stream deeper into the mountain forest.

The clear sound of flowing water mingled with birds calling back and forth, while small and medium-sized animals occasionally darted through the trees.

As they gradually moved farther away from areas of human activity, the surrounding forest grew increasingly dense.

 

Eventually, a steep rock face rose before them, marking the end of the mountain path that had barely been passable until then.

 

But for Ibecsaurs, this didn't mean they could go no farther.

 

Besides their remarkable endurance, their feet were naturally suited to moving across steep terrain.

Their hard claws could grip even the smallest protrusions in the rock, while the flexible, resilient pads beneath their feet conformed to uneven surfaces, providing enough friction to hold firm.

As a result, even on nearly vertical dirt slopes and rock faces, as long as there was the slightest foothold, they could maintain their grip and climb steadily upward, one step at a time.

 

However, for Solya, who had only recently begun learning to ride an Ibecsaur, this was anything but comfortable.

 

As her Ibecsaur climbed higher and higher along the steep rock face, Solya felt her body leaning farther and farther backward. She clung tightly to Milk's neck, looked down at the almost sheer drop beneath her, and couldn't help calling out to Vela ahead of her.

 

"Vela...! I'm scared! I feel like I'm going to fall...!!"

 

"My Lord, don't be nervous. Just hold on a little longer."

Vela turned back and gave a somewhat helpless smile at the sight of her frightened expression.

 

"Ibecsaurs maintain their own balance, too. Under normal circumstances, they won't make any movements that would cause their riders to fall. Unless they accidentally lose their footing."

 

"Lose their footing?!"

Solya's voice instantly rose several pitches.

 

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?!"

 

"My Lord, please don't worry. Even if you do fall, I'll be behind you to catch you."

Romy, who was riding behind Solya, joined in trying to reassure her, sounding quite dependable.

 

"You're lying! If I fall from this height, there's no way you could catch me without getting yourself and your Ibecsaur knocked down with me!"

Clearly not reassured in the slightest, Solya only shouted louder than before.

 

"Huff... huff..."

After finally reaching gentler ground, Solya hopped off her Ibecsaur almost immediately.

 

Having been tense throughout the entire climb, she could finally plant her feet on solid ground again. She took several long breaths, allowing her stiff body to relax a little.

 

Vela and Romy also dismounted. Although both were long accustomed to riding Ibecsaurs, the climb along the steep rock face had forced them to maintain such an extreme posture for an extended period. They decided to rest briefly before continuing, giving the Ibecsaurs that had carried them up the cliff a chance to recover some strength as well.

 

Still catching her breath, Solya naturally moved closer to Vela, resting the side of her head against the hollow of Vela's shoulder and gently wrapping both hands around one of her arms.

 

"So this is the kind of terrifying thing your Guard does all the time...? I really thought I was going to die of fright back there..."

She spoke with a frown, showing no intention of moving away from Vela.

 

"Well... you get used to it. After all, My Lord, you've only just started learning to ride an Ibecsaur."

Vela didn't pull away, simply allowing Solya to lean against her.

The ease with which she accepted the closeness made it clear that she had long since grown accustomed to it.

 

Romy, standing nearby, hadn't thought much of it at first, but her gaze gradually settled on the two of them.

 

Solya was nestled against Vela, her hands affectionately wrapped around Vela's arm, their bodies almost pressed together.

And Vela, who usually kept her distance from others, showed no sign of pulling away. In fact, she seemed completely accustomed to it.

 

Romy looked at Solya, then at Vela, unable to resist stealing a few more glances at them.

 

The Wolf God and the Captain... Could they possibly be...?

 

Vela soon noticed.

"...Ahem."

She looked somewhat uncomfortable, but couldn't bring herself to push Solya away from her shoulder. Instead, she casually turned her gaze to the side.

 

In truth, Vela had never really considered how she would face the situation if someone else discovered the relationship between her and Solya.

 

Or, more precisely—she didn't even know how to explain what their relationship was right now.

 

After all, she and Solya weren't actually anything to each other yet.

And yet Solya was leaning against her shoulder as though it were the most natural thing in the world, while Vela herself had absolutely no desire to make her move away.

Faced with Romy's thoughtful gaze, Vela suddenly had no idea how to react.

 

Only then did Romy realize she might have been staring for a little too long.

 

"......"

She silently turned her face away as well, pretending to admire the surrounding scenery.

 

Of the three, only Solya remained completely unaware, still resting against Vela.

 

Romy had originally been pretending to look around merely to escape the awkwardness, but as her gaze swept across the distant rock face, her expression suddenly grew serious.

 

"My Lord, Captain, look over there."

 

She raised a hand and pointed ahead.

A huge cavern had appeared in the rock face above the stream.

 

"A large cavern, right above the river... This must be the Galan's habitat that Martha told us about."

 

As the three observed the area surrounding the cavern, they softened their footsteps and slowly approached the entrance.

 

The closer they came to the cavern, the more focused Vela became.

She repeatedly scanned their surroundings while listening for any sounds coming from deep inside.

 

"There doesn't seem to be any movement inside."

Vela gazed at the dark entrance and paused cautiously.

 

Just then—

 

A violent rush of air suddenly sounded from above.

Mixed into it were several powerful beats of wings, rapidly closing in on the three at astonishing speed.

 

All three jerked their heads upward.

 

A pair of fully spread wings nearly filled their view overhead. An enormous body came hurtling straight toward them in a steep dive, sending a powerful blast of air crashing over the three.

 

"ROAAAAAR————!!!!"

 

A massive Galan was already right before their eyes.

 

Its body was a vivid light blue, with dark blue and white stripes crossing along its back.

Feather-like ornaments stretched outward from its head all the way to its tail, and even its enormous wings had contours resembling the feathers of a bird.

 

Beneath those cool shades of blue and white, however, its belly was a striking, brilliant red.

 

Such a magnificent and colorful appearance seemed to openly warn every living creature—

 

Venomous.

 

Yet the Galan before them was clearly different from an ordinary member of its species.

 

Its head, which should have had the shape of a wyvern's, now bore features that looked completely out of place.

Its snout resembled that of a wolf, and a pair of wolf ears had grown on either side of its head—features that should never have appeared on a Galan.

 

What Martha had described as "looking like a wolf" had not been her imagination.

 

Vela and Romy swiftly drew the military swords they had prepared.

 

"My Lord, Martha was right. There's something... wrong with this Galan." Vela kept her eyes fixed on the creature before them.

 

"Mm, I can see that. For now, I'll subdue it." Solya's expression also grew serious.

 

Solya took a step forward, then turned her head.

 

"I'm counting on you, Vela."

 

Vela met her gaze.

 

"Yes, My Lord."

Without asking any questions, she simply took the crimson Luna Stone from her pocket.

 

Vela gripped the Luna Stone firmly and raised it before her chest.

 

"Beast God—"

 

Her voice was calm and resolute.

 

As the words left her lips, a faint crimson glow appeared within the Luna Stone in her palm.

After a brief pause, Vela spoke again.

 

"Unleash."

 

In an instant, the Luna Stone burst into dazzling crimson light.

 

Almost at the very same moment, a sacred, brilliant golden radiance erupted from Solya's body, enveloping her completely.

Within the dazzling light, Solya's human silhouette gradually faded, replaced by the outline of an enormous wolf.

 

A moment later, the brilliant golden light suddenly dispersed.

 

An enormous golden wolf now stood before Vela and Romy, radiating an air of solemn divinity.

 

This was also Romy's first time witnessing Solya after her Beast God Transformation.

She stood frozen for a moment, her gaze fixed upon the wolf god bathed in golden radiance, her expression filled with awe.

 

"My Lord, although using divine power consumes the High Priest's mental energy, you needn't worry about me. During the battle, just use your power as you see fit."

Vela spoke to Solya, who stood before her.

 

"I know. You and Romy should retreat somewhere safe. Be very careful, and don't let the Galan hurt you."

Although Solya had now completely taken the form of a golden wolf, her voice remained as clear and gentle as ever.

 

By now, the golden wolf god had completely captured the Galan's attention.

The Galan suddenly raised its head, opened its mouth, and sprayed a stream of highly corrosive liquid toward Solya.

 

Solya leaped aside almost the instant the attack came, her golden form swiftly avoiding the corrosive liquid rushing toward her.

 

The liquid splashed onto the grass where she had been standing.

With a sizzling sound of corrosion, the once-green blades of grass rapidly withered and disintegrated, and even the exposed soil was eaten away, leaving the ground badly damaged.

 

Solya glanced back at where she had just been standing, instinctively drawing her neck back a little.

 

"That was close... That stuff really is pretty scary..."

Then she turned her head again to face the Galan before her.

 

"But you're no match for me, little lizard!"

Shouting at the Galan, which was several times larger than herself, Solya suddenly charged behind it and sank her teeth into its thick tail. Bracing all four paws firmly against the ground, she tried to bring it down through sheer strength.

 

But the instant her sharp teeth sank in—

An overwhelmingly pungent smell suddenly flooded her mouth and nose.

 

"?! Ptooey, ptooey...!! Ptooey!!"

 

Solya immediately released her bite as though startled, shaking her head repeatedly while letting out short, sharp snorts through her snout.

 

The golden wolf god, who had been radiating sacred light just moments before, was now crouched beside the Galan's tail, coughing and desperately trying to spit the horrible taste out of her mouth.

 

"My Lord! Besides being venomous, Galans store large amounts of corrosive fluid inside their bodies, and their scales also release a very strong, irritating odor. You mustn't bite them directly—"

Vela shouted toward Solya, but her voice unconsciously grew quieter toward the end.

 

"...I should have warned you first."

 

This was the first time she had chosen to leave the fighting to Solya.

Vela, who was used to confronting enemies directly, clearly wasn't yet accustomed to being the one supporting Solya in battle.

 

"That's awful! Vela! You knew and didn't tell me first!"

Solya was still sticking out her tongue, trying to rid her mouth of the lingering pungent taste, but she didn't forget to protest to Vela.

 

Just then, the Galan suddenly spun around, its enormous body charging straight toward her.

 

Caught off guard, Solya was sent tumbling away, rolling across the ground several times.

But in the very next moment, she quickly rolled back onto her belly and pushed herself up, shaking her head vigorously as though still dazed from the impact.

 

The Galan, however, gave her no chance to recover. It raised a foreclaw and swung it forcefully down at Solya, who was still crouched on the ground.

 

Solya pushed off with her front legs and quickly leaped backward, avoiding the sharp claws descending toward her.

Since close-range attacks weren't working, and she couldn't hurt the Galan, her only option was to create some distance and find another way to subdue it.

 

But the Galan showed no intention of giving up the chase.

It spread its wings and took flight, its massive body closing in on Solya as it opened its mouth and once again sprayed a large amount of corrosive liquid at her.

 

Solya quickly leaped aside.

She kept moving, dodging the Galan's relentless attacks while continuing to widen the distance between them.

 

Just then, Vela suddenly noticed something attached to the Galan's right wing.

A device that clearly wasn't part of its body—and it was emitting the eerie green glow of forbidden arts.

 

"...So it really is forbidden arts."

 

Vela immediately looked around, her gaze quickly settling on the cavern where the Galan lived, not far away.

An idea came to her.

 

"My Lord! There's an unnatural device on its right wing!"

Vela shouted toward Solya, who was still dodging the attacks.

 

"Please use your solar power to heat the ground and create air currents! Drive it into the cavern!"

 

"Wh-what?"

Solya glanced back at Vela while dodging another attack from the Galan.

Still occupied with evading the creature's pursuit, she couldn't understand what Vela was trying to do.

 

"Please trust me!" Vela shouted again.

 

Although she still didn't understand what Vela had in mind, Solya knew that if Vela said so, she must have a reason.

 

Taking advantage of a brief pause after the Galan's repeated attacks, Solya finally steadied herself.

She raised her head and let out a long, drawn-out howl.

 

In the next instant, a vast area of ground beneath the Galan suddenly began to glow gold.

 

The ground heated rapidly, sending scorching air surging upward.

The sudden, powerful updraft disrupted the Galan's flight. Its enormous body wavered in midair, forcing it to beat its wings and change direction.

 

Solya immediately followed its movements.

Whenever the Galan tried to fly in another direction, another section of the ground would glow gold, and rising currents of hot air repeatedly forced it to alter its flight path.

 

In this way, by continually shifting the areas she heated, Solya gradually drove the Galan into the narrow confines of the cavern.

 

"My Lord! Now! Please knock the device off its right wing!"

 

Solya raised her head once more, golden light rapidly gathering inside her mouth.

In the next second, a brilliantly glowing golden sphere shot forward with tremendous force.

 

The narrow cavern left the Galan nowhere to dodge. The golden sphere struck the device on its right wing with perfect accuracy.

With a sharp cracking sound, the device shattered and fell from its wing.

 

Almost at the same instant, the Galan, still flying in the air, seemed to suddenly lose all strength. Its wings could no longer keep it aloft.

Its enormous body crashed onto the cavern floor.

 

Only after confirming that the fallen Galan was no longer moving did Vela and Romy cautiously approach.

 

Vela immediately checked its vital signs.

Its heartbeat and breathing were both relatively stable, and it appeared to have merely lost consciousness for the time being.

After confirming that its life was not in immediate danger, the two wasted no time and quickly collected the necessary venom from the Galan's fangs.

 

Meanwhile, Solya also ended Beast God Transformation and returned to her original appearance.

 

During this trip into the mountains, Solya and her companions had not only successfully collected the Galan's venom, but also obtained the forbidden arts device from its body.

 

The three immediately mounted their Ibecsaurs and hurried down the mountain, delivering the collected venom to the medical facility to produce the antiserum.

Once the antiserum was ready, it was quickly delivered to Suka Farm.

 

Martha, who had been waiting anxiously in the farm's lobby, was overjoyed to see all three return safely. She hurried toward them with quick little steps and threw her arms around Solya, who was walking in front.

 

Solya smiled and reached out to return Martha's embrace.

 

"I was worried sick! Thank goodness you're all safe!"

Martha released her embrace and placed both hands on Solya's shoulders, lifting her head slightly to look at her.

Although all three had returned safely, the worry on her face had not completely faded.

 

"Here, Martha! This is the antiserum!" Solya handed Martha the antiserum they had brought back.

 

Martha looked down at the antiserum in her hands, her eyes widening in surprise.

 

"...Oh my goodness! You really did get the antiserum! Thank you! Thank you so much!"

 

As she spoke, she went on to embrace Vela and Romy, who were standing behind Solya, expressing her heartfelt gratitude to all three.

Vela smiled and gently patted Martha's back, while Romy also responded with a warm smile.

 

"Martha, please hurry and call the veterinarian to treat the Ibecsaurs!" Solya reminded her with a serious expression.

 

"Right! Right! I'll call the veterinarian right now!"

 

Only then did Martha snap back to her senses. She hurriedly turned around and rushed toward the counter.

Her somewhat round figure hurried across the lobby, clearly unwilling to waste another moment.

 

Once the veterinarian arrived, the poisoned Ibecsaurs were promptly given the antiserum.

As the treatment gradually took effect, the Ibecsaurs that had been in poor condition began to recover, one after another, until they were out of danger.

 

Seeing the Ibecsaurs' conditions improve, Martha could finally breathe a sigh of relief, and she was more grateful than ever to Solya and her companions.

 

To thank the three for their help, she warmly invited them to stay at the farm and rest a little longer. Not only did she cook for them personally, preparing generous meals for them every day, but she also gave them several precious pieces of warm clothing made from Ibecsaur wool, hoping they would help protect them from the cold during the journey ahead.

 

And while staying at the farm, Solya and her companions continued to keep watch over their surroundings, carefully checking whether any other similarly abnormal creatures might be appearing nearby.

 

 

Two mornings later, the three prepared to say goodbye to Martha.

Before they left, Martha reluctantly gave each of the three kindhearted young women a hug, reminding them to be sure to come back and visit whenever they had the chance.

 

The group said their goodbyes to Martha with smiles, then mounted their Ibecsaurs once more and left Suka Farm, continuing their journey toward the snowy mountains in the west.

 

"Vela... there's something that's been bothering me."

Riding on Milk's back, Solya turned to look at Vela, who was riding alongside her.

 

"Even though we still don't know exactly what the forbidden arts device on the Galan was meant to do..."

 

She paused for a moment.

 

"But after that thing was attached to it, the Galan still survived in the end."

 

"Doesn't that mean... there are some creatures capable of withstanding divine power that's been forcibly manipulated?" Solya looked somewhat uneasy.

 

"Mm, I've been thinking the same thing." Vela's expression also darkened. "It means that situations like this could potentially be exploited by whoever is behind it, or by others with malicious intentions."

 

Solya let out a soft sigh.

 

The incident seemed to have come to a successful conclusion—the venom had been obtained, and the poisoned Ibecsaurs had been safely rescued.

Yet the clues to forbidden arts they had obtained from the Galan had also left all three feeling more apprehensive about the investigation ahead.