Chapter 406: Dragon Airlines Ⅱ

The group stepped outside, and just then, Firuvin approached them.

“These are the finest giant eagles we could find. They’ll save you quite a bit of time.”

Irus examined the giant eagles carefully. In terms of size, they could easily carry both her and Hulim—but still......

“Giant eagles are fast enough, but they can’t sustain flight for long periods.”

The distance between Ravenrim and Bongisto was truly immense, spanning nearly the entire continent.

When Irus had received Firuvin’s distress signal earlier, she had been in Langard.

After that, she’d flown by herself, plus received assistance from flying mounts provided by elves along the way, which had allowed her to reach Bongisto in time.

If she’d still been in Ravenrim back then, it would’ve been absolutely impossible to make it. After all, the continent was split by numerous natural barriers—desolate regions where no one ventured. There would’ve been no way to get help from other flying mounts, forcing her to cross that stretch of land entirely on her own.

And now it was the same situation. Giant eagles were fast, but like most flying mounts, they couldn’t fly for extended durations. They needed regular stops to rest, which would drastically increase the total travel time.

If calculated precisely, even under the most ideal conditions, it would still take several weeks to reach Ravenrim.

“It can’t be helped.”

Firuvin shook his head, speaking with resignation.

“This is the best option we have right now. I’ve already notified all Guild Branches along the route—they’ll provide you with fresh flying mounts. You can switch mounts whenever you need to. We can’t do anything about the natural barrier zones, but this will still cut down your travel time significantly.”

Irus thought for a moment, then replied,

“It looks like we have no other choice......”

“Um—”

Just then, Hulim suddenly spoke up.

“If we need an aerial transport that can carry us for long stretches without stopping...... I might have a solution.”

In an instant, everyone’s eyes turned to Hulim.

“You have a solution, Hulim?”

Irus looked at her in surprise.

“Yes.”

Hulim nodded, then turned to Firuvin.

“Guild Master, could you temporarily deactivate Bongisto’s barrier?”

“Hmm...... I suppose I can. But what exactly are you planning to do?”

“It’s nothing major. I just need to let my transport get in.”

“Huh?”

......

Somewhere in the mountains north of Bongisto.

A red dragon was snoring loudly inside a cave, sound asleep.

Its thunderous snores, combined with the faint yet overwhelming aura it exuded, kept all the creatures in the surrounding mountains on edge. None dared to make the slightest noise, for fear of waking the terrifying beast.

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As a result, this section of the mountains was eerily peaceful.

The mountain creatures had no idea how long this quiet would last—until suddenly, at a certain moment, the dragon inside the cave snapped its eyes open.

The instant its golden slit pupils flared to life, the aura drifting through the mountains shifted dramatically. The creatures nearby, already living in constant caution, froze in terror, dropping to the ground and trembling uncontrollably.

Thud!

The awakened dragon stood up, its massive claws hitting the cave floor with a resounding thud that shook dust and gravel loose from the ceiling.

“Hulim is calling me?”

“Hmm...... Well, I’ve slept long enough anyway. Might as well go see what she wants.”

With that, the dragon stepped out of the cave.

It tilted its head up to the sky, locked onto the direction of the south, then spread its wings and flapped them powerfully.

Whoosh——!

In an instant, a violent gale swept through the forest, sending broken branches and leaves flying in all directions.

ROAR——!

The next moment,

the dragon soared into the sky.

It let out a deafening roar that echoed across the entire mountain range. Some of the more timid creatures nearby fainted on the spot from sheer fright.

BOOM——!

A sonic boom-like crackle tore through the air, and the dragon’s figure vanished from the mountains in the blink of an eye—leaving nothing but a streak of red light streaking toward the southern horizon.

......

In Bongisto.

“Hulim, are you sure this trinket of yours can really summon some kind of aerial transport?”

Russell stared at the horn-shaped pendant in Hulim’s hand, asking doubtfully.

“It definitely can.”

Hulim replied with absolute certainty.

The item in her hand was a Dragon Horn—a legendary dragon treasure crafted from a Dragon Heart Gem, formed when a dragon’s heart petrifies after its death. Once a dragon establishes a telepathic bond with the Dragon Horn, the person wielding it can contact that dragon anytime, regardless of the distance between them.

“He might’ve been quite far away earlier, so it’ll take him some time to get here. But I think he should be arriving soon.”

“Ehh...... Is that so?”

Russell still looked skeptical, clearly unconvinced that a mere pendant could summon any kind of impressive aerial transport.

However, a sudden roar from the distant horizon quickly shattered his doubts.

ROAR——!!!

The sound was so loud that it seemed to make every door and window in the city rattle.

At the edge of the city, the guards on watch duty—unaware of what was happening at the Guild headquarters—stared in terror at the massive red figure hurtling toward them.

“A dr—dragon!!!”

“A dragon attack——!”

Clang——!

In their panic, someone even sounded the alarm.

Inside the Guild headquarters.

Irus glanced silently at Firuvin.

“......You didn’t inform the guards about this?”

“......”

Firuvin fell silent.

After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly,

“I only found out what she was summoning a short while ago. I didn’t have time to notify anyone......”

ROAR!

The roar echoed directly overhead, and a colossal shadow fell over the area where they stood.

Moments later, the red dragon landed right in front of the group.

THUD——!

The ground let out a deep, muffled groan.

Its enormous red body barely squeezed into the street, which had seemed plenty wide just a moment before.

“......”

At that moment, every member of the Silver Squad was completely dumbfounded. Their eyes were wide as saucers, their faces frozen in stunned disbelief as they stared at the behemoth before them.

“A dr—dr—dragon!!!”

Russell was so terrified he could barely speak, pointing at the dragon with his trembling legs threatening to give out beneath him.

“Hulim, what’s so important that you had to summon me all the way into the city? Don’t you know there’s a very dangerous guy here? This place is way too risky for me.”

“I—it spoke——!!!”

The Silver Squad was even more shocked now.

Hearing their gasps, Ignir scoffed disdainfully.

“What a bunch of country bumpkins. Is it really so surprising that a great dragon can speak? It’s only natural.”

“......I see. So you are Ignir, the Fire Dragon Lord, aren’t you?”

Firuvin recognized his identity and spoke up.

“Huh? Who’s that? Someone who recognizes the great Fire Dragon Lord’s name—wait a second—”

Ignir looked down, and the moment he saw Firuvin, he nearly jumped straight back into the sky in fright.

“It’s you! Oh no...... I mean, greetings, Your Excellency! What a coincidence to run into you here!”

“......”

The entire group fell silent.

The creature’s lightning-fast change in attitude was so abrupt that it was hard to associate it with the proud, majestic image of a dragon.

Ignir’s eyes darted around, his gaze sweeping quickly over the crowd. When it landed on another figure standing beside Hulim, he gasped sharply.

“Holy smokes——! The great Holy Maiden of the World Tree! I never dreamed I’d have the honor of meeting you here! Please forgive my earlier rudeness!”

Irus looked at the suddenly obsequious Ignir and couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I was wondering why I didn’t see you when I passed through Mirnabith last time. Turns out you’d run off somewhere else with Hulim～.”