Chapter 11: Journey to Red Salamander Canyon

The silent understanding between Linde and Victoria was something the butterfly dragon beside them, Shirona, could not grasp.

She felt as though her life as a dragon was effectively over. Having offended the tyrannical red dragon that occupied the mountain, there was no escaping, and she couldn't win a fight; she was destined to be popped into someone's mouth as an appetizer. The gem dragon who had been communicating with her gave solemn assurances that this could be resolved, but she had no idea if they were genuine or not.

Sigh...

At this point, there was no other way. As she hung her head in despair, Linde and Victoria walked over.

"Chirp-chirp-ga (We can help you find new treasures; you will be fine)."

"Chirp... (I hope so)."

After a few more exchanges, Victoria returned to Linde’s side, winked with her right eye, and said happily, "Done."

"I had no idea you spoke bird," Linde teased.

"I already told you, she’s not a bird, she’s a butterfly dragon, even if she does look a bit like one. Dragons like her are a mutated species; their language is different from common Draconic. It’s normal that you don't understand it."

"Oh."

Linde replied, then noticed Victoria staring at him with a strange expression.

"Wait! Since when do you speak Draconic?"

"?" A question mark slowly formed in Linde’s mind. "Wasn't I communicating with you normally yesterday? You didn't seem surprised then."

"I didn't even realize it! I just saw you faint, and when you woke up, you were speaking Draconic, so I just answered you naturally... Why don't you faint again? Maybe you'll learn a new language."

"What do you take me for..."

Linde didn't dwell on the matter and shifted the topic: "Since she is a local here, she should be more familiar with the terrain. Ask her where it’s easiest to find rare treasures so we don't have to wander around like headless chickens."

After a brief negotiation, Victoria named a location.

"Red Salamander Canyon."

At the same time, a system notification echoed in Linde’s mind.

[Quest accepted: Help the butterfly dragon Shirona find tribute treasure.]
[Reward upon completion: 100 Reputation.]

Good grief.

He hadn't even seen an exclamation mark floating over her head... Linde thought to himself.

Beside him, an impatient Victoria stamped her feet and urged him on: "Hurry, hurry! The treasure hunters' next exploration is about to begin. This time, we are definitely going to return with a full haul."

"Alright, alright, I'm coming."

Linde replied repeatedly, walked quickly to the prepared Victoria, swung onto her back, and took to the skies. Ahead, their client, Shirona, led the way toward Red Salamander Canyon.

During the flight, Victoria chatted idly with Linde.

"Linde, if you beg me, I might just let you join the treasure hunters too, heh heh."

"I won't beg."

"Eh??? Why are you refusing so fast?"

The young dragon’s voice held a hint of grievance. Before Linde could explain, she seemed to find the reason herself and asked rapidly: "You must not know the benefits of being a treasure hunter, right? Or are you afraid you won't find any treasure? Or maybe you just lack the confidence to be a good treasure hunter!"

"None of the above."

"Woo... Victoria has failed miserably..."

Having confidently guessed so many scenarios only to be wrong about all of them, Victoria, who considered herself a genius young dragon, took a major hit. Even her flight became unstable and wobbly.

Seeing that she was about to crash, Linde stopped playing games and spoke honestly: "I just don't like begging others."

"But I'm a dragon."

"Then add another dragon to that."

"Darn it! Fine, I’m begging you then—come be a treasure hunter with me."

"I'll consider it once this treasure hunt is over."

"Yay!"

...

Red Salamander Canyon was steep on both sides and narrow in the middle. The vertical depth from the highest peak to the lowest river valley was at least a thousand meters. If one looked down from the sky, it appeared as a gash carved by a giant axe, deeply embedded in the earth.

Beyond its diverse species, its ancient rock layers, rich in iron and minerals, had been exposed by tens of thousands of years of weathering and erosion, forming brown-red landscapes on both cliff walls. When illuminated by the setting sun, magnificent red light and shadows draped over the valley walls and into the river, staining the water a deep crimson. At that moment, the entire canyon looked as if it were ablaze.

Currently, the team of two dragons and one human—Linde, Victoria, and Shirona—were trekking upstream along the river.

Red Salamander Canyon was, true to its name, home to a large number of sub-dragon species known as Red Salamanders. They were distant relatives of the red dragons and often served as their lackeys, charging into battle first.

Precisely because of this, they had to be as low-profile as possible within this territory. Shirona stated that if it weren't for the company of Linde and Victoria, she would never have come here. She warned them not to fly over the canyon, or they wouldn't know when a fireball might suddenly come hurtling at them. The worst-case scenario was a rain of fireballs hitting from all directions, leaving no room to dodge.

Linde couldn't help but remark that wouldn't that just set the forest ablaze and burn the Red Salamanders' home to the ground? After Victoria translated this for Shirona, the talkative butterfly dragon suddenly fell silent and didn't make another sound for a long time.

This gave Linde’s ears a brief respite. It seemed this butterfly dragon had mostly been listening to rumors from other dragons and had never actually seen it herself.

"Victoria, how many languages do you actually speak? When we first met, if you hadn't been able to speak human and understand me, we might never have become friends."

"Hmm..."

Victoria raised a claw, plucked an apple from a nearby tree, rubbed it, and handed it to him. Then she gave one to Shirona as well.

Only then did she muse slowly, answering Linde’s question: "A few dozen, I suppose? I know at least a little of the language of every intelligent creature. On one hand, it’s so I can communicate when bartering. On the other hand, knowing a little bit of everything makes life more colorful."

"You’re quite the go-getter."

Linde couldn't quite keep the expression on his face straight.

"Aha?"

"Uh, nothing. Just think you’re very ambitious."

"Mhm, I think so too."

Listening to the gurgling water and having the young dragon by his side, Linde felt as if they were on an outing. There was no need to rush anywhere; it was leisurely and carefree. He took a bite of the apple Victoria had given him, chewed twice, and commented, "This fruit doesn't taste very good."

"Oh, good thing I didn't eat it then."

Linde paused for a second, then gave a helpless smile.

"So you let me eat it first just to test it for you...?"

"Heh heh."

"Ha, I’m speechless."

Linde rolled his eyes at her.