Chapter 12: With You and Me as Dragon Warriors Together, We Can Surely Defeat That Red Dragon Thoroughly

After walking for several kilometers, Lind felt a bit parched. The rising temperature and profuse sweating seemed to slow his thinking, making his mind sluggish.

He glanced at the two companions beside him.

Victoria constantly fanned herself with her paws, occasionally flicking out her pink tongue like an adorable puppy.

As for Shirona, she had given up pretending and was lying atop Victoria’s back, folding her wings neatly as she enjoyed the ride on the wind dragon.

“Let’s rest here for a bit. We haven’t seen anything remarkable along the way,” Lind said hoarsely, licking his dry lips.

With that, Victoria immediately collapsed on the spot.

“Phew... I never thought walking would be more tiring than flying.”

“Complaining won’t help. According to the direction you sensed earlier, the treasure brimming with immense magic power is still far from here.”

Taking advantage of the break, Lind went to the riverbank, scooped up some icy water, and splashed it on his face. Instantly, he felt revitalized.

Victoria’s eyes brightened as she looked at the flowing river.

“Lind, I want to eat fish!”

“Oh, then wait a moment. I’ll make a fishing rod with a stick. As for bait... how about plucking a few feathers from that lazy bird over there?”

“Can bird feathers really catch fish?”

Victoria was amazed.

“No, they can’t. I just want to pluck them.”

“*Coocoo gagga!*” Shirona, though unable to understand their conversation, sensed the mischief from Victoria’s reaction and Lind’s tone.

“Alright, alright, don’t get so riled up.”

Victoria stroked the butterfly dragon’s beautiful cerulean feathers, marveling at how soft they felt, unlike her own hard scales.

Then she gently advised Lind:

“Hey, since we’re teamed up now, we should get along harmoniously.”

“It’s only temporary. Once we find the offering for Shirona, we’ll part ways. Or are you planning to offer tribute to the Red Dragon too?”

“That’s out of the question! The treasures I painstakingly find belong to me. There’s no way I’d just give them to another dragon!”

Lind chuckled and acknowledged the young dragon’s words.

“That’s a normal way to think.

Shirona’s oppression is indeed due to the Red Dragon’s brutality, and she’s powerless to resist. But there’s an old saying in my homeland: power cannot bend the will. You’re only forced to offer tribute now because you’re weaker, but the future is uncertain. You must hold onto that spirit of defiance.”

“But I haven’t felt that defiance from her yet. What I sense is complete submission. Even if one day she grows strong enough to rival the Red Dragon, she might lack the courage to act.”

“When the heart kneels for too long, the knees naturally grow weak; but if the heart yearns to stand, even if forced down, there remains a spark of resistance. As long as that spark endures, the dragon retains its spirit.”

“Of course, after spending more time with this butterfly dragon and getting to know her better, I might change my view. For now, this is just my initial impression.”

After hearing Lind’s words, Victoria pondered for a moment, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Why don’t we help the dragon with the weak knees regain strength?! Help every dragon here stand tall and never kneel again. We can start by erasing their fear of the Red Dragon from their hearts.”

“Then, when we all—humans and dragons alike—join forces, we’ll surely defeat that Red Dragon utterly!”

“Emmm... that sounds about right.”

A pessimistic person meeting an optimistic dragon sparked a fascinating exchange.

[Reputation Points +20]

Feeling the system’s notification, Lind suddenly understood why reputation needed to be raised.

It wasn’t just him teaching Victoria; Victoria was giving him a valuable lesson as well.

“Thank you, ‘silly dragon.’”

“You’re welcome, ‘fool.’”

They both burst into hearty laughter.

This left the already confused Shirona even more bewildered.

No, she must learn the common dragon language quickly, she vowed silently.

Otherwise, being physically present yet mentally isolated was truly unpleasant.

In an unknown corner, a tiny seed was planted.

After the laughter subsided, Victoria wiped tears from the corner of her eyes and spoke a cutting remark:

“Lind, the only reason you’ve had time to chat with me this long must be because you haven’t caught a single fish yet, right? Haha~”

“...”

Lind’s face turned a deep shade of crimson, and his hand holding the fishing rod trembled slightly.

“Ha! That’s not true. It’s because I don’t have good bait. I just grabbed some mud from the ground; fish aren’t stupid—they won’t eat dirt!”

“Hmph.”

Victoria said no more and, with a lively step, approached him. Turning her back, she dipped the tip of her tail into the water.

“Heh, fishing with your tail? Did you smear bait on the tip of your tail?” Lind sneered.

“If you catch a fish like that, I’ll...”

His words were cut off as a large silver carp leapt from the water.

“Hmm? Well then, what now~”

Victoria giggled, her smile stretching almost behind her ears.

“I’ll eat a delicious cheeseburger.”

Lind turned his head to the side, muttering gloomily.

Luckily, he spoke slowly enough to not finish his sentence.

Otherwise, the embarrassment would have been overwhelming.

Though even now, it was pretty humiliating—after all his effort, the young dragon caught a fish in an instant.

“No way, let’s switch spots. Fishing is all about the mystique; a slight change in location can make a huge difference in the catch rate.”

“Alright, alright.”

The two of them moved, shifting their positions.

“Plop...”

Victoria said, “Here you go~”

Lind was speechless.

I really have no solution for this, man.