New Divine Era 791, September.
At the age of fourteen, Hulim Heyerar finished her two months of post-graduation leave, resolving to depart her hometown of Mentor Town and set off on an eastward journey......
The Great Continent of Himmler was immeasurably vast.
To reach Bongisto—the fortress city standing at the easternmost edge of this continent—from the Pasara Empire would take an ordinary mortal more than half a year by normal travel routes, and that was only if the journey went perfectly smoothly.
But for Hulim now, this arduous long voyage had been shortened drastically.
ROAR——!
A dragon’s thunderous roar shook the heavens.
By the time mortals heard the cry and lifted their heads, the great wyrm had already vanished beyond the far horizon.
At that moment,
upon the crimson dragon’s broad back,
the young girl with a silver wand in her hand and an obsidian dark sword slung over her shoulders faced east, speeding steadily toward her destination......
Dragons were among the swiftest flying creatures in the world.
Not only were they blindingly fast, their flight cost them almost no stamina at all. They could soar continuously through the skies for half a month without the slightest fatigue.
If they ever landed mid-flight, it was always for reasons like hunting for prey—not from weariness of flying.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Biting gales howled ceaselessly past her ears.
As the golden sunlight rose once more over the horizon,
the eastern lands covered in countless labyrinths slowly came into Hulim’s sight.
“Hulim,” the Fire Dragon Lord Ignir reminded her in a deep, rumbling voice.
“Mm, I see it...”
As the sunlight banished the last traces of night’s darkness, the outline of a magnificent giant city emerged at the edge of the horizon, bathed in the soft glow of morning.
“Ignir,” Hulim spoke suddenly,
“Land somewhere nearby.”
“Nearby?” Ignir tilted his massive head in confusion.
“But we’re still some distance from Bongisto.”
“This place is fine.” Hulim answered calmly, “Bongisto is the most powerful fortress city in the world. It is shielded by mighty Defensive Barriers, and guarded by countless strong warriors. A great dragon like you approaching unannounced will surely draw an attack.”
“I understand. I shall find a place to land then.”
Ignir slowed his flight speed, circled the skies for a moment, and finally chose an unremarkable mountain peak to touch down on.
Once the dragon had steadied itself completely, the young girl floated gently down from his back, alighting soundlessly on the stony ground.
“We could have flown a little closer, you know.” Ignir rumbled.
“There’s no need.” Hulim shook her head, “A vast stretch of land outside Bongisto is the active territory of adventurers. It is better not to get too close. Besides, it is only a few hours’ walk from here—I’ll reach it soon enough.”
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“Very well then. Do you have any other requests? If not, I shall take my leave.”
Ignir flapped his wings, making ready to depart.
“Nothing more. You may go, Ignir.” Hulim replied.
After a brief pause, she added,
“Do not wander too far, though. Once I finish my promotion trial, I may need to return to the Empire, and I will need your help again then.”
“I hear you.”
“Fear not. I will not go far. I have not set foot in the East for many years, so I shall wander the vicinity for a while. When you finish your trial, contact me by our old method—I will come at once.”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ignir’s wings whipped up violent gusts of wind.
WHOOSH——!
In the next instant, he spread his wings and soared into the sky.
“Until we meet again! ROAR——!”
With the dragon’s final roar, his crimson figure quickly vanished into the high skies.
Hulim watched the fading red silhouette, then turned her gaze eastward, her eyes calm and clear.
“Then... let us go and see this Adventure Capital for myself......”
...
The land where Bongisto, the Adventure Capital, stood held the greatest number and densest concentration of dungeons across all of Himmler.
Dozens of them were open to the public alone.
Some say this phenomenon came to be because the land beneath Bongisto lay closest to the rift where the Demon Realm seeped into the mortal world, tainted by its cursed Miasma Particles.
Countless labyrinths formed here to weaken those particles to the greatest extent possible.
The abundance of labyrinths drew adventurers from all corners of the world to gather here.
As time passed, a city forged entirely by adventurers took shape—and it eventually became the headquarters of the Adventurer’s Guild.
To this day,
innumerable adventurers from across the globe still flock to this city each day, driven by all manner of motives: wealth, fame, or simply the thrill of adventure itself.
Coupled with the Adventurer’s Guild’s rule that all High-Rank Adventurers must come here for their official certification,
this city had become the home to the greatest number of powerful warriors across the entire continent......
“......How long do you intend to chase me for?”
“Hmph. Until I beat you fair and square!”
On the road leading to Bongisto, two figures stood locked in a tense confrontation.
“So that means... you plan to hound me endlessly?”
The beastman swordsman (of canine kin) sighed wearily.
“Huh???!”
The female Water Attribute Mage opposite him froze in shock, then her face flushed with unbridled rage as she snapped,
“You filthy cur! What nonsense are you spouting?!”
“You dare not fight me with your full strength! How dare you speak to me as if you’ve already won! If you have any pride left, draw your sword and fight me properly—right now!”
“......”
Luigi Sloane wore an expression of utter helplessness.
In truth,
he had defeated her countless times already. But each victory was brushed off with petty excuses—I wasn’t ready, this doesn’t count—and she would return the very next day to pick another fight......
As time went on, Luigi finally understood that she was just being unreasonable, and chose to ignore her altogether.
Yet she mistook his patience for cowardice,
and her relentless pestering only grew worse for it.
“......In any case!”
Lore raised her wand, pointing it straight at Luigi.
“No matter what you say today, I am going to defeat you!”
Hum!
A glowing Magic Circle bloomed at the tip of her wand.
“Fight me seriously, or you’ll regret it!”
Her warning hung in the air, and the spell she had prepared was unleashed the very next moment.
BOOM——!
The attack hurtled forward.
Luigi tensed his legs, his figure darting sideways in an instant to dodge the strike.
His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword,
yet he shook his head softly and lowered it again.
Even if he defeated her here, she would never give up.
It would be better to find a way to shake her off instead.
“What are you doing?! Why won’t you draw your sword?”
“Do you look down on me that much?!”
Lore’s fury blazed hotter with every word, her attacks quickening unconsciously.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM......
Her magical assaults careened wildly across the road.
Luigi dodged relentlessly, but evasion alone could never win against Lore. Slowly and inexorably, he began to fall into a disadvantageous position.
“If you refuse to fight back, I win by default!” Lore shouted triumphantly.
Hum——!
As her words faded, she unleashed an overwhelmingly powerful Water Attribute spell.
Staring at the enormous Magic Circle unfurling before her, Luigi felt a sharp surge of danger, his right hand flying to his sword hilt on instinct.
Their conflict teetered on the brink of erupting into all-out battle.
“......Excuse me, could I get past you first?”
An unexpected voice cut through the tension, freezing the fraught atmosphere in an instant.
“What?! ”
“When did you get here?! ”
Lore and Luigi were both seized by shock, their hostility toward each other shifting to the newcomer in a heartbeat.
Lore’s mana coiled taut to its absolute limit, and Luigi had drawn his sword before he even realized it.
The air thickened with tension, sharp enough to cut with a blade......
Silence hung between the three figures, a rigid standoff that left the world utterly quiet.
In the end, it was Hulim Heyerar who spoke first, her voice tinged with faint embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. Did I interrupt you?”
