I'm standing at the foot of Baldot Mountain, having left the royal capital. My mission here is to take down a Red Dragon that’s taken up residence in these mountains. Baldot Mountain is an active volcano with billowing smoke and toxic gases seeping from various points, making it a dangerous place.

It’s well known that several Red Dragons live near the summit of Baldot Mountain. They form packs, and once you engage one, the others will quickly join in. Given that a single Red Dragon can wipe out a small nation, few adventurers who take on multiple survive, turning Baldot Mountain into a paradise for Red Dragons.

Target Search

My Target Search is an improved version of the regular Enemy Search, now showing an arrow pointing toward the target and indicating the distance. If there are multiple targets, I can choose to display arrows for all or just the closest one; this time, I’m tracking the closest Red Dragon. The map now shows a three-dimensional perspective, making it easier to understand the terrain.

According to Target Search, the Red Dragon I’m targeting is about 1.2 kilometers from here.

Fly

Using a flight spell, I soar over the rocky terrain and set my eyes on the Red Dragon below. Sprawled across the rocks, it exudes the dignity of a ruler. It’s likely lying there without a care because no other monsters would dare attack it.

Just breathing causes embers to flare from its nostrils and mouth. Red Dragons have tough scales, and beneath them, a thick hide. Their defenses are unparalleled; their jaws crush stone with ease, and their fiery breath can turn the ground into a sea of magma.

Who would want to face such a monster willingly?

"I’m the one picking a fight with it," I mutter.

"But Master, Red Dragons fetch a nice reward," my companion Pal replies with a bright smile. I can’t help but smile back. I’d offered to cast Fly for her as well, but she insisted I carry her, so here we are with me holding her in a princess carry. Of course, Pal’s familiar teasing was present, and she took the opportunity to press against me, wrapping her arms around my neck. This... could count as harassment, right?

"Pal, watch from here."

I land on a large rock some distance from the Red Dragon and set her down. As she dismounts, she gives me a kiss on the cheek with her soft lips.

"A kiss for good luck, my hero."

"I’m no hero. And I haven’t won yet," I reply.

"To me, Master is my hero. Besides, there’s no way a mere Red Dragon could beat you, so it’s a kiss in advance. Though I’ll give you another one after the fight, of course."

"Seems like victory kisses are in surplus here."

"Are you saying I’m cheap, Master? That hurts, you know!"

Her exaggerated sniffle was clearly fake.

"Alright, alright. I’ll do my best to earn more than just victory kisses."

"Please do! I’ll give you plenty of kisses, anytime!"

With that, she abruptly grabs my waist, looking as if she’s trying to steady herself to observe.

"Allow me to witness your bravery with my own eyes, Master."

What kind of bravery does she hope to see...?

"Not right now, okay?"

She chuckles darkly. "Seeing you fight is exciting, but so is seeing you undressed."

Is she actually remembering my naked form? Well, I’ve certainly memorized hers too. Pal’s curves are impressive, to say the least.

What am I thinking? I have to stay focused and clear-headed. Even if the battle seems easy, complacency could lead to a nasty counterattack.

"Enough playing around, Pal."

"Oh my, how rude of that lizard to interrupt our precious conversation."

It seems the Red Dragon has finally recognized us as a threat, glaring in our direction.

"Tonight’s dinner is your favorite, cream stew. Go earn your reward."

"Cream stew, huh? I’ll go make us some money!"

I take to the air and maneuver to hover above the Red Dragon.

"Summon Lich."

Five magic circles appear around me, and the Liches emerge. These are the Liches I tamed back at the mansion.

"Wound-free kill."

Following my order, the Liches swarm the Red Dragon, while I set up a barrier to prevent any sound or magic from escaping. This barrier won’t budge even under the Red Dragon’s attacks.

"Life Drain—a solid strategy."

Life Drain won’t leave any external wounds as it drains vitality. The Red Dragon’s life force is visibly being sapped by the Liches. Although Red Dragons rank higher than Liches in strength, the odds are against it when outnumbered five to one.

The Red Dragon tries to fly away in desperation, only to smack into my barrier and fall back down, where the Liches continue to swarm.

"It’s an unpleasant comparison, but they look like flies around... waste."

Sorry, Liches.

The Red Dragon opens its jaws to unleash a fiery breath, but the Liches teleport behind it to continue Life Drain. The mighty dragon has no chance, and its life force is soon completely depleted.

"Seeing it overwhelmed so easily is actually unsettling. Are Liches usually this strong?"

I store the undamaged body of the Red Dragon. I didn’t do much besides setting the barrier, but since I tamed the Liches, it counts as my kill, right? Either way, returning with an intact Red Dragon corpse is a nice bonus.

"Thanks for the hard work, everyone. Dismissed."

After sending off the Liches, I return to Pal, who embraces me.

"A victory kiss for my hero," she says, pressing her lips against mine, this time on my lips. Her kiss is soft and slightly sweet.

"Shall we continue here, Master?" she asks.

"Here?" I repeat.

"An outdoor setting has a certain... appeal, doesn’t it?"

Despite the ease of the fight, my adrenaline is still high. The idea doesn’t sound half-bad.

"Well then, if you’ll excuse me—"

Pal kneels and begins reaching for my trousers.

I grab her hand. "We have company."

Six Red Dragons have surrounded us, clearly aware that we’ve defeated one of their own, their eyes filled with hostility.

"Ugh!" Pal clicks her tongue, her expression now fierce.

"To dare interrupt my time with Master, these rude reptiles deserve to disappear!"

From Pal’s outstretched hand, a dark mist spreads, engulfing the Red Dragons in seconds.

A brief moment of their pained roars is all we hear before their presences vanish, followed by a heavy thud as their massive bodies fall to the ground.

"Even for mere lizards, to disrupt our precious time—unforgivable!"

She huffs proudly. I’d only planned to take down one, but we ended up with seven flawless dragon corpses, all in perfect condition for harvesting.

And that, as it happens, was yesterday.