After enjoying the food stalls and wyvern dishes in Egarton, I left the town behind. Both were fantastic, and with teleportation magic, I’ll be able to return anytime.
If wyvern meat was that delicious, I can only imagine how exquisite dragon meat must be. Based on what I heard from Darga and the others, dragon meat is said to be incredibly rare and delicious, but it’s practically never seen on the market.
Dragons are extremely rare creatures, and even a single scale appearing in the marketplace would cause an uproar. Eating dragon meat is considered the ultimate luxury, reserved for royalty and high-ranking nobles. Even Princess Saara hasn’t had the chance to taste it yet.
Not only their scales, teeth, claws, and bones, but also their blood and organs like the liver are used for making elixirs and other rare items. Virtually every part of a dragon is utilized. While dragons are known to attack humans, they rarely appear near populated areas. Occasionally, they make their nests near the peaks of tall mountains, though this happens only once every few decades.
The dragon I plan to hunt is said to have taken residence in the northern mountain range near Egarton about three years ago. Naturally, many adventurers have sought fame and fortune by attempting to slay the dragon, but none have succeeded yet.
With the power I inherited from the Great Mage, I believe I can defeat it, but if it seems impossible, I’ll retreat immediately. As much as I’d love to taste dragon meat, I’m not risking my life for it. Even if I can’t defeat the dragon, I’m confident I can at least escape or buy enough time to use teleportation magic.
After running for several hours beyond Egarton, I finally spotted a small village at the foot of the mountain range. Unlike Luxeria or Egarton, it didn’t have grand walls, just a simple wooden fence encircling it.
Entering the village didn’t require any special permits, so I walked right in. The village was bustling with people who, like me, appeared to be adventurers equipped with weapons and armor. Most were likely here to hunt wyverns, though a few might aim for the dragon.
“Hey there, young man! That’s some impressive armor you’ve got. Here to hunt wyverns? If you don’t have a place to stay yet, why not come to my inn? Dinner’s included, and I’ll give you a good price!”
“Step right up! Freshly grilled wyvern skewers—get them while they’re hot! Ours is the only place in the area serving wyvern skewers!”
For such a small village, the place was surprisingly lively, with shops and vendors vying for customers. It felt like a tourist hotspot, likely catering to adventurers who use this village as a base to explore the northern mountains.
The village had inns, weapon and armor shops, food supplies, and everything an adventurer might need. There were also food stalls and taverns, making it a pretty enjoyable place to be.
“Hey, you there, handsome! If you’re heading into the northern mountains, how about some portable rations or cooking tools?”
As I wandered through the village, a shopkeeper called out to me. Being called “handsome,” even as flattery, felt great. Back when I was overweight, not even empty compliments like that came my way.
“What do you have?”
Curious, I decided to check out the shop. It was small, as expected, and looked like it was set up in a converted room of the owner’s house.
“We’ve got dried meat and bread for portable rations—all homemade! We also sell cooking tools like knives and cutting boards, perfect for outdoor use!”
Sure enough, the shelves were stocked with plenty of bread, dried meat, and other goods. I remembered eating similar food when I first met Princess Sara and her group during our outdoor camping.
However, I have storage magic, and the items I store remain in their original state without time passing for them. In other words, I don’t need portable rations. I can just store freshly made food in my magic and take it out whenever I need it.
“Hm? What’s this?”
“Oh, you’ve got a good eye, young man! That’s our shop’s top product—a magic-powered cooking stove!”
The stove was a 30cm square box with a magical sigil engraved on it. A metal crosspiece on top provided a stable surface for pots and pans.
“So this is a magic tool, huh?”