Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

”I really hope I don’t end up like this,” Aiksuuri grumbled. ”It looks like it encountered an opponent far stronger than itself. It tried to get into its lair to hide, but its enemy grabbed it by the tail. Look,”

The Young Dragon took out a bone fragment and fitted it into the break in the Green Dragon’s skeleton. It was a nearly seamless match. ”The Kobolds found this. They must have timed it just right to miss the Undead patrols, snuck in, and made off with a piece.”

”Can a magnificent True Dragon really die in such a humiliating way?” Sera asked, looking sadly at the bones on the ground. This was nothing like the dragon-slaying battles she had imagined.

”The culprits weren’t those Elves and their cronies,” Aiksuuri snorted. ”This wasn’t a dragonslaying; this was a hunt. Only something far more powerful could kill an old Giant Dragon like this.”

”It was only five hundred years old, far from the peak for our species. We can usually live to be over two thousand, while Metal Dragons live for about four thousand years on average.”

”If I lived that long, I’d definitely go crazy,” Aive said, sticking her tongue out. ”I think a Half-Elf’s lifespan is just right.”

”That’s because you don’t get to witness more,” Aiksuuri retorted, though his comment wasn’t aimed at Aive. ”That ’Canary’ has lived far longer than this dragon, and *it* still finds the time to beat me up.”

An old Green Dragon, yanked out of its lair by the tail and killed in such a humiliating manner. This perhaps served as indirect proof that terrifying creatures did indeed exist within the Delusional Land. It was just that Ron and his group weren’t yet significant enough to warrant such treatment.

’I wonder if that Red Copper Dragon figured this out, and that’s why it abandoned its lair to go outside.’

”Are there other dangers inside?” Ron asked, looking at the huge, bottomless cavern beneath the banyan tree. ”Or let me rephrase: is it a good idea for us to go down there just like this?”

”How would I know?” Aiksuuri said, frustrated. ”I’m not a Green Dragon, and I can’t see the bottom of this cavern!”

”But even if there’s only a Green Dragon’s treasure down there, I suggest we prepare ourselves. They love rare jewels in colors that coordinate with their forest environment, which generally have a greenish tint and shine with a floral luster. For this reason, they’ll collect large quantities of jadeite and beryl, then use amber, rubies, tiger’s eye, and bismuthinite for embellishment. For the same reason, they also fancy intricate objects and works of art that depict the natural world.”

”But unlike the rest of the Dragon Race, Green Dragons use natural processes to transform these valuables into truly unique treasures, like wrapping or linking parts of their hoard with rare plants. They cherish their craftsmanship. A treasure hunter could be attacked merely for damaging the delicate arrangements of flowers and vines around the treasury, to say nothing of touching the secret hoard within.”

”In any case, I don’t think an old Green Dragon’s lair is going to be some serene, peaceful place. Rather than hope its treasure is perfectly intact, we should hope that whatever killed it also ransacked the place, destroyed the wards, and left some scraps for us.”

”I’ll go down and take a look first. Spider Walking Magic.”

Silvia cast the spell and walked down the nearly vertical cavern wall. ”If everything’s all right, I’ll cast Light Magic. Benefactor, you can use Feather Fall Magic to jump down with them.”

Silvia moved at a steady pace, making no sound. Like a cat, she vanished silently into the darkness. A few minutes later, Ron saw a faint orb of light ignite far below.

Feather Fall Magic could carry up to five creatures, preventing any fall-related injuries until the spell ended. As for Aiksuuri, it didn’t need Ron’s help; it could simply flap its wings and descend slowly to the cavern floor.

”The being that killed the Green Dragon probably isn’t hurting for money.” Silvia said, extinguishing the Light Magic. Lacking Dark Vision, Ron had to make his own light—by snapping a spoon.

”It’s almost completely untouched...” Aiksuuri said, pulling back its unstoppable drool with a SLURP. ”So much good stuff!”

Emeralds, jadeite, amber... Countless types and quantities of precious Gemstones were methodically embedded throughout the Green Dragon’s lair according to some aesthetic principle, transforming the underground space into a Gemstone garden. And this was only the entrance hall.

”Don’t go near that passage leading further down,” Aiksuuri warned the others as they explored. ”Green Dragons excavate an extra, lower level to torment their prisoners and playthings. There are no connecting tunnels on that level; once a creature falls in, it’s nearly impossible for it to climb back out.”

”This must be its bedroom, right?” Sera asked, lifting a curtain woven from living plants. ”The dragon is dead, but its bed—grown from plants—is still alive.”

”Hey, not bad. It’s pretty comfortable,” Aiksuuri said, bouncing on the bed. Made for an old Green Dragon, the bed was far too large for him. ”If I weren’t so picky about where I sleep, I’d totally move in.”

”Oh, give me a break. You’re only eight, what’s there to be picky about?” Delaford retorted, also jumping onto the plant-bed. He was so small, however, that he was in constant danger of slipping through the gaps between the branches. ”I thought you slept like a log in the trading post’s main hall the other day.”

”That’s because I was exhausted! Exhausted!” Aiksuuri stressed.

”Fine, and maybe there’s one other tiny reason: having a Giant Dragon’s skeleton on your doorstep is a bit of a bad omen.”

After all, this wasn’t his trophy. Otherwise, Aiksuuri would have definitely hung the Green Dragon’s skeleton from the highest point of the banyan tree’s canopy to show off to all the surrounding creatures.

”Forget that, can you come help me with this?”

Ron’s voice came from the adjacent room. He’d found the Green Dragon’s personal library, but due to the *slight* size disparity between himself and the old dragon, the books and bookshelves—perfectly sized for their owner—were practically towering over Ron and well out of his reach.

”Magic Canons! Now this is good stuff,” Aiksuuri said, his jaw dropping as he too stared up at the enormous bookshelves that spanned two entire floors. ”If you don’t want to just copy Magic by rote, but actually plan to understand spell models and the principles of Casting from the source—so you can optimize spells or even create your own later on—then these Magic Canons will be your greatest asset.”

”So, which one do you want to read? I’ll get it down for you.”