Chapter 46

I got up early and helped out at the bakery.

When that was done, I returned to the dormitory to eat breakfast and spent the rest of the time talking with Ark before class started.

We were allowed to do whatever we wanted once classes finished, and I always went to the bakery if I was free.

Like that, the first ten days went by rather uneventfully.

“By the way, we talked about the war between Ryukoku and Makoku before, didn’t we?”

Ark said one day as we were chatting.

“Uhh, yeah. You were telling me about the start of the Lucustra dynasty.”

“Yes. Ryukoku was on the brink of destruction, but thanks to the rebellion started by the People of the Mist, they were able to make a peace treaty with Makoku.”

I recalled what Ark had told me.

Ryukoku had been weakened by so many Dragon Masters leaving.

Makoku initially had an advantage, but that was taken away after the rebellion.

“I remember that. What about it?”

“But did I tell you that the People of the Mist were originally from Ryukoku?”

“No…I don’t think so.”

I thought they were just a small tribe of people that lived in the mountains.

“According to a legend that is told in my homeland, the People of the Mist were a group that left the old capital. They were called Searchers and Wanderers back then.”

Stories about the age during the old capital were not talked about very much.

The main reason was that most of the documents during that time were destroyed. It didn’t help that the royal line had also ended there.

“Are you saying they started the rebellion out of loyalty to Ryukoku?”

Had they stood up to save their old country from danger?

“I don’t think that had anything to do with it. They had plenty of reason to be angry with Makoku. Besides, once that was done, they were finally accepted properly by the country.”

“They were absorbed.”

“Yes. If I had the authority and capable subordinates…and lots of time… I would use it to uncover the secrets of our old capital.”

“Which secrets?”

“About the royal family that disappeared, for one. …Well, it’s just a dream I have. It will never come true.”

Ark said. He seemed a little less lively than usual.

He had a strong fondness for his hometown. But his goals were very different from mine.

Life in the Dragon Academy continued peacefully without incident.

I was now used to studying and was able to fit in with my classmates. It was then that Instructor Kisa said that we would go and pay the Second-Years a little visit, so we could watch them.

Watching as part of studying.

It was boring having to sit in our chairs all of the time. But going outside always meant intense exercising, and so the others were starting to lose their enthusiasm and were finding it harder to concentrate. So this was good timing.

It would be nice to see a real dragon.

Such things must have been considered when creating the curriculum.

“The Second-Years are currently practicing formations. Now, let’s go.”

Instructor Kisa took us past the athletic field and down a path through the forest.

“There will be a lot of dragons there, so please be careful.”

She warned before we came out.

“What!?”

There was a group of over 50 dragons.

“Wow.”

“So many!?”

The others gasped.

“There they are. Some veteran Dragon Masters are mixed in with them. They are practicing formations and taking their positions. Let’s go a little closer.”

Instructor Kisa took us to an elevated platform where we would have a better view.

When I looked at the Dragon Masters, it was very easy to tell who was a veteran and who was a Second-Year.

The dragons of the Second-Years seemed awkward.

Dragons were supposed to understand the will of the rider, but in this case, the Dragon Masters did not know what speed, what distance and what direction they wanted to fly in.

They were just desperate to keep up with the constantly changing formations, and their timing was completely off.

“The difference is pretty huge.”

“Leon. What are your thoughts after seeing them?”

Instructor Kisa asked after hearing my mutterings.

“You said they were practicing formations, but it’s more like they are practicing moving between formations. As the center dragon changes, the Dragon Masters who are unable to make quick judgments are lagging behind.”

“Are you from a military family, Leon?”

“No? We’re bakers.”

“Well, is there a Dragon Master in your family? A distant relative, perhaps?”

“Not at all.”

“I see. Perhaps you have a natural gift then. I was going to explain it later, but this training is just what you said. They are practicing so they are able to keep up when a formation changes. There is a Dragon Master that will be in the center when it happens, but the Second-Years have trouble knowing which one it is.”

The other students muttered, ‘ah’ and ‘I see.’

“As there are different types of Moon Beasts, it is necessary to change formations immediately and minimize the damage as they fight. Flying dragons will crash into each other if they are not guided properly.”

That would be very dangerous for the rider. They might get thrown off and die.

“The first thing a Dragon Master must learn is how to maintain the right distance from other dragons. Well, medium-sized dragons don’t have much to worry about. Ah, here it comes.”

Everyone looked in the direction that Instructor Kisa was pointing.

“Woooah!?”

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”

Several people shouted and screamed.

Medium dragons were supposed to be able to crush Moon Beasts by themselves.

And one had arrived.

“Medium-sized dragons are 100 meters long, including the tail. Please don’t forget it. It will be in the test later on.”

She was clearly joking, but no one laughed.

The dragon that we were looking at would probably be categorized as an Earth Dragon.

They were known to be larger than Running Dragons and Flying Dragons of medium size.

And it was much faster than I expected!

Every time it moved, the ground would shake, and it’s frightening face came closer to us.

A few students even ran. It couldn’t be helped.

When facing someone you had no chance against, humans would be exposed to a deep-rooted fear.

“Yes. There is Instructor Jinis, who trains the Second-Years. He’s come to say hello.”

I think you mean he’s come to scare us to death.

I bet they did this every year on purpose.

After all, I could see that Instructor Jinis was enjoying himself.

“Hello, fledglings. Are you surprised?”

His expression was so smug that it almost felt malicious.

Thanks for reading! Stay safe everyone!