Chapter 347
Although I had entered the dragon stable, the silver-white Sprint Drake still showed almost no reaction to me. However, I could tell that its eyes were open just a sliver. It didn't seem completely indifferent.
The fact that it was willing to listen meant there was room for negotiation. However, my predecessors had proven through personal experience that raising my voice and trying to force the matter would be an immediate failure. I would have to approach it carefully and in a friendly manner.
"Hello. I'm Izamu. I'd be happy if we could get along."
I reached out my hand, but I was fortunate to notice at that exact moment that the silver-white Sprint Drake narrowed the eyes it had opened just a slit and tensed its body.
It probably disliked being touched so heedlessly. If I had continued reaching for it, it might have bitten me or struck me with its tail. That was close.
Unlike Cal, it seemed not to care much for physical affection. Its cool temperament matched its features. When I pulled my hand back with a wry smile, the Sprint Drake relaxed as well. At least I hadn't angered it.
"Still, what should I do...? If I can't touch it, I suppose I'll have to persuade it with words... Hmm."
"I told you, didn't I? I said to stop."
What, he was still here? I appreciated the advice, but he should have gone to look for his own partner. There was nothing interesting about watching me try to persuade it, was there?
Ah, I see. Despite all his taunting, he was after this Sprint Drake too, wasn't he? Its silver-white scales were beautiful, and its intelligent-looking face was incredibly cool, so I could understand how he felt. That was precisely why I wanted it as my partner too.
"I'll keep trying a little longer. It would be a waste to give up here."
"Hmph."
I said I'd keep trying, but how could I get it to react? No, before that, there was something else I needed to do. I turned my back on the player watching me, then removed my mask and revealed my true face.
Maybe the Sprint Drake was surprised by this, because it opened its narrowed eyes and raised its head. Although it was surprised, I sensed no hostility from it. Apparently, it didn't instinctively shun Undead.
"Heh heh heh, surprised? Now then... I wonder if this will surprise you too?"
I brought the 'True Scale Necklace,' which I always wore around my neck, closer to it. At first, the Sprint Drake didn't seem to understand what I was trying to do, but perhaps it realized what the necklace was made of, because this time it opened its eyes wide.
The 'True Scale Necklace' was equipment made from a scale Cal dropped when he first evolved. The important point here was that it used material from a Dragon Puppy.
"This is a scale from when my partner was still young. He's grown into a fine adult now, but... it brings back memories."
As I recalled everything that had happened since meeting Cal, I found myself reminiscing. Cal was a valuable combat asset for the clan, a source of comfort for the people of the city, and, above all, my most important partner. I had countless memories of him.
Oops, I was getting distracted. Recruiting the Sprint Drake in front of me was more important than thinking about Cal right now. Just as I thought that, the Sprint Drake brought its snout close to the 'True Scale Necklace' and began sniffing it.
"Krrrurururu."
"Whoa? What's wrong?"
The Sprint Drake let out a high-pitched cry and began patting my leg with its tail. Then words appeared in my field of vision: 'Will you participate in the competition with this Sprint Drake? Yes/No'
I had intended to persuade it by saying that I got along well with my Dragon partner, so it could safely trust me with its back. However, it seemed to have accepted me before I could say any of that. There was no doubt that I had Cal to thank. Without hesitation, I touched the 'Yes' option.
"Let's get along from now on."
"Kwoooon."
As if to say that the conversation was over, the Sprint Drake yawned once and went back to sleep. Its cool personality meant that, unlike Cal and Amaha's partner, it wouldn't show me any affection. That was a little sad, but I supposed it was part of its individuality.
Now that I had chosen a partner, I decided to check its radar chart. I operated the menu as Amaha had taught me, and a hexagonal chart like the one she had described appeared.
Its 'Top Speed' was 8.1, 'Acceleration' was 4.3, 'Endurance' was 6.6, 'Jumping Ability' was 5.5, 'Climbing Ability' was 3.0, and 'Rough-Terrain Ability' was 2.5. I suppose you could call it a speed type with decent Endurance. It would be strong on straightaways but weak on slopes and rough terrain, so I would have to watch out for those. Its stats suited its slender appearance.
Cal would probably be the exact opposite. Cal was good at flying, with high speed and maneuverability in the air. However, he was fundamentally a power fighter who excelled at wielding his fangs and claws on the front lines. If I put Cal's stats into the 'Dragon Race' radar chart, I felt he would probably excel in 'Climbing Ability' and 'Rough-Terrain Ability.' He would be weak on straightaways but strong on slopes and rough terrain.
Leaving my daydreams aside, there was something else that deserved attention. The radar chart also listed detailed information such as personality and scale color. I already knew that its personality was 'Calm and Collected' and its scale color was 'Silver-White.'
"You were female?"
What surprised me was the Sprint Drake's gender. I had thought it was a handsome male with a slender face, but apparently it was a cool beauty. So it was female... Wait, could she become Cal's wife?
Joking aside, now that I had settled on a partner, I decided to go preview the course used for the race and see how my partner ran. I put my mask back on, stood up, and turned around, only to find the one-handed swordsman still there, grinning fearlessly.
Seriously...? He was still here? He must have been very attached to her if he had waited for me to give up. Still, I felt bad about that. She was already my partner now. The Sprint Drake had chosen me, so he would just have to accept that we weren't meant to be.
"You finally gave up? You kept me waiting. Now I'll have another go at her..."
"No, she's already my partner. I'm about to take her on a trial run, so... sorry, but you'll have to choose another Sprint Drake."
When I reluctantly told him the truth, his fearless grin froze in place. A few seconds later, his face turned bright red and twisted into a Hannya-like expression.
"You—you bastard! I was going to make her mine!"
"Even so... You failed to recruit her, while I succeeded. That's why she became my partner. You have no grounds to be angry with me, do you?"
"Shut up! No matter what I said, she didn't react at all! And you made her respond...? What kind of cheat did you use!?"
"I didn't use any cheats. I have no intention of doing so, no need to, and I don't even know how."
"How am I supposed to accept that just because you say so!?"
"Huh...? If you're curious, you can ask the angel through a GM call."
Although I was more than a little exasperated, I tried to reason with the one-handed swordsman. Glaring at me, he actually made a GM call to check whether I had cheated. Perhaps he hadn't received the answer he wanted, because he contorted his face and clicked his tongue.
This was the second time someone had bothered me during an event. To be honest, it was annoying, but I endured it and tried to explain the logic behind it because I didn't want to cause trouble like last time. I had hoped that would satisfy him, but reason seemed to have no effect on the man in front of me.
"I will never forgive you...! Just you wait!"
He glared at me with such hatred that it was as if I were his parents' murderer, then turned on his heel and stalked away with his shoulders squared. The spearman, who had been practically invisible until then, hurried after him. I wanted to tell him that if he was his companion, he should be the one to calm him down.
The pointless exchange had left me somewhat tired, but I pulled myself together and decided to go on the trial run. While lifting the dragon stall's gate, I called out to the Sprint Drake, which was still lying down.
"Let's go for a run. I want to see the course and find out how well you can run."
"Krrruru."
The Sprint Drake slowly stood up, as if saying, Fine, I suppose. Her well-proportioned figure as she stood was truly beautiful. A mage in an intimidating mask and suspicious hood would be riding on her back... Judging solely by the appearance of the scene, the one-handed swordsman would probably have been a better fit.
Thinking that, we headed toward the entrance to the course inside the dragon stable. A mist-shrouded gate like the one in the event area's lobby stood there. The instant we stepped into the mist, a bright flash of light appeared before us.
"Whoa, this is the course? It looks exactly like the outdoors."
When I realized what had happened, we were standing in a different place. The surrounding area was a grassland where the grass reached my waist, but we were standing in a large clearing where the grass had been neatly cut. An impressively grand stone gate, absurdly out of place, stood there, with a road continuing beyond it. A large mountain was visible at the end of the road, so perhaps that was also part of the course.
In any case, since we had been teleported here, there was no doubt that this was the starting point. Low fences resembling guardrails ran along the edges of the road extending from the starting point, so leaving this area would presumably count as going off course.
The road was wide enough for roughly ten Sprint Drakes to run side by side. However, since the rules allowed riders to interfere with one another during the actual race, there was a good chance that running side by side would turn into a melee. Considering that, perhaps it was narrower than it seemed.
As for the condition of the road, I would say it had been well maintained. It wasn't paved with stone, but there were hardly any bumps. Immediately after the start, the terrain would favor speed-types—in other words, my partner.
"I won't know what lies ahead until I actually run it. Well then, I'll fly onto your back... Whoa!?"
When I turned around to mount the Sprint Drake for the trial run, I was in for quite a surprise. Before we were teleported, the Sprint Drake hadn't been wearing anything, but now she had been equipped with an impressive bridle and saddle.
Apparently, they were automatically equipped when we teleported. In that case, there was no need to fly onto her back. I placed my feet in the stirrups, gripped the reins, and lightly swung myself into the saddle. The riding techniques Kanna and Raga had taught me unexpectedly came in handy.
"Well then, let's take it easy."
"Krrrururu."
Since this was only a preview, there was no need to get worked up. Understanding my intentions, the Sprint Drake set off at about the speed of a brisk walk. All right, then—show me this 'Dragon Race' course!