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The Tale of the Wizrain Kingdom

The Fire Dragon, Elnalfia: Part One

Translated by: S3

Treat me to a Ko-Fi to give me more motivation!!!

*****

「...This place is...?」

Elna looked up blankly at the building she had arrived at. A single streetlamp at the edge of the road quietly illuminated the roof, from which a long, narrow spire protruded. The destination was just a church.

The transom window directly above the entrance was dark. This meant there was no one inside. The night was already deep. It was only natural that no one was there, but Elna felt thoroughly disheartened.

「And it’s a church of the Elnalfia Order... Which means it wouldn't be strange for the [Dragon Scale] to be here in the first place, I suppose...」

Elna had tracked the presence emanating from the [Dragon Scale] itself, not the stolen jewel. Whether it was named so because it had the power to enhance magic, or because it truly resembled a scale, or perhaps both, was unclear, but she felt it wouldn't be all that strange for a church to venerate something bearing the name of the same dragon.

「I guess it was a wasted trip after all,」 a voice slipped out along with a sigh.

The Hamster Spirit poked its head out of her pocket, peering around. 「Look, I told you it’s cold,」 she said, gently poking its squishy forehead with her index finger, unsure if spirits could even feel cold, when it happened.

「...Is someone there?」

The heavy door creaked open, and from beyond it appeared the Priest she had met before. Dressed in white, he still wore that gentle smile. Elna hurriedly bowed and apologized for the late hour, but he smiled and said, 「Old folks sleep lightly anyway.」

「Did you perhaps come to see Kakami? I’m sorry to say, but that child isn’t here right now.」

「Eh. At this hour...?」

「Truly, where on earth has she gone? Do you not know, miss? If you have any idea, I would very much like you to tell me...」

Of course, she wouldn't know. Recalling that he had asked a similar question when she visited before, she looked inside the open door and couldn't help but follow the trail of glowing footprints that continued dot by dot. The footprints she was searching for led inside the church.

「Is something the matter? It must be cold outside. I don't know what happened, but please, come inside if you like.」

The Priest spoke gently to Elna, who was staring intently at the floor. As if guided, she stepped into the church. Inside, it was as empty and dim as ever. Dot by dot... The closer she got, the stronger the scent of mana became.

「...Priest, is the [Dragon Scale] here?」

「The [Dragon Scale]? Of course it is. Ideally, we would have a real scale of Lady Elnalfia... It is just a jewel, but we enshrine it as a substitute.」

「I see. That makes sense.」

「More importantly, do you truly not know where Kakami went? I am very worried. Kakami has been acting strange lately. I thought you might know something.」

「...No, I haven't seen Kakami since then.」

He grabbed her shoulder forcefully, and Elna frowned. He seemed surprisingly strong for an old man, but she couldn't say anything other than she didn't know.

「I'm sorry, I really don't know,」 she said, firmly shaking him off and putting some distance between them.

「Sniff, sniff, gonsu.」

The hamster seemed excited about something. "Calm down," she said, reaching into her pocket, but it scurried up Elna's sleeve and hissed threateningly.

「—This guy smells like seeds, gonsu!」

「...Seeds?」

Elna blinked, thinking about the meaning of the hushed voice only she could hear. 「What a cute hamster,」 the Priest smiled, taking a step closer. (Seeds...?) Sunflower seeds? She traced back her memory.

The Hamster Spirit had thrown a seed with full force at the face of the culprit who stole the [Dragon Scale]. From the Priest's perspective, that scent was speaking.

(No, surely that’s...)

She furrowed her brow in doubt, wondering if it could be true, and recalled the rainy day.

—I hear Lady Elnalfia did not favor the rain. It is said she detested it as something impure.

The Priest had certainly said that. But at the time, Elna had found it terribly strange.

(Elnalfia certainly wasn't fond of rain... but detest it? That’s not true.)

When it rained, she couldn't fly freely, which was annoying. After all, flying with Vaid on her back had eventually turned into boundless joy for Elnalfia.

「...Elnalfia did not hate the rain.」

「...Pardon?」

It has been a long history. Things change as they are passed down. This might be one of those things.

But still, the sense of incongruity grew.

「It is true that for Elnalfia, a Fire Dragon, rain is unnecessary. But for the people living in this land, who suffer from a lack of rainfall, it is different. Rain is a blessing from the world. There is no way they would consider it impure.」

—If Lady Elnalfia truly has reincarnated, I would very much like to be informed. Why on earth do they not make it clear...?

Thinking back, if the Priest's words were spoken with the recognition that Elna was from the castle, they contained a malice unbecoming of a priest. Elna didn't think much of it because she knew she was the Dragon's reincarnation, but a normal maid would surely have felt uneasy about Elnalfia's existence upon hearing his words.

(Besides.)

The day of the festival, the second time she met the Priest.

Elna opened the church door and saw the empty room with her own eyes.

There were no people. No sounds. And yet—there was the presence of multiple people.

「Rain is impure... Would a priest truly say such words?」

「I apologize. I am still inexperienced, so it seems I have caused a misunderstanding.」

「Inexperienced, you say. Then, do you not know the name of this country either?」

Elna sighed and looked up at him suspiciously, but the Priest only frowned in response.

Various doubts piled up, taking shape.

—When you are here, it really feels like being in the rain.

Saying that, the King, who was no longer here, had laughed at Elna. Every time she dove into the clouds with Vaid on her back and got soaked, she was happy, loud, and joyful. When it rained, the people of the country rejoiced, spreading their arms to thank the sky for its blessing.

「Lamenting a country with little rain, and wishing for the future, the First King, Vaid, named it Wizrain, meaning Living with Rain. Don't tell me you don't know the name of this country.」

Now then. Elna's blue eyes pierced the man.

「—Who are you?」