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“The Human-Dragon War is ancient history even for dragons. Many of them haven’t seen it with their own eyes. It was back when my father was still a child.”

Kafal cleared away the overgrown grass with her claws and tail. The plants that had covered the area were scattered into ashes along with sparks. She was using the power of fire that she held within her, but she couldn’t use her breath here, so she suppressed the output and used her own body as a catalyst.

If this place was a ‘ship,’ then there should be more than just living spaces, like engine rooms and bridges. They had been searching for the way that leads there.

At first glance, the walls and ceiling seemed empty, so they focused on what was underfoot.

“At that time, humans… focused on attacking dragon hatchlings. They were willing to exchange millions of lives for one hatchling because they believed it would give them an advantage in the long run.”
“Yes, that story is also known among humans.”
“I’ve heard that story so much, but… even the millions of humans who fought and died in that war were someone’s parents or children. It’s just natural.”
“That’s right. So, I think any kind of war is a tragedy.”

To avoid interfering with Kafal, Lucella clung to her back.

While cleaning the miniature garden, Lucella and Kafal talked about ancient battles.

The Human-Dragon War had lasted for over a hundred years, but it was an event that occurred over a thousand years ago. For Kafal, who was just over two hundred years old, it was long before her birth, and even for the elder dragon Shurei, those were the younger days.

In the world of humans, even for the old elves, it was simply “tales from when their grandparents were children.”

Nevertheless, the memory of the war was passed down among humans due to the Temple forces’ commitment to preserving war memories and preventing a resurgence of the Human-Dragon War.

Every human, at least according to the Temple’s goals, had the opportunity to learn freely and unconditionally in the Temple schools. They started with reading, writing, and math and then moved on to basic education about contemporary society and history. One topic that was certainly included in their curriculum was the war with the dragons a thousand years ago.

People were well aware of just how devastating that war was for both humans and dragons and how a new world order was established, allowing humans and dragons to coexist. Thanks to this knowledge, there fortunately hadn’t been a second Human-Dragon War, although there have been close calls.

“Hey, Lucella. Could this be it?”

In the area that had turned into a burnt field due to Kafal’s controlled flames, she noticed something.

While there had been no obvious entrance on the ground to go underground, right next to the house was a rather impressive well with a cute roof.

Kafal seized the roof with her talons and removed it… or rather, broke it off.

To their surprise, there were no signs of a bucket or other means to draw water; instead, a spiraling staircase led down into a hollow space beneath the well.

“Is this a secret underground room… or simply a staircase to the lower level?”

This place was essentially an artificial miniature garden that replicated the external environment. If there had been another means of water supply, the well might have been purely decorative. However, even for a decorative element, disguising a staircase like this was quite an eccentric choice. Upon closer inspection, there appeared to be steps leading into the well.

Lucella hopped down from Kafal’s back and descended the staircase. Kafal’s massive body, of course, couldn’t fit, but she conjured a humanoid form and followed Lucella down the stairs.

Compared to the sunlight-mimicking lighting in the miniature garden, it initially seemed quite dark. However, after a moment, Lucella’s eyes adjusted, and she noticed an artificial light source downstairs.

The staircase was covered in what seemed to be dust, presumably from the intrusion from the miniature garden, but it gradually became thinner as she descended.

At the bottom of the staircase, there was a silvery door. It had a glossy appearance like pieces of armor, and there didn’t seem to be a handle to open it. However, as Lucella approached, it opened on its own.

“Wow, this feels completely different.”

The space on the other side of the door was entirely different from the rustic countryside-like miniature garden.

There was a corridor of what seemed to be a magically smoothed stone with rooms lined up on both sides. The hallway was softly lit by inexplicable lights embedded in the ceiling at regular intervals. Unlike the rustling of grass in the miniature garden, it was so quiet here that it almost hurt the ears.

The doors to the rooms were either left open or firmly closed. Unlike the entrance from the miniature garden, approaching them didn’t cause the closed doors to open.

“Let’s start by checking the open doors. I’ll go first.”

Kafal took the lead in the investigation. Her conjured form could be remade countless times, even if it were to be harmed, so the risk of stepping into a potentially dangerous place was low for her.

However, the first room that Lucella and Kafal investigated didn’t seem particularly dangerous.

“Could this be a kitchen?”

After looking around the room, Kafal spoke in a somewhat disappointed tone. Lucella entered the presumed kitchen and confirmed that it indeed appeared to be one.

There were two long tables made of silver-colored material, something resembling a sink with a faucet, and spaces for placing pots. Along the walls, there was a massive shelf with what looked like a refrigerator, as well as cases for storing dishes. Everything was generally neatly organized, but inside one of the pots left out, there were remnants of something that had once been food, now dried and withered.

“I think so. I found it strange that the house in the miniature garden had no cooking facilities, but I guess this is where they were.”

In other words, Lucella speculated that the house in the miniature garden was merely a place to experience the feeling of being in nature, while the actual living facilities were located here.

“This is a peculiar container.”

Kafal was examining a strange cylindrical silver container that was placed nearby. It appeared to be some form of can, but Lucella couldn’t figure out how to open it other than through destructive means.

“Before the Human-Dragon War, the humans had incredible technology… They could preserve food for a hundred years without magic. Well, it’s from around a thousand years ago, so I doubt it’s edible regardless.”
“For ordinary people, it might be impossible, but Lucella, you could eat it, right?”
“As a last resort… The real issue isn’t that; it’s about taste and the dignity of the one eating it. So, if I’m really starving, I’ll give it a try.”

Lucella couldn’t bring herself to destroy the ancient canned food and taste its contents. If they found themselves unable to escape from this ship and faced starvation, they could consider it at that point.

“Anyway! We have to find a way to escape before you get hungry, Mom.”
“You worry too much.”

Even if they gathered the food available here, it would likely not be enough for Kafal. Lucella was naturally concerned about this, but Kafal just ruffled her head as if to say, “What cute thoughts this child has,” and nuzzled her cheeks, much like how one would pet a cat.

“I haven’t eaten in over a year, but I ate a lot when I came hunting, so I should be fine without food for another half-year.”
“…Could it be that a dragon’s body is more resilient than I thought?”

Lucella realized that there was still much she needed to learn about the creature right next to her.

“I wonder what kind of dishes the parent and child who lived on this ship used to make and how they ate them.”

Freed by Kafal, Lucella examined the kitchen’s equipment and the contents of the drawers in the preparation area, her thoughts drifting back a thousand years. From the perspective of an adventurer or a manager, this place was a treasure trove of valuable technology that should be sold to guilds and scholars. But for the people who lived here a thousand years ago, it was simply a part of their everyday life. Their emotions were tied to this place…

—Wait a minute. This is clearly a large facility capable of cooking for multiple people, right? Why was there only a bed for two people…?

As Lucella pondered the lives of people from a thousand years ago, she couldn’t shake a feeling of unease. While she didn’t know exactly what kinds of dishes people used to make, the amount of food they cooked should have been roughly the same, given that human sizes hadn’t changed. There were two large pots left untouched and approximately forty plates of various sizes. Considering the size of this “ship,” it seemed like it could accommodate a significant number of people. They had the facilities, but were they never used? Or did the crew have many members, and the two guests were the only ones enjoying the hobby of living in this pleasant little garden environment?

“Lucella, come here! There’s ‘something’ over there,” Kafal called out.

While Lucella was lost in thought, Kafal had ventured elsewhere. Hearing her voice from the hallway, Lucella peeked out from the kitchen.

At the far end of the surprisingly long corridor, there was indeed something there. Blocking the door at the end of the corridor stood what looked like a metallic figure, tarnished and clouded, like a decorative suit of armor.

“Is that a golem?”
“I think so. It seems that ancient people used golems as well.”

Lucella and Kafal split up on either side of the corridor, watching the figure at the end of the hall from behind the doors. It was common for people to use security golems in places with a shortage of manpower or in situations where using humans was impractical, both in ancient and modern times. However, the tarnished silver doll remained immobile, unresponsive to their presence. It hadn’t fulfilled its security duty.

“Left alone for a thousand years, it’s probably broken……”

【××××.××××××××××. …××××】

No.

Suddenly, the ancient golem uttered an unknown language in a monotonous tone, and its slit-like eyes, like a helmet, lit up with a bluish-white glow.

【×××××××××. ××××××××××××××】

“…Apparently not!!”

The golem came to life. Its body, composed of mysterious metal, creaked slightly, and it swiftly raced down the corridor in an ideal running form, approaching rapidly. Then, a burst of light erupted from the golem’s arm, forming a blade-like structure!

With a deafening low-pitched sound resembling the flight of a large insect, the light blade flashed.

The blade passed precisely through the space just above Lucella’s head where her neck had been moments ago as she had instinctively crouched down.