Author: Akashari	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: Mui	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Whoa… It’s been a while since I last saw one, but it’s still massive.”

I arrived at the open plains, where the visibility was clear, and the silhouette of the enemy in the distance stood out starkly.

The sheer size of it made it feel like part of a mountain had come to life and started moving. It was enough to mess with my sense of scale.

But there was no mistaking it—this thing was alive. The proof was in the way it let out that indescribable growl, steadily closing the distance to the town.

“Ninth… Uh, this is Laika. I’ve encountered the dragon in question. As expected, it appears to be cloaked in what looks like the curse of the ghost ship. If it reaches the town, that’s game over.”

I sealed the message into a ball of wind and launched it toward the town. I had tied it to the house head’s magic, so it should track its target automatically.

It would take some time for the message to arrive and for a response to come back. In the meantime, I figured I might as well try what I could.

“Hey! Momo! If you’re alive, answer me! If you’re dead, at least have the decency to report it!”

I called out, amplifying my voice using wind, but there was no response—nothing even close to one.

I guess I had to assume she was dead. Even with her incredible physical abilities, it must have been too much to escape with the others and survive herself.

“―GUOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”
“Tch, so it noticed.”

With the volume I’d used to call out, of course, my voice had reached the dragon’s ears, even at this distance.

To it, I must have been no bigger than a grain of rice, but somehow, it still managed to spot me. And the intent radiating from it was unmistakably murderous.

“Looks like you’re more than ready to fight. Fine by me. I’ve been feeling pretty irritated myself… You’ll make a good punching bag.”

The dragon’s roar made the air tremble, and from the vibration, countless shards of stone began to form.

It seemed the magic power carried in its roar had manifested as earth-element magecraft. For the dragon, this kind of thing seemed as natural as breathing. What a terrifying creature.

The sharp stone fragments floating around me would attack from every direction in less than a second.

“Water sphere…”
“AAAHHHH!! MASTER!!! HELP MEEEEE!!!”

The spell I was about to cast nearly misfired in surprise.

I barely managed to switch to a silent incantation in time, forming a water shield to avoid getting my entire body riddled with holes. Still, that timing felt like pure malice.

“…I told you to respond if you were alive, didn’t I, you pink-haired idiot!!”
“Even Master called me an idiot! I was doing my best to survive, you know!?”

I was using magecraft to amplify my voice, but her voice carried surprisingly well even at this distance.

The general direction was clear—it was coming from somewhere near the dragon. But no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t see Momo anywhere.

“Fine, you’re alive, so I won’t complain… for now. Where are you, exactly? I can’t see you from here.”
“Um, uh… This is really hard to explain, but can you promise not to get mad?”
“Just tell me. I’ll decide how to feel after hearing the details.”
“Well! To put it simply, I’m… inside Mr. Dragon’s tummy! I got, uh, eaten!”
“…Live long and prosper.”
“Don’t abandon me!! Wait, hold on! There’s a good reason for this!!”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“Oh no… I didn’t think this far ahead…!”

I managed to hurl the two away, but whatever half-baked plan I’d been working with had already run its course.

Ahead of me stood a thick rock wall. Behind me, that terrifying cursed mass known as the ghost ship was closing in.

This was it. No way out. No matter how hard I tried, there didn’t seem to be a path to survival.

“Will Master be mad at me…?”

Even in a moment like this, all I could think of was Master’s angry face.

She’d probably throw a bunch of complicated words at me in rapid succession while scolding me. Too bad I wouldn’t be around to hear it if I died.

Would they build a grave for me in this world? The thought of dying made me feel strangely uneasy, and my eyes started to sting, and then… hot, hot, hot—wait, why is my back so hot?!

“Ow, ow, ow! What’s happening?!”

—Boom!

I leaped away from the earthen wall I’d been leaning against just as part of it exploded with a dull sound.

Obviously, I hadn’t done anything to cause this. And that fiery explosion…

“Mr. Nova! Thank you so much!!”

This had to be Mr. Nova’s magic, left behind just before he escaped.

Just as the black tentacles reached for me, I dove through the hole in the wall they had opened.

I barely made it. If the timing had been even a second off, I wouldn’t have escaped—or worse, I’d have been caught in the blast.

“GUOOOOOO…!!!”
“Yikes…!”

A bone-chilling growl rumbled behind me, so unnerving that I couldn’t stop the goosebumps from spreading all over.

I didn’t dare turn around. But there was no way they’d let me go so easily. I had to check what was happening.

With my heart pounding so hard it might burst, I forced myself to glance back for just a moment.

“――Huh?”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“And then!! I saw something absolutely shocking!!”
“Too long!! Just get to the point! I don’t have time for your rambling!”

Even as Momo rambled on, the dragon’s relentless onslaught didn’t let up.

Spears of rock shot up from below, sharp fragments rained in from all directions, and landslides of debris fell from above. Every attack ranged from deadly strikes to feints meant to set up future moves. There was no way I could spare the attention to entertain her chatter.

“If you managed to escape, then why did you get caught again?! And are you even actually alive right now?!”
“Well, you see, I did try to escape! But then, when Mr. Dragon opened its mouth, I saw something!”
“Saw what, exactly?!”
“A person! Inside the dragon—or maybe it’s the ghost ship? Anyway, there is a living person in there!!”

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