Orc Hero Story: Discovery Chronicles - Chapter 59.3

“Did it escape through here?”

Or it could have rolled directly off the cliff. There was also the possibility that the dragon didn’t fly here but glided away. To enter or continue outside…

“Zell, what do you see?”

“Well… Right. If the dragon entered, it’s strange that the icicles at the entrance aren’t broken, but dragons are quite cunning beasts. If it crouched down, it might have been able to enter without breaking them…”

But how could someone who was fleeing so desperately exhibit such wisdom? It would be better to think that it fell off the cliff while rolling. Bash was leaning towards agreeing with Zell, but that didn’t rule out the possibility.

“I think it’s better to assume it went off the cliff.”

“No, wait!” Bash stared at the back of the ruins, his nose wrinkled. There were no marks on the stone walls or ceiling. If the dragon had slid to this spot, there should have been at least one fresh mark. If that was the case, it must have escaped through here. “I smell blood.”

“…!”

Orcs had a rough but strong sense of smell. He could detect the faint scent of blood from the depths of the ruins. There was definitely something that had shed blood.

“Inside! Let’s go!”

“Yes, sir!”

Bash and Zell entered the ruins, a bit more cautiously than before. If the dragon had escaped to a place like this, it couldn’t have simply fled. It must have had some kind of plan to win.

A surprise attack or a trap? They had no idea what the dragon might have in mind, but they remained alert, moving in the fastest way possible, and continued deeper inside.

The smell of blood grew stronger the further they went. Convinced that it was there, Bash tracked the source of the smell. His grip on his sword tightened. If it was a surprise attack, the next moment could be decisive. Would he inflict a mortal wound, or would it kill him first?

As they advanced through the ruins, they found a staircase leading up. The stairs were somewhat narrow and difficult to climb as they were crumbling, and visibility was poor. They were in a low position, with the enemy in a high position. Although there was a side opening where a surprise attack might be possible, they couldn’t see it well, and they couldn’t deny that they were at a disadvantage. The tension increased undeniably.

Finally, the staircase ended, and they emerged into a wide space. A slightly warm air gently enveloped their bodies, and at the same time, the strong smell of blood stimulated their sense of smell. At the far end of the space, there was a shining blue object serving as a light source, casting shadows in the ruins. Huge rocks and what appeared to be remnants of pillars were scattered around, so even the dragon’s enormous body would have no trouble finding a place to hide.

“…!” Bash felt something and leaped into the darkness behind the rock. Then he swung his sword and stabbed it directly where the enemy would be. “…?” He paused. “A woman?”

What stood before Bash’s sword was a woman. Pale skin, white hair. Two large horns on her head. Her clothes were somewhat outdated but quite splendid, and it was evident that she held a high status. Furthermore, they were tight-fitting, showcasing her figure and pleasing to the eye. Her body was slender, and compared to the voluptuous bodies of succubi he had seen recently, she seemed a bit lacking, but she had a precious feminine figure.

Her face was also beautiful. It had a somewhat childlike appearance but gave the impression of strength. Her golden eyes were large and beautiful, and her full lips and sharp teeth peeking through her mouth were very attractive.

However, she had scars all over her body. One of her beautiful eyes was crushed, and the wound on her neck was so deep that she was struggling to breathe, placing a hand on it. She looked at Bash with fear. She had the eyes of a completely cornered beast.

She gritted her teeth and raised her hands to protect herself, alternating her gaze between Bash’s sword and Bash himself. But finally, when she saw that Bash had stopped moving, she opened her mouth.

“He-Help… “ Her fragmented words were like those of a child who had just learned to speak. But she spoke. She looked at Bash with fear in her eyes, terrified. “Help me. Please, don’t kill, me.”

Why was such a beautiful and marvelous woman in this place? Even Bash, a veteran warrior, couldn’t help but be perplexed.

“Ah!” But Zell was different. She saw the scars on her body and had a realization. “She’s a survivor from the extermination squad!”

“…!” Bash also had a hunch and realized that such a possibility existed. He had been so absorbed in defeating the dragon that he forgot his own purpose, which was uncharacteristic of a warrior. But if he thought about it, it had been that way throughout the entire war, so he couldn’t do anything about it. “Do you mean she fled from the dragon all the way here…?”

“No, Mister, this way! Look closely!” Zell pointed in a direction. There, Bash found a space that seemed vaguely familiar. The rocks were shattered, the walls and ceiling were charred, and there was blood splattered everywhere. Looking further inside, there were melted rocks and a hole big enough for two people to fit through. This was the hole Bash and the others had entered through.

“This place was connected…?”

“That seems to be the case.”

What a surprise. This was the place where Bash had just fought against the dragon. The ruins were connected to the dragon’s lair.

“So the scent of blood from earlier…”

“So you’re saying it’s a trace of the fight we just had?”

The dragon knew it, that’s why it probably rubbed its body against the snow to diminish the scent of blood and led Bash and Zell to this place where the scent remained stronger. Bash didn’t think a dragon could pull off such a trick, but some demonic beasts did. So it didn’t surprise him.

And the woman from the extermination squad was held captive by the dragon as an emergency ration or something of the sort. Or perhaps the dragon, knowing the people habit of trying to help their own kind in a pinch, kept the woman alive for a moment like this. It might have left the wounded woman in the nest to distract them when it escaped from its lair… This was a move that humans often made during wars. Dragons were said to be extremely intelligent. It was not surprising that they would do something like that.

In any case…

“So it escaped, then…?”

“…Well, it seems so.”

The dragon escaped. Bash’s shoulders relaxed at this realization, and the tip of his sword fell to the ground.

Frizcop: Dragon waifu, dragon waifu!