To Hell with Being a Saint, I’m a Doctor - Chapter 187: Wyvern Mountain Range (2)

The wyvern village bore a slight resemblance to an elf village.

The main difference lay in the scarcity of trees, likely a result of the high altitude.

Mist-like clouds roamed about, a clear indicator of the elevation.

Upon entering the village, Ray immediately drew many gazes, probably due to the human scent he emitted.

A middle-aged man, who seemed to be a local, approached the young man leading Ray.

The middle-aged man communicated with the young guide telepathically, and Ray overheard their exchange.

“So, it’s a human. What brings him here? It’s rare for other races to visit our village.”

“He’s an interesting human.”

“Oh? That is intriguing.”

Their lips remained still as they conversed, and the man laughed heartily, radiating a refreshing aura.

The young man moved past the older one, heading toward the village’s edge, with Ray in tow, still the focus of the villagers’ scrutiny. At the fringe, they came upon a small house.

The idea of wyverns building and inhabiting houses was unexpectedly surprising.

Then again, given that orcs construct huts and camps, it wasn’t far-fetched for wyverns, as high-level sentient beings, to build houses.

The environment had already been modified to accommodate life in human form.

Ray followed the young man inside, where the house contained nothing more than a table, chairs, and an old painting—a stark yet somewhat impressive setup.

The young man casually took a seat and signaled for Ray to do the same.

“Now, let’s get to the point. What brings you so earnestly to our realm?”

Ray replied, “As I mentioned earlier, I’m here to negotiate the relocation of your lair.”

“As I said before, that’s not a decision I can make alone.”

“Then lead me to the wyvern with the authority to make that call.”

“Hmm… Fine. But there is one stipulation.”

“A stipulation?”

Ray looked quizzical.

The wyvern flashed a smile and held up a finger.

“The law of the strong rules in the wyvern world. The powerful dictate all. If you can defeat me, I will take you to our Lord.”

Quite a challenge, typical of the wyvern race.

Their desire for combat likely shaped their strength-focused society.

Ray uttered a command.

“Hold.”

Mana around him began to respond and move.

The massive surge of mana was impossible for the wyvern to ignore.

Despite recognizing it, the wyvern couldn’t counter it; it was like knowing a punch was coming but still getting hit.

He expressed surprise as his movement was suddenly restricted.

“Hold… Are you a higher-level magical entity than me?”

“That’s right. Does this prove I’m the stronger one?”

“Certainly. It’s a bit deflating, but it’s sufficient proof.”

“Cancel.”

With that word, the gathered mana dispersed instantly.

His control had reached a refined level.

“To subdue a wyvern, that’s unprecedented for a human. Shouldn’t you be more pleased?”

Considering his past experiences, subduing a wyvern was minor.

Ray shook his head and uttered a single phrase.

“Quickly.”

“Understood.”

Is the law of the strong this convenient? It feels as easy as commanding Zik.

As he was about to leave the house, he paused and looked back.

“…Your name?”

“Ray.”

“Ray… I’ll remember that. I’ll challenge you again. My true name is Karnada.”

Karnada.

In their language, it means ‘life.’

It was a name he couldn’t help but like.

“I’ll remember that too, Karnada.”

“I look forward to it.”

The Wyvern Lord, the highest position among wyverns.

As expected of the wyvern leader, only the strongest could hold this position.

If they showed even a slight weakness or lost in combat, they had to step down immediately.

Thus, the concept of a Wyvern Lord differed from that of other races.

While somewhat similar in being the leader, the ease of replacement by a new, stronger contender was quite peculiar.

The leader of a race was beneficial in some ways but could also bring chaos.

For instance, what if the next Lord opposed the actions of the previous one?

The disliking of the current location of the village or the strategies in place could present an example.

Such frequent changes might cause confusion among the tribe.

This was all backed by the law of the strong.

The wyverns’ prideful nature shaped a world governed by strength, offering a convenient pretext to suppress chaos and silence objections with each change of Lord.

Possessing the greatest authority within the tribe, their power was beyond comparison with other races.

However, this authority could shift with a single duel.

Ray experienced quite the surprise upon visiting the Wyvern Lord’s residence.

Unlike the house of Aira, who might be regarded as the elf Lord, the Wyvern Lord’s dwelling was remarkably plain.

It was a wooden house with a wooden fence.

The windows were ordinary, with sporadic patches of grass in the yard.

Sensing his thoughts, Karnada telepathically commented:

“It’s just a preference.”

“…Preference, huh…”

Well, it was best to move past preferences.

Before entering, Karnada paused at the door, likely sending a telepathic message.

After a brief wait, the door swung open, revealing a disheveled-haired girl.

Yawning, she clearly had been roused from sleep, given the evening hour.

Good children go to bed early and rise early, right? The Wyvern Lord before him was a living testament to that.

The girl, of a similar stature to Aira, inquired:

“What’s the matter?”

In response, Karnada offered a slight bow.

“This human wishes to meet with the Lord, so I have brought him here.”

The Wyvern Lord glanced at Ray and then voiced a significant observation.

“…Your mana lordship is quite unique, isn’t it?”

Ray flinched at her astute observation.

‘She noticed my mana lordship?’

The Wyvern Lord before him discerned a uniqueness in him that had previously gone unnoticed by others.

That was no small matter.

It indicated that she was either his superior or on a comparable level.

Ray’s tension mounted slightly.

This encounter didn’t promise to be straightforward.

She might even be more formidable than Aira, the guardian of the High Elves.

The Wyvern Lord casually opened the door.

“Come in, let’s talk inside.”

“Thank you.”

“You can go now.”

“…Understood.”

Karnada seemed somewhat dejected as he nodded and turned to leave. The Wyvern Lord then gestured toward the interior of her house.

“What are you waiting for? Come in.”

As Ray entered, he thought to himself,

‘This is odd?’

She spoke with moving lips, a strangely eerie sight, possibly because wyverns typically communicate telepathically.

Noticing his thoughts, she grinned.

“Projecting thoughts into someone’s mind gives me a headache. I personally prefer speaking like this. That’s why I learned several human languages.”

She was a wyvern of unique character.

Ray glanced around the interior.

The inside was as plain as the outside.

Simple, almost modest.

There were hardly any decorations, with only a lone bed in the room.

Nonchalantly sitting on the bed, she said,

“Find a comfortable spot.”

“……”

A comfortable spot? There wasn’t even a place to sit, except for the bed.

With only a bed for furniture, where could he sit that would be considered appropriate?

Ray casually sat on the opposite side of the bed.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

The Wyvern Lord yawned again, covering her mouth.

“I want you to move the lair.”

Her expression sharpened at his direct request, and she paused her yawn.

“Why?”

“It’s not really about being above the empire, but your kind is harming the civilians. Like sudden attacks or using magic.”

After pondering for a moment, the Lord nodded.

“I understand. But isn’t it the same with humans? Expanding their territories and driving others out?”

“…Hmm.”

He couldn’t refute her valid point.

Indeed, when orcs set up camps, local lords dispatched troops to drive them out.

Seen from her perspective, humans’ actions in claiming the continent for themselves wouldn’t look favorable.

She continued, “The strong define justice. This isn’t just our tribal rule but a universal law in this world. Humans defend their realms with their strength, driving away monsters. But they overlook the possibility of being overtaken by someone stronger.”

“So, you’re saying if I want, I should drive you out by force?”

“That’s the idea.”

She answered more easily than I expected.

But I wasn’t surprised.

I had considered this possibility even before I came here.

Ray began to gather mana.

Mana around him resonated, converging toward him.

The surroundings vibrated intensely, contrasting with their relaxed seating on the bed.

Ray asked,

“One question. How did you know my mana lordship was unique?”

“A simple answer. My kin brought you here, meaning he was overpowered by you, according to our tribal rule. So, I checked and found your mana peculiarly absent. With no internal mana, I had to consider the uniqueness of your mana lordship.”

In summary, she had made a prediction rather than using any special ability.

Ray smirked.

“So, it was just a guess. And here I was, getting tense.”

He had been inwardly bracing for a confrontation with someone at Aira’s level.

Though still cautious, his initial tension had lessened.

As Ray continued to amass mana, now dense enough to color the air around him, he declared,

“The law of the strong? Sounds good.”