First Commission (This chapter is an additional chapter)

“ROAR—!!!”

In the valley, a colossal dragon, large as a mountain, let out a sky-shattering roar. Its crimson scales gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight, radiating majesty.

—The Red Dragon, as people called this magical beast.

“Is that the target of this commission?”

We crouched behind a high rock, peeking out to observe the massive creature.

“Yes, it’s a troublesome beast, which is why we needed help. I couldn’t handle it alone.”

Gazing at the distant dragon, the blue-haired girl murmured.

No wonder… In the game, the heroine needs to be at least level 40 to defeat it.

For comparison, defeating the villainess’s dragon form in the late game requires level 55, Vladimir requires level 60, and the final boss, the Demon King, requires level 75.

But… that also shows just how dangerous this creature is.

I was deeply worried about the young lady’s safety as the vanguard.

…Is it really okay for kids like us to handle this?

“All we need to do is take it down, right?”

Yet the young lady was brimming with confidence, gripping her longsword, eager to dive in.

For ease of movement, her long hair was tied up high, and she wore a simple long-sleeve shirt and pants.

Why is she so invested in this commission? In the game, the villainess wants to join the student council but usually delegates tasks to underlings…

Oh well… If the young lady wants to do this, I’ll support her silently and ensure her safety.

“Ready?”

The plan was simple: a direct assault, swift and decisive.

Since the Red Dragon is sensitive to magic, the young lady would strike first to create an opening.

“Mm.”

The young lady crouched, her leg muscles tensing, her sword held at her side—a sign of an impending charge.

“Here I go!”

With that, she leaped forward, plummeting toward the dragon like a meteor.

Her movements were so swift that the dragon only noticed her when she was mere inches away.

“HAAA!”

A downward slash, carrying immense momentum, struck the dragon’s head!

CLANG!!

The force was so great it made the massive dragon stagger.

…Unfortunately, its scales were too tough, and the blow only sparked slightly, failing to pierce its armor.

“ROAR—!”

Clearly, the dragon was enraged.

It swung its claw, but the young lady used the force of her attack to flip and dodge.

But its assault didn’t end there.

Its long neck suddenly swelled… likely a sac storing fuel.

“ROAR!!!”

Opening its maw, it unleashed a torrent of flames at the young lady’s landing spot!

…But I was already by her side.

“Young lady, stay behind me!”

Spreading my arms, I channeled magic into a pre-constructed spell.

A five-meter-thick ice wall instantly rose before us, shielding us from the blaze.

The surroundings were engulfed in a sea of fire, but behind us, all was calm, like two separate worlds.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s magic was ready.

“Raging Tide, heed my command!”

A spiraling column of water, over a hundred tons, twisted like a serpent and crashed from the sky.

Its target was obvious: to swallow the Red Dragon whole.

Sensing danger instinctively, the dragon stopped spewing fire and moved to flee.

But we wouldn’t let it escape.

The young lady had already darted beneath its massive body, slashing without hesitation at an unscaled joint.

“ROAR—!!!”

With its leg wounded, the dragon howled, its enormous body tilting, about to collapse.

I quickly conjured an ice surface and used wind magic to slide across it, pulling the young lady out of the water serpent’s attack range before the dragon fell.

CRASH!

The raging water serpent descended, its sheer mass shattering the dragon’s prized scales.

“ARRGH—!!!”

Its agonized cry echoed through the valley.

That cry would be its last.

Giving it no chance to resist, I launched three ice spears, each taller than a person, as the water attack ended.

With its scales broken, the spears easily pierced its throat.

By now, the dragon had lost all ability to fight. The young lady approached again, leaped up, and with a swift stroke, severed its head.

“Great job, young lady! We did it!”

I rushed to her side eagerly.

She smiled confidently, raising her hand… seemingly for a high-five.

Slap!

Without hesitation, I met her hand with mine.

“Well done! Bringing little Caterina and little Ailena was the right call!”

At some point, Olivia had descended from the high ground to join us.

She extended her hand, likely wanting a high-five too.

…But the young lady ignored her.

And… though it’s rude, I didn’t want to high-five Olivia either. Seeing her always makes me feel oddly irritated.

Besides, if my mistress doesn’t respond, how could I, a mere maid, do so first?

Yes, my choice was absolutely correct.

“Haha…”

Feeling awkward, Olivia withdrew her hand.

“So, is the commission complete?”

Suddenly, the young lady spoke to Olivia:

“Not entirely. The client also requested collecting materials from the Red Dragon, like its horns.”

Unlike human-transformed magical beasts, ordinary ones retain their physical form after death.

In contrast, human-based beasts are special—formed by consuming human magic, they vanish upon death, their bodies collapsing from magical overload.

…In the game, this is probably to control the loot players can obtain.

But in reality, unlike the game, we have to collect materials ourselves.

Olivia handed us each a peculiarly shaped knife.

…Oh! I’ve seen this knife in the game! It’s a beginner item for collecting magical beast materials!

Seeing it in person is surprisingly touching.

“Wow!? It’s so tough!” So hard to cut!

The actual harvesting, though, was far less thrilling.

…

After laborious work, we gathered all the target materials.

“Now we just need to deliver them to the client.”

“Bit late to ask, but who’s the client?”

The young lady voiced the question I’d been wondering.

Dragon horns are rare materials in the game, not something just anyone can use.

“Hm… A weird one. You’ll see when you meet her, but don’t be too shocked.”

Olivia’s words only made me more curious.