Chapter 451: Research and Confirmation
The sheer number of books here is overwhelming as ever. The entire place is blanketed in silence, only disrupted occasionally by faint strumming, like strings being plucked. All these tons of paper do help make the place soundproof, but then, most of the spirits here are the quiet, soundless types.
Some do have sound, but it’s extremely faint like what I heard before ー they mostly sound like strings, bells or even the humming of insects.
By the way, there’s a separate section for the chatty books, and it’s chaotically loud and boisterous over there. Some books even puff up, shrink or spit fire, restless things.
「I’m looking for literature about dragons, specifically ones that talk about them being worshiped or feared. Ah, and please include texts about materials obtained from dragons too. 」
「…」
I stated my requests to the library spirits, and he wordlessly raised his lantern and led the way. He looked similar to that boy spirit I met the first time I came here, not entirely the same.
He must be a multiplying type of spirit, much like the spirits of my notebooks. It’s just that only that first boy spoke; this one doesn’t speak and he remained poker face all the time, kinda like shadows. He’s also slightly transparent? Particularly his feet…Hey, he kinda looks like a ghost.
We arrived after following the boy for a while. The section on dragons was massive. Is this because of that adventurous spirit that they invoke ? Yep, it’s definitely that. Well, that’s probably because dragons have existed since ancient times.
If I start reading about dragon materials, I’ll probably end up wanting some, so I check out the books on dragon-human relationships first. I remember Khan mentioning something about a clan that serves dragons or maybe a tribe that worships them, so I want to be prepared.
Are they a clan that’s like,「Dragons are so cool! Dragons, Dragons! 」? Sounds fun, but I’d rather not have them attack me for, you know, eating a dragon. Getting attacked would suck, but it’d be worse if they howled in tears about it.
I took about ten books to a private room to read. Some are written like academic papers, but since they’re about dragons, they’re pretty interesting.
I found something in the fourth book.
… There was a dragon divine beast a long, long time ago, apparently. Ah, wait, doesn’t it still exist in modern times? Particularly during the wind spirit era ー if I’m not mistaken, there had been four of them?
…Apparently, there used to be some kind of holy dragon beasts way back in the day. Or maybe they’re still around? Especially during the era of the wind spirits, it looks like there were four of them. And seriously, what’s up with these tribes that offer up yearly sacrifices? That’s pretty cliché.
The fantasy vibes are hitting hard since coming here. Oh well, not that spirits alone weren’t already enough of a fantasy.
Anyway, divine beasts are basically animals possessed by spirits, while monsters are animals possessed by dark spirits. The only real difference is whether or not they actively attack humans. And just because ordinary spirits aren’t hostile doesn’t mean they’re exactly friendly to humans either.
If a person kills a monster and gets covered in 『Black Particles』 , those tiny things would mess with that person’s mind, making them more aggressive or bitter towards people. When a person is possessed by a regular spirit, they usually get stronger, but the “particles” slowly sink in and assimilate with them over time.
—Apparently, there are some groups that show their bravery by killing divine beasts and getting covered in those 『Particles』, you know? Sounds like a bunch of dragon slayers, doesn’t it? Yeah, dragon slayers, huh?
There are also tribes that straight-up worship dragons as gods, and others that eat dragon meat hoping to absorb its power. So, with all these different customs, it’s honestly hard to tell if eating a dragon is okay or not.
I wonder about the neighborhood of the people Khan is planning to trade with. I’ve got a good amount of general knowledge now, but I should probably look for some more specific, local info.
I left the room to grab some new books. The ones I’d finished were gone from the desk, mysteriously returned to the shelves before I noticed, but since I was the one who took these new ones, I made sure to put them back myself. That way, I’d be able to remember where certain books are located, naturally, the ones nearby are often related. Sometimes, the books I pick up on a whim after being drawn to the title turns out to be a jackpot, and that’s also part of the fun.
I brewed coffee and buried myself in the pages.
ー I mentioned there are several types of tribes, right? Turns out that’s a lie. The dragon continent’s climate has shifted so much that habitable areas for people have shrunk drastically. Back when various tribes were scattered across the continent, it seemed like the land was lush and green.
The dragons thrived and prospered during the era of the Wind Spirit, and the humans had to migrate towards the central plains. There were even battles between dragons that had turned into monsters and divine dragons on the dragon continent. The handful of tribes that are still around today are the ones who had the guts to survive it all.
As of now, it’s said that the legendary divine beasts ーdragons, of course ー are deep in slumber, and they are being protected by those tribes. Those humans also revere ordinary dragons, but they also use them as materials for making different things.
Alright, seems like it’s okay to eat dragons and use them as materials! Ah, let’s double-check it with Khan just in case.
◇ ◆ ◇
「That is how it goes, so what is your opinion on the matter? 」
Can we eat them?
「… 」
Khan didn’t say anything, his forehead pressed on his interlocked fingers, elbows propped on his knees.
「… 」
Hauron, on the other hand, is slumped over the table!
These two guys are currently in the living room in the Canum rental house.They’re mostly together, probably traveling around using Hauron’s 【Teleport】.
Retze and the others are still at work. They’re different from Khan, who usually manages his meals by drinking; they usually eat out at the stalls.
「I give you credit for checking with us first before doing anything… 」
Khan says without lifting his head.
「Confirming first before hunting them, huh… Ah, no, you did mention that you’re going to check them out….. 」
Hauron seems to be groaning.
But we didn’t take it seriously… I heard him mutter.
So, can we eat dragons, or not?
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
To eat or not to eat, that is the question.
Thanks.