The next morning, in a clearing some distance from the hunting party's campsite, a man stood trembling, surrounded by three others.
The trembling man was Clute, the hunting party's accountant. Early that morning, Clute had risen to wash his face at a nearby stream and tidy his hair. On his way back, three members of the party had dragged him to this spot.
Torin, with neatly trimmed red hair that gave him a sharp, agile appearance. Dailo, a stout man with a bushy beard that hung down to his belly, who could easily be mistaken for a dwarf if not for his height. And Leutang, whose long hair always gleamed and swayed, no matter how grueling the expedition.
"So… this thing is safe, right?" Clute asked, pointing to a basket nearby, barely large enough to hold three or four people.
"Of course, Brother Clute! We've already tested it." Torin replied with a confident tone, while the usually silent Dailo nodded vigorously beside him, trying to reassure Clute.
"But… it's not exactly an airship, is it? Doesn't it need to be a bit bigger to actually float?" Clute's eyes darted nervously between the basket, the magical device at its center, and the patchwork fabric stitched together with thin ropes surrounding it.
Even if they fill it with lightweight air, can that rag of a thing really lift off? The doubt gnawed at him. It wasn't the magical device itself he questioned, he had seen airships in the capital of the kingdom and had no doubts about flying contraptions. But the airships, which consumed dozens of mana stones daily, were a far cry from this flimsy basket of rags. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Clute couldn't help but keep asking questions.
"Now, Clute." Leutang said, brushing back his long hair as she handed him a small metallic magical device.
"Once you're airborne, Lat, Eto, and Uuk, who are out scouting, will send up smoke signals. If a drake appears near the smoke, press this round button here, and your voice will reach the captain on the ground."
"Ah, ah— like this?" Clute pressed the protruding metal button on the device and spoke. His voice echoed from another device Leutang held.
"Hmm, the sound comes through clearly." Leutang said, exchanging a glance with Dailo, as if sharing an unspoken signal. With a nod, they hoisted Clute into the basket of the flying contraption.
"Listen up." Leutang instructed.
"Turn this gear to go up or down. This one moves you forward or backward. And these control left and right."
As Leutang explained the basic controls, Clute's anxiety eased slightly. It seemed he could at least steer the thing, and as long as the rag held together… If anything feels off, I'll just bring it down, he thought, now simply hoping the test flight would end quickly.
"Let's go up!" Leutang called out, turning a gear on the device in the basket to activate it.
"Waaah!" Clute screamed. Contrary to his expectation of a slow ascent, the patchwork fabric ballooned rapidly, and the contraption shot upward with Clute aboard.
The three below tilted their heads back to watch the rising contraption. Moments later, Clute's voice crackled through the device Leutang held.
"C-Can you hear me… Leutang?" His voice sounded muffled, as if speaking through a wall, but it was unmistakably Clute.
"Loud and clear!" Leutang replied. "Here's your job for today, Clute. It's simple: from up there, let the captain know which direction the drake is coming from. It's easier to spot from the sky. Oh, and if you get bored, grab a crossbow and take a shot or two."
"No way… So, can I come down now?"
Meanwhile, as Clute sweated nervously in the sky, Gravel and Iris were being led by Clau away from the campsite, heading toward a canyon.
They followed a path trampled through overgrown grass. Jagged rock pillars rose around them, with small plants growing in the crevices brushing against Gravel's arms and shoulders as he passed. The air carried the scent of damp grass, mingling with the unfamiliar calls of birds.
"Just a bit further, over by those rock pillars." Clau said, glancing back at Gravel.
"Got it. Are the others already preparing?" Gravel asked.
"Yeah. We're not as busy as Uncle Plong's team assembling the ballista, but we've got plenty to do before the hunt. Wellen and Uncle Baum probably headed out at dawn and are napping over there by now."
"I see. So, we're just waiting there for now?"
"Yep. When the drake gets close, they'll send a signal. Oh—look! Is that it?" Clau pointed behind Gravel.
"An air balloon." Gravel remarked, surprised to see such a thing here.
At the end of Clau's pointing finger was the hunting party's contraption—a massive balloon with a small basket dangling beneath it, carrying a single person.
"So that's what they call a hot air balloon." Clau said. "First time I've seen one. The captain said we'd get signals from the sky for this hunt, but I didn't know what he meant."
After pausing to gaze at the balloon, the group resumed walking. It wasn't long before Wellen greeted them.
Among the surrounding rock pillars was a rounded boulder, next to which a small campfire had recently gone out, a thin wisp of gray smoke still rising. Two figures leaned against the rock, heads bowed, fast asleep by the fire's lingering warmth.
"Haha, Clau! Did you take the scenic route or what? You're slow!" Wellen teased.
"No way! I came as fast as I could." Clau retorted. "By the way, where's Sister Lesa?"
"She's over there working on the chains. Good timing, take these to her." Wellen handed Clau a bundle of three large spikes, each about a foot long, from a pile of tools by the fire.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Gravel asked, scanning the area. Though hired for magical support, he found the idea of idling before the hunt dull. Besides, he knew the thrill of preparing for a raid, especially a first attempt with no prior strategy.
"Nah." Wellen said, waving his hands. "Our esteemed mana-wielder should rest over here. Leave the hunting to us professionals."
"Then how about we sit and chat for a bit?" Gravel suggested with a smile, gesturing for Wellen to join him by the fire. He figured Wellen, who seemed experienced in drake hunts, would be a good source of knowledge.
"Alright, what stories should I tell our mage?" Wellen grinned.
"Haha, before I was a mage, I was a scholar back in the eastern kingdom of Huld." Gravel said. "Anything about drakes will do."
Everything else he said might have been a lie, but his thirst for knowledge was genuine.
"Hmm… let's start with today's hunt, then. You've heard this drake isn't your average size, right?"
"Yes, I heard that back in Froikton. Big enough to make it into the bestiary."
"Size isn't the issue, we can handle something a bit bigger than usual. The real problem is that this drake doesn't match any known species. That's what makes this hunt different."
"(Oh… a rare or unique variant, maybe?) So, it's either a rare drake or not a drake at all?"
"It's definitely a drake." Wellen clarified. "Here's the thing: drakes adapt to their environment. For example, you've got Fire Drakes in volcanic regions, Stone Drakes in rocky areas, Forest Drakes in woodlands. They evolve to suit their terrain, hence the names. Forest Drakes, for instance, are smaller but have wing membranes that let them weave through trees."
Wellen paused to sip from a waterskin at his belt, his throat parched from talking.
"Other drakes are just as straightforward." he continued. "Fire Drakes breathe fire, Stone Drakes are tough, and Forest Drakes dart through trees like flying squirrels. Oh, I forgot Swamp Drakes!"
He took another swig. "Phew! Wish this was ale, would make the story more fun."
"It's plenty interesting already." Gravel said. "Sounds like there are a lot of drake species."
"When I checked the bestiary, there were over thirty types. But here's the kicker: this drake doesn't fit any of them. Its body, head, tail, claws—all classic drake traits. Except for one thing!" Wellen held up a single finger for emphasis. "It's got a massive horn on its head. No other drake has that. It's… hard to describe, but you'll know when you see it. Huge horn. What should we call it—Horn Drake maybe?"
"What's that? Horn? Horn Drake?" Clau, who had returned from delivering the spikes, overheard and chimed in.
"Hey, Clau, back already?" Wellen said. "I was talking about the horned drake we're hunting. Where's Lesa? Didn't she finish setting up the chains?"
"She said she'll stay there until the signal. Muttered something about not needing buffs to hunt drakes." Clau replied.
"Tch, that Lesa." Wellen grumbled. "She's stubborn about that stuff. Oh well. Let's get ready. Like last time, we'll take it down before it even reaches the ballista! Clau, after the signal, explain the job to our mage here. I'm gonna check on yesterday's setups."
"Got it, Wellen!" Clau called as Wellen headed toward the canyon entrance.
Clau then turned to Gravel, using a stick to sketch on the ground as he explained the harpoon team's need for enhancement magic and the drake's expected approach path. He detailed where Gravel should position himself, how the scout and harpoon teams would strike first, and that if the chained harpoons failed, they'd need to chase the drake with mana spears. The uneven terrain, long grass, and heavy spears would make pursuit tough, so Clau asked about magic to boost speed or strength.
Their conversation dragged on. Clau didn't know the names or types of enhancement magic, and Gravel was equally unfamiliar with this world's "buff" spells. Terms like "magic to move faster." "magic to get stronger." "magic for a protective shiel." or "magic to sharpen weapons." were thrown around vaguely, as neither knew the proper spell names, making the discussion longer than it should've been.
"Clau!" Wellen's voice echoed from a distance, growing closer as he called again.
"It's the signal! Up there! Look up!" Wellen shouted as he approached. In the direction he pointed, the air balloon floated high above. From the basket beneath the massive balloon, a trail of red smoke arced toward the canyon, signaling the start of the hunt.
"Baum! Smir! Get up!" Wellen barked, kicking awake the two men sleeping by the rock.
"It's time! Drake hunt!"