At the sight of a True Dragon, everyone was both shocked and amazed.
At the same time, Vaan was also a little disappointed.
It was neither Eniwse nor the Thousand Fog Illusion Dragon, a Fog Beast. Instead, it was an actual True Dragon.
Furthermore, it was a red dragon that specialized in the fire element.
“Oh my lord, I’ve only heard the story, but this is my first time actually seeing a True Dragon,” Hester commented with a look of awe.
There were all sorts of legends associated with True Dragons.
They were said to be the kings of all dragon species and possessed unmatched strength, magic, age, and wisdom.
If they weren’t the most powerful creatures in the world, then they were definitely among the strongest.
Few could rival the True Dragons.
As everyone continued to watch the red dragon flying northward until it disappeared into the fog over the Thousand Fog Mountains, Vaan narrowed his eyes.
“The red dragon must have come to Misty Leaf Town to investigate the situation,” Vaan speculated before adding, “We were fortunate enough to catch a sight of it.”
“So the rumors were true. There was a tribe of dragons hidden in the Thousand Fog Mountains, and there was even a True Dragon among them. Perhaps the fog was created by them,” Astoria guessed.
“I had the same thought,” Vaan asserted before casually asking, “How strong do you think the red dragon was, Headmaster Astoria?”
“It was too far. I couldn’t tell,” Astoria shook her head and said, “However, if anything about the True Dragon’s tales rings true, we can assume it was at least a Mid-level Rank 4 being or higher.”
“Mid-level Rank 4 or higher, huh? I felt it was at least Peak-level Rank 4 or higher,” Vaan muttered.
“Peak-level Rank 4 or higher?” Astoria was slightly taken aback before she nodded with a serious look, “In that case, it truly deserves to be one of the strongest beings in the world.”
“More importantly, now we know there are real dragons in the Thousand Fog Mountains. Could the two potential Fallen Witches that devastated this town be going after them?” Astoria wondered.
“I hope so,” Vaan replied, his brows knitted together with concern.
“You hope so, Teacher Raphna?” Astoria glanced at him with surprise before her eyes flashed with realization. “Right… The dragons aren’t the only creatures hidden within the Thousand Fog Mountains. Wise Scholar Eniwse is also in there.”
“And if we think about the nature of Fallen Witches, they aren’t restrained by morals. They are willing to delve into all kinds of dark and forbidden research as long as it serves their goals. Catching a Wyvern-type Abomination sounds more plausible,” Hester interjected thoughtfully.
“Or so you say, but we can’t ignore the rarity of a True Dragon,” Aeliana retorted and said, “I’m sure Fallen Witches would be interested in learning the secret of their strength, wisdom, and longevity.”
“Hm… Lord Aeliana has a point. A True Dragon does make a more valuable test subject,” Astoria acknowledged with a nod before adding, “Assuming they are Fallen Witches, that is.”
“Furthermore, you are missing the most important point, Lord Aeliana. In order to make a True Dragon a test subject for their research and experiments, they must first have the strength to capture one.”
“As such, going after Wise Scholar Eniwse still seems more likely. But of course, once again, this is all based on the assumption that they are Fallen Witches. We might even be entirely wrong,” Astoria mentioned.
“That’s why blind speculations won’t do us any good right now. We need to wrap up the problems in Misty Leaf Town quickly and supply ourselves necessities before we enter the Thousand Fog Mountains,” Vaan said objectively.
“Can’t we just go now, Sir Vahn? I mean, time is of the essence, is it not?” Hester thought.
“I also want to leave right away, but how long will we last in the Thousand Fog Mountains without supplies? Furthermore, Headmaster Astoria also cannot ignore the people in need of saving back in town,” Vaan mentioned with a wry smile.
“You seem to know me quite well, Teacher Raphna,” Astoria said with a slightly bashful smile.
She truly wanted to save the townspeople before leaving.
“Well, what can I say? I have indeed read many stories about you, Headmaster Astoria. However, I would rather judge your character in person than believe in the one depicted in the stories,” Vaan calmly stated.
“As expected of Teacher Raphna. Stories that glorify my character and feats can’t fool you,” Astoria casually praised before asking, “Then, are you saying you already know what kind of person I am?”
“Not at all,” Vaan straightforwardly admitted. “I only know you want to save the townspeople. Your frown gave you away.”
“My frown did?” Astoria uttered with surprise.
It was true that she had frowned when Hester suggested leaving right away. However, Vaan wasn’t facing her at that time.
Does he have eyes in the back of his head?
“Anyway, let’s move,” Vaan urged.
…
Shortly after receiving everyone’s agreement, they quickly re-entered Misty Leaf Town’s northern gate.
Afterward, they resumed their hunt for Fog Beasts in town while searching for survivors.
With Vaan’s superhuman senses, finding survivors wasn’t a challenge. He easily located a group of witches hiding in the basement of an inn in the northern parts of town.
However, when Vaan opened the basement door, he wasn’t welcomed with joy but anger.
“What are you doing here?! Get lost! We don’t have spare room and supplies to accept a lowly man like you! Find somewhere else to hide!” a High-level True Witch furiously barked before firing a water bullet at him without warning.
Vaan was struck on the shoulder, but no harm had befallen him. The water attack spell of a mere High-level True Witch meant nothing to him.
Nevertheless, it was witnessed by Aeliana and Astoria right behind him, and Aeliana’s eyes glinted with a crimson hue.
“Hold it. We are not here to—”
“Die!!!”
Swoosh!
Before Astoria could finish speaking, Aeliana fired an incredibly fast and sharp wooden spike past Vaan.
The wooden spike quickly struck the True Witch right in the heart and nailed her body to the wall at the other end of the basement.
“Lord Aeliana, you…” Astoria was immediately stunned.