So I'm a Dragon, So What? - Game System [84]

Emilia chuckled. "I don't think that's possible. Where would we find a goat in the middle of these desolate mountains?"

"Anything then!" Sophia snapped. "Dead duck, dead fish, dead pig, dead cow, dead frog! Anything that might actually poison me, just bring it on!"

Emilia winced sympathetically. It seemed Lady Sophia was still holding a grudge about that poisonous frog incident. Alright, better not ask anymore. I'll just catch whatever I can find.

She had gotten quite good at it. With her newfound mastery of ice magic, she could freeze prey from a great distance, which was incredibly convenient. 

Her skill had even surprised Elliot and Kumoko, so, unsurprisingly, the job of gathering food had fallen squarely on her shoulders.

Sigh. Lord Elliot does all the cooking, I do all the hunting… Lady Shiraori is getting away with being outrageously lazy.

But Emilia didn't really have any complaints. This life, for her, was a blessing.

"Be safe, Emilia," Elliot called out as she prepared to leave, just as she did every afternoon. He wasn't overly concerned. She had grown into a capable huntress now and didn't need him watching over her every second.

Still, he took precautions. He had Kumoko split off a tiny spider, a small piece of her own consciousness, and attach it to the back of Emilia’s collar. 

It was a silent guardian, just in case the elf girl ran into any trouble she couldn't handle on her own. 

Potimas had been quiet lately, but Elliot didn't trust him. Better to be careful.

And then there was the Demon Lord. With Ariel's unpredictable personality, there was always a small chance she might decide to betray them. 

The probability was low, but it wasn't zero. In fact, the Demon Lord seemed to have sent her own surveillance team: two puppet spiders named Ael and Sael.

Originally, there had been eleven puppet spiders in total, but Kumoko had already destroyed seven of them back in the Elroe Labyrinth, leaving only four. 

Genetically speaking, these puppets were Kumoko’s aunts, Demon Lord Ariel’s direct daughters. It really put into perspective why the Demon Lord had wanted to kill Kumoko so badly. 

If Ariel's soul hadn't fused with a piece of Kumoko's, reconciliation would have been impossible. 

Of course, with Ariel's current disposition, she was unlikely to harm Emilia.

"Goodbye, Lord Elliot! Goodbye, Kanna! Goodbye, Lady Shiraori!" Emilia called out, waving to everyone.

Shiraori was busy overseeing Sophia's training and just gave a quick nod. Kanna, however, toddled over and gave her a surprise hug, which left Emilia feeling warm and flustered.

Then, just like any other day, Emilia disappeared into the dense woods.

Seeing her leave, the two puppet spiders sent by Ariel didn't move. Their orders were apparently to watch only Kumoko and Elliot; the others weren't important.

Before long, Emilia was a good distance from their camp. As usual, she found a high perch and activated [Enhanced Vision] and [Hawkeye] to extend her sight, spotting her prey from eight hundred meters away.

Then, she cast [Freeze].

It was a basic magic spell, but Emilia had found it incredibly versatile and useful, so she’d spent her own skill points to level it up to LV 10. 

Lord Elliot had told her it was a good idea to invest in simple, reliable skills that could be adapted to any situation. [Freeze] was a perfect example.

The spell was simple, but in Emilia’s hands, it was a work of art.

[Freeze] allowed her to strike from incredible distances, silently encasing weaker monsters in a prison of ice. 

It was versatile, too; with a bit of focus, she could shape the cold into sharp daggers or sturdy walls. 

Against truly powerful beasts, it was mostly useless, but for her daily task of gathering food, it was perfect.

Her mastery of the spell was absolute. Within minutes, she had caught several large, hoofed animals, their bodies frozen mid-stride. Her work for the day was done. It was time to head back to camp.

But as she turned to leave, a cold knot of unease tightened in her stomach. Something was wrong. 

This part of the forest, which was usually teeming with life, had gone completely silent. The constant chirping of insects, the rustle of small creatures in the undergrowth… all of it had vanished. 

Even the incessant, buzzing hum of the summer cicadas had ceased.

The silence was unnatural. It was eerie.

A strange, unsettling scent hung in the air, something that made the fine hairs on her arms stand on end. 

She had the distinct, chilling feeling that she was being watched.

Emilia’s senses went on high alert. She had been to this grove several times before, but now the very air felt alien, hostile. 

Her weeks of brutal training hadn't just strengthened her body; they had sharpened her mind. 

Kumoko and Elliot had drilled her on the theory of this world’s magic, on skills and titles, on the very fabric of its reality. She knew what this unnatural silence meant.

Someone had cast a large-scale sealing spell. They had cut this entire section of the forest off from the rest of the world.

They know about Lord Elliot and Lady Shiraori, she realized, her heart pounding. They know how strong my friends are. 

This spell… it’s meant to isolate me, to deal with me without them noticing.

The hunters had been ruthlessly efficient. To ensure no other creatures interfered, they must have slaughtered everything within the seal, right down to the last cicada. 

To be able to lock down an entire region and exterminate all life within it so quickly… the power required was far beyond anything Emilia could comprehend. It was on the same level as her two guardians.

But they hadn't killed her yet.

Why?

The thought chilled her more than any spell. It could only mean one thing. They didn't just want her dead.

They wanted to use her.