I used an apple tree stump to spread out the map as Hesty taught me various things.

  「This is where you live. On the western edge of the place called the dark forest, the evil forest, or the forest of temptation. Further west from here is the valley where the dragons live.」


  Hoho, I see. That’s why there are so many dragons flying around near here.

  「The Dark Forest is controlled by two races. To the North the Wolf People. To the South the Battle Bunnies.」


  「Huh, it’s not only the wolf people huh?」


  I only knew about the wolf people, but it seems like there’s some kind of rabbit-like race as well. Their name seems kind of dangerous though.

  When I asked about the Battle Bunnies, it seems like they look like smaller people with rabbit ears apparently.

  I haven’t seen them before at all.

  「The wolf people’s strength is still quite strong….but I think that you’ll definitely meet them (rabbits) if you have this much magic power. It’s because living things are attracted to magic power. I think that there’ll be a lot of fighting from now on and you’ll get caught up in it.」


  「Don’t say it so calmly like that Hesty!」


  「Even if you find it unpleasant they’ll still come. Even if you think that it’s tedious they’ll still definitely come. These are just the facts.」


  Maybe because she’s travelled but Hesty is pretty dry. And there were some parts that seemed like she was speaking from personal experience.

  「But if you have knowledge then you’ll be fine. That said, getting back to what I was saying…if you leave the forest you will find the witch country Prussia.」


  「Dianeia’s country huh…」


  「They take large amounts of Magic Crystals from the forest and create various types of magical goods. It also has a lot of people.」


  When I look at the map it’s pretty close. It’s quite near the side of the forest. It seems like if you run for a ways then you’ll soon reach it.

  「Mhmm, but on the way are monsters, wandering dragons, wolf people, and Battle Bunnies, so it’s quite dangerous. Especially since there are a lot of Magic Crystals, golems automatically appear and attack indiscriminately.」


  In other words you’re saying that this Dark Forest is filled with danger?

  「Yes. But if it’s you, then you should be alright. They mostly won’t be able to do anything to you.」


  「Don’t overestimate me so much.」


  I just live as normally as I can in my house.

  「But, for dragons…you just normally defeat them don’t you? Look, there are even scales scattered around here.」


  Hesty digs out a buried rainbow colored scale from beneath her feet.

  Oh it was the scale from the dragon that time…


  「This is a High Dragon’s. It’s a strong dragon.」


  「So that was the case…」


  I thought it was rare since it was rainbow colored, but was it strong?

  「You didn’t know? Then how did you defeat it?」


  「Well…I kinda…yelled really loud…and sent magic flying at it.」


  The first time I missed. Then the second time it was a clean hit. That’s how I took it down.

  When I told her, Hesty stared at me amazed.

  「You defeated it with a magical shockwave? That thing?」


  「Huh? Was that bad?」


  「If I had to say, that type of dragon…is one of the toughest among all dragons due to its scales and skin. It’s around the second or third in the entire race. That dragon is extremely tough and fast. Normally you’d need special preparations in order to defeat even one.」


  It was such a dragon?

  I only happened to aim at it because it was small and nearby though.

  「This type of High Dragon is one of the dumbest among the entire dragon race. Their intelligence is quite low and unless they live for a long time, they will have a brain on the level of animals. But they are tough and hard to defeat. They don’t appear on the market often either.」


  「Ahh, that’s why Dianeia was unusually happy…」


  I finally understand.

  When there’s a difference between your knowledge it’s pretty embarrassing and troubling. I’m grateful to Hesty for teaching me this stuff.

  Oh yeah, while she’s expressing her gratitude I’ll ask about a little something else.

  「Hey, Hesty. I know you said that these scales are tough and solid, but do you know of any of their special characteristics? Like under what circumstances they soften or something?」


  「Eh?」


  Certainly they’re hard to the touch.

  Hard enough to be made into blades though,

  「Heave….ho」


  I tightly grip it and put magic in.

  Just like the time when I made them into knives.

  And just like before the scale easily transformed and warped.

  I made it into a loose spiral and it looked like a drill.

  I might be able to use this for something. Nonetheless,

  「Just like this, it’s easy to change the shape and process it. Does it have the special property of being easily manufactured?」


  「………Let me correct myself. Normally it’s extremely tough. It becomes like this when really really really strong magic power it used on it.」


  「I see. It’s the type that transforms with magic.」 (TN: OMFG Dude)

  It’s good to know this.

  I still have more scales so it might be good material to make items with.

  When I thanked her, I saw Hesty with a complicated look on her face as she held her head.

  「What’s wrong?」


  「……..Nothing, I just was thinking too much and my head started to hurt.」


  「Ohh I see. Well keep it in moderation.」


  「nn….」


  Hesty nodded slightly.

  What can I say? At first she seemed expressionless, but now she seems to be full of interesting expressions.

  I think it’s adorable that she has such big changes despite being so small, then

  「Hm?」


  At the edge of my vision I see something moving.