This is a very valuable comment and the kick I may have been looking for asking such general questions here.
You are right to just go and defeat the dragon, but I wanted to hear the path of other people who have been there, because to get to the dragon you have to go through the forest and not get lost.
I'm actually grateful to everyone who took their time and shared nuances I didn't know about before.
Grateful to you, too, for the kick I needed.