The dragon's roar shook the air, generating pressure that came not only from the unexpected encounter, but also from something deeper, breaking the adventurers' fighting spirit. All they could do was resist enough to keep from collapsing on the spot.
There must have been some kind of magical effect in that roar that caused fear. If a giant monster roars, of course it's scary, but not to the point of becoming immobile. The normal thing would be to panic and run away as fast as possible.
The question is, how can I put it, that roar... it's like...
Apologize! I'm telling you to bow! See?! I won't forgive you unless you apologize!
-..
-..
"Ugh...! What power...! My knees are shaking...!"
"No. Focus! If we can't handle this thing, it'll be the end!"
The leader and Ursuna clench their jaws and try to resist the pressure of the moment.
Huh? What is this? Is this dragon really that serious...? I thought, but seeing the desperate expressions on the adventurers' faces, I realized they were serious.
But the words still echo in my mind.
So I'm the only one who can hear the dragon's voice. Hmm, it sounds like a child's voice, so it probably wouldn't create the same tension as facing such a powerful enemy. Well, it certainly looks like a powerful enemy.
By the way, it doesn't seem like fear is paralyzing me. Yes, I feel it, but it's the natural fear of facing a monster the size of a building that threatens me with obvious hostility. I don't perceive any supernatural effect. I guess [Mental Resistance] neutralizes the inability to act caused by fear.
Then why can I hear what the dragon is saying?
Oh, wait a minute. Come to think of it, I acquired the [Conversation in Otherworld Languages] skill before reincarnating here. Thanks to that, I can communicate with anyone in my native language, so I thought there was only one language in this other world, but come to think of it, that can't be the case.
There are hundreds of languages on modern Earth, so there must be thousands of languages in this other world. Even within the same country, there are likely to be dialects depending on the region and culture.
I recall that the Count mentioned that he uses something called "——." This suggests that in this country, the nobility and the common people use different forms of language. They cannot be completely different languages, because if they were, the nobles would not be able to communicate with the lower classes, which would make it difficult to administer the kingdom.
Most likely, it is a matter of variations in vocabulary, grammar, intonation, or style of speech. Perhaps it is similar, in a way, to the way that in the modern world there is a "language of the rich": a more refined and elegant mode of expression.
Even so, I am also able to communicate without difficulty with people from the slums. This means that even though I feel like I am speaking my usual language, to them my words are adapted and resonate like the language they are most familiar with.
By the same token, my brain must have recognized the dragon's roar as a language and automatically translated it.
However, it is a mystery why only dragons can understand the words of monsters. The words of the horned rabbits sound like mere chirps to me. I suppose they can only be translated by monsters with a certain level of intelligence.
...No, this is not the time to speculate like that.
This is a desperate situation. Just by looking at it, it seems that the dragon is about to unleash a massacre.
However, I still don't understand the dragon's true purpose. It has repeated several times that it wants us to apologize, but would simply saying "I'm sorry" really be enough? Among humans, when someone demands an apology, they do so with the expectation of receiving compensation or damages for the harm suffered; in other words, money.
I then remembered my grandfather's words in Japan:
"Listen carefully, Yubo. When you are an adult and someone apologizes to you, you must not bow your head lightly. For adults, an apology means fully acknowledging one's own guilt and being willing to accept the other person's conditions. Unless the fault is truly yours, a man should not apologize easily just because he is found guilty.
Of course," he said with a bitter laugh, "if I ever give in to my desires, reject a girl, and a child is born from that union, then I will surrender without hesitation. I will kneel and beg the girl's parents to accept my child."
At the time, I didn't understand the meaning of the last part, but it seemed like a very good saying to me. Although it was Grandma who scolded Grandpa.
Now, this dragon is clearly trying to criticize me and make me apologize, but I wonder if I should just apologize... I guess it's not something I can decide. I'll ask the person with the power to decide.
-..
-..
"Diabolica, it seems that dragon wants us to apologize! What should we do?"
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about...?"
I entrusted the decision to Deabolica, who was sitting cross-legged in the carriage, clutching his shoulders and trembling. I expected him to answer my question, but he looked at me as if he didn't understand anything. Damn it, it seems that Deabolica is so terrified that he can't make a rational decision!
I'll repeat it again.
"—The dragon said you should apologize sincerely."
-..
-..
"Have you gone mad with fear...? I know you're a prince, but calm down!"
Deabolica grabbed my shoulders so hard it hurt and shook me violently. Ouch...! Deabolica was paranoid!
Well, I'll tell her what comes to mind. I'll explain this to her, and if she doesn't understand, we're lost.
"Actually, I understand the language of dragons. According to him, it seems he thinks we interrupted his hunt and he's very angry. So he's demanding an apology, but what should we do? That's what I wanted to say.
"You should have said so from the beginning! It's impossible for you to understand what a dragon says! Ah, shit, where do I start!
-..
-..
"You're confused and scared after all...! Stay focused!"
"Shut up, bitch!!!"
Gasping heavily, Deabolica crouched down on the carpet, clutching her head.
However, perhaps the shouting had somehow alleviated her fear, and reason seemed to be returning to her eyes. That's a good sign.
"It's impossible for Yuji to understand the language of dragons... but he also has an inexplicable power to cure diseases. Is that even possible...?"
Deabolica muttered to herself and then turned her gaze back to me.
Interrupting his hunt... You mean the stampede we just saw? That dragon was chasing the rabbits, and we killed him, so he's furious?
I know I'm embarrassed to ask, but I think that's the case. There's no other way to interpret it.
The size seems too different to be dragon food, but I wonder if 30 of them could make up for it. Or is it just recreational hunting to satisfy hunger, which is why they call it fake hunting?
"—So what are you going to do? Apologize and be forgiven? Or fight?"
"W-W-W-Where can I win this fight?!"
I pointed at him from behind the carriage, and Deabolica frantically jumped on my arm and forced him down, raising her voice as if she didn't want to be perceived as hostile.
Hey, Dea, where's your capable and dominant self?
That attack spell just now was amazing. If three magicians used it, wouldn't it be possible to do something about it?
Deabolica then brought her hands to her temples and shook her head in exasperation, as if to say she didn't understand anything.
That's impossible! The power of magic is deeply conditioned by the difference in magical energy between opponents. And the magical power of dragons far exceeds that of humans. Even if he were an exceptional wizard with a bright future, I doubt he could inflict a truly lethal blow on them...
"The amount of magical power capable of rivaling that may only exist in His Majesty the King," he added firmly. "Even if we searched our entire kingdom, we would not find another such case. Anyway, even if I tried to explain it to you in detail, you probably wouldn't understand, since you lack any affinity for magic."
"No, I understand. I know this firsthand."
"He's saying things impulsively again..."
"So, if your magical power is high, your magical defense will also be high, and if your magical power is trash like mine, any magic spell will kill you with just one touch, right?"
That's right! No, it's true! Can you just be quiet? The dragon's breath is like an offensive spell that will easily blow you away! So listen to what I say and behave yourself in the carriage!
Ah... What should I do? Will I get in trouble if I do something on my own?
Basically, if I use [Influencer] to reduce the dragon's magical power to 1, like I did with the Horned Rabbit, it will become a resident of the same trash world as me, so I can easily win. But I wonder if they will believe me if I tell them this.
Can I make a suggestion?
"If you leave it to me, I can completely weaken it and turn them into dragon hunters... what do you think?"
"Seriously, stop talking nonsense! What if dragons could understand human language?"
No, I don't think I can convince him.
I could get out of the carriage and weaken the dragon, but I was told not to do anything on my own.
There's no way around it. I'm not an expert in combat, so I have no choice but to leave this to the professionals.
Then...up
-..
-..
"I've been listening to your conversation for a while now. Is anyone here? Ah, it could be the villain who kidnapped the baby! Kidnapper, as the next chief of the tribe, I will never forgive you!"
"Huh?!"
Suddenly, the carriage shook violently, and I felt as if my whole body had been thrown into the air. No, that's not true! I was actually being lifted into the air...! The dragon!
...No, this is bad. This carriage is for adventurers, so it has a wide cargo entrance at the rear so you can carry large luggage. If it lifts vertically like this...!
My bad feeling was confirmed, and the dragon overturned the carriage, and we were almost thrown out through the cargo entrance.
"Eugee?!"
Irene's screams can be heard from below.
Deabolica and I quickly grab onto the seats and assume a hanging position, avoiding falling out of the cargo entrance.
However, this seemed to irritate the dragon.
- Bastard, get out, get out!
The carriage rocked upside down like a child trying to get the last drop out of a can.
My hands gradually went numb as I clung to the seat, and the vibrations made me feel as if I were about to fall. But if I crashed into the ground like this... The ground was about five meters below, and if the dragon's momentum in lowering the carriage was enough to knock me down, I could die instantly. Even if that weren't the case, I would surely be seriously injured.
"Uh, uh...! My hands are already...!"
Deabolica, who was clinging to the seat next to me, screamed.
"I-idiot! Let go of Euge!"
"Irene!? ... Tch, you're the only one who has to look cool!"
The voices of Irene and Ursuna could be heard from below.
"W-wait... No, he has no choice! Everyone, help the guild master and Euge!"
Then the leader's voice and the sound of a sword being drawn could be heard.
Does this mean that Irene and the others are attacking the dragon to save us?
No, how awful! I understand their feelings, but if the dragon overturns the carriage, we will suffer serious damage.
-..
-..
Ouch! Those little ones keep bothering me and it's so annoying. It's so annoying that I'm going to crash this carriage and crush them. Well, I'll get one point for every person I crush! I wonder how many points I can get, hahaha!
He said something terrible. Proof that he was serious, I felt the carriage rise even higher.
...If that's the case, I'll have to intervene.
Wait a minute! There's a baby dragon in this carriage!
"What did you say?"
Well, it seems I've caught his interest. I can't see the dragon from the carriage, but I can hear him respond to the voice I raised.
Is it okay to treat him so roughly? If he
falls, he'll seriously hurt himself!
It's true, we have to take good care of the little ones. Anyway, there aren't that many of them.
"Okay, lower the carriage slowly and carefully to the ground."
"Huh? But why do I have to listen to a kidnapper? I'm getting pissed off."
What a brat...!
No, calm down, calm down. Be an adult and negotiate.
"Then the child will be thrown out, but is that okay?"
"Hmm. That's a problem."
"Yu, Yuji... Are you really talking to the dragon? You sound like you're purring..."
Deabolica looks at me in disbelief, but I don't have time to deal with him right now.
In that case, we have no choice but to lower the carriage. Now, slowly and quietly. With the same care you would use to handle a feather, make sure the carriage is level before lowering it.
"Tch, damn it."
As he said this, the dragon leveled the carriage we were traveling in.
Good, good.
Freed from the life-threatening suspension position, Deabolica remains seated in his seat, drenched in sweat, feeling as if he had narrowly escaped death. But, unfortunately, he is not saved at all.
I whispered to Deabolica what was going to happen and then massaged my arm. It hurt so much that I felt like it was going to cramp up. Well, it was my body that was cramping up.
After a while, I felt the carriage shake. It seemed like it was returning me to the ground.
The voice sounds like it's coming from somewhere high up, so I guess it's jumping in the air because it doesn't want Irene and the others to attack its legs.
"Here, I put it on the ground. Let go of the baby, kidnapper!"
With that, the dragon urges us to get off.
Well, I wonder what will happen.
When Deabolica and I got off the carriage together, the dragon tilted its head slightly. It was surreal because it was actually tilting it.
What about the baby? They said there was a baby on board. Get it out now!
"Oh, sorry, I lied. To begin with, there was no baby on board."
When I responded indifferently, the dragon slid across the floor, shouting "You're lying!" and grabbed the carriage. Wow, the wind pressure was incredible! I could barely stand.
The dragon scanned the interior of the carriage from the cargo entrance as if looking at a kaleidoscope. Finally, after examining every corner, it seemed to be convinced that there was no one else inside. In a fit of rage, it slammed the carriage to the ground, crushing the body. The sound of the loose wheel rattling on the ground seemed to be the carriage's death throes.
The dragon's fierce face is directed at me.
You have deceived me! Only you humans have deceived me, the great red dragon!
"I'm, I'm so sorry! Please spare my life...!"
I didn't say that.
It was Diabolica who slid to the ground and prostrated herself.
Hey, that's a different procedure than what I whispered to you before.
I would say something like, "I'm sorry☆ Look, I apologized. Are you satisfied?" to provoke him into using a breath attack, and then, while Deabolica's magic barrier blocked it, we would all attack together. I guess she wasn't happy with my perfect plan.
The moment I opened my mouth to protest, Deabolica shouted, "Shut up!"
It would be foolish to oppose the magnificent figure of the Dragon Lord! Now, lower your weapons!
I'm so sorry, Lady Dragon! It is a great fortune for us, mere insects, to have had the opportunity to meet such a noble being as you! Now, lower your weapons! Drop them!
Between scolding the adventurers, Deabolica bowed and praised the dragon with a servile smile.
Oh, no! Could it be that the color of your beautiful body is that of the incomparable king of dragons, the Red Dragon, who is even praised as the incarnation of Vrishabu Island?
Forgive me for prostrating myself naturally! The majesty of a being as honorable as you blinds me! Oh no! My eyes are burning!
Your heroic figure will be engraved in my brain and become a glorious memory that I will never forget for the rest of my life!
-...-
-...-
What a despicable woman!
I've been reincarnated in another world and seen beggars in the slums, but this woman is by far the most pathetic!
As the adventurers looked at him with disdain, Deabolica rubbed his hands together without a shred of pride and uttered flattering words. One by one, the adventurers threw down their weapons.
...Well, it seems foolish to have taken up arms to save the guild master in such a situation. Only Irene and Ursuna had not abandoned their weapons and watched the dragon closely, without letting their guard down.
To their horror, the dragon didn't seem to care about Deabolica's flattery.
"Indeed... I am the next leader, the son of the Red Dragon King A-Draig Gogh, the natural ruler of the kingdom. Little ones, I grant you an audience. Bow your heads..." before their superior.
"Can you speak the human language?"
The dragon let out a roar that vibrated deep in the stomachs of anyone who heard it. What is that sinister tone? I've known his natural voice for a long time...
"Hehehe!" said Deabolica, crawling on the ground and pulling on my pants. Does he want me to bow to him too?
...Ah, I see. I thought he was suddenly flattering the dragon, but maybe he saw me communicating and decided I was someone who would respond to flattery.
Until now, she had been trembling, convinced that the monster was too powerful and that she couldn't understand him. But realizing that she could communicate with him, she now tries to appease him. Why do I transfer language conversion to him?
You... you... are you sure this is okay, leader of the adventurers' guild?
Oh, please forgive this man's insolence! As you can see, he is a pitiful being who does not even have the intelligence of an ant to understand the difference in military strength between himself and his enemies. He is so foolish that it is a crime that he is even alive! And that is why he has done something so beyond his own knowledge as to try to mock you, the great draig!
However, I am sure that you, a great woman, will be able to forgive me! I believe it is fitting for a king to forgive even a fool with such a generous heart! Please, at least spare my life!
Dea decides whether you will beg for my life or abandon me.
"Grr... very well... If you look closely, you are a small being without the slightest magical power... You do not deserve the wrath of someone like me... You will take my place and make my majesty known..."
"Hahahaha!!"
And don't just accept getting rid of me on your own.
Oh, no.
This dragon introduced himself as the next leader of the clan, right? Are you all right, Dragon Clan?
The future is as uncertain as ever with Diabolica in power in the Central Council.
I felt a chill run down my spine, as if Diabolica had multiplied into the two of us.
As I watched, I became discouraged. The dragon and Deabolica seemed to have hit it off and continued chatting animatedly. Although I say they were chatting, I mean that Deabolica was simply flattering the dragon, and the dragon, with its pride satiated, nodded its head.
Finally, the dragon let out a puff of steam from its nose and nodded deeply.
"It seems that among humans there are rational beings like you... I will change my mind..."
Such kind words...! If it were possible, I would love to serve you as your loyal vassal. However, after all, I am a weak and untalented human... I am incapable of following the noble and immense Dragon! Please forgive my shortcomings!
No, I believe you could succeed if you followed the dragon. Neither combat nor political power are necessary to be a sycophant.
"Grr... I forgive you... Engrave my majesty deep in your heart, and pass on the story of my greatness to the little ones..."
"Haha! You have given me my life's purpose!"
-...-
Isn't your goal in life to become a politician?
I suppose this charade will soon come to an end.
Just as this mood began to fade, the dragon suddenly let out a snort.
"...I've been wondering about this for a while... I can smell the magic of the water spirit... Are you carrying something...? I sense the presence of treasure..."
Deabolica was startled, the corners of his lips twitching as he looked at the adventurers, but of course, they ignored him.
Hey, wait a minute. No way.
As if resigned, Deabolica took a cloth bag out of his pocket and held it over his head with trembling hands.
"Well, as expected of the great Red Dragon... This is the Spring Water Jewel, an item said to produce an infinite supply of water."
"Yes... That's too much for a human... I'll add it to my treasure vault... Don't worry. If it were in the human world, it would cause unnecessary conflict, but if it's under my care, there's nothing to worry about..."
Deabolica lowered her head and bit her lip hard, and when she looked up again, she had a servile smile and furrowed eyebrows.
"It's... a great honor..."
Ah, I see.
So that's what's going on.
Enough is enough. You're doing whatever you want with something that someone else cherishes right in front of them.
What kind of upbringing does it take to become so insensitive that you can't understand other people's pain?
Even though it seems like the situation here has been resolved peacefully, the same thing will inevitably happen again somewhere else, to someone other than us.
If you really don't understand other people's pain.
"I'll discipline you instead of your parents, you damn dragon."