Kikanshita Yuusha no Gojitsudan : Chapter 12

Chapter 12 Side Story Leiria’s Joy Part 1

　I awakened from my slumber as if I heard someone calling to me.

　Of course, there is rarely a visitor in this kind of place, and even now there is no sign of people or anyone else around.

　Recently, I’ve been doing nothing but sleeping.

　The gradual passage of time that had been slowly coming and going every day until two years ago. Even though those daily life has returned to how it used to be. And yet it seems terribly boring and depressing to me.

　I can’t take it all in, so I just try to quiet my gloomy mind in my sleep.

　My nesting place is a cave in the mountains, deep in the mountainous region to the north of the Wilterius Continent.

　This mountainous area and the sea of trees at the foot of the mountain are inhabited by a lot of high-ranking magical beasts, and are untouched by human hands.

　A place which is covered with snow in winter, and when the snow melts, it’s become an inhospitable place where magical beasts roam free.

　Therefore, the only person who can reach this place is someone who has exceptional circumstances and is very skilled.

　In addition, the one you are going to find at your destination is the “Black Dragon”, which can be called one of the strongest even among the high ranking dragons.

　There aren’t many fools who would willingly come to this kind of place.

　The fact is that in the over five hundred years since I arrived in this land, there have been only a handful of people who have come here.

　It was only two months ago that I returned after leaving this place two years ago.

　For me, a black dragon who can live for thousands of years, it was only a short period of time, like a dream in the night.

　This place that I returned to is accepting me as if nothing has changed.

　It was a peaceful time that only repeated itself.

　I asked myself why this place, where I should have no complaints, felt so empty.

　What comes to my mind is the encounter with the young man who is the reason I’m leaving this land 2 years ago.

---

　Four races appeared in my nest as I was slumbering in my cave as usual.

　Three of them are human and one of them is a beastman.

　I don’t like people.

　They are greedy and arrogant, disagreeable and love conflict.

　Whether it’s human, beastman or demons, their nature is nothing but unpleasant for us dragons.

　However, although I don’t dare to step into the domain of human beings and kill them, I have no intention of getting involved with them either.

　I warn those uninvited visitors.

　“Leave,” I said.

　“Leave, or I will kill you” I said.

　I don’t hate people so much that I kill them.

　But if you disturb my peace, I have no reason to hesitate.

　People and their nations are as worthless to me as stones on the side of the road; they are meaningless.

　One of the four of them steps forward.

　He is young. He must be quite young, even for a normal human who can only live for a fraction of my lifetime, which seems like a moment to me.

　In fact, you could even call him a young man. (TL : I’m translating “Shounen” as “young man” in this chapter)

　The young man with jet-black hair and eyes that I have never seen before speaks.

　“I need your help,”, “I want to protect the country and the people who live there from the Demon King.”

　He looks straight at me, asking for my help without hesitation with his straightforward eyes.

　I can feel the strong will reside inside those eyes.

　There is no fear of me, the black dragon.

　But my response is ‘no’.

　I have no desire to get involved in conflicts between people, because to me the human race and the demon race are both “people”.

　He said, “Wanna take a bet?” to me, who refused his request without a second thought.

　He is the first person who has said something about betting at me.

　I’m a little curious about the young man who came up with such a statement.

　Looking back, maybe I was just getting a little bored with my unchanging lives.

　”As long as it’s not impossible and doesn’t take too much time, I want you to give me a challenge. If I’m able to complete it, it’s my win, if I can’t then it’s your win. If I lose, you can do anything you want with me. But if I win, I want you to help me, even if it’s only a little.”

　I couldn’t help but laugh in amazement.

　I have no benefit in those terms. And it would be too unfavorable for the young man.

　I ask the young man.

　”Why would you go to such lengths? What are your objectives?”

　”I just want to go back to my world.”

　The young man says he was not from this world, and he was called and brought from another world by Valienis.

　”In the first place this is a conflict of the world that has nothing to do with you. You can just ignore it. If you only want to return, there are other ways.”

　The young man smiled bitterly at me who said that.

　”I’ve got a lot to say to the goddess who called me here without permission, but if I abandoned the people I knew in this world and ran away, I wouldn’t be able to go home with a smile on my face, would I?”

　The young man said that, resigned and yet with a firm will, and then turned his eyes straight at me, 

　”All right.”

　I was surprised at the words that came out of my own mouth.

　But I suddenly feel the urge to witness the young man’s resolve.

　I decided to give him a challenge.

　An extremely difficult task that the young man would not be able to accomplish.

　It is true that I dislike people. However, I do not dislike people with such straightforward eyes.

　”Show me your strength. Bring me to my knees with force. If you are able to accomplish that, I’ll accept you as my lord and lend you my strength.”

　hearing my words, the friends of the young man tried to persuade him to stop.

　It was only natural.

　The boy was certainly strong enough to be able to come to this place, and he seemed to be strong enough for a human being.

　However, he is far from being able to match me, the black dragon.

　But even so, the young man never changed his mind.

　『胸をお借りします』(TL : (mune wo okarishimasu) Sorry I can’t find the English equivalent of this sentence, but the meaning is basically “to be allowed to practice with a partner of higher skill”)

　He said so humbly, as if he understood the difference in power, but his eyes were still full of fighting spirit.

---

　From the swordsmanship and magic that he unleashed at me. I can see that he is on a very high level as a human being.

　I’m sure he must have trained himself to a great degree. The skills that he showed are the kind of skill you’ve to spend most of your available time honing.

　I can understand why the goddess Valienis is entrusting him with her hopes. Moreover, he still has room for growth.

　But that’s not enough to defeat me.

　His sword can’t reach me, his magic can’t hurt me, and yet the boy is struck down by my claws and tail.

　I cannot bring myself to kill a boy as pleasant as this. I only encourage him to give it up because of the difference in power.

　But no matter how many times the young man is knocked to the ground, no matter how many times he is wounded and bleeding, he never stops standing up and keeps coming at me.

　No matter how much difference in power I show him, his eyes just look straight at me while wielding his sword and magic.

　I’m sure he’s suffered considerable damage, but his movements show no signs of weakening, instead his sword is becoming sharper and his magic more intense with each passing moment.

　Finally, a few moments later, I found myself with a scar on my neck.

　I am amazed at his mental strength and growth.

　At the same time, I want to see the future of this young man. Or maybe it’s because I can see that he might be in danger somehow. (TL : there’s possible mistake on this part)

　”Very Well. You win the bet. I will not become your subordinate, but I acknowledge you as My Lord for the time being.”

　Now, what will this young man show to me?

---

　The days that followed were a hectic and dizzying series of events.

　I fought, laughed, and hurt alongside My Lord and his companions.

　Right now I understand.

　I was having fun.

　Needless to say, no matter how much time has passed, my opinion of “People” itself has remained the same.

　But I’ve learned that there are many types of “People” as individuals, and sometimes there are ‘people’ with whom I can communicate with.

　Even though it’s not long since I and My Lord separated. I’m having a hard time staying calm, because I feel indescribably nostalgic. Or as if it had been nothing more than a dream in the night.

　Could it be that I am feeling “lonely”?

　The contract that I used to feel so strongly when I was with him is now so thin and weak that it’s difficult to feel the connection between us.

　Is it just a temporary hesitation in my mind that makes me feel so sad?

　As I was smiling and thinking about the futility of the situation, suddenly the magic power I remembered enveloped me.

　When the magic that enveloped me dissipated, I saw the young man’s troubled face that had flashed across my mind so vividly a few moments ago.

“Hey, Leiria. Forgive me for calling you out suddenly.”

　Young man’s, My Lord’s voice.

　I never thought I would be able to hear it again.

“My Lord? Didn’t you go back to your world? Don’t tell me…”

　An unpleasant and very unacceptable thought came into my mind.

　Don’t tell me that the kingdom that summoned my lord refused to return him to his home world?

　The king whom I’ve met before did not appear to be a fool, but was he driven by his greed to use the Lord’s power as a hero for his own selfishness?

　If that is the case, I would not allow it.

　I have seen how much My Lord longed to return home and how much effort and suffering he had to endure to achieve it.

　If such a fool has trampled on it, I will make them regret it from the bottom of their hearts.

　I will repay them with all the cruelty I can muster.

　As I was thinking about this, My Lord said something that would dispel my fears.

“Well, I made it home properly. This is my world.”

“Oh my! So this is the country of ‘Japan’ that My Lord was talking about!”

　I exclaimed in surprise.

　I hadn’t been this surprised in a long time.

“Hmm, I didn’t expect my Lord’s summoning magic to be able to cross the world.”

　I can’t help but feel a sense of discomfort even as I say this. In fact, summoning magic should not have the power to cross through worlds.

　It is true that summoning magic is useful, but the summoning itself requires considerable magical power, and it should require the power of a god to cross the world.

　However, since crossing the world itself is a rare occurrence, I don’t have any proof myself.

　It’s possible that my Lord’s power is a different kind of power than the norm.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, My Lord, but what do you want? You didn’t call me here just because you wanted to see me, did you? Well, if it’s that’s fine by me.”

　I put aside my doubts for now and ask him the reason why I was called.

　It is not in my Lord’s personality to call me when he has no need to do so.

　Good grief, can’t you do something about your excessively caring nature?

　I would prefer it if you could be a little more selfish.

“Oh, well, can I ask you a favor?”

“What is it?”

　My question is answered by my Lord with a wry smile, as if he had some trouble saying it.

“I forgot to return something. I was wondering if you could help me return it to the Royal Palace of Arianas. Could you do me a favor?”

　As I had expected, this is a request that My Lord could not accomplish by himself.

　Of course, I’m willing to do whatever I can to fulfill my duty to the Lord.

　It’s a bit of a hassle to go to the capital where so many people are gathered, but I can tolerate that much.

　But it’s a shame that the meeting with My Lord is over so soon, as I had given up hope of ever seeing him again.

　I’m going to enjoy this time for a while now, even if it may sound a bit selfish.

“I don’t mind doing you a favor, but will you grant me my wish as well?”

“What’s your wish?”

“Hmm. I have come to My Lord’s world that I have heard so many times. I wanted to see a lot of things.”

　In fact, the otherworldly scenes I’ve heard so many times while traveling with My Lord are very interesting indeed.

　I’d like to see it for myself at least once.

　A unique opportunity has arisen, and I would not want to miss it.

　My Lord made a few contemplative gestures at my request.

“I don’t mind that, but you can’t do it with that form.”

　There are no dragons in this world, so it’s not unreasonable to think so, I understand that much.

　I’m not going to be able to enjoy this world with My Lord if I look like this.

“I know.”

　I transform into a human being while saying that.

　Just now, my Lord’s eyes are fixed on my chest.

“You’ve never changed, My Lord.”

　I can’t help but smile.

　My Lord is as honest as ever.

　It seems that My Lord is fond of large-breasted girls, and he seems to be quite interested in my breasts as well.

　Hmmm, it sure is a pleasant feeling.

　After teasing him for a while, we move using my Lord’s transition magic.

---

　When we walked a little further from the place where we shifted, I found something strange on the ground.

　A little bigger than a goat.

　A metal object with black wheel-like things attached to the front and back.

　It seems that this is the “Bike” that My Lord was often talking about, but is it really possible for a person to ride on such a thing?

　The wheels look like legs, but I think it would fall over easily if it only had two.

　I wasn’t quite convinced by my Lord’s explanation, but I put the thing called “Helmet” on my head and mounted the bike behind him.

　With a slightly noisy sound, My Lord departed on his “Bike”.

　I was surprised.

　It’s so fast that it’s hard to believe it’s a vehicle that runs on the ground, and it’s so comfortable to ride.

　It may have a little vibration, but it’s incomparable to a horse.

　The most surprising thing is that the road is made of blackish stone and it goes on and on so smoothly that you can’t even see the joints.

　I see, If he were accustomed to this kind of road, then it is easy to understand why My Lord was so annoyed by the vibration of the carriage.

　I enjoyed the scenery and My Lord’s reaction, which was a little tense when I pressed my chest against his back, as we moved for a while.

　As we passed through the meandering mountain path, the town came into view at once.

　I was left speechless with my mouth open for a long time after that.

　Colorful metal boxes that came and went at high speed. A huge tower with a glittering surface. A glowing sign with unfamiliar words on it.

　When we entered the city, I was surprised at the number of people and the size of the shops like buildings.

　I knew that this was a different world, and that it differed from the one I knew.

　But my understanding could not keep up.

　I wonder if My Lord felt the same way when he came to that world.

“Hmm. Humans are amazing. I have heard stories about them, but I never thought they would be this impressive.”

　My Lord and I talk over a meal in a very clean and bright dining room.

　To be honest, I’m still reeling from the shock.

　so it’s possible for “people” to build such an amazing civilization.

　Is it a mistake for us high ranking dragons to dismiss people as inferior creatures?

“In this world, science has developed because there is no such thing as magic. I’m sure you’ll find it very interesting. On the other hand, when I went to another world, magic was a mystery to me.”

　I’m not sure what to think about when I hear my Lord’s words.

　At first, when I heard of a world without magic, I thought it would be an inconvenient and backward world, but, in this world, instead of magic, they have developed a civilization that is far superior to magic by developing “science”.

　According to what I’ve heard, there is no invasion or civil war in this country, and ordinary people are not allowed to carry weapons.

　I find this hard to believe, even though it’s a different world.

　If such a country can survive in the world where I live, we high ranking dragons won’t think of people as inferior.

　By the way, the food was really delicious.

　The food called “pasta” I just ate was delicious, but this food called “parfait” was even more delicious.

　Colorfully decorated fruits, slightly bitter and black sauces, a mixture of cold ice-candy-like things and not-so-cold white things, all mingled together in my mouth.

　In the blink of an eye, I had finished about three of them and when I was about to choose the fourth one; I was stopped by My Lord.

“Oh, come on, I’m a poor student, so please refrain a little.”

　He said such a stingy thing, even though there are about three different kinds of parfait that I haven’t eaten yet.

　I told him to sell my scales or my claws, but he says, “There’s no way I can sell them!” And it was instantly dismissed.

　Muuuu.

　It’s true that my scales may not sell in a world where there are no dragon species, but it’s not very amusing to hear the way he says that, it’s as if my body has no value at all.

　Even though the Lord looks at my breasts with such a lustful(it’s a misunderstanding) gaze.

　In the meantime, My Lord finished the bill, and we left the shop while he pulled my hand.

　Although I’m not happy with it, I’ll forgive My Lord for now by virtue of this warm hand of his.

　By the way, do we pay for our meals afterwards in this country?

　I wonder if there is anyone who runs away without paying. I’m curious.

---

　As we walked out of the store and towards the place where we put the “Bike”, My Lord spins his words as if it were hard to say.

“Well, you’ve had some fun, haven’t you? I have to take a class in college later this afternoon, so…”

“Hmm. My Lord’s school is it. Don’t mind me, I’ll go with you.”

　I’m also interested in My Lord’s school.

　Above all, I cannot be satisfied with such a short time.

　I still have to ask My Lord to show me around.

　My Lord thought about it for a while, and then, as if he had given up 

“…for the love of God, please behave yourself.”

　He handed me the helmet as he said that.

　Hm, I have no intention of causing trouble for my Lord, so don’t worry about it.

　However, I have to see the face of the person known as Akane, whose name often appears in the course of our journeys.

　I can’t let this insignificant person stay with My Lord.

　I must examine every woman surrounding My Lord carefully.

　I’d like to meet My Lord’s family if I had the opportunity.

　I cling to the Lord’s waist, looking forward with anticipation of the things to come.

　I feel strangely happy, but it’s also a good thing.

---

Translator’s Note :

Someone please help me to stop procrastinating……

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