Chapter 14 - The Dragon Girl at the Lake
Translator: Erothur
While I do quest as usual hoping that it will help decreasing the town’s danger level, father also helps exterminating some of them while he is on the way to do his lumberjack work. And maybe because of that, a while later after we start focusing on reducing the danger level, the orcs that was supposed to be on their breeding season got completely exterminated from the surrounding forest.
Father also informed the knight brigade via Filianes-san about the increasing of monster around the town and request their help to starts a ma.s.s monster subjugation in the area. At the same time, Mizell’s branch Adventurer’s guild also announce that they will start a vigilante corps to help subjugating the over increasing monster.
Adventurers who once create a party together with me enthusiastically agree to join the vigilante corps. By using a limited period quest to increase the prize money, the vigilante corps caught many other adventurers’ interest and ended up creating a total of 10 subjugation parties. With this 10 parties working together in the vigilante corps, the monster subjugation quest went on smoothly without a hitch.
Amongst the parties inside the vigilante corps, the party that Father made can even easily subjugates 4 stars categorized monsters. With the support from Filianes-san and the knight brigade vigorous work, Mizell’s danger level finally decreases until the level [safest] without even taking a week.
◇◆◇
Finally, monsters won’t show up the forest around the town. After a few days such situation continues, the little kids living in Mizell town starts to go out to the forest to play. But they cannot go deeper to the forest because the hunter and vigilante corps are glaring at them.
But because I need to keep my strength a secret, I can’t join the Knight Brigade and the Vigilante Corps when they are doing the monster subjugation, so because of that, for the past few days, I haven’t go to the forest to check the situation there. Finally when I see the chance to sneak out to check the forest’s situation, I was thinking of going there alone but….. I don’t know when it happened but when I realize it, Riona had already followed me from behind.
“If Hiro-chan is going then I will also go!”
She says that as she grips the edge of my clothes tightly. Once she becomes like this she’ll definitely follows even if I refuse her. From my relationship with her until now, I just know it.
“Can’t be helped then…… Just don’t stray away from me okay?”
“Okay!”
I the forest, rabbit type mob appear but they are not an aggressive type mob so they won’t attack anyone unless provoked so it’s not a problem. Because of that, they usually hunted by a one hit kill sneak attack which is kinda pitiable.
(…… Eh? Why is there nothing here……?)
There are no animal or even the just mentioned rabbit mob. Even slimes would sometimes pop up around here but…… I can’t feel any living being presence around here.
I steel myself and continue on advancing the eerily silent forest. And after a while, I could hear the sound of streaming water from afar.
I heard a story before about a beautiful lake inside the forest which was usually used by the girls of Mizell town to take a bath…… or such kind of similar story. Judging from the sound of water, maybe it was that lake that I found.
“…… Hiro-chan”
“N? …… What is it?”
Riona suddenly grabs my shirt’s edge and stop moving. I thought something had happened but as far as I see the surrounding area, there is nothing around.
“Hiro-chan. Could you hear that? Some kind of rustling sound”
“Rustling sound? …… I don’t think I hear any……”
---- At that moment, my log event window that has been quiet for a while suddenly showing lines of text in a high speed.
LOG
- The power of demon king had called for disaster…… Your Fortune skill is rendered 0 for some time.
- 《Riona》 had evoked the skill [Happening]!
(Wha……!?)
Such thing had never happened before. Usually, if I am around then Riona’s misfortune would get blocked off totally.
Even just for a period of time, to actually lower skill level…… I never know such kind of powerful debuff attack exist! Even if there are cases of sealing the skill off, the principle of [decreasing a skill level numerical value] was impossible!
My throat feel parched all of the sudden. I can’t even let out any sound. And then to me who are still bewildered with the sudden happening, the event log window is like giving the last blow to my weakened calmness.
LOG
- 《Riona》 existence has called forth for another mighty existence!
“Wha...... Riona!”
The rustling sound that Riona heard before, I wonder what it was but ---- I finally noticed it too. And that sound... is coming from up above!
I pulled Riona’s hand and get us hidden inside the thicket. If we run into the woods instead, ‘it’ will definitely notice us so...... I’d rather not do anything suspicious for now.
“(Hiro-chan......?)”
“(Sssh...... please, be quiet......!)”
I suppress my breathing inside the thicket. And then I realize that the rustling sound that I heard from up above suddenly stopped.
That rustling sound...... that must be the sound of a fluttering wings. And the owner of those wings should be that mighty existence that had been summoned by Riona......
LOG
- 《Yuisia》 had transformed into human form.
(Yui......sia...... a monster, that had a name......!?)
As I blankly stared at the log event window in the [mighty existence] part...... did that mighty existence is the one that transforms into a human form?
---- I suddenly hear splashing sound of water. I then order Riona to stay silent then use my [Sneaking] skill to slowly approach the sound’s origin.
Slowly, steadily, carefully, bit by bit; I am like crawling toward the sound’s origin...... and then in the other side of the thicket, in a clearing of the forest, I saw a little girl figure standing alone.
(...... who...... is that......)
The one that I see there is a little girl who has a refreshing silver hair that had a little blue color mixed in.
Judging from her outer appearance, she seems to be around 5 or younger. She wears a thin transparent white colored swim suit like clothes and standing on the shallow part of the lake. Her eyes seems to gaze on something far away and stay motionless there.
She had an inhumanely level of beautiful features. No she definitely is not a normal human ---- because there in her head are a pair of horns growing. And then from the gap of her thin and transparent clothing, from around her b.u.t.tocks, a lizard like tail which covered by a l.u.s.try scale grows out long enough that it get soaked inside the water.
“...... that should be...... a summon from a demon king...... but......”
(!!!??)
I heard ‘it’ whisper out those words. Even if it sounds robotic, that voice is clearly a voice of a girl that matches with ‘it’s’ appearance.
“...... Who......?”
LOG
- Your hidden presence has been seen throught by 《Yuisia》!
- Your [Charisma] skill automatically activated! 《Yuisia》‘s attention is now locked on you.
---- our eyes met each other. Her golden eyes had managed to seize my figure.
In that moment, I had prepared myself for the worst.
In this forest, there are no being that can put me in danger. I have been carelessly regard this place like that.
(...... This world...... is a world where[mighty existence] run rampant. And they are not just stay back inside their dungeon like in the game)
So even if a very powerful being suddenly appears before him, it was not weird in the least.
And to think I drag Riona into this mess...... this is totally my mistake. I have made light of her status as a reincarnation of a demon lord. I thought that status of her’s won’t give any bad effects beside making her misfortune points steadily rise.
“...... child of humans. Not the demon lord......”
That existence that is named Yuisia slowly approaches me. Those eyes of hers is definitely not that of a human. Those eyes of her are just cold like that of an ice.
She doesn’t seems to care about me being there. My existence is just too small for her to realize.
Even when this unidentified existence hold many mysteries with it, this little girl appearance who stands before me is just too much similar to a normal human aside from her horns and tail.
LOG
- Your [Charm] skill automatically activated! 《Yuisia》had successfully resist it.
---- and with that, my last trump card had failed. If my [Charm] skill fails then I have no confidence in winning against her if she starts attacking me.
I am also thinking of doing one last desperate move by spending all my unspent points at fighting skills until the maximum limit without caring the consequences.
But my mind is totally overpowered by her existence. If I can’t even think straight then allocating my points will be impossible.
“…… Demon king, where?”
“…… I…… don’t know”
(Riona…… get away safe! Please……!)
The little girl starts to come ash.o.r.e and turn her sight at me who falls down on the ground unable to stand. I gaze her back at her eyes…… and then.
For the last time, at least for this one last time, I want to know the status of the one who might kill me. And with that, her status is displayed inside my mind.
STATUS
Name: Yuisia
Race: Sovereign Dragon
Gender: Female
Age: 13
Level: 10
Job: Empress Dragon
Life: 1300/1300
Mana: 412/412
Skill(s):
Bare-handed Fighting (35) Sovereign Dragon Innate (40) Strong body (105)
Magic Grounding (36) Limit Break (5) Maternal (15)
(Eros: Oh… did I see maternal skill there… *drolls)
Action skill(s):
Punch (Bare-handed Fighting 10)
Kick (Bare-handed Fighting 20)
Fire Breath (Sovereign Dragon Innate 10)
Ice Breath (Sovereign Dragon Innate 10)
Lightning Breath (Sovereign Dragon Innate 10)
Tail slide (Sovereign Dragon Innate 40) (テールスライド makes no sense but ah well)
Flight (Sovereign Dragon Innate 20)
Invincibility (Strong Body 100)
Pa.s.sive skill(s):
Evasion Up (Bare-handed Fighting 30)
Dragon Language (Sovereign Dragon Innate 10) (Fus ro dah)
Shapeshifting [Human] (Sovereign Dragon Innate 30)
Magic Booster (Magic Grounding 30)
Child-rearing (Maternity 10)
Skill points left: 30
---- Dragon! The yet to be implemented boss in Eternal Magia back in my previous life. The boss that my guild member had agreed to go and subjugate together once implemented.
If it was inside the game then no matter how much you die midway, if you got resurrected and witness the moment the boss died then all is well. But in this world, that kind of tactics won’t work.
The boss that can’t be beaten unless we a.s.semble a large group of player. The boss that is predicted to kill you twice or more before successfully defeated...... when that kind of dangerous being stands up in front of you, the only thing that you would have in mind would be:
(...... I...... don’t want to die)
Yuisia the Sovereign Dragon, this beautiful to the point of being cruel dragon girl is gazing down at me with her eyes that is devoid from any kind of emotion.
If she makes her move, all I can do is just drop dead. The damage caused by 105 points of [strong body] should be enough to kill me instantly.
---- but even so.
(...... I...... still....... don’t want to die......!)
I stand up and get my axe ready. But even when she sees my action, she is still not moved and keep being expressionless.
“...... I still want to live......!”
Even if I scream it out loud, it won’t change anything much. But even so, even if its not cool, I will still cling on my own life.
A few second pa.s.sed, or is it just my sense of time being in chaos? But the time for me to say my prayer had abruptly come to an end.
LOG
- Your [Fortune] skill has been restored!
“…… I only protect my treasures. I thought the demon lord is summoning me but…… I was wrong”
“!!!??”
LOG
- 《Yuisia》 had transformed into dragon form.
Just when I thought that the little girl body suddenly wrapped inside a blinding light, at the next moment, as if replacing the little girl existence, an elegant dragon figure that has it body wrapped by silver scale appears. It was only 3 meters tall but, when it spreads its wings, it’s all over length reaches almost 10 meters long.
After giving me the last glance, the dragon spread open its wings and in soar up high to the sky in one breath. And in the next moment, its figure is blocked by the trees and gone from sight.
“…… Hiro-chan?”
When Riona call my name, my body finally got freed from being frozen and I let out a deep sight. My axe is also fallen from my hand as I feel my energy just suddenly disappear from my limbs.
“Hiro-chan……?”
“…… It’s nothing…… nothing… at all”
All I can do is just hug Riona tightly. Riona doesn’t seem to understand what had happened yet but she still gently pats my back to comfort me.
“…… Don’t be afraid, ok?”
But Riona seems to understand that I’m afraid of something from the deep of my heart.
Even when I face ordinary monster, I never feel any fear for my life. Because most of their attacks won’t be able to hit me or even if it hits, the damage is just negligible that I won’t have to worry about getting die from it.
“Hiro-chan, let’s go back okay? I’m sorry… it all happen because Riona followed you…..”
“…… It’s alright. Everything is alright”
I turn my head to look at the direction where the thing that I feared from the depth of my heart had gone to.
Yuisia the Empress Dragon. The skills that she owns had been burned permanently inside my brain.
Her might is not something that is impossible to reach. If I had the skill, if my preparation is complete, her might is not something that is impossible for me to achieve.
(In this world, the maximum level limit for skills was actually not level 100…… it can actually get even higher than 100)
The skill that Yuisia has, the [Limit Break] skill is only at level 5. If it was because of this skill that her strong body skill could rise above the level 100 upper limits then…… if it was the sovereign dragon racial innate skill then.
---- I really want to get it at all cost. In order to know all the mysteries of this world my power are still too lacking.
(Just a reminder: Hiroto will usually gain 2 kinds of skill when he drinks breast milk, the job innate skill and the racial innate skill. Human’s innate skill was the strong body skill so if he drink from a human female knight, he will get strong body which is the racial innate skill and knighthood which is the job innate skill. Sarasa-san the half elf racial innate skill was magic grounding
…… which made me suddenly think… what if he drinks other livestock milk? Ok forget it lol)
“Riona…… about what you see just now, please keep it a secret from everyone ok?”
“Riona don’t see anything. Riona definitely don’t see anything”
“Good girl…… thank you. After we get back home, let’s play some more alright?”
“YAAY ♪ I wuf you Hiro-chan”
Riona suddenly glomps at me. And with her warmth, the despair that I felt just now gradually fades.
Also, in my heart, a new target that I have to reach no matter how reckless I go has born.
When [Negotiation] skill reaches level 95, the active skill [Allegiance] will be acquired. When comparing it to another ‘similar’ skill that the tamer [Tame] had, acquiring it just take too much time that no one even bother of raising it so no one even know that this kind of skill exist…… Even I used to think of it as just a consolation prize.
---- But if I can fulfill the conditions and cast [Allegiance] skill, I can even tame that dragon to be my ally.
And at that time, I will sure to know an even higher summit of power that was yet unknown when it was in the game. Just as the skill name literally mean, I will overcome the limits.
“Hiro-chan, anything happy happened? You look so happy”
“Well…… it’s nothing”
If I managed to get the [Limit Break] skill even if it was only at level 1, if I can allocate my bonus point in it, I will definitely add 99 bonus points to it so all my skill could be trained until level 200!
---- I’ve been saving my bonus points for this kind of rare skill. But with my strength now, if I were to fight Yuisia, then I will definitely suffer defeat in a flash.
(I just need a few years. After a few years I will definitely become stronger and won’t get scared when I face her off again)
People might call me stupid but I will definitely come to see her again once I get stronger. I can hardly wait for that time to come. This situation made me remember the times at the game when I and my guild member managed to s.n.a.t.c.h victory from an impossible boss after racking our brain in order to find a way to beat it.
◇◆◇
When I take Riona back home, Sarasa-san is also, by chance, come to my house to visit. It seems like she is having tea party time with Mother Remilia because I can see the tea set on the table.
“Welcome back, Hiroto. Oh my, so you’ve been playing together with Riona?”
“Yeah. Just a bit, playing around”
“Riona played a lot with Hiro-chan! Riona is hungry!”
Riona seems to be the type who prefers food over flowers. She then asks Sarasa-san to take some of the snacks for her and starts eating them greedily. The way she eats is messy with many crumbs from the snack falling all over. The way she eats is just like a hamster…… if I have to say, it is indeed cute though.
“And then Remilia-san, about the thing before……”
“Oh right, then I will ask my boy about it first okay? Hiroto, Sarasa-san is inviting you to stay at her house for one night. Would you like to go?”
“…… E-err. Is it alright?”
“FWAA! Hiro-chan will come staying at our house!?”
“Oh my, Riona is really…… Look at the mess you made here. It’s not lady like you know”
Riona who is still eating her snack suddenly jolted and try to run into me after hearing that but Sarasa-san catches her first and wipes her mouth clean with her handkerchief. After she got all cleaned up, she runs up to me energetically like a puppy taken on a walk.
Father said before that she will definitely grow up into a total babe, and I think his judgment is not wrong. But then again, how to say it, if it was according to my soul’s age, I can’t help feeling like I’ve become this world Hikaru Genji*.
(A dude in old time j.a.pan who groom up his own bride from childhood. Read Minamoto-kun Monogatari for complete ‘reference’ *lewd smile*)
“Hiro-chan, would you sleep together with Riona?”
“I also sleep together with Riona so all three of us we will sleep together tonight……”
Sarasa-san looks just as happy as her daughter…… no, she seems to even happier than Riona. As she is a half elf, her appearance still hasn’t changed much since the first time I met her. She is still the same calm and gentle beauty that exudes fresh atmosphere that could heal your heart.
Lately, I’ve been busy with raising my skill and taking care of Riona so my time together with Sarasa-san can be counted. Today’s meeting is also the first time after a while. I even feel something new from our meeting.
Maybe this feeling mostly comes from turning off my [Charm] skill. When I turn it off, it won’t spontaneously discharge and charms random people at whim. The one who joined my party would not be affected by my charm which is a good news but people who are not in my party such as Sarasa-san is susceptible to the charm once they get too close to me. In Riona’s case, her pendant helps protecting her from my charm and help her control her charm skill too.
“Hiroto, don’t cause trouble to Sarasa-san alright?”
O-of course…… then Mom, I’ll be going
“Be careful and have fun in Sarasa-san’s house”