18 GATHERING AT THE CHURCH「I-Iris-sama is back! Iris-sama are you okay? 」
When she came back, Sheryl waved her hand as she came out to greet Iris.
The villagers joined her in waving their hands.
「Ou, there are no dragons! Were they defeated!?」
「So small yet able to defeat a dragon, two at that……」
「She is indeed not a human but the G.o.ddess……」
「So divinely naked!」
「Naked hooray!」
「Hooray!」
Everyone hoorayed in Iris’ direction.
At that moment, Iris remembered that her clothes were incinerated by Marion.
In other words, her shameful appearance just went public.
「Waaaaaa!」
Because of a sudden embarra.s.sment, she took Punigami and flew towards the church at a tremendous speed.
With a speed enough to tear the gra.s.s away from the ground by sheer wind pressure.
Then she entered the church and shut the door.
Wore her pajamas, hugged Punigami, and crawled into the futon hiding even her head.
「I was seen……..I was seen by everyone…….」
Iris was on the verge of death because of her embarra.s.sment.
At that time, there was an intense knock on the door.
「Iris-sama! Please open! Why have you suddenly shut yourself in!?」
It was Sheryl’s voice.
「Ah, I won’t! I won’t leave the church for a while! 」
「How long is this 「for a while」?」
「Until everyone, who saw me naked, die of old age!」
「Who many decades would that be!? Don’t say strange things and please open」
「Don’t wanna!」
When Iris shouted in a loud voice, Sheryl became quiet.
Unexpectedly, she didn’t persist.
Iris felt a little lonely.
However, she didn’t know what kind of face to make when she meets her.
The mental damage won’t recover without at least one week inside.
「Iris-sama」
However, suddenly the futon was pushed away.
And the first thing she saw was Sheryl’s face.
「Uwaaa! Eh, why!? There is a barrier on the door! How did you get in!?」
「Fufufu, from the back door」
Sheryl responded with a proud face.
「Back door……I didn’t check that one……」
「Iris-sama. Instead of sleeping, you should investigate the place you live in a bit more」
「You make a sound argument……how impudent of the likes of Sheryl! 」
「Mm? I feel like I’ve been treated unreasonably…….! 」
Sheryl puffed her cheeks.
Her face was amusing, however, hiding took a priority.
Iris hid in the futon again and turned into a ball.
「Geez, Iris-sama. There is no need to exaggerate so much over exposing yourself. Punigami-sama thinks so too, isn’t he? 」
「Puni」
「See. Even Punigami-sama thinks the same」
「……Casually a.s.suming at your own convenience…….Then let me ask, are you fine with the villagers seeing you naked? 」
「Of course…….it’s e-embarra.s.sing! 」
Sheryl raised a scream.
「Puni」
「H-However……Iris-sama’s naked/clothed ratio is rather high! Isn’t it a bit too late for that!?」
「Sheryl and I are both girls, so it’s fine! There were plenty of men amongst the villagers……..ah, I can’t be a bride anymore…….! 」
「Mm? Does Iris-sama want to become a bride? 」
「No, not particularly. Just tried saying……and earn a pity point」
「So that’s what it was. If Iris-sama were to become a bride and leave somewhere, it would be quite troubling. Please stay here forever. Or, maybe, you may consider becoming my bride? 」
「Like I said, we are both girls………」
「Fufufu, just said for the sake of saying♪」
When she poked her head outside, there was Sheryl with a mysteriously triumphant look on her face.
As Iris saw that, she felt stupid for hiding in the futon, breathed a sigh, and crawled out.
(Mm? With this, Sheryl’s goal is achieved? In other words, she won? So there is a basis for her triumphant expression……..?)
「She is not to be trifled with!」
Iris shuddered.
「Yes?」
Sheryl tilted her head in curiosity.
「Punipuni」
And Punigami said that it was a decade too early to become a bride.
「It’s alright, Punigami. I don’t think about becoming a bride anytime soon」
「Puni」
「Ah, right now, Punigami-sama said『I’m glad, I’m glad』!」
「Wrong.『If you all don’t marry, I’m gonna take you two for myself』he said」 [1]
「Hard-boiled slime!?」
「Punii!」
「W-What is it this time……..?」
「Why are you falsifying my statements?」
「So it was a lie!」
「Un. I’m glad, I’m glad was the right one」
「Mumumu. Iris-sama’s statements lost a great deal of trustworthiness. The next time I’m going to just let it flow past me」
「Eh…..」
「I’m joking」
「…….It’s Sheryl’s statements that don’t have any trustworthiness to them」
As they were engaged in a banter, two new figures entered the church.
「Coming in」
「Mom, let’s go home. Let’s not bother with her」
Just from the voices, it was clearly Jessica and Marion.
「I-Intruders!? Just how did they!?」
Sheryl stood up.
「From the back door」
Nonchalantly answered Jessica.
「I-I see…..it was my blind spot! 」
Sheryl nodded as if convinced.
Even though she herself entered that way.
Is it a case of memory loss?
「So, who the two of you might be? This is the church of our Guardian Deity, Iris-sama. Only those approved by Iris-sama can be here. No, in the first place, this is my land. Suspicious people should go away, fuuun on you」
Sheryl used「fuuun on you」as an expression of her anger.
It looked stupid to the extreme.
She didn’t look like much of a n.o.ble.
Perhaps, her maid history was so long that her n.o.ble apt.i.tude dropped to 0000. [2]
「We are not suspicious people」
「Every suspicious person says that!」
「Eh, but, in the first place, we are not “people”. Right, Marion? 」
「Of course. We are great dragons! Don’t lump us with the likes of humans! 」
As Marion said that, Sheryl「Ha? 」opened her mouth wide.
「Dragons…..what are you saying? You are humans however I look at you」
Indeed, a dragon under transformation magic could only be seen as a human.
However, there was one incompetent dragon mixed in.
「Sheryl, look at her head」
Iris pointed out.
「Ha……there are horn-like ornaments. How cute」
「Also, there is something growing from behind」
「Ha……there is a tail-like ornament. This is also cute」
“What about those?” Sheryl soundlessly asked.
However, once she saw that tail moving, her expression transformed in an instant.
「I-It moved!? Eh, is it real!? She is from a tribe that has a real tail! 」
「As I said, we are dragons」
In the end, Marion straight-up admitted to being a dragon.
However, Sheryl didn’t believe yet again.
「My, my. You are too insistent on your joke. As for the dragons, they came to this village just a while ago. It’s a sensitive topic right now. You shouldn’t speak about dragons carelessly」
As Sheryl failed to accept the truth, Marion said in frustration.
「Such an ignorant woman! Hey, come here! I’ll show you a proof! 」
「Wa, wa!」
Marion pulled Sheryl by her hand and dragged her outside through the back door.
「Ara. Marion is always so short-tempered」
Jessica chased after her daughter.
Since they were worried, Iris and Punigami followed after them.
And as they came out, sure enough.
There was a figure of Marion in her dragon form standing on the gra.s.sland.
「Gyaoon!」
To make things worse, she let out a scream.
Even though the villages just celebrated the dragon’s disappearance.
If it goes like this, there will be another panic.
Presently, the Lord, Sheryl, stood before Marion with spinning eyes letting out a soundless scream.
「Hawawawa, there is a dragon in front of me…….hawawawa, please don’t eat me……..」
Then Sheryl pa.s.sed out and fell on the gra.s.s.
Marion, apparently not expecting her to faint, became fl.u.s.tered.
「A-Are you okay!? Mother, what should I do!?」
「That’s because you scared her. For now, return to your human form and tend to her」
「Yees」
Marion, who once again turned into a human, carried Sheryl inside the church.
However, perhaps calming the villagers down should be a priority.
Though Iris, but didn’t have the guts to come down the hill and explain the situation.
Instead, she loudly screamed「I, Iris, somehow dealt with the dragon, so it’s safe! 」
With this, it should be okay. Probably.
It came to my knowledge that apparently some people don’t know that even bookmarks worth 2 points.
Not only evaluation, even bookmarks can become points! [3]