The 5000-year-old Herbivorous Dragon

Chapter 143 - It Goes Without Saying

Even in the midst of cries of confusion from the main street, the fake kin’s voice strangely echoed in my ears.

He replied to what Yoro-san pointed out without any agitation.

「I think nothing of him? What a strange thing to say. No one in this world is as dedicated to Evil Dragon-sama as I am. Can you not see my overflowing awe of him?」

「Foolish. No matter how one look at it, that girl over there is much more affectionate to him than you.」

Yoro-san confidently points at Rēko.

Rēko instantly has her smiley face on, and nodded happily at Yoro-san. “Having such good eyes, you deserve praise,” she said.

「Wait, there is not even a need to compare you to that girl. That dragon probably has many other people that think of him more than you. Your “Overflowing Awe” is less than what they think of him.」

「Wait, Yoro-san. I was a hikikomori, so I don’t have any friends.」

「You really have none?」

「Ah, wait I do have some, Ariante, the hunting god, the saintess…」

Sheina and Sousou also became my friends recently. Spirit-san is a bit of a dry person, but we fought together in battles, and Doradora has helped me in difficult situations many times before.

Although I have a delicate relationship with Raiotto, I feel a sense of camaraderie with him because our goal of restoring Rēko to normal is the same.

「…Fufu. Such an interesting joke. You are saying that my feelings for Rēvendia-sama, as his kin, is less than those unimportant people?」

「Absolutely.」

「What’s your basis?」

「My intuition.」

Yoro-san, whose basis is completely unfounded, began to shrug off the dust on his armor and began readying to fight again. He seems to be full of fighting spirit.

「…even if rusty, I guess you are still a demon lord, huh? You doesn’t seem to be an easy opponent.」

「Wait!」

The fake kin who was in the air began to move slightly. Probably taking it for an escape attempt, Yoro-san bent his knees and took a jumping stance.

However, the fake kin released a “Dragon King’s Great Claw” at Yoro-san at that moment.

「Mu!」

Yoro-san, who is about to jump at any moment, instantly went into defensive posture. He probably will be able to just avoid it with his physical strength, but behind him is the Cardinal and his men, who Rēko knocked unconscious, along with some other people in the alley.

Faced with that situation, Yoro-san chose to defend against it.

It is the fake kin’s attack that crushed Rēko’s full power “Great Claw.” Yoro-san’s armor began to squeak, and cracks began forming on the ground around him as he held the attack.

「Can’t let that happen!」

I quickly jumped in. Rēko is urging me to evacuate with her eyes, but she seems to understand my intention and backs away.

Toward the “Great Claw” that Yoro-san is holding back, I shrink my limbs and plunge into it with a frightened, full of openings, posture.

The slash of light immediately disappears without a haze.

「——Mu.」

「Ah, I’m glad it disappeared… Are you okay Yoro-san?」

Rolling on the ground still with my limbs shrunk, I shed a tear in relief.

I knew I could erase it in theory, but it still requires courage to plunge into it.

However, as I became a little accustomed to flying in the sky, I think I have been a little more courageous than before.

While I was praising myself, Yoro-san poked my head with his finger.

「Ouch!」

「You said you are useless, so why are you getting in my way? I can win without your help.」

「That said, Yoro-san, there are ordinary people behind you so… I better do I what I can do.」

In the middle of my argument, “By the way, what about the fake kin?” thought floated in my head.

By the time I and Yoro-san looked up in the sky, the fake kin had already disappeared. Apparently Yoro-san was right in how he is trying to escape.

「So he ran away… however, what the hell did that masked guy come here to do? Dragon, do you know anything?」

「I also have some trouble with that person. Once in a while he will approach us and do strange things.」

Yoro-san wrinkles his eyebrows under his helmet. He must have been frustrated that the fake kin managed to get away.

「By the way, show me your body.」

「Eh? It’s okay, you know? I am not injured at all.」

「I am not telling you to show me your body because you are injured. I am interested in why a small fish like you was able to survive that attack unharmed.」

「Ofun.」

Yoro-san pulled my legs to make me stand up and poked my scales from my sides.

And then,

Rēko jumped on top of me with her eyes shining brightly.

「Evil Dragon-sama, Evil Dragon-sama, Evil Dragon-sama, Evil Dragon-sama! As expected of Evil Dragon-sama! To be able to completely erase a blow that even a demon king is having a hard time to…! Ahh! Evil Dragon-sama is the best and strongest after all!」

She is in a little bit of a mess.

Meanwhile, Yoro-san is staring at my scales and horns from the side. Rēko is making my body move right and left though. I wonder if he is able to observe it accurately like this.

「How is it, Yoro-san? Did you find something?」

「No, it’s just a normal scale. Actually, it is a little softer than normal.」

「Is that so.」

I sighed at the lack of clues. Then Yoro-san starts pondering about something with his mouth tightly closed.

「Yoro-san?」

「—it’s nothing. For the time being, you should get away from the city fast. And you should maybe consider getting out of the country too.」

「Why?」

The fake kin was repelled, and I also managed to meet the Cardinal who seems to be knowledgeable with spirits and demons.

Didn’t we decide to go with them in the name of interrogation?

「Aside from me, I don’t think you will be imprisoned lightly.」

Yoro-san pointed at the cardinal and his armed men who had fallen down in the back alley and on the roofs of the buildings. Now that Rēko released them , they are slowly getting up.

Their eyes turned to me.

Their eyes are so vigilant and hostile that it pierces my skin.

「Evil Dragon… Rēvendia…」

They were muttering my name while picking up their weapons and began to take an attacking posture.

I shook my head and called them.

「Wait a second! I am not hostile! I might be an Evil Dragon, but I want to be friend with you guys!」

「It’s useless.」

This situation is the exact opposite to the previous one. Yoro-san stood with his back in front of me to act as a shield from their attacks.

「Looks like that masked guy did something. They are certain that you are an evil dragon now. And listen, not just here.」

I calmed down and concentrated on the voices from the street. I was wondering if there are just random noises, but I recognized a few words.

“Evil Dragon” “Rēvendia” “Attack” “Destroy”

It is as if I have come to attack this city.

「I will deliberately get caught by these guys because I have some business with the god here. But you probably don’t. If you are still here, there will soon be a fight. That’s why you need to go.」

「…sorry.」

Yoro-san is right. If we stay we will just cause some unnecessary confusion.

We might be able to solve the misunderstanding, but it is better to avoid a fight.

「Rēko!」

「Understood.」

Wings started to grow from my back (by Rēko’s magical power). Leaving Yoro-san here, we flew to the sky above the capital at once.

I was thinking of going to the plains some distance away from the capital.

Probably due to the fake kin’s work, the Cardinal and the people of the city have completely recognized me as an “Evil Dragon.” Without any say on my part.

—Isn’t this unreasonable phenomenon similar to how I came to be called an Evil Dragon?