The 5000-year-old Herbivorous Dragon

Chapter 71 - The Survivors

“What did you come here for? I’m not planning on making up with you, you know?”

After retreating inside the barrier first, Lady Saintess studiously put on an angry face.

I’m aware he’s not an enemy after getting rescued just a while ago. There was also his achievement of lending a hand when fighting Lady Rēko. However, it doesn’t matter; after all I haven’t got a proper apology yet.

I intend to never ever forgive him―― Unless he really insists, then it’s not like I can’t make an exception and allow him to work as a member of the guard protecting the town. Being able to work as a subordinate of an illustrious Saintess, this dragon will no doubt shed tears of joy.

“I’ve no intention of making you reconcile with me. I only want you to hide us for a while.”

“W, what’s with this convenient for you story! You won’t persuade me with that!”

“I think I paid off my gratitude in advance. Saintess, it appeared to me like you were struggling with a demon just a moment ago?”

“Muu… That’s not true. That was a piece of cake.”

Offended, Lady Saintess turned the other way. Yet there was a lot she was curious about, so her gaze returned to Doradora while still sulking.

“By the way that ‘we’… What’s going on with this boy? Also hide you say, did something happen?”

“It’d be a long story, but… very well. I’ll start with the reason of why I decided to call myself Doradora.”

“Ah, it’s okay. I don’t really care much so you can omit that part please.”

She refused politely, but Doradora ignored her request and started narrating the crux of the matter. Since she couldn’t care less, Lady Saintess played around by scribbling pictures on the ground.

“―― And that’s why.”

“Must’ve been hard―”

Of course she wasn’t listening.

“Since it’s like that, I decided to start from the scratch and become strong. So I’ve accompanied that red-haired female knight and reached the town of Peryudōna where the capable humans gather.”

“Uh-huh, Peryudōna right? We’re arranging for my water to flow there one of these days! Should I tell you all about it?”

“Let’s hear it next time. Now’s not the time for that.”

What shamelessness. I can’t believe it, he talked all he wants and won’t listen to what I want to say. It may be too soon to take him in as a subordinate after all. Let’s start off by making him plough fields like an ox.

Doradora groaned as if struggling with a bitter memory.

“It was a trap, in a nutshell. That despicable female knight, by making use of the lie that she’d take me in as an apprentice, she managed to lead me onto her own ground, to her town. The moment we arrived I was met with an array of attacks from those adventurers…”

―― It’s a dragon! A dragon came!

―― It’s okay! Compared to that Evil Dragon it’ll be a breeze!

―― Les’ hunt it down and turns it into reconstruction funds!

―― Ah, I’ll assist in subjugating it so could you sell me its heart?

“… That cruel female knight only said to me ‘Survive for now’ and went away leaving no explanation. What else could it be other than a trap?”

“It cannot be helped. You’ve done so much wrong after all. But if you want to atone and wipe out that stigma no matter what, then become a follower of this pure and selfless Lady Saintess devoting herself to this world and its people――”

At that point Doradora lowered the gold-haired boy to the ground.

“However I still had it good. Considering my past of swinging around my power as the Dragon of the Fierce Winds it’s a matter of course. The problem is this brat.”

“Did he do something?”

“I found him by chance at the city’s outskirts when I was running around and countering the bunch of adventurers glaring at me, trying to escape. This brat is―― Similarly to me, he was getting the crap beaten out of him, surrounded by adventurers…”

“Eeeh, something so horrible?”

Doradora deliberately inclined his head and continued.

“Probably this brat is a demon set up in a trap just like me. I’m worried why he has absolutely no magic power, but it’s likely it was sealed so he couldn’t strike back and was getting tormented to death. To take for an opponent a demon so small and weak he couldn’t possibly do any evil, how inhuman…”

“Wow, so there are demons like that too. He’s even more human-ish than that long-haired demon from before.”

“I decided to side with humans in order to become strong, but after suddenly going through something like that my resolve weakened. Just before I ran away I’ve picked up this brat from pity towards a fellow companion. Saintess, you too originally were a demon. As one bearing the same stigma, please shelter us for a short while from those fiends.”

“Weeell, I certainly was a grand water demon feared as the symbol of dread in the past, so it’s not like I don’t understand the sorrow characteristic to demons…”

At that time a pained voice rang out and the boy dazedly opened his eyes.

“You woke up brat. There’s no enemies here. It seems you went through a greatly terrifying ordeal…”

“Hnn…? A dragon… but it’s not that one… a different dragon huh… whatever, let’s sleep. Hm?”

The boy who was trying to fall asleep, in the next instant gasped loudly and opened his eyes wide. His eyes looked dead like a rotten fish but they steadily regained their light.

Before long he yelled out in surprise and jumped to his feet, then like a vigilant lion he sharply surveyed his surroundings and instantly drew back.

“W, Where the hell’s this?! Or rather, a dragon?! Maybe you’re that evil dragon’s henchman――?”

“Calm down. There’s no humans aiming for you here. I’m your ally.”

“An ally…? I see, you want turn me into that kin thing like Rēko was…?”

The boy that kept his guard was glaring at Doradora while baring his teeth. Lady Saintess was intently observing this behaviour, and before long she spun her neck――

“Eiyaa.”

And she threw the water ball she created on her palm at his face hitting right on the mark, leaving him dripping wet.

“Hee-hee, you’ve got bad eyes Mr Doradora. As you can see I threw the demon repelling water at him and he’s not suffering. This child’s not a demon but human!”

“… Who the hell are you? It can’t be, are you that Evil Dragon’s ally…?”

The boy turned his gaze full of hostility towards Lady Saintess, whereas she hurriedly retreated behind Doradora’s back. His body already looked worn out beyond belief, but he still clenched his fists and tried to poise himself for Doradora.

“What’s going on, Saintess. Is that not one of our race?”

“Yes, there’s no doubt he’s human.”

“But, then why was he getting beaten up by adventurers? … Ah, I see.”

Almost simultaneously to Doradora, Lady Saintess reached an identical conclusion.

“―― In that case you’re one of those criminals?”

“Like hell I am!”

The boy’s bellow of denial was terribly quick.