Chapter 156 - Even Apart, We Will Always be Friends (8) (1/2)

The last morning of the trip arrived.

My father and the officers who had been drinking late the day before were still fast asleep, and Shouhei and I were helping Yuri-san with breakfast.

The girls were also up early, sorting through their luggage, and things are a bit hectic.

There’s no way I’m going to touch any of the women’s stuff, and I’m sure there’s a lot of stuff they don’t want me to see (mainly me), so that’s why I’m standing in the kitchen with Yuri-san.

It’s a light breakfast, but it takes a lot of time when there are so many people.

Yuri-san made miso soup. Shouhei is cooking scrambled eggs and bacon, and I’m making a salad.

We’re a rice family, but sometimes bread is good.

The miso soup was Yuri-san’s consideration for when they wake up with a hangover.

The next day after a day of drinking, they crave miso soup, which is something I don’t understand since I’m not allowed to drink yet.

“Shouhei, go wake Koji up.”

“Ok, what about Rouge-neechan?”

“Oh, I saw her just now, she was happily holding the baby bear. Let her sleep a little longer.”

Koji and Rouge were the ones sleeping in, and also the baby bear.

Jaja and Nana tend to wake up very early in the morning.

I guess they’ve gotten into the habit of it, because Jaja cries when she senses when I wake up for school.

When I checked the futon a while ago, I found the two of them playing with their arms and legs next to the sleeping Aoi.

I tried not to wake Aoi who was tired from the crying at night from being in an unfamiliar environment, but she woke up because Nana, who was hungry, dove into her clothes and wanted breast milk.

It’s really tough being a mom.

I looked at Rouge, who was sleeping in the same room as us, and she was happily sleeping with the baby bear in her arms.

She had her face buried in her fluffy fur and her hand gently resting on her equally fluffy belly.

It was as if they were a real parent and child, and I felt a bit relieved.

Rouge is not a morning person by nature, so there’s no problem if I let her sleep a little longer.

Today, we said goodbye to the little bear. It was only one day, but I’m sure she’ll miss her.

I want to let Rouge do whatever she wants as much as possible.

As for Koji, he’s just sleeping too much.

He went to bed earlier than anyone else last night, but he hasn’t shown any signs of waking up.

If you don’t work, you can’t eat. I won’t tolerate self-indulgence.

I’ll assign him some kind of work.

“I’ll see you later.”

“Oh, please. Go wake him up.”

“Okay.”

Shouhei left the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron.

As I listened to the sound of his slippers clomping up the stairs, I portioned out my salad from the salad bowl onto the paper plates I had prepared.

“What did you decide to do in the end with that little bear?”

Yuri-san asked me while tasting the miso soup from a small plate.

The gesture was very picturesque, like an experienced mother.

“I heard that there are dragons of the same tribe as Rouge in this area. They seem to know where her parents are, and should be coming to show her around in a little while.”

“Oh my. I’m surprised to see a dragon species in this place. I’m surprised you didn’t find them before.

Yuri-san placed her hand on her cheek as she said this.

As far as Rouge could perceive, there were six of them.

I don’t know if that’s a lot, but dragons are unexpectedly common.

Hmm? I wonder if that means Aoi can find out the whereabouts of her own kind. I’ll ask her next time.

“Dragon King’s daughter! Good morning! The herb dragon is here. Hey, Wera, are you sure this is the right place? This is a human nest, right?”

“I don’t know. But I can feel the presence of dragons from here, so I’m sure it’s right?”

“Don’t talk like it’s somebody else’s problem. I’ve never met the dragon king’s daughter before and I don’t know what to do! Oh, I’m afraid she’ll get mad if I’m rude.”

“Azui is such a worrier, but I didn’t expect the dragon king’s daughter to come here. I’ve seen the face of the Earth Dragon King a very long time ago. She was a beautiful woman.”

Hmm?

The voices came from the wooden deck instead of the entrance.

It seems that the dragons that made this area their territory are here to greet us.

“It looks like they’re here. I’m sorry, Yuri-san but can you go wake up Rouge? Also, please go and get Aoi. I’ll go welcome them.”

“Yeah, okay.”

After turning off the burner for the miso soup, Yuri-san left the kitchen with a slight rush.

I took off my apron, hung it on a chair in the dining room, and headed for the window that led to the wooden deck.

I’m actually a little traumatized by the idea of welcoming a dragon.

After all, the precedent is that Yule.

It’s not unreasonable for me to suddenly get blown up without even listening.

You can’t help but feel a little defensive.

“Um, sorry for keeping you waiting. Rouge is asleep right now… huh?”

They’re not here?

That’s strange. I’m sure I could hear their voices coming from here.

“H-h-h-human? Wera, there’s a human! We’re going to be eaten! They’ll attack us! They’ll kill us!”

“Calm down, Azui. It seems this human knows the name of the dragon king’s daughter. Hello, human, nice to meet you.”

“What?”

I could hear their voice, but I couldn’t see them.

I wonder if I’m being affected by something.

“Ah, over here, over here.”

“Oh, Wera! Don’t go near it! You’ll get eaten!”

I felt a tug at my shirt.

I looked down and saw two kids.

“What? Kids?”

Two brown-haired kids with two black horns on their foreheads, wearing some kind of risqué piece of cloth, were standing there.

They were wearing a piece of cloth with a hole in the middle just big enough for their head to fit through, and tied together at the waist with a string. I guess you can see them from the side, can’t you?

“We may look small, but we’re not children. We herb dragons of the Earth Dragon Tribe are a small tribe by nature. I’ve lived 1,200 years. Azui has lived for 800 years.”

A child with her long hair in a ponytail and her left eye hidden by her bangs smiled and explained.

“Nice to meet you, human. I’m Wera, Wera Draffilo.”

“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Kazamachi Kunpei.”

She introduced herself to me, so I hurriedly introduced myself back.

A slender waist, thin arms and legs. I thought for a moment that he was a boy based on how she spoke, but I thought there were only girls in dragons. So this must be a girl too.

“Come on, Azui. It would be rude if you didn’t introduce yourself too.”

She smiled and pulled the other girl, who had hidden herself behind Wera’s back, forward.

This one had long hair tied up that reached her hips and, contrary to Wera, had her right eye covered.

Ah, and if you look closely, you can see a rather short tail.

You can see that she is on guard, pointing upwards under the cloth.

“Ughhhh… I’m Azui, Azui Drafexy. I’m afraid so please don’t come near me. Ah, I don’t even taste good! Wera doesn’t taste any better! So please don’t eat us!”

“No, I won’t, but…”

You don’t have to be so frightened as soon as you see my eyes.

It was the same with Yule, and Rouge also told me gently, but I wonder if my look gives a bad impression to dragons…

“Doesn’t taste good, I don’t know if I’m supposed to be happy about this.”

Wera smiled and patted the frightened Azui on the head.

“B-because if you don’t say so, they’ll eat you! Wera is, um, well, I’m sure you must be delicious, but! But!”

“Calm down, Azui. I’m very happy that you tried to protect me. But it’s rude to do that in front of a human you’ve never met before. It’s okay. This human is not going to eat us, or rather who even told you that humans eat dragons?”

As she gently nursed Azui, who had her face buried in her chest, Wera smiled with a troubled expression.

“Oh, my mother taught me that a long time ago. Weak dragons like us are easy targets, so never get too close.”

“Auntie’s a worrier, too. Don’t worry, Azui. No matter what happens, I will protect you. I won’t let anything happen to my precious Azui.”

“W-wera.”

“Azui…”

Two little girls started flirting right in front of me. What is this?

What should I do?

“Oh, you know what? I’m not going to do anything to you two, so don’t worry.”

I tried to talk softly to her, trying to manage the atmosphere that was starting to become amorous.

“I’m sorry, human. Azui is very timid. But that’s one of the cute things about her.”

“Well, if it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me.”

No, I can’t.

I’ve been forced into a love affair. This is something I can’t handle.

I wonder if sickeningly sweet love birds are popular recently.

“Hmm. Good morning, Kunpei. I’m late.”

I heard a sleepy voice behind me.

“Oh, good morning.”

I turned around to find Rouge still rubbing her eyes with a sleeping baby bear in her arms.

My shirt and sweatpants, which she use as pajamas, were loose, and her shaggy hair was bouncing around freely.

I could tell at a glance that she hadn’t had enough sleep, as her tail was hanging down weakly.

“Good morning, Ru-anesama. Did you call for me, Kunpei-san?”

“Dah!”

“Ah, Rouge-san, good morning.”

“Ugh.”

Aoi, who was holding Jaja, and Mikuma, who was holding Nana, also came into the dining room, their slippers clattering.