Chapter 2 (2/2)
”You monster. You want to eat me?”
”Why is everyone saying that? I'm not that much of a glutton. I only wanted to talk.”
”Talk? Hmph, I don't have anything to talk about with someone like you.”
”…Raiotto.”
Rēko crouched and began forcefully pinching both his cheeks.
”Ouch, ow-swtop it! It hwurts!”
”Disrespecting Evil Dragon Lord is unforgivable.”
”Y-You fwucker! How dare you make Rēko do swuch things!”
”You two get along so well.”
I intended to give an honest opinion, but Raiotto disgruntledly averted his face. In exchange, the one who answered was Rēko.
”No, we do not. Because this evil brat is the son of the priest's family I was indebted to, it is true he is a being I had a certain debt of grat.i.tude to. But personally, I do not remember receiving any good treatment from him.”
”Oh, did you do something horrible to her?”
”I didn't!”
”It's no good to lie.”
She once again started pulling his cheeks.
”This evil brat was sinisterly scheming every day to expel me from the house. Me, who was blessed with the honorable duty of a sacrifice, he each and every time took me outside despite my surprise, and even went as far as unscrupulously stealing traveling expenses from the house, while making me take the money and saying such cold words as ”Don't you ever come back”. No matter how many times I returned home, without learning his lesson he again led me to far away towns…”
”Lad, it seems you also had it quite hard.”
”Don't make me remember it again!” Raiotto was on the verge of tears.
They're about the same age. Since either of them were just about ten years old and living close to each other, compa.s.sion will surely well up.
”Besides originally, I was supposed to become a sacrifice. The one who changed that is my old man. Because I'm his dear son, he brought Rēko here from another place. It's laughable, isn't it? The reason I've been living a good life as a priest, was to one day risk my life for the cause. But at the critical moment a subst.i.tute was found and I escaped my fate, what the h.e.l.l.”
”It's a shame you didn't come. If you did, it wouldn't have become complicated like that.”
”Haa? I don't have a clue what you're saying, you monster.”
If it's this lad, because he knows how much of an eccentric Rēko is, he might believe me.
”Very well, I'll count on your motives being pure and tell you everything. To tell you the truth, I'm not an evil dragon—”
”Stop making annoying excuses!”
With a swish, before Raiotto's eyes the jeweled dagger was stabbed into the ground.
”Don't interrupt Evil Dragon Lord when he's speaking. Be quiet and listen.”
If it's possible I'd also like for you to stay quiet, however I was too scared to say that. Nonetheless, using the silence to the best of my abilities I fluently conveyed today's happenings to Raiotto…
The result.
”As if I'm gonna believe you. That is, as if humans just with their wrong a.s.sumptions would be able to use that super magic. Aha, you want us to let down our guard and then eat all of us? Or did you get scared of going against the Devil King and you want to insist Rēko did all of that on her own?”
”Thought so.”
The story of the absurd interaction in the cave might yield an ”It might have happened” opinion, but the scene of repelling the Kuragari wolves certainly became an obstruction. After seeing it in such close proximity, saying ”She awakened her powers just on the basis of her wrong a.s.sumptions” won't get through.
Even me, I'm still half in doubt.
”How is it, Rēko? This guy, he's saying you became able to use magic because of your wrong a.s.sumptions.”
”Raiotto, foolish child. You don't understand anything.”
Even though she should've been listening all along about the misunderstanding, somehow the one who had the know-it-all look was Rēko.
”What Evil Dragon Lord is trying to convey is that today, what I've become able to use is merely a piece of His power. That is why, a mere human with his wrong a.s.sumptions is able to display only an act of a clumsy child's play – in order to be worthy of being called kin, further devotion is required. I am thankful for the guidance. I will etch it deeply in this heart of mine.”
”You're the one who doesn't understand the most…”
I wanted to cry for the first time in a few hundred years. No matter what words I use till exhaustion, she just distorts it time after time and takes it in a positive way. Strictly saying, I've no clue if it's positive or not.
”Since its come to this, let us hurry Evil Dragon Lord. There is no more use staying in such a remote village. Even though I'm lacking let me a.s.sist you in the grand journey to defeat the Devil King and let the world rest in your hands.”
”Can't we take it a little easy? Today I'm already tired.”
”Such jest, please look out the window. Is it not the full moon tonight?”
”So what?”
”Evil Dragon Lord's magic power becomes the greatest on full moon nights. That you would be tired on such a special night— I'm terribly grateful for the concern for me, the one who has just finished her first battle.”
”I had no idea that I get stronger on the full moon though.”
The setting of things I didn't know about is steadily increasing. Even though I've only felt I'm able to walk a bit more easily at a full moon night.
When I was confused, Rēko climbed on my back with an innocent look. She faced the laying on the ground Raiotto and said:
”Raiotto, I want you to convey my grat.i.tude to everyone at the village and home. I was happy to receive this duty. After this, together with Evil Dragon Lord we will conquer the world and make it so everyone can live safely. From now on this is my wish, and the Evil Dragon Lord's ambition.”
”Hey, wait! f.u.c.k! Untie the rope!”
”Let us go, Evil Dragon Lord. Let the curtain of night become your wings and the ruler's wind blow—Shadow Wings”
When Rēko held her dagger over the moon, darkness of the night condensed densely, as if it could be touched, and in the next instant turned into imposing jet black wings growing from my back.
”Allow my small power to be of a.s.sistance in the great Evil Dragon Lord's flight.”
Along with these few words my body floated softly—I flew for the first time in my life. Immediately after I faced the moon and could soar as high as I wanted.
I think I'm going to wet myself.
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