Chapter 229 \nChapter 229 â Let's Meet a Magical Beast\n
I am a Dragonoid residing in Dragonewt City named Doria Armord.
The turmoil following last week's invasion of black monsters hasn't settled yet, and since the surrounding monsters are taking the opportunity to gather together and invade Mt. Konron now that the barrier is gone, we go mountain hunting almost every day. The members of the Adventurers Guild in the area and the dragon-samas are also collaborating with the mountain hunting, but the monsters are advancing one after the other, so it's an unmanageable situation.
And even though I'm still fatigued from yesterday's mountain hunting, as one of Dragonewt City's guards I'm patrolling the city early in the morning today as well. However, I witnessed something really strange along the way. That something was a huge black arm that suddenly broke through the wall of an inn's second floor.
It was a truly sudden thing. I was dumbfounded by the too sudden situation and simply watched, but it's still early in the morning right now. Most of the residents are still sleeping around this time. If there were another black monster attack at such a time, it would be extremely dangerous.
I regained my sanity when I saw the black arm quickly wither and return to the interior of its room. I immediately entered the inn and ran to the front of the corresponding room.
In front of the room I saw a middle-aged warrior in his thirties kneeling with his head bowed towards the innkeeper. I realized that was probably a dogeza. I had been taught by a Japanese visitor named Rikishi that the dogeza is the highest expression ofăSorryăin his country. The man's dogeza was truly mastered, as if he had spent many years perfecting the beauty of his dogeza.
And I don't really understand what that arm was, but it was apparently Dogeza-san's deed. Dogeza-san looked like he had a fairly high social status, so it seemed like it was conversely making the innkeeper who was being bowed to feel obliged.
I realized there was nothing in particular for me to do, so I simply told the innkeeper I had come to see what had happened as a guard, then left.
Come to think of it, I caught sight of a small child heading towards the inn during my patrol, but what was that? It feels like I've seen her face somewhere before. Well, it's fine. I completed my regular patrol without any problems after that and returned to the guardhouse.
When I returned to the guardhouse, I decided to tell my colleague Nick about the black arm. It's an ironclad rule to share information about anything that happened. It could save lives if an emergency were to occur. And after hearing my story, Nick told me that it seems that inn is where the God Dragon Empress-sama's escorts are staying.
In that case, that arm was probably a dragon's Humanization coming undone⊠I thought. It seems God Dragon Empress-sama came from a distant land to become God Dragon Emperor Naga-sama's empress. That is to say, Naga-sama's child might be born, which is extremely delightful for the Dragonoids. However, when God Dragon Empress-sama came to the city, she was clearly very young. She hasn't even become an adult dragon yet, so having a child should be a matter far in the future with her body's age.
The story digressed, but anyway, that escort is probably an adult dragon or God Dragon. He was probably still half asleep this morning and accidentally undid his Humanization. Considering that, calling him Dogeza-san naturally seems rude, so I'll start calling him Dogeza-sama.
Then I took a nap at the guardhouse, which finished with a quick lunch just before noon. The 4th Guard Company I belong to is going mountain hunting. The Mist Barrier has come undone, and the monsters are advancing into the mountains. We have to subjugate them.\n
The members of the company, me included, are accumulating fatigue from the mountain hunting we do almost every day, but we don't know what disaster might occur if we shirk it. The monsters entering unfamiliar territory are liable to approach the city. We can't ignore the possibility of the women and children being eaten.
ăI'm told the seal will be redone in a few days, so endure until then.ă
The leader Grihara so encouraged us. Even when the barrier is set up, subjugating the monsters that have entered will probably take some time, but there will be an end in sight.
I am a Dragonoid, but my closest dragon ancestor is 7 generations ago, so my blood is thin. I emit almost no Dragon Spirit. I got this job because I'm reasonably powerful, but this past week has been exhausting work.
So I was probably tired. And in the middle of the mountain hunt, I lost sight of my companions. That was a fatal mistake. Walking alone in a place where flocks of monsters are advancing is equivalent to suicide, so I was incredibly flustered as I searched for my companions, but I couldn't find them at all. Once you've lost sight of your own position in this forest, understanding where you are is considerably difficult. Even more so when you're flustered and tired like I was. I was so panicked that I couldn't grasp the mountain terrain I should be familiar with.
I will probably die here⊠I thought. I couldn't find my companions, and I could encounter a monster at any time. I was feeling a stir in the air. My thin dragon blood was sensing a crisis.
I can give at least one blow⊠I tightly grasped my sword and was about to advance in the bloodcurdling atmosphere when I saw a monster cat running towards me from the depths of the forest.
I had memory of that appearance. It was only from a picture book, but I learned from it that Elder Cats are considerably high level monsters that are nimble and have high attack power. It was an opponent that would be difficult to defeat even with multiple adventurers. And it was much bigger than I had heard.
It's pathetic, but I understood from its majestic appearance the futility of resistance and the difference between us, so I couldn't move, but as it approached I realized there was a person riding on the monster cat.
That figure became clear as the monster cat approached, and when I looked closely, it was Dogeza-sama. Dogeza-sama was calmly riding the monster cat and came before me. It seems the monster cat is Dogeza-sama's pet cat. As expected of Dogeza-sama.
And when I told him that I was separated from my companions, Dogeza-sama had me get on the monster cat's back and started running. I couldn't speak due to that tremendous speed, but we went to a certain part of the mountain, not my companions' side. And in that place were God Dragon Empress-sama and her companions.
ăUmm, are you okay?ă\nWith great difficulty I managed to shrilly reply to Empress-sama's words. I was so nervous that I'm not confident that I properly replied. Moreover, while she looks like she's my daughters age, she's a dragon-sama and Naga-sama's empress. Although she isn't an adult dragon, she's probably at least 70-80 years old.
I was overawed from meeting people with such high social status, but from what they told me, it seems Dogeza-sama and God Dragon Empress-sama were herding the monsters, and I would have run into the herded monsters as it was.
I shuddered after I heard that, but God Dragon Empress-sama and the others paid no heed and started moving to bring down the monsters. The herded monsters would disperse over time. But how would they exterminate the gathered monsters? Would Empress-sama and her companions simultaneously undo their Humanizations and use Breath?
Unlike how I imagined, Dogeza-sam stood in front and stuck out his black armor wearing right arm.
Empress Shinryu seemed to be telling Dogeza-sama where the monsters were, but the appearance of them nodding to each other without hand gestures was as if they were communicating mentally.
ăAlright, everyone get back!ă
And in accordance with Empress-sama's words, her companions separated from Dogeza-sama. Everyone had slightly stiff expressions. I was wondering what was going on when something like five insect legs extended from Dogeza-sama's body and pierced the surrounding earth and trees like they were anchoring his body in place. At the same time, the protruding black right arm swelled.
I could see there was a hole in the palm, but God Dragon Empress-sama approached and told me it was dangerous, so I withdrew to a considerably separated position. Empress-sama's frantic expression was honestly scary. But I felt real fear after that.
There were many rocks piled up behind Dogeza-sama. I could see that a sixth leg was dexterously stuffing rocks into a tube protruding from Dogeza-sama's shoulder.
At the same time, a beast's roaring was resounding. That roaring was coming from Dogeza-sama's black right arm. When I saw that I intuited that there was a fearsome magical beast inside that arm.
And that magical beast's roars and screams persisted. Together with thunderous roars, something like masses of fire jumped out of Dogeza-sama's arm and pierced through the trees and monsters that were approaching.
I think I screamed. But the magical beast's roars swallowed even my voice and consumed the monsters before my eyes.\n\nLevel : 32
Spell : ăFlyăăTorchăăFireăăHealăăFirestormăăHealer RayăăHigh HealăăGolden DuskăDragon ExclusiveăăăMirror Shieldă
Skill : ăKick DevilăăWarrior's MemoryăăNight VisionăăCrushing BlowăăDog's Sense of Smell: Lv2ăăGolem Maker: Lv3ăăRushăăFire Principle: Third ChapterăăHealing Principle: Fourth ChapterăăAir Jump: Lv2ăăKilling Leg: Lv3ăăFear VoiceăăInvisibleăăTiger EyeăăWall WalkingăăIntuitionăăCheat DeathăăNimbleăăChargeăăMaterial Shield: Lv2ăăInformation LinkăăOptical CamouflageăăDashăăBloodsucking BladeăăDragonization: Lv2ăDragonăăăRegenerateăăSoul Breaking BladeăăStealthy Hand PlacementăăThunder Chariot: Lv2ăăSturdier Teeth: Lv2ăDragonăăăCrystallization: Lv2ăDragonăăăFabricated CoercionăăStone MinotaurăăMega Beam: Lv2ăăSpace ExpansionăăPseudo-silver CreationăăPoison ClawăăFireballăDragonăăăCuticleăDragonăăăArms Creation: Black FlameăăIngredient Connoisseură
Kazane:ăAh, Jinrai-san has the Trigger Happy condition.ă
Yumika:ăThat's a railgun, right? Isn't that the thing that launches bullets between two rods?ă
Kazane:ăYeah, that's right, but it seems this uses the pressure of expanding plasma to launch through a cylinder. I don't really understand, but that's what's written in the explanation.ă
Yumika:ăOr perhaps I should say, can a railgun launch stones?ă
Kazane:ăI think ordinary stone are insulators, so I think it's impossible. Well, there seems to be some kind of magical processing.ă