CH 71

Chapter 71

Chapter 71 – It seems to be left behind

Within the flow of a terribly relaxed or very idiotic mood, Renya hides himself in the shadow of a close-by rock while being somewhat apologetic to some extent and observes the situation by quietly peeking out from the shadows.

Since the armour with Liaris is lightly floating in the air above his head, there was no meaning in him hiding, but for some reason Renya felt that it won’t do if he doesn’t do that.

Croire sticks to Renya’s back with a look that tells that vaguely as well.

Ahead of their looks an red-scaled dragon earnestly struggles trying to somehow tear off or uproot the chains binding it.

Although a part of the chains is embedded into the ground, are they affixed very deeply and strongly after all?There’s absolutely no indication of it being able to pull them out.

The detailed thickness of the chains’ main part couldn’t be grasped from Renya’s location, but they appear to be considerably robust. The dragon raises its roar while pulling at them, however the chains are unyielding no matter how much it tears at them.

Is it a special material or are they reinforced with magic?

In any case, if the chains have the mere strength to completely confine the actions of a 10-metre-class monster, they are likely no normal items, Renya judges, but he doesn’t know their origin.

As he puts that question aside for the time being, there’s one problem he has to think about urgently.

That problem is why that unusual item is twined around the neck of a dragon at this place. Is it about the dragon being confined here?

First off, there’s no doubt that it’s impossible for it to have happened naturally.

Since that’s the case, it’s something done intentionally by someone, is how it will play out, but in that case the problem that pops up next is what kind of intention there was behind doing such thing.

There likely has been a being possessing quite the ability to be able to restrain a dragon’s movements by attaching a collar to its neck.

However, if it’s a being that has this much ability; if they came for example to hunt dragons, it will be a simple talk about them quickly hunting them, killing them and taking them home. If the objective is to capture it, the meaning in affixing a part of the chains to the ground is incomprehensible.

Is it restrained for the tine while they are bringing some kind of means to transport it? At the time Renya began to think about that, Croire called for his attention by lightly poking Renya’s back.

“What’s up?” (Renya)

“Something- is hanging- down at the- area around- that dragon’s- neck.” (Croire)

Renya, who strained his eyes after being told that, noticed that something like a name plate of a dog or cat is certainly swaying limply at the dragon’s neck just as Croire said.

Something was apparently written on the surface of that plate, which possessed a metallic lustre, but Renya is unable to tell what’s stated their with his eyesight.

“It has some writing, but… I can’t read it. You don’t say it’s really a name plate!? Are there folks who make dragons into their pets?” (Renya)

“That’s too- absurd. Among- the human- countries- there also are- countries who- have soldiers- that ride- dragons. But, the ones- they are possessing- are- at most- wyvrens.” (Croire)

“By the way, lesser dragons and dragons are something totally different”, Croire showed her vast knowledge by explaining it.

Lesser dragon is a word that categorizes dragon-like monsters such as wyvrens, rock dragons, drakes or sea serpents while leaving dragons out of it. Dragon* specifies only dragon*. (T/N: First time the author uses the kanji ryuu, second time it’s the katakana version doragon)

“It seems- there were- knights- who rode- dragons- in ancient- times- as well. But currently- there isn’t- even a single- one of- those existing.” (Croire)

“I see. If that’s the case, who the hell has done such thing?” (Renya)

“I don’t- know. Though- I don’t- know, the words- written on- that- plate are- somehow…” (Croire)

“Somehow?” (Renya)

“They have- a feeling- of being- written- as gift.” (Croire)

Unintentionally looking back, Renya and Croire stare at each other’s faces.

Renya started to say something stupid, but he holds his tongue seeing that Croire, who looked back at him, has an expression of completely not agreeing with her own words.

“A gift from who to who?” (Renya)

“I wonder?” (Croire)

Due to the casual response from Croire, which is as if to say “there’s no way for me to know, is there?”, Renya thinks that it’s only natural.

“For the time being let’s have Liaris hit it?” (Renya)

“I… will be finally launched at a dragon.” (Liaris)

Liaris say as if muttering quietly with a voice filled completely with a feeling of resignation.

“At my last moments… I haven’t properly answered to Az-kun…” (Liaris)

“Oi, why are you emitting an atmosphere of dying? Won’t you lose your dignity to meet with Az if you die?” (Renya)

Her not moving with even a twitch is actually because she can’t move inside due to the weight of the armour, but due to Liaris murmurs dripping out from within that armour, Renya crisply hits its surface with his palm while showing an expression as if to say that it would be regrettable.

Because he ended up hitting the surface which has been sullied with blood, Renya wipes the blood, which ended up sticking to his palm, on the surface of the rock they are hiding at.

“I told you that I finished the experiment satisfactorily, right? Even if you clash into a rock at the highest speed, you won’t have to worry about receiving damage at the level of it being painful if you stay conscious properly.” (Renya)

“Az-kun… I, was defiled…” (Liaris)

“Don’t say such scandalous words. To be defiled; it’s mostly blood, right?” (Renya)

At the time when Renya thought of that method of attacking, he considered to make the armour completely encapsulated at the beginning.

Otherwise blood and other stuff will pour inside through the gaps at the time it crashes into monsters. He easily predicted for it to become a miserable situation for the person staying inside.

But, he gave up immediately on that matter.

If it’s closed air-tightly, the person inside will of course suffocate.

Rather, in order to get rid of the possibility of suffocation, I should create gaps all over, he judged.

There’s the possibility of clogged blood and meat pieces plugging up a half-baked gap.

And thus Renya made small holes and slits all over the armour and improved the breath-ability.

Thanks to that there was absolutely no chance of suffocating, but instead blood and other stuff freely gets inside the armour.

“I want to wash my body… it’s sticky and smells of blood…” (Liaris)

“Endure for now as I will prepare a hot bath later.” (Renya)

“Yes…” (Liaris)

Renya, who turned in the direction of the dragon as he decided to have Liaris, who apparently fixed her resolution finally, take off vigorously, has a flabbergasted expression after desisting from throwing Liaris at the spectacle it had become over there.

Croire, who has already turned that way, has still a distant and blank look.

Over there, the dragon had given up on tearing off the chains, but Renya saw a scene that exceeded his imagination as the dragon is cowering while covering its own head with its forefeet after taking a stance of laying down.

It appears that it sensed Renya moving into attack preparations, but shutting its eyes tightly and trembling slightly, its figure looks somewhat pathetic and ridiculous no matter how much it has the large build of a dragon.

As expected, even Renya wasn’t able to ruthlessly inflict a blow with the scene in front of him.

“Oi, dragon over there.” (Renya)

He didn’t know how far the skill of another world language, he possesses, would work, but Renya tried to call out to the dragon while praying silently that he will be able to communicate with it.

The dragon, which was called out by Renya, opens only one of the tightly closed eyes and looks in the direction of Renya to observe the state of affairs.

Renya presumes that it’s apparently able to understand him from the dragon’s state.

“If you don’t have any intention to attack us, answer or lightly strike the ground once with your tail.” (Renya)

The frail dragon hit the ground with its tail with a *thump*

Seeing that, Renya comes out from shade of the rock, he hid at, while preparing to be able to deploy defensive magic at any time.

Behind him the armour with Liaris slowly descended to the ground.

“Common language- is understood- by the- dragon.” (Croire)

Due to the surprised words of Croire, Renya understands that there is apparently no exclusive language to communicate with dragons.

If there was, Renya’s language skill should translate his words by using that language.

“Croire, can you remove Liaris’ armour please since I will have a little chat with that dragon?” (Renya)

“Got- it. … If I- don’t lift- it up- and- wipe the exterior- before removing- it, I won’t- know- where it’s fine- to- touch, this…” (Croire)

He takes out a cask filled with water and a dust cloth from within his inventory and hands them to Croire who hesitates to touch the armour in front of her which has become sticky with clotted blood and pieces of meat. And then Renya approaches the dragon by himself.

Renya walked while being tense as he can’t say when the dragon will suddenly move, but without changing from its posture of laying down, the dragon chases Renya’s movements with its one open eye.

Before long Renya approached the dragon up to a distance where he can touch its body and gently placed his palm on its body.

At the moment Renya’s palm touched its body the dragon shivered with a start, but once it understands that Renya won’t do anything beyond that, it returns little-by-little to the state of trembling lightly.

Renya realizes that it’s frightened quite a bit, but he doesn’t know what’s scaring it this much.

For the time being he tries to gently stroke the dragon’s body with his touching palm.

“Its scales are hard after all. It’s a great material. There’s nothing to criticize about their elasticity either. Doesn’t it have quite the fleshiness based on the feeling of the scales bouncing back after being pushed lightly.” (Renya)

“Since its body is quite big, its meat is certainly bright red” or such Renya mutters.

Hearing his muttering, the dragon trembles largely. Of all things its eyes started to spill tears in large drops.

Renya, who checked the fleshiness of the dragon with the thumbs of both hands completely like a merchant assessing the meat quality of beef cattle, is startled after noticing the dragon having burst into tears, but remembering right away that this dragon understands the words of man, he follows up in a hurry.

“Well, it’s not like I particularly decided to eat you…” (Renya)

<Isn’t it about that choice existing as well!?>

Due to the voice she heard all of a sudden, Croire, who was struggling with the clasps of Liaris’ armour, looks in the direction of Renya with a surprised expression.

“Telepathic communication?” (Croire)

<Ah, yes. Sorry for suddenly startling you by addressing you.>

“It’s best if it’s possible to understand each other, however… why were you tied by chains at such place? Moreover, there’s even a gift plate hanging down… does your owner wish to eat you?” (Renya)

<It’s something else! As a matter of fact…>

The dragon, who denied it right away, begins to explain about the situation it was put into.

<Approximately 10 dragons inhabited this neighbourhood, but as they have sensed you guys approaching quite before you got here, they didn’t think anything but stupid people having gone mad or it being an incorrigible dragon subjugation once again.>

“I see?” (Renya)

<At the time those flies, which lack common sense and reason, went to attack some small animals, something outrageous happened, right?>

Being asked, Renya tilts his head in contemplation.

Flies is probably about the wyvrens as they are seen by the dragons, but I have no clue about the outrageous thing it talks about.

<It should have been done by something crazy. The mana I felt at that time was an unthinkable amount of mana.>

“Oh? Maybe it’s about throwing around the armour, which is rolling around over there, with the <Manipulation> spell?” (Renya)

Once pointing at the lump of metal which had its clasps starting to be released somehow while Croire is struggling heavily, the dragon lifted its head only a bit after separating its feet from the head they covered and took a long hard look at Renya.

<What have you done?>

“Wyvren extermination.” (Renya)

Being answered immediately, the dragon thoroughly put its chin on the ground and covered its head with both its forefeet again due to the merciless method.

<A-Anyway. Because of the amount of mana they felt at that time, understanding that something absolutely terrible is approaching…>

“They decided to escape, but since they thought that I would be able to come after them if they simply ran away, they decided to leave one behind to cut off the tail of a lizard? Are you maybe the weakest individual of the dragons around here?” (Renya)

Once Renya says that to continue the rest of its speech, the dragon shows a somewhat pathetic-looking expression.

<It’s just as you’ve said… this state is because I was ganged up on by the other dragons.>

“So they even attached a collar connected to chains and a gift plate out of politeness…? Aren’t you guys pretty much the powerful kind of monsters?” (Renya)

Indeed, it should be impossible to tear it off, Renya looks at the chains connected to the collar of the dragon.

Because those are chains used by dragons to restrain dragons, there’s no way it’s possible to tear it off with the power of a dragon.

<That’s not how it is… the humans are simply saying that on their own accord.>

If it’s a dragon of the superior or ancient type, it will certainly boast of a strength at a level making it possible to name it the strongest, but this dragon calls itself a normal dragon. From the viewpoint of humans it’s surely a strong monster, however if it fought with a demon of a reasonable standing, one can say it’s at the level of being killed easily.

<Please, just spare my life… if it’s anything besides that, I will endure up to quite the level… since I haven’t yet lived for more than approximately 300 years… I’m at the appropriate where I want to make out with a cute female.>

While feeling the two doubts of what’s up with its frankness, I wonder? and his surprise you are a male?, Renya hit the dragon’s skin covered by scales with a *slap* while thinking well, what to do about this?

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