Chapter 104: Dangerous, dangerous

“That was actually just a front. But that guy was incredibly strong. I was so surprised, look, I got a bit cut here see? Also, that katana had an amazing endowment. I still haven’t been able to release the carved seal it gave me you know? Well, at first, I was planning on just patting him lightly. But there were other guys coming, so I was troubled. I unintentionally defeated him. It may not serve as an apology, but I did leave some traces that were easy to follow and I gave him a protection spell, so his safety was a.s.sured”

With a strangely amiable smile, the so called Guild Master entered the visitors’ reception room. It was late at night, so I had Mio pour tea and now the three of us are facing him in our seats. Shiki has not returned yet. The talk with Rona-san must have prolonged.

This was an apology to Lime, so I was thinking about calling him, but he soon said that was only a front and turns over his sleeve, showing the faint remains of a wound in his elbow as he happily talks about it. Also, he really talks a lot. He is a person I just can’t understand what he is thinking. I get a feeling he is trying to explain that the fight with Lime was kind of an accident. He is fast-talking with a smile on his face, so just trying to hear him out is a ch.o.r.e.

“And well, about the real reason I came here. Ah, that’s right. Hey, the kimono Nesan there, this place has a peculiar fruit right? Can you bring those too along with the tea? I haven’t tried them yet you see”

The topic also changes so often. He looks the same age as me, but looking at his way of talking and behavior, I feel female-like characteristics. But, how to say it, he is a person that just engulfs you in his pace. I don’t know if this is part of his plan or what, but he is blurting out a lot of information. For example, the words katana and kimono.

Moving the corner of her eyes in a displeased manner, Mio doesn’t get up from her seat and just glares at him. But he doesn’t show a single trace of being agitated by her intimidation.

I exhale once.

[Mio, please prepare them for him]

“… Understood. Please wait for a bit” (Mio)

“Iyaa, I am looking forward to those. While you are at that, please bring more tea. Do you have a different flavor? If there is, please bring a different one, Oneesan”

Nonchalantly. At the other side of the closed door, I could feel the blood thirst around the place where Mio is. She is totally angered. I understand her feelings. Tomoe also has a protruded vein that pulsates every time he says something, and looks like she is displeased as she maintains her silence. I also don’t want to go along with this pace forever. Let’s quickly move the conversation.

[Now then, Guild Master-dono, could you tell us your business?]

“Aw Raidou-kun. No, should I call you Makoto-kun? Calling me Guild Master-dono, don’t treat me like a stranger please. Ah, there’s also no need to use written communication. I am not a hyuman after all”

?!

Hey hey.

[Sadly, I don’t understand what you are trying to say]

“Ahahaha, so cute Makoto-kun. Your writing is crumbling a bit you know? You are unexpectedly the panicky type huh. Just talk to me normally. You can, right?”

I tried my best to answer normally, but it seems I still showed my agitation. I still have a long way to go.

But, this guy, just what in the world is he?! Even if it is true that he is the Guild Master of the Adventurer Guild, there’s no way there’s someone that can know so much about me.

Also, the guilds are a system that has been in this world since long. Even in the books I read at the library, there were descriptions of the Adventurer Guild that was born in Elysion. In short, it is clearly sided with the G.o.ddess. In that case, I have already been found out by the G.o.ddess?!

“Fufufu, that face. Could it be, you are thinking that your existence and information has been exposed to the G.o.ddess?”

“?!”

He can even read my mind?!

“Bull’s eye huh. You can be at ease. The G.o.ddess has not grasped your present condition. Well, she is guilty of a lot of things after all. She is currently in a situation where she can’t move much. At that rate, it is probably going to take a while to make the groundwork”

“… You, what are you?” (Makoto)

“Heh~! Makoto-kun, that’s how your voice sounds! Nice. The voice of a man that has a bit of youth left. I like it. That’s right, if I remember correctly, Makoto-kun was a high school student. Still being a student, it must have been hard on you after coming to this world right?”

What’s up… with this guy? Seriously, what’s up with him?!

He knows all my details. Not only that, he certainly has information of my previous world as well!

I began to feel uncomfortable at the boy that has been talking to me since the beginning with a smile on his face. My field of vision narrows. This is bad. I can tell that I am being swallowed by the other party. Every time I talk, I can tell from his smile that he is feeling happiness about it. I feel nauseated by that.

“Don’t mess around and just answer. What are you?” (Makoto)

My voice trembles. d.a.m.n it, I’m scared. I can tell that my words are losing their composure.

“Calling me “you”, that makes me sad. I am the Guild Master. I have not lied to you”

“… I can only call you with “you”. I don’t even know your name after all” (Makoto)

And yet, he knows me in detail. Is he an acquaintance of the G.o.ddess? He at least seems to be acquainted with her. He certainly doesn’t seem to be hyuman. My words work on him after all. In that case, the one that works as the head of the Guild that controls the adventurers is not hyuman. In this world of hyuman supremacy, is that even possible?!

“Ah, sorry! That’s right. I didn’t tell you my name. Makoto-kun, please forgive me for my rudeness. Then, I will introduce-”

“Stop with the farce” (Tomoe)

“… Cutting in as one’s talking and saying it’s a farce, that’s not peaceful, blue haired samurai-dono”

“Hmph! You know my name and still play the fool. What was that about not lying to Waka-ja. Even though from the beginning you were lying about being a Guild Master” (Tomoe)

“Yareyare. Did you sleep so much in the wasteland that you even forgot how to talk properly, Shen?”

“You too, there’s no trace of your previous self. “Myriad Colors” Dragon, Root” (Tomoe)

Eh?

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“Root? Myriad Colors? Uhm, this guy… is a dragon?” (Makoto)

Is how it is right? It came from Tomoe’s mouth, so there’s probably no mistake. But I practically, no, I can’t feel a dragon presence from him at all.

“Yes, Waka. This guy is a full-fledged superior dragon. And a prime superior at that. Said to have gained wisdom and polished his skills, and hasn’t lost in his lifetime. Myriad colors means he has ten thousands of colors and it’s Root’s pseudonym” (Tomoe)

“Aah, not only did you intrude in my introduction, but you also exposed my name when I am here. What a boring thing you have done. You samurai junkie” (Root)

Prime superior dragon. An undefeated dragon. This guy is?

“Say whatever you want. You who tries to deceive Waka with a cool face, has no right to say anything to me” (Tomoe)

“Yareyare, I don’t want you who only slept the whole time and had no interest in the world, to say things like deceive, that would bring about misunderstandings” (Root)

Guild Master, no, the supreme dragon Root is talking to Tomoe with a stricter mood than with me.

A superior dragon, an existence that most hyumans and demi-humans would live their whole life without being able to see them. In the time that I was learning things in the library, I understood just how rare are the existences called superior dragons.

The peak of dragons. They are not affected by the pa.s.sage of time, and when they grow old, they can give birth to themselves again and continue existing.

If I remember correctly, the names that were written in the library were: “Mitsurugi”, “Bakufu (Waterfall)”, “Sazanami (Sand Wave)”, “Akari (Crimson Light)”, “Yomatoi (Night Clad)”; those five. Myriad colors is the first time I have heard of it. I couldn’t find anything about the invincible Shen either.

They practically never get involved with hyumans, but there have been individual dragons that live close to hyuman territory. In rare cases, there are times when they lend their strength. When lending that power indirectly, people call it the dragon’s blessing.

Currently, the monarch guard knights of Gritonia have the blessing of Sazanami.

To have already encountered three of those super rare dragons, just what kind of luck do I have? The Invincible, the Sword Saint and the Myriad Colors. Tomoe, Lancer and Root! If approached unskillfully, this type of encounters could have killed me. A game where you encounter a boss cla.s.s enemy while hiding inside a town, is definitely going to make people flame the creator. It reminds me that reality is not as kind as games.

“Did you abandon your dwelling? It was already in ruins when I saw it” (Tomoe)

“Yeah, a long time ago. It’s probably been like that since a thousand years ago. Are you done now? I want to talk with Makoto-kun. Because of Shen, there’s been misunderstandings, so I want to clear them out” (Root)

… The scales are way too different. One thousand years he says. Also, he was smiling that much at me, and yet, he barely raises the corners of his mouth at Tomoe and his eyes were not smiling at all. His att.i.tude is too different.

“What do you mean by misunderstanding? There’s still several things I want to ask you. And also, I have already thrown away the name Shen. Its Tomoe now, remember that” (Tomoe)

“So noisy. Just because Makoto-kun is here, you are playing the strong one huh. Yes yes, Tomo-e right?” (Root)

“TO.MO.E!! Next time you get that wrong, I will cut your head off!” (Tomoe)

“Sorry Makoto-kun. This chick, she is a dragon but an eccentric one. She is definitely causing you troubles all the time right?” (Root)

“Listen, Root!” (Tomoe)

No well, aren’t you pretty weird yourself? I just, feel pretty sure about that.

Or more like, ignoring Tomoe and nonchalantly talking with me, he is quite the free dragon. If he is the peak of dragons, that means he is like the boss of Tomoe?

“I haven’t lied to Makoto-kun. I want you to please believe in me, Makoto-kun” (Root)

“H-Hah~” (Makoto)

“Something like deceiving you, that’s an outrageous misunderstanding. My feelings are more pure” (Root)

Right after hearing that dangerous speech, a sharp edge was pushed out in between my face and the face of Root that had gotten closer to mine. The sharp edge of the single edged sword was facing at Root’s side. Tomoe, that’s a short sword. Don’t draw that out so easily. If you are going to draw out, draw out a long sword instead.

“… You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you have really changed a lot. There’s no trace of your old self that went shouting around about rules and discipline” (Tomoe)

Rules? Discipline? Both of those words didn’t fit that guy called Root, no, it doesn’t fit dragons.

“Tomoe, you also changed. You showed no interest in anything and had zero trajectory, a dragon that only slept. But instead of being inelegant, you should have learned something before that, don’t you think?” (Root)

“I am no match for your wildness. This is something that’s been in my mind for a while… tell me that first. You, since when did you “become a man”?” (Tomoe)

???

“300 years ago maybe. I was tired of being a woman all the time. And so, I tried being a man. And it was comfortable. The first time I embraced a woman, I was deeply moved” (Root)

Tired? Of your gender? Eh?

I don’t understand anything anymore. To begin with, you are a superior dragon, so things like kids have no meaning at all. Of course, embracing and being embraced should be pointless as well, right?

“Tried becoming… you say? You shouldn’t be able to become one just by wanting it. And in the first place, I haven’t heard of a superior dragon making children” (Tomoe)

Indeed Tomoe. Even if you say it as if changing toys, there’s no way we can understand it.

“I was able to, so accept it. Also, I stopped rebirthing. I slowed my aging to the very limits and am thinking of enjoying this world. But you know, the ecstasy you get as a woman is actually bigger. That’s why I got tired of being a man pretty fast, however, my world changed in that fateful day!” (Root)

Why are you still talking about ecstasy? Or more like, is that true? So women feel it better than men huh. I have learned something… useless. When I think about it, I end up going “and so what?” Seriously, even if you talk about it as if you were talking about your favorite sport, it’s still troublesome.

“I don’t really want to know about your change of standards in that perspective though…” (Tomoe)

Same, Tomoe. It is so overwhelming I can’t bring this feelings into words, but I completely agree with you.

“One time, I had the chance to have a relationship with a man you see. How should I say it? Fulfillment of heart, drug to the body, maybe? Well anyways, I tasted a happiness from inside me that I never felt before! No well, I later returned to being a woman and tried it out between women, but as expected, it didn’t compare to the shock of that time” (Root)

… Root continues to talk excitedly words that I don’t understand one bit about. Talking about men this and women that, I just don’t get what’s happening anymore. Someone please tell me.

“The ultimate sensation a person of the same s.e.x provides, that love! I trembled in excitement! When connecting bodies, there’s nothing compared to the one between men!” (Root)

Can you… please stop your speech already? My ears are rotting. My brain is also in danger.

“From what I see, Makoto-kun is inexperienced right? Don’t worry, I also love those as well. If you want your first time to be with a woman, I am fine with becoming a woman you know? No matter which body, I have the confidence of captivating you in a single day!!” (Root)

What are you saying?! Don’t blush your pure white skin! I don’t get you! Don’t be so insistent, it just makes me feel sick! I’m not inexperienced! I-Inexperienced? Uhm, not having experience right? Ah, he is certainly right.

“I refuse!” (Makoto)

I stand up from the sofa and put my distance from him. Luckily, he isn’t chasing. Instead, he retracts his body and sinks his body deeply into the sofa. He intertwines both hands in front of his abdomen.

“Being prejudiced is not good, Makoto-kun. My heart is that of a man and a woman you know? Just try it at least once, and if it doesn’t work, I will just give up” (Root)

You can still say that after your speech about captivating me in a single day?! Your sparkling eyes, just stop them…

I don’t intend to repudiate h.o.m.os.e.xuality. I don’t but, to coerce someone that’s not interested in it, I reject that! I don’t have any interest in that aspect!

“… You, what are you saying-desu no?”

Oh.

You didn’t need to return now, you know.

Mio, your timing is good, or more like, bad?

“Ah, the black Onee-san. Thanks for the tea and fruits” (Root)

Root is being Root and just getting happy looking at the contents of the tray Mio has.

“… What were you intending to do with Waka-sama?” (Mio)

“N? I was just seducing him a bit though?” (Root)

“Lovers’ tiff?!” (Mio)

“Because he is free. There should be no problems in me putting myself as a candidate right?” (Root)

“…”

Mio silently places the tray to the side. There was tea for the number of people here and cut fruit in a plate on that tray.

“Eh? If you leave them there, I can’t reach them though” (Root)

“Tomoe-san, this thing seems to be a dragon. Is there a problem if I do him in?” (Mio)

Pretty impressed that she could tell he is a dragon. After being told and concentrating on it, I can certainly feel it a bit though. But to see through him immediately, as expected of Mio’s instincts, terrifying.

“Well let’s see, this has to do with Waka’s chast.i.ty. We can’t let that happen. Mio, of course we do it” (Tomoe)

“Ara ra? Tte, even Makoto-kun?!” (Root)

I can tell that those two are going into combat stance. And I also do the same. This is one guy I have to repel. 100% for my sake.

“Root, I will at least hear your last will. There won’t even be bones left, so I will engrave it in your grave” (Tomoe)

“The meat of a superior dragon might be tasty. I will at least let you be of some use” (Mio)

“This is a threat like no other. I am sorry but, I will be bringing my all to eliminate you” (Makoto)

“W-Wait one second! Three at once is impossible. In the first place, today I didn’t come here to fight! Come on, calm down you three. Sorry, I messed around too much. Please let me fix the misunderstanding seriously. I beg of you, please” (Root)

Root lifts both hands and signals his surrender.

Just how serious is he really?

It’s the first time I have met someone of his type after all. It’s hard to infer his true intentions. Moreover, it is hard to believe in that serious face as well.

“If it’s about your out of order inclinations, we have already heard enough of it. There’s no need to explain it” (Tomoe)

“To try teaching Waka-sama such a dubious preference, there’s already no need to clear the misunderstanding. I don’t care. Your extermination is already set-desu” (Mio)

“No well, it was just a bit of skinship you know. Just touching has filled me already, so I won’t say it anymore. I want to talk regarding the topic of Adventurer Guild master and things like that, with the otherworldler Makoto-kun” (Root)

“… About the guild?” (Makoto)

Ah, the joke about being the Guild Master huh. There’s no way a pervert like this is the top of an organization. It may be a lie, but there’s still more?

Tomoe, Mio, and I have registered just in case. And Toa-san and the others are also members of that organization. If he wants to say something, I will just hear him out.

“That’s right, about the guild” (Root)

“Understood. If you are not going to mess around anymore, I will hear you out” (Makoto)

“Waka!” (Tomoe)

“Waka-sama…” (Mio)

“Mio, I don’t mind if it’s already cold, so bring the tea. Let’s hear what you have to say” (Makoto)

We once again sit in the reception 3 to 1.

Root also maintained his serious face and began talking about the Adventurer Guild.