Volume 4 - CH 6

Chapter 6 – I Entered The Royal Capital

The golden glow that had enveloped my body gradually faded and finally disappeared. And then, an inorganic voice echoed in my head.

With this experience gained, you have reached level 136; your HP and MP will increase, and your physical abilities will improve.

I hadn’t heard this announcement for a long time. I was originally at level 109, so that’s an increase of 27 levels.

Considering that I defeated two calamities in a row, I can say that this is a satisfactory result.

By the way, my MP is now 100,300 with this level up.

I finally hit the large amount…

Considering that it was 1,000 at level 1, it has grown a lot.

Then the inorganic voice announced further.

Since all the conditions are met, [Break Smash] is unlocked.

Oh.

It appears that a new skill has been added.

Its effect was to ‘add a further granted effect to the weapon created by [Creation], forcing its performance to be raised. However, the weapon will disappear after a single use.’

“A one-time special effect, then.”

The fact that the weapon disappears after activation… seems like a big disadvantage, but if it can be mass-produced in any number of ways, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

Fortunately, my [Item Box] was stocked with a large number of weapons made by the Hikino tree.

Right after I transferred to this world, I made a lot of them for the verification of [Creation].

Hikino swords, spears, axes, chairs──.

No, the chair is not a weapon.

…While I thought that, it seemed that [Break Smash] can be applied to Hikino’s chairs as well.

It said that the《Fierce Earthquake Strike EX》was applied, and by slamming it to the ground, it stuns all the enemies in the surrounding area.

That’s pretty powerful.

If I am ever surrounded by bandits or monsters in the future, I will use it.

Ah, yes.

The White Dragon and Green Dragon were both added as targets of [Calamity Summoning].

Under the circumstances that if [Limit Break] is activated, three of them, including the Black Dragon, can be summoned at the same time.

If I include Tidal… The Lazy Dragon, then there would be four of them.

“If I wanted to, I could really destroy the world.”

Of course, I don’t intend to do it.

Well, then.

The battle is over. Let’s go back to the others.

Just as I was starting to move with that thought in mind, Blaznir came from that direction. I manipulated the wind to get closer to the ship and landed on the deck.

I almost fell down due to the aftermath from [Limit Break], but I didn’t want to worry everyone. I put strength into both legs and maintained my posture.

As I did so, Iris and the others came running up to me.

“Kou, welcome back. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. I’m just a little tired, that’s all.”

“Thank goodness. …I never thought there would be two calamities in a row.”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect it this time.”

“Kou-san.”

Lily’s voice was very somber. Her shoulders slumped, and an apologetic look appeared on her face.　

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t foresee the second calamity…”

“No worries.”

I answered cheerfully and patted Lily on the head.

In the first place, the reason we arrived in time for the appearance of the White Dragon was because of Lily’s [Foresight]. We were able to protect the royal capital safely, so I have nothing to complain about. Thank you.”

“It’s a happy ending without any complaints, isn’t it?”

Leticia nodded in satisfaction.　

“Even so, the way Kou-sama fought just now was amazing. I was surprised to see you defeat the calamity all by yourself… Very astonishing, I must say.”

“I was surprised too.”

Iris nodded in agreement.　

“You are much stronger than when you fought the Black Dragon.”

“Well, I have more skills now.”

“Perhaps Kou alone would have been enough for the White Dragon, huh?”

“…That’s a delicate point.”

I began my explanation after I said that.

This time I was able to defeat the Green Dragon single-handedly thanks to [Limit Break]. However, this skill has a short duration and cannot be used continuously.

The problem was that after activating it, the feeling of exhaustion would come back to haunt you.

Indeed, it was not impossible to defeat the White Dragon by myself if I used [Limit Break]. But in that case, I would have been completely out of breath during the battle with the Green Dragon and I would have been forced to fight an uphill battle.

The damage to the city would have been considerable.

“I’m afraid there are limits to what I can do on my own. I hope you will continue to lend me a hand.”

“Of course. Now that you have crafted such a good weapon for me, you can rely on me more and more.”

Iris answered while holding up the Fimbul.

When the conversation came to a close, the door leading into the ship suddenly opened with a bang. What appeared from the opposite side of the door was a horde of Helper Slimes.

“Master-san! Welcome back!”

“You not only killed the White Dragon but the Green Dragon as well!”

“Amazing! That’s so cool! So cool!”

The slimes came rushing toward me like a flood, making a lot of noise and yapping.

“Good job, Iris-oneesan!”

“Lily-oneechan, you shot your bow with a bang!”

“Kashikomaridesuwa! Tsuisei! Boom!”

The last one was probably imitating Leticia. I’ve never heard such a line before, though.

Leticia’s reaction, though, was to giggle and give a small smile and pat the slime that was impersonating her in an adorable way.

It’s kind of a comforting sight, isn’t it?

We returned to the Blaznir ship, accompanied by a large number of Helper Slimes, and headed straight for the command center.

“What do we do now, Master-san?”

It was Surara who asked me. On his head, as before, was the anchor-marked hat that indicated that he was the captain.

“Let’s head for the royal capital. For now, may I ask you to land near the city walls?”

“Yes, sir! Everybody, let’s get this ship moving!”

“Aye!”

“Yeah!”

“Yes!”

The cheerful voices of the Helper Slimes echoed from all over the command center.

Slowly, the ship began to move.

It was not far from here to the royal capital. They chose a wide plain to the north of the city and landed.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“Finally, we arrived at the capital. It feels like it’s been a very long journey…”

Iris muttered with a sigh of relief.

I understood exactly how she felt. We ran into trouble everywhere we went.

We had already defeated two calamities this time, and I just hope nothing more will happen to us.

I took Iris, Lily, Letitia, and Surara outside the ship.

For now, let’s store the Blaznir in the [Item Box].

In response to my will, a huge magic circle appears on the ground. Blaznir was sucked into the magic circle and vanished from sight.

Incidentally, all of the Helper Slimes on board were automatically returned to the underground city of Aunen.

The lively surroundings just a few moments ago made me feel a little lonely.

“Master-san! Someone’s coming!”

Surara called out to me, bringing me back to my senses.

I looked over and saw about 20 knights in armor riding toward us on horseback from the direction of the royal capital.

They had swords at their waists, but they did not look like they were here for a battle.

The knights stopped their horses at a short distance and got off.

A slender, middle-aged man who looked like the leader bowed when he saw me and began to introduce himself in a loud voice.

“My name is Morristan, deputy commander of the Royal Guard Knights of the Royal Capital! May I assume that you are Kou Kousaka-dono and his party?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I nodded and approached the man… Morristan-san.

“I am the adventurer Kou Kousaka. Pleased to meet you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too!”

Morristan-san said and bowed deeply.

“I have already heard about you from Miss Milia and Relic-dono! Thank you very much for protecting the royal capital from the calamity!”

“””Thank you very much!”””

The surrounding knights bow their heads in unison, following Morristan-san’s lead.

Uh.

I wonder how I should react in a situation like this. I unknowingly scratched my cheek with my right hand.

“Kou-san.”

Lily, who was nearby, murmured.

“Are you embarrassed, by any chance?”

That’s exactly right.

I guess I’m a bit of an expressive person.

After that, Morristan-san led us to the royal capital. Of course, the other knights were with us.

“It was an honor to meet you, Kou-dono, the renowned “Dragon Slayer”! When I return to the royal capital, I will be able to boast about it to the others!”

Morristan-san was talking to me in a very excited manner. 

He is so excited, isn’t he?

I wondered if he was like this on a regular basis… but one of the knights nearby told me in a whisper, “Our deputy commander is a fan of Dragon Slayer-san.”

“Kou is popular wherever he goes, isn’t he?”

Iris smiled at me with a chuckle.

“Maybe they have a fan club like in Fort Port.”

“No way.”

I shrugged.

“Not a chance.”

“…That’s what Kou-sama said. So, how is it?”

Leticia asked Morristan-san.

“I don’t think there is any fan club…”

Right? It’s only natural that common sense would dictate.

“So I think I’ll create one!”

Wait.

How can that be?

“We’re recruiting members now! Who wants to be a member?”

Morristan-san called out.

Well, it would be good if there were one or two. That’s what I thought.

“Yes!”

“Me, too!”

“Deputy Commander, may I join too?”

…Hmm?

That’s strange.

It seemed like all the knights here were raising their hands.

“Master-san, it’s established, right? Yay!”

Surara puts his hands out from his plump body and claps them.

This was how my fan club was formed, but it’s just a group that was born out of a flutter and momentum, and it will probably disappear tomorrow.

Probably.

* * *

After a fifteen-minute walk, we arrived at the north gate of the royal capital.

The Grand Cabin was parked near the gate, and Dest was in sight.

“Master, congratulations!”

“Dest, are you all right?”

“Yes, of course I am!”

I heard that Relic and Milia were already in the royal capital.

“Thank you again for your help. Have a good rest.”

“No problem. Well then, see you again.”

“Yeah, see you.”

I nodded my head and thought about putting the items into the [Item Box]. A magic circle appeared on the ground, and Dest and the Grand Cabin disappeared as if sucked into it.

The surrounding knights who saw it exclaimed, “Oh, wow!”

“Kou-san!”

Hmm?

Relic rushed toward us from the city gate.

“I saw it! It was boom, boom, boom! Wow, that was amazing! Impressive!”

“Relax, Relic. Your vocabulary is crumbling.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks for worrying about me. By the way, where’s Milia?”

“I think she will be here soon. …Oh, she’s over there! Hey!”

Relic turned around behind him and waved his right hand in a big, buzzing motion.

He’s like a child.

I giggled involuntarily.

Meanwhile, Milia came over to us.

“Kou-san, thank you for defeating them. …It was an epic battle, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah. I never thought that there would be two calamities.”

“Even so, you managed to defeat both of them. It’s just like you, Kou-san.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just my personal image, but I can’t imagine Kou-san losing or running away from the fight. You are the undefeated, invincible hero! Boom, boom! Like that.”

“Boom, boom?”

“It’s just the feel. Please understand it without worrying about it.”

I don’t know if I can understand it or not…

“Anyway, does that mean I am being evaluated?”

“Well, that’s pretty much how it is.”

Milia nodded with a smiling expression.　

“Oh, by the way, that battle you just had, it’s the same as always, and it counts towards your achievements as an adventurer. You defended the royal capital unscathed, so you can count on a reward! You’ll be a very rich man!”

“Though I have more than I could ever spend to begin with.”

The rewards for defeating the enemies alone had exceeded 1 billion Komsa to date, and there was also a portion that had not been paid out due to it exceeding the budget limits at the various branches.

The Adventurers’ Guild headquarters in the royal capital was planning to pay for all of this in one lump sum, but with this reward added to the total, the total was likely to be a huge sum.

“I think the Adventurers’ Guild may go bankrupt because of the reward for Kou.”

Iris, who was listening to the conversation beside me, jokingly remarked.

“No, I don’t think that’s going to happen, no matter what. …Right?”

Just to be sure, I checked with Milia.

Huh?

There’s no reply.

“Milia?”

“Kou-san.”

Milia replied to me with an expression more serious than ever.

“I think your nickname ‘Dragon Slayer’ might be upgraded to ‘Adventurers’ Guild Slayer.'”

“Is that a rank-up…?”

I mean, there was a possibility that they may not be able to pay the rewards, right? What would happen in that case?

“I’ll discuss it later with the top brass at headquarters, but I’m sorry if we have to pay you in annual installments.”

“No problem. It’s much better than being called the Adventurers’ Guild Slayer.”

While we were talking, the knight Morristan-san came over to us with his men.

“Kou-dono, the carriage is ready! We will take you to the guest house, so please get in with your companions.”

“The guest house?”

Of course, I know what the word means. It is a facility for welcoming foreign dignitaries and other state guests.

But why would we need to go to such a place?

As I tilted my head, Leticia, who had somehow come nearby, said.

“You have forgotten what you have done, Kou-sama.”

“What do you mean?”

“The royal capital is the place where the king resides. The fact that you have protected it from the calamity is the same as the fact that you have saved the king from a crisis. Considering the past achievements of Kou-sama, it is not surprising that you were treated as a state guest of honor.”

“Kou-san, that’s amazing…”

Lily sighed in admiration.

Surara, held in her arms, said, “So, Master-san, you are a guest in this country!” he shouted in an innocent tone.

Morristan-san looked at each of us and said in a respectful tone.

“I consider you and all of your friends to be the great benefactors who have protected the royal capital. Now, please come this way. I can assure you of a comfortable carriage ride on the way.”

* * *

The carriage prepared for us was about the size of a light truck in modern Japan.

The interior was furnished with red sofas facing each other, so we sat down in groups of three.

Iris, myself, and Leticia were on one side, and Lily, Milia, and Relic on the other.

Surara was sitting (?) on Lily’s lap, as usual.

“Master-san! I wonder what kind of food there is in the royal capital! I’m really looking forward to it!”

“Surara’s a glutton, isn’t he?”

I smiled and called out to Iris, who was sitting next to me on my left.

“Iris, you’ve been to the royal capital before, haven’t you? Do you have any recommendations?”

“Sure… The pizza at “Spinning Disk Restaurant” on North Street is delicious.”

“Oh, I know that place.”

Leticia, on my right, opened her mouth.

“I had a smoked cheese pizza once, and the saltiness went well with the sparkling wine. I would like to try it again if I have the chance.”

“Well, let’s go there at least once while we’re in the royal capital.”

“Um, Kou-san.”

Lily raised her hand hesitantly.

“Have you got a copy of the gourmet guide?”

“Yes, wait a minute.”

I took out a gourmet guidebook from my [Item Box] and handed it to Lily.

“I read it before and found a restaurant I was interested in…”

Lily flipped through the book as she said this. On the page that opened, there were pictures of donuts, parfaits, puddings, and so on.

The name of the store is “Gaping Sweetness,” and it seems to be an all-you-can-eat sweets store.

“Aaahhhh!”

Relic was the one who shouted out.

“I’ve always wanted to go here! But it’s so hard to get in because there are only women…”

I know how you feel, Relic. It’s a bit intimidating for a man to go to an all-you-can-eat sweets store alone, isn’t it?

Anyway, I was in the mood to eat a lot of sweet things after a long time, so I decided to visit “Gaping Sweetness” sometime in the future.

By the way──

The gourmet guide introduced “Freshly Boiled Potato Restaurant” and “Smoky Grilled Chicken Restaurant” as other notable restaurants in the royal capital.

The same was true of “Spinning Disk Restaurant” and “Gaping Sweetness,” which were mentioned earlier, but the rhythm of their names all sound very similar. [T/n: The name of the restaurants all started with Pakupaku, mokumoku, hakuhaku, etc,.]

What on earth is going on here?

…When I wondered about this, Milia, who is from the royal capital, told me something like this.

“The reason the names are so similar is because they are all run by the same company. They are all affiliated with the Scarlet Trading Company.”

“Scarlett Trading Company is Chrome-san’s company, isn’t it?”

“That is correct. He’s a very shrewd businessman.”

He bought up several ailing restaurants in the royal capital and converted them into affiliated restaurants under the direct management of the Trading Company and made huge profits.

“…Come to think of it, I got a letter of introduction from Chrome-san.

I heard that his son is now working in the royal capital as the chairman of the Trading Company.

I’ll make time to go and say hello to him sooner or later.

* * *

The carriage slowly made its way over the cobblestones of the royal capital. The streets were wide, but there were few people.

Many of the residents seemed to be holed up in their houses, as a calamity had raged near the city earlier.

Normally, it would not be surprising if panic had broken out, but as in other towns, knights, adventurers, and guild officials with [Calm] had all been mobilized to help contain the chaos.

Looking out the carriage window, I saw several tall, large buildings.

“The royal capital is the biggest city in the country, you know.”

Milia, who was sitting directly across from me, told me this.

“There is a harbor to the south and many residents, so it is usually a very lively and enjoyable city. Please enjoy it to the fullest.”

“Oh, Kou-san! Kou-san! Look at that!”

Relic suddenly got up from his seat and pointed out the window.

“That is the clock tower of the Royal Academy! My laboratory is nearby!”

“Well, I guess I’ll have to pay a visit sometime soon.”

“Yes, by all means! You are more than welcome! Oh, I’m looking forward to it! I’m looking forward to it!”

“Hey, Kou. There seem to be a lot of places you have to go. Are you alright?”

Iris asked with a wry smile.

That may be true if you ask me.

I am sure there will be preparations to be made for the awards ceremony, so at least we won’t be bored during our stay in the royal capital.

The carriage carrying us passed through a large gate and through an opulent garden with a fountain before arriving at the guest house.

The official name of the guest house is the Royal Guest House, and as it is a place for welcoming foreign royalty, it has a solemn atmosphere.

“Is a commoner like me allowed to set foot in…?”

“Fufu. I see that Kou-sama is sometimes disheartened by such things.”

On my right side, Leticia giggles.

“There is nothing to worry about. As I said before, you are a hero who defended the city. I think you should act with pride and dignity.”

“If I could do that, I wouldn’t have any trouble.”

I shrugged my shoulders as I got out of the carriage.

The distance to the front door of the guest house was approximately 30 meters, with a red carpet underfoot.

On the left and right, the knights are lined up in a row, all standing tall and straight.

…It was like being treated like a VIP.

If I were a real royalty or a millionaire, I would probably be able to remain unconcerned when I encounter such a situation, but I am a commoner by birth, and I can’t help but feel a sense of dread.　

I feel sorry to leave the knights standing there for so long, so I tend to walk faster.

“I won’t be beaten by you, Master-san!”

I heard Surara’s voice from behind me. What is he going to do?

I turned around to see Surara jumping down from the carriage and chasing after me at a high pace.

“I’m faster than you! …Wawawawa!”

Surara tried to slow down when he passed me, but he accidentally stumbled and went flying forward.

Look out!

I activated one of the Fenrir Coat’s granted effects, the《Divine Speed Blessing EX》.

My concentration had increased to the limit, and everything seemed to be in slow motion.

I caught up to Surara in an instant and caught his plump body in mid-air. I deactivated my skill and called out to him.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah! Thank you for saving me, Master-san!”

“Be careful next time.”

I pat Surara on the head and put him down on the ground.

…Hmm?

I noticed that the eyes of the knights in the surroundings were focused on me.

“Did you see that? No, it was too fast. I didn’t see it…”

“I think Kou-dono caught Surara-dono, maybe.”

“That’s amazing! As expected of Kou-dono!”

With a twinkle in his eye, the deputy commander, Morristan-san, called out to me.

“Now, now, please come inside the building. Everyone is eagerly awaiting your arrival.”

Who exactly was “everyone” he was referring to?

While wondering, Moristan-san opened the door for me, and I stepped into the guest house.

Oh, wow.

There were many people in the entrance hall.

The men were dressed in tailcoats and the women in maid’s uniforms, and they bowed deeply to us all at once.

“””Kou Kousaka-sama and companions, welcome to the Royal Guest House of the Royal Capital! The entire staff would like to extend a hearty welcome to you!”””

…Amazing.

The tones of the words are exactly the same. Maybe it’s because I’m a petty citizen that… I wonder if they had a rehearsal in advance.

After that──

We were guided by the staff of the guest house to our guest room. Apparently, one room was prepared for each person.

…Huh?

“What’s about Milia and Relic? They were both originally residents of the royal capital, weren’t they?”

A male staff member answered my question.

“We have also prepared rooms for the two of them under the direction of His Majesty the King. Since this is a great opportunity, I hope you will all enjoy your time together at the guest house.”

“How generous of you.”

“The reason we are safe and sound like this is thanks to the fact that Kou-sama defeated the calamity. It’s nothing compared to what you did for us.”

“Although Relic-san and I didn’t actually fight.”

Milia smiled wryly and muttered near me.　

“But since it’s so kind of you, I’ll accept it.”

“I’ve never been to the guest house before. Even the duke’s family members don’t set foot in this place very often, and it is something to brag about to my family! Thank you, Kou-san!”

Come to think of it, Relic’s family is a duke’s family. Maybe he has other family members in the royal capital.

I wonder what kind of personality they have. I wonder if they are all as lively and boisterous as Relic.

“I am Duke Hubert! Please to meet you! Please to meet you!”

“I am Duchess Hubert! Ohohoohoho! Ohohoohoho!”

“I’m Duke Hubert’s eldest son! My brother always! Always! Always in your care!”

…I can’t say it’s impossible, but it’s a little frightening.

* * *

After putting our luggage in the guest room, we gathered in the “Thor Room” on the first floor of the guest house.

Thor was the name of the first king of this country. There seemed to be several other rooms named after the kings of the past.

In the Thor room, a number of long desks were lined up, and not only us but also Morristan-san and other members of the Royal Guardian Knights were gathered there.

What we were going to do now was to explain in detail about the battle that just took place.

We had defeated the calamity, but the kingdom needed to know exactly what happened, so we were going to have a debriefing session like this.

“Kou-dono and all his companions. I apologize for taking time out of your tiredness after just finishing the battle. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to help us.”

Morristan-san stood up from his seat and bowed deeply.

“Thanks to all of you, the royal capital was spared from a major crisis this time. The Kingdom should properly reward you for your achievements. We will consider the awarding of rewards and medals based on the contents of the debriefing, so please do not be overly modest and do not hesitate to tell us what you have done.”

“Kou, they are talking about you.”

Iris, sitting next to me on my left, poked me in the side with the tip of her elbow.

“…Why me?”

“Because, Kou, you always keep telling people that they’re overestimating you.”

“I like Kou-san’s modesty, though.”

Milia nodded.　

“But I didn’t think it had been transmitted to the royal capital to that extent.”

“Oh, I’m probably the cause of it.”

The person to speak up was Relic.

“As I mentioned before, I have been in personal communication with His Majesty the King. And I wrote a lot of things about you, too. So that might be the reason.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Morristan-san nodded.

“I have heard from His Majesty the King that Kou-dono does not like to talk much about your achievements. He also said that it might be quicker to find out from your friends.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Leticia said with a giggle.

“However, since Kou-sama is the best speaker among us, I think it would be better if Kou-sama explained the general outline first, and then we can supplement it as needed.”

So, I was the first one to explain about the battle against the calamity.

At times like this, my experience as a working adult in Japan came in handy. After all, I had been dealing with a lot of flaming incidents.

I was used to giving presentations on the process from the occurrence of a problem to its resolution.

I talked about the flow of events from Lily’s [Foresight], when she learned of the appearance of the calamity, to defeat it in order.

One of the knights was writing down the contents in a notebook at a breakneck pace but with very legible and careful handwriting.

This knight had the [Shorthand] skill, which seemed to come in handy in situations where dictation was required.

When I finished, Morristan-san raised his hand and said,

“Thank you very much for your explanation, Kou-dono. However, I am ashamed to say that I am a little confused because of all the unorthodox or out-of-standard content. Just to be sure, let me check a few things.”

“Of course. Ask me anything you like.”

“First of all, is it correct that the flying ship owned by Kou-dono──Blaznir, with its original speed… could not reach the capital in time for the appearance of the calamity?”

“Yes. It was originally supposed to arrive at noon.”

If I had not poured my magic power to accelerate Blaznir, the royal capital would have been covered in ice by now, and Morristan-san, and the king of this country, would have all frozen to death.　

“I am so grateful to you for rushing in at full speed to protect those of us who live in the royal capital, Kou-dono. Thank you very much.”

“…No, it’s not that big of a deal.”

I reply, scratching my right cheek.

“I just did what I could do, to the best of my ability.”

“In Kou’s case, that ‘range of what you can do’ is much wider than most people’s, and that’s why people are surprised.”

Iris smiled and said.

“I understand your embarrassment, but I think it’s okay to be a little bit proud of yourself.”

“Surely, you are as humble as the rumors say you are.”

Morristan-san nodded with a satisfied look on his face and continued his words.

“The next thing is, the appearance of the second calamity──the Green Dragon of Rift and Demise──was not in Lily-dono’s [Foresight] and was completely unexpected. Is this correct?”

“Yes.”

Lily answered shortly and nodded her head.

“The only thing that appeared in my [Foresight] was the White Dragon.”

“Thank you very much. The last question is, is it correct that Kou-dono was the only one who killed the Green Dragon?”

“Yes, there is no doubt about it.”

The appearance of the Green Dragon was so sudden that it was heading toward the capital at a breakneck speed.

The only one who could respond was me with《Divine Speed Blessing EX》and as a result, I was the only one who could take it down.

When I explained this again, Morristan-san sighed in admiration.

“You really are strong, aren’t you, Kou-dono, to defeat such a huge dragon all by yourself…”

As expected, that is probably too much of a lift.

The fact that I was able to defeat the Green Dragon was due to the explosive increase in my magic power caused by [Limit Break], and it was only momentary.

Normally I would have to have the cooperation of Iris and the others, as I did when I fought the White Dragon.　

When I explained this to Morristan-san, he said to me, “Kou-dono is so modest to the end, isn’t he? I would like to learn from your integrity.”

I thought I was just stating the obvious.

After that, the debriefing session ended with a few questions and answers.

“Thank you for your cooperation, everyone.”

Morristan-san came up to us and bowed deeply.

“We are going to present the report to His Majesty the King immediately. We may have to talk to Kou-dono again later. Is that alright with you?”

“Of course, it is fine.”

It was quite common for new questions to come up later on. So I nodded my head.

“Thank you, Kou-dono. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Morristan-san bowed and left the guest house with his subordinate knights.

Well then.

With this, the aftermath of the incident was probably over for now.

“Fuwah…”

A yawn escaped from my mouth, perhaps because I’ve been distracted.

“Kou-san, you are tired, aren’t you?”

Milia, who was nearby, smiled at me.　

“If you like, I can rub your shoulders. I’m pretty good at it, you know.”

“Well, maybe someday.”

For now, I’m more in the mood for a good night’s sleep.

Come to think of it; I’ve been up since in the morning… or even before dawn. For now, let’s just take a nap until noon.