Chapter 236

236 – The Name of the Skeleton

The manticore darts out of my field of vision . It’s annoying, but I’ve got no choice but to go along with what she wants .

Looking back, I turn my attention to the mountain of rubble she burst out of . Buried underneath, there should still be a child . Though I have to hope he hasn’t been crushed to death .

I carefully push aside the bricks with my foreleg .

“GuoOOh”

“U, uu…”

When I call out, I hear a moan in reply . I’m glad, he’s still alive it seems . It came from around here . Gently, I sift through the bricks . Through a gap I see flash of skin colour . I glance at my partner .

“Gaah”

With her cry, a light covers the pinned child . His injuries knit closed, and his contorted expression softens slightly . I lift him out with my foreleg and lay him down on the ground .

The child opens his eyes a crack . Tears are running down his cheeks, a faint blush visible . His expression looked like one of adoration .

“Th-th-thank you very much… Dragon-god-sama…”

My own tear ducts are starting to leak . I rub my eyes with my foreleg, feeling a slight wetness .

“Dragon-god-sama just drove away a manticore disguised as a human!”

“Did you see how it fled from him? As expected of dragon-god-sama!”

The villagers who had been watching gather round . The ones who had evacuated must have heard what happened, as they’re also rushing over here in a hurry .

N-no, please . I haven’t been looked at with those sorts of eyes before very much, so it’s kind of ticklish . Just how popular is the position of dragon-god? I’ll just become their dragon-god already . That’ll be fine, right? Uwa, what do I do if the real dragon-god-sama returns .

Hibi walks over to me . Again, she raises her staff, and chants a quiet incantation . [Telepathy], huh . I can understand normal speech just fine, though…

『I would never have expected that the traveller would be a monster . This is my blunder . If dragon-god-sama had not returned, I shudder to imagine what would have occurred…』

More importantly, I’m worried about how I wasn’t able to finish it off . I think she’ll come back to attack again…

『If that’s your worry, then please be at ease . The manticore seemed very frightened . As it will be cautious of dragon-god-sama, I expect that it will not show up near the village for a while . Besides, in that direction… well, we might just be very fortunate . 』

Fortunate? Why so…?

『…It is nothing worthy of conveying to dragon-god-sama . In either case, there should be no need to be overly cautious for the time being . 』

…Saying that only makes me more curious though . W-well, it’s fine . The Lithovar tribe must have their own circumstances . Hibi’s also making a face as if she doesn’t want to talk about it much .

But that collapsed building… It shouldn’t be too hard for me to rebuild it . My fingers are a bit clumsy, but my size has got to be useful . I get the feeling that I’d be able to mould it into a building shape like clay . It got destroyed because of my mistake, so I should help reconstruct it, right? Nonono, this isn’t the time to be full of myself after being fawned over .

I stretch my cheeks with my foreleg . My partner, attentive as always, shoots out healing magic right away . There was hardly any damage, but thanks all the same .

The wight and treant are waiting for us in the forest . This isn’t the time to be thinking about helping to repair a building . I need to return right away . Quite a lot of time has passed already .

“Get the preparations ready to entertain dragon-god-sama!”

“Y-yes! Which foods should I…”

“All of them! Worry about getting permission after!”

I can see the villagers fussing around noisily .

Hey wait a sec! I’m leaving! I’m sorry, but I have stuff to do! I’m totally grateful for the sentiment though! Hibi-san! I’m sorry, but please tell them I’m leaving!

“Ooh! Dragon-god-sama looked at me!”

Everyone is clamouring about every little move I make . They’re not calming down at all . A strange sweat appears . No matter where I look, I see feverish gazes looking back at me .

“Gaaa…”

My partner is also shrinking away from them . As she’s normally a carefree ball of curiosity, seeing her this nervous is a first .

…I see just one person, a woman, glaring at me with thin eyes . Her age looks like she could be in her early thirties, or is about to enter them . Her expression is dark, her cheeks gaunt, and her face haggard . It’s entirely possible that she’s a lot younger than I estimated .

Everyone else is looking at me warmly, so I noticed her right away . Unconsciously, I stop looking around and stare at her . Meeting my gaze, she turns away uncomfortably and goes into a nearby building as if to run away .

Some of the others look in the direction of the woman with puzzled expressions .

Wh-what is ? Did I do something bad?

『…Please excuse her rudeness . I will ask her to stop it later . So, please, forgive us . 』

Perhaps having read my surface thoughts, Hibi sends such a [Telepathy] . She must have thought I was angry, because I sense traces of anxiousness in the [Telepathy] she sent .

No, that’s fine though… Was it something I did?

『No, that’s not the case . She is… How should I say this… Right, she’s tired . Please don’t think bad of her . 』

…It’s something to do with me, right? If so, I’d like to hear it .

『… It is nothing worthy of conveying to dragon-god-sama . 』

…That line again . If this keeps up, I’ll feel like I’m being ostracised… From her reaction, there’s no way it has doesn’t have anything to do with me .

I was just thinking casually, but Hibi’s face suddenly pales . Oh no . Did she pick up on that? I wasn’t thinking all that strongly, so I didn’t think it was enough to be transmitted .

N-no, it’s fine if you don’t want to say anything else…

『…Her name is Aino . Aino had a daughter, but she was killed by the manticore . 』

From her point of view, it must look like I left on a whim, then came back on a whim . In the dragon-god’s absence, another monster took up residence in the shrine, where it killed and ate children . And then I unexpectedly returned . Well yeah, I can see why she wouldn’t have the best impression of me . The other villagers are welcoming me without reservation, but there’s also an undercurrent of worry about whether I’ll disappear again .

I look up at the sky . Hey, real dragon-god, where did you go? If you have a shrine made for you, and are getting along with them for several years, then at least say something before disappearing .

Did my predecessor only help them in return for the tributes he was given? Since I have memories of my previous life, I might not really understand the perspective of other dragons . From a dragon’s point of view, humans could well be no more than just another species of animals .

…This is no time to lose myself in sentimentality . I should make my exit soon . If I don’t hurry, the wight will… hmm? Could it be? Could the wight possibly be Aino’s daughter?

No, there’s no way right? There must have been lots of people eaten by the manticore . Still, I can’t help but be curious about it . I look back at Hibi . Guessing I want to say something, Hibi closes her eyes .

Aino’s daughter, what was her name?

『The name of Aino’s daughter was Aro . She was a charming young lady, not yet ten years of age . 』

Aro, is it… That age matches how old I estimated the skeleton to be as well .

『Dragon-god-sama?』

It’s nothing; thanks for telling me . Well, I have things that I need to do, so it’s about time that I take my leave . Please explain to the others .

『Are you really leaving so soon? Since you’re here…』

I shake my head, turning away from Hibi . My path out is clogged with people, but they move aside when I nudge them with my head . They look a little sad . I’ll come back one day . When the wight is able to fend for herself a little better