Chapter 180

Chapter 180 – Smile, Thunder in Some Places (4)

I asked Aoi to open the door to my room and hugged Nana tightly.

“May I?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Alba, who was clinging to my hair on top of my head, poked me on the head with the staff in his hand.

“These spirits are just attracted to Nana’s active dragon qi and are flocking to her. So when Nana moves, they will follow her. They are gathering more and more, and if left unchecked, the power will become too strong, and they will turn into a big mass of lightning.”

While rhythmically tapping my head, Alba explained in a matter-of-fact manner.

A mass of lightning.

Was it that lightning ball that Aoi had shown me several times?

When he had first met the twins and Aoi, she had blackened and wrecked the minivan in which Gasara and the others were in, even though she had taken it easy on them.

The rock griffon Ruten was literally vaporized by Aoi’s lightning ball, and if such a dangerous thing appeared in such a small room, we’d be finished.

“I wonder if I should be happy about the dragon qi that makes her gather so many spirits, even if unconsciously.　Nana’s potential is even greater than Aoi’s. But that’s only if she grows up properly. Right now it’s a threat to Nana’s still immature body. It would hurt Nana herself.”

“Are you saying it’s too early?”

“Yes, it is.”

I see.

If the twins have a promising future, not just Nana, I have no complaints.

I’m looking forward to their growth.

“There is only one way to deal with this situation. Let’s dissipate the dragon energy that has been activated. It’s only a temporary increase due to the effects of the medicine, so once it’s consumed, it will never recover. Only up to the amount that matches Nana’s original power.”

“I see.”

I can understand that.

So, if it’s increasing, we should reduce it.

“The twins are the first-ever half-dragon, half-human, which even I have never experienced. This kind of situation could happen again in the future. So I want you to learn how to deal with them. Don’t worry, it’s not that difficult as long as you follow the proper procedures. I’m sure you can figure it out.”

“I-I got it.”

Wait, don’t put any weird pressure on me, okay?

It makes you nervous, doesn’t it?

What if I’m not as smart as you think I am?

“Well then, Aoi.”

“Yes.”

Aoi, who had been watching me and Alba with a serious face in the corridor outside the room on the other side of the open door, nodded at Alba’s voice.

“Where’s a big place around here that’s not too crowded? Preferably somewhere that’s not too conspicuous?”

“Well, the garden behind the house, I guess. That’s the place where Ru-anesama and Jaja were taking a walk a while ago. There’s a forest outside the garden. There are no other buildings around the mansion, and I think the walls of the estate are tall.”

The mansion itself was quite large, but the land was even larger.

You can look down from the lighthouse that Shouhei and I went to earlier, but the far side of the garden was overgrown with trees and hidden.

“Okay, let’s go there first. Clumsy-kun, there are three things to keep in mind. The first is to run as fast as you can without the spirits catching up with you. The second is to never stop. And don’t get Nana excited. Okay?”

“I-isn’t that hard?”

I don’t know how fast the spirits are moving, but those butterflies are flying, right?

And don’t get Nana excited, she’s a moody girl who gets excited by the most unexpected things.

The spirits are a collection of tiny lightning particles. In addition, they have the characteristic of flying while creating a slight breeze. You won’t be able to take your time walking as more of them will gather, and the gusts of wind and the electrical discharge caused by rubbing their wings together will cause some significant damage to this house. So that’s why it’s better to go outside at once, isn’t it?”

What do you mean by ‘better’?

What do you think you’re doing in someone’s house?

Even in this room, which has been crackling since a while ago, it’s starting to get rough out there.

No matter how rich and royal Atol is, I can’t just say, ‘A little bit is fine, right?’

Damn it.

I’ll apologize so much later.

“Okay, that’s enough chitchat.”

“Got it.”

I hugged Nana again tightly and bent down.

“Aoi, you run ahead and watch out for the maids and Atol.”

“O-okay!”

From here, we had to go down a long corridor, down the stairs, past the dining room and common room, and through the entrance, before we could leave the mansion.

There are at least around 20 maids in this mansion.

There is also a gardener, an uncle who looks like a butler, and some children who are here for an apprenticeship.

If those people were in our path, we would be in trouble. I don’t know how to apologize if I hurt them.

That’s why I need to ask Aoi to go ahead of me and take safety measures.

“Uh?”

“Okay, Nana? Let’s go for a run with Daddy.”

I smiled at Nana, who looked up at me curiously.

Nana gripped my shirt as I held her tightly.

It doesn’t seem to be painful. I’m glad.

“Dah.”

Nana smacks my cheek with both hands.

You still haven’t given up on apple juice? You’re a glutton.

Okay, okay, okay.

I’ll let you drink a little of it when you’re all done.

So just wait a little longer.

I looked at the door and nodded silently to Aoi.

When Aoi saw this, she nodded once, and then ran off at a brisk pace, disappearing from sight.

All right, I’ll go with you then!

“Udah!”

Nana’s happy voice overlapped my booming voice.

I put all my energy into my legs and kicked the floor.

I make a right-angle turn through the door and turned my feet toward the end of the long hallway.

Don’t fall down.

To be honest, it’s difficult to run with Nana in my arms.

Even though she’s light, she’s still big enough to unbalance my body.

I’m holding her from the back of her head, gently supporting her on my shoulders, and holding her from underneath her butt, so I’m worried that she might get sick from the shaking.

The sooner we get to our destination, the better. We have to get where we’re going!

“Shouhei-san!”

I turned my attention to the sudden voice of Aoi, who was walking ahead of me.

“Aoi-neechan? Nii-chan too, what are you doing?”

Shouhei, who had just climbed up the stairs and was carrying a large bag of some kind, and Kayone and Utai, who were standing next to him with similar bags, stood there in wonder.

“Shouhei! Just get in your room!”

Behind me, there were a series of loud explosive sounds that were incomparable to what I had heard earlier.

At the same time, there was a heavy wind noise.

“What, what, what, what?”

“What’s going on?”

Utai, whose voice was as loud as ever, hurriedly pulled Shouhei to her and opened the door to a nearby room for shelter.

Kayone followed, unusually flustered, and went into another room.

“Kayone! I’m borrowing the backyard! Tell Atol not to let anyone near it!”

“I’m counting on you!”

“Sage! Yes, sir!”

Oh, the name of the rat sage lives on here!

When Kayone saw Alba, she hurriedly bowed her head. No explanation was necessary, that really helped!

“Sorry! I’ll explain later!”

“Nii-chan!? Aoi-neechan!?”

Shouhei’s bewildered voice faded into the distance due to the Doppler effect.

I hurried down the stairs, but still carefully so as not to let go of Nana.

“Uda, adah!”

“Nana! I’m not playing with you!”

Look at that!

Nana was starting to enjoy this situation and was excitedly flailing her arms and legs.

She looked happy with a big smile on her face, and the sounds behind us grew louder in response.

It’s impossible to control Nana and Jaja’s emotions.

They’re at the age where they laugh when chopsticks roll over, you know? No, really.

“Kunpei-san! I’ll carry you after you’re through the door!”

“Please!”

That’s right.

Aoi can also carry us in the air, right?

It’s too small to spread her wings when she’s indoors, but there’s no problem when she’s outside.

“Kya!”

“Whoa!”

At the bottom of the stairs, we passed two maids who were carrying bedsheets and laundry.

If Aoi hadn’t held out her hand to stop them, I would have almost run into them.

“I’m sorry! I’m in a hurry!”

“Sorry!”

“Dah!”

The three of us walked past, apologizing.

Nana was definitely not sorry, though. In case you were wondering.

“Ah, yes.”

“Bye-bye, Nana-chan!”

Nana was waving to the maid.

Oh, you. Where did you learn to do that?

How nice, do it for me later.

Both Jaja and Nana were treated like little idols in this mansion.

They are very popular, especially with the young maids, because they show off their loveliness.

When I give them baths, they join in saying, ‘Please let me wash them too!’

Oops, it’s not the time for that.

Aoi and I ran through the ridiculously large entrance.

“What’s with the uproar!”

Atol came running out from the other side of the corridor, looking bloodthirsty.

“Atol, I’m sorry! I’ll apologize later!”

“Prince! I’m borrowing the backyard!”

“S-s-s-sage-sama!?”

Oh.

That prince is faltering and acting all suspicious!

He’s always been so irreverent, so this is refreshing.

I also feel like I’ve seen that side of him before, but for the sake of Atol’s honor, let’s say I haven’t.

“Kunpei-san!”

“Please!”

Aoi, who was the first to open the front door and spread her wings, reached out her hand.

I took her hand and entrusted my back to her.

“I’m going!”

Every time Aoi’s wings flapped, our bodies floated up.

“Dah, kya!”

“Whoa, Nana, don’t go crazy.”

Nana moved around in my arms energetically, as if she was enjoying the feeling of floating.

“Ugh, huh?”

Aoi, who was lifting me up with both arms, made a strange sound.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s kind of hard to fly. Huh? Why?”

Aoi flew through the garden of the mansion, swaying left and right.

“The way the sky dragon flies is with the help of the spirits. I’m sure it’s more difficult to fly than usual because the spirits that should be under Aoi’s control are now under the influence of Nana’s dragon qi, which has become more active. It’s terrifying.”

Alba explained calmly on top of my head.

So you’re saying that for such a little guy, she’s now more powerful than Aoi?

Is that something to be happy about?

”It’s kind of complicated, but it’s not a problem!

“Udah!”

Hey, Nana-sama.

Mama’s in trouble, so cut me some slack.

“Uncle! How about over there?”

“That’s good. Let’s go down there.”

Aoi was looking at a small pond in the woods.

It’s faster than I can run, after all. At first, it was wobbly, but now it’s stable.

That’s the daughter of the king of the dragons that rule the sky.

After landing gently in a slightly open space, Aoi loosened her arms from my body and wiped her slightly sweaty forehead.

“Good work.”

“No problem!”

She puffed up her chest to appeal, but unfortunately, it was not that big.

I’m kind of sorry about that.

“Are you thinking about something weird?”

“No.”

That was dangerous.

I don’t know why girls’ intuition are so sharp, like Mikuma and Saeki. What are you, an esper?

“Uncle, what are you doing here?”

Aoi returned her gaze to Alba, who was still stomping around pompously on my head.

“Yes. I’m sure we can get away with a few big lightning strikes here.”

Lightning… hey, you know…

“I’m here too.”

I don’t have the kind of body that can handle being struck by lightning.

“Aoi has her own things to do, so you are the only one who can hold Nana. It’s a little painful, but I don’t think it’s going to do much damage if you’re a dragon.”

“… Are you going to turn Kunpei-san into a dragon again?”

Again?

It’s been a while since I spent the night in the bathroom of a shelter during the Tusk Crag incident.

“Aoi, you have to endure. If he was hit by lightning like that, he’ll die.”

“… It’ll be okay, right?”

Huh?

I’m not sure why you’re being so serious.

That’s right, though, if you become a dragon, you won’t be able to move for a while.

I mean, it’s not like it’s that serious, right?

“Oh, I’m not flawless in this matter. Rather, I need you, Clumsy-kun, to keep turning into a dragon and get your body used to it.”

“You’re not going to explain it to me in detail, are you?”

“… Someday, I promise.”

“What are you talking about?”

I’m the one who got left behind.

You’re talking about Nana, right?

“No, it’s okay. I’m talking about me.”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it, Clumsy-kun. Here.”

As soon as Alba swung his staff, a ripple-like distortion appeared in the space in front of me, and when I put my hand underneath it, a small white fragment fell from the center of the ripple.

When I looked at the piece that fell onto my palm, I knew. It was a piece of Jaja and Nana’s eggshell.

So why do you have it?

I collected those without missing a single piece, and I keep them under lock and key at the bottom of my desk in my room.

Well, that’s enough about that for now.

For now, I’ll just quickly turn into a dragon.

I opened my mouth wide and put the shard in my mouth.

I chewed it with a crunching sound.

It’s not a tasty flavor or texture.

It’s like chewing sand, and frankly, it’s hard to swallow.

But if I swallowed it without chewing, my throat would be in trouble.

It’s dangerous if you don’t chew it finely.

“Aaah! Nnngh!”

Nana, who was getting angry, slapped my mouth with both hands.

“N-Nana? It’s not like I’m eating a snack. It’s, um… yes! Medicine! It’s medicine!”

Don’t be so desperate to hit me in the mouth!

It hurts more than you think!

“Whoa, whoa.”

What is that? What is this feeling?

It’s the first time I’ve experienced the sensation of my back, buttocks and temples rising up.

Oh, on second thought, this might be the first time I’ve been in a perfect physical condition when turning into a dragon.

At the top of Tusk Crag, I was in a state of extremes, and at the shelter, I was asleep before I knew it.

“Hmm…! H-how is it going?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

I show my back to Aoi for confirmation.

Yeah, the tail and wings are in place.

It’s strange to be able to move them like you can move your fingers.

I’ve torn my clothes again.

I’ve ruined my top, bottom, and two sets of underwear since I’ve been here, though the first set was ruined before I even knew it.

The jacket is almost unrecognizable due to the wings that have popped out. This is not clothes anymore, it’s just a piece of cloth…

“Dah?”

Nana, who was staring at my temples, has a strange look on her face.

Come to think of it, is this perhaps the first time you’ve seen me like this?

“It’s papa. Do you understand?”

“Ahm.”

She nodded her head and sucked her thumb.

Yeah, well, that’s okay.

“Okay, Alba. Is this okay?”

“That’ll do for now.”

“Hmm?”

A ripple spread through the space again, and a beautiful white blade appeared from it.

Carefully holding the hilt that appeared with the blade facing downward, I positioned it in front of my body.

“The Dragon Fang Sword?”

The sword, which Rouge had just returned to Alba, was Alba’s terrifying sharp treasure.

“Whoa, Nana. Don’t touch it, it’s dangerous.”

“Nuu, dah.”

I know you’re curious, but unfortunately, that’s no good.

You’ll have to wait until you’re older… or maybe not even when you’re older.

“What are you going to do with this?”

“This sword is the only instrument in this world that can interfere with spirits. It’s based on the fangs of a powerful dragon, after all. It can affect not only spirits but even the phenomena that they cause.”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah.”

“If you don’t understand it, say you don’t understand it.”

No, it’s not that I don’t understand everything.

I mean, this sword can cut spirits, right?

“You’re going to repel the spirits with this?”

“This is what’s called ‘grounding.'”

“Grounding?”

Aoi and I looked at each other with a question mark on our faces.

What’s a grounding?

“You have them in your home appliances, don’t you? They’re used to release excess electrical charges to the ground.”

Ah, that.

It’s attached to the power plug.

“It’s necessary to divert the excess of lightning that hits you, Nana and Aoi to the ground so that you can work safely, right?”

“Eh?”

What did you just say?

“Did you just say ‘hit’?”

“Yes?”

I asked again, and Alba replied without hesitation.

No, wait, wait, wait.

“I’m sorry, I’m going to ask you one more time, but lightning is going to hit me, Nana and Aoi.”

“That’s what I just said.”

Hey, you.

“What do you mean?”

Can you say it again, this time in plain English?

“As a parent, I want you to take Nana’s excessive energy head-on.”

Oh, yeah. I see.

This guy’s an idiot.