I Could Fight More

Kikori fell silent when he was told he was a pathetically weak human who was only dragon-like.

The fairy peered into the face of the silent Kikori.

“What’s wrong? Did you cry?”

“…No, I’m happy.”

“Haa? About what?”

The fairy said she had no idea what he meant, but Kikori truly was happy.

After all, Kikori, who “had no talent,” had finally found a weapon of his own.

Dragon-like. Hard to kill. If that was true, then Kikori could fight more.

Harder to kill even when hit by magic. Considering the ability of the berserk mail, that was a welcome trait.

It would make it easier to use the strategy of taking the enemy’s magic head-on and storing mana in the mana stone.

“I can fight more. That’s why I’m happy.”

“Even if a weakling can fight, you’d still just be a weakling who can fight, though?”

“That’s fine. Um, was it called Dragon Crown?”

“That’s right. Well, yours is an inferior version, though.”

“Will it grow from here on?”

“How would I know? Are you stupid?”

“So you don’t know.”

“Seriously. Do you think a dragon would let you walk away alive after babbling, ‘Please tell me all about the power that makes you the strongest’?”

…It was such an overwhelmingly valid point that all Kikori could say was, “Sorry.”

But after apologizing, Kikori tilted his head and went, “Huh?”

“Then where did the term Dragon Crown come from?”

“If you watch a dragon carefully enough, you kind of understand it, don’t you? I just made up the name myself, though.”

Kikori did not think for even a second that he could understand it just by staring, and nothing like that had been written in any book.

To begin with, he did not think a human could stare at a dragon and make it back alive.

Was that only possible because a fairy was a monster…?

Kikori once again stared carefully at the fairy before him.

Peach-colored bobbed hair, and round eyes of the same color.

Translucent wings, and cloth garments covering her body.

…That was all. No matter how long he stared, he could not understand anything beyond her appearance.

“W-What?”

“…No.”

After thinking for a moment, Kikori slowly sat up.

He had thought that if he did not push himself, he might be able to move his body…but it turned out he was right.

Then Kikori bowed his head to the fairy just like that.

“Thank you for saving me.”

When he said that, the fairy first looked bewildered…and then gradually blushed until her face turned bright red.

“W-What are you saying?! I only brought you back because you looked interesting! If you died, you’d just rot and stink, right?!”

“Even so, thank you. I’m Kikori. What’s your name?”

The fairy let out a “Muu…” for a while, then sighed as if she had no choice.

“Orphe. I’m Orphe.”