The Man And The Dragon

“Ugh, gh. Huh? Crap, I seriously fell asleep…”

His eyes snapped open. He sat up from where his body had sunk into the fluffy bed and rubbed his eyes.

His body felt surprisingly light. Was it thanks to this bed?

“Zzz, zzz, mufufu, Mother… I see, having a male thrust a knife into you is already an act close to mating, mufufufu.”

“Whoa.”

He flinched. Only now did he become startled by the woman’s voice coming from beside him.

With long eyelashes, white skin, and an absurdly tiny face, the dangerously beautiful woman muttered in her sleep while puffing up a snot bubble.

Tooyama tried to get out of the bed without waking her, then stopped moving.

“What’s with this huge bed? Did an idiot make it? More than twenty people could sleep on this.”

The bed was too huge. If it had been the low bed in his single-person dorm apartment, he could have rolled over and gotten out of bed just like that, but this bed was too wide.

He could not immediately see the edge. When he stretched while still on his knees, he finally saw that there was an edge.

“Somehow, it’s that. The sense of scale in this room is insane. This is more of a hall than a room at this point.”

Tooyama quietly crawled off the bed. This room, too, was more like a hotel lobby than a room for one person.

He walked softly over the fluffy carpet. Before he knew it, his sleepwear had also changed from those ragged slave clothes into something like a bathrobe.

“Excuse me for intruding.”

He had, technically, been in a woman’s bedroom. Tooyama, oddly conscientious in strange ways, bowed his head and slowly opened the door.

He quietly closed it and escaped the room. From the center of the bed, he could still hear a mumbling voice.

Now then, time to slip away. For now, I need to be alone to sort out my thoughts—

“Good morning, young man. Or perhaps son-in-law would be more appropriate.”

Tooyama’s movement as he wiped his forehead stopped with a snap.

A voice, from beside him.

A refined silver gentleman dressed in a tailcoat placed a hand to his chest and bowed.

“Geh?! Ridiculously strong old man, you. Where did you come from?”

“I was in front of this room the entire time. Guarding the young lady’s sleeping quarters is also part of a butler’s duties.”

Hohoho, the old man laughed softly. But Tooyama knew. He knew this old man’s unbelievable combat ability.

“Now then, son-in-law, where might you be heading?”

As the old man narrowed his eyes smoothly, Tooyama almost leaked something and spun his mind.

Forcing his way through was impossible. Nor could he think of a way to deceive him.

“N-no, when you ask where… Now that I think about it, I have nowhere to go.”

He deflated. Thinking about it calmly, he realized that once he had been brought this far, he was already rather checkmated.

“Hohoho, recklessness is, however, a privilege of youth. …By the young lady’s order, after you awaken, I am to prepare clothing for you. Ah, and also—”

The old man smiled cheerfully, and his hand blurred for an instant.

Or more precisely, his knife-hand struck toward Tooyama with a clean slash, but the half-awake Tooyama could not see it.

“U-wah.”

Clunk.

The handcuffs that had still been wrapped around Tooyama’s wrists came off.

Huh, no way? Even if they were cheap handcuffs, wasn’t that cut way too clean? Wow, so iron can be cut with a chop. Wow.

“Baboo.”

He tried to form words, but he was so shocked that he turned into a baby. It couldn’t be helped, because he was a baby.

“The handcuffs are no longer necessary. No, since the chain had come off, you likely had no inconvenience, but their appearance is poor.”

“Ah, I hadn’t noticed because I felt strangely light, but I still had handcuffs on my wrists, didn’t I?”

He somehow returned from being a baby to an adult man, but inwardly, he was trembling. At this point, the option of escaping this place by force had completely disappeared.

“Oh, light… you say? Son-in-law, considering what happened earlier, you do possess quite a sturdy body. Pardon me, but do you possess such a ‘skill’? …Oops, forgive me. The young lady does not even know yet, and I have overstepped.”

“Ah, yes, skill? Actually, this clothing feels amazing to wear.”

“That is sleepwear. As you will now be entering the council chamber, please change into attire suitable for the occasion.”

Clap, clap, the old man clapped his hands.

In the marble corridor, from behind pillars built like those of a luxury hotel, many maids appeared.

Frilly long skirts and that white thing on their heads. Yes, maids.

“This gentleman is the young lady’s honored guest. Prepare clothing for him. Assist him in changing as well.”

“““Understood.”””

Like dolls, all of the maids were beautiful too.

Somehow, he was beginning to understand that armored bastard—or rather, armored woman’s tastes. She had good taste.

“…I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Tooyama muttered.

The old man narrowed his eyes and looked at Tooyama.

Then he smiled.

“…As expected, you are an interesting person. Reason and madness coexist within you simultaneously, without any contradiction. Here and now, you cannot kill me, so you obey. …What a chilling humanity.”

“You make me sound like a serial killer.”

“Perish the thought. You are the complete opposite of that sort. In truth, you do not wish to kill, nor do you have much interest in killing. It is simply that the method is the most certain, and moreover, because you can do it, you choose it. That is all, is it not? Hohoho, you are worthy of having caught a dragon’s eye.”

The old man somehow looked pleased.

Tooyama glanced at the handcuffs with their clean cross sections rolling at his feet, then breathed out.

“So, where should I go?”

Abandoning all questions and thoughts, Tooyama asked.

The old man, looking positively cheerful, showed him the way. Tooyama decided to obediently follow.

………

……

…

“Whoa, this is kind of amazing.”

He had been guided to a dressing room. In an absurdly large room, mannequins were lined up like in a museum.

The maids surrounded Tooyama to dress him, but he refused that much out of adult pride. Somehow, he changed into the prepared outfit by himself and left the room.

The maids were still expressionless, but—

“…Formidable.”

“…As expected of the male recognized by the young lady.”

“…I wanted to tend to him.”

Murmur, murmur. The gathered maids whispered among themselves. He must not look back. Tooyama understood this by instinct and quietly left the dressing room.

“Oh my, you changed quickly. It seems the maids’ assistance was unnecessary.”

“Well, yes, I’m technically a working adult. A suit… Even though this is another world, the sense of fashion is similar.”

“Now then, have you worn such clothing somewhere before? I heard it is a new waistcoat for balls designed by the young lady. Hmm, I find myself interested in your origins, but there is not much time. The young lady should awaken soon as well, so let us go.”

The old man began walking again. Tooyama decided to let himself go with the flow.

His current mood was that he understood the situation so little that he no longer cared what happened.

“Here we are. This is the Dragon Council Chamber, a sacred place in the Empire where important matters concerning dragons are decided. It seems everyone has already assembled.”

An especially large pair of double doors. From the hinges to the design of the door,

a dragon’s face was prominently displayed. Was the designer a middle schooler?

“Do we need the boss room key to open this door? This is the type of door that can’t be opened with a small key, right?”

“Now then, boss room? Hohoho, please do not be so tense. You are the young lady’s honored guest. Now then.”

The old man elegantly brushed off Tooyama’s nonsense and opened the door.

Well, whatever, Tooyama thought, going along with it as he passed through the door.

“Wow.”

The first thing that caught his eye was stained glass.

At the back of the hall, colorful glass set into the wall near the ceiling let sunlight sparkle through and illuminate the entire hall.

The other parts were also built with skylights. It looked like an incredibly expensive hotel, or a cathedral overseas. Unfortunately, Tooyama had never been to such places, so his sensitivity was poor.

“Kaka. Ah, the main character has arrived. Husband, come, to the center of the hall.”

It was a hall. At the end of the red carpet, in front of Tooyama, there was yet another huge chair.

A throne.

Luxurious. That was the only impression he had. After all, everything from its legs to its arms to its backrest was glittering gold.

“Kaka, what is wrong, husband? Were your eyes stolen by the luxury of my hall? Well, I had one eye stolen by you!”

The extremely cheerful blonde beauty grinned.

That woman sat on the golden chair with every possible ounce of arrogance.

And yet, her golden hair shone brilliantly enough not to lose to that throne.

She crossed her long legs, rested her chin on her elbow, and sat deeply in the chair.

The behavior of a strong being from birth, one who stood above others. If an ordinary human did it, the gesture might look vulgar or ridiculous, but when that woman did it, it was truly the dignity of a king.

“Now, husband, good, I permit it. Sit in that chair.”

“………”

A wooden chair was placed in the center of the hall, facing the throne. It was not flashy, but it was also made of good material.

Urged on, Tooyama proceeded through the hall, sat in the chair, and looked at the woman.

A dress like a celestial robe. The white legs peeking out from it were dazzling, and Tooyama was honestly staring at them with all his might.

“That is the Dragon Shrine Maiden’s…”

“Black hair, chestnut eyes. Rare…”

“Heeh, not bad, is he? Svi, can you see anything?”

“No, Bishop-sama. I can see nothing. Some kind of haze…”

“Hmph, only his clothing is first-class…”

“Ahh, angels, their kin, please let nothing happen. Please let everything end without affecting the Guild or city administration.”

“My lord, when you state your worries that specifically, it actually gives me a bad feeling.”

Away from the king’s seat and Tooyama’s seat, one step lower, seats were arranged in rows to flank the hall, and people were seated in them.

All of them uniformly gazed at Tooyama, as though judging him.

“…Is it about time?”

The blonde woman spoke.

That alone made the surrounding air terrifyingly quiet.

Like a forest where all living things had vanished.

“Now, now, my beloved adventure city, and the mortals who support it, the selected excellent ones among humans. You have gathered well today. Be at ease. Ah, Margrave, Guild Master, I caused a disturbance in the Guild earlier. Forgive me.”

“…Yes. Hoarding Dragon-sama, we are truly grateful from the bottom of our hearts that you, with your generous spirit, overlooked the discourtesy of the adventurers of our Guild.”

“…As for the adventurers whose words and attitudes could have disregarded Hoarding Dragon-sama’s words, all of us in the Guild wish them to receive severe punishment as your heart wills.”

At the woman’s words, the slightly plump man and the beautiful woman with glasses seated one step lower stood up and bowed respectfully.

“Kakakaka. Guild Master, you truly are wise. Hmm, indeed. I am in a good mood today. Send that one noisy female cat to the basement of my mansion. I want to let the worms practice hunting.”

The blonde woman was saying something cruel in a cheerful, good-humored tone. With this natural inhumanity, Tooyama became one hundred and twenty percent certain.

This woman was definitely that armored bastard, given that arrogant attitude.

“…Understood. I will immediately issue a detainment order to a first-rank adventurer for her.”

“Mm, do so. That female cat’s words were quite unbearable to hear. If she had carried out revenge with her own power, that would be one thing, but she had no shame and merely sobbed. It was unbearable to see. As a dragon, I find it intolerable to allow the factors of such a being to remain for future generations. Ah, yes. If that female cat has family, bring all of them as well. I shall let them get along as toys for the worms’ hunting practice.”

“…Yes, as our Dragon Shrine Maiden commands.”

A dragon’s words were heavy. In the Empire, they were now closer than the angels who no longer delivered their voices, and because of that, stronger.

Overbearing, incomparably arrogant.

Everyone gathered in this hall was a leader of one of the forces that made up the adventure city.

The Adventurers’ Guild, human society, nobles, the Angel Church, the Merchants’ Guild, and others. Each of them was excellent and chosen.

Some among them had thoughts about the dragon’s words, but all of them uniformly only lowered their eyes.

Do not oppose a dragon’s words. Do not go against a dragon’s will.

No matter how much it went against one’s own wishes, for humans to resist a dragon was—

“No, wait, armored bastard. That’s going too far. Family means, don’t tell me even the pet dog?”

Huh?

Every human in that place widened their eyes. Of course, if one spoke without the dragon’s permission, no one knew what would happen.

That was why everyone, eyes still wide, looked at that person.

At the slave who had raised an insolent voice without the dragon’s permission.

“…Of course. Not a single one will be spared. They shall become food for my kin. Even if they are pet dogs or pet cats.”

It was a bone-chilling voice. Just before dragons controlled flame, they made a distinctive sound. Her voice was very similar to that.

Everyone from the Empire present there—no, every life living in this world—was certain. It would not be strange if that man was reduced to ash in the very next instant.

“That’s not right. That cat-eared woman definitely pissed me off, so I don’t really care about her, but, hey, dogs don’t have any sins, do they? Dogs. …Stop doing that kind of thing.”

““““!????!?””””

He was dead.

Everyone thought so. The man sitting in the wooden chair was about to be killed by the dragon.

All dragons were proud, and above all else, they hated being given opinions by those below them. Since there was no existence above dragons in this world, that meant no one other than dragons could give opinions to a dragon.

Denying a dragon’s words. Giving an opinion to a dragon.

That meant an easy death.

“Mm? I see. If you say so, then I shall do so. Guild Master, forget what I said earlier. It is enough to bring only the female cat. I do not need her family. Is this good enough, husband?”

“Yeah, no complaints.”

The two exchanged words casually.

The man was still not dead. No, rather, an impossible scene was unfolding there.

The dragon did not ignore another person’s opinion, much less a human’s, and not only did she not kill him, she did as the man said.

“““““““Huh?”””””””

Everyone could no longer hold back their voices.