#81: The Dragon’s Visit — My Modern Dungeon Life Continues as an Open World in Another World (WN)

“Oh! This is quite a fine house, is it not?”

Drako, Alice Dral Flaretail, let her eyes shine.

Because the magical formula had made her look younger than usual, she truly looked like a well-bred young lady who might be found normally in the city.

The dark-brown wooden walls and floors, calm overall, were gentle on the eyes. Thanks to wax made by carefully filtering monster fat, every building material in the room shone black.

The table was solidly built, and the chairs were custom-made by a furniture craftsman popular in the Imperial Capital.

The carpet laid out there was a one-of-a-kind item ordered from “Blueley,” one of the Empire’s foremost cities of art and water in the Western Territory.

“I see. That money-grubber has done something rather tasteful. The house’s building materials and furniture are not bad. Hmm, this chair is… Trawly’s work. Hmm, the grain pattern overlaps at the joints. Its habits resemble his grandfather’s work.”

The Hoarding Dragon. As her name suggested, Alice’s hobby was collecting valuable things spread throughout the human world.

Her eye for beauty saw through the value of this mansion at a glance.

“Wow, Allie! Welcome, it’s been so long! Have you been well?”

Niko, who had entered the mansion a step ahead of the others, turned an innocent smile toward Alice.

“Hehe, it has been a long time, Niko. Yes, good, good. A girl should be this energetic.”

Even a dragon was softened by the straightforward smile of a girl.

“My, calling me a girl! I’m not that different from you, Allie! How old are you, Allie? I’m probably… twelve?”

“Fukaka, about ten times that, Niko. Hmm, I am glad the other children are healthy as well. You are helping Naruhito well. Admirable, admirable.”

While stroking Niko’s head, Alice snorted through her nose in satisfaction.

“From what perspective are you saying that?”

Tooyama grumbled briefly, but he felt a little relieved at the sight of Alice and Niko getting along.

“To dragons, young humans are interesting. Look. Even though they are this weak and fragile, they breathe and take root in this world. Well done, surviving this far.”

“Again, from what perspective is that?”

The way Drako looked at Niko was somehow transcendent and very gentle, like a grandmother looking at her grandchild.

It was an expression Tooyama did not know.

“From a dragon’s perspective. Hm, hoho, you have gathered quite an interesting group, Naruhito.”

Dragon eyes.

The blue of the deep sea’s bottom and the boundary of the high sky.

Her vertically split dragon pupils looked at each member of Tooyama’s group one by one.

The essence of a higher creature, judging and choosing others. It was the manifestation of such natural arrogance.

“Higii— Ahem, ……………Tooyama Naruhito, may I have a little word?”

Among them, one person gave an extremely honest reaction, a human who properly feared dragons and screamed.

Having splendidly missed the timing to escape, the Angel Church Bishop, Kanosa Tier Field, who had ended up in the room with the flow of events, called Tooyama.

“Yes, Bishop-sama.”

“Don’t you ‘yes’ me. Hey, hey, hey, that beautiful girl with the naturally superior attitude, no matter how I look at her, I have a familiar memory and a deeply familiar sense of cold sweat about her!? C-c-c-could it be, that blond beautiful girl I want to see walking by the sea in a white dress is the Hoar—”

“Ah, yeah, Drako. Amazing, right? She can change her appearance. Huh, did I not say she was coming?”

“‘Did I not say,’ my ass, you stupid blockheeeead… Whyyyy is a dragon coming to visit like a neighborhood friend dropping by? Ahhh, right, of couuurse. The inquisitor from our place and the dragon are frieeends.”

A hundred faces.

Just as she showed cold sweat, she drooled at Drako’s appearance, then immediately twitched her face, and finally laughed, “Taha,” as though she had given up on everything.

There stood an interesting woman.

“B-Bishop-sama, please calm down…”

Svi tried to soothe the bishop, who was repeating her hundred expressions.

“Svi-chaaaan? How can I stay calm about this?! Look at that hateful look in this man’s eyes! This guy calculated everything! If we didn’t approve Lazaar’s bread, he had the dragon as a backup plan!!—”

“Hmm, who might this man with hateful eyes be, money-grubber?”

A dragon’s single sentence cut in.

“—It truly is an honor that we were able to welcome this person with beautiful eyes and a pure, honest heart as an inquisitor of the Church, is it not, Saint Svi?”

“As Bishop-sama says.”

The bishop instantly changed her response. She wore a cheerful smile, a face that looked as though it belonged in a religious painting.

A splendid way of conducting herself. This was the talent of the Angel Church Bishop, Kanosa.

“Fukaka, you are the same as ever, money-grubber. Good, good. I am relieved that you seem to be getting along with Naruhito as well.”

That response was correct. The dragon laughed without seeming particularly displeased.

“Yes. That person is truly honest, clear-minded, and pure, puuure… We too rely on him as a reassuring presence.”

Tooyama could even hear the sound of the bishop biting the flesh inside her mouth.

“Tooyama, Bishop-sama is amazing, dis.”

Stolu seemed to have heard that sound too. In her own way, she seemed to be accepting that the supreme leader of her organization was more amusing than she had expected.

“Yeah. Adults sometimes have to say things they don’t mean with a straight face. That one is quite the adult.”

“Whose fault do you think that is, you stupid blockhead… Ahem. Hoarding Dragon-sama, to be granted the rare chance to have an audience with Your Grace is the height of honor. I thank the angels’ guidance.”

“I will not be bored, money-grubber. Even so, you prepared a good house. Yes, this is the base of Naruhito and his group. Anything less would not have sufficed.”

“…O-of course. Thinking it a place where Hoarding Dragon-sama might stop by, I—no, the Church prepared the finest house we could provide.”

“Hm? I would stop by?”

The bishop’s casually muttered words—

“Eh? …Because the Dragon Slayer and Hoarding Dragon-sama are f-friends… Eh?”

“……………”

—wounded something in the dragon.

“…No way. Svi, Svi, did I mess up? Am I going to die?”

“It is all right. When Bishop-sama dies, I will die too.”

“Nothing about that is all right.”

The bishop and saint, who were fairly composed, exchanged words.

“Money-grubber.”

“Yeeeeees!!”

At the dragon’s single word, the bishop snapped perfectly upright.

“From your perspective, do I and Naruhito look like friends? Like ordinary friends between humans…”

All expression fell from Alice’s face. Her beautiful face looked almost like a crafted doll.

“—Yes, exactly as you say. You exchanged a promise and go back and forth between each other’s homes. If this is not friendship, what else could it be called? At the very least, to my eyes, Your Grace and Tooyama Naruhito appear to be good friends.”

In an instant.

Countless questions and answers raced through the bishop’s gray brain. Among the hundred responses that arose, the one she ultimately chose was to speak the truth.

“……………I see.”

“Svi, put one of each kind of Imperial coin in my coffin, okay? That alone is enough.”

“I shall inform the ‘Wings’ accordingly. I will be by your side as well.”

“…………Hm, that would be troubling. Yes, troubling.”

And the bishop’s answer had been correct.

“Huh?”

“How should I put it, money-grubber? When you say it so clearly, it feels a little ticklish… Fukaka, I see. We look like friends, Naruhito and I…”

The face that had possessed a quiet beauty like an inorganic object until moments ago changed.

Her cheeks reddened, and the corners of her mouth loosened. Her golden hair was twirled around her thin white fingers.

A soft, grinning gaze.

The dragon was clearly embarrassed.

“Eh, no way, I’m safe?”

The bishop was shocked. Seeing that dragon look like an ordinary adolescent girl, she unintentionally spoke casually.

“F-Fufufufu, I see, so that is how it is. We look like friends… That is right, fukaka, Naruhito and I are friends. I need not care about that old dragon.”

The dragon smiled with her whole face loosened.

“…Naruhito, the Hoarding Dragon-dono is acting somewhat weak. Should you say something to her?”

“She’s kind of scary, so no.”

Lazaar quietly offered a word. Tooyama looked at her and shook his head.

“Hehehe, hm, oh. You black-haired small child over there, I believe your name was…”

“L-Luca, it is.”

The dragon, apparently in a better mood, spotted Luca, the boy in a hunting cap who had been cleaning in the corner of the room.

The instant he was spoken to, Luca’s body shook like a small animal’s.

“Fukaka, good. There is no need to fear. As long as you are part of Naruhito’s group, I will not threaten you. However, because you are half-sharp, you alone fear me more than necessary.”

Grinning, Alice’s jagged teeth appeared and disappeared from the corners of her distorted mouth. Her expression was like a cat that had found a toy.

“N-no, um, that is not…”

“H-hey, Luca, what’s wrong? Is Allie-san really that scary?”

Rida, beside Luca, called out to him when he saw his strange state. His voice was thoroughly carefree, and at least to Rida, Alice did not seem like something frightening.

“Rida… can’t you see it?”

“Eh?”

Luca murmured softly. Rida only raised his eyebrows in confusion.

“Fukaka, Rida. Wise boy, you are the normal one. There are fewer people who can see what need not be seen, like Luca does. Now, Luca, how do you see me?”

Alice took one step toward Luca.

“Ah, u…”

Luca dropped the rag he had been holding and stepped back.

Seeing that, the dragon warped her eyes.

“Hey, Drako.”

“Ow.”

Thwack.

The dragon’s eyes closed.

Tooyama chop. Tooyama sharply delivered a light knife-hand strike to Drako, who had been frightening Luca.

The bishop and saint saw that and slumped onto the table.

“Don’t naturally dragon-mount him. Luca’s half crying.”

Tooyama grumbled at Drako while pointing at the half-crying Luca. He swung his hand as though practicing a knife-hand strike, prepared to land a few more if necessary.

“Fukaka, it is a dragon’s nature to tease promising mortals when we find them.”

Alice laughed with her eyes sparkling. She did not seem to care that Tooyama had landed a blow on her head.

Rather, her eyes looked somehow excited.

“You’re way too much of a nuisance. If you bully Luca, I won’t let you come play at this house again.”

“Fuka— Th-that, do not do that. Luca, forgive me. It was the mischief of a dragon with too much time on her hands.”

Alice, who had returned to a slightly serious expression, bowed her head to Luca.

A dragon had bowed her head to a child. Just as Tooyama Naruhito had told her to.

Lazaar, Stolu, the bishop, and the others who saw it, everyone who knew the common sense of this world, quietly looked away as though they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

“Luca, sorry for startling you. This flashy golden dragon may be strong, but it’s fine. She’s not a bad person. And even if she tries to do something bad to you, I’m here, so it’ll be fine.”

“B-Brother is?”

At Tooyama’s words, Luca opened his eyes wide as though he had seen something unbelievable.

“Yeah, I’m stronger than Drako. After all, I’ve already beaten her down completely once. One blow. One blow.”

Well, I’m not lying, right? If we fought again, I’d probably lose easily, though.

While laughing frivolously, Tooyama checked Drako’s state. She wasn’t angry, right?

“Hm, hmm. It is frustrating that I cannot quite talk back because it is the truth. Naruhito, how about a revenge match?”

“No continues allowed. Rule violation, so rejected.”

It seemed fine. No anger could be felt from Drako, who grinned.

“Fu, fufu, I see. Then it cannot be helped.”

As if delighted by that casual exchange, Drako covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. Contrary to her haughty manner of speaking, her gestures were always refined.

“S-Svi, I’m thinking again, why is that fox-eyed bastard allowed to act like that toward a dragon? Money?”

“I truly do not understand what you mean by asking about money, but I understand Dragon-sama’s feelings a little, you know?”

“For real?”

“…Yes. It is comfortable, you know. Having someone approach you while ignoring things like your power, unexpectedly.”

“E-eh… What’s with that vague feeling? Why are you starting to sound like you sympathize, Svi?”

The saint’s gaze was gentle, as she stared steadily at the bishop with eyes that seemed to be looking at something warm.

“Speaking of which, Naruhito, may I ask one thing?”

“What is it?”

Thump. Drako sat in a chair. With her eyes, she urged Tooyama to take a seat, and Tooyama followed that and sat opposite her.

A brief silence.

Then the dragon smiled brightly.

It was an extremely calm smile.

“The other day, you appeared in my bedroom together with the old dragon. What was that? Ah, no, I am not blaming you.”

Ah, but Tooyama realized it.

Her narrowed eyes were nevertheless faintly open.

The dragon’s eyes were not smiling.

“……………?! Wh-what did you do?”

The bishop called out to Tooyama without even trying to cover it up. At this point, the situation was so much that she was half laughing.

“Oh, oh? …Sorry, I’d lost consciousness then, so I don’t remember much.”

Tingle.

A pressure he could feel on his skin. His pores slowly, slowly began to open, turning prickly and itchy.

His body had started reacting to the dragon’s pressure.

“Hmm, I see. No, well, still, you seem to be rather close to that one.”

“Ah? …Now that I think about it, Dragon of Human Knowledge has helped me with a lot of things. Should I properly thank her next time?”

Tooyama worked hard to respond without changing his expression.

It had felt so peaceful until just a moment ago, so why…?

“N-Naruhito, Naruhito, Naruhito. Please, from here on, choose your words carefully.”

Lazaar quietly came to Tooyama’s side. Her lowered voice was heavy and trembled faintly.

“What’s wrong, Lazaar? You’re sweating like crazy… Huh?”

While answering Lazaar, Tooyama opened his narrow eyes as wide as he could.

“…………What is it, Naruhito?”

Her voice was soft. But her eyes still were not smiling. No, surely she herself probably thought she was smiling.

“N-no, nothing. Sorry, Drako, time out for a bit! Lazaar, Stolu, gather up!”

Tooyama called for his amusing companions to gather.

Behind that, a figure quietly tried to leave the room—

“Ah, we should be going now…”

“Wait. Householder-dono, don’t try to go home that quickly. Let me entertain you.”

Tooyama grabbed the bishop’s slender shoulder with a rough hand as she tried to slip away.

Tooyama and the bishop froze in place, both still smiling.

“No, no, no, no, please don’t mind us, please don’t mind us. Look, it’s that, I’m already really full.”

“No, no, no, no, don’t go home that quickly. Look, even Drako came all the way here to play. To you Empire people, dragons are lucky things, right?”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no. If we get in the way between the Dragon Slayer and Dragon-sama, then that would be that, and that would be that, right? Look, they say, don’t they? Those who interrupt Degamen’s love fall into the Great Hollow.”

“I don’t know proverbs. I’m not educated.”

I won’t let you escape. Not you alone. Tooyama continued stopping the bishop.

“Money-grubber, do you want to go home?”

A quiet mutter from the dragon.

“No, our Dragon-sama. Nothing could be further from the truth. To be in the same space as Your Grace is the greatest honor.”

The bishop switched modes. Holding Tooyama’s hand, she smiled brightly.

“Whoa, amazing. Actually, Drako, horns are growing out of her. She’s a dragon.”

Suddenly, Drako’s horns, which had been hidden until earlier, had started peeking out from between her hair.

“Can you seriously throw away that sensibility right now? The dragon is unstable because of you, and that clueless attitude seriously pisses me off.”

The bishop pressed Tooyama with a serious face.

“Naruhito, listen carefully. Please. That person may be a casual friend to you, but she is a ‘dragon.’ Choose your words carefully.”

Even Lazaar approached Tooyama with a serious face. Among the adults in that space, there was no longer anyone with any composure.

“I see. Got it. Hey, Drako.”

“Hm?”

“Stop being in a bad mood. The people around you are scared. If you didn’t like something I said, I’ll apologize. But I don’t know what was bad, so tell me.”

Tooyama spoke straight at Drako, who was still smiling.

“Ahhh… I really hate this…”

“I want water… I want to drink water…”

The bishop and Lazaar held their heads. It seemed that people with common sense struggled in any world.

“…………Hm.”

Drako stared at Tooyama with dragon eyes like gemstones.

Eyes like mirrors. Tooyama was momentarily overwhelmed, but he did not avert his eyes.

“Hmm, hmm. Certainly. I was indeed irritated just now. Naruhito, it truly gives me a strange feeling when you talk about that old dragon.”

Drako slowly stroked her chin as if confirming something.

“I see. You don’t like talking about the Dragon of Human Knowledge. Then I won’t talk about her in front of you.”

“Hm?”

Tooyama knew. It had been forced into him. That previous night out, the night that had caused him to have no choice but to become a host.

His lack of interest in and understanding of others. He had reflected on it.

Therefore, he stepped closer, trying to understand. Even if the other party was an incomprehensible existence, a creature different from humans, he would at least not stop listening.

“Hm, hm, hm? Is that all right? …No, it still will not do. It is the same as before. Naruhito, there were so many things I wanted to discuss with you, and yet, once I see your face, I cannot help but remember the sight of you being held by that old dragon…”

“You hate that?”

He asked. He listened. He listened to the dragon’s words.

“I hate it.”

The dragon directed words at a human. The brief words spilling out were the dragon’s heart itself.

“I dislike that someone other than me carried out your crisis and your salvation. I heard, Naruhito. Apparently, you destroyed an Elder.”

“Yeah. It was strong.”

“That is not an existence humans can normally resist. It is something that people who have nearly left the human framework, such as Tower-Class Adventurers, and beings beyond humans can finally fight. But this is you, my friend and my dragon slayer. I am not surprised that you destroyed an Elder. However, you were not unharmed, were you?”

“Oh, I almost died normally.”

“……I thought so. But even so, you survived.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Drako’s beautifully shaped slender fingers, with pointed nails, rhythmically struck the table.

The dragon shrine maiden looked straight at Tooyama. Her face overflowed with a beauty too transparent and too material.

Tooyama was affected by that.

“D-Drako…?”

“U-uu—”

The dragon lowered her face.

The air warped and tightened.

Luca’s complexion grew worse and worse, and Stolu silently moved to stand like a shield in front of the children.

Perhaps Lazaar and the bishop’s words were truly correct. No matter how casual an acquaintance she was to Tooyama, Drako, Alice Dral Flaretail, was a “dragon.”

Perhaps she was not an existence one should invite home, play with, or casually interact with like thi—

“I-I’m jealouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuus!!”

“Huh?”

Drako raised her face. The expression that had been empty had changed into something extremely human, with narrowed eyes and a pouting mouth.

Ah, it was just like—

“I-I-I’m so jealouuuuuuuuus!! I’m jealouuuuuus! Damn that old dragon, damn her, damn her, damn her, damn her, damn her! She was there for the conclusion of the battle where the mortal Naruhito risked his life and gave everything he had, wasn’t she?! The air of the battlefield where Naruhito fought, Naruhito collapsed unconscious, u-uuuu, she smelled it! She definitely smelled it! That woman absolutely rubbed her own scent onto Naruhitooooo!”

The very image of a small child envying someone else and throwing a tantrum.

Gradually, she started pounding the table with her fists.

“Eh, ah, um, D-Drako?”

“Nuuuuuuu! Is that not an utterly delicious situation…?! Watching over the conclusion of a battle where a mortal fought with all their might, then carrying him home! In dragon terms, that is an extremely, extremely good kind of thing! Damn her…”

Drako groaned while half crying.

“…………Huh?”

It was a different reaction than he had expected. Tooyama looked to the bishop and Lazaar for help.

“Don’t look this way.”

“Face forward.”

They were blunt. Neither of them would help him.

“Naruhito! Are you listening?! Of all people, you allowed yourself to be carried home by that old dragon! The next time something like that happens, tell me! Tell me! We are friends, are we not?!”

Drako made a fuss.

“Wait, Drako, wait. Our values are too different, so I can’t keep up with your momentum.”

“Ngh, that is no good. I read in a book that differences in values are very important in building relationships with humans. Naruhito, listen. In dragon terms, that sort of thing is very enjoyable. Ah, it is good. A fragile mortal challenging a life-form far stronger than himself and winning… Good…”

“What is with this thing?”

“Watch your mouth, Tooyama Naruhito. This is going well right now, so somehow settle the conversation like this! Hurry! That’s your role!”

“Got it, Yuuta.”

“Who is Yuuta?”

“Ah, uh, well, Drako. I’m sorry. That was, well, a dragon-like thing, huh? Somehow, that’s dragon-like and good.”

What sort of approach was that?

At Tooyama’s messy wording, the bishop and Lazaar broke into sweat.

“Exactly! Mufufu, I am a dragon, after all. As expected, the sight of mortals doing their best is truly wonderful.”

Against all expectations, it was well received. The dangerous atmosphere surrounding the dragon began to soften.

The bishop and Lazaar were already tired of seriously thinking about those two, so the two silently poured water into cups and began relaxing.

They would leave the dragon to the dragon slayer.

The two adults knew that, in life, giving up was sometimes the correct answer.

“Heh, I see. It bothers me that it’s naturally looking down from above, but well, she’s a dragon, so I guess it’s fine.”

“Ah, I wanted to see it. The moment Naruhito wrung out all his strength, offered his wisdom and life, and closed in on the Elder… Ah, surely, surely, it must have been a beautiful sight.”

Drako’s face reddened in ecstasy.

A beauty that seemed to dream and yearn, and at the same time the arrogant, horrifying nature of a higher creature that humans could never understand, coexisted on that face.

Her feverish blue eyes grew murky.

Tooyama, who was being stared at by those eyes, was a little frightened, but he twisted his lips.

“Ugh, what bad taste. I’m not going to almost die over and over.”

It was nothing more than a casual remark. He spun his words.

“Hm, that is true as well. When I exchange words with you like this, I tend to forget, but you too are a mortal, a frail human. A fragile being who would die with a thud. …Hey, Naruhito…”

“Huh?”

Drako’s words suddenly became thin.

Tooyama listened to them.

“Well, if I say something like this, I know you will dislike it, but… Naruhito, could you rely on me a little more?”

“Drako?”

What lay in the dragon’s words was confusion and a definite attempt to approach him.

Tooyama was not the only one changing. She, who had moved entirely by the laws of dragons, quietly approached Tooyama’s rules.

“I do not like it, the thought of you disappearing. You must not die. To tell the truth, I want to keep Naruhito by my side. But you would dislike that, would you not? So at least, could you rely on me, on me who is a dragon? I am worried. I am worried about you.”

The dragon spoke her heart.

Drako looked straight at Tooyama.

She moved her mouth restlessly, and her eyes darted around.

Then she closed her eyes—and opened them.

“—We are friends, are we not?”

“U-oh.”

Words too obvious and too straightforward.

Perhaps because of that, Tooyama, who was so skilled with words and his tongue, was left speechless.

“Naruhito?”

“O-oh. No, that’s true, certainly… yeah. From your perspective, that would be how it is.”

He slowly chewed on it.

He had forgotten, and he had not noticed.

His way of living had been that way since before he became an adventurer, before he became an explorer.

As his desires dictated.

Following the answer he had gained during adolescence, he had moved as he wished.

That way of being had brought Tooyama this far, but at the same time, it was a path that did not intersect with others.

Even the comrades he had made after becoming an explorer had not put that into words for him.

Drako was simply worried about Tooyama.

“As a dragon, I am glad when you challenge trials. The moment when mortals shine brightest is, in the end, their final moment. Dragons, we, as living creatures, like to see that.”

The dragon murmured. Though confused and hesitant, she, who was changing, faced her own heart.

“But lately, I have been strange. There are times when I become afraid. I imagine it, Naruhito. You—”

The hesitant dragon, and Tooyama watching her.

The words he would say were decided.

“I’m sorry, Drako.”

“……….”

“I was a little insensitive. You’re right. If I heard a story about you nearly dying, I wouldn’t feel good either. I said all kinds of arrogant things to you, but I’m the one who didn’t understand anything.”

“N-no, it is all right. Forgive me for saying something strange. Forget it. Well, I do not think you would die so easily.”

“It wasn’t strange. Drako, thank you for worrying about me. You’re a good person.”

Friend.

That was something Tooyama had once sought and ultimately failed to obtain.

There were those drawn to Tooyama Naruhito’s outrageous way of being, those saved by his desires, those who yearned for him, and those who made him their goal.

But there had been no one who, as an equal and as a matter of course, directed words like Drako’s toward him.

“…! Fu, fufu, kakaka. I-is that so? If that is true, then that is good.”

The dragon laughed. Ah, she had the same face as an ordinary girl. Just like an adolescent girl slowly, slowly growing through relationships with others.

“…Bishop-sama.”

“…Seriously, huh. With that, it’s almost as if—”

The two from the Angel Church watched that scene. A cold color lit in the bishop’s adult eyes.

“Th-that’s right, Naruhito! Changing the subject, I heard that you are participating in the Dragon Festival. What will you do?”

“Oh, right, right. Well, the reason I called Drako today was partly because of that. Lazaar over there is opening a stall for the bakery she made. It’s really good, so eat some before you go.”

“What?! Naruhito, w-wait! My bread for Hoarding Dragon-sama? I-I haven’t heard anything about this. To begin with, if you were inviting her as a guest, tell me beforehand. I have not even properly prepared to receive her.”

Lazaar, who had suddenly had the conversation turned toward her, raised her voice.

“Forgive me, Mom. I didn’t really think about that part.”

“Who is Mom?”

Lazaar replied with a serious face to Tooyama’s sloppy throw.

“Naruhito, what is ‘Mom’?”

Drako seemed to have taken interest in that word.

Lazaar’s tail shrank with a swish.

“Where I’m from, it’s a word for a mother who fusses noisily and takes care of people. Well, I don’t know my parents’ faces, so I don’t know if that’s really what it is.”

“I see, it means mother. …Lazaar is Naruhito’s mom…? …………Enemy?”

Through a process whose calculations were impossible to understand, Drako produced an answer. She turned still, silent eyes toward Lazaar.

“Drako, what kind of calculation happened inside your head?”

“Naruhito, if I die, my cause of death is you.”

“Hm, forgive me, forgive me. I read it in a book. Mother-in-law, a being who may ultimately become the greatest enemy in a human marriage relationship……………… No!! Naruhito is my friend! I know nothing about books on human marriage relationships!”

Bang! Drako suddenly planted her face onto the table. Her emotions were amusing.

“Ehh… This one gets more amusing every time I meet her.”

“Naruhito, it is not good for the cause of this to speak as if it has nothing to do with him.”

Lazaar muttered at Tooyama, who sounded like it had nothing to do with him.

“Haah, it seems I am not the only one poisoned by Tooyama, dis. To think, even Dragon-sama…”

Stolu’s small murmur reached no one.

“Good. This conversation is over, Lazaar the Lizardonian.”

“Y-yes! Great dragon shrine maiden. Whatever you wish.”

“There is no need for stiff courtesy. If you are Naruhito’s friend, then you are already my acquaintance. You make bread, do you? I am interested.”

Snap. Drako, apparently having composed herself, snapped her fingers.

“Wh-uh…”

Lazaar blinked repeatedly. Having her name remembered by a dragon had been a great shock.

“Lizardonian, my distant branch line connected to an ancient species. That is good, is it not? Perhaps memories other than war and blood will remain in your species’ memory. Lazaar, I shall evaluate your craft.”

The dragon laughed proudly.

Lazaar blinked.

However, she immediately turned her gaze straight.

She knelt on one knee, placed a hand before her chest, and bowed.

“—Great one, descendant of the dragons of flame and water. If these are the words of you who protected the human world. Naruhito, forgive me, I will leave for a while. I am heading to the kitchen.”

“Yeah, got it. I’ll hold the guest here with my light, witty talk.”

“Please don’t make it too light and witty. Please wait a while, Hoarding Dragon-sama.”

“Yes, I look forward to it.”

“We’ll go help Lazaar-san too! Allie, look forward to it!”

Niko, her face brightening as if something had clicked, laughed while starting to leave the room.

She pulled Rida and Luca with her small body.

“Ah, hey, Niko, why are you pulling me?”

“Niko, that hurts…”

“Ah, me and Shiro will help too.”

The children left the room.

“Oh? Niko, forgive me.”

“My, whatever do you mean? Stolu-chan, won’t you go help Lazaar-san too?”