Every time Shamash-san muttered a single incantation, light flooded in, and it became an enormous torrent that swarmed the meadow.
　The infinitely equal magical power sucked out of the oversized demonic crystal poured through Shamash-san to a point.
　Shamash-san says that the summoned demonic beasts are alive and seem to be summoned to come from a magical place, but in reality, they feel like they are life forms that are born from magical power itself.
　Otherwise, does this mean that they use summoning magic to open the gate from this world to the demon world?
　Regardless of the answer, the spell continues.
　The chanting is even longer than when I summoned Ai.
　Before long, all of the demonic crystals were converted into power and all of them poured into a cocoon of dark colored light.

　''I am the dreamer, Shamash Aureole!
　Be present when called upon!　Land Dragon!

　The final spell is spun.
　All the light is sucked into the cocoon.
　And then it pops.


'Squeak squeak!'


　A higher-pitched birthing sound than you imagined?　And with it, it (...) manifested into the world.

'Success!　We did it!　It's my first time, so I was a little worried, but I'm glad I did!

　Mr. Shamash pauses in his gut.

'Wow!　It's amazing, sir!　It is lovely!

　Marina's eyes sparkle.

'Are you going to ride this girl?　It's pretty fancy.

　Rebecca's demeanor is calm, but in fact, she's very curious.

'It's smaller than I imagined it would be. I'd heard of dragons, so I was expecting them to be about the size of a mansion.

　Deanna calmly gives her findings.

'Ka, pretty!　I look like a big lizard!

　Ion can't seem to contain his excitement. I wonder if he likes reptiles.

...... wow, wow.

　Erepippi exclaimed.

'I've never seen such a huge creature before!

　Etowah looks up with her tail beaming.

　Everyone gives their thoughts.
　All the knights are cackling with each other.
　They are all girls of their age. I'm a sucker for cute things.
　Whether the dragons are cute or not is debatable, but they are. Not too much, they're not too strict at all. It's a dragon, though.
　Dragons are curly~?　Every time I nodded my head in a cute way, they cheered.

　It's about five meters long. It's about five meters long and about three meters tall.
　Its front legs are small, but its legs are very fine and it looks like it can run very fast. It has wings, but considering the volume ratio, I don't think it will be able to fly. Its neck is long and its tail is also quite long. Its head is small, and it looks not much different in size from a horse.

　It made a cute cooing sound. Its eyes are wide and it has cute eyelashes. It doesn't look like a lizard. No, the lizard is a lizard, but it has an expression on its face.
　It's not a lizard, or a lizard-moddering lizard, but .......

　But that's not the point--.

'It's so pink. It's fancy. ......

　Yes. The dragon's skin color was unexpectedly pink. He is a pink dragon.
　Strictly speaking, her scales are pink, rather than her skin, and the parts without scales are white or brown.

　Well, we are a knight squad full of girls.
　Even peach-colored dragons are OK. ......!

'Thank you very much, Mr. Shamash. Should I name this girl ...... Oh, should I name her or something?
'Yes. Give him a name and he'll be happy.
"Squeak.

　A dragon's name. I'm not going to use Salamander ...... because it's ominous. Or rather, since Rebecca will be riding, I'll have her name named after me. It's not for me to interfere.

'What do you think, Rebecca-san?　Can we get on?　I know it's kind of harsh.

　Rebecca patted the back of her newborn dragon.
　It looks like it's twice or three times the size of a horse. It has a strength that would not be easy to approach if its tail were swung around. It feels like a mass of muscle. The spit and claws are sharp. The pink scales also seem to be hard.

You're so cute and docile. It's not a problem, I'm sure. Here it is.

　However, Rebecca jumped on the dragon's back without hesitation at all.
　The dragon is totally docile and does as she is told.
　She taps it on the neck and starts walking with a mysterious communication. I think it's a lot different from a horse, but maybe it's the effectiveness of her cavalry skills or something, but she's comfortable enough that it's hard to believe it's her first time.
　I'm not sure if it's because of the effectiveness of my riding skills or what, but it's not as if it's my first time.
　The pink dragon running with people on its back is really flashy. If you are riding that, it's good for a dragon knight, but I don't think it's possible to be a scout.

　For a while, I look at the dragon and Rebecca, who has become one with the man-dragon.
　But a big dragon.
　It's small, but it's huge. I'm sure they eat a lot. ......

'Oh, I forgot about the bait!　If it's this big, you'll have to pay for food ......!

　This is a venerable situation.
　I'll be a knight in shining armor working to earn money for the dragons' food!

Hmm?　No, that's still a summoned monster beast, you don't need to feed it," said Shamash.
　Seriously.

　A hexenbiest summoned by a magical crystal of that size has a huge nucleus inside its body, and since the nucleus absorbs the necessary amount of magical elements on its own, it doesn't need to eat food to survive.
　Instead, if it uses up too much magic, it will be difficult to sustain life, and if that happens, it will have to wait for the magic inside its body to return.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work for you. Well, it's ...... a lizard, right?

　Rebecca is a riding dragon (?) When we came back to enjoy the dragon, everyone flocked to the dragon.
　They were very popular, pushing and shoving to get on it, wanting to ride it.
　Well, I certainly want to ride this one.

　So everyone else tried to ride the cavalry dragon, but none of them could make it run. I guess that means that cavalry dragons are only allowed ...... to have skills. Otherwise, there's no point in Rebecca going out of her way to get the cavalry dragon skill.

　But even if she couldn't run, she was fine to ride on her back, so that would have been enough to make it fun.
　This could be a lucrative business to do, like straddling a dragon's back and taking pictures to sell.
　Whatever it is, dragons are going to make money. A lot of dirty ideas, sorry.

　Later on, Land Dragon was thankfully named "sorghum" by Rebecca.
　Why, sorghum ....... From Rebecca's point of view, it sounds good. It's called "otherworldly".
　Well, the name, anyway, the dragon sorghum will be the centerpiece of the upcoming parade. A proper harness ...... not a proper harness ...... or a dragon gear?　I've got to make sure that the

　This is also a bit expensive, but it's a necessary expense.


　◇◆◆◆◆◇


　That night.
　Deanna asked me to go out with her and we were going to have an evening alone with her.

'The other night, I was waiting so hard for you, but your master is a late night ....... I've decided to make a proper reservation from now on.

　The other night would be the night I stayed at the mansion to improve my clan rank.
　What happened with Marina is a secret between you and Marina. Well, it wouldn't be anything if they found out. ...... No, I'm afraid it's going to be a bit scary, so .......

　So, not to atone for their sins, but today is the first time in a long time that the two of them are alone.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of your time with the help of a good friend.

It's a good idea to have a drink with them. Well, I'm not much of a drinker either. ...... But Deanna's a pretty strong drinker, isn't she?
'The liquor the master brings is so good that I tend to drink too much.

　Today, we had whiskey on the rocks.
　Snacks are bitter chocolate.

　The room is dimly lit with only a canter and a candelabra as the only light source. Deanna and I sit side by side on the couch, tipping our glasses.
　The deep amber color of the whiskey still looks vivid in the soft light.

'Master, you don't do any business with these chocolates?'

　Deanna asks while holding a knob of chocolate.

'Chocolate or ......'

　Whiskey is basically a drink that doesn't need a snack.
　Drink it by itself. If I want to drink it straight, I drink it.
　However, I always drink this when I drink whisky at home because chocolate is exceptionally good for it.
　So we always have it in the house, but we have never sold it at Elishe.

Because you never know what's going to happen with foodstuffs, and we can't take responsibility. But at the new store, I'm thinking of preparing just enough to serve my customers. I don't think I'm going to sell anything by itself at the moment.
It would have been a big seller.
'Yeah. I'm sure it will sell, but there's quite a lot of that stuff out there. I'd rather sell something that doesn't look like it's going to sell very well.

　It's important not to get too much of a buzz about it.
　What I'm trying to achieve is not being a millionaire or a millionaire. Money itself is fine in moderation. The only thing I'm afraid of is getting noticed in a weird way and becoming something that's out of my control.

'The chocolate is delicious, though.
Well. Japanese chocolate is the best cheap chocolate.

　Aside from the ones made by chocolatiers, the chocolates made in foreign countries, the ones made in Japan are better than the ones made in Japan at the board chocolate level. Or rather, it suits Japanese taste buds.
　I don't know which ones suit the tongues of otherworldly people, but we all like chocolate anyway.

'Well, I don't sell chocolate anyway. Just enough for everyone to enjoy. I mean, that's what I'm going to do with most of the food stuff.
Your master doesn't intend to make that much money, does he?
'No, I don't really think about it that much, so if I get a chance to make money, I'll make it. ...... But the food is good enough over here, so I don't have much of an advantage. I don't know why, but the food is so much better over here.

　Yes, the food in this world is so delicious.　
　Of course, we don't have a variety of food like Japan, but I have rarely been stressed by food-related issues in my daily life. Well, many of them are a little bit gutsy, aren't they?　That's about the extent of what I think.
　Yakitori, yakisoba, yakiudon and yakihan are all delicious.
　There is no lack of sweetness. Fruits are plentiful because they come from the "Land of Fire" in the south, and sugar is sold in abundance, so you can buy almost all kinds of sweets made of wheat and sugar.
　Well, in that sense, chocolates and the like may be an easy commercial product to sell. ......

'Master, you said you didn't want to show off too much.
'In the beginning. Now that I've got some groundwork laid, I don't worry about it as much as I did before.

　We've got some established strength, money and position now.

...... But, well, I think that dragon is a bit much.
Hmmm, you're right, it's very noticeable.

　A pink dragon would stand out. Even though it is on the verge of being a female only knight squad, it is a high elf, a demon race and a dragon. It's all worth it.

The knight squad is not going to be too visible to me. I'm not going to be able to get the management of the knight's squad to be managed within the knight's squad without having to go through me as the owner.
Speaking of which, what do the Knights of the Order do?
Hmmm. ....... What should I do? You can do a lot of things, but the first thing you should do is make money. I think the Knights themselves should start making a profit.

　No matter how much we say we are a dōraku organization, we have already spent quite a bit of money on our own.
　The equipment is being delivered by the grand master, and the cost of materials is not free.
　The dragons are maintenance free, but the horses are quite expensive. The knightly corps is good for now, but if it gets bigger, it will probably need to pay the salaries of its members.
　Well, I'm usually going to have them work as store clerks, so there's no need to be desperate to earn money with the knights.

''So you're going to use the knights as if they were mercenaries?
'I don't want to be too much of a part of the war. ...... Isn't it basically security, slaying monsters, hunting monsters, or something like that?　...... Well, we'll figure that out after the parade is over. Maybe we'll get some kind of request from people who saw the parade.

　To be honest, I don't really know how a female only knight squad will be received.
　From the feel of the priestess and the mayor, there's a feeling that it would be received rather favorably. There is, but the knights are only men!　I'm sure there are some humans who are conservative enough to think that this is a good idea. Well, at least in Elishe, they have the understanding of the mayor at the top, so it won't be so strange.
　The conservative class seems to be stronger in places like Teito, so it might be safer to stay away from them.

　We drank in silence for a while.
　Only the sound of ice crumbling in the glass echoes in the silence.
　The time is nine o'clock in the evening.

'..................'

　Deanna doesn't say anything, but she leans her head on my shoulder.
　My long ears sting!　But instead of saying, "I'm not," we leaned against each other, and it was a quiet moment.

'Hey, master. I wonder what our relationship is like.
Slaves and masters.
...... No, seriously.

　Deanna looks up at me, resting her cheek on my shoulder.
　Our gazes collide.
　The color in her eyes is full of sincerity, and apparently she wants to have a serious talk.

'So it's our relationship: ......

　I've come in the guise of being a slave and a master.
　We even have a slave contract, so it's not a mistake in form.
　But if my relationship with Marina is the right kind of "slave and master" relationship, my relationship with Deanna is a little ...... or rather different.
　I myself thought it was just a formality from the beginning.
　It's a good thing that you're in the midst of your 'special guidance', but according to her, she's going to be with you all the time .......

...... That demon tribe came, Aeon came, and the knights started. I want to make sure that my relationship with my master is more ...... well-defined. No, I don't want to make a big deal out of the relationship, I just want to make sure that I'm ............ sure of my feelings.
"Getting involved is still the same thing, right?" ......?　Even the feeling is ......
I'm not sure. It's been kind of weird with Marina lately.
I don't think that's going to change. ......

　But it was obvious that I wasn't fooling around.
　Because Marina says you can touch her tits any time you want!

　And it's clear that this house is getting bigger and bigger.
　When it's time to eat, it's me, Deanna, Marina, Orica, Aeon and Mr. Shamash. Sometimes Rebecca and Shamash-san come over.
　It's certainly a bit different than when the four of us lived together.

'To put it bluntly, I never considered you a slave in the first place.
He's got a slave contract?
Because the contract is a monkey and ....... You didn't feel like a slave at all.
'That ...... is certainly true, but ....... I could have been OK with a slave-like cock whenever my master asked me to.
'What's a slave-like thing?' ....... You've never forced yourself to do that, ever. ...... Anyway, that's my point. It's not because I'm a slave or anything, it's because I'm with you....... Well, I mean, I'm with you because I want you to be with me.......

　I'm getting more and more embarrassed.
　See, you have to be more aware of these things.　
　I know it's important to say it out loud.
　I'm not afraid to talk to Marina about it, but I feel so embarrassed when I talk to Diana.
　Why is that?

''Do you want a woman covered in spirit crests like this to stay with you?''
'Hmm, well, yeah. It's cute when you get used to seeing .......

　I actually got used to seeing it.
　At first I was like, "Holy shit, doughy! But that doesn't mean that it hides all of my expressions.
　I can usually see all of her well-formed face, her thin chin, her cool eyes, and her deep dark blue eyes.

''............ hmm~''

　Deanna grinds her forehead on my shoulder.
　I've already had quite a bit to drink, and maybe she's drunk.

'Would you rather be with me than Marina?'
Yeah.
"More than Rebecca?
Yeah.
So it's better than Aeon and those demons?
Of course.
More than a priest?　Orica?　From Elepippi?
Well, yeah.
I'm the best?
You're definitely drunk.
'I need an answer. What do you think?
Deanna is the best.
'Heh heh. I'm the best. Master............zzzzzzz.
He's asleep!

　I lay Deanna down on the couch after she had drunk too much and fallen asleep and put a blanket over her.

'Who's the best ......? I hadn't thought about it, and I answered at random, but ...... I guess, somehow, Deanna might be the best .......

　She brushes her fingers away from Deanna's hair on her face and touches her cheek.
　A spirit crest drawn in a geometric pattern of four colors.
　It seems that this is Deanna's spirit stone, or this crest itself, is a mass of spirit power.
　Because of that, Deanna is constantly sucked out of her spirit power by this, and she can hardly use her spirit magic.
　One day, the special guidance will end and this spirit crest will be released.
　When that happens, the true nature of our relationship will be tested.
　I had a feeling that this was the case.