As I watched Akira suddenly burst out laughing, I wondered whether Allen had hit his head or was a dominatrix, and I was wondering if he was a dominatrix.
　It's not that I'm joking, but I'm not sure if she really is a dominant person, or if she's just now becoming a dominant person.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for, and if you're going to help, you need to show some competence. As far as Akira is concerned, he was not wrong in that response.
　It's not clear whether it was because it was a satisfying result or because the frustration was relieved. ...... For now, it's better than being in a bad mood.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future.
　I'm going to run away at once if she asks me to step on her, but I'm waiting for her to come to me.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a trial run. I guess I'm just showing my lack of initiative.
I don't think so.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this, but it seems that it's only been three years since Akira got the gift.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with the help of your friends.

　It seems to be a little overwhelmed by the power, but that's not unusual considering his age.
　It happens often to those who have been given powerful gifts, and this should make them reconsider at least a little.

So, do you think I've passed?
If I rejected you, I'd have to stop you too. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work on your own: ...... It's a good thing that you're willing to help me out," he said.
Hmm ...... If you say it that way, does it mean that there's some kind of powerful demon in the vicinity?
No, ...... I tried to ask the old man for more information, but he kicked me out, so I don't know what I'm talking about, but he seems to have been around for a while.
Does that mean that ...... has suddenly become violent?
Maybe it's more that something happened in their territory that caused them to move out of it and that's why they're in trouble in this village. That kind of trouble happens from time to time.

　Leeds and the others who were observing joined in and gave their predictions as Akira spoke.
　When I turned to look at them for the correct answer, they shook their heads as if they were all different.

I don't think it's like that. That's what I'm talking about, that's the mountain.
"That mountain ......?

　If you turn your head in the direction of Akira's pointing, you'll see that there is indeed a mountain there.
　However, it is far from the village, and it is hard to imagine that the presence of a powerful demon over there would have any effect on this area.

　It would be a different story if it were to fly, but--

...... No, maybe that monster?

　The image of a certain demon suddenly came into my head, and when I asked the question, even though I didn't think it was possible, Akira shrugged his shoulders as if he had read my thoughts.

It's probably just as I imagined. The demon that lives there is a dragon.

　At those words, Rees gasped and Allen frowned.
　Because he understood the implications.

　A dragon.
　It was a being that was synonymous with the strongest demons.

...... I see. It's a good thing that you've never encountered a demon until now, because I certainly thought it was a little strange that the ...... dragon frightened me and kept me away from other demons.
It seems. And here's one more piece of information that I'm only just now finding out about.
Well, if you knew, you wouldn't have bothered to ask ...... and, Allen, if you knew, you wouldn't have left it alone.
That's a bit of an oversimplification of me, though. That's a bit much for me, but it doesn't mean I've done anything.

　But I'm sure you were going to do something.

　And as I was saying this, Akira now began to tilt his head back.
　Well, it's natural that what you just said would be incomprehensible if you didn't know that Allen is a member of the Westfeldt family.

　However, Akira did not resolve his doubts, but decided to move on.

Hmm?　I don't know why Allen has anything to do with it, but ...... is a good place to start. I mean, do you know what's going on just from what you just said?
Well, pretty much.
"Yes, ...... because the story of the guardian dragon and the sacrifice is rather famous.

　--Strictly speaking, dragons are not demons.
　They are called illusionary species, and are not like demons.

　The difference between demons and dragons is that dragons can communicate with each other.
　If you promise certain things, the dragon will protect you rather than attack you.

　Because dragons are so powerful, just being there will keep the demons away.
　In a large, walled city, demons are not so scary, but in a small village like this one, demon attacks are common and can be a matter of life and death.
　Even if it's a bit of a disadvantage, it's worth it to have a dragon to protect you.

　Even if this results in a sacrifice being demanded.

...... That sounds exactly like what I've heard. Does this happen a lot?
I've heard it all the time, but is this the first time I've ever heard of it happening in real life?
The dragon is powerful, but its body is useful material. You can find adventurers who are looking to get rich just by listening to the story and the country will have an army. The dragon knows that, so it shouldn't be ...... doing that nowadays.
"I mean, Akira-dono seems to have heard from someone. ...... Who told you that?　You couldn't hear it from the mayor, could you?
I was walking by ...... when I picked up a little dirty little boy. The story goes that he ran away from being sacrificed in any way,......, and when I asked him for details, he said, "Well, look what happened.
"...... I see. It's going to get you kicked out.

　The reason why the dragon is being hunted in this story is because the villagers are in trouble and ask for help from their surroundings.
　But what if the villagers had accepted it?
　If we think that offering a sacrifice is enough to keep the village safe, we can in a sense establish a symbiotic relationship.

　But if you think about it...

In this case, though, it's even more vicious.
"An?　What does that mean?　Does that mean the dragon is threatening you?


No, I'm not. You're probably right about the threatening part. Just not that one. The person who is threatening is the one who should be asked to help.

　Twenty days on foot is not too far away.
　It is even close enough for a dragon that can fly, and in such a place is the residence of the Duke of Westfeldt.
　It's impossible for a dragon to live so close to the mountains and not notice, no matter how remote the location is.

　But Allen had never heard of it.
　This had nothing to do with the fact that Allen was being mistreated.

　Even though he was treated coldly, he was still free to roam the mansion.
　It's easy to gather gossip from the servants and infer various information.
　The information you can't get is what the servants can't hear ......, that is to say, what can't be made public, and which was squeezed out at the top.

　So no matter how much you plead, it will never reach you.
　There is a possibility that there was even a discussion between the dragon and the duke family from the very beginning.

No ...... or perhaps the village itself was created for the purpose of sacrifice from the beginning.
"What about ......?　A duke is a big guy, right?　You can't do that, ......?
...... I'm only an escort so I can't say much, but greatness doesn't make you pure and right. I'm sure the family would do that much, especially if they had a good reason.
But ...... so how on earth does that benefit the Westfeldt family?　There is no doubt that the royal family would not allow this to happen. I find it hard to believe that they would make a deal with a dragon to keep the peace in this neighborhood, knowing that it would be a disaster if someone found out about it. ......
"Hmm ...... maybe, but that's not the deal. It's only as a result of this neighborhood is becoming more peaceful ...... Yeah, I hear you're asking for dragon scales and blood and stuff like that.
............ seems likely. With alchemy you can use dragon scales to enhance your armor. And the dragon's blood can also be processed by alchemy to become a powerful enhancer. It's not surprising that that house, which seeks out martial arts above all else, would go to this extent with impunity.
It's not funny, but I would do it.

　The moment I said that, Rees sent me a concerned look, which I returned with a wry smile.
　It's a house that has already ceased to be relevant, and that's a fact from an unbiased perspective.
　It's not because they're bitter or anything, but they would normally do it.

　That's what the Westfeldts are.

...... It's an a**h*le of a house.
Absolutely. So, do you think Akira is trying to beat the dragon?
I came here with that in mind. Well, when I said that, none of the people in that village agreed with me, and that old man beat me out of the house.
I think that village is probably under the protection of the dragon or the duke family. Even if they are sacrificed, they may be a group of people who are fine with it as long as they can live peacefully until then.

　Or maybe they are actually criminals or something, although from a cursory glance they seemed like normal people.
　It's only a rumor, but I've heard that some criminals are being transported somewhere else.
　There is no proof, so it was said that it might be a conspiracy by someone to discredit the Westfeldt family's name, but--

I see. ...... Could that be the case if you're just waiting to be executed?
"The executions are ...... sure they were gloomy, but they didn't look like the kind of guys who would have done something so bad," he said.
There are all kinds of people being executed.

　Some people had to do so out of necessity, while others were treated as felonies, even though the act itself was trivial.
　For example, stealing expensive medicines to save a sick family member, or disrespecting a member of the duke's family without the citizen knowing it.

　It was quite possible.

It's possible that the thought that they might be chosen as the next sacrifice if you don't agree with them could lead to sympathy pressure, but that's probably why they don't want to be saved from the dragon. If the dragon is defeated, there is a chance that it will only be executed this time. ...... Are you still going to slay the dragon?
"-- Yeah, I'll take him down.

　Without a second's hesitation, Akira nodded his head.
　There was not a trace of hesitation on his face either.

I was asked to help, you know. So I'll help you. That's all.

　Maybe it was the child who asked for help, who said he had found it.
　And maybe it's not because Akira is a brave man.
　It's because he can do that that makes him a brave man.

I see. That's a good, simple answer, isn't it?
"...... eh, you sure?
"Hmm, why?　Did you think I would stop?　You won't stop?　And that's a good enough reason to help someone.

　As a result, the people of the village may end up being unhappy, but ...... is surely not going to happen.
　It's not just the brave man, but also the strange person who came to this remote area for someone who might be unhappy.

　The meaningful gaze I gave her a smile, and she smiled back.

I'm sure you're not the only one who's interested.