Because I’m Japanese
“Lady Kanade… understood. I am reminded that you are that kind of person, and that is why we are here.”
Leo told me that he would not stop me any longer, and I felt sorry for him, but I chanted the house summon in my mind.
Then,
[Do you wish to develop a holiday home area?]Words that I had not seen before appeared in front of me.
Eh? It’s not a village!? Reclaim?? What is the difference from a village!?
I was worried that the barrier might not extend to Clémence, but I decided to take the chance and chose YES.
[Please select the development area]A map of the basement appeared in front of me.
The area I was in was blinking red, and I could zoom in and out just like on a smartphone GPS.
I immediately zoomed in on the blinking red area and tapped the area where Clémence was.
A moment later, the black dragon that I thought was the Wicked Dragon disappeared and the area where Clémence was located was cleared.
“Miss Clémence!!”
I rushed over to her and took out a bottle of the sports drink from my backpack and helped her drink.
I was not even sure if she was alive when I saw her covered in blood and with broken bones all over her body, but I was relieved to see that her throat moved when I gave her the sports drink.
“……… W, hy…”
After a few moments, Clémence regained consciousness, muttered such and burst into tears.
“No Japanese can leave a person who is dying in front of them alone!”
“… Japa…? I don’t, g, et, what you mean, but… I reali, ze, you are bottomlessly softhearted…”
“You are wrong about that. I just don’t like the idea of standing by when people around my are dying. It’s just for my self-satisfaction.”
“… I, you… I deceived you… even if you let me die… is understandable.”
“Even so, I don’t like it!”
“…… I’m sorr, y… sorry…”
Clémence apologized over and over again with tears streaming down her face.
I didn’t say anything until she calmed down, and before long, both her body and bones were back to normal, and her wounds had healed, which was a relief.
“Why did you trick us into coming to the Land of Dragons?”
After a while, Leo started to interrogate Clémence, who had stopped crying.
Clémence turned her head as if he was asking something so obvious, and then spoke up.
“… That dragon you just saw is the Red Dragon Rosso.”
Eh? Isn’t Rosso the dragon that became King after Richmond was chased out?
“The dragon that released the seal of the Wicked Dragon?”
“That’s right.”
“Didn’t he get killed by the Wicked Dragon?”
“It looked like he was killed… but Rosso’s body got enveloped by a dark mist, and he turned into that… and.”
Clémence looked at me.
“Rosso told me. To bring the lass who is with Lord Richmond to him… else, he will kill my family.”
He took her family hostage!
Then it’s no wonder she was trying to trick me into bringing me here…
“Huh? But how does that dragon called Rosso know about me?”
“Lady Kanade, that dragon, Rosso, is most likely being manipulated by the Wicked Dragon.”
“Even if it’s the Wicked Dragon’s doing, he was sealed all this time, no? How does he know about me, or even where Richmond stayed?”
“That’s… being a Wicked Dragon, doesn’t he have that kind of ability?”
“Even though he was sealed?”
“……… Certainly, now that you say it, it does not make a sense.”
Leo tilted his head in puzzlement. I did the same, but I could not get an answer.
“Rosso, that turned pitch black, seemed to desire you…”
“Eh, why!?”
“I don’t know… I’m sorry to be of no help.”
Clémence hung her head dejectedly, and Leo suggested that we join up with Richmond.
“That’s right. We have to join up with Richmond first.”
I cupped the reverse scale necklace and tightened my grip.
(Richmond, can you hear me?)
When I spoke to the necklace in my mind,
(Kanade!? Did something happen over there!?)
(Something did happen, but I summoned a house, so we are safe. Rather than that, did something happen over there too!?)
(I was attacked by a Black Dragon, but I was able to kill it easily, so no problems so far. What happened to you?)
(Actually—…)
I told Richmond what had just happened.
I told him that I wanted to meet up with Richmond, and he said he was already on his way.
As expected, he acted quickly.
(… But, I can’t understand how the Wicked Dragon knows about me.)
(Perhaps…)
(Do you have an idea, Richmond?)
(Mhm… let me tell you after we join up.)