Chapter 241: The Landlord is Back (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241: The Landlord is Back (1)
The first sign that something was wrong was the sight of Princess Ruelle suddenly bursting into tears and sprinting in the opposite direction.
"Is the Great Demon still alive?"
"No? We saw it completely vanish through the combination of Senior Violet’s sorcery and divine power. Thinking about it again just makes me mad. Seriously, before I send an official letter of protest, give Senior Violet back—huh?"
"Waaaaah!"
Something moved so fast that even Princess Nea, who had been venting her frustrations, snapped her head around to look.
"Ack!"
We watched as Ruelle threw herself into thin air, only to be sent recoiling backward. It was then we realized something had gone horribly wrong.
"It looks like she just headbutted the empty air."
"Was there something there when we came in?"
"Nope."
Ignoring Princess Ruelle, who was currently rolling around on the floor, we cautiously approached the spot she had hit.
"It looks like a barrier."
"Doesn't seem like an ordinary one, though."
A barrier is a complex magical construct, but to put it simply, it’s just mana used to lock a space. In other words, if you have the power to overwhelm that mana, you can tear it open. And if your power transcends a simple mass of mana like sword energy and reaches the level of Aura...
Cutting through an average barrier is child's play.
Even if my Aura was 'magic-scented,' Aura is still Aura. In fact, since the added attribute increased its destructive power, it should have been even more effective at brute-forcing its way through.
Yet, no matter how much I pounded on it, the barrier didn't even get a scratch.
"I've seen a barrier like this before."
"Dale’s conditional barrier... Wait, did you actually come here to do that?"
"If she had, would the person in question be over there headbutting the barrier like a moron?"
The problem was that the person capable of dispelling the barrier was the one currently trapped inside.
"But there’s a bigger problem."
"What is it?"
"The fact that someone of Princess Ruelle’s stature was fleeing from something over there looking that pathetic."
I helped Princess Ruelle up, who was still screaming and rolling on the ground. Her tears were streaming down piteously, and she looked like she was in genuine pain, but...
"Wow. That is actually so embarrassing."
"Hwaaa..."
Even if she was the princess of a rival nation, the sight was too painful to look at, so I decided to let it slide.
"What on earth happened to make you like this?"
"Uwaaa-er-a-ee..."
"Could you try speaking in a human language?"
I spoke lightly, but I could feel that something was off. A person doesn't end up like this just from headbutting a barrier. Of course, she might have hit it hard enough to turn her brain into mush, but the expression on her face was one of terror rather than pain.
There was something over there capable of consuming someone like the Princess of Dale with pure fear.
And it didn't take long for us to discover its identity.
"I smell something."
"......"
the moment the voice reached my ears, I found it hard to breathe. My hand had naturally moved to the hilt of my Magic Sword, but honestly, I couldn't muster any strength in my grip. It was as good as losing before the fight even started.
The idea of even pointing a blade at the owner of that voice felt impossible to conceive.
It wasn't that I hadn't felt something similar before—the instinctive experience of facing a 'higher species.' But the moment I saw the real thing, I realized the difference.
Our pathetic—no, our flimsy ancestor was a mere firefly compared to the sun standing before us.
That was how I knew exactly what this being was.
"A Dragon..."
The most powerful beings on earth, second only to the gods who had vanished. Like the Demon Tribe, they certainly existed once, but had become legendary beings no longer seen in this age.
"Indeed. I am of the Great Race, a Dragon."
"Why are you here...?"
Given that the Demon Tribe had appeared, a Dragon showing up wasn't entirely illogical, but why here of all places?
In response to my question, the black-haired girl in human form spoke with sharp eyes and a dignified air.
"Because this is my house."
"......Ah."
So, you were the landlord.
The Great Emperor Luke of the Empire and his companions, including old man Altear, had driven out an evil tyrant and established the Imperial Capital in its place. That was the very location where the Imperial Palace and the Academy now stood.
...Or so the general public believed.
However, thanks to the now-passed Altear, I knew the truth: a Dragon had actually been sealing a Great Demon here, and she had simply driven away those who trespassed on her territory to protect it.
"Those damn usurpers stole my home and kicked me out."
"That’s just how Imperial bastards are."
"Kyah... Still, to think I’d be able to find my home again like this."
"I was the one who sent the word."
"I am grateful. I wondered what was going on when I suddenly got a message from Iphriti... but to hear that I’ve reclaimed my home."
As I poured her a drink from the bottle I kept in my subspace pouch, I listened to Black Dragon Adella’s grievances.
"Those damn humans. I was even sealing a Great Demon of old because I felt I owed them a debt."
"I see..."
"I was consuming my own power to weaken the demon in preparation for the day the seal would eventually break... and they took that opportunity to move in and attack me."
"They really were the worst."
"In the end, it seems they managed to defeat the demon, but why on earth did they resort to swords first instead of using the perfectly good method of conversation?!"
"That’s just the Empire’s way."
From a corner, the Princess of the Empire was glaring at me with an expression that said she had a lot to say, but she kept her mouth shut, knowing that revealing her identity now might invite the Dragon’s wrath.
"Anyway, I apologize. As an intelligent being, I should have initiated a dialogue first. But seeing that child come charging in suddenly reminded me of the old days, and I lost my temper."
"Not at all. It was her fault for running around in someone else's house."
I felt another gaze from the corner but ignored it. It really is wrong to go running around someone else's house with your shoes on. Furthermore...
"Since you didn't know I had returned, it is fine."
Contrary to the public perception that Black Dragons have terrible personalities, the Black Dragon Adella before me was the epitome of generosity. Even in a situation where it wouldn't be strange for her to have PTSD regarding humans, she had the grace to show mercy.
"So. Why have you come here? To confirm the demon's annihilation?"
"Ah. Since I was one of the people who took it down, I've already confirmed its complete destruction."
"Is that so? A human who even relieved me of my burden. I like you even more now."
Watching her smile benevolently, I hesitated for a moment before deciding to come clean.
"Actually, the person over there is of the Dale royalty."
"W-Wait!"
Princess Ruelle let out a sharp shriek, but Adella nodded as if she understood everything from those words alone.
"Dale... The descendants of Derman. Hmm. I think I understand. Have you come for Toha?"
"That is correct."
"Hmm..."
Hadn't the Helmet of the Demon King mentioned it before? A mage who used Toha challenged a Dragon, died on the spot, and the Dragon before us had sealed it away.
I had wondered if she was weaker than I thought since Emperor Luke and Altear had managed to drive her out, but the moment I faced her, I realized the truth. The only reason Luke’s party could drive Adella away was due to a series of countless coincidences and miracles.
Besides, hadn't she said it herself? At the time, she had invested a significant portion of her power into sealing and weakening the demon. In fact, the Imperial mages, including Altear, hadn't even understood Adella’s seal and had merely preserved and maintained it.
Therefore, without this Dragon’s permission, retrieving Toha would be impossible.
Princess Ruelle seemed to have realized this as well, as she merely bit her lip and glared at me.
"Toha...?"
Only Princess Nea, hearing the name for the first time, looked at us with a face full of question marks. Fortunately, as Princess Ruelle had said, the magic known as Toha wasn't well-known, so Nea seemed to have no idea what it was.
If we received it and got out of here quickly, even the Empire wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
The problem was...
"If it is something you want, I could give it to you. But if a descendant of Derman asks for it... hmm..."
"I-It's Dale..."
"Is Dale not essentially a nation created to start anew because they couldn't handle Derman’s karma? Honestly, I find it hard to trust them."
The karma of Dale, a nation recognized even by a Dragon, had finally come back to haunt them.
"T-That's..."
"In fact, the reason I sealed Toha in the first place was because they suddenly showed up trying to kill me to become a Dragon Slayer."
"......"
Unlike our ancestor, whose only crime was loving a Dragon, their ancestors actually had the karma of attempted murder. Princess Ruelle, crushed by the weight of her ancestors' sins, couldn't easily find the words to speak.
Instead...
"However, it is too much to demand the children of the present pay for the sins of their ancestors. If you grant me one promise, I shall return Toha to you."
Our generous Black Dragon extended a helping hand to the desperate Princess Ruelle.
...The more I see of her, the more I think old man Altear was the one in the wrong. What a great personality—no, Dragon-ality.
"W-What is it?"
At Princess Ruelle’s desperate tone, Adella pointed a finger toward the ceiling.
"I am aware that times have changed and an educational institution called an Academy has been built above. I have much I could say about that, but regardless, I lost, and thus it was taken from me. Now that it has been returned, I have no intention of holding ancient grudges against those living in this era... but it is excessively noisy."
"Pardon?"
"I can tolerate normal living sounds. But coming here every single day to perform construction... isn't this a bit much?"
"Uh, well..."
"So. Finish the construction as quickly as possible. If it must be long-term, at least provide some noise-canceling measures. That is my condition."
"......"
It seemed even a Dragon couldn't stand the noise from the floor above.
"So... Dale’s hidden secret magic was in that place?"
"Yes..."
Princess Ruelle, a foreign princess, couldn't stop the investigation into the Academy being conducted by the Empire and the Holy Kingdom. Thus, like a culprit in a detective manga, she had laid everything bare. Princess Nea listened to her confession and nodded calmly.
"And why should I care?"
"You said you'd help if I told you!"
"When? I said I'd consider it. I never said I'd help!"
"T-That's playing dirty!"
"Politics is inherently dirty, Princess."
Hohoho.
As Princess Nea laughed like a classic villainess, Princess Ruelle bit her lip hard.
"S-So that's how it's going to be?"
"What? You want to fight? I’d lose in a magic duel, but this is the Empire. If I call for people, I have the advantage—huh?"
Princess Nea, who had been speaking confidently, blinked. The sound of voices was approaching from the distance.
"I... I haven't called them yet?"
Despite her bewildered voice, a crowd of people came rushing toward us.
"Has the barrier been dispelled?"
"D-Did it really happen?"
"It probably just broke. Dale and Leon..."
"Wait, isn't that...?"
A sudden silence fell over the area.
If this were the first time, she might have been flustered, but Princess Nea, having experienced the unfair twists of a RoFan world several times already, was skilled at navigating these forced developments. However...
"T-Those people were in the basement!"
"Hey!"
Sensing instinctively that she couldn't miss this opportunity, Princess Ruelle bolted. Seeing Princess Nea chase after her to stop her, I could only sigh.
"I honestly don't know anymore..."
It was their problem to solve. I should just leave them to—
"What don't you know?"
"......?"
At the sudden, eerie voice, I had no choice but to let out another long sigh.