Chapter 204
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 204
Chapter Title: An Angel More Useless Than Raphael
[Having fun?]
[Yeah. It's amazing!!]
[I'm going to live here from now on.]
[Forever?]
[Yeah.]
The dragon nodded. Watching the child's innocent face, so pure and untainted, she felt something built up over thousands of years washing away.
Such a child. A child who wasn't even human. One who would always stay by her side for hundreds, thousands of years.
So cute. So adorable. And she wouldn't even die!
How perfect was this being? It was as if she'd been made for the dragon.
And so the dragon sat on her lair's throne, placed the child on her lap, and stroked her head.
[I can't stay forever!! Mom said to come back before dinner!!]
[You don't have to go. I got permission.]
[Huh? Really?!]
[Yeah.]
[Still no!! Dad said not to go with strangers!]
[You're already here.]
[Ah!!]
A ding—!! rang out as the child froze stiff.
Watching the scene, a smile crept onto the dragon's lips without her realizing.
[Right. Better to show than tell, I suppose.]
[I'm gonna get in trouble with Dad...]
[No need to worry about that.]
[You'll help me?!]
[Of course. What wouldn't I do for you?]
The dragon smiled along with Revatein. At the same time, something projected from her hand, filling their vision.
It was a screen. A screen showing something. It was illuminating somewhere in the cave.
The spot it showed was, naturally, the entrance where she'd shaken off the humans earlier.
'Where's the corpse?'
They were dead. The dragon was certain of it as she scanned the entrance surroundings. Of course they were.
How many humans had she dealt with from her lair over thousands, tens of thousands of years? Too many to count.
They weren't even worth calling opponents. She'd just sit on her throne and watch indifferently, and they'd drop dead with a pfft.
All of them—whether cluelessly barging in or coming with grand ambitions—ended the same.
They lost their abilities, their physical prowess, struggled even to breathe in the lair, and panicked.
Then, unable to adapt to the sudden change, they were torn apart by the guardians.
All of them.
'No exceptions.'
The so-called exceptions were just rumors she'd heard a few times. Heroes in chaotic times.
Humans called the [Ice Knight]. Anyone who wasn't one of those.
It was natural they died without even adapting. Even if they'd killed Benia, unless they'd taken her heart—
[Hm?]
Mid-thought, the dragon rubbed her eyes without thinking. Her eyesight couldn't possibly fail.
Still, she had to rub them. No corpse. Why?
If they'd been tossed at the entrance, the guardians would've handled it.
A mere human at midday. Without mana, abilities, or physical strength—killing a guardian? Impossible.
As if answering her question, sound came from the projected screen.
It wasn't ordinary. Not a human scream. Not a sharp, tearing shriek.
[Explosion?]
An explosion. She knew this sound too well. The self-destruct function she'd prepared for worst cases.
A spell set to auto-activate if they lost combat ability or couldn't move.
She hurriedly shifted the projected view, and there—
[Eh?! Daddy!!!]
A black-haired man. With a white-haired woman on his back, he dashed through the dragon's lair like it was a playground.
His speed wasn't dropping. No—it was faster than outside.
[What... is that?]
He threw. It fell. It exploded.
[What in the world...]
Threw. Fell. Exploded.
She couldn't comprehend it. Never in her life had she seen a human fighting like that in a dragon's lair.
[Did he really take the heart? Is he half-dragon or something?]
Nothing else explained it. Walking through a dragon's lair like his own bedroom? Absurd.
Too flustered to speak, she just watched the black hair weave about. The golden-haired child on her lap bounced excitedly, squealing.
[Daddy!! So cool!!]
And as if responding to the shout, a voice rang out.
Ignisia could say nothing.
"Does that kind of talk make you look cool?"
"Raphael loves it when I say stuff like that?!"
"I recommend you two hold hands and check into a mental hospital. And I'm heading there today."
"Why you all of a sudden?!"
"Something like that. Just focus on running."
Yeah, yeah. Got it. I kept running without even glancing at Michael's stone face.
Now there were so many guardians that I was getting a feel for how to handle them.
At first, I'd stupidly tried close combat and struggled. But then I remembered I had [Correction: Throwing].
Meaning I could hit any target precisely.
What that boiled down to was—
Kwaaaaang—!!!!!!!!!!!
I could suppress guardians from range like this and keep running without stopping.
"I told you to throw as soon as you see the—kyaaak!!! Don't shake me just because I said something!!"
"You're the weird one screaming over a little shake. Why bother someone doing well?"
"Th-this!! It's because your power cut off suddenly. I'm a child of heaven. Without Heaven's Blessing—"
"Yeah~ yeah~ Got it~ Just rest easy on my back, oh useless angel~ Raphael was helpful in the lair, but fellow cherub Michael? Not so much."
".........I'll kill you. First thing outside, I'll slice you down."
Scary. I steadied Michael's trembling-with-humiliation body and kept running.
Every time the scythe returned, I had to grab it one-handed, so Michael naturally clung to me. And each time, she'd mutter stuff like 'excuse me.'
Really annoying.
"No need to excuse. Just hang on comfy, like when you visit my place."
"You think I visit your place comfy? I only go sometimes to check on Raphael. Never comfy!!"
"Of course not. Sneaking in through the window—how could it be?"
"Th-that!! It's a male dorm. Can't use the front gate!!"
"Fair point. Anyway, that's my point. Come relaxed next time. You're the only one Raphael dislikes at home."
"....Understood."
"Then come more often. You said you'd last time but never showed."
".....What do you know."
True enough. Guess I don't know. Maybe my place is uncomfortable, so pushing is rude.
Is my home uncomfortable? Nah. Two cute daughters and a cat.
Normal family home with two maids.
"My place uncomfortable by any chance?"
"Not uncomfortable. Eat till full. Seeing the kids warms the heart. Nice."
"Then why?"
"Something like that. You'd just give me that 'Huh? Why's this girl acting up?' look, so I don't say."
Huh. Why's thi—
"That face!!"
What's wrong with it? No clue. Glad it's not uncomfortable, though. Next time, launch a 'Michael solo meal escape' campaign.
"That really offended me. Outside, you're done for."
"Gonna hit me? Don't. My back's killing me from carrying and running with you."
"........."
After that, there was silent pressure and occasional choking, but I pushed past the guardians without issue.
And my mouth didn't stop. Michael didn't mind chatting and kept replying.
In our endless conversation, we headed toward Revatein.
"But is it okay going so casually? Opponent's a dragon."
"Fine. I have a way."
"I see. Then hurry. I'm hungry."
"Yeah. Wrap this quick, grab pizza on the way back. What kind you like?"
"Hawaiian— No. Don't fish for info so naturally. No flirting. I absolutely don't like Hawaiian pizza. Won't eat it at yours either."
Aw man. Hawaiian pizza it is today for sure.
Running with a heavy heart, a question popped up, so I glanced back.
Her black eyes met mine, then quickly looked away.
"What."
That kinda hurts. I asked my question while staring at Michael, who wouldn't meet my eyes.
"Nah. You didn't ask what the method is. Not curious?"
"If you say you have a way, you do. Isn't it always like that? Raphael trusts your words like gospel."
"Her? She's a walking ball of suspicion. A sad soul who can't trust anyone."
"Hm. You and Raphael need to be honest with each other."
No idea what that means. I ignored the weird talk after and mulled over the plan.
No point explaining since she wasn't interested. Just replayed it in my head.
Simple. Just a few words.
The most useful method against a dragon, assuming no lies.
It could end this incident in one go.
"Almost there."
"Yeah. Let's go."
I sped up toward the finally visible entrance. Praying she hadn't called another dragon, I passed through—
[........]
A refined chamber appeared, incomparable to the cave before.
A space like humans lived in. At its center. Following the red carpet led to a throne where a red-haired woman sat, chin propped up.
Revatein on her lap, gazing intently at me.
Thankfully, no other dragons.
[You—]
"I—"
So. Resolve it fast. Before she could say anything more. Before she used 「Fear」 on me to shut my mouth.
"—swear on the name of Ignisia, apex of dragons and Flame Dragon King."
Silence fell instantly. Everyone but me stopped talking, eyes converging on one spot.
This was the method. The dragon wouldn't listen, just piled up misunderstandings.
Those led to me nearly dying, humanity nearly perishing.
How to fix? Make her listen if she won't.
Using the binding of 「Dragon Word」, stronger the higher the being.
"I do not lie. Benia is alive."
That was it.
Silence. A few seconds of it filled the lair. I'd spoken using 「Dragon Word」 sworn on the dragon's own name.
Yet no reaction. Only one meaning.
The truth.
In the quiet space where no one could speak.
One being alone made noise as she ran.
[Daddy!!!]
She's kinda cute.