Chapter 474: Man and Woman (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 474: Man and Woman (1)
The two of us stared at each other in the silence of the empty hall, but a moment later, Mr. Dragon burst into laughter. "Haha! I was wondering when you would come, but who knew it would be today? Do you know how surprised I was to hear you were alive?"
That was the same greeting everyone from my past had given me since my return. Naturally, my response to him was the same as the one I gave everyone else. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was planning on visiting earlier, but I had a lot of things to take care of."
"Yes, I hear you've been through a lot recently. I know your situation to some extent, so don't worry about it."
Oh, well, in that case... Wait, how much was "to some extent"?
While I was preoccupied with that thought, he continued to speak. "Anyway, it's a relief to see you now. My daughter was quite depressed when news of your death broke. Ah, should we call on her? I'm sure she wants to see you as well."
"I'll go see her after we finish talking."
"So you have something to discuss... I guess that means you didn't just come here to say hello?"
"Didn't Ravien tell you?"
"My eldest daughter only told me that you wanted to see me, so I was to summon you here with my Dragon Speech when that paper was torn."
His eyes lit up with curiosity when I mentioned I had something to discuss, so it didn't seem like he was lying. Then did Ravien really not tell him anything? All of a sudden, I felt a newfound respect for and trust in her.
"Then if you're not here simply to say hello... what brought you here?"
"I need you to promise me something first."
"Oh?"
"Promise that you won't tell anyone about what we discuss today."
Not even if the king himself asks you, I silently added.
He seemed to quickly pick up on the gravity of my request. Despite that, he still calmly agreed. "I swear on my soul's true name, Pirsearaidormus."
This was the bare minimum safeguard I needed in place. I didn't really understand the purpose of swearing on such a long and difficult-to-pronounce name, but at the very least, I knew how seriously dragonians took promises like that.
"All right, shall we begin, then?"
The quickest way to get him up to speed would be to let him see for himself. I opened my sub-space, took out a box, and showed him what lay inside.
"That's..." As soon as he saw the bumpy heart shaped like an exotic fruit, the corners of his mouth ticked down in a frown. He must have recognized it right away, being a dragonian himself. "That's the heart of a dragonian. Does it belong to who I think it does?"
"Yeah. This is the heart of the Dragon Slayer Regal Vagos."
"I see..."
He looked like he was fighting some kind of internal battle, as I could see the muscles around his eyes pinching with barely suppressed emotion. He surely had a gut feeling the moment he laid eyes on the heart, but hearing it aloud confirmed it. Since he was the head of the dragonians, however, it didn't take long for him to get ahold of himself.
"To be honest... I am filled with many emotions at this unexpected turn of events, but let me say this before anything else." He met my eye before deliberately bowing his head, his voice ringing out loud and clear. "Bjorn, son of Yandel, on behalf of the dragonians, and as the father of a beloved daughter, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
His reaction spoke for itself, and at that moment I knew. Whether or not I held the title of baron or barbarian chieftain, his demeanor and gratitude would still be the same. I honestly didn't expect him to respond so strongly, but it worked in my favor. Now, there was a higher chance he would accept the request I was going to make.
"...So, what happened? This is the first I've heard of the Dragon Slayer's death. Where did you end up encountering him?"
"The Dragon Slayer died at Ice Rock."
"Do you mean... on that expedition?"
"How much do you know about it?"
"Just what was publicly revealed. My daughter Ravien didn't want to say much about it."
"Then I will have to start from there."
I started off by explaining everything that happened to us on that expedition. He listened quietly as he grappled with the deluge of new information, but really there was one main takeaway. It wasn't Noark chasing us, nor the royal family abandoning us, nor even the death of the Dragon Slayer.
"The Order of the Rose... You killed them..."
It was the fact that we killed members of the Order of the Rose. In other words, we had committed a direct act of treason against the royal family.
"Now I understand why you stressed the importance of not divulging the details of our conversation today to others. Still, why wouldn't my own daughter tell me about that?"
"Don't be too upset. It's because of her that I was able to come meet with you today and give you the heart."
"...I suppose it is. Then I should also give you my thanks for coming here." He let out a heavy sigh. "On the other hand, though, I can't help but be afraid."
It was no surprise that, as the head of the dragonians, he was quick on the uptake.
"So, what is it that you want from me?"
It was time to get down to business.
If you could get one reward from the most powerful person in the dragonian tribe, what would you ask for? The answer would differ from person to person. As for me, countless things came to mind. Even though the dragonians were small in number, they had a ridiculous lifespan and were nearly as prosperous as humans. Because of that, they now had the ability to grant nearly any boon. However...
"I want the unconditional support and cooperation of the dragonian people."
As soon as I revealed what I wanted, he flinched in surprise and raised his voice in protest. "That's a ridiculous request."
"Well, it's not like I asked you for money or treasure."
"It would have been better if you had. What you just asked for... it could lead our entire race to ruin."
Mr. Dragon, in an attempt to prove that his gratitude was genuine, tried to convince me that he would grant me anything else I desired, but not that. Thus, I was forced to activate Barbarian Negotiation Mode.
"I don't care! Just do it! Or I won't give you the heart!"
My stubborn refusal made him break out in a cold sweat as his expression grew even more troubled. Yet, as time passed, he slowly started to adapt to Barbarian Negotiation Mode, even changing tactics himself.
"Didn't you promise that you would give me anything?!"
"Promise? Technically, I never made a promise to reward you!" he fired back. "No, in fact, I'd even argue that you were rewarded in advance! Am I wrong?!"
His reaction spoke for itself, and at that moment I knew. Whether or not I held the title of baron or barbarian chieftain, his demeanor and gratitude would still be the same. I honestly didn't expect him to respond so strongly, but it worked in my favor. Now, there was a higher chance he would accept the request I was going to make.
"...So, what happened? This is the first I've heard of the Dragon Slayer's death. Where did you end up encountering him?"
"The Dragon Slayer died at Ice Rock."
"Do you mean... on that expedition?"
"How much do you know about it?"
"Just what was publicly revealed. My daughter Ravien didn't want to say much about it."
"Then I will have to start from there."
I started off by explaining everything that happened to us on that expedition. He listened quietly as he grappled with the deluge of new information, but really there was one main takeaway. It wasn't Noark chasing us, nor the royal family abandoning us, nor even the death of the Dragon Slayer.
"The Order of the Rose... You killed them..."
It was the fact that we killed members of the Order of the Rose. In other words, we had committed a direct act of treason against the royal family.
"Now I understand why you stressed the importance of not divulging the details of our conversation today to others. Still, why wouldn't my own daughter tell me about that?"
"Don't be too upset. It's because of her that I was able to come meet with you today and give you the heart."
"...I suppose it is. Then I should also give you my thanks for coming here." He let out a heavy sigh. "On the other hand, though, I can't help but be afraid."
It was no surprise that, as the head of the dragonians, he was quick on the uptake.
"So, what is it that you want from me?"
It was time to get down to business.
If you could get one reward from the most powerful person in the dragonian tribe, what would you ask for? The answer would differ from person to person. As for me, countless things came to mind. Even though the dragonians were small in number, they had a ridiculous lifespan and were nearly as prosperous as humans. Because of that, they now had the ability to grant nearly any boon. However...
"I want the unconditional support and cooperation of the dragonian people."
As soon as I revealed what I wanted, he flinched in surprise and raised his voice in protest. "That's a ridiculous request."
"Well, it's not like I asked you for money or treasure."
"It would have been better if you had. What you just asked for... it could lead our entire race to ruin."
Mr. Dragon, in an attempt to prove that his gratitude was genuine, tried to convince me that he would grant me anything else I desired, but not that. Thus, I was forced to activate Barbarian Negotiation Mode.
"I don't care! Just do it! Or I won't give you the heart!"
My stubborn refusal made him break out in a cold sweat as his expression grew even more troubled. Yet, as time passed, he slowly started to adapt to Barbarian Negotiation Mode, even changing tactics himself.
"Didn't you promise that you would give me anything?!"
"Promise? Technically, I never made a promise to reward you!" he fired back. "No, in fact, I'd even argue that you were rewarded in advance! Am I wrong?!"
He certainly wasn't. On top of receiving a reward for bringing back the Dragon Slayer's sword, I'd been granted the Dragon's Blessing before I even set off on my quest to get his heart.
"...So, what, are you going to ignore the fact that this is the only way to save your daughter?"
"I keep telling you! I am extremely grateful for what you have done... but I can't grant you that favor! Please, just ask for anything else."
In the end, I had no choice but to give in. No amount of Barbarian Negotiation Mode was going to change his mind.
Yeah, there's no way some stubbornness would be enough to get him to change his mind on such an important issue.
That was enough messing around. It was time to get to the heart of the matter. "Lapir. It's because of the royal family that you can't accept my request, right?"
"...I won't deny it. You may not know yet, but the king is a terrifying man."
So everyone kept saying. The more I heard that, the more frustrated I became. Hopefully, I'd get to see the king for myself soon. That way, I'd know whether or not they were telling the truth.
With a smile on his face, Mr. Dragon then began to reason with me. "...If we limit the unconditional support to situations that don't involve the king, I can grant you that request. What do you think?"
Even though it was a compromise, it was still one that worked out heavily in my favor. The offer spoke to just how grateful he was toward me. Still, what did he mean by situations that didn't involve the king? Did that mean that if there was a conflict with the marquess, a duke, or even the other races, he would support me with everything he had?
Well, I'm sure the deal doesn't include war.
"If your actions were justified, then an unjust attack on you will be considered no different than an attack on me."
I fell deep into thought. Normally, negotiations were a battle of making compromises little by little. You had to give up a bit to get a bit back.
This must be his final offer.
This negotiation was a little different, though. He had skipped the entire back-and-forth process and declared his final offer right at the beginning. It wasn't out of a lack of negotiation skills but simply out of genuine gratitude.
Then I shouldn't push him any further.
I honestly would have been happy even if all he agreed to do was support me in my dealings with the other races. As he said, my original reward for this quest was the Dragon's Blessing, which I had already received.
His expression was still troubled, and he hesitantly added, "I really can't go—"
I decided to cut him off and save him the hassle. I wasn't planning on asking for anything more than this. "Your offer is enough. I will take it." I didn't forget to offer my thanks, of course. "And I genuinely want to thank you for putting up with my ridiculous demands."
"...Huh, I didn't expect that."
"I only acted like that because I'm desperate to protect my own. But I'll make sure I don't cause you any more trouble than necessary."
"There's no need for that. After all, my daughter is already involved."
Right, I'd forgotten for a second that Ravien was his daughter. So that was why he was willing to go so far.
"Well, if that's settled, let's move on to another topic. I'm curious, what have you been doing for the past two years? Were you really on a secret mission like the marquess said?"
After our negotiations, we settled into a relaxed conversation and spent quite some time catching up.
"Oh, I should ask this while I am here. You agreed to support me, so would you be a witness in my trial against Count Alminus?"
"A witness... against Count Alminus...?"
"Well, you are the head of the dragonians. I think I'll be able to save some face if you come out and publicly take my side."
"...Save face?"
"Haha! Kidding, just kidding!"
Luckily, it seemed the guy also had a sense of humor. "Well, it sure has been a while since I've had such fun. Look at how much time has passed already! I have a meeting with the elders soon, so I should get going."
"Hm, really?"
"Are you going to leave now? Should I send you back?"
"No. I'll go see Pen and Ravien while I'm here."
"Oh, that's good to hear. I'm sure they'll be pleased. My meeting won't take long, so in the meantime, why don't you have tea or something with my daughters?" He told me where Pen and Ravien were, and with that, I stood up and meandered in that direction.
Step, step.
Every step I took reverberated off the marble floor. Before I could step into the hallway, I turned around once more.
"Is there something else you wanted to say?" asked Mr. Dragon.
"I can't help but feel like I'll regret it if I don't ask you this now."
He straightened his shoulders, gesturing for me to continue.
"If, and I do mean only if..." My voice echoed in the space between us. "If I become stronger, and gather more support... and you judge that it's worth a shot... and not a suicidal thing to do, then—"
Setting aside all consideration of his position, I finished asking for what I wanted.
"Would you be able to help me?"
After a long silence, he finally answered. "...If that day comes, then I will consider your request with more optimism."
"I see."
I turned back around and continued down the hallway.
Step, step.
That was enough for today.
He certainly wasn't. On top of receiving a reward for bringing back the Dragon Slayer's sword, I'd been granted the Dragon's Blessing before I even set off on my quest to get his heart.
"...So, what, are you going to ignore the fact that this is the only way to save your daughter?"
"I keep telling you! I am extremely grateful for what you have done... but I can't grant you that favor! Please, just ask for anything else."
In the end, I had no choice but to give in. No amount of Barbarian Negotiation Mode was going to change his mind.
Yeah, there's no way some stubbornness would be enough to get him to change his mind on such an important issue.
That was enough messing around. It was time to get to the heart of the matter. "Lapir. It's because of the royal family that you can't accept my request, right?"
"...I won't deny it. You may not know yet, but the king is a terrifying man."
So everyone kept saying. The more I heard that, the more frustrated I became. Hopefully, I'd get to see the king for myself soon. That way, I'd know whether or not they were telling the truth.
With a smile on his face, Mr. Dragon then began to reason with me. "...If we limit the unconditional support to situations that don't involve the king, I can grant you that request. What do you think?"
Even though it was a compromise, it was still one that worked out heavily in my favor. The offer spoke to just how grateful he was toward me. Still, what did he mean by situations that didn't involve the king? Did that mean that if there was a conflict with the marquess, a duke, or even the other races, he would support me with everything he had?
Well, I'm sure the deal doesn't include war.
"If your actions were justified, then an unjust attack on you will be considered no different than an attack on me."
I fell deep into thought. Normally, negotiations were a battle of making compromises little by little. You had to give up a bit to get a bit back.
This must be his final offer.
This negotiation was a little different, though. He had skipped the entire back-and-forth process and declared his final offer right at the beginning. It wasn't out of a lack of negotiation skills but simply out of genuine gratitude.
Then I shouldn't push him any further.
I honestly would have been happy even if all he agreed to do was support me in my dealings with the other races. As he said, my original reward for this quest was the Dragon's Blessing, which I had already received.
His expression was still troubled, and he hesitantly added, "I really can't go—"
I decided to cut him off and save him the hassle. I wasn't planning on asking for anything more than this. "Your offer is enough. I will take it." I didn't forget to offer my thanks, of course. "And I genuinely want to thank you for putting up with my ridiculous demands."
"...Huh, I didn't expect that."
"I only acted like that because I'm desperate to protect my own. But I'll make sure I don't cause you any more trouble than necessary."
"There's no need for that. After all, my daughter is already involved."
Right, I'd forgotten for a second that Ravien was his daughter. So that was why he was willing to go so far.
"Well, if that's settled, let's move on to another topic. I'm curious, what have you been doing for the past two years? Were you really on a secret mission like the marquess said?"
After our negotiations, we settled into a relaxed conversation and spent quite some time catching up.
"Oh, I should ask this while I am here. You agreed to support me, so would you be a witness in my trial against Count Alminus?"
"A witness... against Count Alminus...?"
"Well, you are the head of the dragonians. I think I'll be able to save some face if you come out and publicly take my side."
"...Save face?"
"Haha! Kidding, just kidding!"
Luckily, it seemed the guy also had a sense of humor. "Well, it sure has been a while since I've had such fun. Look at how much time has passed already! I have a meeting with the elders soon, so I should get going."
"Hm, really?"
"Are you going to leave now? Should I send you back?"
"No. I'll go see Pen and Ravien while I'm here."
"Oh, that's good to hear. I'm sure they'll be pleased. My meeting won't take long, so in the meantime, why don't you have tea or something with my daughters?" He told me where Pen and Ravien were, and with that, I stood up and meandered in that direction.
Step, step.
Every step I took reverberated off the marble floor. Before I could step into the hallway, I turned around once more.
"Is there something else you wanted to say?" asked Mr. Dragon.
"I can't help but feel like I'll regret it if I don't ask you this now."
He straightened his shoulders, gesturing for me to continue.
"If, and I do mean only if..." My voice echoed in the space between us. "If I become stronger, and gather more support... and you judge that it's worth a shot... and not a suicidal thing to do, then—"
Setting aside all consideration of his position, I finished asking for what I wanted.
"Would you be able to help me?"
After a long silence, he finally answered. "...If that day comes, then I will consider your request with more optimism."
"I see."
I turned back around and continued down the hallway.
Step, step.
That was enough for today.