Chapter 125. The Queen's Crazy Remarks
Chapter 125. The Queen's Crazy Remarks
The dragon, its foot utterly wrecked, began to thrash from the surging pain.
Then clouds and water began wrapping around the dragon's foot.
"Krrrr..."
"?"
It wasn't on Laila's level of healing, but new flesh was gradually filling in—it was mending.
"You shouldn't be able to use mana..."
The dragon's pupils narrowed further as it stared intently at the weapon in my hand.
"That weapon... there was peculiar magic in it..."
'Why did these bastards never just admit anything...?'
Even staring death in the face, it refused to acknowledge defeat.
The suspicion that the opponent used some kind of trick—it seemed to be a universal excuse that transcended dimensions.
In that instant, the heavens roared.
The Dragon God's gaze sharpened, and mana condensed thickly throughout the airspace.
— Bang! Bang! Bang!
Enormous bolts of lightning began crashing down without mercy.
— Crackling!!!
Electric shock coursed through my entire body, scorching the earth.
The lightning, accompanied by terrifying heat, began melting the ground.
"...!"
That one caught me a little off guard.
Because even I felt a tingling sensation.
'Hmm...'
Even so, the dragon, still wary of my weapon, kept its distance and couldn't approach.
"My weapon's pretty threatening, isn't it?"
I hurled the weapon far away.
In that instant, a genuine smile spread across the dragon's face.
"Heh heh... Have you finally given up?"
I shrugged as I spoke.
"Well, I figured I don't really need a weapon to handle an old-timer."
Nevertheless, it didn't let its guard down completely.
It had already seen that my weapon could move on its own.
Lightning, clouds, and waves coiled around the creature's body.
"I'll kill you before you even get your weapon back!"
The dragon, lightning crackling, charged at terrifying speed.
— Kwaaaang!!!
A powerful shockwave.
My body was dragged backward hundreds of meters, gouging out the ground.
— Crunch!
I braced with both legs, firmly planted.
Like that, I couldn't be pushed any further and came to a halt.
"What? Tired?"
"Ridiculous!"
The Dragon God roared and detonated a burst of electricity.
The surrounding rocks melted, and the air itself was torn apart.
Even so, I held firm without budging and launched myself forward.
— Boom!
The next thing to burst was one of the Dragon God's eyes.
The dragon thrashed in agony, shrieking, and the surrounding area was utterly devastated.
Yet I held on to the dragon's whiskers as if I would never let go.
'If it's similar to a dragon, this thing should have a heart too... where was it?'
On such an elongated body, I had no idea where the heart was.
But what soon came to mind was a simple conclusion.
"Smash its head in and it'll die all the same anyway!"
I climbed right onto the dragon's head, seized its horn tightly, and drove my fist down.
— Slam! Slam! Slam!
"Ugh... those scales are ridiculously hard..."
But I didn't stop.
After dozens of strikes, the scales shattered and the raw flesh beneath was exposed.
I reached my hand toward that spot.
Then my 'Holy Sword'—the one I had thrown away earlier—flew into my grasp.
The Dragon God writhed desperately, shaking its head to throw me off.
"Block this too."
Realizing it was impossible, the Dragon God's thrashing ceased.
It withdrew the barrier that had been blocking mana, and then began laughing as if it had lost its mind.
And mana began to surge throughout the dragon's entire body.
"Keuheuheu... you might come out unscathed... but I'll take that woman and this kingdom with me as my grave companions!!!"
'With this level of power... Laila and I would be fine, but the kingdom would vanish without a trace.'
"Laila!!"
The moment I shouted, Laila grasped the situation with a single glance.
She and I had fought side by side on the battlefield, rolling together too many times to count.
She cast a massive barrier toward the spot where the Dragon God and I were.
At that, the Dragon God let out a great laugh.
"Kuhahaha!!! The woman you sought to protect betrays you!!!"
But the truth was soon revealed.
Laila hadn't betrayed me and trapped me—she had sealed the explosion to stop it from spreading.
— Woom! Woom!! Woom!!!
Soon, water, lightning, and clouds mixed together inside the barrier, and an explosion on an entirely different scale erupted.
An immense vortex and detonation raged, battering the barrier relentlessly.
Yet not a single trace of that explosion or sound leaked outside.
— ...!!!
The Dragon God's desperate struggle continued for tens of minutes.
No one could peer inside.
And then, slowly, the barrier faded.
"Hero!"
"Ah, my clothes..."
Inside, the Dragon God had already been reduced to ashes and vanished.
And I was...
Completely naked.
"Oh my!"
Laila, spotting me, gasped in surprise and gently covered her eyes with her palms.
But she was secretly peeking through the gaps between her fingers.
"...It's a little embarrassing when you stare that openly, you know?"
"Heehee."
She quietly approached and flashed a familiar smile.
— Grab.
"This is something only I get to see~"
"..."
Could you maybe let go of your hand...?
My body's starting to respond...
"We're outside... Hero, you pervert♥"
---
It was a relief that I had packed spare clothes for the gate raid.
If I'd had to enter the castle naked...?
'I'd have bitten my tongue off from sheer humiliation...'
The castle gates of the kingdom came into view.
And as if she had known everything all along, the Queen was waiting for us along with an enormous crowd.
"What the— how did she know to wait in advance?"
The Queen answered my question with a gentle smile.
"It was because that colossal presence vanished so abruptly."
She took a step forward and bowed her head.
"For saving our kingdom... I offer my heartfelt gratitude. Hero."
'Hero, huh... To think I'd be called Hero here too.'
I chuckled inwardly.
Wherever I go, it's the same treatment in the end.
"A banquet has been prepared for you, Hero."
The Queen, her face bright, moved to guide us.
"Hold on. Let's wrap up the situation first. People outside will be waiting for news about me, too."
At those words, the Queen nodded, and what we were soon guided to wasn't the banquet hall but a quiet room meant for guests.
I carefully handled the equipment.
"Please, please, please...!"
I couldn't afford to miss out on incredible content like an underwater kingdom.
After a brief delay, we connected to the outside.
- C-can you hear us! This is the command center!
"Yes, is the connection coming through well?"
- W-we can hear you! Unknown Hunter's location confirmed!!!
Soon, the sound of countless cheers came from the other end of the comms.
I heard they had genuinely feared I was missing, or dead, and had been deeply worried.
"Come on, it's only been a day since we went in, you know?"
- Hoo... to us, with communication lost, every single minute felt like an hour...
"Haha... I seem to have unintentionally caused quite a bit of worry."
- Still, knowing that you're safe, Hunter, is truly a relief.
"For now, we'll get some rest and a bit later..."
I gave them a rough account of what we had experienced.
They expressed shock that there was another civilization inside the gate, and were amazed about the legendary creature—the 'dragon.'
- Then, do you intend to resume broadcasting?
"Yes, we'll rest a little... then head right over and put the stream on for you."
- Yes, understood.
With those words, I ended the call.
And without a single thought, I flopped onto the bed.
"Hero, being here... I miss that title..."
"..."
An atmosphere similar to back then, on the other side.
'I wondered if the kids were doing well...'
— Knock knock...
Just as I was sinking deep into old memories, a knock came from outside.
Following the attendant's guidance, we made our way to the banquet hall.
And as soon as we arrived and took our seats, I turned on the stream for everyone who was eager for news.
[ World's Strongest Hero : Did you wait? ]
[The title's got no manners lolololol]
[Everyone's worried sick and he goes "Did you wait?" wtf lololol]
[We seriously thought you'd vanished, all of Korea was in a state of emergency]
[Right, and they were afraid China would pull something again fr]
"Hm? What did they do this time?"
Reading the viewers' chat, it seemed they had gradually revealed their ambitions while I was away.
"Hmm... should I head for the Great Wall?"
With those words, I gave a detailed explanation to the command center, who would be watching this broadcast, and to the viewers.
The viewers, too, were shocked at the news that there had been another civilization.
[Wait, for real?]
[So there are people living in that castle?]
[Whoa, dragons actually existed?]
"Don't worry. It was just that the streaming wasn't transmitting... the fight with the dragon was recorded, you see."
Saying that, I vividly recounted the battle(?) with the dragon.
'Wait a second... the footage of me naked wasn't captured too, was it?'
For a moment, my brow furrowed.
Still, I soon shook my head.
It could be edited out anyway...
— Clip-clop... Rumble...
Soon after, several attendants came in carrying a variety of dishes.
"Oh..."
[lololol why are there so many dishes?]
[Ah, he saved their kingdom, it's only natural lol]
When the attendants lifted the lids one by one, the dishes inside looked mouth-watering just from sight alone.
Not only was it a feast of delicacies, but there was plenty of liquor that smelled absolutely wonderful.
'But... how do they even have meat here...'
Weren't we at the bottom of the sea?
'Well, as long as it tastes good, who cares.'
I worked my fork and knife tirelessly, shoving food into my mouth without pause.
In contrast to me, Laila modestly cut her food with a knife and savored each bite.
[Seriously, he eats like an absolute beast]
[Watching that is making me stupidly hungry too...]
"I do wonder if the food suits the palate of Hero, the benefactor of our kingdom."
"Ah, it really is delicious. Maybe it's because the Queen is personally hosting."
The Queen sat across from us, rested her chin on her hand, and smiled softly.
The moment she was caught on camera, the chat window blazed with fervor.
[Wtf is that???]
[Did he say Her Majesty the Queen??]
[Step on me, Queen!!!]
[Whoa, this is insane...]
Not yet familiar with the culture of Earth, the Queen didn't even realize that her appearance was being shown to people from the outside world.
"Um, Hero..."
"Yeah, what is it?"
The Queen fidgeted with her fingers and lowered her head slightly.
"If, by any chance, you're about to say there's no reward to offer... that would put me in quite a difficult position..."
But she shook her head vehemently, as if that wasn't it.
And then, squeezing her eyes shut, she spoke.
"Please allow me to bear Hero's child!"
The Queen's sudden, outrageous remark.
Reactions to the Queen's statement varied.
— Crash!
Laila dropped the wine glass she was holding, shattering it.
[??]
[?]
[???]
The chat window erupted into chaos.
"Keuhk, cough...! Hack...!!!"
And I—food lodged in my throat, goosebumps rising from an inexplicable chill.