The 5000-year-old Herbivorous Dragon

「Evil Dragon-sama. Have you decided on our next destination? 」

「Yup. There is this place that I want to go a little. Is it okay? 」

「If Evil Dragon-sama decided that it was necessary, then it must be indispensable for subduing the Demon King. I have no complaints. 」

With Rēko on my back, I walked through the plains.

The destination is a country that Sheina told me about.

—a country where the research of demons, gods, and spirits’ nature progressed. At that place, a way to seal Rēko’s magical power might exist.

Rēko’s magical power far exceeds any normal human’s limit.

It can be said that she is close to being a demon already, and her magic power is in development to be able to “plant roots of fear in people’s hearts”.

That country has advanced research on that path, so I might be able to obtain some useful clues.

「Speaking of wants, I wish I could bring Spirit-san with us……」

Because in that kind of nation, if we bring Spirit-san with us, we would have been welcomed by any means.

It seems like a spirit that looks like a person and could obey instructions to some extent is very valuable.

However, Spirit-san is originally a gold mine in Sheina’s country.

If I take it out of the country without permission, “The Evil Dragon robbed the gold mine and ran away!” it may end up in this kind of situation.

I want her to come with me as a runaway because I would be able to fly if Spirit-san is with us, but I gave up, crying.

「What wrong with the spirit, Evil Dragon-sama?」

「It’s nothing. I’m just wondering if it will be easier to talk to the people in the country we are going to if we bring Spirit-san with us. 」

「Shall I bring her here now? 」

「We-well no. It will be easier for Spirit-san to live at the place where she is originally from. 」

I know that if I order it, Spirit-san will return to being a gold mountain. Spirit-san is still humanoid right now though.

Sheina is saying “Maybe she will be able to help Evil Dragon-sama somehow in an unlikely event?” while laughing, but I know that she is probably still trying to tame Spirit-san.

Well, I’m grateful for that too.

If we are really having trouble, I still have the option to have Rēko fly and sneak in Spirit-san with us.

.

「Then, let’s do our best at negotiation. Even without the spirit, this me will show the opponent my art of conversation. 」

「You……are you still worrying about the mission? 」

Gikuri, Rēko’s body stiffens on my back.

「My apologies. I am too tense because I am trying to get rid of my stigma…」

「I won’t say that’s a stigma. I know that you did your best at the capital. Besides, two of the Demon King’s Army executives appeared in the middle of the mission, right? Something like that happened, but everyone is safe. So, it can be said that the mission is a great success. 」

Rēko still looked a little depressed, but she finally smiled a little when I encouraged her.

「That’s right……I am still immature, but that is because I still have room for growth. I will stay positive. 」

「Are you still going to grow? 」

I would be troubled if she grows any further.

However, it was better than her staying depressed—so I just laugh along.

I wonder if she will grow stronger on her own, no matter what I say.

Rēko slapped both of her cheeks with her hands, as if to make herself enthusiastic.

「Yeah, I can’t be depressed forever. If I worry about it and neglect to be diligent, I won’t be able to catch up soon. 」

「Catch up? To whom? 」

Is it that self-proclaimed kin? If it’s Rēko, I’m sure she will definitely beat him next time.

「It’s Raiotto. 」

However, an unexpected name came out from Rēko’s mouth.

「Err, why Raiotto?」

「I was looking down on him. Because he was not chosen as the sacrifice, he rudely threw a stone at Evil Dragon-sama in the village……There is an ugly jealousy of “Why wasn’t it me” included in that stone. 」

「Did you interpret the stone in that way? 」

I wonder why she interpreted it that badly. I could see some more simple motives in that stone.

「Having such guts even though he is an outcast, I am convinced that he will live a rough life, abandoning himself in drinking thinking “I couldn’t be Evil Dragon-sama’s sacrifice anyway.” 」

「Your conviction of him is strangely harsh. 」

「However, contrary to my expectation, he chased Evil Dragon-sama without giving up—this is his sacrificial nature that I looked up to……Evil Dragon-sama? Why are you shedding tears? 」

`「Just thinking about a pitiful person somewhere in the world. 」

Sorry Raiotto. I can’t stop this child anymore. Well, I’ve never been able to stop her anyway.

Then, Rēko looks ahead to the plains with a bright face.

「 That’s why, I decided to go back to the basics and do my best. The most important thing is to try again and again if I make a mistake. I always thought that Raiotto was an annoying loser, but I learned something important this time. His indomitable guts, he deserves to be my sacrifice rival. 」

「Uun, will he be happy that her evaluation of him improved this way? 」

When I was wondering how to react, Rēko grabbed my horn from her position on my back.

With a very happy expression.

「However, I have no intention of giving up the status of Evil Dragon-sama’s kin, no matter how strong the other party is. 」

Along with Rēko’s rising tension, wings start to grow on my back.

But I’m no longer impatient. It is no exaggeration to say that flying is already one of my specialties. With a confident smile, I nodded at Rēko who was riding on my back.

「Ain’t that right! Well then, let’s fly there at full speed! 」

「Roger! 」

Rēko answered back with a big smile.

Then, she swung her dagger in the direction we are going, and my body burst into the air at unprecedented speed…

— and my consciousness and memory disappeared at that point.ƒ𝗿e𝘦𝚠𝗲𝚋n𝚘ν𝙚𝗹.𝑐o𝙢