Chapter 25

The next night, in the living room of my house.

I was facing a man.

We sat on sofas, facing each other across the table.

The man had an air of mystery about him.

He seemed overly cautious, his expression strangely tense.

What was going on...?

"Ah, um. My name is Cyril Larouche."

"I'll go by Six."

"Go by...?"

And Six, that name felt like a pseudonym.

There must be some reason behind it.

"What does this Six want from me?"

I intensified my tone and acted a bit condescending.

"Cyril Larouche, I have a job for you, one I think you're suited for."

"...What kind of job?"

"It's about transporting some cargo."

"Transporting cargo?"

I tilted my head.

There are various jobs a Dragon Knight can be asked to do, but transporting cargo is one of the simplest.

It's so simple that it's rarely entrusted to the guild or its Dragon Knights; it's usually handled by the local government.

The job I did before, delivering love letters for Miss Catherine, was of that type.

It's already strange that such a simple job would be requested with such a mysterious air.

"It's cargo transportation. The reward for success is 30,000 reals."

"30,000!?"

Even though I was already on guard—meaning I was somewhat prepared—I was still shocked.

Thirty thousand reals.

It's said that an average man in his twenties earns about 1,000 reals a month.

Thirty thousand is equivalent to two and a half years' worth of earnings.

The amount was too large.

I was certain it wasn't normal.

"What exactly are you transporting?"

"I can't say."

"Can't say?"

"I want you to take the cargo as it is and deliver it to the destination."

"You don't want me to pry into the contents, huh..."

Six didn't respond.

He just stared at me silently.

So that's what you mean.

I thought about it.

The air of danger was thick, but I was intrigued.

The more unusual the request, the more my interest was piqued.

Well, what should I do?

*Gwa-ha-ha-ha-ha. I have arrived!*

"!?"

Chris appeared outside the window.

As usual, he made a sudden entrance.

I was used to it, but Six, who was encountering this for the first time, froze at the sight of Chris.

"Are you okay?"

"..."

*It's natural to be intimidated by my greatness.*

"Intimidated? Is that what happens?"

*To mere mortals, yes.*

Chris laughed heartily.

*But more importantly, you were having an interesting conversation, weren't you?*

"Yeah, I guess."

It was interesting, I had to admit.

I was intrigued, even though I knew it was dangerous.

"It's not a normal request."

I glanced at Six.

He was still in shock, speechless.

"It sounds interesting, but what is it?"

*Alright, I'll get the information out of him.*

"How are you going to do that?"

*Hahaha, it's impossible to hide anything from me, the great one.*

"Uh..."

I didn't think that was true.

But that's what I thought, given my usual interactions with Chris.

*Your eyes show doubt.*

"Well..."

*Fine, I'll show you.*

Chris glared at Six.

*Human, what are you hiding from my dear friend? Speak the truth, without holding back.*

"!"

When Chris glared at him, Six shuddered and fell off the sofa, collapsing on the floor.

Not only that, he had wet his pants, steam rising from them.

He had lost control of his bladder.

"Hey, what did you do?"

*I just applied a bit of pressure. In the face of my dignity, ordinary humans wet their pants, and those with weak hearts die on the spot.*

"Wh-what!?"

*Hahaha, but a friend who can withstand that should realize their own greatness. That's what I'm saying.*

"No, that's not what I meant..." (?)

The conversation was getting off track.

*But more importantly, my friend, ask him. He'll answer honestly now. If I glare at him again, his heart might really stop. That would be counterproductive.*

"Ah, right."

I turned to Six again and asked.

"Hey, what kind of cargo is worth a 30,000 real reward?"

"D-dragon tear incense."

"Dragon tear incense?"

I tilted my head.

It was a term I had never heard before.

*Ah, that's it.*

"Do you know it, Chris?"

*Yes.*

Chris nodded vigorously from outside the window.

*As the name suggests, it's a type of incense. When burned, it releases a fragrance with a hypnotic effect. I think... it allows you to see your preferred dreams.*

"Preferred dreams?"

*Yes. Have you ever had a dream where you could do whatever you wanted?*

"Well, occasionally."

I nodded slightly.

Sometimes, in a dream, I realize, "Ah, this is a dream," and after that, I can often control the dream's progression freely.

It happens occasionally, but more often when I take a second nap.

"Is that what this does?"

*Exactly. For humans, it's a dream-like item that allows you to experience hallucinations freely and safely. Since it's just a dream, there's no physical impact except for possibly hurting your back from oversleeping.*

"Ahaha..."

I chuckled wryly.

Hurting your back from oversleeping.

It happens occasionally.

Sleeping is supposed to rest your body, but sometimes oversleeping can hurt your back, which is a bit ironic.

I chuckled at that.

I understood what dragon tear incense was.

It sounded like a dream-like item.

If it really allows you to control your dreams freely, many people would want to use it.

Everyone has one or two, or maybe a dozen, dreams they've given up on.

If you can experience them freely in your dreams, there's no better item.

*I see, that's why.*

"Huh?"

*Dragon tear incense was once designated as a prohibited item by human kings.*

"Prohibited item?"

*So, your request to my friend is about smuggling a prohibited item.*

I was shocked and turned to Six.

Six flinched.

"Is that true?"

"A-ah..."

Six nodded timidly, still intimidated by Chris.

"That's why... no, wait."

*Hmm?*

"Why was it prohibited? There are no negative effects except for hurting your back from oversleeping, right?"

*Humans became addicted to it.*

"Well, yeah... they would get addicted."

*It's not harmful to the users, but humans often use it to see erotic dreams. You understand, don't you?*

"..."

I dodged the question.

I understood the sentiment, but it was a topic I didn't want to acknowledge straightforwardly.

*As a result of the addiction, many humans stopped having children in reality.*

"..."

*For a while, the number of children being born dropped significantly.*

"How much did it drop?"

*Humans need to have at least two children per couple to maintain the population.*

"Ah."

I nodded at Chris's premise.

On average, a couple needs to have two children to maintain the population, which is a basic fact.

The question was how much it had actually dropped, and I waited with bated breath for Chris's answer.

*It was around 0.7 children per couple.*

"Wh-what!?"

S-so much?

*With such a low birth rate, the country would have collapsed, so dragon tear incense was made a prohibited item.*

"Of course... that would happen."

*While I think it's a waste to prohibit it, there are people who need it.*

"People who need it? What kind of people?"

*An old man who has lost his wife after many years of marriage.*

Chris stated it bluntly.

It was probably just one example.

"..."

After a moment of thought, I understood.

It... yes, it's necessary.

If the effects of dragon tear incense are real, an old man who has lost his wife can meet her in his dreams without bothering anyone.

It... is necessary.

It might be a problem for those in power, but there are definitely people who need it.

So—

I turned to Six, who was still intimidated by Chris.

"I'll take the job."

*Hahaha, as expected of my dear friend. I want to show this decision to the incompetent authorities.*

Chris was pleased with my decision.