Chapter 14

During the day, while walking through the apple orchard in the garden, I noticed a rare intruder.

"..."

It was a little girl staring intently at an apple.

She was dressed in black, with black hair and black eyes.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Thinking she might be lost, I called out to her, and she pointed to a tree.

A tree with golden apples.

"Is that an apple?"

"Yeah, it's an apple. You figured it out well."

Despite her young appearance, she spoke with a surprisingly clear and confident voice.

"I understand. I am a traveler."

"Ah, I see."

What, is it okay for someone her age to travel in this country?

Or maybe this area of the forest is safer than I thought.

"I am Hestia, nice to meet you."

"Ah, nice to meet you."

She can greet people properly; she's a capable little girl.

As I watched her, her stomach growled.

"..."

"Are you hungry?"

"..."

She tilted her head.

Is this kid okay in every way?

"..."

The little girl stared intently at the apple.

Does she want to eat it?

But, I heard that the blood of dragons and magic in the apples are poisonous to ordinary people.

So,

"Hey, Sakura."

"Yes, what is it, Master?"

I decided to ask Sakura.

"Sakura, is it okay to give this apple to her?"

"Oh, what a cute little girl."

When Sakura looked at her, the little girl in black also stared back.

"Yes... With her level of magic, she should be fine to eat it."

"Wow, she has quite a bit of magic for such a young girl."

Well, she wouldn't be a traveler otherwise.

"But, I think it's better not to give her the golden apple."

"Yeah, I understand that."

We don't know what kind of symptoms it might cause.

So, I'll give her a red apple.

"Here you go."

Since she's too short to reach, I picked it and handed it to her.

"? Are you giving it to me?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll take it."

The little girl started to eat the apple, skin and all, with her small mouth.

"Is it delicious?"

"It's sweet..."

"I see."

However, Sakura, who is usually quite strict, was unusually gentle with her.

"Maybe you like children?"

"Yes, as a house spirit, children who bring liveliness are desirable."

Ah, right. Sakura is a house spirit. I had forgotten that.

"You say that, but Master, you're also kind to children, aren't you?"

"I'm basically kind as long as they don't cause me trouble or interfere with my peace."

Until now, I've only dealt with people who cause trouble without considering my situation.

"It's gone."

She seems to have finished eating while we were talking.

"It was sweet. I feel satisfied."

"You know some big words, don't you?"

I ruffled her hair.

The little girl made a slightly ticklish face but soon accepted it.

It was heartwarming.

"Well, we're going back. Hestia, what about you?"

"I'm going back too. The apple was delicious."

"Ah, see you."

"Yeah, see you."

With that, Hestia turned and disappeared into the western forest without looking back.

"What a mysterious child."

"Yeah, it's the first time I've met a normal child and had a normal conversation since coming to this world."

Until now, everything has been too eventful.

But it's good to have someone I can have a normal conversation with.

●●●

At the edge of the western forest, where the dense trees should be, the brown and yellow earth was visible.

The little girl in black was with a dragon.

The dragon, known as an Extreme Wyvern, was bowing its head to the little girl, Hestia.

"I have been waiting for you, Dragon King! It's good to see you return from the human world!"

The dragon spoke in the dragon language, but

"Hmm"

Hestia understood it.

"How was the reconnaissance of the one you should fight?"

"Strong."

With a dazed look, Hestia answered immediately.

"..."

"Is that so, even the Dragon King thinks so?"

"Actually, I don't want to fight."

"Huh?"

"Probably, I can't win. And I don't want to burn that place."

Hestia knew.

Having lived for hundreds of years as a dragon and traveled for decades as a human, she could gauge the strength of her opponents.

"That man is much stronger than me. And the magic-filled apples were delicious."

"R-Really? Apples?"

"Yeah, that's why I can't burn it."

"But, the hotheaded ones are ready to attack—"

"I know. Just wait. I will challenge him. ...Otherwise, they won't be satisfied."

Hestia knew the rough nature of dragons.

"Charging in without knowing the difference in strength is just foolish. Knowing it and still charging in is even more foolish."

But, dragons do it.

"I am the Dragon King, the king of fools. So, I have to challenge him, even as a representative."

"Yes, Dragon King!!"

"This is a battle to prevent the destruction of dragons."

If I win, that man will be gone. If I lose, the dragons will stop fighting after seeing my humiliation.

Either way, the battle between the dragons and that man should end. So,

"Even if I lose, don't complain, okay?"

"Understood! Dragon King, Hestia Raudna!!"

And she started walking.

Through the forest, to the dragon valley.

Thank you for your continued support! I'll update thoroughly this weekend!