Chapter 41

A rainbow dragon descended from the sky.

However, it did not dive down as if to attack; instead, it landed very softly in the garden and turned its head toward me.

"Thank you for allowing me to land."

"Well, it's fine, but do you need something from Hestia?"

"No... Ah, speaking in this language would be disrespectful to you. I will now change into a human form."

With that, the rainbow dragon was enveloped in white smoke. Then, an old man in a butler's uniform appeared. He stood straight and had a sharp, youthful face.

"Phew, now I can speak in human language. Can you understand me?"

"Yeah, I can understand you."

Hearing my words, the old man let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good. I'm not good at this kind of 'human transformation' spell."

Human transformation spell, huh. So that exists.

"...Hey, Hestia, can all dragons transform into humans?"

"If they live for about a hundred years and train their intelligence to learn magic, some can. Some can't."

I see. So it's rare, then.

"Yeah. Sometimes, if they live too long, their intelligence degenerates, and they become mere animals, so it's rare."

"Really?"

Dragons can become senile too, huh.

"But if there's a risk of causing significant damage, we'll handle it, so it's not a problem."

"Sometimes they survive and make homes in the Demon Forest, but that's rare. Dragons that have become animals either get eaten or die in the wild."

The old dragon added more information, but the dragon society seems pretty harsh.

Still, it's interesting to learn new things.

"Anyway, what's the purpose of your visit today? Did you have something to say to Hestia?"

"No, today, I came to pay homage to the new ruler. As I am relatively small, Genryu represents us. Please accept my respects."

Genryu said this and bowed deeply.

"Oh, thank you. I appreciate it."

"The others are waiting over there."

Genryu pointed to the sky, where a group of dragons filled the blue sky.

"Wow, there are so many!"

"They want to meet you. Should I call them if needed?"

"No, that's fine. This garden can't handle that many."

There were dozens of them, some quite large, and they were chattering loudly.

"That boss... he's human, but he spoke our language just now!?"

"Didn't it take us decades to learn our language?"

"Wow. He did this for us. That's amazing..."

They were whispering to each other.

Genryu must have thought it was too noisy,

"..."

He glared at the sky, and they fell silent.

Actually, I didn't learn this language for the dragons. I just happened to learn it. But there's no point in correcting them, so I'll let it be.

Anyway, there's no space to land so many dragons.

"Understood. Then, just a greeting. —We, the flying dragons, are at your service."

Genryu bowed again, and the dragons in the sky also bowed their heads. It's good that they're greeting me, but,

"Got it. For now, don't go into the town, okay? You'll surprise people again."

"As you wish."

Genryu raised his head and waved to the dragons in the sky. They returned to the valley.

"Thank you for recognizing us. New ruler, if anything harmful appears, please use us, the flying dragons. —We can help eliminate any threats to you."

Genryu said this quietly. His sharp eyes, which didn't match his old body, showed a lot of sincerity.

"Ah... If that time comes, sure."

I'll take that offer, even if I don't think I'll need it.

"Yes... We are fortunate to have met someone as strong and kind as you."

"Huh? Kind?"

"...You didn't kill our queen, Hestia. That alone is a reason for us to respect and swear loyalty to you."

It seems Hestia was quite beloved by the flying dragons. She said she wasn't needed, but she's still trusted.

Then, Genryu looked at Hestia.

"Hestia-sama"

"You don't need to use 'sama' anymore."

"No, you are still our queen who protected us."

Hestia scratched her cheek at Genryu's words. Maybe she was blushing.

There are some good guys among dragons too.

"Well, it's good that everything worked out. So, Genryu, are you done?"

"No, there's one more thing. I came here to tell Hestia-sama something."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"It seems the Black Dragon King is starting to move in this area. I sensed a bit of the unique magic of a Dragon King."

At the mention of the Black Dragon King, Hestia reacted.

"That one? Moving? I see..."

"Do you know him?"

"Yeah, a bit. I'm well-connected among the Dragon Kings."

I remember she said there were six other Dragon Kings.

"Is he dangerous?"

"Generally, harmless."

"Got it. Then, it's fine."

Hestia didn't attack me without a reason. If the Dragon King is harmless, it's okay for him to be nearby.

"So, please convey my regards if you meet him."

"Okay, I will."

"Then, I'll take my leave!"

With that, Genryu left.

Right after the dragon's visit, Hestia and I were resting in the sunny part of the garden.

"Today, we had a lot of guests and a lot of talking. I'm tired."

"Me too, a bit."

"Maybe a nap?"

"Yeah, me too."

And so, we fell asleep until Sakura called us for dinner.