<h4>Chapter 111: Dragon Hunters I</h4>


    【137th day】


    As for where we gathered, it was dvain-sama''s dormitory, which we had been given permission to use. By the way, the food was all paid for by me. Also, I ended up treating dvain''s kin to the food as well, which saved some money but increased my workload. But Ea, Lazarissa, and Rutsuko-san lent me a hand, so it wasn’t too much trouble.


    Rutsuko-san.


    I did have a feeling that she might be a good cook, but the food she cooks is really delicious. As much as three men had proposed to her immediately after eating her freshly baked bread.


    She''ll probably make a good wife.


    As a fellow Japanese, I’m proud of her. The Japans that we''re from are slightly different though.


    While rxing in one of the dormitory''s rooms, I asked Otou-san a question that had just urred to me.


    「When is the dragoning?」


    To be honest, I''d like to work out at least one cooperative attack. I''d like to, but our magic power and stamina aren''t infinite, and there''s a limit to how much we can recover. Without knowing when the dragon is going to appear, there''s nothing we can do but wait in suspense.


    「It should be here soon」


    「Do you know when exactly?」


    「Rx. You''ll know when ites」


    「How will I know?」


    「Well, Lemuria has a bell, right?」


    「Yeah, that’s right」


    In Lemuria, there''s arge bell that announces the time.


    It tolls every morning, noon, and evening without fail.


    「When the dragones, that bell rings differently」


    「Otou-san, about that bell……」


    But there’s one thing I''ve always found strange. Whether it was when Makina made the map of Lemuria, or when she took pictures of the city from the sky, or when I explored the city with Misuranika-sama……


    「The bell that rings in Lemuria, where is it located?」


    ……I have note across anything like arge bell.


    Sure, there''s a bell on the watchtower on the outer walls. However, it''s used to signal the change of shifts, and doesn''t toll loud enough to be heard throughout the city and far out into the distant in.


    When we tried to triangte the source of the bell''s ringing, we got an even more baffling result. 30 meters above the main street of Lemuria. That''s where the ringinges from.


    Of course, other than the dungeon, there are no buildings that tall here.


    I mean, it''s just an empty space in the sky.


    Out of curiosity, I had a drone fly in and out of that spot, but there was nothing there. Nothing showed up on any of its sensors.


    But the sound definitely doese from that empty space.


    「Hmm, I have no idea. It''s a phantom bell tower」


    「Seriously~?」


    I can''t believe that even Otou-san has no clue.


    「Twenty years ago, the Guild looked into the matter, and I heard that they happened to findrge bells that sound strikingly simr」


    「Where?」


    「The abandoned capital of Rossian lies in-between Lemuria and the capital of death, Neomia. In the dungeon found in its catbs, it seems that there are over a thousand decrepitrge bells」


    What the heck, that''s scary.


    「And those bells also toll at certain times of day without fail, even though no one rings them」


    ………………It''s something supernatural.


    「Well, there are plenty of things in this world that no one really knows anything about. Like that Gunmerry over there」


    「That’s true」


    While being mindful of his surroundings, Gunmerry was slipping bread into his helmet. The curry soup, bowl and all, also went into the helmet. And then, a fork and a spoon too.


    So that''s why the number of utensils is always off after every meal with this guy.


    「Otou-san, that’s――」


    I still had many questions that I wanted to ask, but……


    I was especially surprised.


    It was a sound I was familiar with.


    「Oh, that''s the ringing I was talking about」


    That''s what Otou-san said, but this is not the ringing of a bell.


    Rutsuko-san turned to Otou-san.


    「How strange though. The same sound also exists in my world. It''s the sound that is yed when a disaster strikes」


    「Well, a dragon is indeed a disaster」


    Yes, it''s as she said, this is the "siren" that warns of disaster.


    What if this siren is something that came from the alternate world? No no no, that''s not possible


    For a moment,  of the Apes[1]” shed across my mind, but if that were the case, it wouldn''t exin the differences in the astronomical objects. The star chart is far too dissimr.


    If this was so far into the future that all the astronomical objects had changed, the itself would have already ceased to exist.


    It''s a mystery.


    Whatever the case may be, I''ll focus on hunting the dragon for now.


    I got up from my seat.


    The members of my party, Frey, Lazarissa, Rutsuko-san, and Gunmerry got up from their seats.


    Last was Barfuru-sama.


    Nervousness made me break out in a cold sweat.


    It''s not that I''m afraid of taking on a strong enemy. What I''m afraid of, is fighting with other people''s lives in my hands.


    Every time that happens, I always break out in a cold sweat. It''s a sign that I''m still an inexperienced adventurer, and also proof that I haven''t be careless.


    「Le, let''s go」


    I stumbled over my words a little.


    「Yeah~!」


    Rutsuko-san cheered enthusiastically.


    The others responded with a few "Ye, yeah" or some such. They were bad at getting into the mood.


    When we left the room, thinking that it was about time, we found dvain-sama and Shuna waiting for us in the hallway.


    「Souya」


    Shuna walked up.


    「――’s life is in your hands」


    And then bowed his head to Barfuru-sama, who was beside me.


    His behavior surprised me.


    「I heard from dvain-sama that you''re actually an amazing knight. Even though this guy is like this, he''s my precious leader. If he dies, a lot of things will likely break down. I don''t think I''ll ever be able to venture into the dungeon again. So, please, take care of him!」


    「Mmm, leave it to me」


    Barfuru-sama cocked his beast head and answered with a smile.


    Then, Galdvain-sama stepped in front of me.


    「Souya, it''s time to fulfill our promise」


    「Promise?」


    With dvain-sama? Was there something like that?


    「I said I would reward you for the matter with L, didn''t I?」


    「Ah!」


    I had forgotten all about it.


    I got sent to the left continent right after that and lots of things happened, so it had slipped my mind entirely.


    「Medimu, you should have reminded him as well. Especially since you''ve sneakily received the reward for yourself already」


    「Ah, no, I hadpletely forgotten about it. I was having too much fun swinging the katana」


    It appeared that Otou-san had forgotten all about it too.


    Speaking of which,


    「What did you receive, Otou-san?」


    「I learned the sword techniques for this」


    Otou-san tapped the hilt of his katana.


    「It''s not a weapon ever seen in our martial arts school''s history, but I created a system of techniques for it」


    「From scratch?」


    I had epted the brilliance of Otou-san''s skill with the sword, but I''d never have thought that anyone would be able to systemize Iaido and teach it to others so easily in the alternate world. Though it had been destroyed, as expected from the lineage of that martial arts school.


    「The question of whether it is the weapon or techniques thate first is a never-ending one for a warrior. The design of that sword has a lot of meaning. No matter how you look at it, its form is meant for ying humans. In that case, by the name of Velsvain, creating techniques for it is easy. However, how much more refined those techniques be is all up to you, Medimu」


    「I will continue to put my heart into it」


    Otou-san''s attitude was unusual.


    In front of this god, even the father of adventurers diminishes inparison. And I think I''ll soon get to see the strength of Barfuru-sama, a person who remains arrogant even in front of such a god.


    The siren had stopped before I realized it.


    A strong wind that was generated by the pping of something huge''s wings.


    「It’s here」


    dvain-sama smiled fearlessly.


    I mean……


    「Umm, dvain-sama. If you could hurry it up a little………」


    ……you could have told me earlier.


    「Hnn………that''s, well, mmm」


    You also forgot about it until thest minute, didn''t you?


    「Uhh, I''m not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but how long will it take?」


    「Assuming you have a natural talent for it, Souya, it should take you ten days to master the katana techniques」


    「There''s no time for that! The dragon is already here!」


    「What about a weapon then? I''ll lend you my beloved sword」


    「I''m sorry, I can''t wield that」


    In all likelihood, carrying her absurdlyrge sword will be all I can manage.


    「Then………………as an exception, I''ll bestow upon you my blessing」


    「dvain-sama, that''ll surely send the wrong message to the kin」


    Even Shuna is against it.


    Screams and cheers areing from the outside. It''s already started!


    「dvain-sama, we''ll continue this conversation after the battle is over!」


    「But then, you see, depending on what happens, this may be thest chance for this. I want to do onest thing for you」


    「Okaa-sama(Mother)! Why do you have to say something so inauspicious before we go?!」


    Oh crap.


    I made a mistake simr to how schoolkids would identally call their teacher "mum" in the heat of the moment.


    「Oh, I have a better idea. Hmm, yes, one that won''t send the wrong message to my kin」


    Dear god, you seem to havee up with something.


    I don''t care what it is, just hurry up, hurry up.


    「I''ll bestow protection from fire. To be precise, I''ll give it to both Rana and Ea. This will be easy and quick to give. Souya, are you okay with that?」


    「Yes, please. Protection for my wife and sister is more than enough reward for me」


    That would be a great help.


    To be honest, I''m more worried about those girls than I am about myself. I’m worried to death every time.


    「Time is short, so I''m going to be a bit rough」


    dvain-sama bit her thumb hard, and then sucked her own blood.


    She pulled Rana close, then made her drink it through her lips.


    「MMM～～!」


    The suddenness of it gave Rana no time to resist.


    I was struck speechless.


    Needless to say, everyone else in the room was also dumbstruck.


    The movement of the two women''s lips and the gulps seemed both erotic and sacred at the same time.


    「My blood shall repel the dragon''s mes. I bestow upon you the blessing of blood」


    Through those words, god prayed.


    But there didn''t seem to be anything in particr that had changed. Rana''s face was bright red, but that was probably due to something else.


    When Rana was finally released, she went limp and I caught her in my arms before she copsed to the ground.


    「Come, you''re next, Ea」


    「I''m so sorry!」


    My sister turned invisible and ran away.


    「There isn''t much difference between being kissed by me and being kissed by your mothers though」


    dvain-sama looked disappointed.


    As a Japanese, I don''t quite understand the concept of mothers and daughters kissing.


    「Alright, now there is nothing to worry about!」


    God smacked me hard on my back.


    The impact was amazing, but it didn''t hurt.


    「Now, all you new dragon hunters. Get out there and do battle with pride! If you die, we will mourn and pay our respects to you. Honor doesn''t lie in defeating the dragon. It is the act of standing up to the dragon that is honorable! Go forth and prove yourselves!」


    This is no different from challenging the dungeon.


    Risking one''s life to explore, and putting one''s life on the line in battles. Proving one''s very existence by fighting a dragon. What a worthwhile way to live this is.


    I raised my voice.


    「Let''s go, everyone! Don''t be afraid, don''t falter, and don''t run away! Now that we''ve sworn a blood oath to one another, we must protect ourrades with our lives! But remember, don''t die!」


    Cheers rang out from everyone in the party.


    This time, it was in a single, unified voice.


    [1] If you’ve not read or watched of the Apes, be warned, spoilers ahead. It’s a science-fiction ssic written by French author Pierre Boulle in 1963. The story is about a group of astronauts who woke up at the end of a light-speed voyage to find an alien popted by a society of intelligent apes. The twist at the end, where they uncovered the Statue of Liberty and realized that the “alien” was Earth long after humans had wiped themselves off the in an apocalyptic nuclear war, is the stuff of legend.


    Woahhh! The fight against the dragon starts next chapter! No bait and switch, no cut to the end, just 2 very long chapters of dragon fighting. I don’t want to hype expectations up too high, but this is a fun fight to read!


    Yeah, in case anyone also forgot all about it, Otou-san used sword & board before this. He didn’t suddenly know how to use a katana out of nowhere lol. Souya had kendo training, as was alluded several times, so it makes sense for him to have some basics. As for what dvain was talking about, to rify, it is the question of whether weapons caused people to invent techniques for wielding them, or did techniques cause people to invent weapons that suited them.


    By the way, I tried to set it up beforehand, but “life is in your hands” still feels a bit weird to me haha. Shuna actually just says, “Please take care of Souya,” except because of how Japanese grammar is backwardpared to English, “Souya” is at the start of the sentence, allowing for that scene where it seems at first that Shuna is calling out to Souya, but is actually talking to Barfuru-sama. A glimpse of the headaches I encounter when tranting. XD


    Anyway, you won’t want to miss the next few chapters! Stay tuned!