第９００堀：動き出す時 (Part2)
To me, dragons had always been nothing more than the pinnacle of monsters, symbols of calamity.
……Well, that was until I came to Weed.
Nowadays, they’re just another form of aerial combat power.
"Well, that is the reason we have lived on this mountain peak, though I suppose the times have changed without me noticing. Even so, the fear of dragons remains, which is why you all came here."
"That is correct. We cannot have dragons running wild as they please," General Lowell replied, hitting the nail right on the head.
The sheer bluntness of her answer sent a ripple of tension through us. If the negotiations were to fall apart right here, I shuddered to think what Yuki would say...
"Sister!! Surely you don't have to be so direct! I am terribly sorry for her rudeness..."
"Quiet, Charl. Lord Gaul wishes to hear the truth and the facts. There is no point in wrapping things in layers of sugar-coated, circuitous language. Besides, it is far more insulting to assume he is the type of person to take offense at such a thing."
"Ugh."
I have to say, she really does hit the mark with her logic at times like these.
"Haha, no, please, do not concern yourselves. I understand your perspective. However, as Lady Lowell says, I am not the type to take offense at such trivialities, so please, set your minds at ease."
"……I am grateful for your magnanimity, Lord Gaul. And I apologize for my rudeness."
Princess Charl shrank back, looking small. Still, Lord Gaul truly seems to be a man of great character. If it’s like this...
"Lord Gaul. If you are willing, why not come to Weed for a visit?"
"Oh? To Weed? Would that not invite chaos?"
"Weed is not so fragile that it would fall into chaos over something like that."
As I said this, everyone nodded in agreement. I feel bad for Gaul, but we’ve seen more than enough dragons to be unfazed. Besides, while Gaul’s dragon form is reasonably strong, it’s still weaker than the dragons under Steve and his subordinates. If anything were to happen, we could handle it easily.
In fact, it would be more of a nuisance if he were to run wild here, so if I could, I’d bring the whole lot of them with us. Plus, having him see Weed for himself would prove that we aren't just blowing smoke—it’s what you’d call killing two birds with one stone.
As for his answer...
"Hmm. I suppose this, too, is fate. ...Perhaps Lady Miyabi hoped for this outcome."
"Now that you mention it, that might be true."
Queen Miyabi must have given us that jewel with this exact situation in mind. She knew that if it were us, we might have a chance at bringing Lord Gaul along. She probably didn't say it outright because she wasn't certain he would be there.
"So, what is your answer? Oh, there is no need to decide immediately. The purpose of our visit was merely to ensure that the Intercontinental Exchange Conference would not be threatened. Given what we have discussed, I trust you, Lord Gaul, so I consider our objective already achieved."
The conversation has drifted quite a bit, but as I said, our main goal is effectively complete. Besides, given the scale of this village, if we monitor it with drones and familiars, we can respond immediately in an emergency. Well, I’ll need to get permission before researching this location to avoid damaging our relationship with the Dragonkin, so I’ll save that for after we’ve grown closer.
So, we’ve gotten what we came for, and now is not the time to be greedy; we could just leave it at this. Or so I thought, but...
"Hey, Gaul-san. You should definitely come to Weed. People from not just this continent, but other continents as well, are going to be arriving soon. If you greet them properly there, we can introduce you and the others as the 'good dragons' we know."
"……"
We all stared, dumbfounded by Riel’s sudden interjection.
That’s right. She’s absolutely right. As Riel said, if he is properly introduced at this Intercontinental Exchange Conference, his position will be solidified. Well, if he were to behave poorly, his standing would suffer, but he doesn't seem like the type to commit such folly, and we certainly wouldn't let him anyway.
This moment could be the greatest opportunity for the Dragonkin. And this opportunity, Lord Gaul...
"Truly. It seems Lady Miyabi foresaw this as well. ...I understand. I shall descend this mountain with you all and head to Weed. I will see it with my own eyes and judge for myself."
"Lord Gaul. I thank you for your decision. I swear that Gartz and Weed will take responsibility for protecting you and this village of Dragonkin."
"O-oh, Sister!?"
"Yeah! Leave it to us! Yuki-san and the rest of us will definitely protect you!"
"R-Riel!?"
*Sigh.* To make such a promise on her own... Well, I don't think Yuki or the King of Gartz would go back on it, though.
And so, it was decided that we would descend the mountain with Lord Gaul and a few of his Dragonkin.
This was Riel’s miracle move. Riel acts on intuition.
She really has a knack for hitting the right spot, doesn't she?