第１０８３堀：〇〇してでも奪い取る (Part1)
CHAPTER 1083: I'll Take It, Even If I Have to Do XX
Side: Yuki
"Wh-what…?"
*What in the world… that dragon possesses an unexpected and incredible talent.*
Anyone would understand from those words.
Especially a certain Lich who was monitoring the situation…
"Hahahaha! I've never met anyone who would actually say that! Or, was it a dragon? 'What…?' he said! Ah, my stomach hurts!"
"Comet! Stop laughing and do your job properly!"
"Ah, no. I'm going to die laughing…"
"You're already dead, aren't you!"
Even with Hifi's retort, Comet's laughter didn't stop. He was gasping for breath, on the verge of death?
Well, he's a manga fan, after all. This must have been a critical hit.
I even burst out laughing, and Steve almost did too.
As expected of Steve, to have such composure in a life-or-death situation.
Well, I suppose that just shows the difference in combat power.
Despite being hit by such an unexpected verbal assault, Gaul-san calmly began to speak.
"I apologize for disturbing your rest. As a fellow of my kind, I hurried here upon hearing that a comrade was present. Would you be willing to speak with me?"
"A fellow of your kind? …Hmm, this presence. Old man, are you…?"
"Yes. I am also a dragon. However, my clothes would be torn, so please forgive me for not transforming to show you."
"I see. I never thought I'd meet a fellow dragon in a place like this. I thought the humans had come to interfere again."
"When you say interfere, do you mean those weapons and bones over there?"
"Indeed. As soon as they saw my form, they reported upwards or something, so I turned them to ash with my breath. Humans are weak, but troublesome when they gather. I can't afford to get unnecessarily tired."
I see. So, he annihilated the investigation team to avoid reports and the gathering of more humans.
But, in the end, we, the investigation team, have come, so perhaps his efforts were in vain.
Moreover, the root cause might be that this dragon is potentially causing a water shortage.
Either way, the investigation will not cease.
"I understand. Then, you are… Oh, forgive my manners. I am Gaul, who lives on Dragon Mountain in the direction of the Galtz Kingdom. May I have your name?"
"Oh! From that Dragon Mountain. Was the rumor true? Ah, my apologies. I am Coral, who once lived deep in the mountains of the Rumel Kingdom."
Hmm, Coral is responding honestly to Gaul's greeting.
Is he surprisingly talkative?
But why is a dragon who lived in Rumel coming all the way to the Dafio Kingdom, which is in the direction of the Roschur Kingdom?
Gaul seemed to have the same question…
"From Rumel? This is in the direction of the Roschur Kingdom. You've come from quite far away. Did you come via the Litea region?"
"No, I came around the Galtz region. The Litea region has many gods."
"Ah, that's right. There's also Lord Lilishe and the Beast God's shrine."
"If I pass through there carelessly, I'll be attacked even in human form. I'm not an evil dragon, you know."
"It can't be helped. The power of us dragons is too great. Our strength rivals that of the gods. It's no wonder people fear us."
Hmm, I've never really thought about it before, but are gods and dragons on an even footing?
Well, looking at their levels and stats, it's certainly a close match.
If something like that approached, the gods would surely drive them away with all their might. After all, it has the potential to take their lives.
Especially Lilishe and Tora, who are territorial, would definitely intercept with full force.
Ah, speaking of which, should I call Tora to Weed soon? Even if their grandparents' relationship hasn't improved, they could at least talk separately.
"However, it's troublesome to be treated with disdain just for being a dragon, even when I've done nothing. Because of that, I had to flee from Rumel to here."
"Flee?"
Huh? What does that mean? A dragon fleeing?
"Because I am gentle, they formed an extermination party. It's easy to scatter them, but it's inevitable that they'll send another one. Eventually, I'll have to fight the country head-on. If that happens, I'll become one of the evil dragons."
"And so you fled here."
"That's right. The initial mistake was letting the adventurers I encountered escape. That's why I don't intend to repeat such a mistake this time."
I see. So that's why he killed them all.
No, it's more like he tried to finish them off quickly, and they all ended up nicely roasted.
"So, is it by chance that you settled here?"
"Yes. I came to this mountain by chance. It was about a year ago? I was traveling around in human form, but this place suited me. I needed a spacious area, even while being surrounded. So, finding this place was fortunate."
Ah, I can't really say anything about that.
It's just human feelings, after all. I can't really tell them to endure it, or rather, the result of their endurance is that they came here.
And I also understood why there were no eyewitness reports.
He hadn't been living here for very long.
That's why there were no reports until recently, and no reason to be found.
Well, it's a region where ferocious monsters originally inhabit. There was no reason to step into it without cause.
However, an investigation team was formed for a certain reason…
"But humans have come all the way here. I wonder why. This place hasn't been used for a long time."
Ah, he doesn't realize that he's the reason humans came here.
Well, if he's been avoiding contact with humans, he probably wouldn't have considered water rights or anything like that.
Now, how will Gaul proceed with the conversation from here?
He himself is completely unaware. Should I tell him?
However, water originally belongs to no one. It's just that humans claim it.
Even if this dragon took it, it would only be an answer that such a result occurred.
If I told him to return it to the humans, he probably wouldn't be convinced.
"Ah, the answer to that is simple. Would you like me to tell you?"
"Oh, Lord Gaul knows why humans have come here. Can you tell me?"
Oh. It seems he's decided to tell him after all.
And, Steve is completely being ignored.
He looks like he's out of the loop and wondering what to do, but well, he's just a goblin, after all. It would be more troublesome if he got too much attention, so let's consider this good.
"Yes. The reason humans have come here is because Lord Coral diverted the water to that side."
"Water? Ah, I diverted water from the river so I could drink it anytime, but that's the cause? What do you mean?"
"Just as we need water to live, they also need water. And, are you aware that a human town is located downstream of this river?"