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Volume 9 Chapter 246

Ryuushin and Hinata

I had planned to intimidate the extermination party with my black dragon form, but things took a dangerous turn.
Accompanied by four men dressed similarly to Hinata and the village chief, three men and women approached the cave. However, I recognized two of them, especially the man.
He is my school friend and also my sister’s husband, Haruto.
He is a monster who could beat me, in my complete dragon form, with just his bare hands.
These four men were likely individuals who had sought help from the adventurer’s guild on behalf of the four villages, including Hinata’s village, which were part of the community.
In that case, Haruto had come here as part of the extermination party.
By the way, the woman next to Haruto was Seira, the former Holy Maiden. She was also Haruto’s wife.
As a former Holy Maiden, her holy element magic was exceptionally powerful.
I probably wouldn’t lose in a fight against her, but I would likely sustain considerable damage.
Well, I wouldn’t dare to fight Seira anyway.
If I laid a hand on her, Haruto would kill me.
He had the power to easily erase me, the strongest coloured dragon in this world.
「We’ve come to defeat the wicked dragon…… but you’re not the wicked dragon, are you?」
「N-No! Absolutely not!」
Haruto asked, and I immediately denied it.
Even as a joke, saying 『I’m the wicked dragon』would only amuse Haruto, leading him to attack me.
He was that kind of person.
He probably knew it was me.
But since he didn’t say it, maybe he was trying to confirm our circumstances.
He was a sage.
Very sharp-witted.
So, I decided to rely on Haruto and take a gamble.
「I defeated the wicked dragon」
「……I heard there was a girl who was offered as a sacrifice. What happened to her?」
It was probably Hinata.
The villagers from other villages had also informed Haruto about Hinata being offered as a sacrifice.
「I saved her. She’s still alive」
「Our client wants to see her. They want to confirm her safety」
A well-built warrior-like man who approached me with Haruto and Seira spoke.
Was he from the Adventurers’ guild?
By the way, the four men who guided Haruto and the others here were hiding on a distant cliff.
「……No」
「W-Why not?」
「The girl offered as a sacrifice—Hinata, I saved her. I’ve taken a liking to her. I’ve decided to protect Hinata’s village under the condition that she accompanies me. So, I can’t allow her to meet some unknown men from who-knows-where」
「I see…… I apologise. I’m Lawrence, I’m in charge of the adventurers’ guild in Gareth, the nearest town from here」
The man who came with Haruto introduced himself as the guild master.
So, indeed, Haruto and the others had come here at the request of the adventurer’s guild.
Haruto and Seira might waive the expenses incurred by coming here if I asked, but they had still brought the guild master here.
It would result in a considerable bill.
So—
「Lawrence, was it? Thanks for coming all this way. However, I’ve already defeated the wicked dragon. And Hinata’s village is under my protection」
I tried to act as authoritative as possible.
I am a black dragon.
Dragons are considered protectors of a region and are revered as guardians if they can communicate and protect humans.
It shouldn’t be a problem to act a little arrogant.
It was all to avoid paying the guild’s request fee.
「I won’t allow any further…… interference」
「 —-Ugh…… U-Understood… …We’ll do as the Black Dragon says」
Sweat dripped from Lawrence’s forehead.
My claim was acknowledged.
It was worth showing a bit of hostility.
Alright! Please just go back now!!
「Excuse me?」
The monster who disregarded my intimidating words approached calmly.
「…….What is it?」
「You said you have the girl accompany you?」
Magic swirled around Haruto.
Uh-oh.
I seemed to have made a mistake in my approach……
Haruto was angry.
「That…… was it the girl’s decision? Did you force her?」
So that’s how it is!
I had Hinata accompany me for meals, but upon closer inspection, it was because I had set such conditions.
If asked here whether it was my instruction to call Hinata here, it would be extremely bad.
Because I had requested it.
If I, who is stronger than the wicked dragon, requested it, it could easily be considered coercion.
「……」
Uh-oh. I can’t come up with a good answer.
「I can’t answer that. Dragons who threaten girls and coerce them into being their companions… …they’re like wicked dragons, aren’t they?」
「……Huh?」
Haruto gave me a very cold look.
Then, he conjured a massive spear of light above his head.
W-Wait, does he think I slept with Hinata?!
And worse, that I forced her into it?!
I didn’t do anything like that!
I just had Hinata accompany me for meals!
「H-Hold on a sec—」
「……You’ve fallen, haven’t you?」
Haruto’s hand swung down.
The spear of light aimed at me—
「Ryuushin-sama!」
「What!?」
Hinata flew out in front of me.
She spread out her arms, as if to protect me—
「Hinata!!」
Haruto’s magic was closing in.
I couldn’t avoid it.
I surrounded Hinata with my body and reinforced only the dragon skin around her.
By concentrating the dragon skin hat usually covers my entire body in one place, Hinata should be protected from Haruto’s magic.
I absolutely had to protect Hinata!
「Wha—?」
Even after waiting for what seemed like forever, there was no damage.
I hesitantly raised my head.
「Sorry for doubting you, Ryuushin」
There was a smile on Haruto’s face.
It seemed he had stopped the activation of his magic halfway.
「We don’t seem to have a wicked dragon, so we’ll leave now. See you tomorrow」
Saying that, Haruto left with Seira and the guild master.
「Ryuushin-sama……」
Hinata, surrounded by the black dragon’s body, spoke up.
「Hinata, it was dangerous. Why did you come out?」
「Because, because Ryuushin-sama—」
Hinata started crying.
「I-It’s not that I’m angry. I just didn’t want to see Hinata in danger」
「I feel the same way! You said it would be okay, that—everything would be fine!!」
「……I’m sorry, Hinata」
Returning to my human form, I embraced Hinata.
She also wrapped her arms around my back.
「Ryuushin-sama, from now on, please only transform into a dragon when I’m by your side」
「Huh?」
After calming down a bit, Hinata said that.
「Because if Ryuushin-sama is mistaken for a bad dragon and someone tries to attack him, I’ll stop it!」
That’s quite dangerous, isn’t it?
It is not always possible to stop an attack in the midway like Haruto, and in the first place, it is impossible for an ordinary mages to cancel a magic once it has been activated.
……Hmm?
Could it be that Hinata thinks I’ll always be in her village?
I have classes starting tomorrow, so as much as I hate to leave, I have to go back to Glendale.
「Hey, Hinata. I plan to leave the village by tomorrow」
「Is that so? Then I’ll go with you, Ryuushin-sama」
She responded as if it were natural.
「……Really?」
「Is it not okay?」
Tears welled up in Hinata’s eyes.
That’s unfair…… I won’t be able to refuse if she says that.
「It’s okay. I’d be happy if Hinata came with me」
「Thank you! Then I’ll serve Ryuushin-sama for the rest of my life as his follower!」
「Follower!? N-No, I mean, I wanted you as a girlfriend though. No, forget it」
「As a girlfriend……Ryuushin-sama, do you maybe want to be in a relationship with me」
「It’s nothing, don’t worry about it」
「If Ryuushin-sama, you are fine with it… …I’d like to be in a relationship with you」
……Huh?
W-What did she just say!?
「I admire you, Ryuushin-sama」
As Hinata clung to me, she looked up at my face.
She’s so cute.
A girl like her wants to be my girlfriend.
Could this be—
I quickly looked around.
I thought maybe Haruto or Yoko was teasing me with some brainwashing magic.
But there was no sign of them around.
There was nothing odd in the flow of my magic either.
It doesn’t seem like a dream or an illusion.
「……Are you for real?」
「I mean it, Ryuushin-sama」
Looks like I have a girlfriend now.