Chapter 172 – A scammer and a Taizan Katari Lizard – part 2

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“TRANSLATOR: Anargya”

“EDITOR: GhostApe”


As I expected, the Taizan Katari lizard started eating in front of me.

However, it is not some carnivorous food that can be associated with hunting.

Approaching a tall tree, it happily squinted it’s eyes and started devouring the leaves.

「…Herbivore?」

I can’t find any material about it’s eating habits, so such possibilities could exist. However, I thought it was a carnivorous one due to its appearance.  Especially that fang, that fang is something a carnivore would have.

No, wait.

Aaaaa

Anyway, it can be decided that it is not a dragon when it starts to eat.

Let’s continue the observation.

After eating some leaves on one tree, the dragon moved to the next one. It seems like it is trying to not eat all the leaves up in one tree, considering the sustainability of it’s feeding location, it’s intelligence seems to be high.

「I’ll have to kill it in one shot then.」

It’s troublesome if a highly intelligent opponent tries to escape.

I took out a poison arrow from my luggage. Both the arrowhead and the poison is something that is specifically made for monsters, and it should have boasted more than enough power if it’s just a lizard.

However, it’s a reasonably expensive thing.

Because it will be lost since it can’t be removed from the body, I will need a place where it is reliable and has a good view to shoot.

I climbed the slope of the mountain and searched for a spot for sniping.

Then, I came up with one place.

That lizard seems to live in a nearby cave, just like what the villagers told me. Then it is best to hide near the entrance and shoot it when it’s coming back.

Let’s move near the cave at once.

The inside of the cave is dark, so there is a risk of missing the snipe. However, the area around the entrance is covered in trees and there are many obstacles.

Therefore, I chose the sniping spot to be right above the cave entrance.

The cave has a gaping mouth entrance on the wall of the cliff. In other words, if I stand on the cliff, I will have a position where I can shoot an arrow straight to the back of the dragon that is returning.

I carried my bow and arrow to the cliff, then I covered myself with vegetation as camouflage. And as a rule of thumb of using a poisonous weapon, I have a detoxifying tablet that I can chew on on my back teeth.

All I had to do was to wait for the prey to come back.

「It came back.」

The lizard came back with huge footsteps. 

It feels like it has a satisfied face as if it just ate a lot of food.

——Don’t think badly of me.

Eventually, the giant walked into the cave, I leaned out from the cliff and looked straight down. I hold my bow and squeeze the strings. All I had to left is to aim and release the arrow——

But then.

I heard someone singing a song. The tone is a nursery rhyme that has been passed down for a long time.

Stupid, that’s what I thought.

I have strictly forbidden the villagers from entering the mountain. Who is singing nursery rhymes in a mountain like this?

Right below.

The singing voice is clearly echoing from the mouth of the lizard that I am about to shoot.

「What…?」

In an instant, I forcibly shook my bow and it deviated my aim.

The arrow that is aimed at the back of the lizard flew in the direction of the forest toward the day after tomorrow.

However, the way I forcibly shook it is bad.

The fingertips of my left arm that shook the bow——was scratched with the poison-tipped arrowhead.

「Cra—」

I feel dizzy in an instant. I chew the emergency poison detox that is in my mouth, but the effect is not immediate.

My vision was distorted, and I lost my balance.

*Gurari*

I felt my upper body leaned out from the cliff and was swallowed by the gravity as it is.

<hr>

「A-Are you okay? Sir! Wake up! Don’t die!」

With cloudy consciousness, I heard a wrinkly old man’s voice.

My last memory is when I fell down the cliff due to a stupid mistake.

However, it is helpful that I could hear a person’s voice.

It means that I was taken into a remote place somewhere after I self-destructed and rolled down the cliff. The worst blunder I could have made. What’s more, I even hesitated in front of the prey.

I suddenly noticed something. This bed feels strange.

It’s not cloth or cotton. This is——

「Withered, grass…?」

「Oh! You’re awake!」

It startled me.

When I opened my eyes, there was a monitor lizard baring its fangs right in front of me.

「Uoooaaaaaahhh!?」

「Kyaaaaaa!?」

I unintentionally screamed, and the lizard also screamed as if accompanying me.

「Oh, I’m sorry that I surprised you. But I am not a scary dragon. Rest assured that I will not cause any harm to you.」

「A-Ahh…」

My body doesn’t seem to be moving, probably because some poison still remains inside. The fact that I didn’t die means that the poison detox made it in time, but it doesn’t seem like it is an easy poison that can be cured immediately.

「Umm. You. You can talk…?」

「Un. A long time ago, I used to be kept by a person. I learned how to speak at that time.」

It’s not uncommon for a dragon to be able to speak. However, I didn’t expect that a lizard, which was just a mimicry, could understand human language as well.

Although still confused, I look back on my last memory.

「I think that I fell off a cliff but, I didn’t die…?」

「Ahh, you happened to fall on my back. My scale is very soft. It hurt me a little, but I’m glad that I coincidently passed underneath. It would have been a problem if you died.」

It’s not a coincidence.

I was waiting for this lizard to pass underneath.

「I’ll carry you to the foot of the mountain if you’re recovered but,… have you recovered enough to move?」

「No, let me rest for a bit. I should be able to move if I sleep a little.」

If I was shaken around now, I feel like the poison would spread throughout my body more. I would like to rest here and wait for the detox to work.

「Un, understood. Go take a rest.」

As the lizard says that, I lay down on the dead grass.

The lizard’s face, which looked very scary until just a while ago, feels completely soft now. Maybe it is because the poison distorted my vision. 

Several hours passed like this.

「…Are you still alive?」

「I am.」

「Ahh thank goodness. I’m sorry that I disturbed your rest.」

During that time, the lizard talked to me a lot which is a big surprise. It seems to be very worried about my condition. He is a timid guy with a vicious looking appearance.

「Are you hungry? There is some fruit nearby I can get it for you.」

「Food is good…but do you have water?」

My throat was strangely thirsty from a while ago.

It is probably because my body wants water to metabolize the poison.

Suddenly, the lizard pointed it’s huge claws at me.

However, it’s palm is facing upwards.

「There is beautiful spring water in the back of the cave, but I don’t have the tools to bring some here. I’ll try to carry you as gently as possible, so can you get into my hand?」

I am a little lost by this.

However, my thirst is unbearable, so I got into the lizard’s hands.

I understood immediately when I touched it. It’s big claws that looked sharp and dangerous were actually blunt and not sharp at all.

At the place with water that I was carried to, I sipped some spring water while crawling. When I turned around to the lizard with a slightly better vision, I saw it standing with an uneasy face.

「Don’t worry. It’s much, better now. I’ll go home after a little sleep.」

「Oh, is that so. I’m glad.」

The lizard smiled as it patted it’s chest as if relieved. I learned for the first time that lizard can smile.

I wiped my mouth wet from the water with my arm.

「…sorry.」

「It’s okay. One should help each other if they’re in trouble.」

The lizard cheerfully said so.

It’s manner was so unexpected, I almost snickered.

After a while, my physical condition gradually recovered.

Although not fully recovered, it’s enough to return to the village.

「You took care of me.」

「Y-You’re going already? Aren’t you still staggering? You should rest bit more…」

「No, it’s okay.」

「Do you want me to carry you to the foot of the mountain.」

「It’s okay.」

If I took too much time to go back, the villager may ask another adventurer for reinforcement. Also, I’m worried about the luggage that I left on the cliff. It would be a problem if a bear or something took something expensive.

「Is that so… But, do be careful.」

Hearing the lizard’s voice from behind, I slowly stepped out from the cave.

I won’t look back.

I don’t think I’m qualified to.

——One should help each other if they’re in trouble.

While ruminating on the lizard’s voice many times in my heart, I collected my luggage and went down the mountain.

This is the day I made the worst mistake as a scammer.


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