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Chapter 456: Preliminary Arrangements

「I’ll remove the black spirits first. 」
I practiced yesterday with a white goose.

The dragons are massive, but the process should be the same.

The black 『Particles』 started creeping out of the dragon’s body and they swarmed towards me. I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing, but at least they’re coming out.

「…Wait. 」
Hauron’s voice was tense.

Alright, I’m definitely doing this wrong!

「I am uncertain how to respond. 」
Butler muttered.

「I don’t really get it, is it just me or are you forcing them out, literally brute-forcing them out!? 」
Dinosso was confused.

「… Controlling these tiny, mindless spirits is really hard…. I mean, it should be really hard, you know. 」
Hauron continued muttering in a tiny voice.

「It’s beautiful, but ominous. Jean, are you really okay? 」
The furrow between Ash’s brow just got deeper, it seems.

「Absolutely okay. 」
I named the black 『Particles』that came from the dragon’s flesh and decided to mold them according to a certain image I had in my mind.

These tiny 『Particles』are the smallest type of spirits. They pop up and then disappear soon after, but if the conditions are right, they won’t disappear. Instead, they’d clump together to form a small spirit. They’re kind of like the leftover fragments of a spirit’s power, born during a spirit’s birth, or created by a spirit’s movement. Ah, actually, it’s not limited to a spirit’s life ー they’re even created just by the wind simply blowing.

They don’t have consciousness and they’re tiny enough to put into 【Storage】, but if they’re this many then they can form a spirit of decent size.

And of course, the form will be Black Dragon-kun!! Bwahahahaha! Oops, everyone else will only see it as a floating ball, though!

「Hey, did a spirit just get born right now? No, I’m just imagining things, right? 」
Hauron was already exhausted even though we haven’t even started dismantling yet.

「Indeed, I can see it beside Jean-sama… 」
「Don’t confirm my fears out loud, I beg you… 」
Hauron listlessly replied to Butler.

「Even the spirits I control are getting restless because of that…. 」
Khan was perplexed.

「What did he do? 」
「It has something to do with spirits, huh? 」
「It is beyond my purview, so I must kindly suggest that you direct your inquiry to Hauron-dono. For my part, I am devoting my all in feigning ignorance. 」
Dean and Chris, the Unseeing team, asked Butler for an explanation. They’re muttering so I can’t hear what they said clearly.

Ah, this time they’re asking Hauron. Double-checking does reduce mistakes, but don’t you think it’s kinda bad taste asking someone else when the person you first asked is still right there?

「Don’t ask me! 」
See, they got scolded.

Ah, but in the end, it’s still Hauron who has to explain. The Grand Sage just can’t let them remain ignorant.

「Oh, great, they’re all out now! 」
No trace of spirits left in the dragon’s body!

Actually, there’s still a little bit left, but it’s about the same as what you’d find in regular meat like pork. In short, it’s a natural amount.

「So, where do you think we should tie it up to hoist it properly? The legs? The tail seems unreliable, it might slip. 」
Unlike boars and bears, it has this majestic, huge, thick tail, so what to do?

「You can only tie the legs and wrap the tail. 」
Dean.

「I didn’t bring a rope that long. 」
I prepared ropes and chains, but just a single loop won’t work; it might snap under the weight. Plus, they’re not long enough.

「How about draining the blood like how you did with the black spirits? Is that possible? 」
Chris.

「Ah, yeah, we can do that, yup. 」
I’ll do it like how I dried the moisture from those giant trees.

I simply made the water evaporate into the air, but this time I have to collect them instead, not to mention the amount will be huge.

「I have to cut the head off to drain the blood. Where’s the best spot to do that? 」
「How are you gonna cut through this ginormous thing? 」
Dean said while looking at the dragon’s neck.

The dragon’s entire body is thick and bulky, and its head and neck are massive. The scales of dragons seemed to be a cross between a snake’s, a lizard’s, and a turtle’s shell. This dragon, in particular, isn’t covered in scales but in tough, armor-like plates.

「According to the data that Jean brought, this bulge here is the fire sac. You should avoid that and cut above it, huh. 」
Retze touched the dragon’s throat to confirm.

He said it’s a fire sac, but actually, it might be a poison sac, depending on the species. Some species don’t have one.

「Gotcha. 」
I asked the surrounding spirits for help, and preps complete. It’s been a while, but it’s 『Zanzenken』turn to shine again.

「Hiya!! 」
I pulled the sword out of 【Storage】, and in that same fluid motion, I cut the head off.

The blood flowing from the severed dragon’s neck didn’t fall on the ground, defying gravity. Instead, it pooled into a huge sphere, kinda like an inflating balloon. Perfect, everything’s going just as planned.

As I direct the blood into【Storage】, I asked the spirits to do the same thing as they did when we dried the giant trees. The same spirits who helped me do that, as well as the spirits from the lake who also lent a hand were on standby around us. I named them so they knew I’m around and had gathered nearby.

Ack, I totally forgot! I’m supposed to ask Hauron how to erase my presence so that Auro won’t detect when I’m coming.

「A custom spirit sword and such good swordsmanship….? 」
「 ー What? Jean, you can wield a sword too? 」
Khan and Hauron.

「Upon reflection, it seems his attention has been largely dedicated to the study of magic and the application of spirit-related abilities… 」
「His sword skills are pretty average ー but strong. He doesn’t pull off flashy moves, and his fighting style’s steady, you know. 」
Butler and Dinosso.

「Why is his swordplay the only normal thing he can do!? Retze, did you teach this guy!? 」
「Bfft! 」
Hauron was already on the verge of snapping and his yell made Retze choke.

For the record, my swordmaster was Van, and I always pictured doing like a samurai in a historical drama, so yeah…