"The Talented Dragon Hides Its Claws" ~ The Eldest Son of the Baron Family, Called Useless, is Actually One of the World's Strongest ~ - Episode 45

Due to touching the Kurikara, Charlotte, the commander of the Grace Knights, was pulled into the Abyss World of the Dragon King Bahamut. Before she could be annihilated by the Dragon King, she took the hand extended by a mysterious figure and miraculously returned to the real world.

I thought she would just rest in the carriage, but she got back on her horse and started guarding the carriage again. Of course, the Marquis and Ryu tried to stop her, but according to her, she seemed fine. Moreover, she said she intended to work hard to make up for the worry she had caused.

“Are you okay, Captain Charlotte?”

“Since the person said so, I really think there’s no problem.”

The border count slightly opened the curtain and shifted his gaze to Charlotte running outside. Although he said there was no problem, he still looked more worried than usual, as if he were concerned as her master.

“To think that a dragon could instantly plunge that Charlotte, who is renowned as the strongest in both skill and mental fortitude in the frontier, into the depths of terror… Dragons are truly terrifying creatures…”

“Yes. They are revered in the streets as dragon gods and such, but they’re really nothing special. After all, they’re classified as monsters. They’re just like flying lizards.”

“Lizard, huh…? But if a dragon bared its fangs at humanity, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Since humanity continues to evolve, I’m sure everything will work out somehow.”

“I hope so, but…”

Charlotte was running alongside the carriage, lost in thought.

That space is a kind of spiritual world, right? The physical body existed in reality, and I think the Black Dragon said something like it was going to bury my soul, so this hypothesis should be correct. But the memory of the most important part is vague…

She remembers that at that time, a hole opened in the world of darkness, and someone reached out to her. But…

Who on earth helped me? No matter how many times I try to recall, for some reason, I can only remember that person’s face… It’s so frustrating.

A march of fifty thousand requires twice the usual time, so even if they continued without stopping for half a day, they couldn’t leave the Grace Marquisate. Therefore, they decided to spend the night in the third city of the Marquisate. However, since not all fifty thousand could enter the city, the military officers stayed in the inns within the city, while the regular soldiers camped outside the city.

This time, the rooms of the Count and Liu are next to each other, with Charlotte staying in the former’s room as a guard and Stingray staying in the latter’s room as a guard.

The border count sighed.

“It’s fine even if we have separate rooms…”

“No. If by any chance the enemy sends an assassin, can you confidently say that you can fend them off alone?”

“Honestly, I’m not good at fighting.”

“Well then, shall we quietly stay in the same room? The lady has also instructed me to do so.”

“Uh”

The border count was half-dragged into the room.

“Well then, Stingray-san, please take care of the chief of staff too.”

“Yes!! Understood!!”

Actually, Charlotte is the person Stingray has been targeting, so it can be said that it was extremely fortunate to have made a connection this time by chance. Since Stingray has just taken command of his own battalion, he has been occupied with training and hasn’t been to the forest side even once. Therefore, today was their first meeting.

“I also want a separate room.”

“I can’t let Number 2 stay alone. Come on, let’s stay in the same room.”

The stingray forcefully pushes Ryu into the room.

“Don’t push, don’t push”

“Does that mean I should push it the other way?”

“That’s not it.”

“Oh, come on~ You’re blushing again~”

Somehow or other, we ended up staying in the same room. This will probably continue until the end of the war.

That night, in a dream.

“Have you come, child? Tonight, let us begin once more, the battle of souls.”

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, there’s something I’ve been a bit concerned about regarding what happened during the day.”

“Hmph. That little girl? I couldn’t care less.”

Usually, after exchanging a word or two, the battle begins immediately, but today was unusually different.

“How did she even end up in this world in the first place… I know Kira is involved, but still.”

“……In this world, there exists a mineral called adamantite.”

“I at least know the name.”

“That ore alters its properties to match the surrounding environment.”

“Oh, I see.”

According to the Dragon King, the sword Kira is made from a mineral called Adamantite, and the sword itself possesses the same properties. Every night, influenced by the clash of souls between the dragon and Bahamut in their dreams, Kira also gained the power to interfere with that world.

So, why this power does not activate when simply cutting down an enemy remains unclear, so there seems to be plenty of room for further research.

“To teach me something like that, you’re quite kind, aren’t you?”

“Hmph. I just want to quickly take over your body.”

“Hey, we’ve been fighting to the death every day for years now, so why don’t we have an honest talk today?”

“Are you… underestimating me?”

The Dragon King bared his fangs at the proposal.

“No, that’s not it. It’s not that I want to chat. If anything, it’s a story that benefits you.”

“…I’ll listen to you for a bit.”

“You want my body… in other words, my vessel, and you’ve been clinging to me like a parasite for years, right?”

“If you call me a parasite again, I’ll kill you.”

“So, here’s the thing. To be honest, there’s not even a one in ten thousand chance that you could take my vessel now. You couldn’t even take it when I was ten years old. Since then, my mind, combat power, and soul have all grown exponentially. You should be able to figure that out with common sense, right? How long do you plan to keep up this futile struggle, oh Dragon King?”

“……Looks like your mouth has become quite skilled.”

“Come on, admit it. I’m going to keep growing from now on, so even if I stay here forever, the chances of taking your position will keep decreasing from one in ten thousand to one in a hundred million, and eventually to one in a trillion. You understand this better than anyone, right?”

『Ugh…』

“In other words, you know that, yet my charm is so captivating that you just can’t give up on me.”

“Let him say what he wants, this brat…!!”

The Dragon King’s magical power has increased.

However, Ryu doesn’t stop talking.

“Then, how about we compromise this time?”

『……？』

“Surely there are other people in this world who meet your standards, right?”

“…to say I won’t would be a lie.”

“Then I’ll introduce you to a good property.”

“Try to explain.”

『There’s this once-in-a-thousand-years amazing deal called a hero, you see』

“A hero… you say?!”

That’s right. The Dragon King basically sleeps during the day, so he doesn’t know that the hero has been summoned again.

“From the looks of it, the hero really is special, huh?”

“Their souls themselves are nothing special. But the vessels are different. Ordinary vessels cannot pass through the dimensional gap that connects this world to the other world. In other words…”

“So, you’re saying you’re a capable person who can pass through there?”

“Exactly. Last time, I mistakenly failed to seize the vessel, and I had been regretting it for a thousand years.”

“Is the hero summoning magic not usable on dragons?”

“It’s not that we can’t use it, but rather that it’s impossible with our magic. That spell can only be activated with human magic.”

“Wow~”

“Well, whatever. For now, let’s discuss how to take the Hero’s vessel.”

“Hmph… it can’t be helped.”

The two of them talked about the matter all night long.

And just before the sun rises.

“As a thank you for presenting me with a good compromise, let me tell you one last good thing.”

“Please tell me.”

“Perhaps you are…”