Manowa 154

Chapter 154 - An Old Soldier's Noble Death


Cindy Barnes was the eldest daughter of the distinguished Barnes family of Hyvern, and although she had handed over her status as family head to her son, she was still one of the top authorities in the country as the Head Dragon Miko.


The Head Dragon Miko was a position that managed the Dragon Mikos, who took care of the Dragon Knight cavalry dragons.

Due to the Dragon Knight contract, a cavalry dragon was influenced by the character of the Dragon Knight, so frankly speaking, many of them had manly ways of thinking. Therefore, women were considered the most suitable to take care of the cavalry dragons, which led to the existence of the Dragon Mikos.

Also, Dragon Mikos made contracts similar to the ones made by Dragon Knights, so they were also able to mentally communicate with the dragons. Since one Dragon Miko would take care of multiple dragons, they would contract with multiple dragons instead of the one-on-one contract the Dragon Knights made. It seemed it was possible for them to contract with as many dragons as their personal capacity allowed. Although it wasn't to the same extent as the Dragon Knight contract, they could also receive Dragon Spirit from the dragons.


And as the Head Dragon Miko, Cindy Barnes had contracted with all 432 cavalry dragons. Since she was able to receive Dragon Spirit from literally every cavalry dragon in the city, it could be said that she was practically invincible inside Deer South.



Kazane had heard that information in advance, but the person in front of her didn't match the image she had from that story. It was the same for Yumika and Tiara. However, all the other members were familiar with Cindy, so it seemed they didn't feel any sense of discomfort.


「Welcome home.」


There was a sweetly smiling short woman that looked like a young teen. She was about as tall as Kazane. The chest size was also about the same. But Kazane was still in her growing period. Kazane was over-optimistically calculating that it would be her future victory inside her head with a poker face.

And when she looked closer, there were signs of aging on her face, so it was possible to infer that she was older than she initially looked. However, it still felt like she was a woman in her late thirties, and she looked like a very lovely good person.

(Ah, well, there were times when it sounded like she was a strangely adorable grandma)

Kazane thought, but at any rate, she seemed youthful.

「I'm back now.」

Cindy nodded after Jinrai's short speech.

「This time is lively, isn't it?」

「I sup...pose.」

Jinrai stammered a little as he answered Cindy's words.

「Being lively is a good thing. It seems the dragons also welcomed your return.」

「The welcome was beyond expectations.」

Perhaps Cindy took Jinrai's words as a joke, and she started laughing pleasantly. Then after she stopped laughing, she paused for a moment before asking Jinrai.

「So, I heard you did a little mischief, but is that true?」

「Yeah.」

Jinrai directly affirmed Cindy's question. And while continuing to smile, tears overflowed from Cindy's eyes.


「Hi, hiii.」


And at the same moment, Kazane screamed. Yumika also noticed, but with『Dog's Sense of Smell』Kazane could read the emotions of others to a certain extent. It felt like sharp thrusts of killing intent were simultaneously directed at this room from the surrounding dragons.

(Terrifying! The dragons outside the house are seething with rage.)

Kazane had felt coercion many times since coming to this world, but she was in a cold sweat. That wasn't an ordinary sense of pressure.

「I'm sorry. That made me a little sad. Embarrassing.」

But it seemed Cindy wasn't paying attention to the bystanders' situation at all. She wiped her tears with an apologetic smile. It somehow seemed like she was in her own world where the surrounding people couldn't be seen.

「No, I'm the one that broke our promise. You have nothing to apologize for.」


『Obviously. And…』

『Mordo, be silent.』


Loud thumps resounded from outside. It seemed some of the dragons were pinning down the dragons that were acting wildly.

「Well now, wouldn't it be best to quickly abandon such a cheating man?」

The one who spoke was Louise Cancer. The cheating partner.

「Louise-san!?」

As one would expect, most of the people in that place were thinking that Louise really couldn't read the air, but Cindy gave a short reply to Louise.

「That will not be necessary. Grandmother.」

「「「「Ha???」」」」

And then most of the people in that place raised their voices.

「This person is my husband. That means I have decided that I will continue to love him no matter what he does, even something like infidelity.」

Jinrai moaned. He said「I'm sorry, Cindy」with a sobbing voice. Louise shrugged her shoulders. Based on her facial expression, it seemed that was the expected answer.

「Be that as it may, it is true that you broke your promise and were intimate with a woman other than me.」

Cindy hugged her husband tightly while looking at Louise. Implicitly said by her eyes was「『this』is mine.」

「And sins must be punished. It's a sorrowful thing.」

「Gah」

A shriek leaked out.

「Master!?」

Yumika took one step, but Jinrai waved her off.

「I'm ok. It's no problem.」

It was obviously unreasonable, but Jinrai clearly replied.

「Cindy. If you forgive me, I will dedicate this life to you.」

Jinrai hugged Cindy back. Cindy seemed happy from the bottom of her heart as she said「I'm happy, dear」and hugged him tightly once again. The sound of Jinrai's scream and his bones creaking could be heard. Then Cindy's face turned from Jinrai to Louise and then to the others.

「I'm sorry.」

Cindy bowed her head while holding the twitching Jinrai.

「We will be having a『couple's conversation』after this, so we will be excusing ourselves.」

「Umm, Cindy. You shouldn't overdo it.」

Cindy didn't answer Louise's words, but broadly smiled as she licked her chops. And with a final bow to the people there, she dragged Jinrai into a deeper room and disappeared.

Kazane thought that appearance was like a tiger returning home with prey in its mouth. Or a cat holding a mouse... but she didn't say anything. That woman's presence was like the Black Rock Dragon Gieve, or like Ao and Aka. The only one who could give a comment in that place was Louise.



◎ Capital City Deer South, Dragunal Hotel


After Cindy and Jinrai disappeared, the maid said「well then」and guided them to another room, which held Jiraid's polished door and the person himself doing a dogeza. Then Kazane and the others were guided to this country's first class hotel.


Kazane was struck by fatigue all at once, which was probably mental fatigue, and limply sat on the sofa. Lyle, Emily, and Jinrai were currently absent. Since they had returned home, they weren't going to stay at the hotel.


「Jinrai-san. He'll be ok, right?」


Then Kazane asked Louise for confirmation of the biggest unsolved problem. Louise thought for a moment before giving a faltering answer.

「Umm, probably?」

There was a question mark.

「Uwaaan, Masterrr!」

「Calm down, Yumika. It's fine. He'll be fine. Cindy-san is a seriously good person.」

Naoki pinioned the frantic Yumika. The Yumika that always does things at her own pace is upset to this extent... Kazane thought, but it wasn't like she didn't understand. Cindy's appearance some time ago wasn't something to be laughed at. It was something more dreadful than the three dragons that were outside.

「Some time ago that girl gathered too much Dragon Spirit and was practically an adult dragon in human form. It's a drawback of multiple contracts. Emotions can be strongly influenced.」

「...Then, the anger of those dragons...」

Was it Cindy's anger, or was it the anger of the dragons towards Jinrai who betrayed Cindy?

「Who knows. It's also possible that they are mutually influencing each other...for now, leave it alone. That girl is similar to me and knows moderation. She knows that lowering the hatred from the surrounding dragons is indispensable, so leaving things as they are is our best option.」

Louise said and sat next to Kazane.

「By the way, Louise-san. Cindy-san called you grandmother.」

「No way, right? Even though I'm so young.」

So saying, Louise looked at Jiraid, who was in the room with them for some reason. Jiraid looked at Louise with a hesitant expression. Kazane was tilting her head and wondering why she was looking at Jiraid when he groaned and answered.

「That woman is... my mother Cindy's grandmother. And also the grandmother of Hyvern's current Archduke Rynox-sama.」

「In other words, I'm also the great grandma of that Jiraid-kun over there.」


Louise said ta-da! as she spread both arms.

It was a shocking truth. Kazane, Yumika, and Tiara were dumbfounded, but Kazane expelled the topic from her head. It seemed like it would become a bothersome tale.


「Also, why is Jiraid-san here?」

Kazane asked Jiraid. To the side「Eh, you're not going to hear the story? I can tell you?」Louise appealed with a grin, but Kazane ignored the noisy Louise. He had accompanied them for the hotel check in and was still here. She didn't understand the reason.

「I was told『This is Kazane-san and the others' first time in this city, so guide them』by my mother.」

「No, wouldn't it better for you to work? You're a general, aren't you?」

Rather than annoyed, Kazane seemed more worried as she asked. He returned from Shirodieh City ahead of them, but it seemed he had been polishing doors since he returned. This person hadn't been working for the past 4 days.

「Well, it's my mother's orders, so it should be fine. In addition」

With a nervous facial expression, Jiraid turned toward Tiara, walked forward, and kneeled with his head bowed.

「Hmm?」

Tiara was wondering why and tilted her head.

「Although it's shameless」

Jiraid falteringly spoke with his head bowed.

「I think the rudeness I committed against Your Highness Princess Tiara Tsurug Tsuvara is truly inexcusable. I would like to state my words of apology here.」

It seemed he had been waiting for this opportunity the entire time. Jiraid went to Tiara to apologize with somewhat hasty vigor. This was Jiraid's will and was unrelated to Cindy's orders.

「No, no.」

But Tiara wasn't really worried about it. She had more or less heard the summary, but she considered the rumors harmless and didn't think much of it.

「More importantly, can I make a request?」

「Ha?」

But Jiraid had come here prepared for his head to be sent flying, so he was a little stunned when it was finished with「more importantly.」

「You said some time ago that you're here to guide us, so I have something I would like to ask.」

「What do you wish of me?」

「My mother, Keiran Elmar, is supposed to be in this city, but can you guide me to her?」

Keiran Elmar. Tiara's mother and King Audin of Tsuvara's first wife. She was disgusted with Audin's affairs and should have returned to her hometown, Deer South.


After that was Jinrai's matter, and the next morning, Jiraid informed them that Jinrai had been transferred to the hospital and was receiving medical treatment. All of the bones in his body were damaged or broken. Because of magic, this world could better handle such cases. They were told he would make a complete recovery in a week.

「I wonder what was done to him」Kazane muttered, and Louise said「you-know-what,」but pure maiden Kazane-chan decided she didn't hear anything. There was no need to hear what supernatural phenomenon might happen when that amount of Dragon Spirit was stockpiled.


Well, for now it seemed that matters were settled without the noble death of our old soldier.



Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Accumulator, White Magic Accumulator

Level : 30

Health: 107

Magic Power: 181+420

Strength: 52+10

Agility: 43+4

Endurance: 29

Wisdom : 57

Dexterity : 38

Spell : 『Fly』 『Torch』 『Fire』 『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』

Skill : 『Warrior's Memory』 『Night Vision』 『Crushing Blow』 『Dog’s Sense of Smell』 『Golem Maker: Lv3』 『Rush』 『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』 『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』 『Air Jump: Lv2』 『Killing Leg: Lv3』 『Fear Voice』 『Invisible』 『Tiger Eye』 『Wall Walking』 『Intuition』 『Cheat Death』 『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』『Sturdy Teeth』『Crystallization』



Kazane「Ah, I received an e-mail from Yuuko-nee. Such and such『You were curious what would happen if a super amazing warrior's anger was awakened』 ...Yes, delete, delete.」

Yumika:「Masterーーーー(tears)」