Chapter 867: The Second Year of the Great Invasion 3
After hearing the entire story from me, Dianne, and Emma all the way up to the three black-collared female slaves, Lord Buster let out a very huge sigh.
“……If it’s been accepted within the dragon organization, then I suppose it must be a valid argument. That’s all I can say”
“You don’t find it convincing?”
Emma shot him a displeased look, but Lord Buster wore a bitter expression.
“From a deeply suspicious man like me, hearing they became female slaves through some convoluted reasoning……well, I can’t help but read between the lines. It sounds like they’re feigning submission while biding their time for revenge”
“They were prepared for extermination from the start, men who sought martyrdom. The offer of mercy is solely our lord’s firm decision. To scheme for evil now would trample our pride beyond measure……”
“If they’ve already accepted annihilation, and the honor of their former lord—the very collateral they should hold—is utterly ruined with no hope of recovery, wouldn’t that actually make revenge a greater possibility?”
“That……”
“Of course, success would mean the other two would die soon too. But even that was accepted—vassals prepared to sacrifice themselves to fulfill their loyalty……tales like that abound in the legends of the Southern Plains’ warlords. I don’t grasp the logic of Dragon Riders or such, but knowing such stories, I simply cannot accept this outcome without reservation”
Lord Buster, coldly casting suspicion on the betrayal of the three Black Collars. As for me, I see it as the fruition of the 「Possibility」 I finally coaxed out of them after many visits……but if Lord Buster were to say it, even my naive attitude is nothing more than predictable to a dragon’s intellect. If you doubt them that much, then their lives—where they serve me with every fiber of their being, becoming completely 「Female Slaves」 who leave no room for suspicion—do indeed start to look like a ploy. But I just shrugged.
“Even so, I have no intention of letting them go”
“……Master”
Emma looked at me with a complicated expression. She must have found Lord Buster’s words persuasive. I spread my hands slightly.
“Long ago, someone did something like that……maybe they had the same intentions. But I won’t add to the body count for a reason like that. If I let them go, they’d die anyway. ……I went to that valley to save people from the start. I didn’t go to kill anyone”
“But their master is actually dead”
“I won’t say he was a villain who deserved it……but I don’t believe I fought an unnecessary battle. Rainer’s death was the result, something Neia and I will carry forever. ……Yes. I have to carry it. Because I stood before him as a Dragon Rider, I must bear the consequences in the names of Laila and Maia”
The duty of a Dragon Rider is to become the dragon’s 「Justice」 and take responsibility for the destruction the dragon causes. If that battle happened because I was a Dragon Rider, and as a result I fought and defeated Rainer, then that too is the consequence of what was done in the name of Laila and the others’ 「Justice」. As long as that’s the case, I don’t think Corti and the others will lay a hand on me. If they too believed Rainer was a 「Dragon Rider」, then that belief must be honored. If they break their word and seek revenge, it would mean denying everything they believed in about Rainer from the very foundation. ……I know this is a naive thought, but I choose to believe in the pride of the dragons.
“……Once again, I’m reminded just how quietly terrifying your mentality is, Smithson”
“I’m just a pervert, that’s all”
“You say that after assembling forces capable of easily destroying an entire nation”
Lord Buster chuckled lightly……then clutched his head.
“……Seriously, what kind of forces have you assembled……having seven dragons in this cramped Rennesto is unheard of. If the Council finds out, it’ll cause a panic……”
“Eh, ah, honestly, I only intended to leave Corti and the others lying naked in there……they were fine with that too……”
“I’ve been meaning to say this for a while. When you come here, could you please bring just one dragon? Even in emergencies, no more than two. I understand you’re a Dragon Rider, but even so, bringing more than that suddenly is too much. To you, they might just be meat puppets, but to us common folk, having a dragon in town is way more stressful than having a fully armed thousand-man squad suddenly surround our homes. Even just one”
“W, Well……I kinda get it, but not to that extent……”
I remember feeling kinda the same way back when I wasn’t used to it, even when Misty Palace called out 「Come rape me anytime♪」…….
“And now there are seven……and nearly half of them have declared they won’t fully submit to our command……? Honestly, I didn’t want to know either, but if someone not in the military found out, they’d faint”
“You don’t need to be so scared. Dragons are a rational race”
“The problem is that humans aren’t a rational race. If word gets out that dragons infiltrated during this Great Invasion’s siege period, the ones groveling for mercy will be the least of your worries. Some might panic and try to flee the city. Others might assume you plan to seize the country and plot riots for that purpose. Or fools might even appear, claiming to defend the nation while actually targeting you. Naturally, I’d be lambasted in Parliament for giving you a base and letting you casually visit the city. It’s not hard to imagine I’d also be required to prove my operational capability against dragons, just in case you lose your minds”
“Eh……”
“That’s how panic works. This applies specifically to you, but these things really can spiral out of control. People might throw caution to the wind and start riots, others might start bossing people around claiming to be your minions, scams preying on frightened people could run rampant……town security will plummet to rock bottom”
Just because dragons are gathering, they overreact that much……? Well, maybe it’s just that Polka is too laid-back (and the dragons are too oblivious, only flying around carrying carriages), but in a town that constantly maintains a sense of crisis and tension, that’s probably how it would be.
“If only I hadn’t noticed……if only I hadn’t intervened……no, the moment the God of War casually mentioned four dragons, it was already beyond my capacity……”
Lord Buster muttered in a terribly weary voice. Then, as if remembering something, he issued a menacing warning to the surrounding soldiers: 「Keep this to yourselves. If you speak, expect your life to end with a spell that wipes your memory clean, leaving you younger than a toddler」. The Gauntlet crew, who had been listening leisurely, exchanged glances.
“Come to think of it, my senses were numb……”
“If Naris-chan, who’s terrified of dragons, says so, it must be pretty bad”
“Well, I can handle ice dragons a bit! And even fire dragons……if it’s Laila-san, as long as it’s not sudden, I’m not scared at all!”
“But come to think of it, just one dragon could turn a place like Rennesto into a city of death in an hour……”
“Up to two dragons……I suppose that means even the Gold Arms and other top-tier warriors wouldn’t fear one or two dragons that much……that’s the standard, I guess”
And the black-collared group remained seated as usual.
“……Hey, can I stand up now?”
“Humans with even a modicum of intelligence are quite troublesome……”
“……Ridiculous”
They´re just doing their own things. Well, I suppose it’s because they have no connection or feelings whatsoever for Lord Buster.