Chapter 465: Rica Rescue Operation 5
Anyway, I don’t understand the situation. I know that Sharon and her friends were apparently captured after that……but I wonder if it was really Dianne’s operation. If they were just beaten up by drugs, magic and other tricks of the lawless people. I mean, in the first place, we were trying to find information about Rika-san, so it wouldn’t be a problem if that was all over the place……but Lady Swallow’s sources were so dazzled by that that they didn’t seem to be able to get to Rika-san at the moment. It seemed that the situation was out of control.
“I wonder what happened……”
Oskar-san seemed to understand that the situation had taken a strange turn, and he folded his arms and looked confused. I wish we could figure out what’s going on over there too if we could…….
“In all the commotion, no sound contact or direct contact is……”
“Given Lady Swallow’s position, we might want to refrain from doing so”
“Right”
Even if we were to take advantage of the dragon’s extraordinary hearing, there is no telling where he might eavesdrop if we communicate with him when he is in such a hyper-sensitive state. If Lady Swallow were to pull the strings behind this fuss, not only would Lady Swallow herself be at a loss, but even if it is highly likely that. On the other hand, even if we go to see them in secret, it’s the same if they find out where we’re coming from. We don’t have the advantage of being able to reach our destination without letting the residents who are on guard in this town realize it.
“『Parent Bird』 not so naive as to be fooled by a little bit of magic……”
“There are a lot of dark elves among our members. They’re probably as good as the military when it comes to magical counterintelligence”
“I’m sure”
An adult dragon like Laila might still be able to outsmart the backs, but you shouldn’t expect dark elves, who basically can use magic and those who are shady, to easily find their flaws.
“Then I guess……we’re stuck, aren’t we?”
“I suppose we would be……of course, if we ignore your captain’s plan and Lady Swallow’s convenience, then it doesn’t matter”
He pointed out that since there are two dragons, at worst they would not be out of control in all directions. Sure, we might manage to just beat up the bad organization, but that’s not what we’re after. We are not going to take care of this town after we beat up the worst of the worst. We don’t know what happened to Rika-san, the spoils of war, so it would be nonsense to resort to violence just to break the situation open.
“If you’re going to roll up on someone, you’d better have the right arrangements in place. You seem to be in a mess, too”
“I’m sorry. I’m in a time sensitive situation”
“Haa, Oskar-san is in no position to apologize. I’m sure the soldiers have their own reasons”
“……I’m going to be quiet. The back hand seems to be us. It’s not going to do us any good to move too hastily”
I raised my hands in surrender. It’s a little awkward after having tried so hard to intimidate both Oskar-san and Lady Swallow, but it’s probably for the best to hide in the bosom for a while. The rescue was originally on Dianne’s side and we were the irregulars. Besides, we don’t have anything new and useful to offer.
“I see……it’s not bad. Regardless of how far you can take dragon riders without question, if you’re going to rely on brute force just because you can use your power, I just deceived you and sold you to the 『Parent Bird』”
“Lady!”
“Hey, hey, Oskar-san, I’m friendly with you, but I don’t have any obligations to make a single decision. What I’m doing depends on everyone’s lives around here. Protecting idiots and going to war with『Parent Bird』. What kind of excuse do you have for your friends in town?”
“That’s true, but……”
“I’ll pass for now. ……I’m going to go and be a little more mature about it. I’ll find something that works. Well, now, this is going to be the most fun bing I’ve had in a long time”
Lady Swallow shook her fat body and left the lair happily.
“Andy-sama, I don’t like that black pig. She smells bad. And she tests you”
“Don’t be rude, you idiot”
“Hahaha. Lady’s perfume is for prostitutes. People from refined cultures sometimes don’t like it”
“For prostitutes?”
“I’ve heard that they specialize in scents that directly affect the passions of prostitutes……not the kind of scents that you dress up for a social occasion. I’ve heard that it is extraordinary in places where a physical relationship is required, but I don’t have much to do with that”
“……Surprisingly, Oskar-san, are you fastidious about women?”
“Is it surprising? Well, since I’m a dark elf, I might have a vulgar impression, but……”
Osckar-san looked unusually miffed.
“I was in the business of being resented for something, so if I looked good to the women I came across, it would be a weak spot. I tried as much as possible not to make any connections. Well, I was thinking it was time for me to have a household……”
Then, in a sudden turn of events, he continued in an excusive manner, causing Sahul and I to blow out a puff of smoke.
“Hahaha, I know you’re a good guy”
“Wh, What’s that, Sahul-kun?”
“I, I think so too. There are a lot of men who don’t think about women’s convenience. Also, I thought you were a negotiator, so you coolly abandoned a woman even if she was taken hostage. Like a heroic poem”
Of course, heroic poems with happy endings, in which all the parts involving women are resolved and all the money is taken, are also popular, but in modern heroic poems, those with dirty parts are surprisingly popular. A tragic love and the determination to deal with it is also the spice of a hero.
“Do I look like such a terrible guy……?”
“No, you’re already different from what you look like because you were a trusted debater even in a town like this. To be honest, a Trot person wouldn’t make it in such a scary town”
“Trot? Is Smithson-san from Trot? Ah, but you said you were from the Celesta Army”
“I was born in the countryside of Trot, grew up in the royal capital, lost a battle in the war and joined the northern army”
“……Now, are you a dragon rider? I have a little doubt, but is that about the same as that of the Goth founding king?”
“I don’t know the details of that story, but I think it’s pretty much the same”
“If that’s the case, you’re probably much more suited to heroic poetry than I am……there’s a lot going on and it’s hard to imagine that part”
“I’m not busy, so I can talk about it, but if you ask me about it, I’ll probably think it’s a hoax……”
I laugh bitterly and wonder where to begin and then Lady Swallow returns.
“May I have a word with you? ……I think I know where your people are”
“Eh, already?”
“Don’t underestimatw this Swallow. There’s no place on our turf that can match the speed and accuracy of our message game. If anyone is still hiding from 『Parent Bird』 after using the white elves as bait, well, I’d have thought it would be her anyway”
“Where?”
“Southwest. Its where the Owl is. ……If you’re going to take the loophole. I’ll get you a guide”
“How can I get there without being seen?”
“What do you think we are? That we’re all huddled together here to protect ourselves from 『Parent Bird』?”
Lady Swallow’s lips lifted up in a grin, her lipstick on her lips.
————————————–
A middle-aged fox beast woman appeared shortly after and led the way into the building at the far end of Lady Swallow’s backyard warehouse.
“It was a wise decision to come to Lady’s first, Oskar-san. You can get to most places from here”
“I didn’t know that……I was told to consult you if I needed anything”
At the far end of the warehouse, there were stairs on the floor and an underground tunnel that an adult would have to stoop to reach.
“We went out two blocks from here. Then you will go through a house and the attic, but don’t worry, they know what they are doing. Then you will be picked up by a wagon bound for the harbor using a wooden box. On the way to the port, you will enter a narrow alley and jump over to a neighboring house. From there, you can walk to the doctor as usual”
“Th, That’s complicated”
Sahul blurted out.
“The reason for this is to avoid being seen by the thugs who work for 『Parent Bird』 who look for prey all over the place. Normally, I wouldn’t be so concerned about them, but now that several of the finest elves have been captured at once, I’m keeping a close eye on them……to see if there are any others left to go with them. And it’s quite possible that they’ll turn their attention to some suspicious stranger along the way”
“I see……”
Whatever the case, I’m grateful for the perfect concealment of my appearance.
We are a little impressed by the residents of the house, who ignore us as if we were air as we pass through their living room and we split into two groups (Sahul and Oskar-san, me and Maia) behind the fruit shop and hide in crates for a while, waiting. We finally emerge in a covered wagon after being picked up by a young ogre, a worker.
“Huu”
“Quiet, Sahul-kun”
“It’s alright, my guest, I’ve put a voice barrier on the wagon. I’m sure you’ll need a meeting to discuss the jump”
Oskar-san is reassured by the friendly-looking old human man on the dais.
“……Hey, Andy”
“Hmm?”
Sahul, who popped out of the crate, looked into my face with a serious look on his face.
“I’ve been wondering about this for a while now……when you talked to the fat lady earlier, you spoke as if you were the master of all. Including Rika”
“Yeah……well, it’s easier to understand, you know”
“Easy to understand……no, it’s not that. You said you were going to kill Rika if I got wild in the morning. But if you don’t give it back to the auntie, she’s going to set you on fire. ……Are you on my side or are you a collar? If you get caught doing the right thing, you won’t just get killed, that’s the vibe here”
“That’s what a dragon rider does”
“……?”
“I’ve only heard about it from Laila’s people and Maia’s relatives. Using the power of a dragon is something you can do only when you show the belief that it deserves it. If you have to take Rika’s life as a shield, I’ll declare that I’ll actually kill her, even if you kill me instantly afterwards. But if Rika-san is safe, there is no way to make it go away other than to take her back. I’ll even consider using my dragon powers if that’s what it takes. I don’t care enough about this town to trade it for my friends and family, even though destroying everything might not solve anything”
“……You”
“Also. I’m also here to teach you a lesson……what do you think of the state of this town?”
“E……Emm, it’s a terrible town, and if you can do something about it……”
“Maia. What do you think?”
I left Sahul, who was stuttering and stammering, alone and asked Maia, who was clinging to me in the crate as if she was holding me in her arms, a question. Maia sighed.
“Humans are stupid”
“Sahul. That’s the dragon’s answer”
“……Eh, what kind of……?”
“A dragon does not understand the human condition and it is right that he does not try to. Human society is a stirring place of various wills and no matter whose side the dragon takes, it can only destroy it all together in the end. It cannot stand within the confines of humanity. So I showed Lady Swallow, I said, 『Here is a dragon rider』”
“……?”
“The power outside of humans. There is one who controls it. It’s a question of whether or not you’re going to hold on to it. ……Sahul. If you try to do something with that power in this awful town, you’ll only end up spreading resentment and nothing will get better. But when there is someone who wants that power, it might make sense. ……I believe that the dragon riders are there to listen and judge”
“……So that’s what it’s about, huh?”
“I still don’t know much about it. But dragons, the strongest beings, need humans. If that’s the case, don’t you think it should carry that much weight?”
“…………”
“If you plan to make Rika-san your rider, remember this. Dragons distance themselves from people that way and I’m now allowed to use dragons in this way”
But I’ve never actually had my dragons kill anyone and I use them exclusively for sex and travelling. ……I can’t help but feel that it’s terribly cruel. Only sex and travel.
“……Yes. I’ll keep that in mind”
Sahul nodded with a mysterious look on his face.
“I guess it’s time to go……”
Oskar-san chuckled and chanted some incantation and suddenlyI heard the voice of the old coachman. It seems that he had quickly set up a voice barrier so that even that old man could not hear us.
“Do you hear me, my guests? The next turn is the house you are going to jump to! I’ll slow down, but you’ll have to go one after the other to get there in time! If you can’t make it, you’ll have to go back to the fruit stand in two hours!”
“Yes!”
“M, Maia, get up. I can’t stand. I’m lower than you”
“Ah, I’m sorry”
The four of us were getting ready to go.
“It’s that private house……you’re a real pro!”
“Thank you!”
We opened the side of the hood and with Oskar-san in the lead, Sahul, Maia and I jumped into the window of the house one after the other. There was a bed inside the window and we all tumbled in safely. I didn’t feel comfortable getting it dirty with my dirt-covered shoes, but it helped that I couldn’t mope around in a landing position.
“Thanks for your help. Let me show you to the doctor”
A dark elf woman who seems to be the owner of the room smiles at us. I’m going to be able to finally meet up with Dianne and the others…….