Kays Translations

Chapter 76: Chairman's Visit (3/3)

In the previous episode, I revealed the secret of the church and explained in detail about "receiving occupations and skills" and "the blessing of the Earth God."

Then,

"Hey! What did you just say?"

"I said that I received the blessings of the Earth Goddess..."

"Why do you know about that? The Earth Goddess is a goddess revered by us dragonkin. Only the dragons living in the mountains and us dragonkin should know about it..."

"The reason is that I offered a prayer of gratitude in this land. At that time, I acquired the characteristic called 'Goddess Faith.'"

"So, that goddess is the Earth God?"

"Yes, it is clearly displayed in my status, so there is no mistake."

I was surprised by the sudden commotion caused by Drago's reaction, and I also learned the new fact that there are dragons living in the mountains.

It seems that the existence of the Earth Goddess is known only to dragons and dragonkin. Whether it is kept secret or not is unknown, but it definitely seemed to be a precious existence.

"I see... So, that's how it is..."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, when I took a step into this village, my dragon aura intensified. Now I understand the reason for it."

"What is dragon aura?"

"Dragon aura is what you call magical essence. The name is different, but the essence is the same."

"Thanks to the blessings of the Earth God, you felt that aura strongly, right?"

"It's not as simple as that. Village chief, I apologize for interrupting the meal, but could you let me go to the presence of the goddess right away?"

"I don't mind, but please tell me more about it later."

"Of course, then let's go!"

Once we arrived at the site, Drago prostrated himself in front of the church before entering. Tsubaki and I followed suit and entered.

"Goddess, I apologize for the delay in paying my respects. I am deeply moved by the sacred dragon aura. Please forgive me..."

Drago expressed his gratitude and apologies repeatedly while prostrating in front of the goddess statue.

Eventually,

"Village chief, I'm grateful. I have received a divine revelation from the goddess."

"A divine revelation... Does that mean you can communicate with the goddess?"

"No, I apologize for my poor choice of words. I can hear the voice of the goddess in my head... She will bestow upon me the profession of 'Dragon Warrior.'"

"Oh, congratulations on that!"

"But... I'm just a newcomer to this village. I was wondering if it was right for me to receive the blessings of the goddess."

He must have felt guilty for the delay in praying to the goddess. He was hesitant about receiving the blessings, not sure of his decision.

"It's alright. If it's a message from the goddess, then it's disrespectful not to accept it, right? Let's accept it with gratitude."

"...You're right, maybe it's better if you say so, village chief."

Encouraged by me, Drago received the blessings and offered his prayers to the goddess statue again.

After a while, we are now in the living room of my house, checking Drago's status.

"Do I just touch this?"

"Yes, it's in Japanese, so I don't think you can read it, but please let me check as well."

"I see, then..."

==========

Dragunius Lv. 50

Villager: Loyalty 75

Profession: Dragon Warrior

Skill: Dragon Fighting Technique Lv. 1

Dragon's Power: Enhances the entire body by enveloping it with dragon aura

Dragon's Blood: Accelerates natural healing abilities

Dragon's Wings: Enables flight with wings

Dragon's Roar: Releases dragon aura for attacks

※ Each effect improves with skill level

Blessing of the Earth God

Greatly increases the absorption rate of dragon aura

==========

The status displayed on the monitor was filled with abilities that made it truly the strongest warrior.

His previous skill was martial arts, so it seems that he received a derived profession this time. Moreover, his interactions and the presence of the goddess seemed to have an impact, as his loyalty had also increased to 75.

When I first met Drago, it was revealed that the item that Haruka couldn't appraise was "Blessing of the Earth God." Just as its name suggests, the effect seems to be amazing.

"So, your real name is Dragunius?"

"How did you know that...? That is my true name, which I only reveal to my bonded partner. Just call me Drago."

"That would be disrespectful, Drago-sama."

"But... Dragon Fighting Technique, huh... Among the dragonkin, there was only one who acquired this skill in the past."

"Is it the ancestor of the dragonkin?"

"You know everything, don't you? Indeed, it was our ancestor who possessed this skill."

I thought it would go that way based on the flow of the conversation, so I casually mentioned it... It's something that anyone who loves fantasy would come up with, but Drago's evaluation of me went up again.

◇◇◇

With the church incident resolved and nothing else to see, we returned home. After that, we talked about the dragonkin, the state of the capital city Bistoria, and the movements of the human territories.

The dragonkin living in the beastman territory are said to number only four: Drago, his wife, and their son and daughter. Most dragonkin do not come down from the mountains and live peaceful lives alongside the dragons.

It is a long-standing tradition for the dragonkin to serve as the chairman. Fifty years ago, Drago and his wife came down to the capital as successors. They later had children and usually live a modest life as a family.

"Is there a strict oath or something for the dragonkin to serve as chairman?"

"Not really. There are only four of us. Although our individual power is strong, we have no significant military strength as a species... We are like a portable shrine carried in festivals, hehe."

"I see, so that's how you maintain a neutral position."

In the capital city, they send Japanese slaves into dungeons to level up. The average level of the Japanese slaves is 24. Some are close to reaching level 40, while even the lowest ones are above level 20.

(Are our main forces slightly ahead?)

In the capital and other towns, Japanese adventurers are divided into two groups. The majority, who are stagnant at around level 20, can't defeat orcs and earn a living in the shallow levels of dungeons. The minority, who are motivated and competent, form new parties and continue to challenge the depths of the dungeon.

Most of the progress-oriented group is knowledgeable about the other world and enjoys their daily lives to the fullest by utilizing their own skills.

"By the way, what level are S-rank adventurers?"

"Well, let's see. There are eight S-rank adventurers in the beastman territory. The average level is around 65."

"Excuse me for asking, but are they stronger than Drago?"

"Strength is not something that can be measured solely by level. Well, now that I have received the Dragon Fighting Technique, I don't think I will lose."

It seems that there are also monster-class individuals stronger than Drago in the beastman territory. Thinking about it, our progress group would be considered as upper B-rank adventurers.

Lastly, regarding the human territories... the situation is "status quo."

The human side is also suffering from chronic food shortages and cannot afford a long-term war. However, the number of transferred Japanese is clearly high. The exact number is unknown, but it is approximately five times that of the beastman territory, according to the reports from the spies.

The human king is strengthening his forces by using unique skill holders such as heroes and saintesses. They haven't given up on invading the beastman territory.

If the food situation improves, there is a possibility that they may attack us. That's what Drago said.

"We intend to provide support in the form of food if a war breaks out."

"Understood... I've seen the village firsthand, and I never expected it to be this prosperous. As the Union Council, I want to continue the exchange with this village."

"If there is no interference from here, we will continue to trade."

"I will explain that properly from my side as well."

"Thank you very much."

◇◇◇

"Village chief, thank you for your help today."

"I am grateful that you have learned about our village. I leave the matter of reporting to the council in your capable hands."

"I understand. Well then, I look forward to the day we meet again."

"Yes, take care."

And so, the delegation of the chairman's visit left before dusk.

The carriage was loaded with a large amount of sweet potatoes. They were personal souvenirs for the attendants and guards who came with the delegation. Drago also agreed to it, so everyone happily set off on their journey home.

The visit unexpectedly had some unexpected developments, but it can be considered a success in terms of establishing a friendship with the council.

The rest is up to Drago's judgment, but at that moment, I naively thought, "With this, we can live peacefully.

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