Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 199: Climbing the Tree of Flattery
The creature before them, a worm-like beast clad in mud, was a dragon-type monster—a member of the dragon species.
Dragons were considered the strongest monsters in this world. Except for rare exceptions like sages or creatures like Sabnock, who grew abnormally powerful by absorbing mana from magic regions, dragons had no natural predators.
Worms, which were once dragons ruling the skies, had been driven underground after losing territorial disputes with other dragons. Over time, they lost their wings, their vision deteriorated, and they adapted to living underground, burrowing through soft earth in wetlands. Despite being a shadow of their former selves, worms remained a formidable type of magic dragon.
“Even if it’s weaker than most dragons, it’s still part of their kind… I thought it went down too easily, but it turns out this was just a child.”
Rest muttered.
“I’m shocked too. This is unbelievable.”
Yuri added.
They both sighed as they gazed at the worm’s corpse, now burned and lifeless. While they had not struggled too much, the creature had not been weak by any measure. It had taken several intermediate-level spells to finally bring it down. For most adventurers, especially those below court magician level, defeating even this juvenile worm would have been an impossible feat.
(And this was just a baby? Hearing that kind of takes the wind out of my sails…)
As Rest frowned, lost in thought, Urla tilted her head and peered up at him.
“The size is… twice as big. Can you do it?”
“She’s asking if you can handle the parent worm, which is supposedly over twice the size of this one. What do you think, Rest?”
Yuri asked.
“Let’s see…”
Rest took a moment to think, under the contrasting gazes of Urla and Yuri.
“I can’t guarantee victory against an enemy I haven’t even seen yet. But I haven’t shown all my cards either. If I use my trump cards, I might have a shot.”
“Good enough for me. You’ll win.”
Yuri said with a relieved smile.
“I didn’t exactly say that…”
“You’ll win. You’re Rest. If there’s even the slightest chance of victory, you’ll find a way. I believe in that.”
“Yes… it’s okay. Don’t worry.”
Urla said, nodding with complete confidence.
Rest blinked, startled by the unshakable faith Yuri and Urla seemed to have in him. Their trust was so absolute it was almost unnerving.
(Did I really do something to earn this level of trust?)
Even though he’d only just met Urla and didn’t think his bond with Yuri was particularly deep, their belief in him was far stronger than his own self-confidence.
“With you saying that much, there’s no choice but to win.”
Rest said with a wry smile.
“I’ll do it. Just watch me.”
With two beautiful girls placing their unwavering trust in him, there was no way Rest could say anything other than that he would succeed. Regardless of their relationship, Rest simply wasn’t the type to betray the faith of someone who believed in him—not while he was still this young and idealistic.
“Let’s continue exploring the wetlands.”
He said, rallying his resolve.
“We’ll investigate the worm’s ecology and weaknesses while searching for the parent. If we can figure out its elemental vulnerabilities or behavior, we’ll have a better shot. And before we face the parent, I’d like to encounter and battle a few more juveniles.”
The group pressed on, preparing for the battles to come.
“GYAOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“Ah, perfect timing. It came out already, huh?”
From a short distance away, the roar of a worm echoed. Using magic to sense its presence, Rest pinpointed it about 20 meters away—a worm of roughly the same size as the one they had just defeated.
“Alright then, let’s get to it.”
He said, readying himself for battle.
(When a cute girl places her hopes on you, you can’t help but want to meet their expectations… It’s like they say: even a pig will climb a tree if flattered. Men really are such simple creatures…)
Even with boundless magic power.
Even with the title of Count within reach.
At the end of the day, Rest was just a man like any other.
With Yuri and Urla’s unwavering trust placed in him, there was nothing else he could do but give his all to meet their expectations.
Feeling a bit self-deprecating, Rest shook his head with a pained expression, resigning himself to the battle ahead.