Chapter 188: The Next Objective Is…
────A rare day of rest had arrived.
Ryu had issued a firm directive: “Everyone is to stay in the inn and laze around. No exceptions.”
…For such naturally energetic individuals, remaining cooped up indoors was practically torture.
Even if given a day off, it was painfully obvious what would happen—they’d wander outside in pursuit of their own interests and inevitably get tangled up in yet another incident.
And so, a notice had been posted on the inn’s door:
“Strictly No Going Out.”
Incidentally, the large room next door was occupied by the Heroes and Lily’s group. They were currently out at the Adventurers’ Guild submitting materials, leaving the place unusually quiet.
At present, only Ryu and Ryoma remained in the living room.
Everyone else was relaxing in their own rooms.
“Even we dragons need rest after a big fight. For ordinary humans, it’s even more important,” Ryu said, stretching lazily.
“Indeed. Push oneself too far, and the body will break—be it dragon or man. The day after battle should be spent eating one’s fill and sleeping well. Especially Alice and Rena—they are still growing, and at an age where they tend to overexert themselves. It falls to us to keep them in check,” Ryoma replied, his tone calm yet firm.
“Like they say—growing kids need their sleep. I really don’t want them skipping meals or rest.”
“Agreed. Entirely so.”
“By that logic… there’s a new possibility,” Ryu added casually. “Maybe Estelle’s still stuck as a petite elf because she kept skipping meals and sleep for her research.”
“…I cannot entirely deny that. Depending on her age, if she begins living a balanced life now… perhaps in a few decades she may yet become the stunning beauty she desires.”
“…Why is it that no matter how I simulate it, the only future I can see is a healthy petite elf being born instead?”
“I—I shall refrain from commenting.”
“You know, it’d be interesting if we forced Takeshi to further awaken his foresight magic and made him peek into Estelle’s future.”
“Hah hah! I’ll wager one gold coin on the birth of a healthy petite elf.”
Just as they were enjoying their idle banter, Estelle’s door burst open.
“I heard everything, you fools‼ Just you wait—I’ll crush you both into dust someday‼”
“Ooooh, scary, scary.” Ryu waved her off with a careless grin.
“Don’t laugh it off‼ You perverted, unsociable, lolicon-siscon viscount‼”
“Don’t praise me like that, I’m getting embarrassed.”
“I am not praising you‼ Honestly… irritating me like this in the middle of a peaceful day off…” she muttered, fuming.
With a loud slam, she shut the door and returned to her potion-making.
Ryu and Ryoma exchanged satisfied smiles.
A few minutes later, Ryu leaned back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.
“…Hey, Ryoma.”
“Yes?”
“With the Dungeon Master’s crystals, the Dragon’s Path can now gather and operate whenever we want.”
“Indeed. Not having to rely on forced dragon transformations for travel is a tremendous advantage.”
“So… how about we move on to the next step?”
“The next step…?”
“I think it’s time we bring an alchemist into the group.”
“…I had been thinking along similar lines.”
“Right? The floating stones we ‘borrowed’ from the kingdom, the golden serpent ring we ‘borrowed’ from that shady clan, the Behemoth materials we ‘borrowed’ from the Heroes… almost all of it is just rotting away in our item bags.”
“You’ve stolen quite a lot, haven’t you… Well, I suppose the acquisition methods are irrelevant.”
“With a high-level alchemist, we could turn all that into powerful magical tools. Not just for us—everyone around us would benefit. Better lives all around.”
“A dream anyone would wish to see realized.”
But, of course, the obstacles were many.
“Wouldn’t such a convenient alchemist already be in service to royalty or nobility?”
“Exactly. Even Estelle was half in that position before going to Hinomaru. She still does regular business with certain elites.”
“Then what is your plan? Knowing you, you’ve already reached a conclusion.”
“You know me well.”
Ryu raised an eyebrow, as if pleased he’d been asked.
“In this world, there’s exactly one person we owe a debt to—someone we can never repay, no matter what. And I’m not talking about Estelle.”
“A great benefactor…?”
Ryoma sifted through his memories with Ryu—
…and arrived at the answer.
“The creator of our beloved blades… the one who proposed the memory retention potion—Sanjo Kogaji Munechika-dono.
“Correct. She’s now a dragon, living on a floating island, having lost all her memories. I was planning for the two of us to visit and repay her someday… but why not recruit her while we’re at it? Make her our third dragon companion.”
“What an outrageously selfish plan… but that is exactly like you, Ryu. Though, if I recall, her expertise lies in pharmacology and blacksmithing. Alchemy is not her field.”
“True. But she’s lost all her memories. I don’t want to deceive her, so we’ll first show her the research she completed as a human. Then we’ll suggest alchemy. She’s a genius who reached the pinnacle of pharmacology and smithing in just a few decades—if she takes an interest, mastering alchemy would be child’s play.”
“Indeed… a prodigy who ascended to dragonhood through intellect alone.”
In truth, she had nearly unraveled the very mechanics of draconic evolution itself—and even managed to begin creating a memory retention potion at the last moment.
…A mind so brilliant, even Ryu couldn’t match it.
Now, as a dragon, that intellect had surely only grown sharper.
“Still, do you think the Dragon King will so easily let her go?”
“It’ll be fine. Worst case, I’ll beat that idiot lizard and shake him down. Besides, dragons stay on the floating island by choice. If she agrees, no one will object. We’re companions, not guardians—more like roommates. Apparently, there isn’t even a single dragon couple up there.”
“You did say that reproduction isn’t a concept among dragons.”
“Straight from the Dragon King himself. No doubt about it.”
“And yet our dragon god is drained nightly by a certain seductive petite elf…”
“With the added humiliation of a potion-assisted defeat.”
“How utterly pathetic…”
But recruiting Munechika wasn’t their only goal.
“At the very least, she’d resume pharmacology and smithing, right? She could maintain Kurikara and Futsunomitama… and maybe even help Estelle with that immortality elixir she’s struggling with.”
“Judging from her records, she was likely a very kind person.”
Ryu paused for a moment, then spoke more quietly.
“…And besides… life on that isolated floating island must be boring.”
“Indeed. That is your true motive, is it not?”
“Don’t say it out loud. It makes everything else sound like an excuse.”
“You are, in the end, a kind man.”
“My personality is hanging by a thread.”
“Hah hah hah!”
“No, you’re supposed to deny that.”
Though they spoke casually, lazily drifting from topic to topic, their true intent was simple—
To free their great benefactor, Sanjo Kogaji Munechika, from her isolated existence, and show her the joys of the world below.
“So, once we’re back in the Empire and everything’s settled with the crystals… we head to the floating island.”
“Understood.”
At last, their next objective had been decided.
If she joined them, she would undoubtedly become the greatest strategist of the Dragon’s Path—the mind that would guide them forward.
Just then, Stingray happened to step out of her room.
“Oh? What’s up, Stingray?”
“Um, well…” grrrowl
Her stomach growled loudly.
“I got hungry, so I thought I’d check the fridge… ehehe…”
She blushed, embarrassed.
“Perfect timing—it’s about lunch. I’ll cook something.”
“Really⁉ Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’ve been getting into cooking lately. It’s pretty fun.”
“Then I’ll help‼”
“Counting on you.”
Ryoma chimed in as well.
“Should I assist in some way?”
“No need. I’ve got a capable assistant this time.”
“I’ll do my best‼”
(Ehehe… cooking together with Ryu-sama~♪)
“I see. Very well.”
(Before the alchemist… there are still things we must accomplish here in the Federation. For both Ryu… and myself…)
And as that thought passed through his mind, Ryoma found himself recalling—
Alice’s radiant smile.