Chapter 323

323 – Clean Up

The top of the 『Starved Hunters』 is dead. Most of the units have been destroyed too, and the survivors are running away. The Lithovar village’s crisis should finally be over.

I watch as rain pelts the fires, gradually extinguishing them. It won’t be long until they’ve all been put out. I turn towards the village and let out a small sigh.

In the end… I have to leave again. I wonder how Aro will take it. When she hears I’m leaving, she’ll probably be angry and sad. It seems that she still has some lingering regret about the village. I don’t know what it is, but I doubt she’ll want to leave without resolving it. I’m going to have to say goodbye.

There’s no way I can properly explain to everyone in the village, and I get the feeling they’d try and hold me back if I tried… But I should at least make sure the miko understands.

I restore my gaze from the direction of the village, and the rarag wolf enters my field of view. It’s watching the fires go down through thinned eyes, but notices me looking at it and turns to face me.

『So you’re leaving this place, two-headed dragon?』

Ooh… I see, these guys can use [Telepathy] when they combine. Sorry about that, it seems I’ll have rampaged of my own accord, then left of my own accord.

『Had you not been here, they would surely have burnt this forest down. We would also have died.』

Since they’re called feared gods, I thought they’d be a bit more oppressive, but it doesn’t look like that’s the case. That being so, I might as well try asking them for a favour.

After I leave this forest, please take care of the Lithovars. I don’t know if something else will happen.

『…All we do is eliminate those who bring harm to the forest. They interest us little. They are simply humans that fear us and attach a strange name to us.』

But when I met one of you earlier, you led me to the other village. As a result, I was able to finish off the manticore sooner than I would have otherwise and so managed to reach an understanding with the villagers there and made good progress on their reconciliation, but… Was that just a coincidence? Or was that you watching over them in your own way?

『…Please don’t expect too much of us. Our foremost objective is protecting the trees of this forest. Besides, had those humans been at full strength, we would likely have died.』

Ahh, that’s plenty. It’s been short, but thank you for everything up to now.

『The gratitude is ours. We thought you a suspicious evil dragon and so kept you under watch, but you ended up saving the forest.』

…S-so you were monitoring me. Ah, right, well, it’s fine though.

Once the rarag wolf finishes talking, it glances in the direction I rolled from. Many trees were mowed down as I carved a path. It scratches the base of its throat then looks at me.

I was in a hurry… There was no other way… S-sorry.

Seeing me bow my head, it makes a laugh-like sound, then turns away and disappears into the forest.

…There are still things I need to do. The blame for all this should already fall on me rather than the Lithovars, but making sure can’t hurt.

I stand in front of the path I made with [Roll], glance back at where the rarag wolf left, then begin to [Roll]… They’ve already fallen over, so it’s safe.

I search for the beastman sword user, Nell. I left him unconscious, but he’s not where he was. I wonder if the Lithovar children brought him back to the village, but then find him kneeling beside Azalea’s dead body.

Seeing me, he wipes his face on his sleeve then picks up his sword and gets to his feet. It seems he thinks I’ve come back to kill him. But despite holding his sword at the ready, it’s clear from his expression that he has no fighting spirit.

His shoulder was hit by a rock, and blood is seeping out. Blood covers his right eye, narrowing his field of vision. It looks standing is the most he can do.

I activate [Humansation Technique], changing from dragon to human form. His eyes open in surprise, but after a look back at Azalea, he charges towards me with his sword swinging. I lower my body as I approach, then slam my hand into the hilt of his sword. His body flies back, his back hitting a wall of the cave and he collapses to the ground.

“You might have leapt at me with the intention of dying, but please be at ease, I won’t kill you.”

Nell sits, breathing heavily, and says nothing. He might not have thought I could talk. He looks a little surprised.

“You used your body to protect the children. I don’t know about the others, but I can trust you. I have a favour to ask. When you return to human habitation, I want you to say that the Lithovars captured travellers to sacrifice to the ouroboros.”

His mouth opens wide, and a small voice escapes. I look around and point at a mountain in the distance.

“…Right. Say that the ouroboros went that way, far to the north. I might end up moving on from there, but… Well, I plan on making myself seen as much as possible, so that shouldn’t be a concern.”

Should this go well, all the blame for the sacrifices and for this conflict should be focused on me. Most of the soldiers that ran away should have seen me killing their colleagues. So even if Nell’s own influence is low, what he says should sound credible.

“Wh-why…? What are you…”

Laying bare his inner turmoil, he tries to stand, but his knees give way and he sinks back into a kneel.

“No matter how I’m attacked, I can always escape. So, please survive and return, then report all that.”

I step back from him, then release my [Humanisation Technique]. My body swells in size, and a second head sprouts. In the blink of an eye, I’m back to my double-headed dragon form.

I glance at my partner, and then with a small sigh and shake of her head, she turns to face Nell.

“Gaah!”

She uses [High Rest], and his wounds heal. We didn’t have the MP to heal him before, but he should be fine now. His status is remarkable. There shouldn’t be much risk of him dying to a monster on the way back if he’s in peak condition.

With Nell staring at my back in amazement, I return to the village.