Mezametara Chikashitsu!? ~Tensei Shoujo no Yume no Saki~ Chapter 20 Part2

I was eaten by the monsters…… or not. I have transferred to the pond I went to before, stopped the supply of magical power, and stored the magic tool in my item box.
The reason I can act freely in spite of the slave collar is thanks to the「s.p.a.ce-time Barrier」.
I have developed a thin layer before the head maid put it on me.
「s.p.a.ce-time Barrier」separates s.p.a.ce, so the slave collar is ineffective.
In order to fulfill my promise, I transferred again.

――Shun

｛You came. I was tired of waiting. Just what have you……｝

I looked up at the dragon who unnaturally stopped its words.

｛? …… Umm, I will remove the slave collar, okay?｝

Saying such, I raised my magical power and released it while imagining a destructive effect.

「『Complete Destruction』」

――Baki! Gashan!

I destroyed the dragon’s shackles, and it became free.
However, the dragon silently looking at me without moving, it narrowed its eyes and brought its face close to me.

｛Why…… are you in shackles as well? You didn’t have them yesterday｝

When the dragon quietly asked, I looked at the shackles which reminded me of the scene of my family, I recalled the cold words of my father and my tears overflowed.

「…… Uwa~n! …… hiku…… gusuwa~n!」

｛Oi!? Why are you crying!｝

「I…… I too hiku…… something like that…… gusu……」

｛What do you want to say!? It can’t be helped, I will look at your memories…… this is…… how foolish humans can be｝

As I kept crying and the dragon was looking at, it closed its eyes, its body got wrapped in light.
And then, I was lifted up by someone.

「Fue……」

Looking at the person who picked me up, I saw a handsome man with black hair reaching up to the nape of his neck and long-slitted amber eyes, smiling at me worriedly.
The man has begun to speak while hugging me and gently rubbing my back.

「It’s fine to cry if you want to…… you endure too much. You are still a child who should be protected…… I’m also sorry for relying on you just because you are a reincarnated person…… you endured well. Thanks to that, I was able to meet you…… I’m glad to have met you…… thank you」

I have burst into tears again after hearing the man’s――dragon’s words, but my consciousness slowly faded away.
When the dragon confirmed that I fell asleep, his amber eyes glittered with danger.

A few hours later, what I saw when I awakened was a tree.

(Huh? I see a tree…… what happened to me again…… nevertheless, it’s so warm)

When I tried to get up and panicked because I couldn’t, I heard laughter.

(Eh? I can’t get up…… am I tied up!?)

「Kusu…… are you awake?」

「Eh?」

When I turn towards the voice, the handsome from yesterday was looking at me and smiling.
When my heart started throbbing and my face reddened, he looked at me worriedly.

「Your face is red…… do you have a fever?」

「I, I’m, I’m fine!」

「Is that so?」

He happily smiled again when I answered, my heart throbbed again.

(Seriously~! Why are you throbbing! Calm down~)

「Umm! You are Dragon-san, right?」

「Yeah, I didn’t introduce myself, did I? I’m the Black Dragon, Fearfal」

「I’m……」

(Name…… I haven’t thought up of one yet…… would Sayo be fine?)

「If you don’t have a name, may I name you?」

「Eh?」

「Would you dislike that?」

「No! …… I’m happy」

When I answered with a blush, Fearfal stroked my head.

「I see! Your name is…… Felice1」

「Felice…… fufu」

I was so happy I spontaneously laughed.
Fearfal who saw that hugged me.

「Right, you are Felice! I will usually call you Feli. Please, call me as you wish」

「Umm…… then, may I call you Al?」

「Al, huh…… sounds good! Let’s get along from now on!」

「Yes! …… tte, from now on!?」

Al apparently intends to tag along with me.

「I…… can’t?」

Al asked while looking really hurt, so I denied.

「It’s not like you can’t! I was just surprised…… by the way, Al…… how did you come all the way here? Have you perhaps……」

When I uneasily ask, Al answered with a smile.

「Don’t worry…… I have not raised my hand against the people of that mansion. I have just shattered the room where the magic tool was researched into pieces」

「Is that so? Why……」

「Feli would feel uneasy if I raised my hand against the people of that mansion, right? It’s same with the magic tool…… I didn’t want to see Feli suffering because of those people」

「Thank you very much……」

(My face is most likely bright red…… how embarra.s.sing)

「I won’t let them off that easily if they make Feli suffer again, though」

I was so embarra.s.sed I didn’t hear Al’s next words.

「By the way, where do you plan to go now?」

「I intend to go to the Dianes Republic」

「Fu~n…… hey, you don’t have to use honorifics」

「…… Un! Al’s way of speaking is different when not in a dragon form, huh」

I asked what was on my mind all this time.
Al awkwardly answers while scratching his cheek.

「Talking like that makes me appear dignified, after all」

「…… Is that so」

When I wryly smile at the strange reason, Al urged for a departure.

「We should depart soon. Walking would be difficult, right? We could fly, but we might be seen…… how about waiting at the highway for a carriage to pa.s.s by?」

「Al, where is this place?」

「This is outside of the Empire, near the highway leading to the Republic. I imitated the magic Feli used and came here」

I was astonished by his smooth smiling face.

「You can imitate it just by looking!? Al is amazing, huh!」

「You think so? I haven’t lived long for nothing. I have lived who knows how many years in the human country, so don’t worry! Magic is also my strong point!」

Al puffed out his chest with pride and answered boastfully.

「How much is long?」

「U~n if I’m not mistaken…… for about 1000 years?」

「1000 years……」

While feeling dumbfounded, Al asked while gently patting my head.

「What kind of creatures do you like, Feli?」

「Creatures? …… I like mofumofuable creatures!」

When I answered, Al laughed.

「…… You like them?」

「Un! I love them」

When I said I love them, Al’s smile deepened, and he hugged me.

「Al!? What’s wrong?」

「It’s nothing…… now then, let’s go away from here」

When Al said such, he moved us to a slightly remote place.

「Al?」

As Al seemed to be concentrating on something, I watched quietly.
And then, Al’s body shined.

(So dazzling! …… What’s happening?)

When I looked at Al when the light settled, a large, black wolf was sitting there instead.

「Wolf…… is that Al?」

｛That’s right, Feli｝

Al in the wolf form approached me and licked my cheek.

｛Get on, Feli. Let’s move like this until we encounter a carriage｝

「Un…… how soft」

When I get on Al’s back and experience his fur, he cautioned me while laughing.

｛Kusukusu…… you seem to be having fun Feli, but hold on tightly, okay?｝

「Yee~s!」

I tightly cling on Al and he kicks the ground and starts running.
A short while later, Al reduced the speed to a walking pace.

｛Feli, you can see the highway on your right side, right? If we take that road, we will reach the Republic. It’s still quite far away, so let’s continue like this since we don’t have a carriage｝

「But, Al will get tired」

｛I will be fine! I’m a dragon, so I won’t be tired by something like this｝

「Un…… let’s take a break on the way, okay?」

｛Thank you, Feli｝

We got on the highway and walked on the edge of the road while having a silly talk.
On the way, we took a break. I took a nap while buried in Al’s fur, we had a meal, and at night I fell asleep while hugged by Al in the human form. Then, we moved little by little.
By the way, when I took out the emergency rations, Al who returned to the human form told me ‘stay here’ and left, but after a short while, he returned many fruits and a bear type monster.
The monster was dismantled by Al, the fur and anything that can be sold, and a more than we can eat amount of meat was stored in the item box.
After spending three calm, pleasant days, there was a change.

｛Feli, get off at once. Something is approaching｝

Indeed, I had a reaction on the「Search」, so I abided by Al’s words and got off.
Al immediately returned to the human form and grabbed my hand.
After a little while, two carriages approached.

「They appear to be peddlers. I will talk to them, so Feli be sure not to talk, okay?」

「Un」

I was tense about a first meeting after a long time and tightly grasped Al’s hand.
Al grasped me back and smiled.
In the meanwhile, the carriage in the front stopped, an uncle with a good physique spoke while grinning.

「h.e.l.lo, what are you doing in a place like this?」

「h.e.l.lo, actually, I’m traveling with my little sister, but our baggage was stolen, so we were walking to the Republic」

Ojisan looked at me, so I lowered my head.
Ojisan who saw that spoke apologetically.

「That must have been difficult…… I would like to give you a ride, but as you can see my carriage is full of merchandise, and the carriage in the back is full as well…… I’m really sorry」

「No! Please, don’t mind us. We will slowly proceed, I’m thankful for your thoughtfullness」

When Al thanked Ojisan, Ojisan lowered his head once again and departed.
When the carriage wasn’t visible anymore, I spoke to Al.

「Say Al…… the carriage in the back wasn’t full of baggage, but full of people, wasn’t it?」

Right, several responses of people appeared on my『「Search」.

「That’s right. Traveling incognito? Let’s advance today just in case」

「Okay」

「Tell me if you are tired. That skill, it’s currently suspended, after all」

「Yeess」

I joined hands with Al and walked.
By that skill, he means the unique skill「Life Absorption」. The skill which is able to automatically use the saved up HP and MP.
However, Al told me that I couldn’t raise my MP with training because it’s getting supplemented automatically, and because I can switch off the automatical supplementation, the skill is currently suspended.
MP appears to be increased little by little by repeated use.
In these few days, thanks to Al’s magical power manipulation practice, my MP became 1100, but my HP is the same as before.
While slowly advancing according to my pace, I heard a dispute-like voice.

「Al, there are hostile reactions on my『Search』…… that carriage Ojisan is in the middle!?」

「Bandits, huh…… seriously, that’s why humans are」

Al’s amber eyes flashed with danger as he spat out.
When I reacted to it in a startle, Al held me up.

「I’m sorry Feli, that must have been scary」

I got my hands around Al’s neck and clung to him as usual.

「…… I’m fine…… Al, I want to save that Ojisan」

「Haa~ I thought you would say that. Please don’t move from my back」

「Thank you, Al!」

Al gets me on his back and starts running at a very high speed.
Bandit-like men were soon in sight.
The bandits surrounded the carriage, but a bare-handed man wearing a leather armor, a man of a small build holding an axe, a man with a bow, and a man wearing a metal armor and sword were putting up a defense.

「Well look at that, they are strong, aren’t they…… but, they won’t be able to protect the carriage against those numbers」

「Al……」

「It will be all right Feli, I will help them…… we are going to jump, hold tightly!」

Al jumped high over the bandits, landed at the side of the carriage, and laughed at the surprised four people.

「Yo, h.e.l.lo there. Let me a.s.sist you」

「「「「Haa!?」」」」

Footnotes