A strange silence reigned. It would have been good form to ask why I had suddenly screamed, but Mr. Dragon had been silent since I let out the scream.

Well, well, it makes me nervous.

As soon as the silence began to seem uncomfortable, Mr. Dragon dispelled the [Dragon Fear] and asked,

— ... Why did you scream for no reason?

It was difficult to read his reptilian eyes, but it looked like pure curiosity. This means that such a person may be interested.

Without hesitation, I answered:

"I just wanted to do it. Are there any problems?

When I was too concerned to give detailed explanations, it was my barbaric cheating response that I could use to anything.

Mr. Dragon seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before smiling.

— No, no problem. Barbarians are an interesting race, as I've heard.

His voice was deep and dignified.

*Wave!*

Soon, he waved his hand in the air.

A gust of wind swept in, and the fog thinned out. The scene behind it was not at all what I expected. There was no one there. I thought it was full of dragons because of their shiny eyes.

When I looked at him for an explanation, he looked away in embarrassment.

"I'll tell you right away, I was against this childishness.

"Childishness?"

- And, apparently, negotiations are easier to conduct if you break the spirit of the enemy, or is that what they say?

Simply put, the shining eyes were an illusion.

To be honest, if I had thought about it calmly, I could have realized it earlier.

Most of all, I demanded privacy from Blood, and the Dragon Tribe is a race with an extremely small population.

It is logical to assume that dozens of people could not gather in one place just to mock me.

"In any case, I regret it. It was foolish of me to do this in an attempt to save a few stones. I told them that it was not proper to treat our benefactor in this way.

His voice was still imposing, but the manner of speaking and the atmosphere around him were incomparably softer than before. Maybe it used to be a pretense, but now it's real? If that were the case, I'd think we'd be able to have a normal conversation. Still, I couldn't let my guard down. Even this could be a pretense.

"Let's clarify first. I am Bjorn, son of Yandel. Are you the leader of the Dragon Tribe?

"Chief... In your terminology, yes, I am the chief of the tribe. Although I took up my position not so long ago.

"Not so long ago?"

I involuntarily tilted my head. I've heard that it's been more than 30 years since the Dragon Slayer killed the ancient dragon and was cursed.

— Time is the share of those who accept it.

Faithfully. In the game, dragons had a long lifespan. It wasn't important information, so I forgot about it for a moment.

In any case, it doesn't matter, so it's worth getting down to business.

"Chieftain."

"For convenience, call me Pyrsaidormus."

How-how? As I pondered what kind of reaction I should show, Mr. Dragon laughed and revealed his pseudonym.

"It was a joke. Just call me Lapier. This is my middle name for public use.

For reference, middle names were a cultural feature only for the Dragon Tribe. Since their real names were very long, they required middle names for the convenience of living in the city. Regal Vagos's real name would also be much longer.

Well, at least like this.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief. After all, it was an official meeting. If he had demanded that I call him by that long real name, it would have been a hassle.

— Lapier. You can call me Yandel or Bjorn, whichever you prefer.

"I like Yandel better.

In general, the acquaintance ended.

Just as I was about to say something, Mr. Dragon was the first to speak.

"Before we start talking, can I see the Dragon Sword first?" I heard the whole story from the church, but I still can't believe it.

As soon as I heard this, I chuckled bitterly. He may have spoken softly, but the content was very frank: "I can't believe it until I see it with my own eyes..."

It's not that I didn't understand his feelings. Vagos was a member of the Orcules and a notorious criminal with a bounty of hundreds of millions of stones on his head. I was sure that he found it hard to believe that a level 4 researcher like me had defeated him and taken away the sword.

*Out!*

There was no need for a long explanation, so I took my sword out of my bag and stuck it in the floor.

Damn, it burns.

I held it for only 3 seconds, but the skin had already begun to peel.

Soon, Mr. Dragon descended from the throne and took out his sword. He took it in his hands and whispered in a low voice:

"It's really him.

In this short sentence, I felt the complexity of his emotions.

He seemed somehow joyful and at the same time depressed.

Well, considering the history surrounding this sword, he must have had a different impression than me.

Mr. Dragon took the sword in his hands and stood there for a long time before sticking it back into the floor and asking,

— … How is he? You're the last person to see him. I'd love to hear more.

I told him what had happened that day, omitting some details that were unfavorable to me.

— … Got it. So that's what he did... Thank you for telling me. As you requested, I will keep the story of the return of the Dragon Sword a secret.

"Were you close to him?"

When I asked, Mr. Dragon smiled bitterly.

"He's... my younger brother.

"What?"

"That's why... I couldn't stop it myself.

I wanted to talk to him a little more to get information about the Dragon Slayer, but Mr. Dragon changed the subject as if it was something he didn't want to touch.

"Come to think of it, I haven't talked about it yet. Björn, son of Yandel. Thank you for bringing this sword back. Regardless of the reward you request, we will consider you a benefactor.

From the look in his eyes, I could tell that these words were sincere.

The eyes of the reptile are a little confusing, but whatever the case. Since I had made the decision to return the sword only for the sake of a reward, I felt rather embarrassed, but I shouldn't have refused such treatment. Later, I will ask what exactly the benefits of being a benefactor are, but for now I will focus on the current conversation.

"So, what would you like?"

This, in fact, was the essence of our meeting. I thought about this question for a long time. What can I ask for in exchange for a weapon made of 6th grade material and an item that is as important to the dragon tribe as a sacred relic?

"What can you give me?" I asked, just in case, believing that he might make an offer I couldn't refuse.

Mr. Dragon had already prepared something and was talking without much thought.

— The first is wealth.

The money. Not bad. Anyway, it was one of my three options before I made my final decision.

When you consider that even a Class 5 weapon cost hundreds of millions, then I should have been given enough money as a reward to cover my entire body with high-end equipment.

But...

"I don't need money.

In response to my answer, Mr. Dragon made a strange face. Apparently, he did not think that I would refuse such an offer.

"Hmm, it's probably because you don't know how much money-...

— Again, I don't need money.

The amount did not matter. Anyway, it wouldn't be more than the cost of the Dragon Sword. I'd rather get something else.

Sensing my resolve, Mr. Dragon offered the following reward option.

"The second is a teammate.

"A teammate?"

"I've heard from Sir Bloody that you're assembling a new crew.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I'll assign one of my clan members to you for 2 years.

It was an award that I had not even thought about. Did he offer to give me a teammate? It was definitely a race that knew its worth.

This is certainly tempting.

As I understood from the battle with the Dragon Slayer, [Dragon Language] allowed you to do things that even a mage or priest could not. In addition, the dragon tribe had high bases, making them suitable for close-quarters combat, and they could use magic that was only available to humans.

However, my answer was again the same.

"I've already gathered my teammates.

As expected, I was not inclined to accept a person who would leave in 2 years. Ultimately, I needed a cohesive team.

"She's very beautiful.

Why does he tell me this?

When I glanced at him, Mr. Dragon coughed in embarrassment and opened his mouth again.

—... Then this will be the last offer.

— Speak.

"I'll give you a weapon made from the arch that will be born next year.

Yes, in the end it was expected. Arch metal and the dragon tribe were closely related. Only dragons could work with the arc.

The rule was that only one arch weapon could be crafted each year through the ritual.

In this sense, such a reward was the most reasonable:

I give away the unusable arch sword and get another arched weapon that can be used.

It's a win-win situation.

But...

It could be bought for the same money.

This time my answer was the same.

"I don't like that either.

Mr. Dragon did not expect me to refuse this offer either, and pursed his lips. He had nothing else to offer, so I decided to speak first.

"All right, forget about it. Just get me a tattoo," I replied as if it wasn't anything special.

"A tattoo?" Mr. Dragon lifted his head, and his eyes widened. After a moment, he seemed to understand what I meant.

"You mean [Dragon Blessing]?"

Yes, it is.

When I nodded, Mr. Dragon's gaze instantly changed.

"Yandel, where did you hear about it?"

Ugh, he's definitely not pretending now.

***

[Blessing of the Dragon], the very thing that, along with [Dragon's Tongue], elevates the dragon tribe to the ranks of cheaters.

"The elders were right. You're too greedy.

Mr. Dragon wiped the smile from his face and cast the [Dragon Fear] on me that had been dispelled earlier.

"I should have done it earlier.

The air became so heavy that it became difficult to breathe. Had he really become serious? I guessed that he was really against childishness, because the intensity itself was different.

But...

Not to such an extent that he could not stand it.

Again, it was the same as last time. Scared to the point of shivering? So what? As long as the ancestral goddess was with us, the barbarians would never lose a battle.

'Behella

As I uttered a battle cry at the top of my lungs and relaxed my stiff neck, Mr. Dragon opened his mouth in a daze.

"What the...?"

— Any problems?

— ... Are all barbarians like you?

[Dragon Fear] soon receded. Yes, he may have been using a serious regimen, but it wasn't because he was very annoyed with me.

"Phew...

Mr. Dragon relaxed his serious expression and took a deep breath.

"I'll add a solid monetary reward to the arch weapon. How do you like it?

Coming to the conclusion that the stick would not work on me, he handed me a carrot. FYI, I hated carrots.

"I refuse!"

"You don't understand. It will be poison for you too. If your kin find out, you will be mistaken for a traitor.

I had already received the oracle, so this was not new.

"So calm your excitement..."

"Lapier!" Aren't you a descendant of a dragon?! Don't be prudish and do it! You call me a benefactor, but you can't at least do that? It's a shame!

Apparently, he had never encountered someone at the negotiating table ignorantly shouting: "Do it!" and therefore just stared blankly at me. I took advantage of this moment to aim at the "Achilles' heel".

"The Goddess of the Stars said that Regal Vagos and I will meet again. We are bound by a strong, ill-fated fate.

— ... Did the Goddess of the Stars say that? It's true?

"I have to get stronger if I don't want to lose another teammate to your brother.

It was mean even to me, but what could I do? Negotiations were won by those who did not hesitate to use even dirty tricks. Formally, I did not say anything bad.

"Lapier, you said you couldn't stop your brother with your strength, didn't you?" Invest in me. I'll finish what you couldn't do.

After that, I said nothing more.

Mr. Dragon was lost in thought again for a long time.

—... I guess it's my karma," he muttered with a sigh.

"Will you do it?"

—... First I will have to clarify in the temple that the oracle is real. After that, I'll call you. It's not something I can decide on my own.

Well, then, okay.

"How long do you think it will take?"

"I don't know. One month? Two months? I will make a decision as soon as possible and let you know.

"Until then, will I keep it to myself?"

— Of course.

It was a much colder agreement than I expected. After that, I took the Dragon Sword and put it back in my bag. Then, after asking how I could contact him again and asking a few more questions, I concluded today's negotiations.

"This is a stone-message. When I contact you, tear up the paper I gave you. Then I'll know where you are.

"Good.

Not long after, Mr. Dragon sent me back to the inn, using the [Dragon Tongue] to teleport again.

… As I thought, all dragons are cheaters.

With such an impression, I took off my equipment and was about to lie down on the bed.

*Tuk-tuk-tuk*

There was a knock. This meant that a stranger had come to see me. Misha would just open the door, and Einar's knock would be more like she was trying to break down the door.

"I'm glad to see you."

When I opened the door, I saw a familiar woman's face.

"Julianne Urbahns?"

She was the daughter of the head of the district, a real spoiled daughter, who, for the sake of her freedom, wished for the fall of her father.

"So, you've changed your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

- I heard that your team was disbanded. That mage is also dead. This is the work of that Rothmiller, isn't it?

Ah, so that's why she didn't give up and came again. From the outside, it looked like this.

"He's not 'that mage', he's Riol Varb Dvalki. And it's true that your father tried to bribe Rothmiller, but he didn't sell out.

I have only pointed out the facts.

After that, I realized that I needed to solve this problem as well. I didn't think Mr. Bear and Raven would buy into it so easily, even if he tried something else, but if left as it is, it could turn into an even bigger problem.

I'll deal with it right now, before I forget.

"Where is your father now?"

"I don't know. He must be at the headquarters of the 7th arrondissement now.

Having received only the necessary information from Urbahns, I gave her an order:

"Now go away." And don't come back. I do not wish to interfere in the affairs of your family.

"Excuse me?" What are you doing to them-...

— Literally, that's what I said.

When she first came to see me, I thought she was holding a grudge against me because of the jailbreak incident. But if you think about it, the time is coming.

It must have been because of her that the head of the district suddenly became so hostile to me a few months later.

"I told you so. Our interests coincide.

"Okay, go away."

I made Urbahns out and put on the gear I had just taken off.

*Creak*

When I walked out the door, she was still standing there.

"Are you going to see my father?"

— Yes. I'm going to negotiate.

"But why do you need weapons?"

I tilted my head. Why don't I take my weapons to the negotiations?