***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 155 Dragon’s Pledge (Contractor)***

The dragon's voice was transmitted throughout the surrounding area.

A strange voice that echoes inside the head rather than what the words mean.

The people, who were panicked by the appearance of the dragon, became even more confused, and the castle town was in chaos.

The appearance of Suiko, who was taller than a man, would naturally intensify the chaos.

The Suiko was driven through the crowds, along the rooftops, and into the royal territory.

Krische grabbed its fur as she rode sideways, using her voice and magic to tell it where to go.

Despite being in an unfamiliar land, the Suiko read Krische’s intentions really well.

In front of the royal territory――the soldiers of the guard stiffened at the sight of the Siko and were alarmed, but when they saw the girl riding on top of her, they quickly gave way.

In the royal capital, there was no one who did not know her name.

Once they had flown in through the gates of the royal domain, the estate was just a short distance away.

"K-Krische...-sama?"

"Elvena, it's been a while."

Elvena, who was waiting for Selene and the others to return in front of the mansion, almost collapsed over by the huge green tiger that suddenly appeared in front of her, and leaned against the door.

And she stroked her chest in relief at the sight of Krische jumping off the Suiko’s back.

"I’m glad…you’re safe. Uhh, the injuries..."

She lowered her brows slightly, noticing the torn dress and bandages peeking out from her furry cloak.

Seeing Elvena like that, Krische stretched, stood on tiptoe, and gently stroked her head.

"Krische is fine. Sorry, Krische caused Elvena to worry.... But everything has been resolved properly, so please rest assured."

"Y-yes, no...t-there's nothing Krische-sama, should apologize for..."

Even as she said that, her tears flowed, and she frantically wiped them with her fingers.

Krische stared at her and smiled.

"Thank you for taking care of the mansion."

"……yes"

Elvena also smiled and nodded.

"But, we'll continue later...Krische has to go to Bery. Can you watch this child for a moment?"

"T-this child..."

"It’s called Gururun. It saved Krische from a dangerous situation. ...is it called Krische's favor cat?"

"Is...is that so?"

Despite its quadrupedal gait, it was considerably taller than Elvena.

From the shoulders to its arm muscles, it was as big as Elvena's waist.

It is a fierce beast that can be recognized at a glance. That was not the kind of explanation she wanted to hear.

But the reality of being left in front of such a ferocious beast, she could only nod in terror.

No matter how she explained it to this girl, she wouldn’t understand the fear she felt, and she seemed as if she had finished the explanation.

"Gururun, you can't eat Elvena okay. Stay still."

Whether or not it understood that it's going around, the wild beast groaned ‘grrr’ as if responding.

The words she said while pointing her finger at it, stirred up Elvena's fear even more, but Krische naturally didn’t notice.

Leaving Elvena in front of the Suiko, she leapt upstairs.

The destination was the balcony of her room, where Berry was sleeping.

She unlocked the lock from the outside using her magic power, and inside she found Anne standing in front of the door on the corridor side, holding a frying pan.

She didn't even notice Krische as she entered, both hands clutching the frying pan tightly.

"……What are you doing?"

"Hi!?"

Anne's shoulders jumped and she turned around and slumped to the spot when she saw Krische.

‘Krische-sama’ she said miserably, and answered Krische’s question idiotically.

"W-when I heard that the dragon had come, I thought, I had to protect Argan-sama just in case..."

What was she going to do with that frying pan against a dragon?

What did she intend to do while standing guard in the hallway?

Why was it a frying pan in the first place?

"Please return the frying pan. That's Berry's favorite... really. If you use it violently, Krische will get angry okay."

There were many things she wanted to say, but she finished it with just that and approached the bed.

Red hair, a well-defined face.

Bery, whose time had stopped, looked the same as when she left.

She didn't think anything would happen to her in this state, but she breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her.

She turned her palm to her and drew a geometric pattern.

Compared to creating it, the magical power required to release it was small.

The invisible walls that separated the worlds disappeared, and Bery's slightly rough breathing echoed through the room.

She quickly pulled down the sheets and held Berry, still in her negligee, in her hands.

Her brow was furrowed a little painfully and her body was terribly hot.

Krische furrowed and put her cheek against her head.

"Arne, the door"

"Y-yes"

In a panic, Anne opened the door and ran to the entrance, followed by Krische.

She ran down the hallway, trying not to shake Berry's body as much as possible, and then went through the stairs.

Once out front, she told them both

"Then Krische'll go for a while. ...Anne makes sure to return the frying pan."

Without waiting for an answer, Krische ran.

the Suiko passed by her and looked back strangely several times at the slow running master,

"Gururun is rough, so no."

When Krische said that, it raised its voice and kept pace with her.

A dragon that appeared in the royal capital.

And Suiko, running leisurely through the city.

Just like when she came, the commotion was terrible, and it was a little troublesome.

With Bery in such a state, it was impossible for her to walk along the rooftops.

She wondered what she should do, but it gradually stopped once she passed through the first-class city.

"Krische-sama!"

There were men in black armor.

The Black Flag Special Force is making way for Cliche on the main road in the center of King's Landing, appeasing the people who are on the verge of chaos.

Dagra appeared in front of them and ran alongside them.

"As expected of Bald Eagle."

A little further ahead she could see, Mia, Aleha, Tagel, and Corinth were leading the way in organizing the crowd.

Krische ran down the road, honestly impressed.

"No, it’s a matter of course. I would like to ask for post-facto approval for this as a special mission."

"...Yes, Krische will forgive you. But this time aside, you shouldn't do this too much. It will be bad if we get scolded."

"Ha. Of course. If not, I won't be an example for my subordinates."

Despite being rude, Dagra saluted as he ran.

It was not permitted to move the corps under the guise of anything other than training without permission.

Given the circumstances, it would have been possible to use an excuse under the pretext of suppressing the confusion of the people, and it would have been fine if only ex post facto approval was obtained, but it was not a desirable thing.

It was a rare act for the serious man――but now Dagra saw her not as a soldier, but as someone who he served for the rest of his life.

He knew the servant Bery was stabbed.

He imagined that was probably the reason why she disappeared after that, and then when he heard the dragon's words he understood more or less what was going on.

Then it was his role to help her.

That was why Dagra arbitrarily moved her troops to pursue immediately.

"But I was surprised to see Krische-sama return on the dragon's back when I thought Krische-sama had suddenly disappeared. Even though I am already used to such surprises."

Dagra looked at the girl-like woman Krische was holding, then looked at the green tiger, and frowned.

That was the main cause of the increased confusion around them.

It was his job to care about what Krische didn't care about.

"turn left down the alley. I'll lead the way, we’ve already cleared the area."

"No, Krische leave it to you."

Krische, led by Dagra, joined Kalua at the gate, where they were clearing the area.

"Fufu, Usa-chan always surprised us."

She walked through the crowds with the usual light-hearted comments.

――And then once again in front of the dragon.

Dagra and Kalua stopped a little earlier.

Krische stepped in front of Selene and Kreschenta and showed Regalave, Bery who she was holding.

"Regalave-san, this is the person Krische wants you to save."

Regalave brought his face closer and stared at Bery for a while, then he slowly brought its left arm, one of its fingers closer.

Everyone in the room held their breath, thinking that she might be crushed——but the dragon's movements were surprisingly relaxed.

*"Open her mouth"*

"Um... yes."

Krische gently lowered Bery and supported her neck.

Then, holding her chin, she opened her slightly pale lips.

The dragon used its right hand and clawed at its own left arm.

The magic showed a blue glow, and the red blood turned purple.

The blood bled and ran down from the tips of its fingers to the tips of its steel-like claws.

A drop fell onto Sleeping Beauty's mouth.

The blood mysteriously disappears into her lips as if it had a will of its own, as if it is absorbed.

Two drops, three drops——that was all it and the dragon to withdraw his arm.

The blood has already stopped, and the droplets turned into a blue mist and disappeared.

When Krische looked up at the dragon curiously, it was the voice of magic that shook and echoed.

*"I told you, it's too much for you guys."*

The dragon showed the tip of its claw.

"Many of the little ones who once devoured our dead flesh with grees have died because they could not stand the blood. Any more would be too much."

"…Is it like medicine that is too strong?"

Krische pondered those words, and the dragon narrowed its eyes.

*"……Even though it’s a body that has become accustomed to blood after repeated crossbreeding, our body is different in the first place. If you want to test it on that person's body, I don’t mind giving her more blood."*

"... It's fine. How mean."

The magic ripples intermittently, as if having fun.

Krische’s lips pouted——suddenly the body in her arms moved.

"Bery?"

Bery held her chest painfully, and blue magic power arises and envelops her body.

Krische immediately hugged her body, stabilizing the overflowing magical power.

The seizure-like movements gradually abate, and Krische strokes Bery's back and pressed her cheek against Bery’s.

No one opened their mouths.

In front of the dragon, only looking at the two figures there.

――After a while, what resounded was,

"Krische...-sama...?"

For Krische, it was a voice that sounded more familiar than anyone else.

"Bery, good, properly..."

She separated a little and looked at her.

The big, dreamy eyes opened slightly, but surely, and looked back at Krische curiously.

As if looking into the void, as if slumbering.

But she smiled, and put her hand around Krische's back.

"... I can't believe I can meet Krische-sama even in the afterlife."

"Bery isn't dead, she's alive."

Curiously, Berry tilted her head and looked to her left and right.

Her dim eyes were still in her dreams, and it seemed like her head wasn't working.

But surely she opened her eyes and spoke to the cliché.

"Is that so...?"

"Yes, that's right. Ehehe, huh...?"

She should have been happy, but suddenly her vision blurred.

Confused, Krische wiped it with her hand.

She wiped her overflowing drops many times and looked at it curiously.

Berry pinches Krische’s cheeks between her hands and carefully wipes it away for her with her thumbs.

"But, either way..."

Then, she brought the tips of their noses to each other.

Slowly, their lips come together.

Softly, gently.

The same sensation of a kiss, that didn’t change, as usual.

After doing so for a moment, Bery smiled happily away and traced her thumb over Krische’s lips.

"If I could meet Krische-sama again then"

She hugged Krische’s body and closed her eyelids, her long lashes swaying.

"I’m, fin――"

And there her words stopped.

Instead, only her calm, quiet breathing echoed, and Krische gently hugged her body, smiling at her in relief.

"... Ehehe, good night."

Like holding something dear, she stroked her red hair, pressed her cheek and wiped her eyes.

The soldiers watching from the side probably had understood what had happened.

The same goes for the soldiers right behind Selene and the others.

Selene and Crescenta were impressed by the scene――and then it changed in an instant.

Selene blatantly, and even Kreschenta slightly, their cheeks twitched.

*"Your wish has come true. If you have no further need for me, I'll leave with this."*

"Ehehe, yes, thank you very much, Regalave-san. ……Actually, Krische would like to give something in return but"

*"There is no shortage. The fun for the first time in hundreds of years, the price is trivial."*

"Hm...but..."

*"You and I see things differently, we measure things differently. I told you so right. There is nothing for you to worry about."*

Krische tilted her head as if troubled, thought about it, and nodded as if something had clicked within her.

"Ah, then Krische will give Regalave-san nick――mugu."

"……stop it"

Selene immediately covered Cliché's mouth with her hand and let out a sigh.

Krische glared at Selene with a little dissatisfaction.

"Muu..."

"It’s not Muu right? Yagernaus-sama said there's nothing to worry about, right? That's forcing goodwill on other people, Krische. Even if you say you don't want it, if Krische was given 10 or 20 pumpkins, wouldn't Krische be troubled?"

Krische’s eyebrows furrowed in thought at Serene's words, and Selene sighed again in dismay.

She looked up at the dragon and opened her mouth.

"... Thank you, Yagernaus-sama. I will never forget this debt for the rest of my life. I hope this relationship with Krische will continue in the future."

*"As long as the person doesn't change her mind, there's nothing to worry about. It will naturally continue."*

Krische, who seemed to be satisfied with the explanation of the pumpkin for the time being, looked up at the dragon and smiled.

"Ehehe, Regalave-san aside, Krische is extremely grateful. Really, thank you very much."

*"I'm going to rest my body too. ……In the future, if you feel like it, come and show your face."*

"Yes."

After saying that, the dragon turned its back and started walking toward the north.

The earth shook, snow flurries, and a distant blizzard rolls in as it flies away.

The fluttering of the powerful wings, even with holes, was somehow graceful, the dancing snow scattering the sunlight, the melting drops creating a rainbow.

Krische saw it off, as she pressed her cheek against the sleeping Bery.

Just happily seeing off the dragon's back.