Chapter 459 – This Is No Small Matter
“Glug, glug, glug… ‘oo… well… I’ve gone an’ drunk it all down, ain’t I…”
Hakuki, who had been sipping the wine poured so elegantly into his glass, was now drinking straight from the bottle after dropping and breaking the glass.
It was that big of a deal, even for Hakuki.
“Well, figures the whole bleedin’ world must’ve copped a proper shock at that, innit? … even the ones who don’t know nothin’ about it… By now La’iphant, Norja, Mikado an’ that lot are probably starin’ wide-eyed……”
Yes, it was that shocking.
And the whole world thought the same thing.
—WHAT IS THAT!?
And.
While it may resemble a dragon in form, it’s an otherworldly being that couldn’t be dismissed simply as a ‘dragon’.
Even though it wasn’t actually present right before their eyes—merely its form projected in the sky— it possessed a presence so overwhelming that it was palpable.
—It’s so incredible, I don’t even know what to make of it.
Many thought this, and were left speechless.
“Wh… wh, what…is that!?”
“Earth, I mean, w, what in the world did you summon!?”
Its power was so immense that even Hiro and Mamu —currently among the world’s strongest—found themselves sweating with tension.
“Heh, that so…… Hiro, Mamu, your lot don’t know about that, do ya…… Well, among humans, only Mikado’s got the faintest clue…… Even your master never fought the bastard. That was Kaguya’s era… the generation of Peach Boy the Beast Tamer, Golden Bear Killer with that battle-axe o’ his, the clever tactician they called Tonchi One-Nine, an’ that whole lot.”
“Huh!?”
“That there is the legendary fella who once fought our Great Demon King for the top spot of the Demon Realm…… the Dragon King of Hades, Vasalar.”
At that moment, Hiro and Mamu gaped in astonishment.
“Wha… uh… no… no, wait… th, the Dragon King of Hades…… is that… like the one that appears in the picture book of the Female Hero Kaguya… that one?”
“N, No way?! You’re kidding, right? I, it really exists…… Or rather, it’s still alive?!
“…B, but certainly… that huge dragon… it’s not just for show… I can feel its incredible strength.”
“Yes. It’s on par with you former Six Supremacy… no… even beyond that….”
A being so astonishing that the mere fact of its existence was shocking.
“Ah. It’s no exaggeration… I can definitely feel its strength, on par with Tre’ainar’s…”
And despite their shock, Hiro and Mamu could also sense a power so overwhelming that they couldn’t dismiss it with a simple “that can’t be true”.
“Hehehe, that’s right. Bloke never cared for invadin’ the Surface World… nah, more like flat-out refused…… though he lost to the Great Demon King, he never joined the war on the surface in your generation…… Lucky for you lot, that. Vasalar was stronger than me ‘back then’, I’ll tell ya straight.”
“W, wait, are you serious…? There’s still such an outrageous person in the Demon Realm……? Hold on, you are saying someone like that never even stepped onto the world stage because he had no ambition!”
“Not so much the Demon Realm…… nah, he lived up on the moon, guardin’ some lassie’s grave… heh heh…”
Hakuki, who was an old acquaintance of Vasalar, burst out laughing in astonishment at first, but his expression was now calm and somehow pleased, and furthermore……
“…… Hehe…… ‘You’ must find it nostalgic too, eh? Hehe, smilin’ that happy… even I’m gettin’ a bit jealous.”
“Huh? Nostalgic? No, this is my first time……”
“Don’t mind me. I ain’t talkin’ to you lot.”
“?”
Hakuki laughed again, muttering something somewhat cryptic to himself.
“B, but wait a second! H, how can Earth summon such an outrageous monster! No way… Maybe Jamdi’el taught him, and the scene just wasn’t shown?”
“Yeah. That’s the only explanation… I mean, I’ve never heard of a summoning spell like that before.”
And that’s where Hiro and Mamu’s doubts lay.
How in the world had Earth managed to summon such a legendary monster?
The only possible explanation was Jamdi’el, but Hakuki shook his head.
“Nah, that ain’t it. And…… Hehe…… Still…… I always thought our own Black Sage was the one what never held back…… Hahaha, turns out that bigshot doesn’t hold back neither, does he…… Got freed from the burden he was carryin’ an’ went wild? Or maybe he’s grown right fond o’ that little brat…”
Hakuki had already arrived at the answer. And he was laughing even more cheerfully, unable to contain his delight.
“At this rate, if I lose to Earth Lagann, it won’t be ‘I’ll become his underling’…Hehe, more like ‘I’ll beg to be his underling’… Fuhahahahahaha! Either way… the blood’s boilin’!”
“”?????””
“…… Still, Vasalar, eh… Wonder if he’s already gone back to the moon… if he’s still about, maybe I’ll pop over an’ pay him a visit.”
And Hakuki didn’t tell Hiro or Mamu the answer he had arrived at.
“Fufufuuh~ well now, Amicus-chan. May I have another cup of tea~?”
“Ah, I’d like some too~ Green tea would be so lovely~”
And in the Elven Settlement, where everyone else was left stunned along with the rest of the world, only Mikado and Norja sat upright, smiling contentedly and savoring their tea, as if escaping from reality.
“Ah, um, uh… I, I understand… but… um…”
“Oh, and I’d like some of those pastries, the ‘Pai Pie’ as well~. They’re such wonderful treats that even this senile old fool with rotten teeth and hallucinations may enjoy them.”
“That’s right, that’s right my friend. The tea is good. The snacks are delicious. The sky is so beautiful, and it feels so peaceful~”
Amicus turned pale and fidgeted nervously, as if seeking help from those around her, and the others understood exactly how she felt.
Mikado and Norja.
Even the elves, who knew little about the outside world, understood just how overwhelmingly powerful these two were.
And yet, these two were clearly acting strangely, escaping from reality.
In other words, the dragon projected onto the sky served to make everyone realize, in more ways than one, just how formidable a being it truly was.
“…… Shinobu …… so it wasn’t a metaphor when you said you became a disciple of the Underworld Dragon King… it was really true…”
“Honestly, to this humble one…… I’m sorry to say, but all this talk about the throne in Japone now seems incredibly trivial……”
“Yes…… Still, this is how you summoned Shishou…… Honey—”
“Even I… don’t understand everything anymore.”
“…I’ve never heard of such a summoning spell before… and although I’d heard rumors, this is the first time I’ve actually seen it… the legendary Vasalar……”
Kagerou, Outei, Shinobu, Koujiro, and Larou’iph all turned their gazes to the side with half-smiles.
There……
“…… Big brother.
“…… Brother.
Flanked by Espie and Slayer, who were slumped with their heads hanging low, Earth crouched on the ground, refusing to look up.
“…… Uun, not exactly ‘Big brother’… un.”
“You’re standing right next to Brother, aren’t you? Just one thing…… that was too much.”
Espie and Slayer were at a loss for how to cover for him on this one, so they could only direct their “that’s going too far” retort at “Tre’ainar”—whose name they couldn’t mention in front of everyone.
『…… No…… wh, whatever you may say…… Even I would never have imagined, even including this moment, that this would be broadcast simultaneously across the entire world…… o, oi, child, you concur as well, do you not?』
“…… I want some tea too. And Paipai……
『Child, cease such attempts to escape reality! Tis certainly understandable how you feel, but still!』
And even Earth started escaping reality.
If this was indeed being broadcast simultaneously across the entire world, it meant that everyone who knew him—including his father and mother—had inevitably found out something he could never explain away.
Earth had no idea how to cover this up, and then……
“Oh, I see, Earth-kun. Well, then let’s enjoy some tea and pai pies together ~”
“That’s right, Hubby~. Let’s take it easy and have some tea~”
Mikado and Norja, who were also in an escapist state, staggered toward Earth with smiles on their faces……
“Hey, you two!”
“Wait, right now, we need to talk to Brother—”
Espie and Slayer, who had a bad feeling about the two, stepped in to stop them. However, it was already too late―――
“Earth-kun. I’d like you to explain the situation.”
“Hey, Hubby. Tell us everything. Otherwise, I’ll ravish you right now and get you pregnant.”
『”””…………”””』
Mikado and Norja, in full-on serious mode, asked in a low, earnest tone—so quiet that the elves and Shinobu couldn’t hear them.
At those words, Earth, Tre’ainar, Espíe, and Slayer all skipped a beat.
After a brief pause, Earth replied……
“…… No.”
“”Huh!?””
That was his answer.
“I’ve thought about it a lot, and I know this isn’t the kind of thing I can just brush off… but that’s precisely why… I haven’t told my father, my mother, Kron, Shinobu, or even Phianse and the others…… so, even though there were circumstances that allowed me to do such things, I can’t tell you.”
He couldn’t come up with any excuses to brush it off, so he couldn’t gloss over it.
Even though he knew that, he could only say he couldn’t tell them.
That’s just how important and special Tre’ainar is to him—and that’s precisely why Earth only told those who were truly special to him.
Earth also hated the idea of telling them just because he couldn’t brush off their questions.
“Ngh……”
“Mu, ugh~…… Hubby…… are you going to leave me out~?”
Faced with Earth’s aura—one that made them hesitate to even touch him—not only Mikado but even Norja involuntarily swallowed their words……
“Un, that’s right, you two!”
“Brother says he can’t tell you, so you shouldn’t ask any more questions, okay? If you try to force the issue, though, we’ll do everything in our power to protect Brother.”
And perhaps touched by Earth’s sentiment, Espie and Slayer, with grins that wouldn’t go away, stood firmly on either side of Earth, forming a solid guard as they blocked Mikado and Norja’s path.
Breaking down this wall was no easy task, even for these two, and although they were far from convinced, they couldn’t force the issue any further.
“Kisama…… I was thinking of using force… but, well, I shall watch a little longer. If after that my patience isn’t enough… well, then. Now that Vasalar has appeared, I’m even more curious about what happens next.”
“True… it does seem like there’s more to come……”
They were already at their wits’ end in many ways, but the screening itself shows no signs of ending anytime soon.
Feeling it would be a shame to interrupt it now, they reluctantly sat cross-legged.
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