(What's needed to defeat a dragon? A sword that can cut through steel? A shield that can repel its fiery breath? Some other kind of legendary item?)

.. .

"Friends you can trust, I think?"

The little girl smiled as she answered. I suddenly felt stupid, like an old friend had unknowingly mocked my future life plans.

"Yes, I see."

I gave her 3 copper coins, and watched as she energetically ran off.

(Friends, huh? When I was her age, making a friend was a much lighter thing than it feels like now. As I got older, it got harder, and now it didn't even cross my mind. I'd like to say that it's just hard to make friends with people from a different world, but honestly, it was my years as a salaryman that made me think that way.)

(Who would be trustworthy allies for hunting a dragon? I really don't know anyone. I'll have to compromise on the "trustworthy" part and just talk to some adventurers that I know.)

(It's by adventuring and fighting together that you'd really build a relationship with people, anyway.)

(Oh, in that case, then what about him?)

I started jogging down the main street.

◇◆◇

Running towards the magic noble's mansion, I met someone on the street.

"Hey, you!"

"Geh?!"

It was the girl I'd been together with in the jail.

"Why are you here?! This isn't a place for a low-life criminal like you! Go back to the slums!"

It was indeed an area full of expensive homes, although even among them, the magic noble's mansion still stood out.

"Oh, I'm just visiting a friend..."

"A friend? You think I'd believe such an obvious lie?!"

"I don't really care if you believe me or not."

"I should send you back to jail myself right now!"

(I see she still doesn't listen to what people say.)

She gripped the sword at her hip. Unlike before, she was fully equipped and looked like a proper knight.

(Did she clear herself of whatever she was charged with?)

"Come with me to that house there, and if they don't know me I'll go with you to the jail."

"Buying time for your escape? I won't be fooled so easily."

(Well, I tried. Hmm, this somehow feels refreshing...)

Someone called out from a passing carriage, which stopped next to us.

"Ho, what are you doing here?"

It was the magic noble. You could really tell he was rich from his fancy two-horse carriage.

(Considering the time, he must be heading to the school.)

"I was actually looking for you."

"You have some business with me?"

"That's right, could I have a bit of your time?"

"If that's how it is, then get in. We can talk in my room at the academy, or as we ride."

"Thanks, I'll do that then."

He looked over to the female knight, who was standing there with her mouth partly open.

"Is that knight your attendant?"

"Er, no, there was just a bit of a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding?"

Hearing that, she bowed to the noble.

"I, I'm very sorry. I am Mercedes Aragon, third Royal Knights Division, second company. Good day, your Excellency."

He looked back over to me.

"What, you're connected to this country's knights?"

(This magic noble guy is "your Excellency?" Hah.)

"She had been going on about various things, and saying she wanted to arrest me."

"Were you guilty of something?"

"I didn't do anything. It was just a coincidental misunderstanding."

"I don't know the circumstances, but in that case, you get in the carriage as well, knight. We can discuss this matter inside. Waiting around here is a waste of time."

"That sounds good."

I started getting into the carriage. The interior was as luxurious as I expected.

"I, um, me?!"

I looked behind me and she seemed to be wilting.

"Hurry up and get in, this is wasting time."

"Yes sir!"

She hurried into the carriage, looking stressed.

◇◆◇

With everyone inside, the carriage started moving. Even a luxurious carriage had no suspension, so it was shaking as usual.

The seating was two padded benches facing each other, with a small table in the center. I was next to Mercedes.

"If you're going out of your way to visit me, then this must not be a trifling matter. If some privacy is needed, we can discuss this in my room at the academy."

We both looked at her.

She was drawing her shoulders in and biting her lip a little bit, looking nervous. It was a big change from when she'd been threatening me with a sword in an alley.

(She's a lot cuter like that...)

"The knight corps here, are they fairly strong?"

"The royal knight corps?"

"Hmm, you must not be from around this area, asking a question like that."

"That's true..."

I started to wonder if I should have asked that question.

"If the circumstances were right, I could probably dispose of a division of them myself."

"I see, so they're not very strong."

"Knights are no match for magic, after all."

(That's unfortunate. I had been thinking about inviting her into a party for hunting a dragon, but it sounds like she'd only be helpful as a baggage carrier.)

(But then, a baggage carrier is still necessary. And it would be sad for the party to only have men in it. A cute girl or two would be good, and she's perfect.)

"Well, I'd like her to hear this too."

"Is that so? In that case, I don't mind."

"The princess's disease, I heard you did the diagnosis."

"...your ears are sharp, hmm?"

"Not really, it's being talked about in town."

"Ah yes, they did put out some public proclamation recently..."

(Ah, the rumors I heard from those young men in that bar were accurate. Excellent.)

"Could you give me some more details about that?"

"Yes, last month I was summoned to the palace and did the diagnosis. When I received the emergency summons, I certainly hadn't expected that to be the reason."

"Can you tell me exactly when the princess fell ill? And if possible, the details of her condition?"

"You, impossible..."

His slightly sleepy eyes opened wide.

"A disease that causes all the muscles to stop moving, gradually weakening the patient, until they die from being unable to breathe. 100% lethal. Humans die within 6 months, and elves within 3 years. Something like that?"

I acted like what I'd read the other day was my own discovery.

"Hahahaha! Interesting! Very interesting! If you've said that much, then you already have a treatment, don't you?!"

"Yes, it's definitely here."

I tapped my head with my finger.

(It really is. I have a good memory for things that caught my interest like that, and that book was easy to understand.)

"Ah, what a happy turn of events, that you decided to rely on me for this. I'm feeling shivers of excitement despite my age! Hurry up and get to the main issue. The noble magician Gremoria Faren will work together with you."

"I'm glad you see things that way. But there is one point to note."

"What? Hurry up."

"Once you've heard my explanation, there's no backing out."

"Very well. Where else am I going to find something as exciting?!"

"I understand. Also, the same goes for you, Mercedes."

"I can arrange something with the knight corps myself, if you need a knight or two. Hurry up and finish what you were saying!"

I had never seen the magic noble so excited.

(Considering his pride, he's unlikely to back out now. But honestly, I have no idea exactly how difficult it is to defeat a dragon. I just know it was too hard for the author of that book. So, the more allies I can find, the better.)

Mercedes had been drawn into participating with no real chance to object. She had teary eyes, and was tense, with her hands in fists. It made me want to bully her even more.

"I already have most of the materials for the treatment."

"So, you need help collecting the rest?"

"Yes, the last one."

"What is this last ingredient?"

"The liver of a red dragon."

Mercedes brought her head down towards her knees with her mouth open, and started shaking.

"A red, a red dragon?! Even if it's for the life of the princess, it's impossible! You'll die!"

(Yes, apparently they're rather strong.)

She started muttering, "The life of the princess, the life of the princess..."

The magic noble's response was completely different.

"Ah, did I get myself into hunting a dragon at my age?"

"How long has the princess been sick now?"

"My understanding is that it was in April."

"She doesn't have very long to live, then."

"Yes, when I saw her, she was already unable to stand. I was told that her body was never very strong, and it's possible that she will survive less than three months."

(Apparently the princess is likely to die even sooner than my tax payment would be due. I'll need to hurry.)

"Then, I apologize for the imposition, but I'd like to gather a party and leave as soon as possible."

"Very well. The word of a Noble Magician is absolute."

"I'll take your word on that, then."

"But of course. I am still on active duty as a magician of the imperial court. One or two dragons are no match for my magic!"

(Like I thought, he's hot-blooded.)

"Can I leave the preparations for the journey to you, too?"

"Yes, leave that to me. I will have them complete within a day or two. Until then, you should collect whatever allies you need."

"Understood."

(Excellent, I got this magic noble to help! And I found someone to carry luggage, too.)

"Also, I'd like to have this knight help with carrying luggage and such. Can I leave the paperwork needed for that to you?"

"Not a problem. I'll contact the leader of the knights."

"Thanks."

"Ehh, I, why me..."

"Did you have some objection to the honor of joining a Noble Magician for a dragon hunt?"

He glared at her, and she went silent.

"Well then, I'll go to your mansion tomorrow morning. I'll be counting on your for various things."

"Duly noted. Look forward to it."

(Everything's going smoothly so far. If I'm a priest and this noble is a mage, then maybe next we need a "warrior" or "hero" type member?)

As the carriage moved along, the academy came into view. Not long after that, we arrived. A bit past the front gate, the pseudo-horses pulling the carriage stopped.

"I'll be in my study. Contact me if something happens."

"Right. I'll be looking around the academy for a bit."

"Understood. Good day, then."

Just after he started walking, he turned around and looked at Mercedes.

"Ah, you come with me. Some paperwork must be done."

"Yes sir."

He walked off, and she followed.

Her behavior was totally different from when we'd escaped from that jail.

(Now then, time to look for some more allies.)

◇◆◇

(But who would be good? I'm not sure. For now, I'll just look around here while I think about it.)

(Well, I only personally know a few people in this world. And one of them is a student here. But I'd rather not be involved with them.)

(Oh, there's one now.)

She was walking proudly down the corridor, but with her flat chest and short height she seemed like a child trying to look adult.

"Muh, you again!"

She ran over to me.

"Hello, good day."

"How dare you run away like that yesterday?! I wasn't finished talking to you!"

"What a coincidence. I wanted to talk to you too."

"...you had some business with me?"

"Yeah, could you help hunt a dragon?"

"Eh? A, um, dragon?"

"Right, your handsome boyfriend and your hooded friend can come too."

"Hey, wait! Why are you suddenly talking about a dragon?!"

She was cute when she was suddenly confused like that. Her innocence made me feel like she should be a pure virgin, but of course, she wasn't.

"For the details you can talk to that magic noble, he's handling that stuff. Ah, and we're departing tomorrow morning, so if you could get your preparations done soon, that would be great."

"What are you talking about? Why dragons?!"

"Well then, I have some other places to visit, so I'll be going. Oh, and what I just told you, it might be dangerous if others heard about it, so don't go telling other people for no reason."

"Hey, no, wait!"

I walked off quickly. She tried to follow me, but because of how she was dressed, I lost her when I went down some stairs.

◇◆◇

Not having anything else to do at the academy, I headed back out to the town. It was about time for lunch, and I was hungry.

(Finding allies is important, but food is important too. Now then, where should I eat?)

Thinking about it, I remembered the restaurant where the beautiful Sophia-chan worked.

(I already worked everything out with that magic noble, so there's no problem if I go there now, right? Some tasty beer with a nice view sounds good to me.)

I started walking over that way.

◇◆◇

As I entered, my stomach growled, but it was drowned out by the loud conversations in the mostly-full restaurant.

"Welco......"

Sophia was near the entrance, and as she realized who I was, her bright smile turned to something like disgust almost instantly.

(Wow, that's actually kind of impressive.)

"Hello, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'll have a daily special."

She stood there frozen as I walked past her and sat down at the counter, then ran into the kitchen.

I could hear her arguing with a man in there.

Shortly after that, Sophia and the man I remembered from before came over to my seat.

"Um, sir, I'm sorry but, we discussed this before..."

Sophia was sort of hiding behind him.

"Ah yes, I already resolved that issue. I worked things out with that noble, and now our relationship is such that he's invited me over to his mansion for a meal. So, there's no problem if I come here, right?"

"That's ridiculous..."

"Coming back here safely to eat is evidence enough, isn't it?"

"I see..."

At that, the owner-looking man gave me a cramped smile.

"I'm sorry about the inconvenience; your meal will be ready shortly."

His voice was shaking a little bit.

"Sophia, you handle his orders. Understand?"

"Eh?! But, but, dad..."

"I'm going to be busy cooking!"

With that, he went back into the kitchen, leaving Sophia there with me.

Sophia just stood there, silent.

"Ah, hello, long time no see. Thanks for going all the way to my house to contact me the other day; that really helped move things along."

"...kuh..."

"Um, I apologize for the rude question, but are you a noble?"

"A noble? No, no."

"Eh? Then, but, why?"

"We're both magic enthusiasts, so once we had a chance to talk we became good friends."

"Ehh?"

"So, I'll be coming back here in the future."

She made a look of disgust for just a moment.

As the conversation went on, my mood was improving.

(Ah, I've found a new way to enjoy Sophia-chan.)

I tried to keep a conversation going, but she only made various noises in response.

She was still there when the owner came back with my food. He'd finished it as quickly as a fast food restaurant, probably ignoring all the other customer's orders.

"This is, um, today's lunch."

"Ah, thanks."

Some of the other customers were staring at me.

"It looks good."

"No no, our food is very plain."

"......"

"Please, forgive us for the other day."

"No, don't worry about it so much."

"If there's anything we can do to apologize, we'll do it, anything at all."

The owner was bowing to me.

At that, I had an idea.

"Oh, in that case..."

(I don't know where a red dragon would be, but it's probably more than a day or two away from here. In that case, we'll need someone to cook during the trip. I can cook to some extent, but meals made by a pretty girl would definitely taste better.)

"...lend me Sophia-chan for a little bit."

"Ehh??"

The faces of the owner and Sophia went pale in tandem.

"The day after tomorrow, I'm going on a bit of a trip, and I'd like Sophia to do the cooking. That magic noble is coming too, and I'm sure he'd be happy to have her around."

"But, that's..."

(I'm not sure if that's actually true, but I want her to come.)

"So, can you please come with us, Sophia?"

The owner seemed to be thinking.

"...she's important for this restaurant, though."

Next to him, Sophia-chan started acting like she was about to cry.

"Important? Well, I could get a written authorization or two if that would help."

"I see. In that case, I'll lending you my daughter Sophia at that time."

(Nice, Sophia-chan GET!)

"But, father?!"

"Sophia. I'm sorry, I'm sorry but, it's for the sake of the family business..."

(Wow, maybe it's strange for me to say this, but that's pretty cold treatment for a father to give his daughter.)

"In that case, please come to Lord Faren's mansion tomorrow morning."

"I, yes..."

Sophia was facing her father and crying as she answered.

(OK, that's another companion for the quest secured. Hmm, they seem to think of this as something like Yakuza abducting a girl because of her parents' debt in a soap opera. I could explain the misunderstanding, but watching Sophia's expressions is entertaining.)

"Then, enjoy, um, enjoy your meal."

With that, the owner went back to the kitchen, leaving me and Sophia there. She was standing there, staring at her feet.

"Ah, the lunch today is good, isn't it? What's this dish called?"

I gestured towards it.

She looked over to me with dead eyes, and muttered, "...Mokori stir-fry with cilantro."

Looking at her for a second left me feeling like I'd just had a staring contest with a rotting fish.

A "mokori" in this world was a cow-like beast that could be milked or eaten. They grew somewhat slowly, so the meat was a bit expensive.

(The owner must have given me a fancier lunch than usual, then...)

"Do you like mokori, Sophia?"

"...it's fine."

"Then, uh, what's this salad-like dish?"

"...it's fine."

"Um, I see...?"

"...it's fine."

(Ahhh...I think she broke.)

"Do you want to sit down?"

"...it's fine."

(Oh, I think I understand. She must have a lot of pride, so just this is enough that she kills her emotions to protect her self-respect, like some girls working in Kabuki-cho would.)

"...um, well then..."

"...it's fine."

"I see, yes. It's fine, isn't it? That's good."

"...it's fine."

(Unfortunately, she's not fine.)

...

(Well, all I can do is try to enjoy my meal like this. Let's just think of this as some roleplay where I'm the new head of a household and she's a fresh slave.)

I finished my meal like that, with Sophia keeping me company.

After I finished my lunch, I returned to the town's main street.

(Half a day, and already I've about finished talking to my acquaintances in this world. Thinking back, things would have been about the same in Japan. That's pretty sad. I should try to think about my human relations a little more in the future.)

("Friends are sort of important, after all." I'll just try to keep that thought in the back of my mind from now on. But right now, I need to get ready for departure tomorrow.)

(Where do red dragons live, anyway? Wait, that seems important. Why didn't I think to find that out until now?)

(I can just imagine everyone getting together, and then asking me, "Where do you think we should go?" I'm the one who wanted to hunt a red dragon, after all. What should I do now?)

(I'm about 90% sure that magic noble knows where they live. He said I could leave the preparations for the trip to him, so he must know how far we need to go. But I should still try to check for myself. Checking details is always important for project management.)

I headed back towards the academy.

◇◆◇

(Really, isn't there something I can do about it taking over an hour to get to the academy? There are those carriages pulled by pseudo-horses, but I spent all my money buying my house. Besides, there's no parking at the academy, so the people rich enough to have a carriage must all be able to hire a driver too. I wonder if there's a taxi service.)

(I'll definitely make a bicycle at some point.)

(But wait, Japan had bicycles for less than 100 years. The mechanism seems simple, but maybe if I try to actually make a bicycle, something I didn't think about will be surprisingly hard. Hmm, maybe the rubber for tires? Is it the chain that's hard to make? I remember seeing pictures of those funny bicycles with the pedals connected directly to a huge wheel.)

.......

(It's also possible that there's some solution using magic that I don't know about. If there are magic spells and monsters, then anything's possible.)

As I arrived at the academy, my ambitions of building bicycles and other inventions were starting to become less fun to think about.

(I can work on that later. For now, I have other things to do. Where was that magic noble's room?)

A while after after entering the academy, I'd become completely lost.

(I miss having a beautiful professional guide.)

I tried to go to the reception desk that I'd found before, but I couldn't find that area. Wandering around, I remembered the first time I went to Shinjuku station.

(I'm getting tired of walking around. Isn't there something like a Starbucks or Doutor around here? I wish I could get a cup of coffee here.)

As I was thinking that, I found a cafe-looking place. It looked a lot like a store in a university or train station.

(Like I thought, even in a fantasy world, there are cafes in a building this big.)

About 90% of the seats were full, and the customers all looked like nobles.

As I entered, I watched the latest customer to see the store's system. They went to the front counter, and were given a glass cup full of tea on a tray. The tray had a handle above it, and they carried the tray over to a table.

(A cup of plain tea seems rather boring, but this is a store for nobles, so maybe it's surprisingly fancy.)

"Excuse me, I'll have a tea."

As I ordered, I saw an area in the back, connected to the rest of the cafe through a narrow corridor. It had 2 benches that could probably each seat 4. The store was busy, but nobody was sitting back there.

(Lucky me. Some people must have just left.)

I got my tea and headed towards that back area. I'd walked for so long that my feet were sore, so sitting down was a relief.

(I'll just take a short break here. Maybe for 30 minutes or so.)

I sat down and tried my tea.

(Oh, this is good. I'll have to ask what this is called when I leave. It's definitely a flavor I'd like to have at home.)

As I was feeling relaxed and having my tea, I noticed the other customers glancing towards me.

(I guess that's to be expected. There aren't many asians around here. Or rather, I don't think I've seen another asian person yet. Someone even called me a lizardman earlier, in that class. I shouldn't worry about it too much. They can watch if they want.)

I leaned back and crossed my legs before taking another sip of my tea. The next time someone looked my way, I looked back and raised my cup a bit.

"This has a lovely fragrance, doesn't it? They use some good stuff here."

As I was saying that, a new group of customers came in, all of them beautiful girls.

The staff seemed to panic a little bit, and two people rushed over to welcome them.

(It looks like they'll have to sit over here. Nobody likes sharing a bench seat with a stranger, but the cafe is busy, so it can't be helped. Yes, come over here. The pretty girls can sit with me.)

I had even asked when I got my tea if it was OK to share a bench with someone, and I was told that it was fine.

"Ah, hello."

Holding my glass in one hand, I gestured at the empty seats with my other hand.

"Hey, you, what do you think you're doing?"

A girl who seemed like the leader of the group shouted at me angrily. She looked about 15 years old, with blonde hair to her shoulders in a bob cut, clear blue eyes, average height, an average chest, and an exceptionally pretty face.

(If she'd smile instead of glaring at me, she's be very charming...)

"Eh?"

"I'll ask you once more: why are you sitting there?!"

"Because I'm a customer here...?"

The other girls with her were all glaring at me, too.

"Did you actually just sit down there not knowing anything?!"

"No, um, what is it?"

Then, I heard a voice from the behind those girls.

"What is it? Hurry up and sit down."

"Eh? But, FitzClarence-sama, the seats for our tea party are..."

The girls shuffled around a bit, and then a very short girl squeezed through between them.

"Ah..."

We were both surprised when we saw each other.

"Hey, you! It's you again!"

It was Ester, the blonde loli that I'd run into by chance that morning. The girl with the blonde bob cut was very surprised.

"Are you an acquaintance of FitzClarence-sama, by any chance?"

The sudden change in her treatment of me was impressive. It looked like everyone else in the group was clearly suboordinate to Ester. The other girls carefully looked at Ester's face to try to figure out what our relation was, but she ignored them and angrily walked over to me.

"I heard from Lord Faren! Why me, for a dragon, a dragon hunt?"

"...Lord Faren?"

"You said it before, didn't you? Are you playing dumb now that there are other people around?!"

(What? Faren, Faren, hmm.)

"Oh, you mean the magic noble."

"You're crazy! Hunting a dragon, were you actually serious about that?"

Her followers were all staring, dumbfounded.

"...FitzClarence-sama?"

"Why me?! There are other people, aren't there? Why would you choose me for that? I mean, it couldn't be just because of that quest from before. That would be cruel!"

"Eh? No, there's no particular reason. I just couldn't think of anyone else, I guess."

"What?! You couldn't...think of anyone..."

She looked equal parts terrified and amazed, but she managed to quickly pull herself together.

"Oh ho ho ho, very well. Since you insist, I'll give you a chance to witness my power!"

She was full of energy as she made her proclamation.

(Why the sudden change? I don't understand this girl. But the enthusiasm is good.)

"Well, OK then."

(It would probably be awkward for me to stay here, so I guess I'll leave.)

As I stood up, I remembered something I wanted to ask her about.

"Oh right, can your boyfriend come too?"

At that, she started making a weird noise.

"Gah, aaaah! Augh! Ah! Ach! AAaaa!"

"Eh? Why? What is it?!"

"Hey you, come here for a minute."

She grabbed my arm, and pulled me along. As her followers and the other customers watched in amazement, she kept going until we were outside of the cafe, bringing me behind a pillar in a corridor.

"Don't talk about Allen! Especially not here in the academy!"

"Allen? You mean your good-looking boyfriend?"

"I just said, don't talk about him!"

"Ah, is that a secret?"

"Yes it's a secret! If my relationship with him was exposed, Allen would be..."

(Going by her expression, this is pretty serious. Maybe he'd even be executed? If I remember right, her family is very important here.)

"...so your parents don't know about him, then?"

"That's right, do you have a problem with that?"

"No, well, if that's the case you should tell me beforehand."

"You're the one who ran off before I finished talking to you!"

"...that's true. Anyway, isn't he a student here?"

"He's a knight with the knight corps."

"Oh, I see."

(A noble's daughter and a knight meeting in secret would be romantic, it would be, but...)

"In that case, what about girl number 2?"

"Number 2? What are you talking about?"

"Ah, sorry. She's called Sophie, right?"

"Oh, her. She's with the ma-->>

next page