[You’ve been out of touch for so long, and here you are.]
[I’m sorry to have worried you.]
Gemma, who had been such a whirlwind outside, was incredibly polite in front of the parents in the nest of Lord.
Anyone who saw it would have thought it was silly, but for Gemma, it was quite natural.
‘Ugh… I’m definitely going to get scolded again, aren’t I?’
Even though she was in front of her mother who raised her, Gemma had to stifle her trembling body.
While her father, Lux, was overprotective, he wasn’t strict; her mother, Forma, was a very strict dragon.
Having run away without a word, and not visiting immediately upon returning, Gemma shut her eyes tight as Forma came closer.
[No. It’s a relief above all that you came back safely.]
Even though she was strict, family is family, and Forma gently stroked Gemma.
Gemma felt the tension that had been tightly coiled in her body start to ease a bit under that touch.
[I see you brought an interesting human. Is he someone who looks out for you in the Empire?]
[Yes. They are a helpful person who ensures I have no discomfort while living among them.]
[I thought you might have gotten caught up with a bad human and were doing some thieving… Thanks to that, you’re attending the Academy? That’s a good experience, and it would be great if you can graduate.]
She expected to hear very harsh words, but with the following gentle conversation, Gemma continued to hold onto hope.
Could it be that this would pass without any major issues?
The face muscles that had been tightly wound up began to relax.
[Yes…! That’s right. The Academy has many humans from various nations mixed with different races, and I’m having a great experience. All thanks to Atlas!]
[And you made a mess of your uncle in this sanctuary.]
She had thought it might pass without a hitch, but of course, it didn’t.
[Well… that was because my uncle first insulted Atlas.]
[Your uncle was the one who initiated violence?]
[… No.]
[I know your human is someone to be thankful for. Still, rules are rules. The punishment for what the human you brought did here must be carried out.]
And so it ended up like this; overwhelmed, Gemma bowed her head.
[However, only Lord can pass judgment here. Since he cannot awaken right now, no one can be punished. We will elect an agent tomorrow according to proper procedures, and I plan to punish him at the same time, so make sure to attend.]
It was Sal who had insulted Atlas first.
Atlas had only done his best to defend his honor.
Gemma wanted to say that aspect ought to be recognized, but that thought only swirled in her mind, unable to escape her lips.
———————
The bars trapping me felt more like a little cage than a true dungeon.
It was a prison for massive dragons with a cell inside meant to hold mortals.
Just hours ago, I had mocked the dragons locked in those steel cages; was this my karma returning?
The good news was that while those guys couldn’t escape their cages, I could leave whenever I wanted.
‘The structure is exactly the same as the cage for the dragons.’
I sensed a spell restricting the ability to draw out mana.
There was such a strong constraint that I couldn’t move even a single speck of mana in my body, but thinking of it as a good experience, I lay down on the hard floor.
Looking down, I noticed most of the various-sized criminals held in that vast place were various dragons, and it was funny to see large scales scattered everywhere.
Even those unappealing scale pieces could be traded for a few gold coins at the magic tower, but for dragons, they would just be a piece of worn-out scale.
In fact, they had probably dried out long enough that they could be easily used as materials for reagents.
With Gemma, who had been guarding nearby, called away, I took the opportunity to gather my thoughts.
“Gemma is the most likely candidate.”
As far as I knew, when asked about the heir to Lord, who had yet to regain consciousness, the one at the top of the list was Gemma.
Simply acting as a stand-in, the one who played hostess, Mna, also ranked fairly high, but just in terms of ranking, that was the case.
The fact that they attempted to abduct Gemma meant she was considered a significant threat.
Creating a ruckus could ruin relationships with the dragons, yet attacking Sal, who was Lord’s younger brother, had its roots in that fundamental reason.
In the current situation, the most likely suspect attacking Gemma was Sal, so if I knocked him out, I figured it would be enough for the rest to be covered by Gemma looking out for me.
There was no way I just acted out of anger.
[Look how well you’re doing, all flustered.]
The Green Dragon, whose one side was swollen, stood crookedly glaring at me.
It was Jade, who had been hit first for talking too much.
I had calculated to some degree with Sal but felt no regret hitting Jade.
For me, Jade was in that exact position.
“So, you’re not busy? What brings you here?”
[Taking it easy… well, whatever. You won’t be able to be like that for much longer.]
Jade looked at me and started grinning for whatever reason.
[Tomorrow the election will begin.]
“… And that means?”
[Right… we will elect Lord’s agent… it’s irritating to see you act like you know everything!!]
I figured it might be within context, but he latched onto it. Dragons could be so bothersome one by one.
Yet, I acknowledged he had come with some pretty good information.
‘So they’re electing an agent now?’
If they were electing someone to temporarily handle affairs instead of a successor, it would be a considerable disadvantage for the relatively young Gemma.
But what could the sudden decision to elect an agent, which had been put off until now, possibly mean?
[Well… whatever. Once the agent is elected, the first thing they’ll do is decide on your punishment.]
The cause was me.
It seemed like without a final approver, punishing me was impossible due to regulations, so now they might just want to throw anyone into the position first.
“If Lord isn’t here, it looks like no one can be punished.”
Unlike other dragons, it appeared that the dragons here operated in a very organized manner.
It was surprising for dragons, who usually acted as they pleased, that they couldn’t move without a decision-maker.
[Right… thinking of the atrocities you’ve committed, it wouldn’t be wrong to execute you on the spot, but rules must be followed!]
While it’s good to get information on what was happening outside, this guy was quite annoying.
He was bothering me with trivial things, so I took a step forward, moving into Jade’s personal space.
-Whack!!
[Ugh??]
I slapped him and then casually returned inside as if I knew nothing, lying down.
[W-Wait??]
Suddenly caught off guard, Jade turned his head from side to side, dripping blood from his mouth, panicking as he saw that nothing was there.
[What was that just now!!]
“It’s noisy; can’t you just go back?”
[No… we’re clearly locked up…??]
Jade looked at me, stunned, as he couldn’t believe I was still inside even after being hit.
“Yep, still locked up.”
[What trick are you using!?]
Jade strode up to us and began checking to see if everything was working properly.
[It’s functioning normally…? Am I imagining things?]
Jade checked us thoroughly, but it looked like he was just harassing the one inside the cage.
I sensed the presence of another dragon coming from outside.
[What are you doing right now? Get away from him!!]
[Gemma??]
It was Gemma, who had just wrapped up her meeting outside.
[I clearly said I wouldn’t let you touch Atlas!! Did you take my words so lightly!?]
[A-Ah… it’s not me, Gemma!! I’m a victim too!!]
Jade flinched as he spoke, closing his eyes tight.
In his predicament, whatever words I might say that could fall unfavorably upon him, it was clear that a furious Gemma would not hesitate to retaliate.
But I decided not to say it like that.
“Yeah. I was just saying some good things. Right?”
[..??]
Since I was backing him up, Jade looked down at me with an expression of disbelief.
I had heard how things were going outside, and since I had struck first, I felt pity for making him suffer again by having Gemma scold him.
Although he felt troublesome, he didn’t seem to be one to hold a grudge, so I figured he was a dragon I could toy with.
I should cherish him.
[… Really?]
[Uh… yes!!]
Although he was giving me a skeptical look, since I said so, Gemma let Jade go.
