Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Translator: Mii

Editor: [QueenieZhuz]

Chapter 7 – Dragon-san’s Awakening Prayer

『I’m one of the guardians, Kazuma Touya! You can just call me as Touya!』

After changing our schedule for the time being, I set the erosion barrier around the mansion, and we gathered at the open room while surrounding the young man… Touya-kun, who had woken up.

Touya-kun has a large body, but it seems like he has around the same age as Elvie.

He is a young man who looks youthful and full of physical fitness.

He looked so healthy, to the point that I don’t think he was sleeping just now. Eh, or maybe he looked healthy because he already slept?

『Anyway, nice to meet you. I am Lava, and this is Nectar… eh!?』

Even though I was confused with the situation, I also introduced myself briefly. I was surprised when Touya-kun approached me.

『That golden eyes and a tint of red really makes you such a beauty! Let’s have a good relationship from now on, okay! I think this is probably fate!』

『Uh, eh? Huh!?』

『Ah, but are you actually the god’s pillar? Then it’s even better! I have a great promising future! One day, I will become one of the Ten Fangs, you know! 』

Ten Fangs is one of the title for the guardians, and only the guardians who has the greatest skill could be bestowed the title by the emperor.

The members are numbered, and they are ranked including their specialty weapon. The smaller the number is, the stronger one would be deemed.

There are both of casters and martial artists there, but it is almost impossible to get the title without any superhuman achievements like sweeping away a flock of demons or facing the demonic clan alone, so most of them usually are confederates with magical beings.

By the way, it looks like Senjiro has the title of the ‘Fourth Lance’.

Even though he doesn’t make any contract with magical beings, he still could get title! Aren’t you amazing, Senjiro.

Well, that’s enough for my sidetracked thoughts. The more he talked, the more flustered I become, since there was a disturbing sign next to me.

I’m amazed that as expected from a guardian, Touya-kun really had the guts to immediately jump out like that, but then, Nectar was holding his staff with a smile, but his eyes were totally not smiling.

『First of all, let’s make you sleep once again.』

『Wait, please wait Nectar, he is the only survivor!!』

『Eh, what is it…… Ugh!?』

As I tried hold Nectar back, the confused Touya got hit by a fist.

『Touya, what kind of rudeness did you think you’re doing！』

『That’s right, Touya-kun, these people are the supporters that came to help us, didn’t I just tell you yesterday night!?』

Sakuma-san and Haruna-san kept scolding Touya-kun, while holding his head and bowed.

『Now that I think about it, maybe you did say those to me……？ Since I was in a daze after doing exercises, I totally didn’t hear what you said!』

『Touya-kuuuuun……』

Haruna-san dropped her shoulders as if she was tired, and next to her, Sakuma-san massaged his eyebrow, while continue to speak.

『At the end of the magical disaster, these people was the ones who made up the contract with the gods, and also the real root that driven out the white ghost. Both of them are gods, and also, they are married couple.』

『With that outward appearance, she is already married!?』

Nectar’s smile twitched after looking at the shocked Touya-kun.

『Maybe I should chastise him with Towa’s method, eh……？』

『I don’t really mind, so just let him off…』

『But I mind! Of course Lava is beautiful, but you’re also very cute!!』

『You’re focusing on that!?』

『I see, so she’s already married… I thought it was fate……』

While I was trying to pacify Nectar who got mad at a strange place, Touya-kun who seemed full of regret suddenly moved his gaze towards Nectar.

『But, mister husband, you are a magician that came from far away, right! You really look like a cynical wise man!』

『Touya!』

Even when Sakuma-san’s tanuki ear fur already stood out from anger, Touya-kun continued without any hesitation.

『Ehhh, but Sakuma-san definitely also thought that he looks like a cynical wise man, right? Didn’t you say that you really want to be a practitioner that people yearn for?』

『What are you saying now!!!』

Sakama-san’s face blushed so red that his face was steaming, and he howled at Touya-san the next second.

He doesn’t look like a bad kid, but he is sure thoughtless, huh…

Anyway, while Sakuma-san started preaching to Touya-san, I asked Haruna-san about the cynical wise man.

『It’s about a caster that came from faraway, who travelled to Towa a hundred and ten years ago. He gave trials to the good people to overcome, and punished the bad people with even more worse punishment. Even though he helped a lot of people, his ways of doing them are twisted, that’s why he is called as ‘cynical wise man’. There are still a lot of stories about hin in various places, so when Towa people heard about the faraway caster, they will immediately thought about him, the story is famous.』

Oh, I wonder if there was someone like that. If there was really such a great magician, I should’ve heard about him somewhere, though.

I wanted to ask if Nectar knew about that, but since Sakuma-kun already finished his scolding, I decided to prioritize the main problem first.

『Touya-kun, do you really feel nothing is wrong with your body?』

『Ah, yes. My sleepiness before also already disappeared after hearing Sakuma-kun’s scolding…』

Well, he is a little weird, but from his appearance, there are no effects remaining on his body.

It’s as if he hadn’t experienced any life crisis at all.

But, he is the one and only clue we have.

Nectar confirmed each of their condition carefully, and Touya-kun also didn’t wake up when I used magic technique in the large hall.

So, there is no doubt that he was affected with the same problem with all of the people who were still sleep in the grand hall.

But, he woke up.

If we can figure out what was the cause of this problem and the difference between each of the sleeping people, we might be able to wake them up.

『Did you feel something weird or unusual before you went to sleep, or after you woke up?』

『We can only rely on Touya-kun…』

Sakuma-san and Haruna-san approached him desperately, making Touya-kun tried to go back into his memory while withdrawing a little.

『Even if you asked me, I didn’t feel anything at all. Ah, but. Yesterday, I felt really sleepy. It’s like someone was telling me gently to take a rest…? Ah, I also heard a serious voice telling me to wake up, so I tried following that voice!』

『That, doesn’t really help…』

Haruna-san dropped her shoulders after hearing Touya-kun’s indifference with disappointment, and looked at me.

『I think that the voice that told me to wake up was bizarrely sounded like Lava-san’s voice and aura, so I thought it was fate. I’m glad it’s not the Fourth Lance older brother, anyway.』

……What did you say?

I was surprised, and three pairs of eyes moved towards me all at once.

『Lava, did you call him?』

『When I first spreaded my search, that kind of thought might have mixed into my mind.』

If possible, please don’t let the situation become like this, or that’s what I desperately felt at that time.

Maybe, I have done something?

Nectar moved his gaze towards the sky next to me.

It’s a sign that Nectar is currently thinking deeply about this matter.

He didn’t take a long of time, and looked at Touya-kun with an atmosphere I couldn’t really stomach.

『Are you aware of the god who had red tuft in her black hair that recently played an active role in Kayou?』

『I’ve seen the tile block print version! She’s really cute! Ah, that’s right, she is Lava-san, eh?』

While giving smile with mixed feelings, I pressed my chest.

They definitely made an article about the private detective job the emperor entrusted to me here and there!

I feel so embarrassed to the point that the whole body feels itchy……

『But, until now, you have no contact with Lava directly, right?』

『I don’t even know she is a dragon god… I-I mean, I’m not knowledgeable about it…』

Moving from Touya-kun who tried to rephrase his words, Nectar looks towards Haruna-san.

『The people in this village were probably not aware of the previous magical disaster, right?』

『Yeah, you’re right. Not even until they are sleeping.』

『And both of you already know Lava before, and have actually met her directly.』

『We already met her, but it’s only vaguely…』

Sakuma-san and Haruna-san both said together, but Nectar already stopped his questions. He then looked over to us.

『Lava might be the reason why both of you are not affected by the erosion.』

After hearing Nectar’s hypothesis, the three Towa people bulged their eyes in surprise.

I also thought that it might be the reason faintly, but Nectar also reached the same conclusion, huh?

I gathered my line of sight, but I can’t help but to feel uncomfortable.

『Is there such a thing?』

『After comparing the difference between people who are still asleep, both of you who are awake, and Kazuma-san who woke up from his sleep, together with the information we had found, the reason should be that.』

Nektar continued his explanation even when Sakuma-san already looked confused.

『Kazuma-san had never met directly with Lava. However, he knew about her existence even without knowing her, and also heard the information from both of you the night before. Because of that, he slept well and was able to wake up after hearing Lava’s call.』

There’s no way they can believed him suddenly, and I’m also honestly surprised, but what Nectar said certainly sound right.

『You could say that my existence itself is already special. Even if you don’t recognize me directly, it’s normal even for the knowledge to have an effect. That’s what I thought as the possibility to exorcise this erosion.』

After I said so, Nectar faced towards me.

I felt that his look was full of frustration, like he wanted to say something to me.

『You mean, even if they only know your existence, they will get the effect of the contract, because you’re a dragon god?』

But before I could reply, Haruna-san’s timid voice resounded, and Nectar returned into his dignified and sharp wise man expression.

『I only made a hypothesis after hypothesis, but the possibility is high.』

『That means, you might be able to wake them up, right!』

I nodded to Sakuma-san, who could not suppress his excitement.

『I didn’t know the reason for their magic stagnation, but even with only a light call, Touya-kun woke up. So, it might be worth trying it out.』

『Please, by all means.』

Sakuma-san and Haruna-san, plus Touya-kun, bowed their heads deeply, making me feel a little nervous.

First, I decided to try doing it from this large hall.

I asked everyone to step back to make sure the magic power won’t affect them, and breathe slowly.

Then, I gradually spread my magic power, and painted the heavy tension atmosphere with my power.

There would be a risk of dying from magic addiction when they wake up if I increased the magic concentration suddenly.

While doing it carefully while watching the flow of my magic, I saw the images of the thin magical power of the people lying in the hall, each of them have their own thread.

My back hair mixed with red tuft was filled with magic power, and swayed in the empty space.

I should not do it roughly. Dragon’s strong power itself could be a poison for harmless people.

The one I called, is their soul.

The reason for them to not being able to wake up, is because their soul activity is stagnant.

That is what grandpa taught me. They’re one part of what happened five thousand years ago.

This is a phenomenon that the god in this world had sprinkled, to end the world itself.

Now the erosion had distorted into something inclined to sadness, but the original erosion was actually very calm, and cruel.

Originally, everything that was born into this world, are not something that could be rejected.

But, there’s also the people who fight against them.

They are grandpa, the origin dragon Adversa, …And now I have became one of them.

Honestly, there is a part of me that doesn’t want to be that person.

But, I have to prepare myself. Since I want to protect. Since I want to make sure the future will stay like this.

Now, let’s wake them up first.

If my existence is a tie to hold in this world, then everyone should be my acquaintance.

When I felt that I had enough of the power to pass through them, I closed my eyes and muttered the chants.

『I was born from lava, and I am the incarnation of the night. Wake up, and tell me your name.』

The magical powers casted with ancient language fall upon them through a narrow path.

I calmly released what tied the people and removed it. Then, I filled them with the true magic of this world.

『Beautiful……』

Hearing Haruna-san’s entranced voice, I opened my eyes.

The hall was filled with flame-like phosphorescence.

Made by dense magic powers, they drifted down to the people who were sleeping softly and disappeared as it melted into them.

Then, a middle-aged man with tanuki ears and tail shook his eyelids and slowly opened his eyes.

『Father!』

Mr. Sakama jumps over like an arrow and towards that man.

After that, I was relieved to see all of the people who slept in the hall one by one began to open their eyes with confused expressions.