Chapter 224

In the ‘Throne Room’ of the Yuritania Palace, Yuri faces the representatives of the dragon horde.

There are three men who are kneeling on the lower level of the throne. They are all lower-ranking Lesser Dragons, now in human form through the『 Humanization 』.

“I'm Walter, chief of the ice dragons on Dragon Island in the north.”

A tall man with slightly brownish skin tells me this as he squirms.

He was probably the representative dragon that Yuri had talked with earlier in the skies above the city.

It's also true of Lindworm, but most humanized ice dragons have skin as white as snow, so Walter's appearance, which looks like sunburned skin, was a bit unexpected.

“Yuri, Empress of the Yuri Empire. You have come a long way to see us. However, when a horde of dragons suddenly rushed into the capital, I thought it was an invasion of one of your nations and almost repelled them.”

“I apologize for my rudeness. Unlike the human race, we are not accustomed to exchanging letters or sending out forewarnings, so please forgive my abrupt visit.”

“I'll forgive you this time, but I hope you'll be considerate next time… The people living in the country feel fear when they see the dragon hordes. As the lord of the land, I have to eliminate that cause.”

It was almost as if she was saying, “If you cause any more unrest among the people, I will attack you.”

Dragons are noble creatures, and this is especially true for those that are intelligent enough to be able to perform『 Humanized 』.

Yuri's declaration to them that she would ‘exclude them if necessary’ would be seen as very irreverent by the dragons.

Or, Yuri thought, Walter will be enraged――― 

“I will try to be more careful in the future. I would like to apologize again.”

Walther's reaction was unexpectedly submissive, beyond Yuri's expectations.

“Hmm…? I'm just the empress of the human race. You are a dragon, and I am nothing more than a trinket to you. Why would Walter want to be subservient to me?”

“…We see the human race as a diminutive entity. Of course, this does not change even if you are in the position of a ruler who unites people.

However, Yuri is the lord of Radragulf. Also, Radragulfsaid, “No matter how tall I try to be, I can't win against Yuri. her rank as a warrior is too different.”

―――If that's the case, it's obvious that no matter how hard we try, we'll never be able to compete with Yuri. It doesn't mean that we will stop looking at the human race as dwarfs, but at the very least, those of us who were no match for even Radragulf-dono have a deep respect for Yuri-dono personally.”

“Warriors, hee…”

Yuri's fighting style is cunning, taking advantage of her opponent's attacks, which is quite different from that of a ‘warrior’ who uses its physical strength to subdue others.

Nevertheless, I was grateful that my opponent had recognized my strength from the start. Yuri inwardly relaxed a little, thinking that this would make the conversation go more smoothly.

“So what are Walter and his friends doing in my country?”

“Haha. Despite our overwhelming advantage in numbers, we were easily defeated by Lord Radragulf. That's why we petitioned Radragulf to become the new head of the Dragon Island… Radragulf immediately refused, saying, “I am Yuri’s faithful servant, so I cannot discuss this with you.”

We have come to this point because we believe that it would be preferable for Yuri, Lord of Radragulf, to become our new head. Please grant us your reverence and allow us to reside in your state.”

“Muu…”

Yuri is momentarily confused by the story.

Walther's story seemed to make sense. If a dragon encounters a dragon that is stronger than it, it will obey it.

It also seems reasonable that Radragulf immediately rejected the request to become the chief of the dragons.

As a messenger beast, there is no object that Radragulf should prioritize her master, Yuri, more. It would only be unfortunate if someone who could not put her family first became the head of the dragon tribe.

But that doesn't mean… why come to me―――Yuri thought.

It's not hard to imagine that if you were to create a nation that could support dragons in addition to people… you'd have more trouble than ever.

Nevertheless, it is somewhat distressing to reject someone who wishes to be subordinate.

“Let's do this… If Walter is willing to take responsibility for training all the dragons to『 Humanization 』, I will accept it.”

“『 Humanization 』, is it?”

“I'm the Empress of the human race, nothing more, nothing less. I'm not going to reject you just because you're a dragon, but if you're going to be my subject, I want you to at least be able to take human form. ―――What do you think?”

If I were to accept them in dragon form, I would definitely need to build a city dedicated to them.

Even if there is a surplus of land, it is not desirable. If we were to accept them as they are, we would definitely need to build a city dedicated to them.

On the other hand, if we just accept them as human beings. The cities in Hourai and Eureka still have enough capacity to accept them, so it's not that difficult.

I've heard that it's not difficult for an individual with a certain level of intelligence to master『 Humanization 』.

It may be difficult for wyverns, though. I'm sure the lower-ranking Lesser Dragons are intelligent enough to learn the necessary knowledge to master『 Humanization 』.

“Yes. I will make arrangements for everyone to be proficient in the next few days.”

Walter reverently bowed his head to Yuri.

I'm sure it's not that difficult to master『 Humanization 』when you can declare that it will only take a few days.

…Well, it is the “Ancestor Dragon”, the highest level of dragon in the world, while having an extremely high level 1850. There is also the prodigal dragon, Radragulf, who still hasn't mastered『 Humanization 』.