CH 98

Nido Tensei Chapter 98

Episode 98: Let’s Dissect the Dragon.

“Now, let’s begin the dismantling lecture on the Black Dragon.”

After that, we resumed the dismantling of the dragon, this time with Lune, a girl who joined us as a high-ranking adventurer.

“Since dismantling the Black Dragon right away wouldn’t be good practice, we’ll use a Green Dragon as a practice material.”

“D-Dismantling a dragon as a teaching material!?”

“A-Are you sure about this!? Dragon materials are worth a fortune!”

Huh? I think it’s normal to use a Green Dragon as a teaching material.

“Yes, the Black Dragon is a higher species than the Green Dragon and Blue Dragon, and it’s a normal dragon that doesn’t require careful collection like a material dragon. So, I judged that it would be appropriate to use the Green Dragon, which has a similar basic structure, as a practice subject for dismantling.”

“The Black Dragon is normal? It’s a monster that can destroy countries!?”

The Black Dragon destroys countries? Are you mistaking it for the Dark Dragon? There’s a difference of about two orders of magnitude in strength, you know?

“To be able to provide a real dragon as a dismantling material for 200 gold coins. Taking this course was definitely the right decision. It’s even cheap for 200 gold coins.”

“Yes, if we have the opportunity to participate in a joint dragon subjugation in the future, our party will be given preferential treatment for having experience in dismantling dragons.”

“And it’s a great opportunity to study the mechanisms of dragons as living creatures. It will also be a reference for where to aim when fighting.”

The adventurers who paid 200 gold coins to participate in the dismantling course seemed to have other purposes besides just using it as a place for simple dragon dismantling. They are truly experienced adventurers, very shrewd.

“Have any of you fought against a dragon before?”

I spoke to the adventurers who were excited in front of the dragon.

“Ah, we mainly earn our income by collecting scales.”

“Collecting scales?”

What’s that?

“There’s a permanent request to search for scales occasionally dropped by dragons flying near Dragon’s Peak. Adventurers who mainly take on this request are called ‘scale collectors.’ It’s dangerous because they operate near the dragon’s territory, but if they can obtain scales from a dragon in good condition, it can be quite profitable. There are probably no adventurers around here who don’t do scale collecting.”

Oh, there’s a permanent request like that. It’s an interesting request to go out of your way to pick up fallen scales.

Oh, maybe it’s a request to gather materials from Lightning Dragons, which have fast escape speed, or from Protect Dragons, which have special defense abilities?

Those dragons are hard to defeat and there are only a few of them, so if you hunt them, you’ll get in trouble. You should only collect the materials for regeneration and let them go.

I see, just like material dragons, after I died in my previous life, there was a ban on hunting valuable dragons, and instead, requests were made to collect shed scales, right?

However, even if you say that dragons occasionally drop scales, I think the ones most common near Dragon’s Peak are Green Dragons and Blue Dragons, so it doesn’t seem like a very profitable job. After all, they would get scratched from falling from the sky, and if the dragons drop the scales, they would be scales scratched off during scale grooming, not molted scales.

“But being a scale collector doesn’t mean you’re weak. The monsters around here are powerful and troublesome enough to secure their territory even with dragons nearby, and there are also thieves called ‘scale strippers’ who target scales obtained by others. Scale collecting is more dangerous than life for adventurers who don’t have a certain level of skill.”

I see, so it seems that being a scale collector is a job that can make a fortune for newcomers and a stable source of income for experienced adventurers. Adventurers who can get closer to Dragon’s Peak and obtain scales in good condition seem to be considered experienced, like a gateway for adventurers in this area.

“However, for those who come to hunt the dragons themselves, it’s not a big deal.”

“No, most of what we hunted were just the weakest Green Dragons. Any skilled adventurer could defeat them.”

Bahamut, who was reasonably strong, suddenly ran away, and Golden Dragons were just children. These people must be aiming for valuable dragon materials that shouldn’t be killed.

“…Because they’re the weakest. Adventurers who use dragons as teaching materials really say different things.”

“Well then, let’s get back to dismantling. Just dismantle it normally, as if you were dismantling a big lizard.”

“No, dragons and lizards are completely different…”

One of the dismantlers said that, but the person who taught me dismantling said, “There’s not much difference in dismantling dragons. As long as you follow the flow of the materials, you can cut anything.” Well, in reality, once you get used to it, dismantling the weakest Green Dragon feels no different from dismantling lizard-like monsters.

“Sorry, but we’ve never dismantled a dragon before. So, we’d like you to show us your dismantling as an example.”

That was said by the adventurers who participated in the dismantling course.

I understand their hesitation since it’s their first time dismantling. I was nervous during my first dismantling too. But after dismantling about 20 or 30 dragons, I got used to it.

“Please show us too. We didn’t directly see your dismantling yesterday.”

Other dismantlers also said they wanted to see an example, so I decided to demonstrate by dismantling a Green Dragon. Ah, everyone is so motivated, it’s great.

“First, let’s remove the scales of the Green Dragon. There are places where the scales are easily pierced near the base where they are attached to the skin. If you stab the knife there, the knife will easily go in and the scales will peel off like this.”

I said that and lightly lifted the scales of the Green Dragon, then inserted the knife between the scales and the skin. The scales easily peeled off.

“Wow!? Amazing, such a large scale came off in an instant!?”

Well, it’s just a matter of technique. I repeated peeling off the scales until the skin was exposed to a certain extent.

“Is it here? No, not here.”

“Everything is so tough? How can the knife slide in so smoothly?”

Everyone tries to peel off the scales using their own dragons, but it doesn’t seem to go well. Well, with practice, you’ll understand the technique, so let’s move on to the next step.

“Next, we’ll cut the skin. By looking at the skin after removing the scales, you can see where the knife can easily go in, so you stab the knife there.”

Saying that, I stabbed the knife into the skin of the Green Dragon.

“You easily stabbed the knife into the dragon’s skin!?”

“No way!? Even with an Iron Lizard’s skin, it’s difficult to make a cut!”

Huh? Iron Lizard, that’s the weak lizard monster that’s not really made of iron, right? Well, maybe it’s just my imagination.

“Everyone, try stabbing the knife as well. There are still some places where the knife can be inserted.”

Saying that, I pointed to the peeled Green Dragon and took a step back.

“Alright, I’ll do it!”

“No, I’ll go first!”

Everyone rushes to the Green Dragon.

“Alright, alright, take turns, one person at a time.”

Liliera promptly organizes the dismantlers into a line. Ah, it’s moments like this when they do things I don’t notice that make me truly grateful for being in a party.

“Damn, it’s not working.”

“Wow, it’s so tough!”

“Is this really skin!? The blade won’t go through even though it’s soft!?”

“It looked so easy…”

The adventurers who participated were also having trouble stabbing the knife into the skin of the Green Dragon.

Then, there was a cheer in the dismantling area.

“Um, I did it…”

It was the girl, Lune, who had just barely signed up for the dismantling course. I think her name was Lune.

“Wow, you did it, miss!”

“You stabbed it skillfully.”

The dismantlers praised Lune, who had successfully stabbed the knife into the skin of the Green Dragon.

“T-Thank you very much!”

Lune was bewildered by the praise of the dismantlers but thanked them. It’s a heartwarming sight.

Well then, let’s continue the dismantling. I took over from Lune and held the knife that I had just stabbed.

“Once you’ve stabbed the knife, you follow the flow of the skin and slide the blade.”

I ran the knife smoothly, not against the grain of the fibers.

“Oh, oh!? What a beautiful way to cut!”

“Wonderful, what I saw yesterday wasn’t a mistake…”

“This is the divine dismantling that made the master called the Dismantling King say that the next king has come… It’s truly as they say.”

“Ah, I’ve been doing dismantling for decades, and I’ve never seen such a beautiful dismantling. It’s truly an art.”

No, no, I’m just dismantling following the flow as usual.

“Um, you see, every material has places that are easy to cut if you look closely. So if you stab the knife there, you can easily slide the blade. Like this scale, for example.”

While explaining that, I stabbed the knife into the scale of the Green Dragon that I had picked up in my hand.,”Whoa!? The dragon scale cracked with just one stab!?”

“Seriously!? Dragon scales are harder than iron, right!?”

Well, it’s just slightly harder than iron. And if a craftsman gets serious, they can forge iron that is harder and more flexible than dragon scales.

At that moment, I felt a strong gaze. But it didn’t feel hostile. Without moving my gaze, I searched for the owner of the gaze from the scene in my field of vision, and I immediately found that person. It was Lune-san. She was staring at me with an incredibly excited expression, without hiding her gaze. I wonder if there’s something that interests her?

“Now, everyone, try peeling the dragon skin. If you have any questions, I’ll explain as we go.”

“Show us how to peel the scales up close!”

“Show us again how to determine the easy-to-stab spots on the skin!”

“Teach us how to cut the scales.”

As soon as I said I would teach them, everyone rushed over, but Liliera-san and Mina-san stopped them.

“Alright, stop! Rex-san said to try it first. Ask questions when things don’t go well!”

“B-But, it’s dragon material, you know? If I mess up the knife placement, the material will be ruined.”

One of the demolition workers muttered, and the others nodded in agreement.

“It’s okay. There are still plenty of Green Dragon materials, so you can make as many mistakes as you want.”

“””””As many as we want!?””

The demolition workers were shocked by my declaration that it’s okay to make mistakes.

“Yes, as many as you want. We have so much that it will pile up like a mountain!”

“…R-Right, it was piled up haphazardly in that corner.”

The demolition workers looked at the place where the dragon materials were piled up yesterday. Well, for now, they’ve been collected in a magic bag, so there’s only one Green Dragon left for teaching materials.

“Hey, you guys! Stop embarrassing yourselves and prepare yourselves!”

That’s what the head of the demolition site said.

“Our master said that you can destroy this dragon as much as you want for the purpose of teaching us! So, accept his kindness and start the demolition! We’re here to learn our master’s techniques! We must obey our master’s orders! That’s the rule of the workshop!”

“Boss…”

“And besides, our master went out of his way to prepare this dragon for teaching us the technique of dismantling a Black Dragon. In other words, it means that even if we dismantle it until it’s completely destroyed, it’s still not enough!”

“”””Huh!?””

The words of the boss made the demolition workers startle.

“Techniques like this can’t be learned in a day or two. Our master wants us to use a real dragon as a teaching material to memorize it while maintaining the maximum tension in our bodies!”

Huh? What’s that? I didn’t have that intention at all.

“I see, as expected of the boss!”

“I never thought of that!”

Well, I didn’t think of it either. I just provided the materials because there were leftovers.

“So you guys! In order to meet our master’s expectations, dismantle it with all your might!”

“”””Yes!””””

Um, well, the demolition workers started to focus on dismantling the Green Dragon with more determination, piling up one misunderstanding after another.

“I see, you’ve put a lot of thought into the Green Dragon materials. Adventurers who can hunt dragons really have a different way of thinking.”

Ah, the adventurers also have some strange misunderstandings. Well, maybe it’s a blessing in disguise?

“Wow, as expected of my big brother. You’ve put so much thought into it!”

No, I didn’t think about it, Gyro-kun. Don’t misunderstand.

“But well, isn’t it better to be serious than to be timid and waste the materials?”

Mina-san reassured me.

“Well, that might be true.”

Yeah, as long as they’re serious, it’s fine.

“Hehe, now the dismantling fee for dragon materials will be free.”

Meguri-san was watching the demolition workers with a smirk. Yeah, most of the Green Dragon materials provided this time were defeated by Liliera-san and Gyro-kun and the Dragon Slayers.

In the morning, when I was planning to go hunting for Green Dragons at Dragon’s Peak to use them as teaching materials for this dismantling course, Meguri-san suggested using their own dragons. I hesitated to use the dragons that Gyro-kun and the others had defeated as practice for others, but Meguri-san said that if they did, the dismantling fee would be waived. I confirmed with Gyro-kun and the others, and it seemed that they had been persuaded by Meguri-san’s words and agreed. Yeah, they’re quick to act.

And the guild immediately agreed, saying that it was an unexpected offer. So, the dragons being dismantled now are the ones defeated by Gyro-kun and the others.

“If it’s the first time for people to dismantle a dragon, it doesn’t make much difference whether they request a normal dismantling. It’s much better to dismantle it under Rex’s guidance than to do it with little knowledge. And it’s free! This is a big wave you can’t miss!”

Wow, Meguri-san is talking in a way that I’ve never seen before, with a long and fast-paced speech.

“She becomes talkative when money is involved.”

I kind of had a feeling, but Meguri-san really loves money, huh?

“Alright! I’m done with the dismantling!”

“Me too!”

“W-Wait a minute! I’m almost done!”

The demolition workers report one after another that they have finished dismantling the skin. There are still a few left.

I go around to the demolition workers who have finished peeling the skin and examine the condition of the dismantled materials.

“Hmm, hmm…”

“How is it?”

The demolition workers ask me with half-expectation. The reason why it’s half is because the cut surface of the skin was obvious.

“The cut surface is quite rough.”

“…I knew it.”

They must have expected to hear that. The demolition workers look at their own peeled skin with frustration.

“Damn it, what’s wrong!? We peeled it the same way, didn’t we!?”

Indeed, even though it’s understandable, this is a very rough cut. Both the demolition workers and the adventurers have the same rough cut.

“Um, I’m done…”

At that moment, Lune-san brings her peeled skin.

“Here, let me check.”

I examine the skin that Lune-san dismantled.

“Hmm? It’s quite clean.”

“”””What!?””

The demolition workers react to my words and rush over to me.

“It’s true! The cut is cleaner than ours!?”

“What’s going on!? Is the young lady a professional dismantler!?”

The demolition workers crowd around Lune-san.

“N-No, I’m just a normal adventurer.”

“A normal adventurer can dismantle better than us!?”

This is surprising. It’s true that Lune-san, who is younger than the guild’s contracted dismantlers, can make cleaner cuts. I examine the difference between the skin peeled by the demolition workers and the skin peeled by Lune-san once again.

“Hmm?”

And I come to a certain conclusion.

“I see, that’s what it was.”

“What do you mean? Did you figure something out!?”

The demolition workers listen carefully to my murmurs.

“Well, it’s a very simple thing.”

“What was the cause!?”

“It’s easy to explain, but it’s best to experience it. I’ll explain it tomorrow at noon, so today’s course is over.”

Leaving the demolition workers who still want an explanation to Liliera-san and the others, I ask the boss about the location of a certain shop.

“Boss, is there a shop that can do this kind of thing?”

“Ah, if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s a bit further down to the right after leaving the guild.”

“Thank you.”

Alright, now that I know the location, I should go and prepare for tomorrow!