Chapter 259: Leo’s Thoughts

Name:Welcome to Hell! Author:
Chapter 259: Leo’s Thoughts

The spectacle of the battle had come to an end. As King Carl and his entourage made their exit, I remained kneeling with one knee on the ground with my head bowed, waiting for them to leave. I only stood up after confirming that all the high-ranking people had departed, one by one.

At that moment, I softened my exoskeleton to make it resemble normal skin. Initially, softening even a single finger was difficult, but now I could do so without much thought and even maintain the softness effortlessly. I grew up too.

Well done, Boss.

There might be others like Zald or Tigar who could take down a fire dragon alone. But to do it like this

Yeah, only Boss could pull that off.

Why is this lizard the reward, though?

When I stood up, my comrades who had arrived at the arena began to praise me, though one seemed a bit disgruntled. I wasnt seeking any reward. Under the supervision of Lieselotte, any necessary supplies for our journey to the southern part of the continent would be arranged by her. I had no desire for anything else, so I asked for the freedom of the fire dragon who was in the same situation I was in once.

Yes, I intended to set this fire dragon free. I didnt know where its home was, but that was a question for later. It couldnt be too far from the kingdom.

Umm, sensei? Theres something Id like to ask

What is it, Chirik?

Id like to touch the fire dragon! Would that be alright?

While I was thinking about the process of releasing the fire dragon, Chirik, who had been silent until now, said that he wanted to touch the dragon. Ah, maybe this is the reason why he has been nervous ever since we met up; it was due to this curiosity. He must have understood that fire dragons were dangerous and ferocious creatures, but that was probably why he wanted to touch it. It seemed to be a case of curiosity piqued by fear.

When I glanced at the fire dragon, I saw that it was lying motionless with its eyelids closed. Initially, its spirit blazed like a fierce fire at the start of the battle, but upon defeat, it neither trembled in fear nor cowered but simply lay in silence. I had thought it was merely a wild beast at first but perhaps there was more to it.

It should be safe if Im beside you. Go ahead and touch it.

Yes!

Rrrrrrrr

When I led Chirik towards the dragon, he hesitantly reached out to touch it. Though his vision was weak, he must have had some sense of the dragons size through his hearing, but only by touching could his curiosity be satisfied. Driven by a strong intellectual curiosity, Chirik couldnt resist the urge to feel it for himself.

Meanwhile, the fire dragon, half-opening its eyes and growling, did not refuse Chiriks touch. The growl seemed to convey not discomfort or fear but merely confusion. It was convenient that it wasnt showing any signs of dislike, but perhaps it was time to ask.

[Hey, can you hear me?]

[..?!]

When I established telepathic communication, the fire dragons eyes widened in surprise. The sudden presence of a voice in its mind must have startled it, yet it managed to contain its agitation by simply opening its eyes wide. In my mind, I elevated my opinion of the fire dragon even further.

[Responding telepathicallyseems difficult for you. I was like that too.]

Just as it had been for me when I first received telepathic messages from Woodsorrel, mastering telepathy to allow for two-way communication required practice. Especially since it took me a long time to learn telepathy, I felt an affinity for the fire dragons reactions.

However, this made communication difficult. What should I do in times like this? I drew on what I had learned from my interactions with Woodsorrel.

[Blink once for yes, twice for no. Do you understand?]

(Blink)

Good, the message was received. This fire dragon was not just a mere brute. Perhaps it just didnt have to use its brain so far, and its actually more intelligent?

It was unclear whether this was a characteristic of all dragon species or unique to this fire dragon. But I believed that at least basic communication was now possible.

The day after our battle in the arena, Leo and I returned alone to our comrades hidden camp. I explained what happened in the royal capital to my comrades who were surprised that there were only two of us and that we didnt have any luggage.

Such things happened? Even so, the boss always seems to get caught up in trouble, doesnt he?

Its not something to laugh about. The boss didnt get involved by choice, you know.

It was Tuhru, Linardos wife, who scolded him for finding amusement in the situation. She cradled their son, Lawqum, the first second-generation demon in her arms. He reached out his hands toward me when he saw me.

It seemed that he found me unusual because he hadnt seen me for a long time. I extended my tail towards him, and Lawqum quickly grabbed the tip and squeezed it. What was surprising was that the squeaks and creaks of my exoskeleton had become noticeably louder. It seems that his monstrous strength, which didnt befit a baby of his age, was growing.

No doubt about it. So, the option is to stay under the young ladys protection? I dont dislike her, but

Im not too keen on it either. Lawqum might end up having a hard time.

Linardo and Tuhru clearly had no intention of staying under Lieselottes protection. We were demons, beings created by merging humans with other creatures. Furthermore, many of the humans used as materials were criminals, and the demons mass-produced by Karelvo were prone to violence. As a result, the majority held a negative view of demons.

Its important to remember that Lieselotte and King Carl were rare exceptions. Even if we were to go to Lieselottes territory, discrimination was almost certain. With a small child in their care, they preferred to seek a new land rather than remain in such a place.

This idea wasnt unique to Linardo and his family; it was, in fact, the majority opinion, with very few expressing their wish to stay. As of now, only Leo and Bolts have expressed their intention to stay. However, even Leos idea was uncertain, because

Theres no way thats going to happen!

The camp was echoed with Tigars angry shouts. Leo had suggested he could stay behind for Lieselotte and the fire dragon, but I couldnt just allow that. I knew without a doubt that Tigar would oppose it.

He opposed because he was worried about his son, Leo, and Leo understood that concern. Thats why I made convincing Tigar a condition for Leos desire to stay. I had brought him here for that purpose, but it seemed to be a failure.

Listen to me, Dad! Ive thought this through

You dont understand anything! What can you possibly do by staying behind alone?!

I want to show them were not a threat! For that, someone has to stay behind, right?!

Leos argument had merit. The only way for others to understand us was through direct communication, but few were willing to engage with us. Without that, the number of people who understood us would never increase.

If they wouldnt approach us, then we had to make the first move. Despite the inevitable exposure to malice Leo was willing to stay and fight for our cause, understanding the risks.

He would have probably chosen to stay even without the fire dragons involvement. He must have been harboring these thoughts alone for a while, though I wish he had consulted with someone. That might have helped in convincing Tigar

Theres no need for that! Its bound to be impossible anyway!

How would you know without trying?!

Dont get ahead of yourself, you half-baked brat!

However, Tigar was outright dismissing Leos arguments. While he claimed to value his sons safety, calling Leo half-baked was too much. Leo had thought things through and arrived at his own conclusions.

Just when Tigar was heating up and both Sharl and I were about to calm him down, Leo narrowed his eyes and began to increase his fighting spirit and spiritual power, as if he was facing an enemy.

Tigar responded in kind and increased his own fighting spirit and spiritual power. The energy leaking from their heightened emotions clashed in the space between them, sending electric shocks through the surrounding area.

So, I just need to prove Im fully capable, right?

Youll have to convince me!

The moment they drew their swords and lunged at each other was perfectly synchronized. Thus began the serious showdown between Tigar, the Thunder Tiger demon, and Leo, the Radiant Lion demon. It was a true father-son confrontation.