Chapter 263 - Chapter 233: The White Dragon Princess
8:45 PM.
It was almost time to pick them up, so Lupi, Sweee, and I headed to the Large Transfer Room in the dungeon.
"Come to think of it... what about tomorrow's live stream?"
"Ah, I guess I'll have to talk about Nina. I'll probably show everything from the Control Room to the Data Room, and that balcony-like area."
A World Announcement had gone out, and as expected, everyone was speculating it was me. Well, of course they would.
There was no point in hiding it, and I thought it would be better to reveal it quickly.
"I wonder if Argenta-san's visit today will become a topic? Maybe I should have tidied up that Data Room..."
"If you're going to talk about what happened on Sunday, maybe it's better not to clean up?"
She's right. But still, even though I didn't mess it up, I'm reluctant to show a messy room.
Chatting like that, we arrived at the Crossroads. We turned left and took the Transfer Elevator down, and right outside was the Large Transfer Room.
"Nina, can you explain this room?"
"[Yes. The Large Transfer Room is where discarded magic tools and other items are transferred.
The transferred items are stored for a certain period, then put into the disposal port at the back and discarded into the volcanic crater.]"
The disposal port at the back? As I walked, I looked towards the back and saw a groove in the wall, like a door that could open and close.
"That opens?"
"[Yes. However, it cannot be opened or closed if there is a biological response within the Large Transfer Room.]"
"I see. Safety is prioritized."
Well, I won't be using this room. Maybe use the unused space for storage? No, it'd be too much trouble to carry things all the way here.
"Come to think of it, this is a 'Transfer Room,' not a 'Teleportation Room.'"
"Ah, you're right."
"Transfer and Teleportation are different, right?"
I casually asked Nina, and she answered politely.
"[Yes. Transfer is for non-biological entities only, while Teleportation includes biological entities. The Large Transfer Room has two magic circles: the Large Transfer Magic Circle, where discarded items are transferred, and the Transfer Magic Circle, for retrieving items that should not have been discarded.]"
"I see."
"I get it, I get it. So they store items for a while before discarding them, in case they were accidentally thrown away."
Come to think of it, when Argenta-san first came, she came via the Large Transfer Magic Circle. Does that mean she used Teleportation magic herself, targeting the Large Transfer Magic Circle?
"Shou-kun, it's almost 9 o'clock."
"Whoops, let's step back a bit."
"Woof."
She'd probably be in her dragon form usually, so she'd come to the Large Transfer Magic Circle, I thought, waiting in front of it, when...
"Woof."
"Huh? That way?"
A pillar of light formed in the Transfer Magic Circle to my right. When it faded, Argenta-san stood there in her butler attire from before. ...And next to her was a small girl, about five years old.
She had silver hair, translucent white skin, and sapphire eyes. She was, in a word, breathtakingly beautiful—no, a beautiful young child. The slight innocence still lingering in her features made her seem more angelic than a goddess.
"Shou-sama, thank you for granting us your precious time today."
"No, no, welcome..."
As I replied, my gaze involuntarily fell downwards.
"Excuse me. This is White Dragon Princess Althena-sama."
"Ah, yes. ...Huh?"
The Dragonfolk Princess. The dragon who stopped the calamity's rampage. The one who apparently devoured a month's worth of Torotoro Dried Papu Fruit in a few days... Hm?
I noticed the Princess's gaze was fixed on me, or rather, on Sweee on my left shoulder. I glanced over and saw Sweee looking down with a superior air that I couldn't quite comprehend.
"Arge, carry me."
"Yes, Princess."
As Argenta-san easily picked up the Princess with one hand as requested, the Princess now looked down at Sweee with the same superior air.
Well, yeah. I'm not particularly tall, and if Argenta-san, who's over 180cm, picks her up, that's what'll happen, right?
"Huh? Sweee?"
Sweee, having left my left shoulder, knelt on top of my head. Now at roughly the same eye level, they seemed to be glaring at each other.
"Hii-sama, please stop..."
At Argenta-san's troubled words, the Princess pouted and turned away.
"Sweee, what are you doing? And seriously, stop kneeling on my head."
At my words, she reluctantly returned to my left shoulder.
She, too, was pouting and looking away. What was even happening?
"What on earth is going on...?"
Mion inadvertently murmured. I had informed her beforehand that I wouldn't be able to reply during today's discussion, so she was quietly listening, but even she couldn't help but vocalize it.
"Um, well, it's a bit bare here, so..."
"Thank you. Then, if you insist."
This room was just large and plain; it wasn't a good place for a discussion. First, I wanted to guide them to the Mountain Cabin and sit down to talk.
Ah, not enough chairs... I'll get some from my room.
...
..
.
In the end, there was no need to bring chairs from my room, as the Princess sat on Argenta-san's lap. Her eyes were glued to the Torotoro Dried Papu Fruit served on a wooden plate on the table.
"Ah, I've prepared a lot, so please eat as much as you like."
"Nom nom nom!"
She looked up at Argenta-san behind her. As soon as Argenta-san nodded, the Princess began eating the Torotoro Dried Papu Fruit.
"—!"
"Ah, yeah, Sweee, you can eat too."
It's disappearing incredibly fast, but I feel like I'd lose if I paid attention to it.
I poured Papu Leaf Tea into mugs for everyone and took my seat.
"Thank you."
"No problem. So, about what we discussed... Was it really bad that I became the manager of the Ancient Ruins?"
"No, that's not a problem at all. Rather, as Dragonkin, we are relieved that it is Shou-sama, whom we trust."
"Ah, I see..."
Apparently, the Dragon Capital, where Argenta-san and the others lived, referred to quite a wide area. The Ancient Ruins within it were under the Dragonkin's management—no, surveillance—and had been left untouched.
If there were Ancient Ruins that posed a problem if left unattended, they would investigate, but since there weren't any such issues, they left them alone.
"Once every few years, a large number of monsters spawn and overflow from the Ancient Ruins, but for us, it's not a big deal."
"Hahaha..."
Yeah, if a bunch of weak monsters spawned, one breath attack would wipe them out. They wouldn't bother going inside to investigate.
"That is why we did not notice the existence of a 'manager' like the one Shou-sama discovered."
"Huh? But aren't there already Ancient Ruins managed by human nations?"
"We left those entirely to them, so we don't know. In the first place, the Goddess asked us to stop the calamity. And with the Princess having fallen into a deep sleep, we couldn't prioritize anything else..."
Well, that makes sense. Their own Princess is more important.
Still, they apparently had the Winged Folk under their dominion search for missing persons. And now, recently, the Princess had finally woken up.
"Refill."
"Nom nom nom!"
...For now, I'm just glad she seems well.