Chapter 332 - Episode 15: The Island Where We Live with Wyverns
The next day, when I took the Black Dragon Child in his human form to the Wyverns' nest, six Wyverns were waiting.
They seemed to tilt their heads upon seeing the Black Dragon Child, but when he revealed his true form, they went down on all four legs as if prostrating themselves and lowered their heads.
He was huge. If he stood on two legs, the top of a small Wyvern's head would only reach about his solar plexus. His body was large and his legs were thick. His horns were long too. It was hard to believe they were the same species of Wyvern. When he spread his wings, all six of them were hidden from view.
Dune and Mel stood between them as mediators, and a discussion session was held with much 'gyaon-gyaon' squawking.
In the middle of it, the Black Dragon Child crushed a rock with a shockwave, sliced a rock in half with what should have been the basic spell Wind Cutter, and shattered a rock with what should have been the basic spell Energy Bolt. Each time, the Wyverns rubbed their heads against the Black Dragon Child with 'gyaon-gyaon' cries. They must have been happy to have a powerful successor. Being in the same flock means they are family. I don't know what the relationship to the mother dragon would be, but it must be like a talented nephew or niece, whom they thought was dead, returning to the flock.
I heard from Dune and Mel later that the story of everything that happened from the time the flock left the mother dragon behind until now was told with all seven of them shedding tears. Alex had said that unlike other dragons, only Wyverns form flocks. They must be that much more family-oriented.
In conclusion, the Black Dragon Child's wish was granted, and he would commute here once a month. He would come on the night of the new moon, interpret the hunting arrangements with the villagers, and stay at the Wyverns' nest for two or three nights before returning.
Usually, he spends his time in the Northeastern Forest learning from Alex, working together with humans and monsters, learning about various creatures and history related to the island from Serena and Renata, and learning magic from the Elves. He is receiving an elite education befitting the strongest creature, and the Wyverns apparently welcomed this point, saying they leave him in our care.
Word had already been sent from Gwyn-sama and the island's lord, and full consent for hunting with the Wyverns was obtained even from the villagers said to be involved in my kidnapping.
When we flew to the village together with the seven dragons, barrel sake had been prepared by the island lord's arrangement, and preparations for a banquet were complete. There was also a mountain of wild boar meat.
Everyone was afraid of the Wyverns, but they didn't run away; they knelt and offered prayers.
Under the direction of the older brother, who is scheduled to be the next church head, barrel sake was poured into basins all at once, and a grand banquet together with the dragons began.
The Island of Wyverns became the island where we live with Wyverns.
By the way, I have business with Gwyn-sama, who is making a fuss along with everyone else.
"Gwyn-sama. What about the item I requested?"
"Ah, I have arranged for it."
Gwyn-sama called a subordinate and took out a crystal ball from a leather bag he was handed. It was the Light orb I had left with Aira. I had it handed to me and showed it to the Black Dragon Child.
"Watch closely, okay?"
The Black Dragon Child nodded.
"Activate. Light!"
It was an orb containing a fragment of the Queen of the nation I had left with Aira.
The orb emitted a dazzling light of a pleasant temperature.
"Don't drop it or roll it around, okay? This will break. Also, when you turn it off, you say this: Deactivate. Light! See, it went out? Understand?"
He nodded 'fun-fun', and when I let him try it himself, he was able to activate and deactivate it in one go.
"Hey, when you grow up, show this to your family."
"Understood."
The giant Black Dragon went to show the glowing orb to the Wyverns while holding it in his right hand.
The Wyverns also gathered around with 'doyo-doyo' sounds.
"A dragon and a light orb. Wouldn't Beatrix want to make a portrait of this?"
"Certainly so."
I laughed along with Gwyn-sama.
The next day, the Black Dragon Child and the Wyverns went to practice hunting together with Alex and the villagers, who were on the medium-sized bowl made by Henry-sama and the others.
Gwyn-sama also looked like he wanted to go, but I had him stay behind because there was one more piece of business.
"Gwyn-sama. About that priest..."
"Is there something?"
He was watching the flying dragons with a bored expression.
"Could I have an interview with him?"
"I don't mind, but the man himself is just offering prayers without taking much food. Even if you meet him, I think only words of apology will come out."
"I don't mind. There's something I personally want to talk to him about. If possible, I would like Gwyn-sama, the island's lord, the apprentice priest scheduled to be the next priest, and Harris-sama and the Priestess to be present as well."
He said "Hmm," but he said "I don't mind."
Riding in the bowl operated by the scout directly under Gwyn-sama, we went to the jail where the priest was thrown. It was in the basement of the island lord's mansion.
"Ah, Priest Jeanne. I have truly done a terrible thing to you."
It was just as Gwyn-sama said. He apologized immediately.
"There is something I wish to speak with you about."
"To me? For a shallow person like me, prayers for departure are unnecessary. My only wish now is to simply vanish like dew at the execution ground while praying."
He's as extreme as ever. In the end, no one died, so there's no need to be that depressed.
"Um, normally, it's said that those who leave behind strong regrets or attachments in this world become ghosts, right?"
"Yes. I know that. Surely, you aren't worried that I will remain in this world as a ghost?"
"No. I'm worried that you won't become a ghost."
"Hah?"
He was making a stupid face. No wonder; a normal priest wouldn't worry about someone not becoming a ghost after dying. My statement was barely safe as a priest... or so I want to believe.
"How about it? Why not just become a ghost and enter an orb?"
Harris-sama and the Priestess were covering their ears. This might be bad.
Normally, one recruits ghosts. One doesn't tell a person who isn't dead to become a ghost and enter an orb.
As expected, the priest made a strange face. If it weren't for the incident, he might have shouted.
"Um, wouldn't it be better to enter an orb rather than leave behind a stigma as a traitor?"
"Hmm," the priest thought about it.
"This island is small, so there are few ghosts. I think using the ghost of a criminal is certainly an effective method, but..."
"Not as a criminal, but as a priest who aimed for the coexistence and mutual prosperity with the Wyverns. In other words, it's limited to you."
"Limited to me... What on earth are you telling me to do?"
"The magic to be contained in the orb you enter is my Light. In other words, why not become the symbol of the connection between the Wyverns and that village... or this island?"
Dragons like light orbs. And the priest is a very enthusiastic fan of Wyverns.
As expected, a look of joy appeared on the priest's face.
After the talk with the priest was over, we were shown to the reception room.
"Will it go well?"
I tried asking Harris-sama.
If there had been a doctrinal problem with my statement, I thought he would stop me, but it seemed there was no problem. I had talked to him beforehand, and he said at least it wasn't a taboo.
"I don't know. It probably depends on the priest's feelings."
"That's true."
The priest's death penalty is unavoidable. He himself wishes for it out of a feeling of atonement.
However, if the priest truly desires coexistence and mutual prosperity between the Wyverns and the villagers from the bottom of his heart, he should be able to start over.
Those who leave strong attachments in this world become ghosts.
Then, he should just become a ghost, enter an orb, and live with the Wyverns.
"What do you think, Priestess?"
Inducing someone who is about to die to leave an attachment to this world and become a ghost.
Originally, it might be something that shouldn't happen.
"Priest Jeanne. Is the death penalty written in the doctrinal books?"
"It is not written."
It is a taboo for a person to kill a person. Although it was as a result, at the very least, the priest didn't kill anyone. Nevertheless, he will be killed under the law.
"In other words, it's something that was created as a result of humans arbitrarily judging it necessary to form a society."
"Yes."
"And the Goddess saves the souls of the dead regardless of the presence or absence of sin. After becoming a ghost, one is contained in an orb and becomes useful to people. And eventually, one ascends. The point is only whether the person themselves is convinced."
"Yes. It's self-responsibility."
The Priestess gave a sweet smile.
"You know that priest's personality, don't you? Arrogant, and getting emotional over trivial things immediately. But he became a priest. There's a reason for that."
"A reason?"
"Yes. That priest is a mid-level mage, but he excelled at Heal and Teleport magic. And he saved many injured people on battlefields and the front lines of monster hunts. Sometimes even those who were shipwrecked in rough seas."
He was likely performing rescue operations without regard for his own life. To those whose lives were actually saved, he would be a benefactor. It's a small island with a population of less than a thousand. There might not be any high-level mages. Teleport magic must have been precious. I understood the reason why he was using expensive Teleportation Circles without stint on such a small island.
"Serious, with a strong sense of duty—no, too strong. Being an orphan himself, he took in and raised all orphans at the church."
The older brother, the next priest candidate, nodded.
"Whether you call it rashness or strong preconceptions. If he could have listened to people's stories a bit more properly, perhaps something like this wouldn't have happened."
I understand that point well. I see it occasionally, but it's extreme. Believing only in one's own thoughts and not trying to listen to the opinions of others. Sometimes such a person is extremely serious at heart and has a weak heart. Therefore, they follow the rules and use an aggressive tone toward others to protect themselves.
"Jeanne. I think that priest's death penalty is appropriate. And if he can become a ghost and be contained in an orb, he will be useful to the village. Those whose lives were saved by that priest might also feel happier than if he were just executed. Bringing peace of mind to those who are dying also includes things after death, or so it can be interpreted. It's much better than making someone driven by regret and a sense of atonement give up, so to speak, and sending them to the Goddess's side."
Harris-sama said it for me. Perhaps Harris-sama also doesn't oppose the use of Undead magic.
"Thank you very much."
When I said my thanks, he laughed and said surely Bishop Catherine would agree too.
Three days later, the sentence was carried out, and the priest died by beheading.
Many villagers were present. Of course, the villagers were not informed that the priest would enter an orb. The only people on the island who knew were the lord, the Priestess, and the older brother and younger sister who were the next priest candidates of the church that would manage the orb. Eventually, they will likely talk to the villagers, but at least for now, it's no good. Time is needed.
I was also present.
Just before dying, he called me and laughed, saying he would definitely become a ghost.
It's a bit complicated, but if he can become a ghost with this, fine; even if he can't, it's fine because the person himself faced death positively.
In Finis, graves are not made for criminals. after the people were cleared away, he was buried secretly behind the temple where the Priestess lives.
And that night, he successfully came out as a ghost.
"Priest Jeanne. I'm counting on you."
He was quite fluent. Perhaps those who willed themselves to become ghosts are like this.
Moreover, his tone had returned before I knew it. There was not a trace of the meekness from when we met in the jail. He was proudly puffing out his chest and looking down from a superior perspective.
Since my role is to cast the magic, it's not much trouble, but even so, we practiced several times. The Priestess and the apprentice priestesses had been cooped up in the temple since the day before.
"Um, everyone is spending time and effort..."
When I complained, he apologized, saying "That's right."
"Priestess-dono. And apprentice priestesses too, I am causing trouble due to my own blunders. I am sorry, but I count on you."
The Priestess was also giving a wry smile.
"Well, it's likely because he was this kind of person that he was able to become a ghost."
Come to think of it, the former lords might have been like this too.
"By the way, if I enter the orb, how often can I meet the Wyverns? Surely it won't be once a year or something?"
What a demanding old man. The hunt is once every two weeks, and the banquet is the same.
"What? Once every two weeks! Really! That is most welcome!"
When he shouted in a loud voice, he approached. He probably tried to take my hand, but he missed. Not enough training.
"Mu. Being a ghost is inconvenient."
He looked displeased.
"Ah, you. I heard from the lord. You will succeed me, it seems."
This time he started pestering the next priest-sama.
"Yes. That is what I have heard."
"I must carry out the handover in a hurry. Is there parchment?"
He tried to hold a pen but missed.
"Please rest assured. After you enter the orb and settle in, you can talk as much as you like."
"Mu, I see. Then later is fine?"
"Yes."
"I am causing you trouble as well."
"No. Please continue to guide me."
Maybe he's mellowed out a bit.
The priest successfully entered the orb and became a light orb.
When I took it to the Wyverns' nest and had Alex interpret, they were 'gyaon-gyaon' happy.
Alex, regardless of the human side's convenience, had been practicing hunting together with the hunters. It seems that as fellow sake-lovers, they hit it off regardless of whether they were humans, dragons, or spirits, and they were drinking together every time a hunt ended.
"Well, I think it'll be fine. After that, we just need to have the Black Dragon Child adjust things once a month."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"No, no, it was no big deal. After all, the souvenir is seventy barrels of sake. They say they'll transport it by ship."
"They were quite generous, weren't they?"
"Well, yeah."
Gwyn-sama was grinning.
There seems to be something behind it.
"Did something happen?"
When I asked, he said it was Aira and Mary.
"The two of them settled things using the magic circle for sending letters. You know that delicious dried meat from Regnentes? They've arranged to teach us the recipe. Although it's limited to what's made on this island and the isolation facility in Northern Gram."
"When did they!"
I can't let my guard down for a second.
"They've apparently obtained Beatrix's approval as well. What's made on this island will be the Wyvern Brand with a dragon shape on the barrels, what's made in Northern Gram will be the Aira=Saxburg brand name with a rabbit mark, and the Regnentes product will be the royal family's official brand using the Regnentes royal crest. The target is the continent."
Apparently, the finish is different between northern wild boars and southern wild boars. Even in the north, the herbs used for seasoning should be different between the mountain people and the flatland people. They are planning to aim for wide profits by differentiating through branding.
Well, it's originally the Owen mark. It will probably spread to the whole White Island before long.
And the royal family earns taxes, then.
"No, it's the same as the trout. The tax amount won't change. For the forced labor portion, except for what they eat, it's distributed among the others. Since Northern Gram is also limited to the isolation facility, it'll be tax-free."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. In exchange, the trade with the continent is a royal monopoly. Also, one barrel will be presented to the royal family every month. Fishing with the Water Dragon once a week, and hunting wild boars with Wyverns once every two weeks—man, I've become busy thanks to you."
What do you mean 'busy'? In short, you just want to drink.
That Gwyn-sama, as soon as he returned to the Finis capital, was dragged away by the King and Queen, who said "Come here for a second." If only he hadn't sent the report after my safety was confirmed. He had carelessly allowed the kidnapping of a state guest right before his eyes. As a result of various ambassadors hearing that the royal palace was in an uproar, intense complaints came from the Sertorian royal family and the Northern Gram royal family, and he was pale when he came out.
"Did something happen, I wonder?"
"Well, it's another family's business."
The old couple, who would be terribly scolded if they went back to their own home, were playing dumb.
"I'll stop it at my place somehow. It'll be better if various restrictions aren't placed on Jeanne's actions."
Harris-sama said with a grim face.
I wish the delinquent old man, who was looking at the cloudy sky from the palace window saying "Nice weather," would follow his example.
And the older brother, the apprentice priest, received a knightly ordination and successfully became a priest afterward. He can apparently use mid-level Heal. He's a very young priest, but there's the former priest who became a ghost. Starting with the handover, he will likely fulfill his duties while being taught various things.
The younger sister, who was ordained as a knight along with her brother, was to be taught etiquette at the royal palace at the same time she entered Aira's workshop. She can read difficult doctrinal books fluently and write characters beautifully so she can communicate in writing. She is also being taught unarmed combat. She is expected to serve as Aira's guard and lady-in-waiting. Her education and unarmed combat skills were apparently drilled into her at the orphanage. Because her hearing is impaired, she was apparently drilled especially thoroughly. It seems she was raised strictly since childhood, but that has served a purpose.
"Priest Jeanne. I have truly caused trouble within my territory this time. I apologize like this. So, um, could you somehow appease Eowyn-dono? You may take my foolish son as well."
The King and Queen took my hands. Gwyn-sama was made to kneel behind them and said "I am sorry." His bald head was smacked by the King, and his rear was kicked by the Queen.
Apparently, Eowyn-sama is fuming, saying he'll send the navy to invade the island. The King of Northern Gram is also apparently trying desperately to stop him.
If he invades now, no matter how you think about it, he'll be counterattacked by the Wyverns.
It seems there's going to be another commotion. What a troublesome person.
Chapter Thirteen: End
Class of 175 Management Scale (Excluding personal assets such as cash and jewels)
・Stores: Main Store (Nakanohara, Kingdom of Sertoria), Second Store (Village near the Sertoria border in eastern Regnentes), Third Store (Sertorian Royal Capital)
・Right of Free Passage and Free Commercial Rights: Medioland, Finis, Northern Gram, Regnentes, Primordia
・Fields: Eight fields (including buildings with farm functions)
・Livestock: Goats, sheep, pigs, a few
・Contracted Animals: Four swarms of honeybees
Chapter Thirteen has ended. To those who have read this far, thank you very much.
This Chapter Thirteen is, so to speak, like a two-part story with Chapter Twelve, written about the Black Dragon Child.
Of course, it would have been fine to summarize it as the Black Dragon arc within Chapter Twelve, but I judged it better to take time from when the Black Dragon Child met the protagonist until he met his family, and as a result of trying to have the readers experience that a little, it was divided into two chapters. As a technique, events in the north unrelated to the Black Dragon (originally planned to be summarized in the Northern Expedition arc) ended up unfolding in an omnibus fashion.
However, apparently, that attempt was a failure.
PV, unique users, and bookmarks didn't grow at all. And then, at the same time the Island of Wyverns episode began, it grew all at once (strictly by our company's standards). Man, novels are difficult.
Unfortunately, I didn't reach the two hundred bookmarks I was secretly aiming for, but at the time of writing this afterword, I have achieved my personal best total points. Thank you for the evaluations and bookmark registrations. And to those who maintained it without abandoning it, I am truly grateful.
And there is something I must deeply apologize for to all the readers. As you may have already noticed, it's the ice magic Glaciate that Mary excels at. Apparently, from around Chapter Nine, I have continued to write it as Glacio. In the next chapter (this is a spoiler), Mary will be using magic on the front lines for the first time in a while, so I discovered it while looking back at the magic she learned.
What should I do... After worrying about it, I'm thinking of leaving it as is until the conclusion. Previously, there were also fatal typos (um, the country name of Engrio, or Emily-sensei's name... and various others...), but if I fix them, the PV increases... probably because there are people who are re-downloading.
Since I am very sorry to cause trouble, I think I will fix them all together at the end. If there are people who think they should be fixed quickly, please let me know. In that case, I will use the batch conversion function and fix them as soon as possible. Thank you. I mean, I am truly sorry for the many eyesores.
Now, as for the next chapter, I have already finished writing it. Therefore, the update frequency can be maintained. One interlude on Friday, then starting Chapter Fourteen from Monday next week. Thank you.
If you like it, please bookmark, evaluate, and give it a 'like'.
And above all, please do send in your impressions.
Well then, please continue to watch over the growth of the Stray Priest.