Chapter 60 – Do you know the words, you reap what you sow?
“There are four other dragons like me. And it is because of one of them, that I was driven out of my home.”
Waldung began gravely.
Menew and the others listened while drinking their tea.
“The gold dragon. A dragon that lords over the ore and metals in the earth. However, we do not get along.”
And so this gold dragon had driven him out.
“Hmm. But why did this gold dragon do that?”
Menew asked. Waldung looked uncomfortable.
Sety narrowed her eyes.
“Aha! I get it. So you were greedy, and intruded on its territory!”
Waldung’s giant body jumped, causing the tea kettle to jump as well.
“You probably made some excuse about it being your nature, and did not even apologize?”
It shuddered again, and the tea nearly spilled.
“And you must have taken so much gold that you couldn’t make any excuses if it came to your home.”
The giant body slumped to the ground.
So it was all true… Menew, Ralph and Totto looked at the dragon with pity.
“I…lived in a land that is not very rich with gold. So what is the problem with taking things that were collected from villainous humans?”
It argued.
Menew sighed and scratched his head. He had befriended a rather troublesome dragon.
“Don’t do that from now on. You cannot take from other territories that are not your own.”
Menew said while pointing his staff at it, and Waldung agreed somberly.
“You have so much already, and you still want more?”
“Just once, I want to sleep while being buried in treasure…”
Waldung groaned. It was the dream that he could not give up.
Menew blinked and then thought about it.
“If that is your dream, I can make it come true.”
“What!? You can do that!?”
“Yes. Just wait a minute.”
Menew took out his sketchbook and brush and opened to a blank page.
And then he drew a cute, simplified Waldung.
It looked more like a plushie than a living creature. Button-like eyes, a soft and round back and tail. It looked like it would be stuffed with cotton.
Menew looked at Sety and said, ‘don’t try and ask me to make money or treasure for you.’ Sety had no idea what he was talking about, but nodded.
And then Menew placed his hand over the drawing to make it come to life.
A 50 centimeter, small Waldung came out. It really was a stuffed animal.
Sety’s eyes widened.
“…Damn it. I shouldn’t have agreed.”
“I knew you would say that.”
“The things you draw can turn real. And you can draw well. What a waste of talent…”
Sety looked at him as if he was prey. But he did not want to become a tool to make others money.
Menew then made Totto hold the stuffed dragon, as Kanon was sitting on Ralph’s lap already, and then he pointed his staff at it.
“In accordance with the contract, I summon Waldung.”
“What!?”
The large Waldung shone with light, overflowing with particles that then flowed into the small one.
As Totto held it, the small limbs began to move. It looked down at its body and moved its tails. Then it flapped its cotton filled wings and flew above their heads.
“This is wonderful!”
“As it was a permanent summon, it was a little tiring… But now you can dive into your treasure.”
“Yes!”
The dragon was not very intimidating now. Waldung then dove into the mountain of treasure, and then it wagged its tail around while rolling on the hard coins.
Ralph looked at it sadly. He preferred the sight of a great dragon.
By the time they were finished with the tea, a satisfied Waldung returned to them.
“My lifelong dream has come true. Thank you, master.”
“I’m glad. Your body also has a storage ability. Will you like to take this treasure with you?”
Waldung looked at the treasure and then opened his mouth sadly.
“Umm…I really wish I could. But putting gold into my stomach is…”
Being buried in it and eating it were very different things.
“Well, you should go with Totto then. He always uses a basket for gathering herbs.”
“Yes, if it’s herbs or just a little metal, then it should be fine!”
Ralph’s shoulders dropped.
Now the dragon was being used as a basket.
“Ca-can we really ask a dragon to carry our things…?”
“Well, he doesn’t seem to mind?”
And so Waldung stuck himself to Totto’s back by hooking his arms over the shoulders.
“I think for dragons, humans do not live very long. That is why it made the contract.”
“Menew is right. The human lifespan is so short. And so it determined that tagging along would do no harm.”
“So I think it’s fine to ask it to help with things it doesn’t mind doing.”
It was clear that Waldung did not mind.
Menew took off his pouch and approached the mountain while opening it.
And then the treasure was stored inside in no time.
“Ah. What are you doing!?”
Sety said as she stood up.
While she had taken what she wanted, it wasn’t like the rest was of bad quality. Besides, if someone else took so much at once, the value would go down.
“Well, I thought Mr. Wal would want his bed.”
“…Bed?”
“We don’t need more money…or accessories… So I only saw it as a bed.”
“Um…a bed of treasure…”
“Is that bad?”
The strength left Sety all at once. And she muttered to herself about how foolish she was for scraping by.
Menew did not have the words to comfort her. Ralph was busy playing with Kanon, and Totto was talking with Waldung.
And so Menew frantically suggested that they take their leave, as he began to put away the cups and tools.
“Now, it’s time to use the shortcut I’ve been looking forward to!”
“Wuff-wuff!”
“Oh, a short cut! Great!”
“Our return will be so easy!”
Kanon, Wal and Totto were enthusiastic, but the other two looked annoyed.
They did not trust him… Still, Menew thought of the dryad castle as he closed his eyes and raised his staff.
A film of water rose up like a door, and the familiar castle appeared on the other side.
“Oh, it worked. If you’re worried, you can go later. I’lll be first.”
Menew went through without any concern.
As expected, he came out into the castle with the stairs.
Next was Kanon, Wal and Totto. But no one followed them.
After waiting for some time, Menew poked his head through the watery membrane.
Ralph and Sety looked at him with horror.
Menew’s head was floating in the air.
“It’s completely safe! Come on!”
“Uh, fine. Fine. Just pull your head back.”
And so Menew pulled his head back to make way for them.
And then Sety and Ralph came out, and Menew closed the door. There was no reason to leave it open.
The dryad then approached as if she had been waiting for them.
“Hello. We are taking our leave now. …Uh, is this the reason you are here as well?”
Menew said as he looked at the dryad and treants and then pointed towards Wal.
The dryad went to her knees frantically.
“Yes. I was driven from my home. As were they, being thralls. And so we were being protected by Lord Kanon.”
“I see…”
Menew looked at Val severely, but everything had been well in the end, and so he relaxed. He smiled and took the dryad’s hands in his.
“I’ll help you return home in the near future.”
The dryad was puzzled but nodded.
They separated then, and made their way back to the dungeon entrance. On the way, Sety said in a regretful voice, but still smiled.
“How boring. We have to say goodbye now. Well, I will continue with the dungeons. But what about you…”
“I think we’ll be going to the capital and try doing something about Wal’s home.”
“Of course. Our paths are not the same.”
They had reached the bottom floor at record speed. They had seen a divine beast. Spoken with a dragon. Eaten delicious meat. There was so much to talk about.
“Sety. We will go into a dungeon again as well. And if you want, we can go together.”
Menew was also sad about separating from her. Of course, neither wanted to work together if it meant going against what they wanted to do.
Sometimes, it was more fun when your paths just crossed occasionally.
“Very well. I’ll try to stay longer in guilds with dungeons. After all, traveling with you three was fun.”
And so Menew and Sety shook hands in front of the dungeon door.
“Well, see you later then.”
“Aye. Look for me, alright? Sety.”
“I know. I have another thing to look forward to now.”
And with that, the four exited the dungeon.
They then knocked on the door to the room where Kazusa was waiting. She looked at them with surprise.
Not only was that so fast, but they had more animals with them. And one was wearing a strange item.
“Was everything alright?”
“Yes. While I can’t explain it, we had a good time.”
Menew said with a laugh. Kanon was happily wagging its tail on top of Ralph’s head.
Upon seeing this, Kazusa realized that nothing bad had happened, and so she turned on her heels to leave.
Just then, Kanon howled like a wolf.
Kazusa shuddered. Menew knew.
Kanon had overwritten the shortcut.
“I’m sorry. It’s just this one time…”
“It better be. Let too many out, and we won’t be able to deal with it when a stampede happens…”
Ten steps later, they were back in the guild. Kazusa quickly returned and cast the shortcut spell again. While the others went to the counter to make their report.
Though, Sety left it to Menew, and went off by herself.
He wondered why. But then he remembered that it would be recorded in a book. As they had gone to the lowest floor.
In other words, they would be held here for quite some time.
“I’m going back to the inn first.”
“Ah, Mr. Menew. Please give me the dryad flower, treant branches, and my alchemy tools!”
His friends also quickly left the troublesome work to him. And so Menew ended up spending many hours in the guild. With his awkward words, he talked about the floor bosses, the meat, and the dragon treasures, late into the night.
Only Stan was there to console him while perched on his shoulder.
Thanks for the chapter!