Chapter 175
Apology
Translator : PolterGlast
Greg crumpled
to his knees. I released the Gravity Magic, but the adventurers I had
suppressed showed no signs of attacking us.
"Greg, have you calmed down? I'll say it again:
I am not acting under orders from Guanza."
"...Then what did you come here to do? That doesn't
explain that incredibly suspicious black mass."
"I've said this many times too: I just came to
eliminate the cause of the plague. I found this black mass on Mount Cube.
I'm sure you heard from the Crimson Rose, but the Dragon Zombie
actually existed. It seemed to be moving to protect this black mass, so I just
brought it back."
"...Were you truly acting out of good will?"
"We've been saying that from the start! We hate Guanza,
but it seems even that Guanza has turned over a new leaf! You just saw
us as suspicious because you decided to treat us as enemies on your own!"
Greg hung his
head and fell into thought at Aoi's words. It seemed that suppressing
him with force had finally allowed our words to penetrate his skull.
"I understand that Guanza probably did terrible
things in the past. But please don't just assume things and treat people with
hostility without thinking."
"...It seems it really was a misunderstanding. I
arbitrarily decided you were enemies. I am sorry."
"If you understand, then that's fine. So, let's get
straight to the discussion: what should we do with this black egg? If you say I
can crush it, I'll crush it."
"Eh...? Is that black mass an egg?"
"It's warm, so it's likely an egg. I suspect it might
be a Red Dragon's egg."
If viewed as a threat, I think it's better to crush it.
However, if we can glean information from this egg, we should wait and see a
bit longer.
"If it is a Dragon's egg, I believe it should be
crushed. ...However, I will leave the judgment to you, Graham-san, since
you have been working for the sake of Klingark."
"Then, is it alright if I hold onto it a little longer?
The reason why the Red Dragon's corpse turned into a zombie still
bothers me."
"Yes, of course. However, it would help if you didn't
bring it inside the city. If it were to hatch inside the city, it would cause a
huge panic."
"I understand that. Besides, we plan to go home soon.
You don't need to worry so much."
Since he left the disposal of the egg to me, I'm thinking of
taking it back to Biodasdal and showing it to Bane. Monsters know monsters best, and if it's an Undead
species, he might know something.
"...I apologize. May I verify one thing?"
"Yeah. Ask me anything."
"You said the Dragon Zombie was protecting that
egg and that the Red Dragon had turned into a zombie—does that mean the Dragon
Zombie is on Mount Cube?"
"To be accurate, it was. Ginia and Aoi
have already defeated it."
"Ehh?! Is that true!?"
"Why would I lie now? I burned the corpse thoroughly,
so it won't revive. I don't know yet if it was the cause of the plague, but if
the Dragon Zombie was the cause, it should subside soon."
"You defeated it with just three people...? I-It is
hard to believe, but having seen you suppress the adventurers so lightly, I
have no choice but to believe it."
"Just in case, I brought proof of the subjugation.
Should I hand this over now too?"
I handed the skin I had skinned from the Dragon Zombie
to Greg. He seemed to recognize immediately that it was dragon skin, and
judging by its blackened, rotting state, he understood it was a Dragon
Zombie as well.
"I wasn't doubting you, but that is certainly the skin
of a Dragon Zombie. ...I truly cannot thank you three enough. I must
also thank the members of the Crimson Rose who worked for the sake of
the city."
"Come to think of it, where are Veronica and Mona?
You didn't put them in a dungeon or something, did you?!"
"I haven't gone that far. However, I have them staying
at the Adventurer's Guild, so one could perhaps view it as house
arrest."
"If it's the Adventurer's Guild, they'll
probably forgive you. Anyway, please convey our thanks to the Crimson Rose
too. If those two hadn't cooperated, we wouldn't have been able to defeat the Dragon
Zombie."
"Yes. I will pay the Crimson Rose a proper
reward and apologize profusely for this incident."
"Yeah, I'm counting on you. Well then, we'll head back
to Klingark ahead of you. We'll leave the egg in a place away from the
city, so rest assured."
"Yes. Once again, I am truly sorry for everything. And
thank you very much for defeating the Dragon Zombie."
I responded to Greg, who bowed deeply, by raising one
hand, and we decided to return to Klingark. Even though we were
unreasonably suspected, I understood Greg's feelings, so I didn't feel
too unpleasant about it.
I believe it's all Guanza's fault, and Greg was just acting for the sake of the city. Anyway, although it took brute force, the misunderstanding seems resolved and the case is closed. Questions remain regarding the zombification of the Red Dragon, but for now, we'll take a short rest in Klingark, thank the Crimson Rose, and then return to Biodasdal.
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