Dos, Draim’s father. Raimeiren, Draim’s mother. I double-checked the names with Rusty and committed them to memory. Then there was Draim’s older sister, Hakuren. I’d remembered her whether I wanted to or not. His other sister’s name was Suiren. She looked like Hakuren, but I wouldn’t mistake the two. The one I was likely to mix up was Sekiren, Draim’s younger sister. Hakuren, Suiren, Sekiren. They certainly shared a naming convention. The youngest brother’s name was Domaim. I wondered if they were trying to test my memory. I did my best to keep them all straight. Suiren’s husband was a scary-looking, muscular man named Marksbergark. He’d asked me to call him Mark. Despite his appearance, he seemed to have weathered a fair share of hardships. I had a feeling we’d get along well. Their daughter—Mark and Suiren’s child—was Helzernark. She gave me permission to call her by her nickname, Helze. ...Yes, I would definitely try my best to remember everyone.
"Um, Rusty... Lord Dos is the Dragon King of the Northern Continent, right? The one who reportedly forced the Demon King of two generations prior into retirement?" "I don't know anything about that Demon King, but Grandfather does live on the Northern Continent. Is he actually called the 'Dragon King'?" "That’s how he’s known in the Demon Kingdom... Also, wasn't Lady Raimeiren living on the Southern Continent?" "Usually, yes." "S-So they really are a married couple. And I had no idea you and Lady Helzernark were relatives." "Ahaha. Well, she and I used to fight all the time. ...By the way, why am I just 'Rusty' to you while Helze gets a 'Lady'?" "I'm sorry. Lady Rusty." "No, the other way around! Make hers more like mine." "So... Rusty and Helze?" "Exactly! Now, let's keep that momentum going and go say hello." "Please, don't bully me."
The banquet welcoming Draim’s kin lasted for about five days, one way or another. It was the longest celebration we’d ever held. Then again, that might have been because my own participation only started on the third day, which essentially reset the whole event. During the festivities, the dwarves were undoubtedly the stars of the show. They made the rounds, pouring drinks while lecturing the dragons on the intricacies of alcohol. "This is indeed excellent." "I preferred the sharper one from before... Yes, yes, this is the one." "Adding fruit to alter the flavor? Hmm, it’s remarkably smooth. I feel like I could drink this forever." The distilled spirits were the most popular, followed closely by the cocktails. It had all started when I began mixing fruit into the dwarves' brews whenever the alcohol was too harsh or the flavor too sharp. The dwarves, ever passionate about their craft, had essentially mastered the skills of veteran bartenders and were now concocting all sorts of original cocktails. Recently, they’d even begun researching food pairings, tossing around terms like "mariage." They delighted Draim and his family with the results of their studies, serving carefully selected snacks alongside the drinks.
If the dwarves were the stars, the High Ogre girls were certainly the busiest. The dragons had massive appetites; dish after dish vanished as soon as they hit the table. We had to prepare enough for the guests as well as the villagers. Everyone except the childcare team was stationed in the kitchen, working tirelessly while the High Elves handled the serving. Even then, the kitchen couldn't always keep up. We put out apples, pears, oranges, bananas, pineapples, watermelons, and strawberries just to fill the gaps. Helze seemed to prefer the fruit over the alcohol and crunched away happily. She looked like a little girl, but she ate far more than her small frame suggested.
Of course, a banquet couldn't be sustained by food alone for five days, so various performances and games were organized during the breaks. We had songs, dances, and all sorts of entertainment, though most of it was about the quality of a performance put on by friends at a wedding. Still, the Otedama and Kendama routines seemed to go over well enough. I only caught the latter half, but the highlight for me was a slapstick comedy routine by Bulga and Stifano, Rusty’s servants. However, since they had served the dragons for a long time, the act was a familiar one to the guests and didn't get many laughs. "Darn... Should we have tried new material?" With the atmosphere stalling, I was forced onto the stage to fill the time. I stood there wondering what to do, but then I remembered my experience as a corporate employee back in my previous world. And within that experience lay a powerful weapon—a party trick that never failed to get a laugh at a company drinking session. Impressions! ...Wait, no. Impressions wouldn't work on people who didn't know the original subjects. This was another world; I was playing an away game. I had to think of it as entertaining people in a foreign country. A foreign country... Heh. I’d entertained foreign clients before! "Eat this! Simple magic tricks!" ...The dragons proved to be a discerning audience. Apparently, sleight of hand isn't that impressive to people who can use actual magic.
When it came to games, Golf, Chess, and Go were the most successful. They enjoyed the leisurely pace of Golf, while Chess and Go provided a stage for intellectual warfare. We served tea, black tea, coffee, and juice during these games to keep the alcohol consumption in check. If we hadn't, they would have probably broken into our aging reserves. Fortunately, the non-alcoholic drinks were well-received.
There weren't any major incidents, though things did get a bit heated over the board games. I’d taught the village's top players the concept of "hospitality," so they were fine. Even Kuro and his pack didn't just steamroll their opponents. They were playing against beginners, after all; their goal was to convey the fun of the game rather than just winning. The problem was the matches between the dragons themselves, who had no concept of going easy on each other. The matches between Draim’s parents and the ones between the sisters were particularly intense. Even though they were technically amateurs, the pressure they emitted made it feel like a professional title match. As a result, several cows and goats fainted from the sheer intensity.
Since Chess and Go are strictly head-to-head, I tried to introduce Sugoroku as a multiplayer option, but their eyes were drawn to the Mahjong set I had on display. As expected of dragons, they memorized the rules instantly and handled the tiles with great dexterity. I’d hoped for a friendly game of "family Mahjong," but it wasn't to be. I wondered if dragons were simply a race that couldn't survive without conflict. The ultimate winner was the High Elf, Rize. She held her ground and refused to flinch even when the dragons stopped suppressing their killing intent midway through. Incidentally, that leaked killing intent caused the chickens to stop laying eggs for several days. I worried if Tia would be okay, but she got angry at me for comparing her to a chicken. Alfred remained completely unfazed as usual, which led Lu and me to indulge in some parental pride, certain he would grow up to be a great man.
Eventually, the days passed, and it was time for Draim and the others to depart. "We are in your debt," Dos said, bowing on behalf of the family. "No, not at all." About half of our food reserves were gone. We wouldn't starve this winter, but it was a staggering expense. Oh well, it was fun, so I suppose it’s fine. The bigger issue was the "souvenirs" they subtly requested. I’d expected them to want alcohol or crops, but I didn't think they’d want the games. Specifically, they wanted Chess sets, Go boards, and Mahjong tiles. I realized then that high-ranking people don't make things themselves; they just commission someone else to do it. I couldn't give them used ones, so I promised to craft new sets and send them along. With that, they departed, leaving Rusty and Hakuren behind. Wait... "Hakuren?" "Yes?" "Why are you still here?" "Ugh, do you really have to make me say it? ...Stop squeezing my head. That hurts!" "Why did you stay?" "Father told me to remain here and enter your service." I looked at Rusty. She nodded resignedly, confirming it wasn't a lie. "Rusty, she’s your aunt, right? Is this okay? If she’s a nuisance, I’ll send her packing." "Ahaha. It’s fine. I get along well with Father's sister." "Hmph. I’m the one who raised little Rusty... Ow, ow, ow, ow!" She was currently attacking the same spots Hakuren had. If Rusty was okay with it, I had no reason to object. "Service, huh? Fine. Prepare yourself, because I’m going to work you to the bone." "Um, Village Head? I've been thinking this for a while, but your attitude toward me is a bit different from the others, or rather, it’s just mean—ow, ow, ow, ow!" Our population had increased by one.
The Demon King's Castle – A Research Room
"You’ve identified the dragon bloodlines? Aside from the relationship between the Gate Guardian Dragon and Lastismoon, hasn't that been a mystery for ages?" "Yes, sir. According to the report, the Dragon King Dos and the Typhoon Dragon of the south, Raimeiren, are husband and wife. One of their children is the Gate Guardian Dragon, Draim. Draim’s wife is the White Dragon Princess of the north, Graffaloon, and their daughter is the infamous Mad Dragon, Lastismoon. Furthermore, the Evil Dragon Marksbergark, who claims the human nations of the west as his territory, married Draim’s older sister, the Magic Dragon Suiren. Their daughter is the Violent Dragon, Helzernark. Additionally, the True Dragon Hakuren, who rampaged through the far west a century ago, and the Flame Dragon Sekiren, who was active in the south thirty years ago, are also children of the Dragon King and the Typhoon Dragon." "All those legendary names are related? And you have their personal names so easily... is this accurate? This is a discovery for the history books. Can we trust this intel?" "It came directly from the dragons themselves, so it should be infallible." "From the dragons... themselves?" "Yes, sir. So it says." "Is there anyone in the Demon King's Army capable of interviewing a dragon?" "Perhaps only the Demon King himself?" "Then did His Majesty file this report?" "It appears not." "I see... Secure the individual who provided this report at all costs. If we play our cards right, they might even be able to get us dragon scales." "A single scale could produce incredible weapons and armor. I’ll do my best to find them."
The Village of the Great Tree
"Village Head, what are you holding?" "These? They’re the scales Dos and the others left behind." Each one was about the size of a tatami mat. "They're nothing like Rusty’s. They’re so thick... like flat slabs of rock." "True. But they're surprisingly light. Want to hold one?" "I’d love to. ...Oh, wow! They really are light!" "The one you have is from Dos. That one over there is Raimeiren’s. The ones behind those are... Suiren’s? No, maybe Sekiren’s? They told me to do whatever I wanted with them since they’d be worth a lot of money, but just how valuable are they?" "Let’s see... those small ones over there are Helzernark’s, right? A single one of those... would be enough to build a palatial estate in the Royal Capital." "So they're worth a fair bit." "Understatement of the century, sir." "And we have quite a pile of them right here?" Stacked together, they were roughly the size of a small house. "We do. I think something inside me just snapped." "I see. Do you think I should sell some to Michael or Beezel?" "That’s a recipe for disaster. Let's just toss them in the cellar and seal them away... No, let's call it a 'savings account'." "Good point. I’d rather avoid the trouble." We weren't short on money, so we decided to put them in storage. "Which means you need to put any scales you shed at home in the designated area." "Eeeh, but that’s such a hassle—ow, ow, ow, ow!" "I understand. Leave it to me."