Chapter 05
Dragon's WordsDragon's Word
"Sniff sniff... Huff..."
I feel a hot breath on my back.
Simultaneously, there's a vigorous movement being conveyed.
It's a sensation of something hefty pressing tightly against my lower abdomen.
"Uh, excuse me, Derke...?"
Derke, burying her face into my shirt and incessantly sniffing. The fellow, like a puppy greeting its owner after a long time apart, didn't seem to know how to stay away from me even for a moment.
"Dad...! The scent of Dad...!"
And she kept murmuring "Dad" over and over again.
Could it be that I smell like a father figure to her?
What the hell is this case anyway?
To a bachelor like me who hasn't even glanced at a marriage certificate, being called dad?
'Or could this character called Breeder... Could he possibly be a married man?'
I racked my brain over various possibilities, but Derke just continued to press her face against me without saying a word. It seemed like she was still intoxicated by that 'dad scent.'
Leaving that aside, as I watched her sniffing around me like a cat and pressing her cheek against mine, it didn't seem so bad to have a little sister like her, even if not quite a daughter.
Above all, she was cute and pretty.
Certainly, she had a youthful appearance,
But I felt a strange sense of maturity. Something that is difficult to explain in words...
"Um, Derke...? Suddenly calling me dad? It seems like there's some misunderstanding."
"Hehe-♪ It's because you smell like dad!"
Derke lifted her head for a moment to answer my question with a cheerful smile. Her eyes sparkled with a greenish light.
"So, what exactly is this 'dad scent'?"
"I don't really know either~!"
"......?"
Even her answer of not knowing was confidently delivered. I was so dumbfounded for a moment that I was at a loss for words.
"Hmm...! Oh! It's like a strong scent of grass that's very similar to dad's scent~!"
Derke must have read the absurdity on my face, but still gave a detailed explanation.
"Grass scent?"
Could it be because of the smell of green tea?
Anyway, thankfully, it's not a husband scent.
I briefly wondered what would happen if she suddenly developed affection for me...
But then again, there's no way I could be a married man. How absurd would it be for a human to marry a dragon and have children?
"Hehe, hehehe, hehe...♬"
Derke continued to laugh happily, seemingly glued to my leg like a gecko, showing no intention of letting go.
Watching Derke in this state, I couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth.
Could this be due to the affection level 'Blind Faith'?
Perhaps this is why she shows infinite fondness towards me.
'If I handle this well, could I potentially tame other dragons with an S-rank Beast Taming?'
The gacha I never got to try in reality,
Perhaps it's possible here?
Of course, it won't be easy to seize such opportunities against arrogant and prideful creatures...
Maybe Derke was easy to bond with because she still retains her youth and innocence.
It was a moment when I was organizing my thoughts.
"Breeder, are you there?"
A familiar voice came from behind.
There was no need to turn around.
It was the voice of Erdin, whom I had been waiting for.
"Erdin, are you here now?"
"Sorry for being late. I overslept a bit because of my night shift duties."
Turning my head, I saw behind Erdin,
A grey furball standing on two feet.
It was a wolf beastkin with pointed ears.
He must be one of the beastkin staff responsible for security. His disheveled fur seemed to suggest they had dozed off while on duty.
"Perfect timing. I was just examining the livestock's condition."
"How is the condition of the livestock? And what about the animals inside─ Oh, dear...?!"
As I turned my body completely around with a face that seemed exhausted from waiting, Erdin's expression turned contemplative.
"Manager Erdin? Um, that...?!"
The security guard, a wolf beastkin who followed her, also froze in place.
Both of their gazes were fixed on Derke, clinging to my leg like a cicada.
"Oh, don't freak out, this kid is a freshman."
"A, a new student...?"
"Yep. And I just found out, the barn sank when Derke landed."
I quickly explained, pointing to Derke, in order to hand over the incident. I made it clear who was responsible for the sinking incident.
I refused to accept an unjust accusation.
"......"
However, for some reason, Erdin and the grey furball remained frozen in place after hearing my explanation.
Erdin's expression, in particular, seemed serious. While her body was stiff, her expression became increasingly pale.
Their face looked incredibly perplexed.
As if they didn't know what to do or say...
"Be careful with your words...! Even if she's a new student, don't speak the young lady's name recklessly...!"
Finally, their lips started moving.
Their usually gentle voice was nowhere to be found, replaced by a trembling tone, as if filled with fear.
"Manager...! I'll make sure to detain that human fellow! He must be the culprit who messed up the assembly!"
Huh? Now even the beastkin standing next to me is stepping forward.
"Yugo...?"
"Breeder, from what I've heard, this fellow has been nothing but trouble since coming here! It's clear that he's the culprit!"
...?
This situation is getting oddly turned around.
The culprit is here, so why me?
And why is this wolf beastkin, who I've only seen a few times, speaking so recklessly about me all of a sudden?
"Just a moment. It seems like there's a misunderstanding..."
Tadadadat...!
Before I could even defend myself, Yugo charged towards me, his entire body covered in prominent grey fur, running on all fours.
He may be a beastkin, but he was practically a wild animal in appearance.
Actions spoke louder than words.
Perhaps they couldn't blame the dragon, so they're trying to pin it on me, the slave.
If they can make everything my fault, they can easily wrap up the situation.
One human slave would be no problem.
'Damn it...! Are beastkin always this hot-headed?'
He must have at least accepted a coffee from me once. Even if we don't have a personal friendship, it's disheartening to see him so easily trying to shift blame onto me...
It's already lonely being the only human here, but it's even more disheartening to be at the mercy of these other races.
"No, wait! There's been a misunderstanding!"
"Shut up and accept your punishment!"
The beastkin approached swiftly, his face almost in front of mine in no time. Clearly, with a mix of animal blood in his lineage, he possessed superior physical abilities compared to ordinary humans.
"Stop right there-!!!"
Then it happened. Derke, who had been clinging to my waist like a cicada, shouted as if scolding.
"...Cough-?!"
Surprisingly, at Derke's single command, the wolf beastkin's charge abruptly halted. He was left suspended in mid-air, having lunged towards me.
"Derke...?"
"If you don't want to stop breathing, then hide your teeth-!"
Whatever happened, the one who followed Derke's command and concealed his teeth was the wolf beastkin, Yugo.
Now, only anguish remained on Yugo's face.
"Gack...! Miss? Please... withdraw the Dragon's Words..."
The wolf beastkin, frozen in his tracks as he had been charging, struggled to even open his mouth.
Dragon's Word.
I've heard of it before, in conversations among the staff at the café.
Literal words of dragons.
More precisely, it's the ancient language of dragons.
It's said to be a language composed of ancient magical symbols.
Only dragons can fully use it.
Especially when spoken by a superior being like a dragon, the voice is imbued with dense mana, making it powerful enough to control lesser beings with just the sound of their voice.
It's the power to effortlessly control beings inferior to oneself.
"To dare to attack my big brother...! How audacious of you-!"
"Miss-?! We humble beings cannot understand the Dragon's Word. P-please, have mercy...!"
Watching this unfold, Erdin stepped forward towards the beastkin, bowing her head like a dog pleading for forgiveness.
"Gurk...! You are the female born of the Drango continent, our guardian deity... P-please, have mercy on me...!"
The beastkin, frozen in place, also begged for his life. The staff were in a frenzy over a prospective new student who hadn't even enrolled yet.
Now I understand why the staff were so reluctant to talk about dragons.
This place is truly a world where authority is reversed.
Even though they were staff and not professors, they couldn't even move a muscle in front of a new student.
Hierarchy was clearly established through pure power struggles.
"Breeder big brother-?! Would it be okay to administer severe punishment to this wretched livestock-?!"
Judging by the way she referred to him as livestock, Derke didn't seem to see him as a staff member.
"S-Severe punishment...?"
"Please allow me to execute a punishment befitting the name of the Death Dragon-!!"
Derke raised one hand into the air, clenching her fist, as if ready to strike. It was like she was about to snap a chicken's neck. Perhaps the moment she fully clenched her fist, Yugo's breath would cease.
"Alright, that's enough. Even though he deserves it, killing him would be too much."
"Mm-hmm~ Breeder big brother is indeed a good person-! I'll follow your will-!"
Although I felt like asking her to break his neck, as I mentioned before, it was too severe a punishment.
Besides, we're short-staffed as it is, and if he's gone, I'll probably have to fill in for him, since I'm probably the most gentle of the bunch.
I've had enough of this escalating situation.
Thud!
As Derke released her grip, Yugo collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. He was wheezing heavily, struggling to catch his breath.
"I express my gratitude and reverence for the lady's mercy..."
Erdin bowed repeatedly, showing her respect. Then, she quickly checked on Yugo's condition.
"Oh, Erdin, I'm sorry for startling you. I never expected things to turn out like this..."
I approached her as well.
Even though I wasn't the one at fault, I felt a strange sense of solidarity with Yugo, who was still reeling from the incident.
Not knowing if my future, where I'll be facing dragons directly starting tomorrow, will turn out like this...
"I'm fine. By the way, Mr. Breeder, why...?"
"What?"
Even though the situation had been resolved, Erdin's expression remained pensive. He looked at me with eyes filled with fear.
"How did you just communicate with her...?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
"The conversation you just had with her. Did you use Dragon's Words too, Breeder?"
[TL/N: I am changing oppa to big brother as it seems more fitting to the settings of the story. Anyway let me know how you feel.]