Chapter 35: 35
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I head toward the Dragon Shrine at the end of the road while looking at the stalls along the road to the shrine with Liza .
"Look at that Liza . "
"Is this a wood carving modeled after a dragon?"
『You have some good eyes customer, nyamo . 』
--nyamo? What kind of ending word is that?
I checked the lizardfolk shopkeeper since I had a bad feeling about it, but it seems the shopkeeper is just a normal person .
According to the log it's the [Red Scale Kin Language], so I probably heard it in a strange dialect because of the effect of the [Green Scale Kin Language] skill I already had .
There's no need to put points into the skill, I invoke [Translate] magic and correct the strange dialect .
"This is an ornament for the hair and scale, you put it like this, see . "
"Ornaments and I don't . . . . "
The shopkeeper showed how it was done, so I tried putting one on Liza .
Oh, it unexpectedly suits her .
"Yup, it looks good on you . "
"I-if Master said so . "
Liza's swinging tail reveled the delight in her mind .
I gave a copper coin to the shopkeeper as the payment .
"Oh, it's quite rare to see Shiga Kingdom's copper coin . "
"Can't I use it?"
"Nope, you're very welcome since that kingdom isn't stingy with the copper . The reputation is good among the merchants outside too . "
While saying so, the shopkeeper showed a rusted copper coin .
Looks like copper coins of this country have a lot of impurities .
As such, Liza and I toured the road to the shrine .
There were some stalls selling whole roasted capybara-like creatures in the rest area open space halfway through the road .
They're not sold whole roasted, but the meat is chipped and then put into wrapped black crepe .
"Liza, want to try one?"
"I'm sorry Master . I'd like to refrain from eating meat today . "
Oh? It's rare for Liza to not eat meat .
"If you're not feeling well, should we go back?"
"No, it is not about that . . . "
Liza who looks evasive seems like she's enduring a pain .
Is she troubled with something?
"When Pochi and Tama can't eat meat during their punishment, for me to eat it in secret is . . . . "
I see, she's being reserved for the two huh .
But when I asked her about how she ate meat normally in the dining table, she said that it was to make the two realize that it was a punishment, if Liza were to not eat meat then, the other girls would follow too and it would just look like a compulsion .
It's really like Liza, but I don't think she needs to over think that far .
"Then, let's eat something besides meat . "
I said that and bought a sukombu-like things sold on a stall nearby, then I shared half to Liza .
It's quite chewy so it should suits Liza's taste .
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"So this is the Dragon Shrine . "
"It's smaller than I thought . "
In the open space before the Dragon Shrine, I look up at the shrine that looks like it's made from white concrete .
The plaster is probably made with earth magic so it looks like concrete . It's a method of construction I saw some in the royal and duchy capitals .
The roof of the rectangular building is shaped like a dome, so it somehow looks like an astronomical observatory .
『--Dragon! M-my name is Bar-Baut of beastkin! I challenge you to a fair fight!』
The introduction carried by the wind sounded intermittent .
Seen from behind, the owner of the voice is standing in a round-shaped arena as large as a track field .
It's surrounded by three cliffs, it seem the top of the cliffs are the napping spots of the lesser dragons .
I can't see due to the crowds, but according to the map, it seems there's a deep valley between the back of the Dragon Shrine and the round arena connected by a suspension bridge .
It seems the place beyond the valley is a prohibited ground, there's no one there besides the aforementioned beastkin man .
"That beast lad is already at his third day huh?"
"He couldn't do anything against dragon-sama, poor him . "
"He's powerless and only looking for death . "
The gossips around us conveyed the situation .
There were some dangerous words, but there's no need to mind it .
The jeers from the spectators flung to the man were grating, so I urged Liza to enter the Dragon Shrine .
When we entered the shrine, we came to a place directly under the dome, the ceiling was high .
A slanted ceiling on the deep is opened, we can see a part of the napping lesser dragons on the cliffs from here .
Some of the worshipers are praying while looking up at that lesser dragons .
--Rather than that .
The mural inside the dome is wonderful .
Religious painting are depicted there, similar to the one in Seryuu City's Parion Temple .
"Nobleman of foreign country, would you like to make an almsgiving . "
An Orange Scalekin girl who was wearing high-exposure miko clothing called out .
Almsgiving--even though she's asking for donation for the shrine, she's bearing herself coldly without trying to flatter me .
Her atmosphere is somehow similar to Liza .
While I was thinking so, the girl kept staring calmly like a doll .
Liza called me in a quiet voice, "Master", I feel ashamed of my ill manner .
"I'm sorry . I was lost in thought . "
I apologize to the miko girl and take out a small bag with 10 Saga Empire gold coins from my pocket, then I put it on the tray for almsgiving the girl is carrying .
I might come here as Satou later, so I used Saga Empire gold coins to reduce the chance of getting exposed .
" . . . . So much . "
The miko girl showed her first surprised reaction when she peeked at the glittering gold coins in the small bag .
A miko with low exposure clothing who noticed that quickly approached us .
"Oh my, what a devout you are! As a senior miko, I'll guide you from now on . "
A Red Scalekin senior miko smiled with her whole face .
She has light makeup but her sweet perfume tickles my nose .
"--The one who's showing his face right now is 『Shippu』-sama . He's still young so he likes to play games of tag with the kingdom's Wyvern Riders . "
The senior miko who's pulling my arm explains about the lesser dragon that can be seen from the skylight .
It seems this Dragon Shrine isn't a shrine that worships the Dragon God .
The object of faith seems to be the whole dragon kin itself .
"Ah! Did you see the black tail who peeked just now? That's the oldest 『Bouryu』-sama! He rarely ever nap on the ground!"
It's good that she's excited and all but her ample breasts are deforming on my arm .
It feels nice so I don't mind, but the junior miko is touching her own breasts sorrowfully, so please leave it at that .
Contrary to the carefree senior miko, I could hear rustles and armor's sounds from the direction of the Dragon Shrine's entrance .
"Oy, that--isn't that someone from the Five Scale Houses?"
"Yeah, he's probably going to do the 『Dragon Challenging Ceremony』 . "
Intrigued by the worshipers' words the Attentive Ears skill picked up, I turn around .
There's a macho .
A big lizardkin warrior wearing luxurious armor .
He looks like a handsome man even though he has lizard face .
In fact, the lizardkin girls in the Dragon Shrine are passionately looking at the maccho warrior .
"He seems to be quite able . He's no match against Pochi and Tama, but he might be stronger than Karina-sama . "
Liza muttered so when she saw the macho warrior .
There's no particular comment about his figure .
The spear in his hand is made from the horn of a lesser dragon, its superb performance is equal to Liza's magic spear Douma Mk2 .
He's level 45, among the five best in the country .
"--Ho?"
The maccho warrior notices us and looks at Liza with sharp eyes .
Blazing line of sights that feel like it'll scattering sparks are exchanged .
Guess a warrior understands other warrior-- .
"Girl, become my wife . "
--or not .
With the macho warrior's words, shock ran through the people who are in the Dragon Shrine .
"I refuse . "
Liza declined immediately, rustles and screams with different meaning than the earlier fill the Dragon Shrine .
The backbiting from the female lizardkin were particularly bad .
The macho warrior who was taken aback smiles broadly .
"--Fuhahahahaha . Interesting, I never thought there was a woman who would dump me . "
"I do not intend to form a pair with someone weaker than me . Come back after you're at least able to defeat a greater demon . "
Liza coldly dealt the macho warrior who was laughing happily .
Liza . . . . I don't think there's a man who can satisfy such an unreasonable requirement you know?
"Defeating a greater demon huh--you're really an interesting girl . "
The macho warrior grins composedly .
Apparently he ignored Liza's "weaker than herself" line .
"I won't fight greater demon whose location I don't know, but I'll show you my fight with a dragon later . Watch that fight and fall for me! I'll make you ask me to be my wife yourself . "
The macho warrior who boasted full of confidence went into the Dragon Shrine's depth together with a dragonewt head-miko who came for him from the deep of the shrine .
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"--This mural depicts the exploits of the founder king Riui-sama . "
Since the other senior miko went with the macho warrior, we listened the explanation of the murals by the Orange Scalekin junior miko .
"Those six people are King Riui and the founders of the Five Scale Houses . "
According to the junior miko's explanation, the weapons the founders had were Dragon Fang Spear, Dragon Horn Spear, Dragon Thorn Halberd, Twin Dragon Claw Sword, and Dragon Claw Great Sword .
The thing the macho warrior held earlier is the Dragon Horn Spear, and the current king has the Dragon Fang Spear .
"This depicts the battle against the military forces of the mad king Galtafut . The one drawn back to back with King Riui is the Saga Empire hero . This little thing drawn here is the light ship of Boruenan elf, so it's handed down . "
There's a hero wearing the same blue armor Hero Hayato wore .
The holy sword shining blue light looks like something that appears in a Japanese myth .
As we were looking up at the wall and listening, we came to a mysterious drawing .
"What's this drawing?"
"That's King Riui turning into a dragon using the secret art of the 『Wich of Origin』 . "
--A person turning into a dragon?
"A person cannot become a dragon . "
Liza resolutely dismissed the junior miko .
"It's the truth . It's not only clearly written in the scriptures of the shrine, but also in the official documents of the kingdom . "
The junior miko bit back even though she was daunted by Liza's words .
Certainly, races that can change their body like vampires that can create followers by shifting one part of their body into a bat or a wolf, or lycanthropes and werewolves that can turn from a human into a wolf exist in this world .
Moreover, there are also magic that can create giant creatures like the spirit magic's artificial spirit or earth magic's golem .
Human turning into dragon is something overflowing with fantasy, it's really wonderful so I'd like for it to exist .
However--unfortunately, that's impossible .
Because, even the heavenly dragon who excels in magic power and is second only to the Dragon God among the dragons uses a homonculus controlled remotely instead of [Turning into Human] .
If there were a magic that can [turn a person into a dragon], the heavenly dragon who's lived for a long time would have developed a magic to [turn a dragon into a human] .
The [Dragon Change] magic is probably one of the fairy-tales that the first generation king and the Dragon Shrine created with their authorities .
Even though I concluded so, no one would be happy if their belief was struck by someone's opinion, so I don't intend to say it out loud .
"I'll excuse myself . "
First I should apologize to the angry junior miko whose belief was dismissed .
"Liza you shouldn't dismiss the myth of this country . "
"Yes, master . . . . "
Liza who noticed her verbal slip regained her composure .
"Miko-dono, I retract my careless remark previously . "
"A-as long as you understand . "
Liza apologized, the junior miko replied stoutly while trembling and looking like she'd cry .
Faith seems to be quite difficult .
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The one who saved us from the awkward atmosphere is the macho warrior who came out from the depth of the shrine .
His scales somehow look moist and glittering .
Even more intense screams came from the female lizardkin toward the macho warrior whose handsomeness had increased .
I wonder if there's a hot spring inside the shrine?
So I thought, but I saw that the glitters were the effect of reinforcement and defensive spells of water magic from looking at the AR reading .
It seems the miko here use water magic instead of holy magic .
"Hmph, you waited for me huh . "
The macho warrior saw Liza and said satisfyingly .
Just where does that confidence come from .
"Come with me, I'll let you fall for me from a special seat--"
After telling that, the macho warrior triumphantly went out of the shrine without waiting for Liza's reply .
Due to that, he didn't see Liza shaking her head .
It seems to be an important match, it's nice that we don't need to look for seats .
"Liza, since we've been invited and all, why don't we watch?"
"Yes, leaving aside the nonsense earlier, I'm interested with the fight between a man and a dragon . "
Liza assented with eyes of a warrior .
Apparently, it's still too early for Liza to dabble in love .
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