Chapter 28: Picnic and dragon.

Now then, today is the picnic day. I did not have much problems with making the lunch because Dirk-sama always eats abnormally lots. I decided on the menu after asking Dan about Father’s, Mother’s, and Elder brother’s preferences. It had quite a fun.

Mother’s condition got considerably better so she decided to participate too. Arc and Martha are going along as guards too.

Leaving the town from the mansion, we embarked on the highway. We went by carriage as usual.

Stopping the carriage along the highway, a barrier was set up around it. The plan is to walk to the picnic place from here.

It was a small hill with a good view. A table with chairs and even parasol were set up... this is not the picnic I know of.

W, well, Mother’s body is weak after all! I tried to make an excuse for myself.

Elder brother wanted to stroll around the nearby forest, so I tagged along with him. Arc is our guard.

Elder brother’s eyes were sparkling from the different plants that grow around our mansion and he especially stored those with medical use to his magic engraved bag. Since even the parasol came out of it, I thought that it was a magic bag with obviously strange capacity.

「Ah, an Orc」

Instantly taking out the knife that was fastened to my leg, I drove it right in the Orc’s glabella.

「...... Whaaa!?」

It was Rosalia-san. I can’t do stunts like these. Elder brother is shocked.

Pulling the knife out, I shook off the blood. It’s scary how used you are to it, Rosalia-san.

「Rosalia was apparently taught many things by Manya」

Was this all taught in secret? I kept thinking.

「Got it. I will have silly Sis break... retrain her」

「You said break just now, didn’t you!?」

「I have thought so before, but don’t you treat Manya too horribly?」

「No, it’s normal, right?」

I believe that their normal is abnormal in the first place. Arc has put away the defeated Orc in a magic bag. Eh, it’s edible?

「It’s commonly delicious. Just like pork」

「Eh!? You are going to eat it!?」

Elder brother backed away. I’m glad, Elder brother had no knowledge of eating Orcs. I was relieved from the bottom of my heart.

Then, thirty minutes later,

「Niisama」

「What」

「What should I say?」

「Yeah」

「This is not the picnic I had in mind」

「I think so too」

「No, this encounter rate is abnormal, alright!」

I didn’t know. That forest was a danger zone. Seriously lots of monsters are coming at us.

「Anyhow, I will hold them back, so take Niisama and call for reinforcements!」

It would be impossible for me to do it while protecting Elder brother. I will be able to somehow manage alone. Furthermore, my mobility is extremely slow because of my short legs.

「I feel that I will definitely get killed by Neechan though!」

「Do you have any other way?」

「Can’t think of one!」

「Whoaa!?」

No sooner than talking, Arc threw Elder brother over his shoulder and withdrew at tremendous speed.

「H, huh?」

The monsters passed by the barrier I have set up. They are not chasing after Elder brother and Arc either, they are... running away?

「Y, you are!」

「The son of Marquis Roswayde!?」

Why is this fellow here? Moreover, he’s all tattered. There are a few other Knights, all are injured as well. I healed them first.

「T, that helps, but... I won’t thank you. We have to call for rescue party」

「I don’t really need your thanks... rescue party?」

「The Second Knights Order is battling a dragon on the other side」

If I’m not mistaken, the Second unit is... where Dirk-sama belongs to.

Moreover, thinking about it carefully, Dirk-sama has only one eye in the game! In other words, he’s in danger of being seriously injured...

「Dirk is in trouble!」

「Uwa!?」

「Arc and others will come back here, so you guys stay here, borrow Duke’s carriage and send a message! Hal! Sui!」

「「Roger」」

Sui cast a barrier and Hal a floating magic, I gave it the propulsion power and flew in the direction where the son of Marquis Roswayde and other came from.

「Nooo, this is super scary!」

Sui smiled wryly. Hal laughed hard. If you want to laugh, laugh! I did this myself, but I am super scared! Occasionally crashing into something (probably monsters?) is also scary!

「I see it!」

A dragon in the front! Rather than acting violently...

「It hurts, my throat hurts! Uncles, please make it stop, it hurts! It huuurts!」

A voice of a crying child. Coming from the dragon. Is it a child dragon?

「Hal! I will take charge of the flying, so give me your greatest amplification!」

「Okay~」

I took a deep breath and shouted.

「Everyone, don’t moveee!!!」

It caused a great damage. Especially to Dirk-sama. His hearing ability is great after all. I am sorry. I will think about my actions a little the next time.

「Gee, why is even Rudolf-san bullying a child this small!」

「Wha?」

Oh my? The Knights... even Dirk-sama are staring at me with their mouths wide open?

「Eh, I mean he’s crying so much, it hurts, it hurts, make it stop please」

「... Jouchan, does it sound like that to you?」

「Yes」

「Oneechan, you can understand what I am saying?」

The bright red dragon tilted his head. How big. His big, round eyes are adorable.

「I can」

Dragon-kun was making a painful expression.

「Owie... my throat acts violently from pain」

「You poor little thing...」

「Rosarin, that’s dangerous!」

Dragon-kun obediently lowered his head and let me pet it.

Oy, who was it? Which one of you said that even dragon fears the Witch Queen?

Sui climbed on top of my head.

「It can’t be helped. This child is more of a child than we are. Unless one has Spirit Insight like you, they won’t be able to understand a dragon」

「Dirk can’t tell either?」

「I think Dirk understands Holy Beast-sama most likely because he’s of the same feline family~」

「Eh, a reason like that?」

First of all, I received a permission from Rudolf-san to do something about Dragon-kun. Since he’s saying that his throat is hurting, I had him lower his head and open his mouth.

「It seems to be deeper inside...」

I went into Dragon-kun’s mouth. When I illuminated it with light magic, I discovered something stuck deep in his throat.

「Heave-ho」

What was stuck there was a palm-sized dagger. It felt somewhat uncomfortable.

I healed Dragon-kun’s wound just in case and came out.

「Rosarin! Are you a fool! Where in the world is a girl who would enter a dragon’s mouth!」

She’s right here. I couldn’t say that. Dirk-sama is scary when angry. However, seeing me like that, Dragon-kun faced Dirk-sama’s anger.

「Don’t bully Oneechan!」

Thinking that Dragon-kun was turning violent, Dirk-sama protected me.

「Rosarin! Stay behind me!」

「Stop! I am fine so don’t be angry! This person was just worried because I have entered in your mouth!」

「Is that so?」

Dragon-kun shrunk and became the size of my palm. He settled in my hand.

「Oniichan, I’m sorry」

「He’s apologizing to you」

「Ah, yeah」

「Rudolf-san, here」

I handed him over the dagger.

「It’s probably cursed. I can’t tell with what though」

「Fumu, I will wrap it with a sealing cloth. We shall investigate just in case」

In the end, Dragon-kun seemed to be stabbed while sleeping, so the culprit is unknown. The problem would be what to do with Dragon-kun now.

「Oneechan, thank you. It doesn’t hurt anymore」

Round and cute eyes, nice and cold scales. The palm-sized Dragon-kun was adorable. It makes me want to rub against him. Hau~ so smooth. He closed his eyes and let out fawning sounds under my petting.

「... Rosarin」

Umm, why do you look like crying? Dirk-sama, what’s the matter?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

「Do you like this lizard more than me?」

「Eh」

To think he was jealous of a dragon. Eh? Seriously? The opponent is probably just a toddler, you know? Ah, I am too.

「If you mean in a romantic way, then I like Dirk more」

「All is fine then」

Is that really fine? He was a bit bashful and sulkish~ I ended up patting Dirk too.

In the meanwhile, Arc and... uwaai, Martha-sama who looked like the incarnation of Hannya arrived! Arc is tied up again! Treating a precious fighting force like that...

「Ojousamaaa! I am glad that you are safe! This Martha thought of crushing everyone to death were something happen to youuu!」

I got embraced and ground against. Martha, that strength! I will die! Rather, I will be the one to get crushed to death!!

「She’s fine! She even had the balls to enter a dragon’s mouth without hesitation. You don’t have to be so worried」

Aaaaah, I wanted to keep that a secret though, Rudolf-san...

「Ojousama」

「Yes」

「You will explain in detail, right?」

「... Yes」

I was firmly scolded. No, yeah. But, it was inevitable, I think.