Brother Kelvin, I apologize for the late greeting! I was in the middle of training, you see!
After watching Dahak’s training for a while, he finished his meditation and came dashing over to greet me.
“No no, you don’t need to worry about that. Rather, I was quite moved by your dedication to training. I could feel your resolve deeply.”
“Heh, of course! I intend to dedicate my life to Pritia-chan! Ah, but I’m not planning on actually dying! I know Pritia-chan wouldn’t be happy if something like that happened! If you have the resolve to save someone, you must also ensure your own safe return! That’s absolute!”
…I was unintentionally moved by Dahak’s growth. At this rate, I don’t think I have much to say to him. Dahak is that reliable right now.
“By the way, why are Mudo and Boga here? Weren’t they with Efil-neesan?”
“Well, lately I’ve been living a rather lazy life. I started to wonder what kind of Dragon King I was if I continued like this, so I forcibly brought them here. In short, I plan on having them train with Dahak under Bakke.”
“Ah, I see. Understood.”
“I… I am still in the process of being judged. To be honest, I’m not entirely convinced by the training content from earlier.”
“I also haven’t decided yet if I’ll be training here…”
Currently, Bakke, who is acting as their instructor, has left to fetch Glostina. Because of this, perhaps Mudo and Boga have regained some of their composure… Hmm, they’re still radiating an aura of reluctance. What should I do?
“Oh, your voice is trembling. Do you really dislike it that much?”
“B-because, it’s incredibly dangerous…”
“Right… The way you look at me is scary…”
“Honestly, don’t go whining, Dragon King. Listen up. Bakke is certainly terrifying in many ways, and he looks at you like prey. Every moment of every day. Because of that, I can’t relax or let my guard down even when I’m sleeping.”
“That’s…”
“That’s awful…”
Yeah, that’s certainly true. I’ve almost been killed multiple times by Mel’s restless sleep. *sniffle*
“But, the wall we are about to confront is even more dangerous than that. Even Pritia-chan couldn’t overcome it, the strongest enemy… I saw it with my own eyes, felt it on my skin, and understood the difference in our strength. As we are now, we absolutely cannot win. That’s why I want to become stronger. I want to surpass Brother Kelvin and Master Gerard, and truly surpass Pritia-chan. For that, I can step into this hellish place. I can even dwell here.”
“…Gulp.” “Gulp.”
Dahak clenched his fists and expressed his resolve with words. Perhaps feeling pressed by his aura, Mudo and Boga unconsciously swallowed.
“You guys shouldn’t be so pleased about becoming Dragon King, either. Even setting aside Pritia-chan’s situation, my brothers are constantly moving forward. As a junior, I don’t want to tarnish the faces of those brothers. If I can’t even stand beside them, let alone cast a shadow, then there’s no point in fighting alongside them. Isn’t that the same for you?”
“I…”
“I…”
Wait, hold on. Dahak’s unexpected words are piercing my heart! No, he’s genuinely so strong… How much have you grown in such a short period? I’m not just a little bit moved, I’m seriously impressed! I might even get teary-eyed.
“…Master, I also want to train here with Dahak. I don’t want to hold you back and cause trouble for Efil-neesan. For that, I will also charge into hell!”
“Um, ummmm… I… also… don’t want to cause trouble for everyone. Alright, I’ll do it too…! I’ll make it… my own…?!”
“Heh, finally. Well, try not to break your spirit halfway through. Training here requires more than just a half-hearted resolve, you know?”
“Don’t be so arrogant, Dahak. If Dahak can do it, so can I. I’ll prove it.”
“I’m not confident, b-b-but I’ll do my best…!”
Dahak’s growth seems to have had a positive effect on Mudo and Boga as well. There is no trace of the Dragon King’s fear of Bakke here anymore. Mudo and Boga are about to undergo significant changes not only in level and status, but also mentally— It’s a touching sight, to say the least. They are all trying to become stronger for my sake. I’m so happy, I wonder how strong they will become.
“It seems we’ve reached an agreement. Kelvin, would you like to train here too? I wouldn’t mind.”
“Oh my, what lovely youth! I’d almost want to join in (sigh).”
“…Bakke, Glostina, please don’t appear out of nowhere behind me. My tiny heart nearly burst.”
“I can’t believe those words are coming from a battle-crazy person who was just making a creepy smile?”
“I think judging people by their appearance is wrong.”
It seems Bakke has returned with Glostina. While the invitation to train is genuinely welcome, I can’t stay for too long, so I’ll politely decline. Ah, I’m truly disappointed, really, really disappointed.
“Oh, Glostina, you’re here too! From today on, these guys will be under your care, so please look after them!”
“Fufu, understood. I’ll teach them hand-in-hand. Everything, you know (sigh).”
“Hey, you idiot! Teaching them hand-in-hand is my privilege— my job! Kelvin asked me! Therefore, I have a duty to help these guys grow splendidly!”
“Did you just say ‘privilege’? Come on, now isn’t the time to be so stingy! To surely help our elder sister, we should cooperate! I’m prepared to bare everything!”
“Leave the resolve to Dahak! If he can do it, then I welcome it!”
“Close combat is the basis of battle! There’s no harm in having it!”
“Dragons have their own way of fighting! We should learn narrowly and deeply now!”
“Inheritance of Gordia!”
“Dragon Person Transformation through the pursuit of ideals!”
“~~~~~~~~!”
Bakke and Glostina have started a rather ugly argument. Hmm, where should I even begin to interject? Well, even so, they are both S-Rank Adventurers like me. I’m sure they’ll find some common ground and provide appropriate guidance. Surely, probably.
“…Boga, what should we do about this development? The difficulty of overcoming the trial has already doubled.”
“D-dedicate… a lot ofResolve…?”
“Oh, decide, decide. If you get stronger that way, it’s a privilege! My mom always used to say: ‘In hell, you forge the best guts!’”
“…” “…”
““What kind of mom was that…?”
Heh, Dahak has really become a good older brother figure. There are some uncertain elements here and there, but with the strengthened Dahak present, I think I can leave it to them. Now, it’s probably time for me to take my leave. Hmm, next…
““—What do you think, Kelvin (chan)!?””
“………”
Suddenly called upon, I silently summoned Gerard. Utilizing the reflective summoning magic for movement, I escaped to my next destination.
