“Yes, it’s Jade, hopping across space. I managed to jump successfully into hiding.”
“Bajiko, we’ve arrived~”
When I looked at Bajiko, whom I was holding, she was trembling uncontrollably.
“Waaahhh! For a moment, my vision turned into a swirling rainbow~!”
“That’s the subspace area between the coordinates. You could’ve been flung out into it, you know.”
“N-Noooo!”
Bajiko screamed passionately, sobbing, “Please never let me go for the rest of my life!”
Well, since crying is her usual thing, I decided to just ignore it.
Now then, let’s check on the adventurers’ situation.
“Gyshaaarrr!”
“Whoa!”
Oh no, that rookie is about to be killed by the lizard man in one second. Just a little bit of “Evil Dragon Dash” and…
“Alright, that’s enough.”
“Huh!?”
I activated the skill ≪Storage Space Item Box≫.
From there, I took out the large black boomerang “Pomera” and used it as a shield to block the lizard man’s claw attack.
“Gysha!?”
“I’ve stopped its movement.”
Now, for the next part…
“Van!”
“R-Right!”
A red-haired man leaped forward and kicked the humanoid lizard with precision.
“Gygaaaa!”
Oh, he didn’t just attack recklessly—he aimed at the lizard’s nose from the side.
As a result, the lizard man fell to the ground with its neck completely twisted. A one-hit kill.
“Not bad. According to Lua, ‘maybe it’s weaker than we thought,’ but you’ve started to make up for it with technique, huh?”
“Yeah, well, thanks to someone, damn it…”
“Hmm?”
“Eek!?”
Just glaring at him a little made the dark-skinned guy flinch.
Right, this guy is…
“Let me introduce you, Bajiko. This guy is Van, also known as the ‘Vermillion Dragon.’ He’s the other dragon living in this city.”
◆◇◆
“Ooooh!? Jade, you’re Lua’s close friend, right!? That’s amazing!”
“We’re just stuck with each other, that’s all.”
After sweeping through the monsters with the adventurers, we gathered around a campfire for a short break.
Right now, we’re enjoying the ‘salted boar skewers’ they had. So tasty.
“Jade-senpai, you’re amazing! Boar meat is an excellent preserved food for adventurers, but it’s so tough, most people can’t bite through it! But you’re chomping away like it’s nothing. This is what makes you and Captain Lua top-tier adventurers…”
“Hm? Unlike Lua, who’s ranked 2nd Class Elite, I’m just a 3rd Class adventurer.”
“Eh, really!?”
By the way, they belong to a party called ‘Dream of Heroes.’
They’re led by my bad friend, ‘Brawling Mage Lua.’
I heard they brought in a ton of new recruits this spring, growing into a group of over a dozen people.
“What a coincidence. I never expected to run into Lua’s comrades out here. I’d just heard that Van, who I know, joined ‘Dream of Heroes,’ so it’s nice to see familiar faces.”
“Is it really a coincidence…?”
Van started doubting me, so I silenced him with a little bloodlust. Yeah, that should do it.
“From the looks of it, you’re working with just the lower-rank adventurers today, huh?”
“Yes. Captain Lua and the main members are off dealing with that lake area cleanup.”
“Ah, that thing.”
They found a lake while developing the land. I heard about it from Niesha and Kuesha (both unconscious at the time).
“Rank 2 and higher adventurers have it tough, huh? They have to charge ahead into unexplored lands dominated by monsters.”
“Yeah… We’re just cleaning up the leftovers, so to speak.”
That’s the division of work among adventurers.
Adventurers ranked 2nd Class and above actively venture into uncharted territories, eliminating powerful monsters and mapping out the land.
Meanwhile, adventurers ranked 3rd Class and below follow behind, clearing out the leftover monsters and turning the area into habitable zones.
Once, a bespectacled adventurer made fun of those below 3rd Class, but I can see why. The job isn’t particularly glamorous.
But…
“I’m actually pretty proud of the lower-rank adventurers’ work.”
“Huh?”
“Monsters are living creatures. Even if just a few slip through, they’ll keep multiplying. And before anyone notices, they could form a horde and wipe out a small village. It’s happened plenty of times.”
Eradicating them completely is difficult.
The only place free of monsters is probably the ‘Holy City’ at the heart of the country.
“That’s why our work as 3rd Class adventurers and below is important for protecting humanity. Don’t you think?”
“Y-Yeah… You’re right. We actually do play an important role, don’t we!?”
“Of course. Even stars like ‘Lua the Strong Fist,’ ‘Shirokusa the Absolute Blade,’ and ‘The Genius Sisters Niesha & Kuesha’ all started out as lower-rank adventurers. Now’s your time to shine.”
“Yes, sir!”
Ah, youth is so refreshing. Their eyes sparkle with enthusiasm.
“…Compared to our newbie, though…”
“Nomnomnomnomnomnomnom…”
Behind me, curled up and trembling while desperately gnawing on the meat, is a little pink ball.
It’s Bajiko.
Terrified of humans, she can’t make eye contact with anyone, so she’s just focused on her food in silence. Poor thing.
「Mmph… ahh, I ate it all…! Uh, um, Your Majesty. Could you give me the rest of your half-eaten meat? I want to eat more, and most of all, I want to taste Your Majesty’s saliva…! Oh, in return, I’ll give you this pretty stone…!」
“…This one’s hopeless. Their social skills are non-existent, they think like a wild animal, their eyes are spinning… it’s over for them…”
“Huh!?”
Since she looked like she was about to cry, I shoved the half-eaten meat into her mouth, as requested.
In return, I received a pretty stone. I don’t need it.
“Mnghmnghmnghmmmph…!”
Hey, hey, don’t look at me with teary eyes, cheeks puffed out like a hamster.
“Please don’t abandon meee…!”
“Don’t talk while you’re eating. And don’t worry, I’m not abandoning you.”
Today, I’m here to fix all the things wrong with you.
‘Van.’
‘!?’
I spoke to Van using my ‘Evil Dragon ASMR Mind-Whispering Voice.’
‘W-What the hell is this!? I can hear the voice of that damn Jade jerk in my head!?’
‘It’s one of my Evil Dragon secret arts. I slightly kill the “soul boundary” between myself and others, allowing for telepathic communication.’
‘That’s terrifying!?’
‘Also, I didn’t realize you thought of me as “that damn Jade jerk.”’
‘I-I-I-I’m so sorry!’
Alright, since he apologized within three seconds of being called out, I’ll let it slide. If he had been slower, I’d have considered punishment.
‘Punishment!?’
‘Whoops, I let my thoughts slip. Well, whatever.’
‘No, it’s not fine!?’
Ignoring Van, who was sweating nervously in real life, I grabbed Baziko like a cat and placed her on my lap, patting her head. “Is… is this pampering starting…!?♡” No, it’s not.
‘Her name is Baziko, the Stone Evil Dragon Basilisk. She’s of the same dragon kind as us.’
‘W-Wait, really? You introduced me as a dragon right off the bat, so I thought she was some kind of monster… maybe a dog type.’
‘She’s a dragon, though.’
I told him about how she was weakened to the extreme, bullied by low-level monsters, and almost hunted by humans, leading to a mental breakdown.
‘…Got it. So I’m supposed to help you train her into a proper adventurer, huh?’
‘Yeah. She needs strength to live in human society, and more importantly, we have to fix her communication issues.’
At the very least, she should be able to walk around town on her own.
‘That’s why I want her to blend in with your group of rookie adventurers… Oh, the soul boundary is closing soon. Let’s finish this conversation in real life. Keep our story straight, okay?’
‘Got it. Can’t go against you anyway. Plus, if it’s to help a fellow dragon, I’ll lend a hand.’
Oh? While Van acts like a brute towards humans, he seems to care about his fellow dragons.
‘she also tried to mate with me.’
‘Sh-Shut up!’
And that concludes our telepathic conversation.
“Alright, time for a belated introduction. This pink bundle here is Bazi. She’s a rookie adventurer like you all, so feel free to call her Baziko.”
Now then, let’s see…
“She’s my adopted sister, and she just came from the countryside, so she calls me ‘Your Majesty’ and has a few screws loose. She’s shy, gloomy, occasionally screams for no reason, and gets anxious without her own scent, so she refuses to change clothes. She’ll even cry in stores and refuses to go to public baths, so I have to physically clean her myself. She’s more troublesome than a chick, but she’s probably a good person. So, I’d appreciate it if she could work with you guys today.”
“That’s mostly negative, though…”
“Van.”
“Y-Yeah, the name’s Van. Nice to meet ya, Baziko.”
“Noooooo! I don’t want any males besides His Majesty!!”
“…At least do your introduction properly.”
Well, whatever. I’ll just think of this incompetence as part of her charm. Although, she’s starting to push the limits a bit.
“So, can I count on you guys to take care of Baziko?”
“Sure, I’m fine with it. But…”
Van glanced at the rookie adventurer boys.
“…?”
For some reason, their faces were blushing, and they were fidgeting.
Their eyes were focused on Baziko on my lap, especially on her massive L-cup chest, which was squished against me.
“Oh.”
“Yeah, that’s the problem. She can come along for the Lizardman hunt, but keep her at a distance from the boys. Their focus is shot.”
――【Breaking News】 Baziko, deemed indecent! A no-contact order issued!
“Baziko.”
“Huh?”
“You might be better off going back to the forest.”
“Noooooo!?” And so, we began our group hunt with this indecent liability in tow.
