So, after receiving the “Mysterious Black Jar” from Albedo, I returned home.
“I’ve been kicked out of my apartment, haven’t I?”
“I’m so sorryyyyy…!”
The day after my eviction notice, I said goodbye to the rented place where I had lived for ten years. I took Baziko with me and wandered aimlessly into the bustling crowd.
“It’s because I showed up that you got kicked out…!”
“Don’t worry about it. It was always a thin-walled place, and I had planned on leaving eventually.”
Yes, I was going to save up money, buy my own home, and graduate from that place proudly.
… But I never imagined I’d have to drop out. Life is full of surprises. Even for me, an evil dragon.
“Now, what should I do… whoa!”
My “Evil Dragon’s Sense of Smell” suddenly picked up something foul. I realized I was just about to step in dog poop on the street, but thanks to my “Evil Dragon Reflexes,” I stopped my foot just in time.
“Phew, that was close. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it until the last second.”
That was bad. If I were a regular human, I’d have definitely stepped in it and made a mess.
“Maybe I’m too shaken up from being kicked out.”
“What should we do now, Your Majesty…?”
Pink was looking up at me with teary eyes. Aw, don’t cry, don’t cry.
“Look! Jade’s making a beautiful girl cry…!”
“He got busted for cheating, huh?”
“He’s the type who flirts with every girl he meets…”
…Ugh, people around here are watching. I’ve lived here for ten years, so of course, I recognize a few familiar faces walking by. Not that I’m happy with what they’re whispering about.
“Your Majesty! Baziko will work hard! Even if it’s… an inappropriate job for your sake…!”
“I said it’s fine, and stop saying stuff like that.”
Now the people passing by are whispering, “Did he drive that poor girl into… working in a shady business!?” No, I didn’t, and I won’t!
“Kid, don’t worry about money. Your job is to focus on being a regular adventurer and getting used to human society.”
A naïve, busty little girl like you shouldn’t be trying to do weird jobs. You’d end up drugged and turned into a slave or something. A dragon hooked on drugs and fallen into depravity—that would be a terrible end for a dragon like me to witness.
“I’ve told you many times, there’s no need for you to feel responsible.”
“Wh-why not!? It’s because I came that you lost your home!”
Why? Well, that’s because…
“The happiness of you coming here outweighs the sadness of being kicked out.”
“!?!!?”
It’s a good feeling, you know? Having someone to welcome you back.
And it’s even better because you know my true identity and my real strength. It makes things easier for me.
“So, instead of crying, hold your head high. You’re my precious little sister, after all.”
“!!!!!?!?!?!”
“That’s exactly the problem with you, Jadeeeeeeeeeee!”
Whoa, shut up, people! Don’t just scream all of a sudden!
“Your Majesty!! Baaaziiiiko is sooooooo overwhelmed!”
“Ugh, stop clinging to me.”
I patted the crying pink-haired girl. In that split second, within 0.02 seconds, I used my “Evil Dragon Flick” to blow away the bird poop that was about to land on her head with the pressure of the wind.
“Now then, I need to think about where we’ll stay.”
I do have some acquaintances who could let me stay if I asked.
There’s my mischievous friend Lua and Shirokusa. They’re party leaders and have a shared home.
But those guys are all men. I can’t bring Baziko into that kind of environment.
On the other hand, Nisha and Kusha live in an all-women’s house. Bringing a guy like me there would only cause trouble.
So, in that case…
“I’ll go to someone I won’t feel bad about inconveniencing. Let’s head into the back alley.”
“Eep!?”
I took Pink’s hand and slipped into the shadows.
Whoa, there’s a poisonous insect. I’ll take care of that with my “Evil Dragon Gaze.”
“What’s happening, Your Majesty!? Are we mating!?”
“No, we’re not. Just wait a second.”
I released magical flames from my body. These are the Evil Dragon’s flames that can burn everything to ashes.
“Your Majesty! What are you doing!?”
“There are many uses for this. For example, I can slightly melt my own body while controlling my Evil Dragon Cells, and…”
—I can transform into a different form.
And so,
“I’ve come to visit you, Lord Iscar.”
“Whoa! It’s the ‘Vicious Lady, Sara Genon!'”
“Who are you calling ‘vicious’?”
Here we are. I’ve arrived at the lord’s manor in the frontier city of Tristein. Greetings, Iscar.
“Not ‘vicious,’ it’s ‘Dark Lady,’ actually.”
“I don’t care! And what the heck is a ‘Dark Lady’ anyway?!”
“No idea. The townsfolk came up with it themselves.”
“You don’t even know?!”
My appearance had changed into that of a girl with white hair and a black dress—’Dark Lady Sara.’
The grumpy-looking man, Iscar von Tristein, glanced at me with disdain.
“Hmph, your face is as pretty as ever.”
“And yours is as ugly as ever.”
“Shut up! …So then.”
Iscar’s eyes shifted behind me.
…To Bajiko, who had been clinging to my back and saying, “So cuteee!”
“Your Highness, you can even transform into such a form now!”
“…Who’s this brat? It’s the first time you’ve brought a servant with you.”
A servant? Oh, right. Bajiko’s wearing a revealing maid outfit. From my current appearance, it would seem she’s my servant.
“She’s my adopted sister.”
“Huh? Your sister? Then why is she dressed like a maid?”
“Apparently to seduce me. Seems like she’s desperate to mate.”
“That’s totally perverted! Don’t bring someone like that here!”
Well, I can’t help it. I got kicked out of my place.
“Aargh, what a horrible day, and now some scum’s brought even more scum to my doorstep. I must have terrible luck today.”
“Don’t call me scum. Says the guy who tried to sell illegal drugs.”
“I was just preparing! It’s not like I actually did it! So I’m innocent!”
“That’s something only a scumbag would say.”
That’s the kind of man he is. When I, as Sara, tried to approach him to spread modern knowledge, I found out he was planning to sell illegal drugs because his territory management was failing.
That’s why I don’t feel bad imposing on him.
“…So, what do you want, Sara? If it’s about that ridiculous ‘welfare’ policy you suggested, I’m trying to make it work somehow. Does it even have any effect?”
“It does. At the very least, it’ll improve public safety. In a world where everyone holds the ticking time bomb of special abilities, the last thing you want is desperate people going rogue.”
“Hmm, you speak as if you know a world without skills.”
“No comment on that. Also, I didn’t come here to talk business today.”
I cleared my throat with a small cough and looked up at Iscar with a pleading expression.
“Could you let me stay for a while?”
“N-O spells NO!”
“Huh?”
He shot me down instantly, so I began negotiations. I snapped my fingers with the strength of a dark dragon, causing the air to super-heat through friction, raising the temperature around Iscar to 120°C. Sweat burst out of his greasy skin in an instant.
“Could you please let me stay?”
“GYAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT’S HOOOOT!!! OKAY, OKAY, JUST STOP IT, PLEASEEEEEE!”
“Yay, I did it!”
I secured a place to stay for a while!
