Chapter 16

“Tristain, the Pioneer City,” is a land that has achieved revolutionary development.

Complete infrastructure such as water supply and sewer systems.

The spread of correct sanitation and medical knowledge.

The general adoption of various advanced tools.

The establishment of standardized, unique units of measurement, and so on…

As a result, Tristain has now developed to the point of surpassing the “Holy City of Mordred,” and it has even begun to exert cultural influence.

This development was brought about by a single “lady.”

“Ah, there she is…!”

“She’s here…!”

“Oh, that’s the one from the rumors…!”

It was her first appearance in about half a year.

As she suddenly appeared in the midst of the crowd, people were agitated and captivated by her presence.

Ah, truly she was the rose of the white night.

With long white hair fluttering and the lace of her black dress swaying, the girl walked with confidence.

“The arrival of Lady Sara Genon, the Dark Lady!”

Screams and cheers filled the pioneer city.

◆◇◆

(Sorry, that’s actually me…!)

Yes, I’m really sorry, everyone in the city.

I’m Jade.

I’m Jade, you know…!

I’m Jade, also known as “Dark Destruction Dragon Genocide Dragon,” and I was Sara…!

No, it’s not what you think.

There are various reasons for this form.

It all started because the sanitation environment in this world was just terrible.

I thought, “I can’t stand this.”

So I decided to spread modern knowledge, and the form I took was “this.”

Since I didn’t want to be recognized as Jade, I thought I’d reverse all the elements.

–From my usual appearance of “black hair,” “tall stature,” “timid-looking,” “dull adult,”

–to “white hair,” “short stature,” “cold-looking,” “peerless beauty” to feel safe.

(…Well, to be precise, I’m not really a “beautiful girl.” Even though I can manipulate dragon cells and transform, I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of that…you know…!)

I was worried about not being able to reform it.

So I became the pseudo-existence “Sara” in various ways, but this oddly became popular… and as a result.

“Whoa! Lady Sara! It’s me, Lua! Please look over here, whoa!”

(There he is.)

Speak of the devil.

More obnoxious than the noisy crowd, my bad friend Lua came running, screaming.

(I never thought a friend would become a fanatical supporter…!)

Anyway, if the commotion gets any bigger, it will be a nuisance to the neighborhood.

Let’s head to the lord’s mansion quickly.

“Lady Saraaaa! Lady Sara, whoaaaa!”

“Silence, you lowlife.”

“Eek!?”

Intimidating words slipped out of my mouth.

In reality, I just said, “You’re too loud,” but in this body, it comes out as haughty. I modified my brain, after all.

However,

“Oh, oh, I might have discovered a new fetish…!”

…Apparently, it has no effect on my perverted friend.

“Good grief.”

With a wry smile at my resilient idiot friend, I quickly moved to the lord’s mansion.

“Oh, Lady Sara smiled at me!?”

Shut up already.

◆◇◆

Alright, we’ve arrived at the lord’s mansion.

The old butler, who seemed accustomed to unannounced visits, led me to the splendid office where I confronted the lord.

Hey.

“Have you been well, Lord Iscar?”

“Yaaah! It’s you, the black-hearted sadistic brat!?”

“Who’s a black-hearted sadistic brat?”

This man is none other than the Count Iscar von Tristain, the ruler of “Tristain, the Pioneer City.”

He looks round, has a villainous face, and grows a weird mustache like a corrupt noble, but in reality,

“You’re not making illegal drugs anymore, right?”

“I’M NOT! You threatened to kill me if I did!”

Yes.

He’s genuinely a corrupt nobleman.

When I first contacted him, he was on the verge of selling illegal drugs because he was struggling with land management.

“Damn, my luck ran out when you took an interest in me…”

By the way, the reason my knowledge and inventions spread so rapidly throughout the city is because I forcibly coerced this lord into wholeheartedly propagating and selling them.

I’ve also made him support orphans and the elderly.

“Ha ha, it’s funny, Lord Iscar. A man with a personality like boiled sewage, but the world sees you as a ‘saintly nobleman devoted to welfare activities.'”

“Tsk. It’s because you ordered me to do so…! Don’t get too cocky, or I’ll give you a piece of my mind, you brat!”

By the way, he knows about my lower body situation.

We got to know each other better when I forced him to go to the beach with me (actually, I just wanted to go, so I dragged him along).

He couldn’t swim, which was hilarious.

So I taught him.

“Damn… So, Sara. If you’re here, it means there’s another profitable deal, right?”

“Yes. Our agreement is that in exchange for me not forgiving your misdeeds, I’ll provide you with knowledge and technology that brings in money.”

It’s what you call a business partner.

First, I, the dragon with the ultimate brain, spin my memories of the previous life like a perfect movie watch.

From there, I glean knowledge from barely remembered textbooks, science comics I vaguely read, and wiki pages I briefly opened while surfing the net, and then I relay that knowledge to this man.

It’s thrilling.

I know how to make things, but I can’t gather the manpower to mass-produce and distribute them.

“Hmph. You say to allocate most of the profits to supporting the socially weak… Very well. So, what should we sell next?”

“This.”

Skill activation: <Storage Space Item Box>, release.

I summoned dozens of barrels from another dimension.

“Hmm… Is it liquor?”

“Yes. It’s called ‘Magic Wine,’ a blood wine made by my own hands.”

“Hmm!?”

I explain about the “Magic Wine.”

By the way, it’s made with dragon fire, but that’s a secret.

Even this guy doesn’t know I’m the “Dark Destruction Dragon Genocide Dragon.”

The real name is embarrassing…

“I see. A wine that grants adventurers special abilities when consumed. You’ve developed something outrageous again.”

“We’ve known each other for almost ten years. You should be used to it by now.”

“Don’t be stupid, you surprise me every time. Really, you keep tossing out epoch-making inventions… Listen, Sara. ‘Out-of-the-ordinary’ ideas aren’t always embraced with open arms. Especially by the nobility. When I informed them that using urine for whitening and consuming mercury for health were counterproductive, I was flooded with criticism. They don’t want to admit that they’ve been engaging in foolish behavior. This ‘Magic Wine’ will undoubtedly stir up another controversy. The upper echelons of the ‘Goddess Cult,’ who view the consumption of monster meat as a taboo, will certainly protest again.”

Oh, poor Iscar has had a rough time because of me.

“Sorry for the trouble. How about we go to a hot spring next time?”

“I’M NOT GOING, I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

Oops, I really made him angry.

I was about to apologize, but the inner voice said, “Don’t apologize! This guy was a former illegal drug maker!”

That’s right.

Instead, I threw the lid of a wine barrel.

Oops, I put too much force and threw it at the speed of sound.

It zipped past Iscar’s side and sliced through the window.

Oh, well.

It hit and brought down a red dragon with a scar on its belly that was about to fly off.

That thing was still alive, huh.

Sorry~?

“Eek, eek! You silenced me with violence out of nowhere!”

“Oh, no, that wasn’t my intention. It’s just that you’re a villain, so there’s no need to hold back. If you keep whining, I’ll act.”

“You’re a brutal monster after all!”

Just then, as he was yelling, the old butler came in saying, “Tea is ready.”

He elegantly poured tea and, with a smile, said, “It’s good to see the master enjoying himself.”

Then he left.

“I’m not enjoying this at all, damn it!”

“Come on, Lord Iscar, calm down. You’re an adult, let’s get back to work, shall we?”

“Shut up!”

“I said let’s get back to work…?”

“Eek…!”

Alright, negotiations are on.

I sip the delicious tea and return to the topic of “Magic Wine.”

“Now. As for the ‘Magic Wine,’ I expect its utility to be extremely high.”

“Indeed… It grants people the special abilities of monsters.”

“It’s temporary, but still a powerful trump card.”

“We should sell it through the guild, then?”

“Yes, that’s best. I want it sold exclusively to adventurers.”

“Leave it to me. If this special ability-granting wine were freely available, society could fall into chaos. But how do we handle resellers?”

“Shall I kill them myself?”

“You’ve got a serious grudge against resellers, huh?!”

Even though Iscar despises me, he’s quick to discuss profitable deals.

I don’t dislike that about him.

Being a villain makes it easy to talk to him without reservations.

“You can set a high price. After all, I’m the only one who can make it, and mass production is difficult.”

“I planned to from the start. That way, my share increases too. So, what’s your cut this time?”

“The usual. Allocate it to social welfare and infrastructure.”

“Again with that…”

He sighs, but I’ve already decided.

The vast wealth I’ve earned using knowledge from my previous life and the power of the Evil Dragon—I make sure not to pocket it.

I’ve decided to live as a human in this world. A man like me can’t just take a slice of the economy using resources from another world or non-human entities.

“You sure like to play the good guy. Even though your humanity is questionable.”

“Oh, you noticed?”

“Of course. We’ve known each other for nearly ten years, and your appearance hasn’t changed at all.”

Well, that’s intentional.

I’ve brought a lot of knowledge to this world, but if people were to completely depend on or worship me, it would be a problem.

So, I let them think, “Maybe he’s not human,” and stir up some doubt to keep them from getting too close.

“In reality, I’ve heard there are monsters like ‘dark elves’ who are quite human-like. You might be one of them, right?”

“Who knows? Maybe I’m a dragon?”

“Hmph, as if there could be such a baby-faced dragon.”

“Wait, do I really look baby-faced…?”

…I’m a bit curious about that comment, but I suppose it’s time to leave. If I stay too long, the old butler might start another mysterious monologue about how “Lord Iscar is single and you’re the only one he can talk to so openly, Lady Sara.”

Does he want Iscar and me to be friends? Oh well.

“Alright, I’m heading out, Lord Iscar. As a noble, you should give me a parting gift.”

“You… you always pretend to be humble but make such petty demands…! Fine, take the castella I was planning to have for my snack! It’s the one you said was delicious last time. Tell the butler to give it to you!”

“Oh, the castella you served with tea? I’m delighted, thank you.”

I did it, worth a try.

“I’ll come again.”

“Don’t come back!”

As I was about to leave coolly, Iscar muttered something while snorting.

“Tch… Only troublesome people come my way. Just the other day, from the ‘Holy City’—”

Oh, my dragon ears are sharp.

Well, well, Iscar? What did you say about the Holy City?