11 - Dragon Demon King

With the criminal handcuffed, I took him back to Dragon Roar Mountain.

He woke up on the way back, but he couldn't escape.

These handcuffs were designed to bind the Dragon Race.

They had the power to suppress and disperse power.

Even a demon could do nothing but calm down with such handcuffs.

Surrendered, he seemed anxious or perhaps felt another emotion?

I don't know. I was glad to have completed my mission.

In any case, it was a triumphant return.

"Laplace!"

It was Szilard who greeted me enthusiastically.

Leading a row of Dragon Warriors lined up in front of the great central entrance of the eight entrances of Dragon Roar Mountain.

No, that's not quite right.

They weren't warned of the approach; the Dragon Warriors were simply on guard at the entrance.

Guarding Dragon Roar Mountain was also part of their job.

Since I was on a special mission, I didn't announce my return.

That's why only Szilard came to greet me.

Just like when Dragon God-sama brought me here for the first time.

"Did you get him?"

He looked surprised at Saleyakt, at me, and at the one we brought with us.

"Yes!"

"Good work!"

And he welcomed me back with a look of joy.

In fact, a warm reception.

The emotions of the other Dragon Warriors overflowed when they learned that the assassin of the Five Dragon General had finally been captured.

So many Dragon Warriors shouting with joy together was a scene I rarely saw.

"Laplace. Thank you."

"Thank you, Szilard-sama. However, since he came to the Dragon World and his motives for killing Crystal-sama..."

I was confident that he had done it.

However, when I thought about it, I realized that evidence was lacking.

Lacking proof of his crimes.

When I realized that, my voice slowly faltered.

Returning so triumphantly, but what if I had brought back someone completely innocent?

And what if it was just an unrelated case of random teleportation between worlds?

Not only that... but becoming the victim of my stealth attack.

"Ah, yes... That's right, you can only speak the Dragon God's Tongue. Alright, I'll handle his interrogation."

"Please!"

I gladly handed him over.

After so much time and effort—even destroying an entire mountain to capture him

I wondered what I would do if they told me I'd caught the wrong person.

Besides, I was tired.

I was relieved to hand the suspect over to someone trustworthy.

It's embarrassing to say, but I just wanted to get home quickly and rest.

The mission was complete.

If it wasn't good, it wasn't good. For now, I just want to sleep.

The Dragon Warriors took him away.

His face was full of anxiety.

I even thought he was looking for me for help.

A friendship that blossomed in the heat of battle?

I didn't feel that... but it was part of the Demon Race culture to make friends during battle.

That was the last time I saw him.

■

I slept for three days and three nights.

After waking, I ate.

The meal with Lunaria-sama was particularly delicious.

Probably because it was a meal after the completion of an important mission.

After that, I visited Maxwell first.

He was at one of Dragon Roar Mountain's training centers, looking for new young talents.

I informed him that I had captured the suspect.

As well as the demise of my important subordinates.

"Hey, you completed your mission, so they're probably at ease now," he said, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

After that, I visited Dora-sama.

To be honest, I expected her to get angry and yell at me.

Dora-sama told me to come back with my head held high, but that didn't happen.

The suspect's head and body were still intact when I handed him over to Szilard.

I entered Dora's room, anxious but determined.

But I was surprised.

Dora-sama's belly had recovered well.

It seemed she had safely finished laying eggs.

A face of serenity.

Now that the pregnancy had passed over her.

I went to her and gave her the greatest salute.

"The secondary shock of your battle has reached here."

Dora-sama said calmly.

"Perhaps due to the shock of the battle, I suddenly felt the premature sign of egg-laying."

As she said, she patted an egg beside her.

The eggs of the Dragon Race are the size of human babies.

The pain of childbirth was shared.

"He was born safely, but premature. He might grow up immature."

Despite her words, her gentle pats on the egg were soft.

The Dora-sama I knew before was not the fierce and proud Dora-sama of old.

That might have been a rude thought.

Until then, I had only seen Dora-sama as strong and loyal.

Even Dora-sama had a gentle side.

But putting that aside.

"So, how are you?"

"Well, I managed to find the criminal and captured him after a long battle."

"I see… Very good. Although someone had already reported that before you arrived."

Perhaps Maxwell had also heard it beforehand.

No matter how much Dragon Race disregards the passage of time, I slept for three days straight.

Maxwell was probably pleasing me with his response, if only Dora-sama could do the same.

But that obtuseness was part of his charm.

"I apologize for the delay in my report."

"Don't worry. I heard you fell into a deep sleep. It happens to everyone when your Dragon Touki is exhausted. It must have been a fierce battle."

"And sorry for not bringing his head..."

Dora-sama smiled wryly when I said that.

"It's all right. His head won't bring back the one we lost. It's a meaningless gesture."

Dora-sama caressed her egg again.

She abruptly laughed, as if suddenly struck by an idea.

"Laplace."

"Yes?"

Dora lifted her egg and presented it to me.

The egg was wrapped in a soft cloth, looking very fragile.

"If you don't mind, please, give it a name?"

"Eh...? But isn't it Dora-sama's?"

"Who else?"

"But I...?"

"Who else is here?"

Dora-sama repeated and handed the egg to me.

Instead of me, wouldn't it be more appropriate for Dragon God-sama or the Five Dragon Generals to name it?

I was hesitant to hold it.

My hands trembled.

"Don't worry. Dragon Race eggs don't break so easily."

Only after Dora-sama said that did I finally pick up the egg.

The egg was warm.

When I held it in my arms, I heard something like a heartbeat.

I had eaten many dragon eggs, but they were cold.

I felt completely different from those.

So this is life, how surprising.

"Have you decided?"

"...Normally, shouldn't we wait until we see the child? I don't even know if it will be a boy or a girl."

"It's a man. My son is a man."

"How certain...?"

I tried to think through my confusion.

A name.

I managed.

I was a man who could do what he promised.

"Perugius."

That was the name that came to mind.

Perugius.

Yes, Perugius.

"It's a good name. It seems he could grow up to be a strong, intelligent, and generous child."

His name was Perugius.

It was decided that day.

■

Afterwards, I returned to my quiet everyday life.

I'd wake up, visit Szilard to hear his progress, feed Saleyakt, and go back to bed.

As if I were unemployed.

My future depended on Szilard's interrogation of the prisoner.

If the suspect was truly Crystal's murderer, I would have completed my mission.

After that... I would probably return to work for Dora-sama.

If he was found innocent, my search would have continued.

Instead, in this case, I might be considered incompetent and fired from the task.

However, I was ordered by Dragon God-sama and also accepted Dora-sama's request.

I would have liked to see it through to the end.

No matter what people thought, I wanted to see it through.

So, as if dazed, I spent each day awaiting judgment.

They were peaceful days.

Sometimes I visited the training field, but I did no work.

My mood was like that of a death row prisoner.

A bad premonition.

Perhaps I simply wasn't used to wasting time waiting.

Those days were the first and the last time in my long life that I spent just waiting.

No, there were other times… For what reason?

Basically, when I was on a mission.

Even now, I'm here waiting for my instructions.

With those feelings swirling in my heart, time passed slowly.

One year later.

The moment came one year after I caught him.

After visiting another world, Dragon God returned.

■

A meeting was held.

The agenda was, of course, about the criminal who killed Crystal.

Dora-sama and I were present.

The egg-laying season had ended.

She was not responsible for hatching the egg.

Although she wanted to keep the egg until it hatched safely…

Her loyalty and dedication in attending an important conference of the Five Dragon Generals prevailed.

With all the other chairs occupied by their owners, I sat in Crystal's old chair.

"Report."

Under the instructions of the Dragon God, I stood up and gave the greatest salute.

A report of everything I had done.

"Thus, while I was traveling the world, the Human God appeared before me and granted me wise counsel. There is a magic eye within me, and I could track the suspect with it. Using that magic eye, I managed to find a trail and after a long battle, capture the suspect."

As briefly as possible, explaining everything that happened.

I thought more would be a waste of everyone's precious time.

"I see, you received counsel from the Human God?"

Dragon God-sama gave a broad smile upon hearing those words.

Showing the high respect he had for the Human God.

"After bringing him back to Dragon Roar Mountain, I handed him over to Szilard-sama to take care of the rest."

After I finished, Szilard stood up.

"My investigation is complete."

Szilard took a piece of dragon-skin parchment and began to recite it.

"According to my investigation, the suspect is Necrolia Nacrolia, a blood relative of the Immortal Demon King Necross Lacross and one of the Eight Great Demon Kings."

These words immediately caused a stir in the meeting.

"Under the order of the Demon God, he teleported to the Dragon World to hinder the progress of our Teleportation research. That's how he targeted Dragon General Crystal and planned his assassination. However, due to a flaw in the plan, he was unable to return to the Demon World and was forced to stay. Since then, he has continued hiding while collecting various materials necessary for his return… until the situation mentioned."

It was Chaos who first became agitated.

"Unforgivable!"

Chaos stood up, pounding his fist on the conference table.

The table made a trembling noise, but did not break.

Perhaps he had restrained himself a little.

"How dare the Demons! If they had any issue with us, they should fight us openly; the audacity to order an assassination...!"

Chaos's anger was as clear as day.

A burning rage.

I, too, was incensed.

Although not as overt as Chaos, I was burning with anger.

"War! Let's hit the demons where they live and show the Demon Kings their true colors!"

Chaos exclaimed, but the other three were as calm as expected.

"Szilard... is he still alive?"

Maxwell asked.

His look was murderous, but his tone was calm regarding Chaos's hot-bloodedness.

"I killed him. He was so cheerful that it tested my patience."

"Well, then, that's a relief."

Maxwell relaxed.

But I understood.

Reading between the lines, he probably meant, "If he's still alive, let me finish him off."

"…"

Dora-sama fell silent.

However, the burning anger in her body was not far behind Chaos's.

It seemed like a threat to her life to address her at that moment.

"Dora, could you swallow what the demons have done?"

"Chaos. Shut up... I feel the same as you."

"...No, surely your anger is greater than mine."

Chaos remained silent.

Dora-sama's rage at that time was such that even Chaos yielded.

Her explosive temper was about to erupt.

Szilard looked at them and said.

"Dragon God-sama, we are of the same will, let's invade the Demon World immediately and let them receive the just reward for what the Five Dragon Generals have suffered."

"…"

However, Dragon God-sama was wise.

No, even he was concerned about the situation.

Clasping his mouth, he was lost in thought.

"…"

There might be something broader in this current conversation.

Something that a fool like me could not imagine…

No, perhaps it isn't foolish.

Even the Five Dragon Generals did not know much about the Demon Race.

While Dragon God-sama was quite familiar.

And particularly with the Demon God.

That is why Dragon God-sama might have had a different opinion.

After a long silence, Dragon God-sama said:

"We will not go to war..."

His conclusion left the Dragon Generals stunned.

"Why?"

"What is the concern?"

"If we join forces, even they…"

With a simple raise of his hand, Dragon God-sama silenced the others.

He said in a severe tone.

"One of the Five Dragon Generals and one of the Eight Great Demon Kings, is a failure."

A balanced negotiation.

I couldn't agree.

First of all, Crystal died because the Demon Race attacked.

If I hadn't found him, or if he had better prepared for his return, the criminal would have gotten away with it.

Leaving the Demons laughing at the Dragon Race's pain.

How could that be a fair trade?

"If war breaks out, we won't come out unscathed. The Demon Race is not an easy adversary, wait. Practice patience."

"But.."

"I will negotiate with the Demon God about this matter."

However, we were all servants of Dragon God-sama.

If the Dragon God ordered, we could only obey.

"Understood..."

Everyone was reluctant.

Even Dora-sama, a model of loyalty, seemed dissatisfied with the decision.

But no one openly argued.

"Dragon God-sama."

"What is it, Szilard? Discontented?"

"No, I have no complaints. Dragon God says, we obey... It's about Laplace, who made great efforts to bring the criminal to justice. He deserves to be rewarded for his effort."

I jumped at these words.

These words were unnecessary.

The rewards were unnecessary.

For me, fulfilling the orders of the Dragon God is natural.

Instead, I wanted to apologize for taking so long.

But all the Dragon Generals simply responded with "very well."

It took a long time, but as a result I managed to uncover the demon's plot.

There was no reason to refuse.

"Yes."

The Dragon God thought for a moment.

And I arrived at a simple answer.

"Well then, Laplace, I grant you the title of Demon Dragon King and status among the Five Dragon Generals. After that, follow me and help with our negotiation with the Demon Race."

"Wow!"

The decision was a shock to the Five Dragon Generals.

But there was someone even more shocked than the generals.

Me.

With that, I would be included as the junior among the Five Dragon Generals.

I couldn't believe it.

It was too much to joke about.

I couldn't understand why Dragon God-sama suggested that.

"I… I'm against this!"

It wasn't me who objected.

It was Chaos.

Going against Dragon God-sama's judgment was a serious act for a Dragon General.

However, even he may have reached the limit of his patience.

I could understand that feeling.

But I did not agree with his objection.

Even if I could do it again, I surely would.

"There are others more qualified!"

Chaos hated the Demon Race.

Even if he didn't doubt my loyalty.

He could tolerate me as long as I worked for the sake of Dragon God-sama.

However, for a member of the Five Dragon Generals to have mixed blood from the Demon Race was intolerable to him.

The same demonic blood that planned the assassination of a former member of the Five Dragon Generals.

Even if I could help in the negotiation with the Demon Race.

"Please... reconsider."

Chaos sought support from the other Dragon Generals…

But, contrary to Chaos's expectations, and mine as well, the others responded more positively.

"Isn't it fine? Certainly, he is young, but his loyalty to Dragon God-sama is impeccable, and he accomplished his missions."

"And the strength to defeat one of the Eight Demon Kings."

Szilard and Maxwell said.

Then Chaos looked at Dora-sama.

Surely you oppose this, his eyes seemed to ask.

"For a long time, I watched you develop… Although he is not yet strong enough to be worthy of the title of Dragon General… we too were once inadequate. Dragon God-sama's battle flag needs fresh blood if we are to increase our combat strength."

Dora-sama said, turning to me.

"Laplace. It is an honor. Work harder now, more than ever."

Consequently, Dora-sama did not oppose.

No, Dora-sama never liked me in the first place.

As Dora said, it was a tremendous honor.

My effort and dedication were recognized and, at the same time, could lead to the "improvement of relations with the demons" as the Dragon God said.

Of course, becoming a Dragon General would also benefit the as-yet unborn son of the Dragon God.

All the reasons why Dragon God-sama brought me here would be achieved.

"Although it may be beyond my abilities... I will do my best."

I stood up, crossed my arms over my chest, and said:

Unable to refuse.

■■■

"Thus, I became one of the Five Dragon Generals… and I became Demon Dragon King Laplace."

Having said that, Laplace sighed.

Some subtle emotions, of weakness and regret.

Rostelina grew anxious upon seeing him like that.

She asked Laplace, on a whim, to tell her the story of his life, but perhaps she asked for something she shouldn't have.

Laplace may have told her something he did not wish to speak of.

"Laplace-sama... didn't you want to be one of the Five Dragon Generals?"

"Hm? No, it's not that. Otherwise, I would have refused, even with Dragon God-sama's displeasure... It's just that, in hindsight, I was too eager for an honor I did not deserve."

"Why? Laplace-sama, didn't you catch the perpetrator and wasn't your strength recognized by others?"

"Yes, but the tasks of the Five Dragon Generals are not accomplished by strength alone."

Laplace's words were vague and Rostelina did not understand what he meant.

From Rostelina's perspective, Laplace was a divine being.

More than just power.

He is a great and honorable man, unmatched.

"But Laplace-sama is amazing. You even helped me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I was saved by the Master. It is thanks to you that I can live with my curse. I do not know the other Dragon Generals, but I thought that no one deserved the honor of Dragon General more than the Master."

Rostelina grew up in the Long-Ears Tribe Village.

However, Rostelina was a strange child.

Her magical potential far exceeded that of others.

In her childhood, her power was repeatedly unleashed, destroying the village and killing villagers.

Then she was expelled from the village.

She was abandoned at the edge of a great forest, crying alone.

She did not have the ability to survive on her own.

What awaited her fate was to be attacked and eaten by monsters.

It was the mysterious Laplace who found her.

He uncovered the mystery of Rostelina's body and embedded a magic circle in her, nullifying her overflowing magic.

Thanks to that, Rostelina could live a peaceful daily life.

"I'm glad to hear that. But as the last of the Dragon Generals, I do not wish to disgrace that name."

Laplace said with a far-off look, focusing on something distant.

The last remaining Dragon General.

Rostelina thought about the meaning of that phrase… but she couldn't fathom it.

She didn't understand.

So the only thing she knew how to do was to ask.

"Master..."

But Rostelina could not ask.

For Laplace, it must be a painful story to tell.

So far, the story had gone well.

A wild child of the Demon War, educated, found a paid job, earned the recognition of his peers, and became one of the leaders of the Dragon Race.

It was practically painless.

Thus, she was sure that only a difficult and painful ending lay ahead.

Rostelina wanted to know.

No matter how painful it was, she wanted to know more about Laplace.

But if the mix-up made Laplace grimace, she would rather tolerate not knowing.

"Master… if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know. I will do everything in my power to help the Master."

"Ah, in that case… No."

Laplace stopped in mid-sentence.

Then, with an ironic smile, he shook his head.

"Well, I have a request."

"What is it?"

With a gentle smile, Laplace caressed Rostelina's head.

"Go to bed tonight. You have work tomorrow."

Before I knew it, it was already midnight.

Rostelina had lost her sleepiness upon hearing his stories.

"...Yes, Master."

Perhaps I am not capable of helping.

Rostelina got up from her chair and left the room, filled with solitude.

She left the room, returned to her own room, and slept.

"…"

After saying goodbye to her, Laplace returned to his desk.

The earlier lecture reminded him of something he had forgotten to note down.

There lay a single book.

A book that summarized the most important things.

He didn't write down everything he knew, but it wasn't necessary.

Just a record of the most important things.

Laplace added new pages to the book and wrote:

"Perugius."

A name he had to write.

The description he wrote included details he did not mention in his story.

Not wanting to see Rostelina saddened by what had happened, he kept silent about the matter.

"I have a request for whoever reads this book.

There is a son of the Dragon Race who does not know his name in this world.

Please, tell this child his name.

I forgot many things that happened, but this was also one of my missions.

This child has silver hair and must already be a man without a name. Please tell him, his true name is Perugius.

Perugius, son of Dora-sama, the Great Armored Dragon King Dora.

Thus I recorded it here, in case I die before completing my mission."

Laplace said as he filled another page of the book.

Then, placing the book in the center of the shelf, in the most prominent position.

If he were to pass away, then whoever comes after him would surely find it.

It is Laplace's mission to pass on his name, but there is no reason for Laplace to do it in person.

Of course, as his godfather, Laplace wished to pass it on directly.

"Dora-sama."

When he murmured the name, the figure who was like a mother to him appeared in his mind.

Dora-sama, teacher, leader, and mother.

Her final moments were filled with remorse.

Just remembering that moment tightened his chest.

A hatred arose from deep within his heart.

It was a murderous desire that makes someone want to start attacking.

Laplace lived only to cleanse that remorse.

He had to fulfill his mission.

"Fuuu."

Laplace closed the book and leaned back in his chair.

He felt exhausted; every time he descended the mountain and traveled, he remembered the time when he fought as one of the Five Dragon Generals.

Perhaps it was time to sleep, after a long absence.

"Good night, Rostelina."

Laplace said, closing his eyes.

It was the first time in decades that all the family members fell asleep together, at the top of Dragon Roar Mountain.