The dragon tribesmen who were watching the situation unfold with bated breaths panic when Nymia and I approach them.

“You guys were pursuing that decaying dragon, right?”

I’m confident that’s the case, that the men of the dragon tribesmen mentioned in the Decaying Dragon’s story are these people right before my eyes. They, upon losing the dragon, must have come to this ravine. However, the dragon became cursed and transformed into a decaying dragon, preventing them from doing anything more than observing it from a distance.

“Wh- who are all of you?”

A single man steps forward while being terrified of Nymia who is behind me.

“I am Ernea Isu. Since the Decaying Dragon entrusted me with his Dragon’s Gem, please allow me to meet with the woman he would visit in the flower garden.”
“Wh- Why do you know of the flower garden?”
“I heard it directly from the Decaying Dragon.”
“That impossible.”

The dragon tribesmen exchange glances and begin conversing with one another. I watch them in silence.

I think this situation was unexpected for them.

A gigantic dragon suddenly appeared from the sky and when they thought it was fighting the Decaying Dragon, it landed. Then, climbing off that dragon’s lower back was a human along with a kitten like dragon that also gigantified. Finally, in the end, after that person confronted the Decaying Dragon, he received the Dragon’s Gem and the Decaying Dragon was eliminated.

I hold the precious Dragon’s Gem with both of my hands. The people of the dragon tribesmen keep taking quick glances at it as they continue to talk.

Did they finish? The man from before comes towards me again.

“I am called Laniceam. While I do not know how you heard of the flower garden from the Decaying Dragon, we are the ones who tracked it down to here.”

The center of the man’s forehead is covered in wrinkles. His expression is grave.

“When you appeared, we had already been subjugating it. You snatched our prey from us. As such, that Dragon’s Gem belongs to us. Hand it over.”
“W- Whaa…”

They’re just listing their grievances. I’m shocked.

“Claiming I stole your prey is utterly outrageous. Weren’t you all just watching the Decaying Dragon from far away?”
“We were about to start right when you appeared.”

Laniceam stares me down.

Ho- How strange. I’m not scared at all. The strong attitude he’s directing at me is not scarier than a magical beast’s either. Moreover, he isn’t directing his gaze at Nymia or Asher-san.

They must be thinking that although dragons are scary, the weak looking me can be threatened. Good grief, they must not be of the same tribe as Mistral.

“Eetto, seeing that none of you are interested in talking, would you tell me the way to your village? We’ll talk with her directly.”
“Absurd. A lowly member of the human tribe thinks of going to our dragon tribesmen village?”

A man in the back with a grim beard shouts out.

“If that’s no good, then please bring her someplace else. I’ll meet and talk to her there.”
“It’s useless, you will not be allowed to meet her. We will tell her, so hand over the Dragon’s Gem.”

Mumumu, they’re desperately fussing over getting the Dragon’s Gem. Is it really that valuable of a thing?

“I will not give you the Dragon’s Gem. The Decay Dragon entrusted it to me. I will personally give it to her.”
“What was that?”

A young dragon tribesman loses his temper and grabs the weapon at his waist.

I see, this person also uses a one handed konbou[1].

For a moment, I consider giving them Mistral’s name, but stop. I shouldn’t cause her trouble by using her name at my own convenience.

“Please tell me where I can find her. I have no intention of fighting you all.”
“We won’t tell you. If you say you don’t want to fight, then obey and hand over that Dragon’s Gem.”

Even though I was having a calm conversation with Laniceam-san at first, the people who were restraining themselves behind him are impulsive and belligerent. While I want to talk with Laniceam-san who seems to understand the situation, those outsiders are too annoying.

While I’m wondering what to do, Nymia, who has been quietly been standing behind me up until now growls, “Gururu.”

Just with that, all of the dragon tribesmen pale and say nothing more.

“We are neither discussing nor negotiating. We are simply ordering you. You will lead that child to the dragon tribesmen girl.”
Quietly, Asher-san speaks a few words from where she is a short distance away.

“Hiiiiii!”

To me, it only felt like Asher-san was just talking. The dragon tribesmen, however, are trembling with fear.

“Grab their representative. Ernea, hurry and climb on.”

Asher-san must mean Nymia’s back. I do as instructed and then tie Nymia’s long fur around my waist.

Nymia grabs Laniceam-san while everyone is frozen in fear and flaps her wings.

With a strong sensation of floating, Nymia and I, along with the captured Laniceam-san rise up to the skies. While Laniceam-san’s face is tense, he doesn’t scream.

“Anoo, excuse me. Are you willing to tell us how to get to that village?”

Laniceam-san, who is firmly held within both of Nymia’s paw, silently turns his head and points at an area of Dragon’s Peak.

Nymia then flies in that direction.

Laniceam-san mumbles out an apology. “Sorry.”

“No, we’re the ones forcing you. Excuse us.”
It’s true that our conversation was forced along by the overwhelming presences of Asher-san and Nymia. As such, I feel a need to apologize.

“No, not for what happened before. I wish to apologize for the Decaying Dragon. As a member of the dragon tribesmen, I’m ashamed at having driven a member of the dragon tribe to that appearance. Furthermore…”

Laniceam-san hesitates on continuing, but then stares at me as though he has resolved himself.

“The woman you spoke of, she is my younger sister. I wish for you to meet and speak with her. That is the truth.”

Laniceam-san, upon finishing, looks away from me. Afterwards, he only speaks to add minute corrections to Nymia’s flight path.

After flying for a bit longer, a small village on the surface on a mountain within a range of mountains comes into view. There’s a somewhat wide plaza surrounded by a number of rough stone houses. A number of tunnels have also been dug into the bare rock.

I wonder if this is a men only dragon tribesmen village? Its simplicity is surprising.

The appearance of a giant dragon flying towards the village incites an uproar. Children escape into the tunnels while women go this way and that in the plaza.

Could maybe all the young men be in that place from before? This is a small village after all.

Nymia gently descends into the center of the village after all the people have finished running this way and that. Afterwards, she releases Laniceam-san. I untangle myself from Nymia’s fur and climb down from her back to also stand in the village.

Once I’m off Nymia’s back, she returns to her usual tiny form. Laniceam-san’s eyes go wide from shock at the sight. Looking around, the villagers keeping watch from their hiding places are equally surprised.

Looks like dragons being able to change their appearances is unusual.

“This way, follow me.”

Laniceam-san, after regaining his senses, leads us along towards one of the houses in the village. Nymia stretches herself out on top of my head as I follow.

“My younger sister is further inside. I’ll explain the situation to the villagers, excuse me.”

With those words, Laniceam-san leaves the house he brought me to.

---

T/N: “Anoo, excuse me. Are you willing to tell us how to get to that village?” Ernea, asking that by that point is a full on threat…
That said, I wonder if Nymia can take a human form too??

~Gandire Alea

[1] It’s like a club

<58. The Decaying Dragon’s Tears
59.2 The Tears of the Dragon Tribesmen>