Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 96

Chapter 96: The King and the Dragon Girl

 

Upon entering the kingdom, they headed toward the royal castle.

 

This time, instead of walking through the garden, they took a carriage all the way to the castle’s gate. As soon as Sora and the others disembarked, they immediately began walking toward the throne where the Dragon King, Otter, awaited them.

 

It was during this walk that something happened.

 

First, they opened the large door and entered the castle. Satanas’s eyes sparkled as she looked around.

 

“Wow, it’s huge!”

 

“Is this the first time you’ve seen a castle, Satanas?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

The dragon girl nodded cheerfully in response to my question.

 

Along the way, every time she saw a portrait on the wall or a large piece of artwork, she would react with genuine excitement, saying things like “Pretty!” or “Such a big vase!”

 

Seeing her so excited reminded me of the first time I played a VR game.

 

Back then, I, like Satanas, used to overreact to everything I saw.

 

But now, I’ve gotten so used to it that whenever I enter a dungeon or a beautifully crafted building, all I think about is hunting for treasure chests and rare items.

 

That’s why her innocent reactions seemed so radiant to me now.

 

With her eyes still shining, Satanas eagerly asked Alice about everything that caught her attention.

 

Alice, though smiling wryly, patiently answered all of her questions, treating her like an adorable but demanding little sister.

 

Ah, these two dragon girls are so precious…

 

Watching the two girls interact brought me a sense of peace.

 

It seems like I’m starting to be influenced by this world’s “yuri” religion.

 

After walking for a while, something happened.

 

Dragonkin soldiers, who were on guard for any suspicious individuals, passed by and greeted Alice. However, when they saw Satanas, whose skin was a different color, some of the soldiers visibly grimaced with distaste as they walked by.

 

Fortunately, it seemed the girl being stared at hadn’t noticed.

 

As they walked, Sora thought.

 

Up until now, she hadn’t really paid attention, but now that she looked closely, it was true that the dragonkin had the same skin color as her and the others.

 

Thinking back, neither the wind spirits nor the fairy had anyone with dark skin, either.

 

In fantasy settings, there are sometimes races where the difference in skin color creates entirely different species, like elves and dark elves.

 

Sometimes, a change in their deity or breaking sacred laws would also lead to being categorized as a different species.

 

Sora wondered how this sort of system worked in ?Astral Online?.

 

She glanced at the small girl clinging to Alice’s arm.

 

Even with ?Insight II?, I can’t figure it out.

 

What exactly is Satanas?

 

Is she simply a dragonkin with a different skin color?

 

Or is she perhaps a different species from Alice and the others?

 

Unfortunately, with my own eyes, I can’t discover the truth.

 

What I do know is that, no matter how I look at her, she seems like an ordinary child with normal thoughts, and she doesn’t strike me as the type who would betray us or stab us in the back.

 

Sure, there’s always the possibility she’s hiding a split personality and could suddenly transform.

 

But if she were really an enemy, she could have killed Alice at any time yesterday while we were away.

 

Since that didn’t happen, at the very least, I can say for certain that Satanas is not an enemy of Alice.

 

I think I can be confident in that.

 

While Sora was lost in thought, another soldier, different from the previous group, greeted Alice and passed by.

 

“To think Lady Alice would bring along a cursed child… What is she thinking?”

 

“Hey, don’t make eye contact. You’ll get cursed.”

 

“Look at that skin—so close to the black that symbolizes the Demon Lord. It’s creepy.”

 

They muttered with obvious disdain.

 

“…!”

 

Hearing the nearby soldiers’ words directed at Satanas, Sora felt a vein pop on her temple, and she mercilessly unleashed her genuine killing intent upon them.

 

The murderous aura of the world’s strongest adventurer seemed to shake the very air, causing the windows to rattle.

 

The soldiers, hit directly by Sora’s overwhelming bloodlust, let out pathetic shrieks of “Eek!” before fleeing the scene in panic.

 

It was a truly pitiful sight.

 

Sora snorted and muttered disdainfully, “Hmph, cowards.”

 

Even though they weren’t the target of her rage, Kuro and Alice, who had felt the terrifying aura up close, exchanged glances.

 

“Sora’s really scary when she’s angry…”

 

“I honestly thought a massacre was about to start. I was trembling…”

 

“I’m not *that* impulsive,” Sora responded.

 

No matter how angry I get, I’m not the type to draw my sword against someone who isn’t an enemy.

 

Sure, there was that one time when Gald picked a fight with my two best friends and me, and I roughed him up a bit, but that’s the only time I’ve actually acted on my anger in this game.

 

As long as someone doesn’t attack me first, I’m generally a harmless player, right?

 

Though, my two best friends have told me I’m terrifying when I’m mad…

 

“Alice, let’s make sure never to anger Sora,” Kuro said.

 

“Agreed. That display just now confirmed she’s not someone you want to make angry,” Alice replied.

 

“Is Sora a scary person?” Satanas asked innocently, her gaze piercing straight into Sora.

 

Why does a pure child’s stare feel so painful?

 

Sora shook her head in denial. “I’m not scary,” she said, before turning and continuing on toward the throne room.

 

……………………

 

Sora and her party reported the completion of their mission to subjugate the Lesser Dragon subspecies, along with the fact that they had protected a young girl at the request of a higher power.

 

After receiving their experience points and the reward in ?El?, they took on a new quest.

 

The next quest involved the extermination of monsters in an underground dungeon. Apparently, the largest excavation site, which only those with royal permission could enter, had been taken over by the ?Skeleton King?, and it was their job to wipe it out.

 

They agreed to the mission without hesitation, and then came the moment to introduce Satanas.

 

The small girl hid behind Alice, peeking out just enough to show her face.

 

She seemed a bit nervous, her expression showing signs of unease as she looked up at Otter with fear.

 

“Hmm, so this is the child from the story…” Otter said as he stood up from the throne and slowly descended the steps.

 

Seeing him approach, Satanas gripped Alice’s clothes tightly. In response, Alice gently placed her right hand on the girl’s.

 

When Otter reached them, he stopped in front of the two and looked directly at the small girl standing beside his daughter.

 

After a moment of silence, just as I was feeling anxious about what kind of reaction Dragon King Otter might have, my fears were completely shattered in the next instant.

 

“Oh! She looks just like Alice when she was young!”

 

He stepped closer, crouched down to meet Satanas’s gaze, and smiled gently, making sure not to frighten her.

 

There was no hidden meaning in his expression. It was purely the look of a father gazing at his daughter.

 

Sora was a bit bewildered.

 

Huh, he’s accepting her just like that?

 

To be honest, I thought there might be some trouble, but Otter didn’t seem to care about her skin color at all.

 

“Your Majesty, do you have no thoughts about Satanas’s skin color?” Sora asked respectfully.

 

Otter nodded firmly.

 

“Indeed, it’s been said for a long time that those with different skin colors among the dragonkin bring disaster.”

 

“I’ve heard the same,” Sora replied.

 

“But I am the type who trusts what I see with my own eyes rather than relying on old legends. Tell me, do you see this girl as someone who would cause such calamities of her own free will?”

 

“…No, I don’t.”

 

“Then there’s no reason to fear her or cast her out. What’s truly frightening is the preconceived notion that labels a little girl as evil.”

 

Otter then summoned a minister, received some parchment and a pen, and began writing something down.

 

After a short while, he finished writing, handed the document to the minister, and instructed him to address the matter promptly.

 

Looking at Sora and the others, the king said, “As for Satanas, I will issue a strict command to those in the castle. It may take time for those who believe in old legends to change their minds, but that’s a matter of patience.”

 

“Understood. Thank you very much.”

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Satanas said gratefully.

 

Otter smiled warmly at her.