I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Chapter 487
11-2. Everyone Gather
Gradually, I became calmer, and Alena and the princess settled down as well.
I managed to pull them apart and get them to sit quietly.
…But they didn’t seem to want to be separated and clung closely to my side.
It’s cramped…
I wish they would move a little farther away…
Well, anyway… Alena’s grown so much that I wonder about the other kids too.
I wonder how Jigal is doing.
I’m genuinely curious, but… I mean, six years is a long time to sleep…
“So, this is the cost…”
“It’s not just that.”
“Huh?”
Houen said so.
When I saw the somewhat serious and helpless look on his face, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
“Well, let’s talk about it later. I’ll gather everyone.”
“Alright.”
After saying that, Houen immediately went outside.
It seems he went to call the others.
“Aniki…”
“What’s up, Reizen? You’re not clinging to me like you used to.”
“Well, I’ve grown too! But I’m glad you woke up.”
“I’m sorry… for worrying you.”
“You really are!!”
“I’m sorry.”
My clothes were tugged.
If you were in a vegetative state for six years, anyone would worry…
Some might have given up.
By the way, what did I eat during that time?
Ah, I’m really hungry.
“But Alena, you’ve grown so much.”
“It’s been six years! Of course, I did!”
“Hahaha… You seem stronger than before.”
“…I’ve already reached A rank, so I’m helping Satella-oneesan.”
“Oh, I got left behind, huh?”
Alena has the skill to reach even S rank, but she chose to keep her promise and help Satella once she reached A rank.
It’s a promise from a long time ago.
It feels nostalgic.
By the way, I heard that the infamous nickname “Heavy Emperor” is still circulating, and it’s causing trouble.
She used to say that a lighter nickname would be better.
But when you look at it skill-wise, it’s the most fitting one.
But seriously, she’s really grown.
She’s just a bit shorter than me in terms of height.
She’s wearing the same robe as Valadim and has a forehead protector.
Her slender body is beautiful and I think it brings out Alena’s charm.
I don’t know if she’s holding it down, but her breasts aren’t noticeable.
“Ouren! What about me?! What about me?!”
“Princess is… just the same!”
“Ehehe~!”
“I wasn’t complimenting you!!”
Her grips hurt like crazy, you know!!
I wish my wrist could heal fast.
Well, it’s not something new now.
But I’m relieved that she still hasn’t turned into Akki.
Come to think of it, I wonder what happened to Hinata.
I’d like to visit her, but… it probably won’t be recommended.
“So, what I was most curious about is… Reizen, whose child are you carrying?”
“Uh, well, you see…”
Just then, the sliding door opened.
I thought the timing was a bit unfortunate, and when I looked over there, a woman with a face similar to Alena’s was standing there.
She was wearing a beautiful dress with a red theme and bowed politely.
“Whoa!? Satella!?”
“Yes, indeed! You have finally awakened, Ouren-sama!”
“I recognized you immediately because you have a similar face to Alena… You’ve grown.”
“Fufu~.”
She chuckled elegantly.
But Western clothing doesn’t really suit this Japanese-style room…
There is a term called “Japanese-Western fusion”, but even that is too disproportionate.
Well, I won’t say it out loud, though…
“So, what happened to the Bamil territory?”
“I will discuss that matter with you later.”
“You too, huh? Houen also said he’d talk later…”
“There are various reasons.”
“Is that so…”
I feel like they’re being evasive or something, like they’re keeping something from me.
I wish they’d tell me soon.
Clank, clank.
It seems like someone is approaching down the corridor, making a sound like knocking.
Wondering what the noise was, I looked at the sliding door and waited. Uchikage, who had removed his blindfold, entered the room with an awkward gait, using a cane to walk.
Unlike in the past, he wasn’t wearing any armor; instead, he had on a blue haori and large hakama. It was the first time I had seen Uchikage in a traditional Japanese outfit.
I couldn’t help but notice something peculiar about Uchikage’s walking.
“Have you awakened, Ouren-sama?”
“Uchikage…? What happened to you?”
“Six years ago… I made a mistake in that battle. Thekil made this prosthetic leg for me.”
“I see…”
He lifted his hakama to reveal the prosthetic leg. It appeared to be from the knee down, with a mechanical leg attached. It was connected using Thekil’s magic binding, allowing it to move like a regular leg, but it apparently lacked the durability to endure his skill.
Uchikage sat on the tatami and placed his cane on his lap.
“Please don’t be disheartened. It’s a story from six years ago.”
“I won’t let it bother me… Ah! Uchikage! What happened to the others? Are they all safe?”
“Yes, they’re fine. Lize-dono had recovery magic, so we managed somehow.”
“I see… that’s good…”
“But none of us remember what we fought against. We do have memories of facing a formidable enemy, but…”
“Ah, that’s probably… what I did…”
I had no recollection of what I did, but it was likely that I did something as Ouryuu to erase our memories. I doubt I can recall it even if I try to think about it… yeah, I should just give up trying to remember it.
Anyway, I’m just glad that everyone is alive. That’s enough for me.
“Hey, Uchikage. What happened after that?”
“…Raiki-sama and Dacia will come later. They will explain it all later.”
“What’s with everyone being so evasive? Alena, please?”
“Nope.”
“Aw, come on…”
Why is everyone like this… Well, it seems they’ll tell me when everyone is gathered, so I’ll just have to wait patiently for now. Oh, I’m so curious.
Reizen cleared away the futon I had been sleeping in and placed it in a corner. Then, he sat down next to it and placed the baby in front of him.
“So, Reizen? About that child—”
“Ouren-san!”
“Oh!? Asure!”
“I’m here too~”
“Bart huh.”
“And why is the reaction towards me so lukewarm!!”
Well, somehow… No, I would’ve been surprised if Bart had come out first, I guess. Since Asure appeared, it was pretty much expected that Bart would be with him.
Bart, who had interjected with a loud voice, didn’t seem angry. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the conversation. His childishness showed not just in his appearances but in his interactions as well.
Asure immediately gave me an exasperated look and sighed softly.
“You’ve overslept. For six years.”
“I had to pay such a price because of my wish. Besides, there was no supply of magic this time.”
“Seriously, there’s a limit to oversleeping.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that…”
Please don’t say that.
It was something unavoidable…
Hmm, I wonder how the people of the Garott Kingdom are doing now. It seems like they were spending some time in tents for a while. Oh well, I guess I’ll find out later.
“By the way, won’t the room get crowded?”
“If you open this side, there’s another room, so it’ll be fine!”
“It’s spacious huh…”
As expected of the Oni Palace. The rooms seem to have been prepared properly.
With the room slightly enlarged, each of us moved a little to create some distance. Just then, the sliding door opened again.
“I was worried, Ouren-sama.”
“Sorry, Raiki.”
Raiki, in a wheelchair, was wheeled in. It seems Shim was pushing him. She gently lifted him and helped him sit down.
“Sorry to bother you…”
“Come on, Reiki-sama. We agreed not to mention that, didn’t we?”
“Mmm, that’s right, that’s right.”
“You seem energetic.”
“Hehe, nowadays, my daily routine is to gaze at the garden.”
That’s… kind of lonely…
Well, I can understand that it becomes a daily routine when you can’t move freely.
Following Raiki and Shim, Houen and Dacia, Theik and Karna entered. Does that mean everyone is here now that Houen has returned? Each of them took a seat where they preferred.
“For now, everyone present is here.”
“Quite a bunch of people for one room…”
“Let’s remove the sliding doors. Alena, can you help with that?”
“Sure!”
Finally, the two of them moved away. It got more spacious… but after removing the sliding doors and placing them against the wall, they came back. It’s cramped…
“Being the center of attention from both sides.”
“Don’t tease me, Dacia…”
“Now, Houen. Let’s get to the point.”
“Right.”
“Wait a moment…”
I’m starting to really want to hear about the child in Reizen’s hands. It should be okay if it’s just that, right?
“Wa… Huh?”
Looking at Reizen, I noticed that Karna was sitting next to him. Karna was holding the baby and gently rocking it.
From an outsider’s perspective… It looked like they were a married couple.
“Eh!!?”
“Oh, did you figure it out?”
“Eh!!? No way!!?”
“It’s been six years… Well, there have been various developments.”
“N-noo, my mind is making too many leaps, I can’t understand!! No, it’s not like that!! Congratulations!!”
“Thank you.”
“Hehe…”
While Karna took it in stride, Reizen seemed embarrassed. These two… sigh. Well, their sense of distance has always been a bit off, even in the past.
Then, Shim started rummaging around in something. She pulled something out of the tokonoma (alcove) in the room. The princess, upon seeing this, quickly moved away and went to retrieve something. She returned shortly and placed the item she had fetched in front of me.
“…Huh? A desk?”
“Yes, please.”
“Huh? A brush? Washi paper? Sorry, princess, Shim? What’s all this for?”
The princess had brought a small desk, and Shim had taken out a complete set of calligraphy tools from the tokonoma. She started grinding ink right next to me.
Wait, wait, what the hell is happening here.
“Aniki, I want you to name this child.”
“What!? You hadn’t named them yet!?”
“Well, you know my naming sense is terrible, Aniki!”
“Yeah, so you even realize that!?”
“Well, setting that aside… I wanted you to decide, Aniki. I was about to ask Raiki before!”
“I also request that.”
“W-what… Seriously…”
They want me to be the godparent, right? I mean, when I woke up, it was six years later, Alena and the others had grown up, and these two were married with a child. Just that is enough to fill my head, and now they want me to choose a name…
How much do they want to put me through?
Well, it’s fine!
But seriously, everyone was on board with this, huh? Otherwise, there’s no way to explain the princess and Shim’s swift actions.
“Uhm, can I have a little time?”
“Thank you, Sniki!! This is great, isn’t it, Karna?”
“Yes.”
They nodded at each other, looking pleased.
I really want to hear about how these two got together…
Alright, if it’s come to this, I can’t half-ass it. But seriously, deciding in front of everyone is like hell. I have to seriously think about it…!!