I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Chapter 496
Cuz I’m stressing out, idk what to do, then I just do this in the middle of my burn out of irl
11.11. Until the Decision
A night had passed.
I got out of bed and folded it up.
Futons are quite comfortable. I can sleep peacefully like usual. Well, I’ve been sleeping in this for six years, after all.
But I hope they don’t make me sleep for more years. I haven’t finished repaying my debt.
I cautiously stepped out into the hallway.
Then, a pleasant smell wafted in. They must be preparing breakfast. The female oni usually wakes up early to get ready in the morning. Amazing.
Thinking about that, I walked toward the source of the smell. I knew I’d startle them if I showed my face, so I decided to observe the situation using only the haze manipulation.
Many breakfasts were already prepared and set on trays. They just had to be carried.
In that case, I’ll head to the place where I had dinner yesterday. I should sit down there first.
Thinking that, I walked there immediately.
I opened the sliding door and sat in front of the iror*i, the place where I sat yesterday. (Sunken Hearth/Fireplace)
But man, yesterday’s dinner was delicious. It was as impressive as when I first had Japanese food after coming to this world. Rice is really delicious… and miso soup.
“Oh, good morning, Ouren-sama. You’re up early.”
“Good morning, Uchikage. How many days did I sleep?”
“Don’t worry. You’re fine.”
“That’s good… I guess it’s scary after all.”
“Hahaha, you don’t seem like someone who gets scared.”
Uchikage laughed and placed a cushion, sitting down. Even with his prosthetic legs, he can move them quite well. He must have spent a long time getting to this point.
He put his cane beside him and lit the irori. It’s not that cold today, but…
“Do you need the fire?”
“Yes, it’s cold today.”
“…? Is it cold?”
“Huh? You don’t feel cold? I had a hard time getting out of bed.”
“Hmm?”
Well, I don’t feel cold at all. Have I evolved and changed somehow? I don’t have resistance to that kind of thing, though…
Anyway, it’s fine if the fire is lit. It adds to the ambiance.
After lighting the fire, Uchikage sat back down.
“Ouren-sama, I have one thing to discuss.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“Currently, we’re making arrangements for the preparations for your group’s sealing on the other side. Asur-dono, Bart-dono, and Satella-dono have sent troops to convey this information. Negotiations will take time, and the day isn’t too far away, but it’s not today. Until then, please feel free to do as you like.”
“Ah, it will take some time, I see. Understood. I’ll do as you say until the preparations are complete.”
Well, it will certainly take some time. Until then, I’ll enjoy my freedom. It’s the last bit of freedom I have.
When I think about it, Hiwa is amazing. It’s like a fast and decisive battle. They decide and act quickly. I don’t have that kind of courage… Well, for this situation, I want to get it over with as soon as possible. While my determination remains… not that it’s going to change.”
“Oh, by the way, Uchikage.”
“Yes?”
“I’d like to decide on a place to send Karna and Yuuzen. Is there a good place nearby?”
“Yes, there is. It’s the shrine of the previous White Snake, inside a cave. If you send them there, I or my successor will definitely go to meet them.”
“Alright, then, please do that.”
Uchikage nodded. For now, the safety of those two is assured. I’ll leave the rest to Uchikage.
Then, Uchikage’s serious expression softened, and he smiled a little. With no blindfold, I could see that clearly.
“So, what will you do now? If you need anything, I’m here to help.”
“Hmm…”
When he asked, I pondered for a moment. It’s quite difficult to do anything outside the oni village at this point, so I thought about what I could do here. Then, a nostalgic scene crossed my mind.
“…A festival.”
“Oh?”
“A festival. I want to see that drum dance again… even if it’s a different time.”
At that, Uchikage smiled.
“You know what, Ouren-sama. Actually that time of the year is quite near.”
“Huh? Is it?”
“Yes, the rice harvest will start soon. When you were with Alena and Hime-sama, you probably didn’t have the chance to go outside the castle town. So, it’s natural that you didn’t know.”
“So, it’s this autumn?”
I still can’t figure out why I’m not feeling cold at all. Or, more precisely, I think my current stats are probably the stats I had when I became a dragon. For humans, it would likely be a considerable nerf. Though, it seems like my attack power and magical power are separate.
Well, in any case, the festival is coming soon! I’ll probably have some time before the sealing, so I can enjoy it!
“Well, then, shall we advance the timing of the rice harvest a little? After all, the festival can’t start without rice.”
“Is it okay? Is the quality of the rice and everything alright?”
“No need to worry. The rice plants are already mature, and we’re planning to harvest them soon. The war made it hard for everyone to coordinate their schedules, but since the war is ending, it should be fine.”
“That’s good. A festival… I’m looking forward to it. Can I eat that fish again?”
“The treasure fish, right? Of course, I’ll make sure to prepare it.”
“Oh!”
That fish was delicious! I hope there haven’t been any changes… It should be alright, shouldn’t it? Well, if anything happens, I’ll handle it somehow.
Oh! I’m a dragon now, so I can’t dive into the water anymore. Seems impossible.
The sliding door opened gently. This time, it seemed like Houen had entered.
“Good morning. You’re up early.”
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Houen. Listen to this! The festival is starting!”
“Festival…?”
Oh, right, Houen wasn’t there during that time! Well, not entirely. I do remember giving Houen a mana potion when I turned into a snake… But it’s probably better to keep that to myself.
Setting that aside, I’d like to participate in this festival, starting from the rice harvest. After all, I couldn’t do anything back then. If possible, I’d like to experience it.
Then, the sliding door opened again. Hime-sama was looking at us with a surprised expression.
“Whoaa, everyone is up early!”
“Oh, Hime-sama, were you cooking?”
“Yes! Yesterday, I wanted to stay with Ouren-sama, so I left it to others, but today, I cooked myself! Please enjoy!”
“Oh!”
And with that, our trays were placed in front of us, filled with a breakfast befitting the occasion. When we tasted it, it was delicious.
It seems Hime-sama has changed significantly in these six years. She’s no longer just a spoiled Hime-sama. I thought she hadn’t changed at all, but it seems everything about her has changed.
“Well, I’ll go wake up the others!”
With a cheerful tone, Hime-sama ran down the hallway. The sound of her falling at the end of her enthusiastic run is all part of the package.
“She hasn’t changed at all.”
“Hahaha, indeed.”