I Was a Small Fish When I Reincarnated, but It Seems That I Can Become a Dragon, so I Will Do My Best - Extra Chapter 101
4-21. Side -Uchikage- Report
The two of them made their way to the main hall of the Oni castle and entered a room within it.
Sreiz used the spell “Silence” to ensure that their conversation would not be overheard.
Although the room was dimly lit, the atmosphere was just right for a private meeting.
Sitting on cushions facing each other, they began their discussion.
Sreiz started by calmly explaining the events that had unfolded in his country.
“It all began last night. Time-wise… it was still early evening. Almost all of our citizens suddenly started proclaiming that Yuuzen was the child of the Spirit Tortoise.”
It was truly a sudden turn of events.
Conversations about harboring the child of the evil god in the Oni village and being in a friendly relationship with them spread rapidly, leading to demonstrations almost immediately.
It was difficult for soldiers to contain the gatherings, and it was necessary for the king himself to step forward to listen to their demands.
Normally, Sreiz wouldn’t have been the one to come here, but he sensed that something was amiss and decided to come here against all odds.
He knew that leaving it to his subordinates and soldiers alone could lead to trouble, especially since there were already those with hostile intentions.
He managed to convince the citizens to back down under the condition that he would personally go to the Oni village to investigate and ensure the safe return of Amariaz.
Understanding that without the people, there would be no king, and without the king, there would be no people, Sreiz couldn’t ignore their demands.
However, it resulted in a one-sided investigation.
Sreiz apologized once again for the earlier rudeness.
The situation in the Gharott Kingdom was now clear.
The angel most likely used skills to inform the citizens of the Gharott Kingdom that Yuuzen was the child of the evil god.
If the angel had appeared and used skills, then the angel who had informed the citizens could be seen as not a savior but someone who had informed them of the danger.
In a matter of seconds, it wouldn’t be strange for them to side with the angels.
“However, did the angel not use skills on you?” Sreiz asked.
“The… angel?”
Now it was time to explain their side of the situation.
Uchikage explained in detail to Sreiz what had happened yesterday.
How the angel, disguised as a devil, was brought by Yuuzen.
How it suddenly transformed and destroyed the Oni village.
And how it possessed skills and told them that Yuuzen was the child of the evil god.
Sreiz seemed to be inspecting the houses that collapsed and were being rebuilt, nodding in understanding.
But at the same time, he had a bad feeling about it.
A question arose, and he couldn’t help but ask.
“Wait a minute, Uchikage. Was the angel alone?”
“Just one.”
“…And it caused that much damage alone!?”
“One of my subordinates was seriously injured. They tried to stop it and fought back.”
“If even Oni couldn’t handle it, then we wouldn’t stand a chance…”
Sreiz sighed.
Uchikage brought the conversation back, asking.
“Why didn’t they use the skill on the royal family…?”
“Perhaps they ran out of magic?”
At that moment, it dawned on him.
The population of the Gharott Kingdom far exceeded that of the Oni village, and now it was a great power with a vast territory.
Even if they had skills, it would be impossible to use them on the entire population.
It would be natural for them to run out of magic.
Realizing this, Uchikage covered his face with one hand.
How could he have overlooked something so obvious?
Forgetting about running out of magic despite having skills was a significant oversight.
“Damn it…!”
“What’s wrong?”
“I knew they would use skills. If I had considered running out of magic, their combat power would have been greatly reduced… I should have sent elite troops to deal with them instead of focusing on reconstruction…!”
“Yeah… But it’s only natural for a king to think of his country. It’s understandable if you get distracted. Besides, it’s too late now. We need to focus on what comes next.”
“…You’re right.”
I won’t use aging as an excuse for my dull thoughts.
It was my own shortcomings that led to not realizing this.
To redeem myself, let’s have a more practical conversation.
With that in mind, Sreiz asked,
“By the way, where is Yuuzen now? I’m curious about Amariaz as well… I assume they’re not hiding away?”
“They’re currently being sheltered by the Devil.”
“The… Devil!?”
Sreiz leaned forward and exclaimed. His reaction was entirely reasonable.
But Uchikage gestured for him to calm down and explained,
“Devils are often skilled individuals and my comrades. They’re trustworthy.”
“I-Is that so…? Well then, that’s good…”
He seemed quite shaken. But that was to be expected.
Devils were always depicted as wicked beings who committed heinous acts against humans.
However, that was just folklore.
In reality, they were not like that at all.
Though still feeling uneasy, Sreiz managed to calm himself down. He took a deep breath and focused on Uchikage.
“So, what do we do now?”
“The angel’s goal is to retrieve skilled individuals. I’m probably not an exception. However, for now, I want to maintain the relationship between the Gharott Kingdom and the Oni village.”
“That’s what I want too. It’s shameful, but I don’t feel confident about protecting Amariaz even if we accept him. Dealing with a skill-bearer opponent would be like a crushing defeat.”
“In that case, could you do something about that group?”
“That’s… tough…”
He groaned and held his head.
And rightly so.
One of the purposes of coming here was to recover Amariaz.
Although he lied earlier about hiding away, given the circumstances, he might not be able to return for years.
He realized that even if he explained the truth, they might not listen, so Sreiz began to think seriously about how to explain it.
But no matter how he explained it, he might not be able to avoid condemnation.
As he pondered while looking at him, Uchikage also considered his thoughts.
But for now, they needed to send the Gharott Kingdom soldiers back.
If they tried to do something under their surveillance, they would surely be stopped.
If Sreiz’s persuasion was hindered by this, they might resort to more forceful measures.
“So, how long do you plan to stay here?”
“I would like to stay for as long as necessary in this situation, but I’ll leave as soon as possible. Let’s say I’ll step down once the investigation is complete. I can’t leave the country unattended for too long as a king.”
“Then, would you also investigate the angel’s actions at the same time?”
“That’s the plan. If that creature becomes an enemy, that group might reconsider their stance.”
It would take several days for the results to come out.
During that time, they also needed to do what they could.
If they kept talking here, Sreiz’s soldiers would become restless.
So they decided to end the discussion here and leave the second palace together.
As they realized, the outside was noisy.
They exchanged glances and quickly made their way to the entrance.