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 102
My back hurt again.
4-22.Side -Kenra- Please pick up
Kenra, who witnessed Uchikage and Sreiz entering the Oni Castle’s inner palace, waited in front of the entrance for them to come out.
Meetings usually took time, but Kenra thought they would finish the conversation quickly given the circumstances.
He was their escort during this time.
His role was to investigate if any suspicious individuals were eavesdropping.
He couldn’t afford to disrupt this meeting.
Most likely, Uchikage intended to have a frank discussion with Sreiz, and this was also for appeasement.
This meeting was convened to protect him and Amariaz.
It would be extremely detrimental if their conversation was overheard.
If information leaked, it could imply that they had no intention of returning Amariaz and that they were truly harboring appeasement.
He remained vigilant, paying attention to approaching individuals with several times more alertness than usual.
The Oni retainers surrounded the mansion, and their guard was thorough.
If something happened, he was supposed to signal with a whistle.
Although Kenra was considered the strongest among the retainers, he waited in front of the entrance, ensuring no assassins entered.
But the enemy this time wasn’t an assassin.
They were soldiers from the Gharott Kingdom.
He squinted and realized that three Gharott Kingdom soldiers were approaching.
They must have ignored their lord’s orders.
“Please leave,” Kenra threw his words before they could speak.
However, the soldiers continued walking towards them.
He stood in front of them, hands resting on the hilt of his sword, vigilant, and spoke again.
“Where is Sreiz-sama?”
“Please leave. Our guests are currently engaged in an important conversation, and we cannot allow any disturbances.”
At the point where his hand rested on the hilt, it was clear he was considering forceful measures.
Kenra quietly cut the lanyard of the katana he had hidden, so they wouldn’t notice.
It seemed they noticed the weapon, but since they weren’t touching the hilt, they seemed complacent.
He understood they were being underestimated but didn’t care as it could shorten their lifespan.
The three soldiers ignored Kenra’s words and asked more forcefully, “Where is Sreiz-sama? The king wouldn’t allow him to come to such a place alone! He needs protection! Especially if he’s harboring the child of the evil god!”
“We are not harboring anyone.”
“Are you saying the Angel-sama is wrong!?”
“Angel?”
The “angel” they referred to was probably Kyuuri, whom they picked up recently.
It seemed she revealed herself and used her skills to spread the word about appeasement among the Gharott Kingdom citizens.
If so, there were probably many people under the influence of the angel.
It seemed like they gained many allies overnight.
Perhaps she hadn’t shown herself before for this preparation?
Regardless, Kenra needed to report this to Uchikage.
However, he didn’t want this meeting to be interrupted.
“In any case, you cannot meet him now. Please leave.”
“We cannot entrust it to Oni! Are you discussing something that you’re afraid of being heard!?”
“I cannot say. But consider this, would Sreiz-sama want to meet with those who are breaking orders? Especially those who are incapable of protecting themselves?”
He thought he said something perfectly reasonable, but it seemed to anger them.
One of the soldiers put more force into the hand resting on the hilt and drew his sword.
“What’s wrong with worrying about our king’s safety!!”
“Before that, why don’t you worry about your own safety? If you can’t move, you can’t protect.”
Enraged by his words, the soldier swung his sword.
Kenra, thinking that if such soldiers were nearby, Sreiz would also have a hard time, immediately drew his hidden Katana.
The flash drawn with Iaijutsu* easily blew the soldier’s sword away, and it fell far away. (Blade drawing technique)
Before the sword hit the ground, Kenra sheathed his sword and thrust the hilt towards the soldier’s throat.
The armor protecting the torso, while not covering the chin, did provide some protection to the throat.
As a result, the blow struck the chin, which was sufficient. The soldier fell back as if the thread had been cut, unconscious.
To the opponent, it would have seemed like Kenra had lunged forward after sensing an unseen slash.
“Oni Dance, Forward Head Strike.”
With a click, the visor closed. Kenra glared at the remaining two, who stepped back with their hands on their hilts.
“Will you continue?”
“Y-You, you evil mongrel…!”
“What’s all this commotion?!”
A familiar voice echoed.
Turning around, it seemed like Uchikage and Sreiz had hurried out.
Kenra immediately kneeled and reported, “Sreiz-sama’s subordinates, requested your return. When I refused and they swung their swords, I had no choice but to deal with them.”
“What!? Is that true, you lot!?”
“B-But! In this situation, the Oni are criminals hiding the child of the evil god—”
“Fool! Don’t speak of things you’re not sure about! That’s why we’re investigating! If you provoke hostility without cause, will you take responsibility if it turns into a real conflict!? Think about it!!”
Under Sreiz’s stern rebuke, the soldiers cowered completely. Although it seemed they might lunge at any moment…
After a while of reprimanding, orders were given to take the fallen soldier back. Once they were gone, a heavy sigh was let out.
“Sigh… Sorry, Uchikage.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Kenra, was it? My apologies for my subordinate’s behavior. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, no problem. However, there’s something I’d like to inform you about.”
After that preamble, Kenra shared what the soldier knew about the angel, repeating their words verbatim.
Upon hearing this, the two’s expressions changed.
The fact that the angel had appeared and leaked information meant that most of the citizens of the Gharott Kingdom might side with the angel’s faction. If that happened, it would be impossible to return Amariaz to the Gharott Kingdom.
“…I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Me too. It seems like even your temporary absence from the kingdom is part of their plan.”
“We can’t just go back now… Damn, this is troublesome.”
“Let’s do what we can. And… entrust the rest to the devils.”
At that moment, a crystal in Uchikage’s pocket made a sound.
Taking it out, an eyeball had formed and was peering at them.
… It was a message from Dacia.
<The situation has improved.>
Seeing the crystal, Sreiz was extremely surprised, but the eyeball ignored it and continued speaking.
<We will release the seal.>