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 165
6-2. Side -Uchikage – Return Report
The scent of new tatami mats filled the room.
The texture was pleasant, and above all, it was comforting.
Sitting there, gazing at the veranda, it started to rain, drop by drop.
Looking up through the eaves at the sky that had suddenly turned cloudy, thunder rumbled in the distance.
The rain was still light, but at this rate, it would likely become a downpour later.
Uchikage stood up slowly and closed the storm shutters.
Although it was a bit lonely not to be able to see outside, closing the shutters made the smell of the tatami mats even stronger.
Not bad, he thought as he sat on a cushion and moved a stack of documents off the desk and onto a tray.
The village of Oni had been attacked by angels, and the restoration process had doubled the usual paperwork.
He drank some now-cold tea and sighed.
“…”
The soldiers from the Garrot Kingdom had already left.
It was largely due to Yuuzen’s quick escape and the villagers’ knowledge about Yuuzen.
The soldiers left frustrated, unable to gather sufficient evidence.
Remembering their expressions, Uchikage chuckled softly.
Did they feel it was a wasted effort?
But the Amariaz matter wasn’t over yet.
Uchikage didn’t know how Sreize was handling it, but he hoped it could be stalled for a while longer.
However, the other side was serious.
Having found a weak spot, they would desperately try to reclaim it.
He was aware that he was causing trouble, but he didn’t want to damage their friendly relations.
The investigation was to show goodwill, allowing the soldiers to inspect freely.
He sensed a small presence approaching.
Looking over, he saw Shizunuma peeking through the sliding door before quickly kneeling.
“Uchikage-sama, there’s something suspicious at the Sacred Fish Plain.”
“And what of it?”
“We’ve captured and are interrogating the suspect. Though human, he seems to be connected to the angels. He was equipped with Thekil’s gear.”
“How much are they mass-producing?”
Uchikage picked up a scroll.
Unrolling it, he found the method for making the magic tools Thekil left in the village.
This was clearly authentic, recorded in only this one place.
The source of the design leak was still under investigation.
There was one suspicion, but it didn’t quite fit.
There wasn’t a single person in the village who would betray them for the angels.
Their ability to keep Yuuzen’s secret proved their loyalty.
“Hmm…”
“There might be a skill to silently blend in and read designs, but…”
“Indeed. But if that’s the case, I’d have to suspect everyone I’ve invited into this room.”
“That’s true…”
Shizunuma frowned, contemplating other possibilities.
But since skills were involved, answers were elusive.
They couldn’t even guess what kind had been used.
Skills exceeded expectations, surpassing even hypotheses and imagination.
Really troublesome, Uchikage sighed.
“How is Tatareba’s condition?”
“She still can’t move, but the doctor says she’ll be fine.”
“Really? The one the doctor said might not survive is eating rice balls now?”
“She’s eating heartily.”
“Hopefully she doesn’t lose her edge.”
Though young, she would need to rest for a while, likely losing some strength.
Regaining her fighting capability would take time, but that depended on her.
But knowing Tatareba, she would probably recover quickly and return to duty soon.
Suddenly, the corridor grew noisy.
Someone was running towards them.
Both recognized the familiar presence.
Bursting in was Kenra, sweating and out of breath, having run from a considerable distance at full speed.
“What’s wrong, Kenra? You seem unusually flustered.”
“Cough, cough…! Uchikage-sama…! Yu-Yuuzen-kun has returned!”
“!? !?”
Uchikage immediately stood, threw on a kimono, and without a word, opened the rain shutter on the veranda, leaping out in an instant.
Kenra, bewildered by the sudden movement, couldn’t comprehend what had happened, but Shizunuma managed to follow with his eyes and quickly chased after him.
Left alone, Kenra collapsed to the tatami, catching his breath.
“I can’t…run anymore…”