Chapter 31 – part 1
The inside circumstances of Alvina Kingdom and the fake act of vampirism. Feeling remorse.
※ Warning: blood-sucking situation. (Author’s Note)
Recently, not only the castle, but the castle town has been hectic as well.
More than a week has gone by since the incident with the messenger, but it seems that finally a declaration of war has arrived from Tiruzoto. Regarding this matter, probably since this also concerns me, it has been decided that I’ll participate in a meeting with the higher-ups. Honestly, I do not want to attend, but I also have some responsibility more or less and I’m feeling a little remorse.
When called by the Prince to go into the designated room, the country’s big shots were sitting in a row along a long desk. There are 6 people, including the Prince. As I was standing rock still without saying a word from the intimidating atmosphere and a feeling of coercion, the Prince prompted me with a “there” to locate myself right opposite of him. It really gives me the same tension such as if standing at a witness stand. Though I wasn’t made to stand. (1)
“You finally came, huh.”
At the Prince’s single sentence the surroundings become filled with conversation. *blahblah*…. *blahblah* …I understand.
“This young lass is?”
“It should be a mistake.”
“… No, however if this was true, then this war”
“The previous Earth Dragon could also take the for of other organisms but”
I can hear you, uncles. If you want to speak more secretly then I wish you would do so more sneakily. Certainly I even have an endorsement from Maribel and Ariade about me being absolutely un-like a Dragon. I don’t know whether that is something I should be proud of or not but I don’t like to be called a young lass. It makes me remember something unpleasant.
“Vito, sorry. They insisted on this so I couldn’t refuse them.”
The Prince said apologetically.
If you think you are sorry then please don’t call for me. I had promised to meet Maribel and Reina today, but when I excused myself from going, just how grave was it, since I was told in anger, “I don’t know the likes of you anymore!” And besides, by chance, was I just called over in order for them to confirm if I was really the Earth Dragon? I had thought that this was all about the matter with the messenger, how anticlimactic. What’s with this. Wasn’t this all just out of curiosity?
“Are you really a Dragon?”
“But I can’t believe this, you know. Is this that Earth Dragon?”
“Show me the evidence.”
Glaring gazes pierce me.
Please don’t speak all at once. I can’t take in a lot of words said all at once, I’m not Prince Shoutoku. (2) Even so, their hair color, physique, and the like, as well as their voices, they are all different, but I can’t discern them. (3) But ‘to discern them’, it’s like they are showing a bad example of a buzz session, just spouting whatever they want to say, and given that there are five people I don’t even know who’s saying what. Since I don’t even know their names then I’ll ignore them as I see fit.
When I directed a fleeting glance at the Prince, he was extremely troubled. He’s a Prince but he is still inexperienced. Probably because he is here in place of the king that’s down from illness, their opinion is more influential. And probably because there is also his blunder with the messenger incident, wasn’t that a complete loss of face. He gives the feeling of being a friend who is honest to a fault. But I, even so I still think that’s a good thing.
But since they have been saying ‘evidence, evidence’ nonstop since earlier, without being able to endure it, letting out a small sigh I open my mouth.
“Evidence, you say? If I show you some, what merit is there for me?”
I was so tense, but I’m glad that my voice I did not tremble. Let’s cover myself with a strong demeanor as much as possible.
I was so tense, but I’m glad that my voice I did not tremble. Let’s cover myself with a strong demeanor as much as possible. Since I seemed to be worried all over, it may be said that I took a challenging attitude at the right timing. Because they may be big shots or whatever but since I’m already fed up with them saying rude things and getting me involved, so from this moment I’ll star considering running away. Fortunately there’s a big window so I could escape outside from there.
“···What do you mean.”
“You seem to be talking on the premise that I am the said Earth Dragon. And, if I am that Earth Dragon, about which utilization you will give me, aren’t you, then–”
“And then? The Earth Dragon is the Holy Beast of this country. It is its duty to be in obedience for the sake of this country.”
They are interrupting what I say as if they have no interest in what I’m saying. Paying attention to what people are saying to the end is what is called manners. And. They’ve said the words I do not want to hear the most. Duty? That’s something that you decided for me by yourselves, isn’t it.
Since the tip of my patience storage is running short, let’s quickly think of something to calm me down. You know, like how to apologize to Maribelle. Because if I let myself be controlled by my emotions and end up shouting here maybe I won’t be able to continue to stay at the castle. I’m already at the degree of wanting to become a Dragon and to trample all over them. But if I end up doing that, it’ll be the end.
Compared to me who was worrying endlessly about such things, they still continued talking as before.
“It’s said you still haven’t formed a contract, so how about it, to choose someone amongst us?”
“That is great! I am too old but I will entrust this to my son.”
“Then it will be me. My house has vowed the most faithfulness to the country.”
“No, that said then it shall be Us.”
They took me being silent as proof and they proceeded to quarrel about the contract.
Contract, contract, contract, contract, contract, contract, contract, contract, contract, contract, contract, contract.
I’m fed up with this already. Don’t they know that the reason I have stubbornly rejected the contract is because there are people like them who are obsessed with the contract? The pressure and the excessively heavy expectations. I just want to live in peace, that’s why I expressly came down to the human settlements, and am living this way.
Originally I thought it wouldn’t be good for me to appear in Dragon form in front of them, but now it’s too late to regret it. If the surrounding pressure is so heavy, it might be the moment to run away from here. To fly towards a place where nobody knows me, and to start over from scratch.
… But, if I did that then I’d leave too many lingering affections in this castle. Even if I’m backbitten for it, if there’s a place I belong to, then I want to continue to stay here. That’s my wish now.
As I remain silent, they keep on arguing violently, saying, ‘me,’ ‘no, me,’ ‘I’m better.’
Is it because he can’t stop the quarrel? The Prince was heaving a sigh. Seems it’s useless for me to have expectations of him. No choice but to somehow do something on my own.
Once again I change the structure of my throat, and gave them a roar that made my throat sore. Putting in it all of what I’m feeling right now, I howl a yell at them with all of my strength. The air trembled, as well as the room itself, even the chandeliers that are hanging from the ceiling and the window’s glass shook. And even the tea cups that were placed on the desk let out the sound of getting cracked. It surely resounded throughout the castle.
After yelling I feel a little refreshed, but my throat hurts. I cleared my throat several times before facing them, and they were looking at me wide eyed, as if thinking ‘even though she looks like that.’. Their gazes contained surprise and awe, and some also contained expectations.
“That now was my evidence. …However, I’m sorry, but I decline to form the contract.”
Straightening my back, pulling up my chin and fixing my gaze on them, I clearly state my real feelings. I don’t know how important these people are in this country, but I just don’t want to yield on these feelings. I am not open mind enough to stick up to you in this contract matter.
They scowl at my words.
“You don’t want to form a contract…?”
“That’s stupid!”
“What is this. As the Holy Beast of the country —!!”
“Won’t you wait for a moment?”
As I was bracing myself to be yelled at, the only one who hadn’t joined the dispute opened his mouth for the first time. His white hair and his face carver with wrinkles, make you think he is well into his years, yet those blue eyes are shining so clearly that they won’t fall to those of the younger people. Those pupils, turned towards me.
“Miss Vito. Please forgive our discourtesy.”
“Orlando, why do you stop us! If this is the Holy Beast of Our Country then it’s duty is determined.”
Lord Orlando seems to be a little different from the other men. And although everyone is silent when Lord Orlando spoke, as if his words have more influence than the others, there was only one person who lunged forward. (4)
“Certainly for Our Country the Earth Dragon is the Sacred Beast. Without their help, in successive wars would not have been won, would they. …This may be rude, but may I ask for your age?”
“I’m 16.”
Probably. I don’t know the exact details, but I believe that’s about it, thinking objectively. If the younger brother from my human memories is a middle school student, then I should be older than that. (5) A high school or college student. But thinking on the basis of my mental age, then I believe I should be in high school. Because I know I have a stubborn side, as well as a selfish side, and even a childish side.
Lord Orlando stares at me with kind eyes, saying, “Is that so.”
“If you are sixteen then that matches the ages of our children and grandchildren? Won’t you give it a thought? Saying it’s their duty, would you ecruit your own young children and grandchildren to go to war, and even the female ones?”
“However, humans and Dragons are–!”
“Humans and Dragons are the same. It doesn’t change the fact that they are alive.”
The others seem to be dissatisfied as they are collecting wrinkles between their brows.
“The incident with Tommaso Sommer which occurred a few days ago was also the same. As result of a retainer who acted only out of his own self-interest, she was made to suffer through a fearful experience. It ought to be sufficient for us that she still remains at the castle. To expect any more than that is mere arrogance.”
What is this, I might fall in love with Lord Orlando. To think a person who would say such things for my sake would exist.
“That was responsibility of Tommaso Sommer alone! And he even received the appropriate punishment. That is completely unrelated to us, isn’t it.”
The youngest one, well, this person has probably just passed his sixtieth, has been charging at Lord Orlando since earlier. When Lord Orlando directs a sharp glare towards him, he shuts his mouth with a wince.
“Have you already forgotten? Didn’t we previously forced an Earth Dragon to form a contract, and ended up killing it?!”
“… That matter should have been dismissed as an accident.”
“There were too many mistakes on our part for it to be called an accident, were there not?” (6)
There is nobody else who flared up at Lord Orlando after that. I had also gotten surprised at those words. That was a breathtakingly shocking truth.
— Killed the earth dragon? It was dismissed as an accident? Too many mistakes on your part?
“… What does that mean?”
I asked involuntarily. Lord Orlando faced me with sad eyes.
Did this mean that there was another Dragon here before me, and that it was killed by an accident or some other reason?
“…This is something known only to us, but let’s talk about it.”
“This is a state secret, you know.”
“This child has the right to know.”
After a soft groan, they keep silent.
Is it, probably because it was an Earth Dragon, the same as me? If it’s something only they know, I wonder if it’s fine for me to hear it. But, as the feeling of wanting to know was strong, I remained silent.
Confirming that nobody had something to say, Lord Orlando began to talk.
“It has been 20 years since then. Within a very distant forest an Earth Dragon child was found. Maybe because it was still a child it was not too ferocious, and we were easily able to take it under our protection. And it was brought up in secret. Of course its contractor was decided at that time. We were surprised by the fact that the Earth Dragon’s thinking was closer to humans than to the other Dragon species. When it became an adult it could also take on human form. And when it finally became the time to form the contract, …that Earth Dragon rebelled against us. ”
I wonder if it had no parents. Well, in the first place it might have had no thing called a ‘family.’ I heard that the Earth Dragons appear suddenly, that they appear when Alvina Kingdom goes through a crisis, isn’t it a convenient system for a country from this world, …I don’t want to believe that nor can I believe it.
“Due to our impatience we forced it to form the contract. And, it ended up dying … the contractor as well, was a victim and died.”
Lord Orlando cast down his sad eyes. I wonder if it was also an unpleasant event for them, there were also other people who had downcast faces.
—It ended up, dying. If so then I …am that child’s replacement, I wonder. Etc. Although it was 20 years ago, it would have been able to participate in the war with Tiruzoto Country if it was alive now. Because that Earth Dragon disappeared, I showed up in his instead. ..Such an excessive story.
“Then we knew for the first time. That if they are not linked by strong ties to the contractor, the contract can’t be formed. So we will not be able to enforce you to make a contract.”
Because if I’m forced to do it, I will die. … This was the first time I heard of this.
To die, huh. Thinking about it now I have never thought much about dying. Also, perhaps because I’m a Dragon, there is a side of me that was looking down on it, thinking there’s no way I’d die. (6,5) Humans are, unlike Dragons, weak creatures, and I have never thought I would die by making a human my opponent. But, I might still die.
And then I’ve always thought it was weird. If they really meant to then they could trap me in jail, then force me to make a contract and take me to war. But they did not do it, so I just noticed that I believed there should have been some circumstances. The truth is that they certainly wish for me to form links with this country even if they have to confine me in a cage. And they surely had many ways to do it, they just had to procure by any possible mean a human for me to contract with, yet, I wonder if the reason they didn’t do this, was because they harbored some small sense of guilt towards the Earth Dragon that died.
“I do think that I also want you to lend your strength to the human beings that live in this country, if possible. However, as for the contract, for the Earth Dragon as well as for the human, it’s something that will haunt them for a lifetime. I’d like you to think about it properly, before taking any action.”
When Lord Orlando closed his mouth, the room was enveloped by a curtain of silence. (7)
I was just standing there unable to believe those words. They had been quarreling so much but now they had all become quiet, and even the Prince had cast his eyes down.
I am at this castle because of my own will, not for this country’s sake.
But the Prince, for his country’s sake, by being honest to a fault he ended up falling in a trap; yet I’ve seen his franticness so I know. That he really loves this country. Lord Orlando and the rest, the people at this castle and the people who live in this Alvina Kingdom and that have heard the rumor, they certainly hold a little bit of expectation towards me. Unmistakably, the one who to cast that aside and not to make a contract was me. I decided that not minding if I caused trouble for others or if someone ended up hurt.
— So, I considered it for a bit.
About why I, do not wish to form a contract.
Because I hate to be tied down, because I don’t want to succeed the country’s duty, because the expectations are too heavy, all of it are only my own feelings. Perhaps, the reason I don’t want to establish the contract so obstinately, is because I have no backbone? Not wanting to be swept around, and not wanting to walk the established rails as the successive generations of Earth Dragons have done it, carrying thoughts akin to those of an adolescent child. Thinking only I am different, thus behaving like an antagonistic oni. (8)
I wonder if that’s the reason, that by listening to Lord Orlando’s speech, I have come to doubt my own feelings.
‘Cause, I don’t know if I can really save the country even if I form the contract.
So your expectations trouble me.
— I want to fly away, throwing this all aside.
Translator’s Lair~
Vito’s roar is made of Awesomeness, i swear.
(1) unsure about this~ 立った事ないけど。 (tatta koto nai kedo)
(2) shoutoku prince – “Legends also say that Prince Shotoku could listen to 10 people talking to him while reading, and correctly restate what each one said.”https://jkllr.net/2011/08/18/prince-shotoku-the-man-the-myth/ a note in English this time! :D uhm, and Wikipedia for people who may like to read more:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Sh%C5%8Dtoku (in English, too!)
(3) not discern them – 見わけが付かない – (miwake ga tsukanai) = undiscerning. almany dict. – another note in English… I’m gonna cry from happiness! Next line actually starts with (miwake ga tsuku – discernible.)
(4) figuratively. Couldn’t think of a word to replace it with xD
(5) for those who still don’t know, or get confused since things in your country may be different: education levels in Japan.
—–1st to 6th grade: elementary school (6-12 years old, approximately.) written as小学校 (shou gakkou) ‘little school’ xD so kawaii
—–7th to 9th grade: middle school (13 to 15 years old, approx.) written as中学校 (chuu gakkou) ‘middle school’.
—–10th to 12th grade: high school (16 to 18 years old, approx) written as高校 (koukou) ‘high school.’
So Vito’s saying, since her younger brother was in middle school, (and she was kinda looking down on him as if she was a level higher) then she should be at least 16. Some random info: https://www.tokyo-icc.jp/guide_eng/educ/01.html (they have only one month of vacation, omg, poor children.)
(6) …Wild guess!! :D 事故と言うにはあまりにも我らに落ち度がありすぎた、そうだろう？
(6,5) taka wo kukutte –高をくくって – to belittle something while thinking it’s not a great deal (also to be within one’s estimation.) Goo dict. (jp)
(7) ‘the stillness visited the room with a ‘shin’ sound’ … xD しんとした静けさが部屋に訪れた。
(8) ‘like an Ama no Jaku.’ 天邪鬼のように。 Ama no jaku can mean a perverse person, but I thought it was more fitting if I left it more literal. NJ Star: (1) perverse or cussed person; contrarian; (2) antagonistic demon in Japanese folklore; (3) demon under the feet of temple guardian statues.