How long had I been flowing down the river?
My limbs were still not movable.
I could only look up at the star-filled sky while floating.
Night time…….
I was not sure how long had passed, but it seems like quite some time had passed.
And, I didn’t have anymore stamina.
Everything below under my eyes couldn’t be felt.
Unexpectedly, I could not feel pain nor coldness.
I just felt ……sleepy.
Wasn’t this a more dangerous situation……, I thought about it as if it was another’s problem.
This felt just like a dream. I’m not even sure if I am awake or asleep– At that moment,I heard that voice.
「–Lute! Lute–! Where are you!? Reply me…… Just give me a reply please!」
I was not sure how had Cordelia known my situation.
After that, Moses should have skillfully explain to Cordelia.
Or maybe he told the truth honestly.
Or maybe about me being ambushed by a monster or something.
Whichever it was, I bet Moses would most probably prevent me from meeting Cordelia.
Was it just a coincidence that she had found me,or was it some sort of skill for heroes,maybe even a very overpowered 5th sense of hers. That’s not important.
Despite being in this big forest, Cordelia was able to pinpoint and arrive at my current location.
Near the gravel along the river.
Cordelia was looking here while dashing as a very high speed.
Seems like I was saved…… Noticing she was coming closer, I shook my head left and right.
「I have finally found you! Wait for me Lute! I will immediately sav……tte……eh……?」
It seemed like life was not easy.
Flowing down the river, there was a gigantic waterfall in front of my eyes.
The waterfall was well-known to be around here– It should be at least a 50 metres.
I didn’t know if Cordelia had already exceeded the human limit or not, however, to a villager like me to endure this fall is a bit too unreasonable.
Cordelia saw the incoming waterfall, and she walked closer wanting to jump into the water without a second thought.
Even so, no matter how outstanding her power was, the distance between us showed that it was impossible–.
「–Sorry. Cordelia……Bye.」
It was actually a very soft and small voice, in my current situation, I was unable to speak up clearly.
However, the fact that my words were properly conveyed could be seen as her facial expression turned rigid at that moment.
The word ‘sorry’ had two meanings.
I’m afraid that I am dead. That was one of the meaning…… Therefore, sorry.
The next one was for not accepting/ was unable to accept her confession…… Sorry, in that sense too.
I had noticed Cordelia’s feelings towards me.
If you added my memories before I was reincarnated, she is just too young for my taste.
However, after a few years…… she would be beautiful until I allowed myself to chase after her.
By that time, she would probably stop looking this way.
While thinking about those, I had a flashback on memories of Cordelia since we were born.
She was still normally following behind me at six.
From the age on seven onward when the effect of her Occupational Aptitude started to take effect on her growth…… I became the one who hide behind her back.
Even though our positions had changed, our relationship stayed the same, we were still, like always, on good terms.
She naturally recognised me as her partner, and had willingly chose me to be that.
But…… just as I had thought.
–The one being protected was me, as Moses has said……in a lot of meanings, I didn’t have the rights to be at an equal position with her.
–Aaa…… So uncool……. Stronger…… I want to become stronger……
And at the same time as the sound of Cordelia jumping into the river could be heard in a distance–
–I fell down into an abyss.
It was a dim cave.
There were drips of water droplets falling from the stalactite on the ceilings.
The cold splash of water droplets woke me up, and I became speechless
「This is a cave under the forest…… the way to the Dragon’s Residence」
The one who was talking to me was– a very big red dragon.
Its height should be around 15 metres tall. I could not utter a single word after laying my eyes upon its gigantic form.
「Creatures fell down the waterfall were usually…… drowned in the water, they were destined to be stuck inside the water for a longer time. Whether this can be counted as a good luck or a bad luck…… well done arriving this place through the connected waterways.」
Apparently, it seems that I had been flowed to a rocky place.
But…… was it because the influence of the drug before still remained, or was it due to the dangerous fall, my body still couldn’t move.
I talked with my only left movable mouth.
「………… I want to ask for a favour.」
「……This is also some kind of fate. If it is possible for me to accomplish it, I will listen to it.」
While thinking that it was a strange person (or dragon) who unusually listen to what I have to say, I continued.
「……I’ve heard that. People who were living in the Dragon’s Residence will get stronger……」
「It is no doubt that a number of people…… became stronger. Those were people who had built friendship with us, and shared their moments with us. When they went out to the world outside…… Maa, it seems that they became famous heroes.」
They were all famous heroic figures.
The details were different depending on the traditional stories, but they were all ordinary people who had connection with the dragons.
They would live together with the dragons, obtain a mysterious power and return with the power to become a hero…… that kind of stories.
「Please bring me…… I want to…… become stronger.」
「…… Unfortunately, I cannot heed to your request.」
「Just now, you’ve just said that you will listen to my request.」
Yes, the dragon nodded.
「I will listen to your wish as much as possible. There is no lie in those words, dragons are a noble clan……. as long as there is nothing big, we will not speak lies…… No, to be accurate, in order for dragons to retain their powers, they cannot lie. Even if I say it is because of the power of language…… it is not like you will understand.」
「……The reason for not listening is?」
「There are two reasons. One of them is because of the age restriction. To bring someone to the Dragon’s Residence is like accepting him as a family. Human’s custom and common knowledge will become a irregular that might disrupt our place…… long since, a human were welcomed as a dragon were usually kids and slaves under 12 years old…… They were picked up because of the whims of some dragons.」
「……The other one is?」
「…… You are already dead, it’s not like I can bring the dead with me.」
The dragon was looking at my stomach.
Then the dragon used its claws to lift my head and turned it slightly downwards.
–Aaa, this is not good.
My internal organs are popped out and my blood was flowing profusely.
Besides that, much pain that couldn’t be felt proved it fatal.
Hypothermia…… and seemed like my nervous system was paralyzed.
That means that it was impossible to make use of it anymore.
And, I had just noticed.
That was why the dragon was strangely friendly to me. It probably listen to my request as a sign to respect the dead……
My time limit was getting shorter, I need to finish this fast.
「Jyaa, If I…… clear those conditions?」
「Aaa, It was me who said that I will hear your wishes if I could, and that is not a lie. However, you will die soon, and your age cannot be reverted. That is something that will never happen.」
I laughed fearlessly while asking the dragon.
「I will take your word for it.」
「I gave you my word for what?」
「…… What I want is…… the Protection of the Dragons and…… the Big Library of the Dragon King.」
There, the dragon’s voice appeared shocked.
「You…… Why do you know about it? No…… Rather than asking…… It will be faster to read your mind…….」
The dragon closed its eyes.
Few seconds later, it started laughing non-stop as if a switch was been broken.
「So it was like that. You are…… a reincarnator aren’t you…… and………… Fufu. Fuhahahahaha! I see…… it seems that you are thinking of something interesting……furthermore–at that day at that place…… you were there. When the Yuusha’s village was being attacked…… I had helped a child of man in a whim there.」
It narrowed its eyes and laughed as if it was truly delighted.
It was getting harder to even let out a voice.
My body is getting sluggish.
「…… At that time, you…… saved a twelve year old from a goblin and return him to his mother. At that moment, you read my mind…… you said this 『You are following a weird fate.」
「Fufu, if things goes as you wish…… then the words 『at that time』 would have been different.」
I was almost at my limit.
My sight was getting blurry.
At that moment, I heard the dragon’s voice.
「『I promised a very troublesome request…… with this, I’ll need to bring you back to the Dragon’s Residence.』」
「………… Those words…… can I take it as my request was accepted? But…… from here onward……the future……is a bet…………」
Then the dragon opened its mouth.
It’s gigantic teeth could be seen lined up in that atrocious, big as a grown man’s arm, mouth.
「Then die…… Lute Marklen.」
The dragon grabbed me and threw me in its mouth.
A crunch could be heard as he chewed on my skull.
Then– I…… Lute Marklen had died in my second life.
……Apparently, I have won the bet.
When I had noticed, I was in a mysterious white space.
And there was a blond goddess in front of me.
Yes, this place is the place where I had first arrived after I died in Japan.
And at this moment, it hadn’t yet been five minutes since I was hit by a truck in Japan.
–Skill: Returning from the dead.
The goddess gave me this skill when I was reincarnated…… No, it was a skill that I had chosen.
What I was afraid was that if this skill would activate or not.
Maa, in the end, the first phase of my bet resulted in my victory.
「It seems like…… a lot has happened.」
She gave me a full smile.
「Aa. A lot had happened. Then………… can I choose the skill to return from the dead once more?」
「Unfortunately, I am sorry I cannot give you this cheat-like skill again…… you can choose two skill other than that one.」
「That’s a shame. And…… as expected.」
The success of the second phase of my bet was set here.
Not sure if she had read my mind, the goddess smiled and said.
「The real intention for that item…… There were many who realised it was like a tutorial function.」
「However, there were not many who chose that right?」
「First of all, you will usually have doubts whether you can really return from the dead because it is a skill that only activates when you are dead…… you can only see the effects when you died, it will be too late by then.」
「Indeed, I was also skeptical of whether I could come back here or not.」
「In addition, you can only choose a skill at a time, you cannot take two…… I will also not explain anymore than that. Therefore, even if you returned from dying, there is no guarantee that you can re-choose two skills.」
The goddess shrugged her shoulders and said like she was amazed.
「To return from the dead, there is a possibility that you’ll lose one of your skill limit to exchange for experiences. There is only YOU who has chosen this skill without hesitation……」
「If you are to reincarnate into a villager, you could only gamble, no?」
「So, what kind of skills do you hope to get this time?」
「In the end, will my occupation stay as a villager?」
「Yes. That will not change. And also, you will be born in the same place and the same environment…… just like the tutorial before.」
「Skill……『Indomitable』 （不屈: Fukutsu) is what I want. It is because I am a villager…… I want to have the mental ability which was of an ordinary Japanese can endure…… I cannot become stronger half-baked.」
「What about the other one? Will it be the same as the one before, a skill to read books in your head from libraries around the world…… Wisdom?」
「No, the most effective plan for my second lap will only be complete when I reach 10 years old…… From that point onward, I plan to train in the Dragon Residence’s Great Dragon King’s Library.」
「What do you want then?」
Right…… I thought while making a bitter smile.
「Do you have a skill for…… gardening?」
The goddess replied with a strange look.
「Crop cultivation skill can replace it……. but, are you serious?」
「Agricultural crop cultivation…… there is no skill other than this suits a villager more right…… then that will be good enough.」
I accepted the skill I had asked for.
In the short while, my smile did not fade.
Feeling peculiar, the goddess asked me.
「Really, why choose…… gardening? In the end, isn’t this the same as wasting a skill limit……?」
I nodded my head and answered.
「That person…… likes flowers. For her, killing is like a daily routine…… at least, I want to grow flowers that can make her smile.」
She thought for a second and nodded her head, then she made a kind smile.
「I understand. Then please accept the Skill: Indomitable and Skill: Crop Cultivation.」
Everything was wrapped in white.
In the middle of the torrents of lights, I heard her excited voice.
「Then, have a good trip……」
Soon, I was born in the wooden house in my mother.
Yes, born as a powerless and and poor villager.
But now, I am walking on the path to victory.
–My name is Iijima Ryuuto.
There is no other name more suitable than mine to be one of the person who will be accepted into the Dragon’s Residence and to be grown as one. (His name 竜人 has the word 竜 which means dragon)
Furthermore, with preparations, I could do stuff that normal people could not when they were young.
This somewhat unreasonable skill: Indomitable should be useful somewhere in the future.
The first time I reincarnated without a cheat…… still though, reincarnations should be a cheat right?
In the lights, my conscious once again– faded.
Saa…… I will be the upstart this time.
After those words, I started my 3rd life.
AN: Cordelia’s hair colour is silver and Ririsu’s is brownish grey
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