The Strongest Wizard Becomes a Countryside Guardsman After Taking an Arrow to the Knee

Chapter 150 – The Servants of the Duchess

The dragon’s palace was immense. It took us quite a while to walk to the kitchen.

The kitchen was huge too. However, there were human-sized tables there.

「I’m glad there’s furniture here that we can use easily.」

「I said this before, but we usually don’t eat in dragon form.」

The same as the toilet, they seem to eat in human form.

If that’s the case, then it’s obvious they’d need human-sized furniture.

I again saw Luka scribbling away on her memo pad.

We all ate the lunches that Millet had made for us.

「ryaa ryaa」

「Shiggy, take your time and eat slowly.」

「ryaamm」

Shiggy ate only meat from the day she cracked out of her egg.

But lately she ate things other than meat.

Seeing this, I decided to ask Timi.

「Timi, what’s the right food to feed Shiggy?」

「An ancient dragon can eat meat or vegetable. We can eat magic stones too.」

「I see.」

「What type of meat did you give her after she hatched?」

「…g…great dragon and so on.」

I wondered if she’d get angry about me feeding her that.

I was a little worried, but I still told her straight.

Maybe it might be a reason for Shiggy to not grow well.

So it was best not to hide anything from her.

「Oh, great dragon? That’s good food!」

「What? It tastes good?」

「Yeah, it has a lot of magic power in the meat…in human terms, it’s seen as quite nutritious.」

It wasn’t very good meat for humans though.

But it seems that the ancient dragons really like them.

『It is quite good.』

「You like it too, Femm?」

「Wuff.」

When Femm and the other wolves were starving, they lived off drinking the hot springs water.

Maybe beasts like that like eating things with magical meat in them.

「Alra, it’s true that great dragon meat is good.」

「Y, yeah.」

「But this lunch Millet made is great too.」

「Then say that to Millet.」

「Oh, yeah, Millet. This meal is great! Thanks again, as always.」

「ryaa ryaa!」

「Ah, my pleasure.」

Timi thanked Millet so directly that Millet blushed.

Shiggy flapped her wings and drew next to Millet.

No doubt she was showing her thanks as well.

「You’re welcome too, Shiggy.」

「ryaa」

Millet reached down to pet Shiggy.

It seemed she really wanted to thank her.

With the lunch over, I said to Timi,

「You said you had some tool that could find the followers of the reaper or the magic god?」

「Yes. I know I did. We still have time, or would you like to go directly to the treasury?」

「Time? Is there something happening after this?」

「Well…」

She said, picking Shiggy up off the floor. Just then, a bell chimed.

It was a clean sound that you wanted to hear over and over.

Cruz looked around her.

Timi breathed out a sigh.

「Hm. Earlier than I thought. Let’s put off the treasury.」

「What sound was that?」

「A visitor.」

「A visitor?」

Cruz seemed to understand, but this was the pole.

So I asked Timi,

「You have visitors?」

「Not many, but the servants of Shiggy knew she was going to ascend the throne.」

「Oh…」

「I’ll change back to my dragon form to greet them.」

Saying that, she handed Shiggy over to me.

「ryaa」

Shiggy scrambled back into the pouch.

Then, Timi grew and left to greet the visitors.

「I’ve seen her do this over and over, but she’s still so huge!」

「Timi is HUGE!」

Millet and Collette said in loud voices.

The elven sisters weren’t scared by it…some guts.

Femm could learn something about being brave from those girls.

「Wuff.」

「You okay?」

「Wuff?」

Femm was just standing there with its tail spiked up in fear.

「It seems that she’s greeting them in the throne room. Let’s go and see.」

We walked back to the throne room. There were several levels to the room.

And it was massive. Big enough for you to build a mansion out of the throne.

I climbed with Shiggy up to the seat. Once up at the top, I placed Shiggy on the throne. Well, it was more placing than seating.

Shiggy looked confused.

「ryaa?」

「Look royal, okay?」

「ryaa」

「Alfredora, please stand behind and to the left of Sighisoara.」

「Can I sand here on the throne?」

「Go ahead. You’re the one looking after Sighisoara, Alfredora.」

「I see. Do I need to take off my shoes?」

「Don’t worry about that. By the way, this is where I sit. As I am a viscount, my position isn’t so high, but I am the aunt of a duchess.」

Timi’s seat was to left and a bit ahead.

I wondered what the laws of royalty were for ancient dragons. It seemed quite different from human ones.

Even so, I had no idea what manners were in human royalty either.

Timi now informed Cruz and the others where to stand.

「Since you are not the servants of Sighisoara, but guests, you may stand over there.」

「Okay…」

Cruz and the others stood before the throne, near the right wall.

Since they were far lower than us, they looked like servants.

However, as Timi said, the places where attendants and guests stand are different. The right is for guests, the left is for servants.

This also was different from human society.

「That place is close to where the other dukes and duchesses stand when they visit. But they have a special area as well.」

「Oh?」

「Wow, that’s something. Where do they usually stand?」

Cruz didn’t sound so interested, but Luka asked more with great interest.

She was sketching everything down in her memo pad, with all the places carefully noted.

「Over here.」

Timi indicated a place near the throne, about half way up.

「It looks like one step down from the duchess’.」

「Well, Sighisoara is the ruler of this throne.」

「Wow!」

We all made sure of where to stand, as Timi moved the operation panel on the side of the throne.

We could hear a portal open far away. Then another, and another, and another, closer and closer to the throne room.

We soon could see the shapes of other ancient dragons.

「RyaaaaaaRyaaaaRyaaaa」

They cried out in low voices, and bowed to the ground.

「Baron. We are happy you came as soon as you could once you knew the duchess ascended the throne. We are pleased to see you!」

「Ryaaaa…I am happy to be here.」

Timi and the baron spoke to each other in human language.

The baron saw that humans were in the place for guests and so also spoke in human speech.

「ryaa!」

「Ah! I’m so grateful to hear your gracious greeting!」

Shiggy cried out, and the baron responded.

Then the baron fell to his knees. He rolled over and showed his belly and lifted his neck.

Almost like how a dog rolls over in surrender.

「…does this mean your ryaa you said to him had meaning?」

「ryaa」

Shiggy looked over at me proudly.

All Shiggy ever did was say ryaa.

However, I guess whatever she said had some meaning.

Some baby! More like a genius.

「ryaa!」

Shiggy cried out again, and the baron rose.

The rolling on the floor must have been some kind of ceremony.

In human terms, it might be like when a knight has a sword put on his shoulder by a king.

Then different ancient dragons filled the room.

About 20 in all. They all were servants of Sighisoara.

They all fell to the floor and rolled when Shiggy spoke to them and then rose when he spoke again.

「Is everyone here?」

Timi said, and the closest to the thrones stood forward.

「All 20 servants of the majestic duchess Sighisoara are in attendance.」

「ryaa!」

「「Yes Ma’am!」」

All 20 dragons bowed when Shiggy spoke.

But all she was saying was 「Ryaa!」. I guess they all understood it.

Maybe I should get Timi to teach me some dragon speak next time.

Just then, the first servant dragon looked at me. He was the one that was called baron when he was greeted.

It seems he is the highest rank among the dragons.

「Who is this human?」

「Why is a human standing with the duchess?」

「And why does he stand on the throne? Isn’t this quite a display of insolence?」

The baron, then the other dragons, began questioning who I was and what I was doing there.

For a human to be standing on a dragon throne. It wasn’t appropriate for me to be here.

They were quite polite all the same because Timi and Shiggy were there.

Timi nodded and then spoke to me.

「Sir Alfredora, the seal…」

「Understood.」

I raised my right hand to show them all the seal.

And just as usual, the seal shone with a blue light like freshly fallen snow.

「How could…」

The dragons were all shocked.

「Sir Alfredora was given the seal by the previous duchess and is the one entrusted to care for Sighisoara.」

「Oh!」

「He’s been given the honorary -ra!」

「T…there’s no way!」

All of the dragons were even more perplexed. They looked at each other with surprised faces.

「ryaaa!」

「Y…yes ma’am! We’re very sorry for questioning!」

「Excuse our rudeness!」

Shiggy shouted at them loudly and they all bowed again.

Then the lead dragon rolled over on the floor again.

All the other dragons followed him.

Timi watched them all and said.

「Alfredora. They are apologizing and pledging their allegiance to you. Do you accept their apologies?」

「S…sure…I’m not angry.」

I was kind of lost with what to do.

For the ancient dragons, maybe rolling on the floor was like falling to one’s feet.

「It is of no bother to him.」

Timi bowed a bit, and then turned to the dragons.

「Alfredora has been gracious enough to accept your apology.」

「Yes ma’am!」

The dragons again stood, and bowed again.

「What is going on…」

I said to myself without thinking.

I thought it would take a while to get used to this new dragon culture.