Chapter 49: At the Lizardmen’s Village

(TN: I made a mistake in translating the mc’s current race; the mistake race: Chimera Abyss Dragonborn Demilich. The correct race: Chimera Abyss Dragonbone Demilich

The mistake is dragonborn; it’s actually dragonbone. Sorry, and I’ll correct it in every chapter.)

Ha, hahaha. So, this was a dragon, huh? I could tell just by looking at it. It was an opponent that we couldn’t hope to match, no matter what we did right now. Anyone would have realized such a thing if they saw the results of my [Appraisal].

――――――――――

Name: Agnasrelim

Race: Ancient Aqua Dragon Lord Lv87

Job: Dragon Lord Lv7

Skills: #####

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And the moment I appraised it, a notification came.

――――――――――

The level of [Appraisal] skill has increased.  

――――――――――

It was outrageous. Level 87, you say? Not an opponent anyone would want to face in the early stages, right? Moreover, I couldn’t even fathom the number of skills, let alone their names. And the fact that my [Appraisal] skill level increased with just one use on it—what kind of creature was this?

At the same time, I couldn’t help but be convinced. If the opponent was this strong, they could easily become an object of worship, not just for Lizardmen but for anyone. Even Jigoro, who was usually up for a fight, seemed too stunned to even consider taking this on, just like the rest of us.

Still, I couldn’t deny the sheer beauty of the dragon before us. Its appearance resembled that of a Western dragon, unlike the Lesser Small Naga we had defeated before. It seemed to be designed for underwater life, with its bat-like wings folded and its limbs being fin-like. The smooth, deep blue scales covered its body without any gaps, likely reducing water resistance.

However, its beauty was not the only aspect to take note of. Those beautiful scales could easily deflect even metal, and the row of sharp teeth could effortlessly tear me apart. The two sharply pointed horns on its head exuded an overwhelming presence. This was undoubtedly the kind of opponent you should never provoke.

“Dragon Lord!?”

“L-Lord~!”

The two Lizardmen were once again prostrating before the object of their worship. It was only natural, as a deity had appeared right in front of them.

[Hey there, welcome. Let me introduce myself. I am Agnasrelim, the Ancient Aqua Dragon Lord, the guardian of the Lizardmen and this lake.]

“I-I am Isam, a Chimera Abyss Dragonbone Demilich. I pay my respects to the mighty Dragon Lord.”

I took off my mask before bowing respectfully. Phew, I managed to introduce myself without stumbling! I felt like praising myself for being able to role-play in such a situation!

[Hahaha, you’ve got some courage there. Most people either faint in fear or panic and attack when faced with me. But there’s no need for long talk here; let’s go to the village. Come on, hop on.]

“R-Ride… No, it would be too disrespectful to ride on the back of the mighty Dragon Lord.”

[I’m telling you it’s fine. Besides, wouldn’t you want to have the rare experience of riding on the back of the Dragon Lord?]

Ugh! That’s an unfair way to put it, isn’t it? I couldn’t possibly refuse!

“Well then, excuse me…” 

I forced my stiffened body to move and climbed onto Agnasrelim’s back. It was a struggle, but I had to do it!

Agnasrelim’s back was spacious, easily accommodating around thirty humans if the dragon lord so desired. Maybe like a bus? Well, with this much space, all of us could fit in without any issues. However, the other four remained frozen in place.

[You should all ride too. I’ll say it again; it’s not every day you get to experience riding on the back of the Dragon Lord.]

After being prompted by Agnasrelim, the others finally started to move. Like me, they seemed stiff in their movements, but I couldn’t blame them.

[What about you two?]

“N-No, it’s unimaginable!”

“Riding on the Dragon Lord’s back would be the height of disrespect!”

“Hmm, I see…”

Oh? Was it just my imagination, or did Agnasrelim seem a bit sad?

[Alright then, let’s go. To our village.] 

◆◇◆◇◆◇

 It took us approximately five minutes to reach the Lizardman village. During the journey, Agnasrelim asked me how I had obtained the dragon essence. I answered honestly, and he seemed impressed, nodding in response.

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I ventured to ask him about his silence regarding my act of killing his own kind (the Lesser Small Naga). I wondered if he held any grudges against me for it. However, his response was unexpected:

[Grudge? Not at all. That young one challenged you of their own volition, and they lost because they lacked the strength. That’s all there is to it. Even if you were to defeat my family or friends, I would say the same.]

His perspective on life and death struck me as somewhat detached. He viewed such events as matters of personal responsibility, where the one who lost and perished was solely at fault. Such a way of rationalizing things might have been difficult to accept for most, but I suppose it stemmed from the mindset of a peaceful person, perhaps influenced by a Japanese sensibility.

[We’ve arrived. Come on, get off, get off.]

“Understood.”

I dismounted from Agnasrelim’s back with excitement. Oh, come to think of it, I could fly thanks to the effects of my equipment. I had completely forgotten about it until now. I guess I was just too nervous.

“Welcome back, Your Majesty the Dragon Lord! And who might these people be?” 

The Lizardman who greeted us had a more robust build than the fisherman we had met earlier. His facial features bore a resemblance to a dragon, undoubtedly showing signs of evolution. Let’s use [Appraisal].

――――――――――

Race: War Lizardman Lv27

Job: Magic Spearman Lv7

Skills: 

• [Sharp Fang]
• [Sharp Claw]
• [Tail Strike]
• [Spear Mastery]
• [Throwing Technique]
• [Strength Enhancement]
• [Defense Enhancement]
• [Agility Enhancement]
• [Earth Magic]
• [Water Magic]
• [Aquatic]
• [Night Vision]
• [Lightning Weakness]

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Oh, impressive! In terms of level, he seemed to be on par with us. He appeared remarkably strong compared to others around here; perhaps he held the position of the village’s best warrior.

[Ah, village chief, they are our guests.]

“Is that so? Hmmm? Is there someone among them emitting the aura of a dragon?” 

[Yes, that’s right. They have something they wish to discuss with you, so I brought them here.]

“With me? What could be their purpose?” 

[It’s best if you hear it at home. Well then, I’ll head back to my usual place.]

The powerful Lizardman seemed to be the village chief, not the chief warrior. I mused on whether their society followed a structure where the strongest individuals held higher positions, typical of many monster societies.

With Agnasrelim having delivered the message, he immediately dove back into the lake; he must be heading toward the place he called his “usual spot.” I wondered where that might be, but for now, the negotiation with the Lizardman took precedence.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

We made our way to the house of the Lizardman village chief to request passage rights within their territory. After a moment of contemplation, the village chief finally spoke up.

“It is possible, but would you mind granting us a favor in return?”

I nodded, understanding that it was a give-and-take situation. Let’s hear what he has in mind first.

“What is the favor?” I inquired.

“Well, you see, recently, the movements of the frog folks have been suspicious,” 

“The frog…. you mean the Toadman?” 

“Exactly. They have never shown interest in leaving their territory before. However, lately, they have been actively venturing into our territory.

An unusual behavior for monsters, it seemed. Were they becoming more aggressive? I wonder what could be the cause.

“Would you be able to find out the reason behind their actions?” 

――――――――――

Hidden Quest: “Unravel the Mystery of the Toadman!” Do you wish to accept this quest?

Yes/No

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Whoa, a quest, huh? It’s actually the second time we’re accepting a quest. The first time was during the previous event. Come to think of it, have we ever taken a regular quest at all? These monsters are truly a hassle.

I gave everyone a quick glance, asking if it was okay to take it. In our party, the leader holds the authority to accept quests. If anyone here dislikes the idea, I’d immediately put a stop to it.

However, they all just stared back at me in silence. …Well, now that I think about it, they have no eyes, don’t they! Wait, the only one with easily readable emotions and eyeballs was Jigoro!

Oh well! Whatever! It’s a “Yes,” okay? Yes!

“Alright then, we’ll do our best.”

“Oh, thank you very much! Now, allow me to guide you to the house where you’ll be staying,”

“A house?”

A house? What are you talking about? Ignoring my bewilderment, the village chief didn’t bother answering my question and promptly stood up. We had no choice but to follow suit. This person is quite assertive, huh?!

He led us to a regular-sized burrow-style dwelling located just about ten meters away from his house. Could it be?

“While you investigate the frogs, feel free to use this place,” 

――――――――――

You were granted the use of the “Lizardman’s Dwelling”

Valid until the completion of the quest “Unravel the Mystery of the Toadman.”

Do you want to set the “Lizardman’s Dwelling” as your respawn point?

YES/NO

――――――――――

Updating our respawn point? In other words, there was a high possibility of us dying and returning here? Could this quest be much more dangerous than I thought…!?

With that, the village chief bid us farewell and left. That old man is truly laid-back!

However, I was the one who accepted the quest. I couldn’t deny that. After all, it was because of me and my involvement in transplanting dragon bones that we were brought to this village. In other words, a significant part of the cause behind this situation lies with me.

“… for now, let’s go inside.” 

I had no choice but to say so.

◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Strange things have happened.”

Everyone, including myself, agreed with the perplexed Jigoro. We were supposed to receive permission to pass through the Lizardman’s territory, but now it had turned into an investigation request about the Toadman. It was all so confusing.

“I’m really sorry!” 

I deeply bow my head. Since the cause of this strange development was partially my fault, it felt appropriate to sincerely apologize.

“Raise your head, leader. No one’s angry here.”

Genjuro spoke gently. W-Was he really not angry?

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes, Isam. Actually, what really interests me are the materials around here. If you’re feeling uneasy about it, how about lending a hand with gathering during the investigation?”

Iris playfully comforted me, suggesting that my [Summoning magic] could be quite useful for locating the perfect materials.

“I’m actually getting excited! This investigation is like a quest tailor-made for me!” 

Ruby seemed genuinely thrilled, as evidenced by the rippling surface of her slimy body.

“I might have worded it poorly. You see, with these kinds of quests, it’s almost guaranteed that a ridiculously strong enemy will show up at the end. But if I can take on that opponent, I won’t complain.”

Jigoro remained true to his combat-oriented mindset. Was it my paranoia that made me feel that his words were blaming me?

“You understand now?” 

Genjuro grinned proudly. It seemed like I was lacking composure just now.

…. Alright! Since we’ve decided to conduct the investigation, let’s hold a strategy meeting right now. If we’re going to do it, let’s thoroughly explore and investigate everything.

“Alright, let’s determine our investigation approach. The only thing we know for sure is that the Toadmen monsters are actively intruding into the territory of the Lizardmen. What do you all think we should do?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? We should launch a surprise attack from our side!”

Jigoro continued to express his aggressive opinion. It’s one option, no doubt. Launching an attack from our side would allow us to perform effective reconnaissance and assess the strength of the Toadman.

Among us, only Ruby and I can undertake stealth operations, but investigating secretly would take too much time. It might be more appropriate to make direct contact and gauge their response.

“But isn’t it too dangerous to go deep into enemy territory?”

However, Iris made a very reasonable counterargument. If we were to engage in combat deep within the Toadman’s territory, where something abnormal might be happening, we could easily end up overwhelmed and wiped out in no time.

This is a game, so maybe continuing the “zombie attacks” would be fine (zombie attacks: dying, respawning, and attacking). However, the death penalty in FSW is quite harsh, and that approach goes against my principles. Acting with the mindset of “it’s okay to die” or “it’s okay to lose” doesn’t sit right with me. 

“Well then, how about a compromise?”

“You mean fighting at the edge of the Toadman’s territory?”

Ruby summarized Genjuro’s proposal concisely. Indeed, that way we could conduct a relatively safe reconnaissance.

“…Seems like there are no objections. Then, we’ll infiltrate the Toadman’s territory for reconnaissance. But remember, we mustn’t go too deep.”

The plan was set. Now, without further ado, we should set off for the Toadman’s territory!