The 5000-year-old Herbivorous Dragon

Chapter 148 - Ria, The Shrine Maiden Girl

Even though I ran away from the capital to wait for the situation to cool down, it can’t cool down now if I ran off with hostages.

I covered my face with my front legs and lay down on the ground.

「Are? Dragon-san?」

Seems like Kami-sama’s possession has been completely released already, a fluffy voice with a drowsy tone came out.

However I cannot just respond here. If I get involved with her, I will get involved in the disappearance of this child.

To that end, I need to send this child back to the capital safely and in a way so that I wouldn’t get caught.

「Mee.」

I made goat sounds while laying down.

I am a hairless black goat——I am betting on the single possibility that she got deceived.

「Dragon…san…?」

「Mee, Mee Mee.」

While still hiding my face with my front legs, I looked up a little. The Shrine Maiden girl is looking at me with a confused face, perhaps because my whole goat imitation plan worked.

「Etto…is it Goat-san right now?」

「Mee!」

I jumped up and nodded affirmatively. Good, looks like I was able to fool her somehow.

I am very sorry for lying to her, but this is the only way for me to get over this situation safely.

Rēko rushed to my side and softly knelt.

「That is right…This is Evil Dragon-sama?Dark Goat Style, form of the Goat of Darkness. It is a super rare style that shows the power of the goat of the underworld that he once ate. The Evil Dragon-sama in this form strongly reveals his side as the Evil God who controls the dead. But the fact that he took this figure with this timing…I see. All the people of the country will be sent off to the land of underworld; which is controlled by Evil Dragon-sama; and all of them will be placed under Evil Dragon-sama’s rule…」

「Not at all…! It is just a good idea to occasionally be a little playful and pretend to be a goat! Pretending to be a goat!」

That was dangerous. I was going to pretend to be a goat and somehow surpass this emergency situation, but to think I will be given such a ridiculous setting.

Or rather, when I think about it, Rēko is nearby, so I won’t be able to get through the plan of hiding my identity anyway. What a situation.

「It was Dragon-san after all, and Rēko-oneesama too!」

Putting her hands together like praying, the girl bows to us.

After finishing her greetings, she looked around and tilted her head with question marks popping out.

「Are? But, where is this? This is not the church, right?」

「Err, as to why you are here…calm down and listen carefully, okay?」

If you think about it, I did nothing wrong.

All I have to do is to tell her that it was Kami-sama himself who brought her here. She must be happy to know that she has been selected as the Shrine Maiden.

「It seems that you were chosen by Kami-sama as the Shrine Maiden, and Kami-sama had possessed you and—well, brought the holy beasts there to meet you.」

He actually came here to stop the runaway holy beasts, but let’s not say anything that would make her feel uneasy. I’ll just give her a good reason.

「I, I am the Shrine Maiden…? Really?」

「It’s true, it’s true. Congratulations.」

「You are Evil Dragon-sama’s prospect. It’s natural for you to be chosen.」

After our endorsement, her eyes shined with excitement as she ran toward the holy beasts, bowing repeatedly with “pekopeko” sounds.

「My name is Ria. Holy beasts-sama, please take care of me from now on!」

The Shrine Maiden girl’s name is Ria apparently.

Unlike when they are being told by Rēko to dance to the national anthem, the holy beasts arranged themselves in disciplined ranks, each sitting firmly and politely. They probably understand the cleanliness of the heart of the person greeting them.

After greeting them briefly, the Shrine Maiden girl—now Ria, walked back to our side.

「Ano, anone Dragon-san! It looks like I became the Shrine Maiden, so I’ll call Kami-sama for you as I promised! Dragon-san wanted to talk, right?」

「Ah, there is no need to—wait.」

I stopped myself in the middle. If she could somehow recall Kami-sama here from a nap, we would be better off.

With Rēko’s ability, we could go back straight into the capital in a few minutes and ask Kami-sama to appeal our innocence to the Cardinal.

「That’s right! Then, I’m counting on you!」’

「Un! I’ll do my best!」

Ria joined her hands together while smiling radiantly. It is probably impossible from the start, but I’ll just follow up if it misfires.

But surprisingly, Ria’s atmosphere soon changed as soon as she started praying.

Her cherry-colored hair suddenly began to turn upside down, but the color did not turn into orange like the time when Kami-sama possessed her. Instead, it began to change into poisonous purple.

『Both foolish and dead. Kneel before me. Become my servant. If not, you will burn in fire, and feel the pain for eternity. As I am the darkness goat of the underworld, Dark Goat. Mee…』

「Ha!」Rēko immediately rushed to Ria and put her hands on her shoulder.

Immediately after that, Ria’s hair color returned to normal, and her possession was quickly released.

「Seems like the goat of darkness who is lodging in Evil Dragon-sama cross talked there.」

「Sounds like a bit of apologetic element is added at the Mee in the end.」

「What are you going to do, Evil Dragon-sama? I cut off the possession, but do you ever want to talk with the goat?」

「I don’t have anything to talk with in particular, so can you just prevent it from getting called again?」

「Understood.」

Next to Ria, who is rubbing her eyes drowsily, Rēko took a posture of grabbing something in the air and tightened her grip. I myself can’t see it, but maybe the goat of the underworld is being grabbed by the chest there.

Rēko started to murmur 「Mee…Mee…」several times in a horrifying voice before loosening the grip of her hand. Then chills passed through the place for a moment.

「As you wished, I disciplined it to never come up to the ground again.」

「Thank you for your hard work.」

That’s the only thing I can say.

Then, Ria woke up completely and talked at us excitedly.

「Ah, how is it? Did I call down Kami-sama properly?」

「Well about that. It’s a near miss and some other god came down instead.」

「Then I’ll do it again!」

Before I managed to stop her, Ria entered the prayer posture again. Her hair started to stand up again, but this time her hair changed into a rusty metallic color like iron. And with a thick manly voice, she started to speak.

『…Hohou. Are you the one who awakened me from the ancient sleep, seeking for power?』

「Ah, I called the wrong person, so can you go home?」

『What an irreverent attitude towards this me. I like that. My power is right with you.』

「Rēko, please have this person withdraw.」

Rēko enthusiastically said “Hah!” again, and Ria’s hair began to turn back into normal.

「How was it!? Did I do it properly this time!?」

I gently put my front leg on Ria’s shoulder and smiled.

「Please stop trying to do it for the time being.」

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