I’m Not an Earthworm, I’m an Earth Dragon

Situation resolution

Carrying the injured and the baggage, she descended the mountain, pondering whether she truly intended to become a companion. It was hard to believe it could be so easy.

“…Yuna. Do you really think she meant what she said?”

Even I, who had tried so hard to recruit her, found it hard to believe. I thought if we were to become companions, we would go through a more dramatic event together.

…What we just experienced was quite dramatic, if you think about it. It ended well, but if Akash’s magic had been countered or Yuna’s power had been insufficient and we had lost her, we might have all died.

“…I don’t know her words well, but the feelings in her voice were sincere. Perhaps the subjugation team had a big influence. Your efforts were certainly there, too.”

Carrying two survivors on her back seemed uncomfortable even for Yuna. She stood still, adjusting her posture, and answered my question.

When I first translated and conveyed Altera’s words, she was surprised but soon calmed down. I wondered why, but it turned out she had already made up her mind.

She really believed that Altera would come.

“So, Myungho. If she comes down, shouldn’t we warn the village? She might not have any hostility, but if the villagers suddenly encounter her, they will be terrified.”

Ah. Right. I had completely forgotten about that in the shock. Regardless of the truth, if she really came, the village would panic.

The subjugation team had visited the previous night, and they didn’t return. If only the dragon appeared alone in the village the next morning, chaos would ensue.

“…Right? But… will they believe me…”

How many people would believe that I had recruited the destroyer who had razed the village in just a week?

If I had heard it as a rumor, I would have dismissed it as nonsense. It was such an absurd story that I doubted anyone would believe it.

When I was trying to persuade her to join us, I had no doubt that she would become a companion. But hearing those words from her made me wonder if I was dreaming.

Humans are such fickle creatures.

“Whether they believe it or not, you caused this. You don’t lack the authority, so what are you hesitating for? Go and meet the guard captain as soon as you get down there. If you’re worried, I’ll help you.”

That’s right. At least one of them might listen to me. If neither of them believes me… well. I warned them, so it’s not my fault.

“…Um. So, how did it go? Explain it to me in the simplest terms possible. I feel like my brain has been fried in oil. Who am I again? I’m… Day… no. Akash. And… that gorilla is Yuna. That’s…”

I told Akash, who had just woken up and was still not fully conscious, the outcome in one word. Success. But he didn’t like that short word and asked back.

“I’m a patient, are you going to hit me? No, more than that. You sound like you’re not sure?”

Well, I don’t know if she’ll really come either. No, I’ll act as if she’s coming, but I still doubt whether she’ll really come.

“…She’ll come. Probably. More than that, you talk a lot for a patient. You seem to be all better now, so why don’t you walk on your own two feet?”

He was on my back, and I wanted to shake him off right away.

I knew better than anyone that he wasn’t so lacking in self-control, but there was still a physiological aversion.

Akash, while grumbling, stood on his own two feet and walked unsteadily.

“Damn, aren’t you being too harsh on someone who was a patient?”

I took one of the survivors from Yuna and carried him, ignoring Akash’s complaints.

“Sigh. She’ll definitely come. If she inherited the dragon’s traits to that extent, she can’t lie. Well, I don’t know about a half dragon… they’re not even proper living beings to begin with.”

She can’t lie. I don’t know about that, but she didn’t seem like she would lie. I don’t think she would even know why she should.

Thinking about it that way, I finally felt that she was coming.

When we arrived at the village, it was already late at night, and everyone was asleep. I sent the party and the patients to the guild first to receive treatment, then I shook off Yuna, who offered to help, and headed to the guard barracks.

I immediately sought out the guard captain and warned him that Altera was coming.

“Excuse me, Captain. I have come to deliver an urgent message. Tomorrow morning, the half dragon living in the mountain will come down to the village.”

However, the guard captain dismissed my words as if they were not worth listening to.

“That won’t happen, foreign Hero. I have served in this village for ten years. I was there when that monster razed the village five years ago. And I assure you, that was the only time that monster directly attacked the village.

And let me tell you, that monster already came a week ago. That monster, which had only appeared every two months since the first attack, would not suddenly break its cycle. The subjugation team went several times, and that cycle was never broken.”

…Hmm. I never said she was coming to attack, but the guard captain was already talking as if she was.

“It seems there’s been a misunderstanding. She’s not coming to attack this village. She’s coming to become our companion.”

Upon hearing this, the guard captain’s eyes widened, and he soon burst into laughter.

“Hahahaha! Hero, you must have taken too much Wahanshin! It may look like a human on the outside, but inside, it’s a beast! How can you befriend and become companions with something that doesn’t even understand language? You should get some sleep, Hero. You must have had a very arduous adventure!”

The guard captain, who already didn’t believe me, started treating me like a Hero who had taken too much Wahanshin, a type of drug, as soon as I revealed the truth.

Among adventurers, there were many who used drugs to heal the mental trauma they suffered during their adventures, and this was no different for Heroes.

He must have thought I was one of them.

Well, I warned him.

“Is that so? Then I’ll be on my way. But I did warn you.”

Leaving the barracks filled with laughter, I headed to the guild and delivered the news to the waiting party.

“He told me to stop talking nonsense and to lay off the drugs.”

“I should have been there! Myungho, didn’t I tell you that you couldn’t do it alone!”

“Even if you were there, it wouldn’t have made a difference. I know because I’ve seen a lot of guys like that. Guys who only believe in their own experience. It wasn’t me who saw it, but my main body… well. Anyway, it’s me.”

Yuna was indignant, and Akash said he expected as much with a calm expression. Since the guard captain, who should be responsible for the village’s security, was like that, there was no need to tell the receptionist about it.

Besides, if she sensed a commotion, she would naturally come out.

I planned to wake up using that commotion as an alarm, so I lay down on the bed with my equipment on. I took off my shoes, though, because it didn’t feel right to sleep with them on.

I don’t know how many hours I slept, but I heard people’s screams instead of a rooster’s crow. I thought it was a dream, so I covered my ears and lingered in bed a little longer, but Akash hit me on the head with the side of his hand, forcing me to wake up.

“If you have eyes, look out the window. Why does this guy lose his mind every time he sleeps? Hey, Yuna! Wake him up!”

If Yuna came too, I would start the day in a really ‘refreshing’ way, so I quickly got out of bed.

Being shocked mentally was enough. When I hurried downstairs, the receptionist was in a panic, wandering around.

She was asking for help in her own way, but it was more like a plea than a normal request.

“…Ah, Hero! You’re awake! I don’t know the details, but… I just heard that something enormous suddenly came to the village…! C-can you help?! I don’t know what that thing might do after being provoked by the subjugation team!”

I told her I was planning to go out anyway, and when I went outside, there were already many adventurers gathered, forming a large crowd, all tense.

From afar, I could hear someone’s scream as they flew through the air and the terrified cries of the citizens. Soon, the cause of the commotion came into view.

Seeing this chaos, I guess the guard captain didn’t believe me. I’m not in a position to blame him since I was also bewildered.

Altera stopped in front of the wall of adventurers, put down her sack, and shouted in a booming voice.

“As promised, I have come. Myungho. Accept me as your companion.”

“What did she just say?”

“She said to accept her as a companion.”

“Then what are you doing, Myungho? Didn’t you lure her here?”

The receptionist, who had come out at some point, was also looking at us from a distance with a nervous expression. All the guards in the city must have come, as she was quickly surrounded by people.

Would they even listen if I spoke…?

“…Everyone! Please lower your weapons for a moment and listen to me!”

I felt a sense of skepticism, but I had to try before this turned into bloodshed. I pushed through the crowd and shouted as loudly as I could.

Fortunately, they seemed to be the type to listen when spoken to, as they focused their attention on me. They were still holding their weapons tightly, but I never expected them to actually let go.

“I am the Hero of Collucia, Jin Myungho. And some of you may have noticed, but even though I’m speaking in a language you’ve never heard before, you all understand me. This is thanks to the blessing of language I received.”

The people fell silent and stared blankly as the supposed Hero suddenly started talking nonsense.

“So what! What does that have to do with that monster!”

Someone in the crowd broke the silence and shouted in a hostile voice, but it was the perfect question, almost as if they were helping me.

“Good question. My blessing allows anyone with intelligence to understand my words, and conversely, I can understand anything said by an intelligent being. I used this blessing to converse with the girl you call a monster, Altera. And as a result, she has decided to become a member of my party. That is why she has come to this village so suddenly today.”

Even though I thought it was absurd myself, I delivered the facts calmly and with a confident voice.

Words carry a great deal of power, but the strength of that power depends on how much the speaker believes in their own words.

That was one of the lessons I learned before coming to this world.

As I revealed the truth, the audience became greatly agitated, as if they were confused. There were a few who dropped their weapons and believed my words, but most still seemed to find it hard to believe and kept their weapons pointed at Altera.

“…Alright. I’ll show you. Altera, could you raise your hands above your head for these people?”

She could probably kill the majority of the people here without even using her hands. So I politely asked her. Just raise your hands for a moment.

“Me? For them? Why?”

But Altera questioned me as if she couldn’t understand at all. It wasn’t that I couldn’t understand her.

She must be thinking, why should she care about those who think of her as a monster?

“To become companions, they need to believe that you’re not dangerous. Please.”

It wasn’t a matter of just saying ‘You, become my companion’ and it was done. It might work for a short journey, but formally accepting someone as a companion was different.

Considering Altera’s special circumstances, even if we got through this here, the same commotion would happen elsewhere.

So, we had to somehow label her as safe. And the place to attach that label was not that far away.

“…Alright.”

Fortunately, Altera obediently raised her hands above her head. The murmuring grew louder, but I didn’t miss the opportunity and drove the point home.

“You have seen it. She understood my words. And she clearly told me that she would become my companion. Everyone, I ask you again. Please lower your weapons. She did not come to fight or harbor any resentment towards humans.”

Only then did the people hesitantly lower their weapons. They should have listened to me earlier. They really don’t listen to people, do they?

Altera picked up her sack again and headed straight for the receptionist. The crowd naturally parted, creating a path for her.

The receptionist stared at the scene in disbelief, but when Altera and I approached, she hurriedly came to her senses.

“Is it true… Is it really true that you’ve made her your companion, Hero?!”

“Yes, well. It just happened that way.”

I don’t know if I should call it good timing or bad, but it seemed that the arrival of the subjugation team was a decisive factor in her making up her mind.

“Settlement.”

Altera, as if she didn’t care about any of that, held out her sack to the receptionist, asking her to exchange it for money. The receptionist went inside the guild and came back a moment later with gold coins.

She was visibly flustered, unlike her usual self, dropping a few coins and picking them up in her haste.

“H-here…!”

Altera took the gold coins, counted them, and then put them into a small pouch.

That’s enough to live lavishly for at least five months. Just a glance showed that the pouch was overflowing with gold.

“…Altera. More importantly, would you like to officially register with the Adventurer’s Guild? It’s just to give them the assurance that you’re safe.”

“R-register with the guild?! Register a half dragon…? Me…?”

“What a bother. Tell her I will.”

Have I naturally become a translator?

Putting aside my bitter thoughts, I conveyed Altera’s intentions to the receptionist.

“…Please prepare it.”

The receptionist’s face turned pale.