Chapter 106, The Forbidden Name

Translator: Barnnn

 

Volhelm had spent a good minute flailing in confusion before finally freezing in place, arms outstretched like he was about to unleash some kind of mystical hand power.

There wasn’t much point in staring at him, so the other three began preparing to take a break.

 

“Shall we rest for a bit?” Ize asked.

“Yeah. We’ve been walking awhile,” Hal agreed.

“Was I… like that too?” Fieda added, nodding toward Volhelm’s statue-like pose.

“Hmm,” Ize tilted her head. “Well, I do remember how you were on your knees…”

“That was unforgettable,” Fieda said. “But it was your ‘Stand up now!’ that really did it.”

 

As Hal arranged a table and chairs, Ize set out a teapot and teacups atop it.

 

“Cold tea would be nice,” she said.

“I want something refreshing,” Hal said, searching through his supplies. “Ah, these berries’ll do.”

“Those were a gift from the townspeople, right? That jelly underneath looks like Slime-based stuff.”

“Same kind they had in Jasted, huh…”

 

Once everyone had picked what they wanted, they sat down and looked up at the Fire Dragon towering above them.

 

“You are curious little creatures. I’ve never seen anyone get this comfortable within minutes of meeting me. Is this a Hero thing?”

“I don’t think so,” Fieda replied with a grin. “They’re always like this, Hero or not.”

“Fieda, you too have been influenced by these green ones.”

Fieda stiffened. “Guh…”

“Pfft– Fieda! That obvious, huh?” Hal snorted.

 

Fieda realized he now no longer found it strange to be taking a break while Volhelm stood frozen nearby. That was… probably a problem. He said nothing more.

 

“So,” Ize began, “what kind of stories do people usually tell here?”

“Hmm… Most are adventurers, so naturally it’s tales of quests and battles. Occasionally, someone shares romance or whatever play is popular at the time. Travelers from other countries talk about where they grew up.”

“And the one from three years ago that bombed?” Hal asked, charging straight into a conversational landmine without hesitation.

 

Fieda’s hand flew and slapped him on the back of the head with startling force.

 

“Ow! What the hell, Fieda!?”

“Don’t ask that!”

“We should know what didn’t work if we want to avoid a repeat performance,” Hal argued, rubbing his head. “A real pro knows the audience’s dislikes too.”

 

Ize didn’t quite understand what kind of “pro” he meant, but she could at least follow the logic.

 

“They spun nothing but fake tales. But… I think you three will be all right,” said a voice from the side. Volhelm had apparently recovered enough to respond to the conversation. He pulled out a chair and collapsed into it with a heavy thump. His eyes were distant. “I swear, that time damn near gave me a heart attack — haven’t been that surprised since the time my girlfriend told me she was pregnant…”

 

He reached for a cup and downed the tea in one gulp.

 

“Ahhh. That’s the good stuff.”

 

As he set the empty cup down with a soft clink, he gazed listlessly at the group, his expression weary.

 

“Um… Are you okay?” Ize asked hesitantly.

“Yeah. Just give me a moment,” Volhelm muttered.

“Want something sweet?” she offered. “Sugar helps when you’re tired. This one’s from Earth.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice… Wait, Earth!? You mean another world!?” Volhelm sat bolt upright, eyes wide.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“C-c-can I really eat that!? Isn’t it rare!?”

“It’s fine. We have plenty.”

 

Of course, she couldn’t exactly say how the Goddess gave them an infinitely replenishing supply. So instead, Ize pulled out a small container of mizumanju and set it before him.

 

“Ooohhh… a delicacy from another world…! How beautiful…”

 

He cradled the container like a holy relic, turning it this way and that, just like Fieda had done that one time.

Fieda clearly regretted the comparison, watching him with a face like he’d bitten into a lemon. Hal and Ize just chuckled.

 

“So, what kind of story would you like?” Hal asked.

“We’ve got stories of Hal’s life in Japan, as well as mine, Fieda’s Glorious Guard Chronicles, and of course, our adventures since coming to this world. We’ve got a solid lineup.”

“I told you to leave my story out of it,” Fieda groaned.

“Nope. Not happening. We want to hear it,” Hal argued.

“Hey, you’re not the customer. The Fire Dragon is.”

“Hmm… if the green ones wish to hear it, I too am interested.”

 

Fieda slumped in defeat. There was no escape — everyone’s stories were to be told.

Hal and Ize exchanged grins and nodded in silent agreement.

 

◆

 

As Volhelm quietly dabbed his eyes while nibbling his mizumanju, Hal gave a brief explanation of their background.

 

“We were summoned to this world, but we’re not considered Heroes.”

 

Volhelm paused, a toothpick halfway to his mouth, blinking at Hal in confusion. He waited silently for more.

 

“It’s a long, complicated story, but simply put… four other Heroes were summoned alongside us — they’re currently in the Lazulseed Kingdom. We slipped out in the initial chaos, and without any particular roles, we left the kingdom and started traveling the continent.”

 

Hal left out the parts about how one of them would’ve died if they hadn’t been summoned, or how another was on track to become a friendless old man with no combat ability, or how they’d gotten all this information straight from the Goddess herself.

 

“What about Fieda?” Volhelm asked. “From the Fire Dragon’s earlier words, it sounds like he’s a guardian of the Heroes…”

“Actually, no,” Fieda replied flatly. “I just met them while they were traveling through the kingdom. Once I found out who they were, I decided to tag along.”

“He said she’d teach us common sense,” Ize added. “Not that I think we’ve been doing anything particularly out of line…”

“You’ve been nothing but out of line. Start realizing that.”

“Kakaka! Quite amusing.”

 

The Fire Dragon rumbled with laughter, then brought its massive face in close to Ize.

 

“Amusing?” she asked.

“Yes, very much so. By the way, I sense that you have another friend with you — go ahead and bring it out, if you’d like.”

“I wonder if Mister Volhelm’s okay with that…”

“Surely he is. Pay him no mind.”

“…That’s mean,” Volhelm said, his voice barely a whimper behind the group.

 

Ize did as the Dragon asked and reached into her Magic Bag, pulling out–

 

“Kekyo!”

“Oho. A fine specimen.”

“This is Sato, a Sugar Mandragora. Sato, this is the Fire Dragon who lives in Fuyuya. Say hello.”

“Kekkyokyokyokyuooo!”

 

Sato, held in Ize’s arms, wiggled its leaves and gave a deep bow.

Then — somehow — they began to talk.

 

“Hmm… I see, I see… Oh? Is that so?”

“Kekkekekyon, kyokyo, kekkyo!”

“And then?”

“Ken… kyokyon, kekyooo, gyo!”

“I see. That’s good. Stay with the green ones, and you are sure to have a good life.”

“Kekkyo!”

 

The Fire Dragon let out a booming laugh that echoed off the cavern walls.

Hal and Ize exchanged glances — they’d definitely heard the Fire Dragon mention their names in that last bit. Ize turned to the Dragon.

 

“What was Sato saying just now?”

“I didn’t understand everything, but… it hasn’t been fulfilling the role of a Sugar Mandragora. Still, it seems it’s been worrying over whether to fulfill its role or stay with you — and, well, I told it to stay if it wants to, and it seems to have come to a decision without issue.”

“Sato! You didn’t have to worry about that! All four of us — we’re all together because we want to be!”

“Kekyooo…!”

 

The two hugged tightly, a touching little scene witnessed by the rest of the group gathered around the table.

 

“I didn’t know you were struggling with that, Sato…” Hal murmured.

“It’s smarter than I gave it credit for,” said Fieda.

“I can’t believe you actually live with a Sugar Mandragora…” Volhelm whispered, still watching them with teary eyes, but no one acknowledged him.

 

◆

 

“These snacks are called potato sticks,” Ize explained. “First they steamed the potatoes, mashed them, and then deep-fried the pieces.”

“Hmm. Good crunch,” the Fire Dragon murmured, chewing thoughtfully. “Could use more salt, though.”

“This one’s a salad flavor, but there were cheese ones, too.”

“The texture’s nice,” said Volhelm, reaching for another. “It’s been a while since I’ve found myself reaching for something that wasn’t sweet.”

 

Although lunchtime had long passed, the group had spread out an assortment of snacks across the table. Between idle conversation and curious commentary, Ize explained the flavors and origins of each item from her world.

The Fire Dragon technically didn’t need to eat — but could, without issue — and so, after some hearty coaxing, had agreed to join them. It seemed to be enjoying itself.

 

“This is the first time I’ve tasted food from a Hero’s world,” the Dragon mused. “Many have tried to recreate it, but none quite succeeded.”

“So other Heroes came here, too?” Hal asked.

“A few,” the Dragon rumbled. “The one who stayed longest was Fuya.”

 

At that name, Volhelm visibly flinched. His shoulders tensed. A shiver ran down his spine.

 

“Fuya?” Ize parroted. “That sounds a lot like Fuyuya.”

“As it should,” the Fire Dragon replied. “He’s the one who founded this town. This wing of mine — his doing, too.”

“Wait, the person who built the town…?” Fieda said.

“He did that to your wing? That’s incredible,” Hal added, staring openly now at the Dragon’s scarred wing.

 

The Fire Dragon shifted its body slightly to make it easier for them to see, then began its explanation,

 

“He cut straight through this one with that absurd sword skill of his. I plummeted from the sky, landed hard, and snapped the bone on this side clean through. He was a battle-crazed maniac… though I admit, I was quite the rampaging brute myself at the time, so I can’t complain.”

 

It burst into laughter, shoulders shaking. The three humans recoiled slightly — that it’d fought a Hero and lost a wing was staggering enough, but the fact that it could now laugh about it was something else entirely.

 

“So he built the town after that?” Ize asked.

“Indeed. I was grounded — couldn’t move anywhere far. Then one day, a hot spring bubbled up beneath me. Fuya came barging in and declared he was building a resort town, and told me to help.”

“What?” Hal blinked. “He cut off your wing, and then asked you to help?”

“But you know… building a hot spring town from scratch does sound like fun,” Ize said.

“It was quite the venture,” the Dragon said with a proud huff. “When I tried to help by heating the whole area, he punched me in the face for making it too hot.”

 

It laughed again, heartily.

Watching the Fire Dragon roar with laughter, Ize was relieved to know that it actually found the experience amusing, rather than laughing about it out of spite.

 

“I wonder if there are any records of the town’s founder,” she said aloud.

“Actually, you probably won’t find any,” Volhelm answered quietly, breaking his silence.

 

The Fire Dragon nodded in agreement.

 

“He overstepped his bounds one too many times, and the kingdom came to despise him. He became… what you might call a ‘black mark’ on its history.”

“A Hero who’s gone off the rails? Waaait a second…” Hal started.

“…Oh, was he the one who drained the Dungeons’ resources?” Ize recalled.

“Kakaka! Yes, that’s the one,” the Dragon chuckled. “He loved to fight. Did a bit too much of everything, and in the end, the kingdom couldn’t forgive him. Even this town — back when it bore his name — suffered harsh persecution.”

 

As it turned out, the town used to be called Fuya, just like him — the man who had once saved the kingdom but then also nearly brought it to ruin. To the nobles and rulers of the time, that name was a symbol of everything they hated.

 

“After he passed away,” the Dragon continued, “the people came crying to me. Begged me to protect them. When things got bad, I scared off the attackers.”

 

They had failed to destroy the Hero himself — so they tried to wipe away what he’d left behind. The people, the town, the memory. Sometimes that violence struck the town with cruel force.

 

“I found that out thanks to the mayor showing me some old secret reports,” Volhelm murmured. “They couldn’t preserve his name publicly, but the truth was still passed down in some form.”

“That is the best compromise,” the Dragon said. “But still, as an otherworlder, it wasn’t just his fault. The people of this world played their part as well.”

“…You’re right,” Volhelm replied with a crooked smile.

 

Wardon had said the same — the higher-ups of the kingdom at the time were also to blame.

 

“Will your wing ever heal?” Ize asked gently. “Does it still hurt?”

“It’s been hundreds of years,” the Dragon replied, unfazed. “There’s no pain anymore. I do miss the skies sometimes, but watching magma shift beneath the earth is pleasant in its own way.”

 

It gave a carefree shake of its remaining wing.

 

“Too bad. I bet you looked amazing in flight,” Ize said.

“No kidding,” Hal agreed. “Even up close, your scales are stunning. If you had both wings intact, you must’ve looked downright majestic.”

“Oh, I was magnificent,” the Dragon said proudly. “People used to challenge me just to try and peel off one of my scales.”

“Your scales?”

 

Indeed, even here in the dimness of the underground, his scales shimmered like polished obsidian, gleaming with iridescent light. Ize could understand the temptation. She glanced at the swaying wing before her and made a small decision.

 

“Um… excuse me, Fire Dragon?” she said, a bit timidly.

“Hmm? You may call me by name, you know,” he rumbled.

“Oh — you have a name?”

“Of course I do! Wait — Volhelm, didn’t you tell them?”

“Uh… Even I didn’t know you had a name,” Volhelm replied, sounding genuinely baffled.

“What!?” the Dragon bellowed. “I just assumed no one used it anymore! I didn’t realize…”

“What do you mean, didn’t realize?” Hal asked.

“In the old days, the townspeople all knew my name. But I suppose, just like Fuya’s, it must’ve been erased over time. I never noticed.”

 

He looked uncharacteristically sheepish, wings drooping a little at the joints.

 

Volhelm sighed and shook his head. “Well then… if you don’t mind, could you tell us your name now?”

“Certainly,” the Dragon said, puffing up with pride. “My name is… Abyureldo Fyuenzol Joekuelsch Voderia Gofnoden Drenmonies Baznejardetta Menoewz Bardukbozaveles.”

 

There was a long pause.

 

[Ah, so that’s the reason…] thought Ize and Hal simultaneously, […why the password had that bit about Jugemu.]