27 - Chapter 27
27
The Baby Dragon Saves the Duke's Family 27
"No, it's not that expensive. But where's the one you were wearing around your neck when we first met?"
"Bbi." (It tore.)
Ashil's tail drooped dejectedly.
"Bbi-yat-bbi." (A bad human tore it. Can't wear it anymore.)
"I see."
He replied softly, studying Ashil intently.
Judging by how much more upset he was than when he couldn't eat strawberries, it must have been a very precious item.
'Come to think of it, he seemed to be crying while holding a piece of white cloth back then.'
That must have been the torn scarf.
'This is more urgent than jewels.'
Elkai, who had been quietly observing, seemed to have a similar thought and spoke up.
"I'll buy you one. Get down."
Then, before anyone could stop him, he stopped the carriage and got out in front of an accessory shop with Ashil in his arms.
The accessory shop, with its extravagant exterior, was full of jewels that made one's eyes widen.
The jewels reflected the interior lighting, shining dazzlingly.
Even though they came to look for a scarf, Ashil was stuck to the glass of the display case full of jewels.
"Bbi-hya..."
"The Munrepe Duke's Saint Creature recognizes good jewels. Speaking of these jewels-"
The shop owner, recognizing the Munrepe Duke's family crest on the carriage, quickly started talking.
He didn't seem to think for a moment that the lizard was the Munrepe's Divine Beast.
The owner took out the accessories in their cases so that Ashil could see them well.
Then he handed over a few rings for him to try on-
Unbelievable.
The rings were too big for Ashil's fingers and slipped off.
In this situation, he couldn't even think about bracelets or necklaces.
Ashil, wearing large emerald and ruby rings on both arms and a sapphire ring on his tail, smiled brightly and looked back.
"Bbiya!" (Ashil is pretty!)
"Hmm..."
"It looks like you'll lose them easily."
"Don't you have anything smaller than that?"
It was Edenber, Elkai, and Selena, respectively.
The shop owner, mistaking Selena, who wasn't wearing Clerical Robes, for a noble lady, bowed deeply.
"We don't have any right now, but we can make them for you."
"Bbiya." (Ashil likes these.)
It felt like he had become rich with the big, loose rings. He could also wear them when he transformed into a human later.
Ashil hugged himself, wrapped in jewels. He loved the cold sensation.
Elkai nodded at the sight and opened his mouth.
"If you lose them, we can just buy them again. Tell me if you want anything else."
"No, Elkai. I will pay for it."
"It's okay, I owe you my life, I should at least do this much. Should I just buy the whole store for you?"
"Bbit?!"
Ashil, surprised by the enormous scale, straightened his tail. Does that mean everything here will belong to Ashil?
That was when the bell on the door rang.
"Hahaha, so please convey my sincerity to the Starrepit Duchess... Hmm?"
The man who came in with a noblewoman paused. He was someone Ashil knew well.
"I thought I saw a familiar knight outside, it was the Munrepe Duke. Long time no see, Selena."
It was the Priest Theodore, whom he had met in the Munrepe territory.
Thinking that he could never make a lot of money there, he had bribed his way to a position in the capital.
He wore a mocking smile, full of greed for money.
"Hahaha, Duke. It seems you have money to spend on a Saint Creature, even though you don't have enough to make our Selena happy."
Edenber's face, which had been stiff since the noblewoman entered, turned cold.
He didn't know what was going on, but he knew that he was being openly ridiculed.
Judging by the insignia on his collar, he seemed to be a low-ranking Priest who couldn't use Divine Power, but where did he leave his guts to spout such nonsense?
But before he could step forward, the stern-looking noblewoman next to him intervened faster.
"What do you mean by that, Priest Theodore?"
"Ah, didn't I mention it to you before? There's a family that took a child away without showing even the slightest sincerity."
"That's the Munrepe Duke's family?"
She looked at Edenber with strange eyes.
Then, she flinched and stepped back when she saw Elkai, whose eyes were flashing and was about to grab his sword.
Edenber, blocking Elkai, spoke to the noblewoman.
"Can you tell me in detail what's going on, Starrepit Duchess."
"Tell me, Priest Theodore."
The Starrepit Duchess, unable to take her eyes off the murderous Elkai, passed the conversation over.
Theodore, who was acting up, trusting only in her, straightened his shoulders.
"The knight standing outside needed someone to take care of the Duke's pet, so he requested the Novice priest Selena here."
Recalling that day, he was filled with anger. Theodore, whose face began to turn red with rage, continued to speak without hesitation.
"As you know, madam, the Temple thoroughly examines the other party's capabilities to see if they can take good care of the child when sending them. Even if the Duke requested it, we cannot ignore the Temple's procedures, so I asked him to show his wealth, but-"
His face completely red, he pointed at Dylan outside with an excited voice.
"That knight mocked me with junk trash!"
"Bbi-yat-bbi." (That was Ashil's treasure.)
"What, what is this!"
Theodore jumped in surprise at the sudden bbi-yat sound coming from below.
The Starrepit Duchess also looked down at Ashil with surprised eyes.
"...Translation Magic?"
Translation Magic was the exclusive property of the Imperial Family. No matter how much money you spent, you couldn't put it on a Saint Creature.
There was only one animal in this world that could communicate with humans.
Divine Beast.
"Bbiya. Bbi-yat-bbi." (Not junk trash. Ashil's treasure.)
Ashil, his expression hardened, spoke clearly.
He had been saving one penny, two pennies every time he was praised by the teachers at the Beast Kindergarten, so he was angry that it was being evaluated as junk trash.
Clang!
Elkai drew his sword, and Edenber said coldly.
"So it seems."
"..."
"How dare you describe the treasures given by Munrepe's Divine Beast as junk trash?"
The Divine Beast was a creature sent by God and an agent on earth.
Even if the Divine Beast picked up trash on the street and gave it to you, you had to cherish it as a treasure and treat it with respect.
How dare he describe the Divine Beast's treasure as junk trash.
"...Th, that's."
The situation reversed in an instant.
Theodore, cornered, was sweating coldly.
He glanced at the Starrepit Duchess, meaning to ask for help, but she turned her head, pretending not to know.
Helplessly, Theodore had no choice but to babble excuses.
"That's... I only knew it was the Duke's pet, not the Divine Beast."
"So you thought what my pet gave me was junk trash."
"No, that's not it!"
"Or are you ignoring the fact that my Divine Beast inherited the bloodline of the previous Divine Beast?"
"How could that be? I'm just..."
"Bbi-yat-bbi bbiya." (If you're not going to use it, give it back to Ashil.)
Ashil, who had come forward, put out his two front paws while he was speechless and stuttering.
Theodore, genuinely flustered by this, stammered.
"I threw it away..."
"Bbit!"
He didn't even give back the change and threw it all away! Ashil, shocked, froze in place.
Selena quickly advised.
"How about sending him to God's side?"
"Good idea. I'll send him to God's side as he is."
"Wa, wa, wa, wait a minute!"
Theodore, turning pale, knelt down.
"I, I'll make that pouch exactly as it was back then and offer it!"
"What was in it?"
"Toy gold coins, broken chess pieces, broken powder, and strange pebbles-"
"Bbi. Bbi-yat-bbiya." (It's okay. Newly made ones are not Ashil's treasures.)
Ashil, greatly heartbroken, lowered his head and muttered.
Even if they looked the same, the memories inside were different. Such things could not become Ashil's treasures.
As Ashil became discouraged, Elkai's momentum became even fiercer. Selena, closing her eyes tightly, made the sign of the cross.
"God, one is going to you soon."
