Chapter 26 – The Evil Dragon Resolves to Become an Adventurer

One hour after hearing about the ruin investigation from her son.

Night.

Evil Dragon Karma Abyss was lying face-down on the bed in her room.

“Haaaaaaaah……………”

Face buried in the pillow, she let out a deep sigh.

“What am I supposed to do…?”

Then…

“You’re in quite a pickle, Karma.”

She turned only her face sideways.

The Observer elf was sitting on the edge of the bed.

“You… snuck into my room without a sound again. This is a privacy violation.”

The door should have been locked, too.

“There there. So why are you so down?”

“…Of course I’m down.”

Karma Abyss buried her face in the pillow again.

“Because Ryu-kun is going on that ruin investigation. For over a week. And he told me not to follow…”

After that, a huge battle had broken out:

“I’m coming too!” “No!” “I’m coming!”

“Ahh… I want to go so badly… I really, really want to go with him.”

She kicked her legs against the bed.

“Fufu.”

“…Laughing at someone who’s depressed is just mean.”

“Hm? Is it? From big sis’s point of view, the fact that you didn’t force your way along without Ryu’s permission shows growth. It feels like watching a daughter become a proper mother, you know?”

Karma Abyss looked at the elf.

Those eyes were full of maternal affection.

“…Stop that. It’s creepy. You’re an outsider. Stop acting like a mother.”

“Oh, how cold. We’ve known each other for over a hundred years. It’s only natural to feel close.”

“Tch. I don’t feel close at all. Haaah… I want to go with him so badly…”

She buried her face in the pillow again and kicked her legs.

“I understand your worry. An unknown ruin investigation—who knows what could happen.”

“Right, right! Exactly!”

Karma Abyss shot upright.

“I don’t want to send my son to a dangerous place where anything could happen! So why… why doesn’t Ryu-kun understand…?”

She drooped sadly.

Chekiita gave a wry smile.

“Karma. That boy wanted you to be happy for him.”

“…Huh? I don’t get what you mean.”

“Exactly. Ryu wanted you to be happy that the guild finally started requesting him by name.”

“? I still don’t understand…?”

Chekiita reached out and patted her head.

“It would be tacky for big sis to explain everything from start to finish. You’ll understand eventually.”

“…Don’t pat me. It’s annoying.”

Slap. Karma Abyss brushed the hand away.

Chekiita continued with a smile.

“Anyway, the boy isn’t going just to be mean to you. At least understand that much.”

“…Hmph. I already know that without you telling me.”

Karma Abyss knew better than anyone that her son would never do something his mother hated.

“Besides, Karma. You have the surveillance system from the Sky Castle, right? You can check on his safety even from home.”

And, Chekiita added,

“Knowing you, you’ll be monitoring him 24/7 anyway, and the second he’s in danger you’ll teleport over to save him.”

Karma Abyss was speechless.

“How do you know that…? Are you psychic? Scary.”

“I just know~”

Chekiita burst out laughing.

“You’re so simple.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you calling me stupid?”

“Well, in a broad sense.”

“Alright, outside. Let’s settle this.”

She glared. But Chekiita just laughed it off.

“If you already have such a perfect monitoring system, isn’t it fine to let Ryu go?”

“No it’s not! Even you’re saying that!? Ryu-kun won’t come home for a whole week—over a week!”

Karma Abyss leaped to her feet.

“Something like that… I’ll get so lonely I’ll die…”

The words slipped out weakly.

Of course she was worried about her son’s safety. That feeling was huge. There was no lie in it.

But that wasn’t the whole truth.

The words that had spilled out were the real truth.

For fifteen years since her son had come to her.

The boy who had never left her side for even a moment was now going to be away for over a week.

She simply… couldn’t bear it.

“Just as I thought. That’s what I figured.”

Chekiita gently patted her head again.

“…………”

This time she didn’t tell her to stop.

It was annoying, but it calmed her heart.

“So, what are you going to do now? Keep throwing a tantrum like a child?”

Chekiita’s tone was exactly like a parent scolding a kid.

It pissed her off more than anything.

“Ryu is way more mature than you. Are you just going to keep whining?”

“…………Of course not.”

Moping around didn’t suit her.

It wasn’t because the elf had comforted her that she felt motivated.

“Protecting my son’s safety. And respecting Ryu-kun’s wishes to the maximum. When you combine those two things—there’s only one answer.”

Snap. Karma Abyss clicked her fingers.

Using All-Creation, she created [a certain item].

It was a pair of glasses.

Not ordinary glasses.

They had special modifications.

She put them on and stood up from the bed.

“I’m heading out.”

“Oh? Where to?”

“The Adventurers Guild.”

Glasses-wearing Karma Abyss started toward the door.

“What are you going to do there?”

She turned around.

Chekiita looked like she already knew exactly what she was planning.

Those all-seeing, motherly eyes full of composure—she hated them.

Even as she thought that, she answered.

“I’m going to become an adventurer.”