The Strongest Onmyoji and the Shikigami With AI are Unparalleled in Another World ~ A Second Life Properly Enjoyed Using Artificial Intelligence ~ - Chapter 156

The next morning, AI-chan and I woke up late, immediately dove into the kotatsu, and started eating the breakfast Natalia had brought us.
“Are you two alive?”
I asked Alice and Annie, who were slumped over inside the kotatsu diagonally to my right and left.
“……I just can’t muster the energy.”
“I’m alive…”
The two of them had stayed up drinking even after everyone else had gone back to their rooms last night.
“Why don’t you just use some recovery magic?”
It should work, right?
“……I already had Natalia cast it on me.”
“I used it too, and this is the result. To top it off, I also took medicine.”
They were drinking heavily and making a ruckus, after all…
“I told you not to drink so much, but you didn’t listen.”
You’re not even that strong to begin with.
“I held back.”
“……You did? That was holding back?”
I can’t imagine Annie was holding back at all.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“……Nothing, just—”
“Just what?”
“……Never mind.”
Both of them seem pretty lively, though.
“Where’s Natalia and Lily?”
Lily isn’t here.
“She went out. Clutching a gold coin…”
She gets paid five gold coins a day, so…
She’s probably off buying more useless stuff again.
“If she comes crying again, I’m confiscating her wallet and putting her on an allowance.”
“That’s probably for the best. You should check out Lily’s room sometime. It’s full of weird trinkets and things you can’t figure out the use for.”
Is it a difference in race?
No, her hometown and the village chief’s house were both pretty normal, with lots of greenery.
“Thanks for the food…”
AI-chan said, putting down her chopsticks, clasping her hands together in gratitude, then burrowing deeper into the kotatsu.
“Little fox… don’t wag your tail inside the kotatsu.”
You’re having fun, huh?
Well, enjoy your day off.
After I finished my breakfast, I drank the tea Natalia had made and spent my morning leisurely. Then, when lunchtime came and I had finished eating, Leanne arrived, and we used her teleportation to head to the king.
When we arrived and my vision cleared, we were in the king’s usual room. Just like before, the king was seated, with a maid and a middle-aged knight standing by.
“Hm? What’s this, you came too?”
The king looked at me with a surprised expression.
“I’m here too~!”
AI-chan piped up, asserting herself.
“I see… well, sit. I want to hear what you have to say.”
“Understood.”
Prompted by the king, I took a seat, and the maid served us tea.
“So? How far did you get?”
Once we were seated and settled, the king asked.
“We have currently reached the base of the mountain range that marks the western border, but we have not yet found the dragon. However, someone from a nearby elf village reported seeing it fly toward the mountains. Additionally, we discovered a destroyed bridge in the territory of Count Faol along the way. Scales were found nearby, so it is almost certainly a dragon,” Leanne reported.
“The dragon has gone that far… do you think it has crossed the mountains?”
“That, we do not know. However, we plan to climb the mountains tomorrow to investigate.”
“Understood. I’m counting on you. How were the elves? No issues, I hope?”
“With Lily present, the discussions went smoothly. She’s not someone capable of lying.”
That’s true.
It’s a bit worrying, though. I feel like the secret about that medicine will slip out of Lily’s mouth someday.
“Good. That’s reassuring… You haven’t caused any trouble, have you? You didn’t bring back some elf girl, did you?”
The king started making baseless comments.
“I wouldn’t do anything like that. Lily’s parents and the village chief are good people, and there weren’t any problems at all.”
“Really?”
The king turned his gaze to Leanne.
“Hmm? Well, nothing strange happened. Though, Lily is very dependent on Yuuma-sama, and her father did make a bitter face when he saw it.”
“That, I completely understand. I don’t have any complaints, but there’s just something about giving my daughter to this guy that doesn’t sit right.”
Fathers probably just don’t want to give their daughters away to anyone.
Not that I remember how it was for me.
“Now, now… Anyway, we’re almost there. If we do encounter the dragon, we’re just observing, right?”
Leanne redirected the conversation.
“Yes. That’s the basic approach. And if it gets dangerous, use teleportation to escape. Yuuma, I’m counting on you to take care of Leanne.”
“Of course. Leave it to me. By the way, Your Majesty, we actually found something…”
With that, AI-chan took out a dragon scale and placed it on the table.
“What’s this? Is it that dragon scale you were just talking about?”
The king picked up the dragon scale.
“Yes. We found it, but would you be willing to buy it? The guild said they couldn’t.”
Natalia had mentioned earlier that it might be better to sell it to the king.
“Well, considering its origin, I wouldn’t want it circulating freely. But you’re asking me to buy this?”
“Your Majesty, that’s a token of courage you earned in your youth when you faced a dragon, isn’t it?”
“Hmm… It’s starting to feel like it.”
As the king said that, he glanced briefly at the knight.
The knight left the room but returned shortly after. Without a word, he placed a pouch on the table. The king picked it up and handed it to AI-chan.
“90 gold coins.”
He’s being stingy…
Well, whatever.
“Then, Uncle, we’ll be taking our leave now,” Leanne said as she stood up.
Following her lead, AI-chan and I also got to our feet.
“Very well. I’m counting on you.”
“Understood!”
Using Leanne’s teleportation, we returned to our room and decided to take it easy for the rest of the day.
That night, we went to bed early to prepare for tomorrow.