Today is the day when sacrifices are brought from the village near the forest once a year.

Although humans have set foot in the forest, the monsters already understand that once a year they’ll come like this carrying the sacrifice. As such they allowed the villagers to pa.s.s through without stopping them.

Thus the procession of the offering and sacrifice finally arrived at the forest center region.

There’s still a little to go to the center region, magically speaking, where Mother Dragon-Kaa-san is enshrined, but for now the party stops in the central plaza.

In the surroundings various monsters have gathered, half of them are curious onlookers, and half of them are aiming at the offerings.

Tentatively, I’m among the curios onlookers, and watching over the course of events.

The villagers are trembling at being surrounded by monsters. That’s only natural, due to this being a nest of monsters where they have to give a sacrifice and at this very moment they are surround by those monsters, they would tremble as well.

Well, that’s an unnecessary worry though.

“Dragon G.o.d-sama, these are this year’s offerings and sacrifice”

An old man who liked like the village mayor stepped out to the very front, and towards the direction of Mother Dragon who he couldn’t see he prostrated himself.

[……good work]

Kaa-san’s voice that is transmitted from far away.

I understand clearly, a displeased voice.

[Both the offerings and sacrifice, I have certainly received them. I’ll guarantee the village’s safety for a year. I swear on my dragon’s name]

“Hahaa……my humble pleasure”

The village mayor says that and bows his head once again, the other villagers-the villagers who carried the offerings here prostrated themselves in the same manner, appealing that they are not hostile once again.

After the villagers left, half of the monsters jumped at the offerings.

The offerings were gold and silver treasures; cattle, pigs, and sheep; and things consisting of various grains.

From a human’s point of view they’re goods that would sell for a fortune, but for a dragon they’re meaningless.

Dragons don’t need to eat things, Kaa-san is enshrined in the center of the forest, her only source of energy is magic.

Even so, the villagers send the sacrifice and offerings.

I can understand that since the forest is close by they offer things as a method to buy safety, but to be honest there is not much point.

The monsters of Deep Forest don’t particularly attack villages after all.

If it isn’t accepted then next time misunderstandings like, “The gifts were not satisfactory, we have to send more” will increase.

So that wouldn’t happen it was decided that humans would send something suitable once a year, the best way to have them consent, and their safety would be guaranteed-by Kaa-san.

Of course the offerings are unneeded, so those things are suitably divided by the monsters. The curios onlookers half do that.

[Ryu, my son]

[Dealing with the sacrifice, I entrust that to you]

[I do not eat people, nor do I interact with them]

“I know that, but why me?”

Until now the sacrifice has been sent every year as well, each time Kaa-san had dealt with it appropriately.

Why is it that suddenly this year it was me?

[That’s an order]

“No but-”

The next moment it became pitch dark before my eyes.

The offerings half had been taken back by the monsters, and at a glance I was left with leftovers.

Once again it appears I was scolded by Kaa-san for defying her.

[Will you object to my decision]

“I won’t, I won’t ok”

I deny it in a rush, when I say something poor, I’ll be instant killed again.

Was Kaa-san satisfied with that answer, she didn’t say any more than that.

Haa……what a pain.

The sacrifice, what would be a good way to deal with it.

I parted from the center of the center of the forest a little, a place that’s unpopular.

I pushed the flatbed trolley *heave ho heave ho*(I let my voice out on purpose) and brought it here.

One human sat on top of the trolley.

Cloth was placed on their head, the appearance was unable to be seen.

But, they’re trembling.

That might be natural, there’s no way a human brought here to be a sacrifice would be calm.

For the moment, I took off that cloth.

Her age is around 10 years, she’s not particularly cute, she isn’t the type that will become beautiful in the future either.

Her looks are in the lower middle, well that’s exactly why she was chosen as a sacrifice I guess.

The girl looks around restlessly, and tilts her head.

“Are……D-Dragon-sama?”

“I listened but……Since Dragon G.o.d-sama said, [My son]”

Ahh, that’s why it’s not Dragon G.o.d-sama, but Dragon-sama huh.

“In that case, it’s me”

“You remember my voice right?”

“In other words-”

Turning my head, I gave a reason she could consent to.

“-You’ve been entrusted to me”

“Mother Dragon thinks of all monsters as her children. That’s why she’s Mother Dragon”

“I-I see……”

When I attached that kind of reason, the girl consented.

“Ano……”

“Please treat me well. If possible instantly. Pain is unpleasant”

“I’m scared, I’m scared but……it’s something that can’t be helped”

“After all, someone like me is an incompetent person who serves no purpose so”

The girl said that, and hung her head seemingly lonely.

“I can’t read, and I can’t do farm work. Even if I’m made to do housework I only fail. Work that others learn in a day, even taking a week I can’t learn most of it”

“In addition I have no parents, I’m not pretty either so. Someone like me who’s an idiot, clumsy, and plain, can’t be of use to the village unless I become the sacrifice at least”

“Because it’s all true. Everyone in the village says so”

“The same age as well. You’re clumsy and a dunce, so at the very least step aside so as to not become a hindrance, is what they say, all the time”

All the time.

Pretty extreme. That is.

I don’t understand exactly how clumsy or stupidly slow and unskillful, but for a girl of about 10 to be that self-abusive is no doubt because she’s been told considerably.

That’s……honestly a little questionable.

“That’s why I’m happy to be of use to the village. But but it’s scary so……um, at the very least instantly”

“Thank you very much!”

“-Eh-!”

Being refused the girl makes a face like she’ll start crying soon.

“Am I……not fitting as a sacrifice?”

The manner of speaking she let out was indeed deep-rooted.

That way of speaking, I don’t really like it.

“You may be an idiot, clumsy blockheaded naif”1

“But, you have one thing that you’ll never lose to anyone in”

“You do. The fact that you have met me”

“Eh?”

The girl was surprised. I spread out a magic circle.

Next I cast magic on the girl, the magic power I released enveloped the girl’s entire body.

“W-what is this”

“Take a look”

I fling a rock that was laying on the ground.

Suddenly being thrown that, the girl fl.u.s.teredly caught it.

“W-what is it”

“T-that’s impossible, a rock this big”

“It’s impossible”

“Eh? Ah……”

The girl suddenly realized.

It’s considerably large, a rock whose size was big enough that although the girl was carrying it, she couldn’t wrap her hands around it.

It was considerably heavy as well.

“Why can I hold it?”

“O-ok”

The girl nods and timidly strikes the rock.

A large bang is released and the rock shatters.

“Ehhh!?”

“W-what’s going on?”

“Talent……upper limit?”

“Ehhhhh!? T-that’s impossible”

“Like I said to the extent of naif is……”

“Eh?”

I turn my body aside, and breathe fire.

The girl who saw that s.p.a.ced out.

“Even I, the weakest slime, was able to become like this. That’s why it’s possible for you as well”

“……is that, really true?”

I nodded clearly.

“Ohh, what’s this, what’s up with that”

“Ryu is taking a human girl along”

I met up with Terry and Lily, bringing along the girl.

No, I was carried.

The girl was in the same clothes that she came with, the only addition being she was wearing the collar I made.

In that state, she carried me. She carried me in a pose of carrying a ball at the center of her body.

Having done so was in order to allow her to live in the forest.

“I was entrusted with dealing with her from Kaa-san, since it was a good chance I had her become my legs”

“Ahaha, that’s typical Ryu”

Terry and Lily consented with that.

The collar attached to her neck is proof that she’s my possession, and there won’t be any cases of monsters attacking her.

“……”

She’s opening and closing her mouth like she wants to say something.

I addressed her within her mind.

[I guess you wanted to talk about the fact that I’m strong right?”

[The effect of the collar. It allows you to talk with me telepathically like this, and a light curse so that you won’t expose my secret is attached]

[It’s a secret that I’m strong. I’ll gradually inform you of the reason]

[I understand]

The girl consented.

“Um……ah, I can speak about this”

“I’ll try my best, and also”

The girl, with the first smile I’ve seen since we met, said to me.

“Thank you very much, Ryu-sama”

1. The original word was オッペケペー which after looking into I found out is kind of like a dunce, simpleton in a good way. I chose naif, a somewhat uncommon word. If you have something better feel free to comment.

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