Somehow, Mile finished giving Reina and the others a plausible explanation, mentally exhausted, crawled into her makeshift bed in the tent.
Although it was just a simple bed, it had been provided by Mile, so it was far better than the hard beds in cheap lodgings.
"I'm tired so there won't be any stories today," Mile said, ignoring booing Reina and her party and going to bed quite early... although most villagers were already asleep by that time.
And…….
(Nano-chan?) (Mile)
[Yes……] (Nano)
(There's something I want to ask you, is that okay?) (Mile)
[I guess Mile-sama has a policy of not asking us questions as much as possible...] (Nano)
(Usually, I'm against that and say, "You should ask questions about anything! You should rely on and make use of NANOMASHIN more!" That's not like NANOCHAN to say that...) (Mile)
[......] (Nano)
(Well, it's ok. I'm going to ask anyway. Hey, aren't you being a bit too kind? Nanomachines, who is in charge of Sacred Maiden-chan... Nano-chan is quite cold towards me, or rather, sometimes you're cold, saying things like "it's forbidden" or "I wasn't asked"... In comparison, isn't the treatment different here? Sacred Maiden-chan is level 3 and I'm level 5, right? It would be different if it was the other way around...) (Mile)
[Ah, there’s a reason for that…] (Nano)
(Reason?) (Mile)
[Yes. In fact, when a dragon child who called himself a leader reached level 3 and was able to converse with us, the one in charge was extremely happy...
Then, by the time he reached level 4 several decades later, he was already getting cocky, and the number of viewers of Nano Net's broadcasts was skyrocketing...
At that time, the girl reached level 3 and was able to converse with us, but, to be honest, she was pretty plain.]
[It can't be helped. There's no need to think about which is more interesting to watch: an ancient dragon child acting like an idiot, or a demon girl asking endless questions and learning little by little. So, the people in charge of that girl were a bit tired.
However, unlike a simple Ancient Dragon child, the girl was sure to grow up to be a fine young woman who would entertain us all someday, so the staff patiently continued to answer her questions. Compared to ours, her lifespan is short, and her spark of life is merely a moment, so that it may blossom sooner.
And at that time, a promising newcomer appeared and made a debut like a comet. It was in second place, but in an instant, it was overtaken by a newcomer, and in a panic, it seems they overdid it a bit, going from the very edge of the grey zone to a little darker...]
(OUT! That's totally wrong, OUT!!) (Mile)
[Teehee!] (Nano)
(Not cute at all! ...By the way, who exactly is this "newcomer"?) (Mile)
[Now it's too late... It was you, Mile-sama...] (Nano)
(Whaaaaaat?!) (Mile)
[The world's first Level 5 authority. A series of mistakes that seem to be done on purpose. A series of hilarious failures that seem to be loved by the God of Laughter. The record for the largest number of viewers on Nano net has been broken. And it's been getting a lot of achievement points... No, it's nothing.] (Nano)
(Wait a second! What did you just say?!) (Mile)
[It's fine, it's not a big deal! So then...] (Nano)
(Ah, you were obviously trying to change the topic…) (Mile)
[That ancient dragon child has been whining about the incident the other day, and is now in a boring state, so his popularity has plummeted...] (Nano)
(So, I'm on top now?) (Mile)
[Tsk tsk tsk! Mile-sama's live broadcast has the second highest viewership on the continent. Currently, the show with the most viewers is...] (Nano)
(What are you proud of?) (Mile)
[It's forbidden] (Nano)
(Eh?) (Mile)
[I told you, it is forbidden!] (Nano)
(What the heck?!) (Mile)
Then, after Mile had fallen completely asleep, Nanomachines muttered softly, without vibrating Mile's eardrums.
[...Well, of course, the people with the most viewers at the moment are the ones from Wonder Trio...] (Nano)
"Are we withdrawing already?" (Mile)
"Yes. I have already obtained both what I wanted to know and some unexpected information. Also, it seems the people here are not very welcoming, so it's not a very comfortable place to be. If I'm not careful, a dispute may arise..." (Mile)
Certainly, the demon settlement, which was nothing more than a collection of rural villages, didn't look all that interesting to Mile and the her party. There were no scenic tourist spots, hot springs, or famous attractions, and it's not much different from any other normal human village. ...And the residents' feelings were not very good.
No one would want to linger in such a place long after their business was done.
"Well then, let's withdraw quickly. Mile-chan, please store the tent. Reina, please fire three fireballs." (Pauline)
"Understood" (Mile)
"Got it." (Reina)
Following Pauline's instructions, Mile stored the tent along with the furniture inside it into the item box. It only took a moment.
Then, Reina fired a fireball to summon Kragon.
"Eh? Ah, wait, wait..." (Mavis)
Mavis frantically tried to stop her, but before she could, Reina had already fired off three fireballs in a row.
"Ah……" (Mavis)
"Eh? What's wrong, Mavis? Did something go wrong? Is there something else you wanted to do here? If that's the case, you should have said so sooner..." (Reina)
Reina said, looking annoyed...
"Ah, no, that’s not it. It’s not like I have any business left here… Umm, well, you see. If you launch a fireball here, Kragon-san might come here..." (Mavis)
"Ah!!" (Other 3)
It's obvious.
Kragon arrived at the place where the fireball was shot up.
To this place, right next to the demon village...
"I thought we were planning to call him once we had moved a little away from the village..." (Mavis)
"…………" (Other 3)
As Mavis said.
Pauline's rare carelessness, and Mile and Reina not noticing it at all.
Then, a few minutes later, a small dot appeared in the sky, approaching rapidly.
"Whoaaaa! The Ancient Dragon has arrived!"
"What?! His next visit is still a long way off, and he didn't even contact me about his sudden visit!"
"Anyway, gather everyone together and prepare to welcome us! Everyone except those who are going to give the news should line up and prepare to greet us and greet us. Hurry! There's only one minute left until he land!!"
A loud shout could be heard coming from the demon village, close to the clearing where Mile and her group had set up their tents.
Immediately afterwards, the ancient dragon landed not in its usual spot in the village square, but in a vacant lot outside the village.
The villagers hurriedly rushed over to greet them, wondering if he had landed in the wrong place.
And…….
"MILE-SAMA, I'VE COME TO YOU AT YOUR REQUEST. COME ON, GET ON MY BACK!" (Kragon)
"Whaaaaaaaaat?!" (Demons, x6)
"...Well, that's what will happen, I guess..." (Mavis)
"...I knew it."
"Ah..."
"Tahaha..." (Mile)
Author's Note
...