Stop It! It’s Not Me That’s Strong… It’s the Sword…!

The mainland is vast.
Within it lie numerous cities, villages, lakes, and even mountains.
With such vastness, I feel like they should let more people from the outskirts in.

But well, if they keep accepting them easily, it would result in rapid population growth and land shortage.
I guess there's no helping that.

Putting that aside, according to the mission report, the infamous dragon has established its lair in the ‘Luna Mountains’.
Following that information, Kurou-kun arrived at the foot of the mountains…

“What is this?”

My companion, Tiana-san, muttered in astonishment.
Before our eyes, there was nothing but the remains of a devastated settlement.

“Tiana, what happened to this place…”

“Ah…
Well, people from the mainland have the luxury of indulging in hobbies like mountain climbing.
So a village was established at the foot of the mountains for such people.
But…”

The village had completely vanished.
All the buildings had been burned down, the ground bore the marks of enormous claws, and not a single human remained.

Confronted with that sight, Tiana clenched her fists tightly.

“What is this…
The damage caused by the dragon has been happening for a while now, hasn't it? Sending only Kurou to kill the dragon is not the appropriate approach!

“Are they idiots?!” Tiana-san yelled in anger.

Despite considering herself inadequate and worthless, she still aimed to be a knight.
She vented her anger towards the royal family and the prime minister.
By the way, I'm also currently raging.

‘Ah, they're truly mocking us…’

I thought as I looked at the stone buildings that had melted into a gooey mess and the claw marks spanning several meters.
What the heck, how massive and powerful is this dragon?! There's no way we can defeat something like that!

‘Well, well, well, I mean, I heard that dragons are the strongest among magical creatures, right?! But hey, I've been through some pretty tough situations myself, you know?!

‘When I was being controlled by Muramasa, I was strong despite everything! So I thought I'd be fine!’

I'm aware that my “monster slayer” mode is relatively powerful.
Well, it strains my muscles to the limit and my bones are on the verge of breaking, but I've won every battle so far.

So I thought maybe I could somehow defeat the dragon this time too…

‘But, it might be impossible…! Kurou-kun might actually die this time!”

Fear gripped me.
Damn that prime minister for giving me such an outrageous mission! Oh no, what should I do…
It's only now that I truly understand that it's like a death sentence.

My hands trembled with fear.
To be honest, I want to run away.
But as Fiana-san said, “If you defy the imperial royal family's

request, the punishment could be death.”

There's no escape! I'm at my wit's end!

Damn it, should I be prepared to become a criminal and run away?! It's safer than a suicidal attack on that colossal dragon, isn't it? Alright, I've made up my mind.

It feels a bit late to decide at this point, but just as I was about to make my escape…
At that moment, Tiana-san tightly grasped my trembling hand.

Huh!?

“Kurou…
You're angry too.
At the wickedness of the royal family and the dragon's tyranny.”

“Of course…
(Wait, huh?)”

Wait, wait a minute! It's true that I can't forgive the royal family and the prime minister, but is it really necessary to feel that strongly about the dragon?! And my hand is trembling because of fear!

Sure, it's sad to think about the people in the attacked village, but people getting eaten by monsters is a common occurrence in the outskirts.

Besides, I'm not some saint who would risk his life and get angry for the sake of strangers…

“As I thought.
Even in the face of this devastating aftermath, you don't seem scared at all.
Though our time together has been short, I understand your personality well, Kurou.
You're someone who can discard yourself for the sake of peace.”

‘No, I can't discard myself!?!?!’

I don't have that kind of intention at all!? I'm just a petty citizen who would rather enjoy the benefits of peace than protect it, you know!?

‘Hmm…
It's true that when I'm in my “Condemner mode,” I might come across as that kind of character, but have I really acted all self-sacrificing in front of Tiana-san?’

I was just saying cool things with a determined expression, you know? I can't remember at all.

“…Anyway, Kurou, it's already late today.
You must be tired from the battles along the way, so let's rest for today.” Tiana-san firmly grabbed my sleeve.

Huh, huh? Rest for today? Does that mean we'll have to battle tomorrow? ‘N-No, I don't want to! I want to run away!’ I can't afford to worry about that anymore! I stopped my determined act and was about to desperately shout, “Please, Tiana-san, let me escape!” But…

“…you have no way to escape anyway.
If you abandon the mission, the royal family will surely hold your mentor, Iris-sama, accountable…”

‘Wait, what?!’

Th-That's too much! I can't let Iris-san suffer because of me! Which means I have no choice but to confront…

“Yeah, Tiana, let's rest for today.”

And so, Kurou-kun decided to face the dragon in battle tomorrow! Damn it!

…

Note: There are some short time-skips, because this is WN and full detailed story can be found in LN.
If you want, you can support the author by buying LN.