Daytime: When I walked across the apple field, I came across an intruder which I haven’t seen before.

  「……」


  [house-magic-vol1-13]

  It was a little girl that was staring at the apple tree.

  She had jet black clothes, jet black hair and jet black eyes.

  「Yes? What is it?」


  When I thought that she might have been a lost child and asked her what’s wrong, the little girl pointed at the tree. It was the tree where the golden apple grew.

  「That, apple」


  「Ahh, you want some apples, I see. You really know what to choose」


  Although her appearance looked really young, she was quite articulate with her words.

  「I know. Because I am a traveler」


  「Oh, is that so?」


  What the? In this country, was it really OK to let a child of her age go on a journey?

  Or is it that perhaps, the vicinity of this forest is a much safer place than I imagined?

  「I am Hesty, please treat me well」


  「Yeah, Nice to meet you」


  She is even able to do a proper introduction, what a good little girl.

  When I kept looking at the girl, *rumblee* the sound of her stomach was rumbling.

  「……Nn」


  「Is your stomach empty?」


  「…..I don’t know, but its rumbling」


  She was tilting her neck. In many different levels, I wonder if this child is alright.

  「…..Nn?」


  The little girl continued to stare at the apple.

  She’s probably saying, “I want to eat this” right?

  But the thing is I just heard the other day, that the dragon’s blood entered the roots of the tree filling the apples with magic, making this apple poison to normal people. That’s why,

  「Oiii, Sakura」


  「Yes, how can I be of service Master?」


  I called Sakura and decided to ask for some help.

  「Sakura. Will it be safe if this child eats the apple?」


  「Oh my! What a lovely child」


  Sakura was staring at the little girl, and the little girl was just staring back.

  「Let me see……Oh if a child with this much magic consumes the apple, it should be alright」


  「Oh yeah? Even though she’s such a little girl, she already has a considerable amount of magic huh?」


  Well, I guess if she wasn’t at least capable, she wouldn’t have gone travelling in the first place.

  「Ah, However, I think that for the golden apple, she should not eat that one yet」


  「Yeah, that much I also understand」


  Especially when we don’t understand the effects or symptoms that may occur from consuming the golden apple. Therefore, the one I gave her was the red apple.

  「Here catch」


  Because it was unlikely for her to be able to reach up into the tree with her height, I grabbed one and passed it to her.

  「? You’re giving it to me?」


  「Yeah」


  「Is that so? In that case I will eat it」


  The little girl with her small mouth, started to bite into the apple, with the skin and all.

  「Is it tasty?」


  「It’s sweet……」


  「Is it?」


  Interestingly, Sakura was unusually kind to this girl compared to others.

  「Do you like kids, perhaps?」


  「Yes. As a house, it is desirable to have children, because they bring so much livelihood to the place」


  Ahh, is that how it is? After all, she is a spirit of a house. I’ve almost forgotten about this fact completely.

  「Saying such a remark, but My Master is also really gentle towards the child, isn’t he?」


  「I’m the kind of guy who put’s myself into troublesome situations, and honestly as long as nobody tries to harm the peaceful life I have, I’m quite the gentleman」


  However up until now, the groups that have come here, are those that would cause trouble.

  「I’m finished」


  In the middle of our conversation, Hesty finished eating.

  「It was really sweet. I feel a sense of, satisfaction」


  「You really know some complicated words, don’t you–」


  I patted her head whilst praising her. At first the little girl looked like she was feeling ticklish, but she soon accepted it.

  She’s adorable.

  「Now then, We are going to go back home. Hesty, what are you going to do?」


  「I will also go back. The apple, was delicious」


  「Yeah, alright, I’ll see you later」


  「Yeah, see you later」


  As she said so, she turned her heels towards the forest, and headed into the west as her figure disappeared.

  「She was a mysterious child wasn’t she?」


  「Ahh, even that kind of traveller will get lost. Since coming to this world, I think that this is the first time I’ve met an ordinary looking child, and had a normal sounding conversation」


  It just means that until now, the situations I’ve been in were all rocky and full of drama.

  But I really feel that having a person here that I can have a usual conversation with is a good thing.

  Coming from the West of the Forest.

  The trees that grew here was both thick and dense, and it could easily make people lose their way, furthermore in this place, you could start to see that the soil was dark brown in color with a tint of yellow.

  The little girl, was with a dragon.

  The Dragon was called an Ultra Wyvern, and it bowed to the little girl called Hesty.

  『I have been expecting you! Dragon Lord! It’s admirable that you have returned safely from the Human world!』


  And the dragon was speaking in the dragon language, however.

  「Nn」


  Even so Hesty was speaking normally.

  『How was the preliminary inspection of the other party that we must fight?』


  「Strong」


  Hesty had blank eyes, but her reply was immediate.

  『…….Is that so? Even as the Dragon Lord, you also think that way?』


  「In truth, I, don’t want to fight him」


  『Huh?』


  「Most likely, even if it’s me, I cannot win. Also, I don’t want to burn that place down」


  Hesty understood.

  As a dragon, she has lived for hundreds of years, and as a human she has travelled for several decades, and measuring her opponent’s strength was something she could proficiently do.

  「That man, is stronger than me by far. Also, the magic that was stored in the apple, was delicious」


  『Is– is that so? Th– the apples were?』


  「Yeah, that’s why I won’t burn it down」


  『However, there are already so many of our youthful dragons, that are ready to attack at a moment’s notice—-』


  「I understand. Just wait a minute. I will challenge him. ……Otherwise, I know that I cannot, persuade them」


  Hesty understood this fact already. The stubborn temper of a dragon.

  「Without even knowing their opponent’s strength, rushing in to attack is such a foolish thing. And if they knew how strong he was, and still chose to attack, they would be even stupider」


  However, a dragon would still choose to attack.

  「I am the Dragon Lord, the Lord of fools. Therefore, I need to set an example, with a challenge」


  『Yes……!!』


  「This is a fight, for the survival of the dragon race」


  If she won, that that man would die, if she lost, then her disgraceful behavior will be seen by the dragons, and will act as a deterrent to stop the war. Regardless of whether she wins, or she loses, the fight between the Dragon’s and that man should end. That’s why…..

  「Even if I lose, there will be no complaints, alright?」


  『Understood! Dragon Lord, Hestesu Radona-sama!!』


  And so she began to walk.

  She got out of the forest, and into the Dragon’s valley.