Reincarnated as a Dragon's Egg

“The minion of the devil is definitely not allowed in the sacred Ridom Palace!”

He has a striking, almost elastic-looking moustache, and the sharp corners of his eyes look crafty. At the Ridom Palace, the priest Dogon has led several warrior priests to stand in our way.

We explained in simple terms what had happened, but they didn’t want to hear any of it. They insisted that the apocalypse is an evil dragon, that they were supporting Jornes-sama, and monsters could not be allowed into the palace.

“…Priest Dogon, you should have been in the underground prison. Why are you outside?”

Meltia-san asks with a cramped expression.

As it seemed Priest Dogon’s idea that ‘We should all offer up our bodies and souls to Jornes-sama as citizens of the Holy City,’ would cause a revolt, his subordinates tipped us off and we locked him underground. And then, sometime after the important figures in the shelter had headed out to attack Jornes, he had been released from his confinement.

“The people came to me for guidance after the appearance of the Dragon of Revelation! Everybody finally realised that Saint-sama couldn’t possibly have been slaughtering us without reason.”

I rub my forehead.

“I’ll admit that I lost my composure and erred! Jornes-sama wasn’t revived as an angel in order to rescue mankind! She’s here to recruit warriors to defeat the Dragon of Revelation!”

…One of the warrior priests had said something similar, so maybe the Holy God religion’s followers are thinking the same thing.

With the passing of time, the people able to fight have gradually decreased from perishing at the hands of those misshapen monsters. Furthermore, a majority of those who had been guiding and leading the evacuees at this base had set out for the sake of the Jornes attack plan. As the apocalypse had appeared amidst all of that, everyone had probably become anxious and wished for someone to depend on. I just wish it could have been someone other than Priest Dogon, though.

“How foolish to not only strike Jornes-sama with an arrow but also bring along a minion of the devil! To think that you’ve also been spreading some falsehoods as well!”

I can feel my own face cramping up. ‘I don’t want to hear that from you’, is what I want to retort with but I force those words down with all of my strength.

However, it’s also true that with how things are now, there are many followers that identify with Priest Dogon’s way of thinking. It’s exactly because of that that they had deliberately released Dogon from his confinement, who they had once betrayed and locked up themselves. It goes to show just how hard it is for the faithful of the Holy God religion to accept the events of the past five days.

“On the contrary, Miria-dono, I ask of you! Why have you brought such a repulsive-looking monster to this place without so much as a single doubt!”

Priest Dogon levels a finger at Treant-san. Treant-san glances left and right, then quietly checks behind him. He then shyly looks up at me.

『…Is my form really that repulsive?』

“Umm…”

His outward appearance looking so non-threatening is probably one of reasons Priest Dogon is getting so cocky. That’s what I believe, but I keep my mouth shut.

I know that Priest Dogon is a rigidly prejudiced man. Perhaps within his eyes he might be seeing Treant-san as some terrible demon.

“Does everyone else feel the same?”

There’s no getting anywhere by talking to Dogon. I project my voice to the people lined up behind him.

“I-it’s as Priest Dogon says. Conversely, do you have any other explanations for the current situation?”

The warrior priest who answered does so with watery eyes and evident doubt. He seems to be pleading for us to give an explanation for all this if we can.

Before the calamity of Ridom, these men were likely searching for something that they could accept and find assurance in. As the scriptures of the Holy God religion was what they found, they can’t possibly bring themselves to turn that faith into condemnation.

Though, such answers are what I’m looking for, too. Meltia-san and I are both as susceptible as they are to being overcome by anxiety and fear.

“We will punish that monster beginning now! Miria-dono, if you and the others aren’t going to aid us, all of you will be regarded as the Holy God religion’s enemies!”

Priest Dogon’s party level their weapons at Treant-san. Treant-san looks around in a panic.

『A-Aro-dono, what should I do? …Oh, Aro-dono wasn’t here.』

…A-as expected, it might have been better for Aro-san to have come along as well.

“You evil monster! Stand there and receive my magic!”

Priest Dogon brandishes his greatstaff.

『N-Ngh…!』

Treant-san’s body starts and begins quivering.

“Haah, [Fire Sphere]…!”

“P-please wait, Priest Dogon!”

It happens in the instant I step forward in order to stop him. An enormous tree appears in the palace, crashing through the surrounding walls and the ceiling. As I can only see a small portion of it, its full height is immeasurable. Priest Dogon, who was sent flying by the giant tree, slams into the wall with his back.

“Opuh! Y-you monster, so you’ve shown your true form!”

Right then, a loud explosion roars. Rainbow-coloured light can be seen coming from Treant-san’s direction. The palace’s walls that were swallowed up by the light crumble away into dust.

That’s Jornes’ magic… [Ruin]. It seems like Irushia-san and Jornes are having quite a flashy battle out there. That was probably a stray shot from them.

I can see that a gigantic hemispherical crater has been carved into the ground behind Treant-san. If it was caught up in that blast, this palace would most definitely not get through without incident.

Treant-san probably noticed the light of [Ruin] outside the window when he was looking around for Aro-san.

“D-did you return to your original form to act as a shield for us…? Even though we were trying to subjugate you…”

Priest Dogon mutters with a troubled expression.

The gigantic tree is enveloped by light, and Treant-san takes his previous form once more. The surface of his back is burnt a deep red. He collapses on the spot.

“Treant-san, those injuries…!”

『As expected, though it’s just the aftermath, it’s quite the thing… I was careless. However, this level of damage can be healed right away, so please don’t worry.』

In front of the weakened Treant-san, even priest Dogon is unable to act. He merely stands in place dumbfounded. Soon, one by one, the warrior priests with him drop their weapons to the floor.

“Dogon-sama… In the end, I can’t regard this monster as an evildoer… The one assaulting the Holy City is clearly Jornes-sama, too.”

With the warrior priest’s words, priest Dogon loses the strength to grip his own greatstaff as well.

“If that’s the case, I… What can I believe in…?”

Priest Dogon speaks in a faint, almost disappearing voice.

With that, there’s no longer any voices challenging Treant-san’s presence within the palace.