I’m a humiliated, incompetent person, but I alone can talk to dragons, so I can choose all the SSS skills and loophole items I want to. I’m going to become famous and respected, so, to the people who humiliated me – Go die in a ditch - Chapter 1

Translator: Jasper Kadowaki | Editor: NovelMultiverse

I stopped suddenly and turned around.

I looked up at the building belonging to the guild I was just banished from.

It was a major guild – “Lindworm”. Up until this morning, I had belonged to this guild. I was banished from this place.

“We don’t need guys like you that assign emotions into items.”

“…Psh”

I turned my body around again and started walking. A guy who assigns emotions to items, eh? I don’t remember ever assigning an emotion to an item. After all, I don’t consider dragons items in the first place.

☆

Dragons in this day and age had become indispensable, used in everyday life. About a hundred years ago, humans succeeded in learning how to breed dragons. Ever since then, dragons have been used in many different situations.

Small-sized dragons are called “small”, but as they are still dragons, and most of them are two or three times larger than humans. They’re mostly used to transport humans and light cargo loads. They’re also used in war, and dragon knights replaced traditional cavalry as superior soldiers.

Medium-sized dragons grow to be about the size of an average house, and they are used to transport hefty cargo and uphold an essential role in commerce.

Large-sized dragons are the most famous dragons of legend, and they are not used for everyday jobs. They are used as the core units of armies.

Lastly, people who have been properly educated to control dragons (no matter what the size) are called dragon knights, or dragoons.

An official group employing these dragon knights is called a dragon knight guild.

　☆

I was walking around the city center of Boisroussel. A medium-sized dragon flew in the skies overhead.

“A Vritra-type,” I said.

I guessed the type of dragon above me by looking at the shadow it cast on the ground, and I looked up to confirm my guess.

Vritra types could fly, they loyally obeyed their dragon knights’ commands, and they had good perseverance and excellent stamina. Therefore, they were a type used extensively for long-distance cargo transportation.

Nidhogg dragons (another medium-sized type), in comparison, were about as equally loyal, but they had more aggressive personalities, and so they were prized for transporting not cargo, but soldiers. 

“Whoa! Mom, look, look! Another dragon!”

“You’re right.”

“They’re so cool. I’m definitely going to be a dragon knight when I grow up.”

“All right. Do your best.”

I overheard the conversation between the little kid and his young mom, and I smiled.

For decades, dragon knights had been the number one “what I want to be when I grow up” job for children.

This was especially true for boys, and they outranked the second place profession by a long shot.

Being able to ride a dragon was, of course, considered cool, but it was also an occupation that was highly valued because of its income potential.

“What’s this?”

Suddenly, I happened to see a small-sized dragon and its partnered dragon knight.

The dragon knight sitting atop its back was pulling at the reins, but the dragon looked unhappy and wasn’t budging.

“Come on, don’t stop! Hurry up and walk!”

“Grrrrrr…”

It was a Tarasque-type small-sized dragon, probably used for transport. Customers would ride on the dragon and they would be taken to their destination, and the dragon-knight would be paid for the service.

Tarasque types, while being small-sized dragons, had a unique gait in which they had almost no up-and-down motion when they walked. Because of this stable way of walking, they were very well suited for human riders.

This particular Tarasque-type was obviously disgruntled.

“What the hell’s going on with you? Why’re you acting like this all of a sudden? Hey.”

“Grrr…”

The small-sized dragon was letting out a low, grumble from its throat.

The dragon knight was thoroughly troubled, and the people around were watching from afar, wondering what was the matter.

I went up to them.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” I asked.

“What? Yes, welcome! I’m sorry, sir, he’s a little under the weather right now.”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean. This little guy’s injured his leg.”

“What?”

“His rear right leg.”

“What?!”

The man jumped off of the small-sized dragon and he took a look at the rear right leg I was pointing out.

He crouched down and looked closer at the dragon’s foot.

“Try walking a bit,” said the man, and slapped the small-sized dragon’s leg. He stuck out his right hand and put out a “sign”. 

The small-sized dragon stopped growling and walked a few steps forward.

“You’re right! When’d this happen?” the man wondered.

When the dragon took a few steps, it appeared the man realized that its leg was moving in an irregular manner.

“Where the hell did… Ah, my business is screwed.”

“…”

“Hey, you there. You in the business? Thanks, man,” he said.

“…No problem. But, hey, would you just take care of this little guy?” I asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, nodding, but I wondered how much he had really heard what I said.

That said, there was not much else I could do.

“Thank you.”

“No problem. Take care,” I said.

After exchanging a few words with the small-sized dragon, I wished it good luck, and I left the area.

☆

“The little one is feeling down today, and so I think we should have him rest for today.”

“Ahahaha! I was wondering what you would say, but this? I’ve never even heard of an item feeling down.”

“That’s not right. Even dragons-”

“You’re assigning emotions to items? You’re an idiot.”

“—argh!”

　　　　　☆

From a young age, I could talk to dragons.

With other animals, I heard their cries as just animal noises, as usual, but for some reason, I could talk to dragons. Because of that, I became a dragon knight.

Usually, to control a dragon, one would have to train a dragon and learn the proper “signs” to command it. 

Rather than train them the usual way, I excelled at “having dragons move as I want them to”, and so I was scouted by the biggest dragon knight guild in the business – “Lindworm”.

Lindworm Guild’s style was to thoroughly control and use dragons as tools, and so I did not mesh well with the guild at all.

One month had not even passed since I joined the guild when I was dubbed a “useless guy” and a “guy who opposes rules for no reason”. And so, I was banished from the guild.

　　　　　☆

I walked down a wide city street, alone. Even remembering it now, it angered me. Those guys who had completely and definitively decided that dragons were “items” made me so furious.

I actually got exactly what I wanted by being banished. I decided that I wouldn’t involve myself with that place ever again.

Which was fine, but…

“I gotta do something for work.”

Since I was banished from the guild, I would have to find work as a freelance dragon knight.

I found myself at a government office building a little ways off from the center of town.

At this municipal government office, requests for freelance dragon knights were gathered and divvied out as jobs.

Of course, there were commoners who participated in this system, but without an agent or connections, a dragon knight who had just started freelancing and didn’t even “own” one dragon was probably not going to get any jobs.

However, as long as you weren’t a criminal, you could apply for a job, and there were many jobs that could be done with a rental dragon.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]

I entered the government office, and I stood before the bulletin board in a corner of the first-floor lobby. There were all kinds of flyers on the bulletin board, and on each of these flyers was a job posting.

I looked at each of these flyers, one by one. Among them, I found one that interested me. It was a job posting for training a newly born dragon for a business owner.

　　　　　☆

I was in a corner of an upper-class residential zone in the southwest part of the city. I was talking to a middle-aged man in the foyer of his mansion. The mansion had a yard, as well.

It was a job interview.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Patrick Forget.”

Patrick held out his hand across the table between us. I shook his hand and told him my name.

“I’m Cyril Larose.”

“Cyril-san. All right. Please, sit down.

After shaking his hand, I sat down on the sofa. With a bittersweet smile, Patrick began talking.

“You’re really helping me out of a bind, here. This kind of job posting doesn’t really get many responses.”

“Yes, well, controlling a dragon and training one are two very different things.”

“It appears so.”

He nodded again, with the same bittersweet smile.

“Let’s cut right to the chase – what kind of training are you looking for?” I asked.

“It’s a present for my son.”

“Oh?”

“A business partner of mine told me that when you have kids, it’s a good idea to start keeping a dragon.”

“That was a popular idea, at one point, wasn’t it?”

I thought back and searched my memory. I remembered hearing an argument for this very idea.

A dragon that is raised like a sibling of a child will become an important companion throughout that child’s entire life and is good for teaching morals. A dragon makes for a good bodyguard, as well.

“So, I bought a dragon, and I hired a few trainers, but for some reason, this dragon wouldn’t listen to any of them,” he said.

“That’s weird,” I said.

“Well, I figured I would ask a dragon knight – someone who’s dealt practically with dragons – for some help… That’s where I’m at,” he said.

“All right, I understand,” I said, “This may be a bit forward of me, but could I please take a look at the dragon?”

“Yes, right this way.”

In a corner of the yard, there was a young dragon attached to a steel chain.

“It’s a Tarasque-type, I see,” I said.

“Yes. It won’t get very big, and I heard that it adapts to a human’s everyday life quite well.”

“That’s correct. They’re good for transportation, as well.”

“The only thing is, it won’t listen to a single trainer… Do you think you could figure something out?”

“I’ll try,” I said, and walked up to the dragon.

The dragon became aware of my presence, got up from his resting position, and jangled the chain attached to him.

“I’m Cyril. And you?”

“My sister! Let me see my little sister!”

“Hey, calm down. Little sister? What do you mean? Tell me exactly what happened.”

“Huh? You can… understand what I’m saying?”

“Yeah.”

“No way… Ah, then listen to me, please! My little sister was with me, before, but only I was bought.”

“Hmm.”

“Please, get me back to my little sister. If you can do that for me, I’ll do anything you want me to.”

“See that businessman over there? Would you look after his son, and follow his son’s orders?”

“If I can be with my little sister, I’ll do anything.”

“All right,” I said, and gave him a slight nod.

I turned around and made my way back to where Patrick was standing.

“What do you think? Do you think you could manage something?” he asked.

“Yes, I do. But,” I said.

“But what?”

“That dragon – Where did you buy him?”

“What? Well, from a dragon seller, of course.”

“Well, then, please try to find out if he still has the female dragon that was acquired with this one, as soon as possible. It’s this dragon’s little sister.”

“Little sister?”

“He says that if he can be with its little sister, he’ll do anything you tell it to.”

“He says?”

Patrick looked at me like I was a suspicious person.

“Please, just try it,” I said.

“…All right.”

　☆

A few hours later, a dragon was brought to the manor.

It was a Tarasque-type dragon, a female about half the size of the first one.

This dragon seemed disgruntled at first, but then she saw the other dragon chained up in the yard.

“Brother!” she said, and started trying to run over to him.

She couldn’t run over to him because the dragon seller’s employee was holding her back with a chain.

“Please let her go,” I said to Patrick.

“Let it go,” Patrick said to the employee.

The employee let go of her chain, and the little sister ran over to her older brother.

The two dragons brushed up against each other and performed an instinctual skinship ritual.

“Oh! Thank god, I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Brother! Brother!”

They continued like this for a while.

“Well, well, consider me surprised,” said Patrick.

“It appears they’re each other’s only siblings.”

“It’s almost like they’re human, isn’t it?”

“…”

I didn’t answer.

If I kept talking, the conversation would lead to something like what led to me getting banished from the guild, so I kept my mouth shut.

Patrick went off with the dragon seller’s employee.

They went to discuss payment and whatnot.

When they saw the Tarasque siblings, even though they couldn’t understand what they were saying, the two men must have understood that they should be given some alone time.

I had been left alone with the dragons, and they came up to talk to me.

“Thank you! Really. Thank you so much for bringing me my little sister.”

“Not a problem,” I said.

“I’ll do anything you ask of me.”

“I’m all right, but I was hoping you could become friendly with the boy that lives here.”

“Oh, that’s right. Okay, I will! If I can be with my little sister, I’ll do anything he asks of me.”

“I’ll let them know,” I said, “Good luck.”

“Thanks!”

After giving the two dragons a few light pats on the head, I went back to where Patrick was.

☆

I was at the foyer to the manor, and Patrick was seeing me off.

“Ah, thank you so much. I’m shocked at how obedient it’s become. I asked so many trainers to deal with it, and I’d just about thrown in the towel. You’re really a miracle worker.”

“All right, but listen – don’t ever pull those two apart. Not now, of course, but even after they’ve grown up. If you set them apart again, they’ll stop listening to all orders all together.”

“Yes, yes. Of course. I understand,” said Patrick, nodding. 

I received my payment and left the manor.

Right before I left the property, I caught a glance of the siblings in the corner of the yard. I felt a little more at ease and left the premises.

　　　　　☆

I was banished from the largest guild there is. And yet, I have no regrets. I can understand what dragons are saying, and so, I can understand how they feel, too. Since I can understand them, from here on out, as always, I’ll live by the motto “Dragons First”. 

I was reminded of my calling, and I decided that I would keep following it.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]