Ch.66. Charge! Neighbor’s Bahamut!

Ah. This cool and chilly sensation.

Finally, the long-awaited visitor has arrived.

At the appearance of my first visitor, I instinctively struck a victory pose, but I made sure not to act rashly.

If I were to make a wrong move and scare away this visitor who finally arrived, all my efforts until now would be for nothing.

‘Calm down. Just calm down. This is an opportunity. A chance to prove my worth.’

So, with a calm mind clear as still water, with the mindset of a fisherman waiting for a fish that’s taken the bait.

I needed to slowly create a mystical atmosphere in the temple and guide the visitor who came here to enter inside out of curiosity.

“Ugh. Hold on. My heart…!”

If this visitor runs away, it’s all over!

Without you, our household will be ruined!

Concentrating more desperately than when I built the temple, I observed the visitor’s movements, and when they were distracted by the statue placed at the entrance, I turned on the lights inside the temple.

Then I welcomed the visitor with a magnificent fire show through mystical flames and illuminated the path leading to the temple.

“Good!”

The girl who visited this place entered the temple with a curious expression, and I clenched my fist at the fact that everything was going according to plan.

As time passed, the awaited visitor stood in front of the stairs, and I witnessed her sighing deeply at the sight of those tall steps.

‘Hmm. Maybe I should install an escalator for the elderly later.’

I had installed high stairs on the path to the altar to properly utilize the surrounding terrain, but it seemed quite inconvenient for someone climbing them.

Seeing the visitor’s expression, I considered installing an escalator for convenience, but soon shook my head.

How dare I!

How dare I install modern conveniences in this sacred temple!

As a fantasy enthusiast, this was an insult I simply couldn’t tolerate!

Wait a minute… if it’s not a machine powered by electricity but magical engineering combining magic and technology, wouldn’t that be acceptable?

‘That… makes sense!’

I should design a magically created escalator later.

Just as I felt sympathy watching the fragile woman, no, girl struggling up the stairs and resolved to ensure more comfort for visitors… when she finally reached the top, she was overwhelmed by the statues of the seven dragons I had created.

Hehe, I made them as massive and large as possible to inspire awe in those who climbed all the way up here.

“Ahaha… it’s just a statue. There won’t be any problems… Yes. No problem.”

Though it made my living space cramped, I couldn’t help feeling proud seeing the girl overwhelmed by the statues.

But this wasn’t the end.

As the girl’s attention was captured by the statues, I cleared my throat and addressed her in a deep, refined, gentlemanly voice.

“I never expected a visitor to come to this place.”

“Eh? A voice? Where? Who are you?!”

The girl with seemingly bleached white hair looked around with a startled expression at my voice. She was incredibly cute, but fearing my mystique would fade if I left her be, I addressed her once more.

“Down here.”

When I revealed my location, the girl looked down with a confused expression, and upon seeing my form behind the wall, she collapsed as if her legs had given out.

This is definite proof that I’ve made an imposing impression on that girl!

Believing I had made a strong impression on the girl before me, I spoke to her slowly in the most impressive voice I could muster.

“I welcome the visitor who has come here after so long.”

Our household hasn’t gone bankrupt yet!

After waiting so long for my first customer who finally arrived, I naturally wanted to treat them grandly and felt like breaking into song right away!

“By visitor… do you mean me? I’m the visitor to this place?”

“Yes. Or perhaps ‘guest to my temple’ would be the most appropriate term?”

To strongly assert that I was a dragon friendly to humans, I made a joke that wasn’t really a joke to the trembling woman.

As she began to tremble even more, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment and was about to open my mouth to tell her to calm down when…!

“Cast aside the fear in your heart. I am…”

Wait a minute.

I definitely decided on a character name along with this character’s setting, and that name was… ‘Ddeuwutteaiuttea’

…

……

………Wait a second.

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait! Stop. Really, wait.

What was the name that just passed through my mind… what did I say my name was?

So, Ddeuwutteaiuttea… right?

If I were to boldly introduce myself to the girl before me with this name…?

“My name is Ddeuwutteaiuttea.”

“Oh my? Are you perhaps trying to be some kind of master of something?”

“Kuheck!?”

“How cute…”

No! Not this future! I can’t handle it. Stop right now!

Having realized the cruel truth, I could feel the chilling future that appeared in my mind at this moment.

The cruel delusion that flashed in my mind stabbed my heart like a dagger.

‘Dangerous! Extremely dangerous. I need to think of a solution right now.’

It’s dangerous. Extremely dangerous.

Unintentionally, I’ve fallen into a tremendous crisis.

‘Think of a name that suits my appearance right now! My brain! Left brain! Right brain! Full activation of my electronic brain!’

If this magnificent dragon’s name is ‘Ddeuwutteaiuttea,’ it would be an insult to all dragons in the world!

That’s something I absolutely cannot tolerate!

Moreover, if that really becomes my name that I’ll continue to use, it would be extremely troublesome for me too!

I need to escape right now from the birth of a lifelong embarrassment.

“Bahamut. I am a benevolent dragon who protects humans.”

I brought up the name Bahamut, which was the motif for this character.

It was truly a pathetic situation that the name I ultimately chose was that of a famous character in subculture.

‘But it’s a better name than Ddeuwutteaiuttea!’

If I had declared that name and she had looked at me with cold eyes of disappointment, my heart would surely have died.

To the great fish of mythology and all the various Bahamuts in subculture! I will be borrowing your magnificent name!

At least it’s a cooler name than Ddeuwutteaiuttea, isn’t it?!

“I am a dragon who protects the weak and does good. So there is no need to fear. You are weak to me, and therefore a being I must protect.”

“Wow…”

After the name Bahamut, I delivered my carefully prepared killer line!

Kiya… Boss! Close the shutters right now!

It’s not strange that I built this temple solely for this fantasy!

‘But. What do I say now?’

However, I could feel the stark reality of the situation hitting me at the same time.

‘Yeah? What do I really do now?’

Huh?

Thinking about it calmly, after delivering my killer line that I had thought of while building the temple, there was nothing else I could do.

Because I had only focused on getting visitors to come, not on what to do with those visitors once they arrived.

‘Moreover, could I even have a normal conversation with a person without additional rehearsal?’

Above all, it’s been so long since I’ve talked to a person!

Don’t expect me, a former shut-in, to be able to converse with people like a normal social butterfly!

…Hmm, should I first ask about the reason for visiting this place?

“Visitor. For what reason have you come here?”

“W-well… I was running away from monsters and came here by chance.”

“Monsters?”

Huh? What monsters exist in the modern era?

‘Come to think of it, I’m that monster!’

Just as I thought it was a lie, I realized that my current form also falls into the category of what’s commonly called a monster.

Ah, there was a 50-meter dragon monster right here.

Self-refutation complete.

“T-that green monster… ah, do you know about goblins?”

…I’m sorry.

I have no idea.

As soon as I woke up, I was too busy digging a cave in secret to avoid human eyes and working on the interior construction to fulfill my useless delusions.

I was a shut-in, unemployed dragon who didn’t engage in any outside activities at all.

“Ah. I see. I understand.”

However, to maintain the dignity I had shown at first, I nodded with an expression that suggested I understood everything.

Of course, I didn’t understand anything.

I was just pretending to know, but I had no idea what the outside situation was like.

But I had a groundless confidence that it would be fine.

‘This is just a matter of maintaining high flexibility and dealing with things impromptu!’

That’s all I thought.

“This is a sacred temple for making a contract with me. A temple completed by my power. Here, by making a contract with me, you can obtain my power.”

Plus, our temple is still in normal business!

So don’t be afraid and feel free to think of it as your own home!

“P-power? I can obtain your power?”

“Of course. I cannot say there is no price. Through your contract and power, I will appear in the current world, and in return, I will lend you my power. It can be seen as a kind of contractual relationship.”

However, at the mention of a price, the girl turned pale and looked around in confusion.

Seeing her expression, I inwardly grabbed my head and lamented, thinking it was too much to ask for a price! But I couldn’t take back the words I had already spoken.

So I said something to the confused girl that might give her confidence.

“The fact that you have reached this place means you have the potential to grow into a being that will one day have a powerful influence on the entire world.”

That’s a lie.

This was an abandoned temple on the verge of bankruptcy, with no visitors until now.

There were no conditions for entering the temple, and this is just a baseless statement like those made by common street cult followers for business purposes.

“Whether that will benefit the world or destroy it, I know nothing about that.”

But without you, our temple will go bankrupt!

If this girl who just visited shows no interest in the contract and just leaves, I’ll have to wait for an indefinite period for a new contractor!

With the feeling of someone desperately trying to give away free items to a passing grandmother, I slowly thought of wonderful words that could boost the girl’s confidence and spoke them.

“However, if you prove your own justice and beliefs, I promise, in my name, to lend you my power.”

Finally declaring my name!

Of course, it’s not the name my parents gave me, but a fresh name that’s not even a few minutes old!

“I… I want to live! I want to normalize this damn world and live again!”

But it seems she chose the right answer.

As the woman shouted that she wanted to live and expressed her willingness to accept the contract, I opened my mouth with relief.

“…That will do.”

Our temple has finally achieved a miraculous survival!

Great! Now it’s time to deliver the closing line I prepared before that person came!

“If that is your wish, I swear to lend you my power. In the name of… Bahamut…”

And just as I was bestowing the magic I had prepared on the girl and delivering my prepared decisive line.

“Oh.”

The girl fainted as if exhausted.

Hey, this was the most important scene, what am I supposed to do if you faint?

This is really awkward for me, you know?

“It’s okay. No problem.”

It’s okay. It’ll be fine.

At least we’ve prevented our temple from going bankrupt.