I look around me and see the differing opinions of the other villagers.
Some are frowning, a few look indecisive, and others are watching me with anticipation.
I guess news about me killing the Manticore must’ve played a big role for my reputation.

But, Nagrom doesn’t seem to mind that, and is scowling at me.
So, beating the Manticore for your sakes isn’t enough to change your mind, huh……

【“Can I headbut dat old fart?”】

Partner asks me in my head.
Sure, I don’t mind, but if you do, everyone will panic again and it’ll be even more difficult to bring Bella over to our side, so don’t.
I know he’s irritating, but just hold it in.
We came here to have them work with us, not against us.

Bella bows before Nagrom and steps forward.
The men who’re beside Nagrom walk alongside Bella.

“Ryujin-sama…… uhm, what are you…… Ryujin-sama?”

Baron nervously asks behind me.

“…… Tei, resu”

Bella closes her eyes, mutters a chant, and points her staff at me.
It’s the same chant Hibi used to do, and it shows that they’re activating their〖Telepathy〗skill.

Hey, Bella…… if you can hear what I’m thinking, tell the person riding on my back to stop rubbing my mane already and start explaining that we’re here to negotiate.

After telling Bella that, she gets surprised and is making a face like she doesn’t know what to do next, so she turns to Nagrom.
I think she’s telling Nagrom what I told her telepathically, and Nagrom, who has his arms crossed, smirked.

“…… Ho hoh, so your Dragon God wants to negotiate, eh? And…… you were brought along without knowing anything.”

When I look back at Baron to see how he’d react after hearing my intentions, his face turned pale.

“I’m to assume that something bad happened to your shrine maiden and it became difficult for you to understand each other without her help. And so you’ve come here to take Bella away from us instead. I see, I see. Now I know why you’d come all this way to our little village.”

H-He’s half-true……
Though, I didn’t mean to reveal to them that we’re in dire need of a shrine maiden’s help right now…… but now they know.
So that’s why Nagrom smirked and Baron’s face turned pale.

And, Baron is…… really not taking it too well that I told them about our crisis.

“Nagrom-sama? Do you know anything that’s happening?”

One of Nagrom’s guards asked.

“Oh, I know everything. At first, I was confused why the Dragon God would go out of his way just to kill the Manticore for our sakes. But, it must be because…… the link between their shrine maiden and the Dragon God was weakening! And, that’s why it took down the Manticore for us, so we would owe it a favor, and when the time came for the link to becompletely cut, it has come here to take Bella away from us. Not bringing their shrine maiden here is proof of that!”

Nagrom loudly explains to everyone.

S-…… so that’s how he interpreted my actions, huh…… I wonder how he’s gonna interpret the truth if I told him why I really killed the Manticore for them……

“H-He wants to take Bella-sama away from us?”
“So, it wasn’t for our sakes……”
“But…… maybe because it evolved that it’s clearly a lot different and more powerful than the Dragon God from before. If we anger it, we won’t be able to do anything……”

Tensions are rising again.
Even Nagrom’s guards are tightening their grip on their spears.

That darn old man…… he’s really pointing all the fingers at me.
I have to hurry and make them understand before this gets any worse.

“Gru~uu……”

Growling lightly, Bella turned her attention back at me.

Bella, I’m asking for your village to help me take down a foreign threat.
There are human outsiders who have come to target the Lithuvar Tribe.
If we don’t hurry, it won’t be long until they find and assault this village next.
I know we’re not under good terms yet, but it’d help us all if you lend me a hand.
If not, then we’re all done for.

…… She heard everything…… right?
Her〖Telepathy〗skill might not be at a high enough level or she may just have some trouble using it.
But, it looks like she got the gist of what I was trying to say, since she’s showing a face of dread.

“That, can’t be……”

“Bella! What did he say?”

“Human outsiders……”

“Tell it to me in my mind, not out loud, you fool!”

After Bella got yelled at by Nagrom, she fixes her stance and uses〖Telepathy〗again to repeat what I said to Nagrom.
…… We don’t have the luxury to keep doing it that way, just let her speak my thoughts out loud, you old geezer.

“W-What did you hear him say, Bella-sama?!”
“Saying stuff like that out of nowhere…… it’s only gonna make us worried……”

Everyone who heard Bella mutter to herself, like Nagrom’s guards and those near us, all start questioning Bella and Nagrom.
Nagrom doesn’t seem to care about their questions while Bella is still focused on her〖Telepathy〗.

…… I don’t like having to waste time with this roundabout way of having Bella explain my thoughts to Nagrom first before telling to everyone.
Nagrom’s gonna misinterpret it anyway and everyone’ll misunderstand again……
Don’t tell me, this old bastard is doing it on purpose?

“Hmm…… but if that’s true, show us proof”

Nagrom said after Bella finished explaining to him in his mind.

…… I was worried about this, and I don’t think I can prove it to them by force.
And, if I do rely on force, it won’t prove anything.

“You also want proof too, don’t you, Bella?”

“Eh? I-, uh…… i-if what he said is true, then…… I really do think we should cooperate with them, and……”

“But, that’s only if what he said…… is really true. He knows that even if he takes you away by force, you won’t listen to him. That’s why he’s playing tricks on you.”

To think that Nagrom would go so far as to twist my words like that. The villagers watch us in suspense.

“Are you fine with this? Following the Dragon God’s instructions blindly, doing everything under the authority of a mere “monster”, being treated as a traitor just because we were a tiny bit doubtful of its reign…… well, I’ve had enough of that! The Dragon God has come to take you by force! Are you just gonna let him take you away like this, or have you forgotten about how everyone called you a traitor in that village?!”

“B-, but we have to tell them about the danger……”

“Even after being cast out, you still spout rubbish nonsense like that?! I will ask you again! Are you seriously planning on returning the favor the Dragon God gave us when he defeated the Manticore? You know it yourself that he never did it for our sakes! If he really wanted to save us, then why didn’t he kill the Manticore a long time ago? Instead, he just left us to rot under the rule of another vicious monster!”

“T-That’s… I………”

H-He didn’t have to talk to her like that……
Wait, could it be…… that old man, Nagrom, doesn’t want his position of being village chief be taken away from him?

If I can just make the anti-Ryujin village help out the Ryujin village, there’s a really big chance that they can reconcile with each other.
The Manticore and the real Dragon God are both gone, so no one will boss them around now.

Once both villages become whole again, Nagrom won’t be needed anymore.
In fact, when me and Partner went inside Nagrom’s large tent back then…… there were lots of young women around.
He’s really enjoying the privilege of being village head.

“B-But even so, what if the Dragon God rampages on us…… the difference in strength is too wide, seeing how even our best warriors couldn’t stand a chance against him, and we can’t ignore that……”

“That way of thinking is exactly how it instantly took control of the other village. It was because they feared his power, that’s why they follow him. He took advantage of their fear. …… In the first place, if he really wanted to ask for our help, there are other ways for him to go about it, but instead, he just waltzes into our territory, throwing around our guards in the air to show us how inferior we are to it, and starts handing out demands.”

Nagrom is lowering his voice as he talks to Bella.

“W-Why you……!”

Baron says angrily, but Nagrom didn’t even bat him an eye.

“Now then…… do you have anything left to say?”

Bella closes her eyes again and mutters a chant, awaiting my next excuse.

Damn you, Nagrom…… we don’t have time for this argument.
I really wanted our〖Automatic MP Recovery〗to fully recover our MP by the time we get back so I could circle around the village and use〖High Rest〗on everyone again, but we’re left with no choice, I’ll have to use〖Human Transformation〗and convince them myself.

No wait, not yet…… why don’t I take a risk and try convincing Bella first?

Although the information I’ve been handing to her is a bit incomplete and it always gets twisted by Nagrom’s words…… but, it seems like she somehow still understands my true intentions anyway, maybe because she’s directly looking into my heart whenever she reads my mind.
If my guess is right, then if I successfully convince Bella, then no matter what Nagrom says, the rest of the villagers will follow her instead of Nagrom.

However, this is just a gamble.
If I miss the center, they’ll lose trust on me completely, and if I hit the wrong spot, everyone might panic again.