[Tensura] I Was a Doctor, But Reincarnated as a Dragon? Chapter 51 51: Laputa

When Vertis said he would show them his country, Rimuru happily accepted the offer. There were important matters lined up one after another, like dispatching a delegation to Eurazania and holding the ceremony to declare friendly relations with the Dwarf Kingdom, but the current Rimuru shoved all of that aside and thought only about going on a trip.

Then he gathered all of his executives and announced it before everyone.

"I'm going to visit Vertis's country for fun."

His bright, innocent smile was angelic, like that of a carefree child. But for those who served and supported Rimuru, the idea of their lord leaving the country did not sit well with them.

If anything happened to Rimuru, it would only be a matter of ti before the hard-won Great Alliance of Jura fell apart.

In the end, unable to let Rimuru go alone, they decided to visit Vertis's country as a group.

The next day, when they arrived at the promised eting place, Vertis was already there waiting for them, floating in the air.

"Welco. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. But how are we getting there? Are you carrying us?"

"Ha ha, what do you take for, a taxi? I called soone else to handle that."

Vertis laughed easily and gave a whistle with his fingers. A massive dragon appeared high above, then descended and landed beside him. A saddle had been fastened around its neck, and a man who looked like a pilot was riding it and controlling the dragon.

"We've arrived."

"Good. Go ahead and climb on."

One by one, Rimuru and his companions took their seats on the dragon's back and fastened their seat belts.

"Then let's go."

Vertis shot into the sky in an instant, and the pilot controlling the dragon followed right behind him. Before long, they were already far above the ground.

"Well? How does it feel, looking down on your country from the sky?"

At Vertis's words, Rimuru's group looked below. It was beautiful in a way entirely different from how it looked on the ground. When they had fought Charybdis, they had not had the leisure to admire the scenery, but now, seeing it like this, they could take in at a glance a city that was orderly and refined.

"The view from the sky feels different, doesn't it?"

"We'll be climbing above the clouds soon, so please be careful not to bite your tongues."

The pilot put on his goggles as he warned them. The mont he finished speaking, the dragon accelerated and shot straight upward at a near right angle toward the heavens. Even so, they felt none of the burden or acceleration they should have.

"Pretty impressive, isn't it? This is one of our military forces. The skill of the Dragon Knights."

"So, everyone, how is your first sky voyage?"

In no ti at all, they rose above the clouds. What spread before them was a blue sky, while below them there was nothing but a sea of white clouds. Rimuru was completely captivated by the sight.

After breaking through the cloud layer and continuing to fly for about thirty minutes, they finally arrived at their destination: the sky fortress Laputa.

Despite the na sky fortress, the city below was breathtakingly beautiful. At its center stood a gigantic jet-black castle, and around it stretched rows of buildings in all kinds of shapes. Just like in their own country, many different races lived there together.

"All right, everyone, off you go."

The man landed precisely at a point near the castle and let Rimuru's group disembark. Then he bowed his head and imdiately flew off to return to his post.

"Welco. To my city, Laputa!"

Vertis spread his arms wide in greeting. The city they saw from there was astonishingly varied. So streets were subrged in water, while others were engulfed in flas. There were districts made entirely of steel, and others sealed in ice.

When they asked why such places existed, he explained that each district was an area designed with the attributes of its residents in mind.

"That burning district over there is where fire-attribute monsters usually live, and that one is for ice-attribute types. And way over there, that place that looks like a giant birdcage? That's where avian monsters like harpies live. It's consideration, in a way. It's better for them to stay sowhere familiar than to suddenly be thrown into a completely alien place, right?"

There were also many buildings modeled after the styles of various islands and countries. But among them, the street that caught Rimuru's eye most was one that reminded him of Japan. Cherry blossom trees blood here and there along the road, and lanterns lit the street. It made him feel as if he had truly co to Japan.

"This is where humanoid monsters usually live. Quite a few of them are oni, like your executives."

"Amazing."

After that, they continued touring the city, following behind Vertis. There was everything from sparring grounds to dedicated testing facilities where one could train magic and skill.

"Um..."

"What is it?"

"Doesn't it feel like the inside is bigger than it looked from outside?"

"If you use spatial magic, it isn't that hard to make the inside larger than the exterior appears. It takes a bit of effort, though."

Even Rimuru's companions, who had co in a lighthearted mood at first, could not hide their amazent as they saw Vertis's country.

There were countless monsters stronger than themselves, and even the ordinary ones possessed strength that could not be ignored. More surprising than anything, however, was the way they trained.

They fought as if they truly intended to kill each other. Naturally, that ant injuries were common, and in severe cases so even suffered mortal wounds. Yet even amid such blood-spattered battles, when it ca ti to cooperate, their teamwork fit together perfectly. That was what astonished them most.

"...Do you know why there are so many different races in our country?"

"And you are?"

"I am Nox."

"Ah, right. Nox. I figured it was because everyone got along."

"It's the opposite. It is actually quite rare for monsters to gather together in one place. Most of the monsters in this country are those who ended up alone or isolated."

"...Isolated?"

"That's right. For example, that werewolf over there is of mixed beast people and human blood. Because he couldn't control his beast transformation and was always stuck in that form, he could fit in with neither humans nor beast people. The others are much the sa. Quite a few were rejected simply because their outward appearance was too different."

They were in a vast dining hall where everyone could eat together. While Vertis was away from his seat for a mont, Nox, who had co to protect Rimuru, spoke to him. After hearing the story, Rimuru's expression darkened.

"That's awful..."

"It can't be helped. Those with grotesque appearances are bound to be rejected. But the one who gathered all of them together was Lord Vertis. He possesses absurd power, yet he is kinder than anyone. Everyone gathered in this country was drawn to his strength and his kindness... Well, perhaps the sa is true for you too?"

"Lord Rimuru! We found sothing interesting over there!"

"Lord Rimuru! Want to co look around the streets with ?"

"Lord Rimuru!"

"Lord Rimuru."

"Lord Rimuru! That lady over there has a pretty impressive chest, doesn't she?"

"My lord!"

Watching Rimuru surrounded by his subordinates and so obviously loved by them, Nox let a small smile rise at the corner of her lips.

At the sa ti, inside the great dining hall...

"That sll. A new ingredient has co in."

"An unbelievable one, too. A rare delicacy brought from across the sea, sothing you hardly ever see."

"Perfect timing. Then I can unveil a new nu item."

"Excellent. I suppose it's ti to test my latest signature dish."

Vertis and the chef were plotting a sinister plan.

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