"Did you manage to appease their anger?"
Rudy asked teasingly as they both entered their room and Ale finally let the baby dragon out.
"They'll be fine."
Ale sighed as he answered, remembering the three sulky babies he left behind. Ale felt like at times they acted more like his children than his butler and guard. It made no sense.
"They seem to care a lot about you. It's rare."
"Rare?"
"Yes. They're also commoners, aren't they?"
"Yeah."
"Exactly. Seeing commoner servants care this much about their lord, and feeling comfortable enough to show such genuine sides of them, it's rare."
"Hmm.. Guess I got lucky."
Ale wondered if it was really that big a deal. Afterall, the world that they were going to witness a few years later barely had any rank distinction in it.
'Monsters can't differentiate ranks afterall.. heh.'
Ale laughed to himself as he thought about it. All of his dreams and memories of the future turned out to be true till that moment. It wasn't just one or two incidents. Three years, he had been observing the world for three years.
"You didn't get lucky. They're just reciprocating your feelings and thoughts."
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
"...It was nothing."
Ale was lost in thought and failed to pay proper attention to what Rudy was saying. But when he asked him to repeat himself, he suddenly got quiet.
"Hmm.. "
Ale watched the dragon lying flat on it's back on top of Rudy's bed as he received belly rub from the protagonist. It didn't look majestic at all, like how they were portrayed in history books.
"What should we name him?"
Ale asked, as he was thinking about a way to address the little guy.
"Name him? Don't dragons choose their own name?"
Rudy gave Ale another piece of information that he wasn't aware of. It was weird. He knew so much about the world yet at the same time he was so oblivious to the common facts and tales.
"Do they? That's so weird."
"Well.. Since they're such out of the world existence, of course they won't be satisfied with a human given name."
"Hmm.. Still.. till he grows big enough to choose a name for himself, how about we call him 'Light'?"
"Light?"
When both of them used that word simulatanously, the dragons wars perked up and he looked at the two of their faces, as if wondering what's going on.
"Do you like it? Your name? Light?"
Ale kneeled down beside the bed and started talking to the baby dragon, wondering if it understood human language.
'Who am I kidding.. It's just one day old.'
"Light?"
But to both of their surprise, the baby Dragon mumbled the name that Ale offered for him as his name.
"Holy shit.. It can talk?!"
"That surprised me.. Does it really understand what we're saying!?"
"I don't know?!?"
The both of them looked at the baby dragon with shock and disbelief as it giggled and sat up.
"Light."
"Aww.. You like that name?? That's you baby. You're Light!"
"Pwetty name.. "
*Gasp*
"It really understands."
"And can speak as well! Holy crap!"
"Ahem.. You shouldn't swear in front of kids."
Rudy nudged Ale as he warned him not to swear so much.
"Ah! Right! But seriously! You can really understand us???"
The baby dragon nodded it's head in response. It only took him one day to learn their language, that's how smart dragons were. Ale finally understood just what kind of creature they picked up on a whim.
"This is nu-ack! I mean, this is crazy!"
Ale stopped himself from using bad word again as per Rudy's instruction and covered his mouth.
"Ahh.. Really.. This is too many events at once. My brain needs a break."
Ale backed away and leaned against his own bed as he ran his hand through his hair. Way too many surprising events were happening at once. First, the holy relic, followed by his old sword, and now, the dragon, these were all major events.
"Same here.. Let's all just take a short nap before we continue."
Rudy continued patting Light's head as he slowly sank deeper into his bed. The baby dragon also yawned looking at their sleepy appearance and rolled into a ball himself. Just like that, the three of them fell asleep one after the other.
3 days later.
Ale and the rest were back from the island and currently on their way to the duchy. It was a long and tiring journey, but all the experiences they had made it a memorable and significant one.
"Young master. I've already asked the chef to prepare all of your favourite foods beforehand."
"What? You informed them of our arrival already?!"
"Yes. Is something wrong?"
"Haah.. You.."
Ale sighed as he placed a hand on his forehead. The others looked at him curiously, wondering what he was so worried about.
"Is something wrong Ale?"
"Yeah, why do ya look so pale?"
"It's.. nothing just... I apologize in advance for this."
Just as Ale finished his sentence, their carriage came to a stop, noticing them of their arrival in front of the duchy.
"Apology?"
Rudy wondered what he was talking about as he opened the door and got out. Everything looked normal at first, but soon, he could feel the presence of people hiding everywhere , behind the pillars, walls and even inside the bushes.
'Is it an ambush..?'
He wondered as he signalled the others to be on guard and carefully come down. Ale covered his face with his hands and got down at the very end, fully aware of what was happening outside.
"This is so embarrassing.."
He spoke in a quiet voice, to the point that it was almost inaudible. Rudy wondered why Ale was speaking like that and whether he was aware of their situation. He wanted to ask what Ale felt embarrassed about but before he could do that-
"Now!"
A voice rang from the inside, followed by tens of weapons being pointed their way.
"Fire!"
Rudy and the rest took out their swords, while Ale covered his whole face that had turned red in embarrassment ages ago.
*POP* *POP* *POP*
But instead of gunshots or arrows, what they were showered with were confetti papers. They were confetti poppers, otherwise known as party poppers. These were one of Ale's many inventions during the last three years.
"I'm home.."
Ale lowered Rudy's sword and walked up to the front, his face, ears and even neck going red due to being embarrassed.
"My dear son! You're back!"
The Duke came out from behind on of the pillars and hugged Ale tightly. It was the first time that his child decided to leave their home and explore the outside world. Since it was such a happy occasion, he decided to throw a welcome party for his son and his friends.
"Yes.. I'm back."
Ale started patting his father's back as he wondered how he should face the people behind him. They were still frozen solid in place due to the shock.
The Duke let go of Ale after a whole minute and patted his shoulder a few times, as if saying 'goodjob'. He had a big grin on his face unlike the time when Ale was asking him for permission to leave and the atmosphere was gloomy.
All the servants and butlers that were hiding behind the walls and pillars all came out either with party poppers or welcome back banners and colourful flags on their hands. Even using the word exaggeration would do this situation no justice.
"Ah you guys.. Please come in as well. It must've been a difficult journey."
The Duke didn't forget about Ale's friends and welcomed them all in with a cold drink that the maids had prepared beforehand. They handed the drinks over to everyone and swiftly went back as well.
"You didn't have to do all this, father."
'Why are you embarrasing me like this?!'
Ale looked pitifully at his father's direction as he managed to speak those words. Inside his mind, he was rolling around on the floor once second and digging a grave for himself the other, all while screaming incoherent words of embarrassment.
"But I'm so happy. Weren't you the one who lectured me on the importance of showing ones emotions?"
The Duke laughed loudly as he reminded Ale of his own words. Ale finally accepted defeat and sighed while the others sipped on the cold drinks that were prepared for them, hiding their own embarrassment.( Mistaking the servants as assassin's and the welcome party as an ambush)
"But.. why's he hiding?"
Ale looked at one of the pillars which still someone hadn't appeared behind from. Ale could feel the other party's presence clearly, and he already knew who it was as well.
"Brother..?"
Ale called again, in a voice so soft that the others could actually feel something inside them melt after hearing that voice. Rudy wondered who this lucky person was, to be able to bring out such a side of Ale.
"Josh? ... My baby? Aww.. Are you sulking cause big bro left without saying bye to you?"
Ale approached the pillar slowly as he tried to appease his brother's anger, which was pretty visible even with the Pillar between them.
"But what should I do? I missed you so much and I really want to hug my little broth-umph!"
Before Ale could even finish his sentence, Josh came out from behind the pillars and hugged him tightly. This little brother of his, who was already a hand taller than Ale, used his whole body to suffocate his big brother as a way of expressing the love and complaints he had for him.
'I can't breathe!'