The 15th day of the Tree month. I was riding on Bell's back as we dash
through the streets of the royal capital.
[Bell, slow down a bit.]
[Gao!]
The reason why I'm traveling while riding behind Bell is simple. Bell is
much faster than a carriage.
The place I'm currently heading to is quite a distance from Lilia-san's
mansion, and it would normally take quite a bit of time to arrive there
even with a carriage, but I guess it's as expected from Bell, as the place
I'm heading to is already in sight.
A vast garden that could already be called a ranch, and a rather large
building standing in it… In the entrance, there's a signboard that says
"Flying Dragon Services".
The reason I visited her today is to meet the baby dragon that was quite
attached to me before. It's already quite late to visit her because I was
quite busy with Megiddo-san's incident, Alice's incident, and the other
things I've been busy with.
As I stepped off Bell at the entrance, I was greeted by someone
familiar… It's the driver that I met when I went to the Sacred Tree
Festival.
[Welcome, Miyama-san… That's… quite the terrific entrance you have
there.]
[Ah… haha… I'm sorry, he may be a big guy, but he's a docile boy.]
[…To have a Behemoth as a means for transportation, I guess that's to
be expected from Miyama-san huh… Shouldn't Miyama-san be a Flying
Dragon Pilot after all? You can aim for the world's best pilot, you
know?]
[I- I will consider it.]
While looking at Bell with a startled expression on her face, Driver-san,
who was usually around the monsters stood in the entrance. She
doesn't seem shaken at all, and just lightly tosses a few words of
scouting to me.
As I was chatting with Driver-san about other trivial matters, I heard
the sound of flapping wings.
[Kyuuk~~!!!]
[Ahh, it's the baby… wait, stop right there!? You're too fast!? Slow down,
will—– Bfueeehhh!?]
The little dragon that was attached to me before was flying towards our
direction, and I smiled for a moment when I saw its cute little flap of
wings but… when the baby dragon saw me, it increased its speed and
rushed towards me with frightening speed.
I tried to flusteredly stop it, but the baby dragon didn't slow down at
all… She flies straight at me and sticks to my face, and the impact sends
me flying back.
[Kyuukuii! Kyuukuii!]
[…I thought my neck was about to snap there.]
The baby dragon seemed to be in high spirits and was happily clinging
to my face, but after a few moments, she noticed Bell and turned her
gaze towards him.
[Kyuii?]
[Garuu?]
[Kyuu… Kyuuk…]
It doesn't seem like she's scared of Bell, but it feels like she has a
shocked expression on her face, as the baby dragon looks at me and Bell
in turn.
[Kyuukkuaahh!!! Kyuu! Kyuuuaahhh!!!]
[Eh? Ouch, hey, it hurts!?]
And for some reason, she somehow looked angry this time, as she
began smacking my face with her wings.
What the heck is with this situation… My Sympathy Magic can't clearly
read someone and make me understand what they're saying as words,
but it can help me somehow understand the baby dragon's emotions.
If I had to describe it in words, it's like she's angry at me while saying
"Cheater~~"… Why?
[She's probably feeling jealous because of the Behemoth. This child
likes you "as the opposite gender" after all.]
[Ouch… Eeeehhh!? I- Is that so?]
As if she could guess my doubts, Driver-san muttered, and I asked her
back while trying to escape the baby dragon's wing attacks.
[Yes, you remember when this child play-bitten Miyama-san's neck
twice before we parted ways?]
[S- Speaking of which, I also don't know why she did that…]
[That's the "courtship action" of the dragonkin, you know?]
[Wha!?]
I remembered being play-bitten twice on the neck by the baby dragon
when we were parting ways before but… Eh? That's how they court
others!? W- Why!?
[The reverse scales on the neck of the dragonkin are the part that they
least want others to touch. Play-biting that reverse scale once, if a
dragonkin accepts their second play-bite without avoiding the one
courting… Then, the courtship is established.]
[…Seriously?]
[You're asking if I'm being serious? Yes, I'm serious. I was also quite
surprised too.]
I've been told that the act of play-biting the neck twice is the courtship
action of the dragonkin.
Apparently, it's like the baby dragon confessed to me, and I
unknowingly responded by telling her I like her too… That's quite a
great surprise out of nowhere.
And while I was receiving an explanation from Driver-san, the baby
dragon had turned towards Bell and was squealing with excitement.
[Kyuu! Kyuukuii! Kyuuiikuukyuuiii!]
[Gao, garuaa.]
[Kyuii!? Kyuuk! Kyuaahhh!]
[Gao, garuaaguaa?]
[Kyuukuaaahhh!!!]
Unnn, it feels like they're talking about something… And to be honest,
I'd like to think that the conversation I just read with my Sympathy
Magic and felt from their movements was just my imagination.
Unnn, it's all just in my head, right? I mean, what they're talking about
was…
"It's unfair! Why is it just you!? That can go together with that human!"
"That's because I'm a pet."
"Pet!? That's unfair! That is unfaaiiirrr!"
"Then, why don't you just also become a pet?"
"That's right!!!"
—or something like that… No, "that's right!" your face. How come
you're ignoring me and was already talking about having more pets?
However, it seems like I was right with my bad premonition, as when
the baby dragon finished its conversation with Bell, it snuggled towards
me and… she was looking at me with an expression that seems to tell
me that there's no way she's letting go.
[Hey! You're causing trouble to Miyama-san!]
[Kyuuu~~~~~~!?]
Driver-san seems to have also figured it out and tried persuading her,
but the baby dragon is adamant that she won't leave. If she tries to force
her away, my clothes will be in trouble.
How troubling… This is very troubling. The baby dragon is desperately
clinging to my clothes, and is turning its lonely eyes to me as if it is
about to cry.
Stop, please stop… I'm weak to those eyes…
[U- Ummm… I know it's unreasonable for me to ask, but this baby
dragon… Can you give her to me?]
[Kyuu!?]
[W- Well… Since it's Miyama-san who was asking, and this baby dragon
also seems to be quite attached to you, it's fine, is what I'd like to say
but… We don't have that much dragon children these days, so parting
with a white dragon is kind of…]
[Kyuuaaa…]
In a way, receiving that response can be said to be inevitable.
It is said that white dragons are the number 1 earners of the Flying
Dragon Services, and since they're so rare that they're hard to come by,
and the white dragon in this branch is only this baby dragon and her
parents.
Incidentally, the baby dragon's parents have been looking our way since
a while ago, but they haven't said… well, roared anything in particular. I
guess they're going to respect what the baby dragon wants huh?
What do I do? I can't ignore the baby dragon that has become
completely depressed, and even though it's something I didn't know
about, it's not like there's no problem for me who accepted her
courtship action.
[…It's just for example… If I were able to prepare another or perhaps,
an even faster dragon than a white dragon… Is it possible to trade with
her?]
[Eh? Yes, if that were the case, we wouldn't have any problems with it…
But talking about dragons faster than the white dragons, wouldn't you
need to find one from the Demon Realm?]
I was quite reluctant, but I guess it can't be helped since it's already like
this… I would need to consult with that person about this.
After convincing the baby dragon that was looking at me expectantly,
telling her that I'll be back soon, I started moving to bring Bell back to
the mansion first.
[…How should I say this… Kaito-san, you're really soft-hearted, aren't
you~~?]
[Unnn. Well, it can't be helped since things were already like this… But I
thought I could talk to Magnawell-san about it.]
After returning Bell to the mansion, I passed through the gate to the
Demon Realm with Alice who I asked to guide me.
We're not going to the North this time, but towards the South…
Towards the "Dragon's Mountain Range" where the Dragon King,
Magnawell-san lives.
I thought the best thing to do would be to consult with the Dragon King,
Magnawell-san about matters regarding dragons, but it seems that the
Dragon's Mountain Range is quite far from the gate, and there are many
monsters on the way.
[I'm sorry, but I'll be relying on you, Alice… I don't think I'll be able to
get there on my own.]
[Yes, yes. Roger that~~ Well then, let's go through it with a bang…
Oopsy daisy!]
[…Wait a sec, oi. Why are you carrying me?]
I was asking Alice for directions, but just when I thought it was time for
us to go, she easily lifted me… and held me aloft.
[W- Wait right there!? Alice!? What the heck are you doing!?]
[It's alright. I've properly enclosed you in a barrier after all…]
[I don't see anything alright with what you just said, you know!?]
[The angle is OK, the distance… Well, it should be adequate enough!]
[Adequate!? Did you just hecking say it's adequate!? Stop right at this
ins—— Uwaaaaahhhhhh!?]
I may be repeating myself, but it seems that I was right with my bad
premonition… As after Alice greatly brandished my body, she just threw
me up to the skies.
All at once, the scenery blows away and my body soars high into the
sky… Amazing. I'm flying… is not I should be saying here!!! That
freaking idiot!!! There must have been some other way to get around,
right!? Why the heck does she have to choose to throw me!?
I can't feel the wind pressure thanks to this barrier she placed on me,
but I know I'm moving at a tremendous speed. However, no matter how
I think about it, all I'm feeling about is how I'm going to fall while being
sent flying.
As if to affirm such fears, I feel my altitude gradually decreases and my
body begins to fall towards the ground.
But in a way, that expectation was betrayed in the worst way possible.
As my body was on the way down in the air, my body was caught by
Alice, who appeared before I knew it, and as my body was held in her
grip, my vision rotated again.
[And once more~~]
[Gyyaaaahhhhh!?]
Alice, who caught me in the air, as if she's making an incredible feat for
a certain book, threw my body up in the air one more time… Please just
tell me if you want to kill me.
It's really like I'm feeling the experience of riding a roller coaster with
my own flesh, and my body soars high into the sky again.
Dear Mom, Dad—— To take custody of the baby dragon, I decided to
visit Magnawell-san's residence and consult him. And that's why I asked
Alice to guide me, but how should I say this—— I asked the wrong
person!