Chapter 111: There’s a Limit to How Much You Can Joke Around
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: There’s a Limit to How Much You Can Joke Around
Meanwhile, Aisarakus sat upon her throne, looking rather bored.
"Honestly, what on earth are the people down there doing...?"
Peering down from her high vantage point, Aisarakus could see a dense, swarming crowd. Most of them were humans she didn't recognize.
To be precise, she didn't know many people to begin with. Being surrounded by a sea of strangers was nothing short of torture for her.
"Hmm... it doesn't seem like many people are paying attention to me. Brandon is busy chatting with that old man, too. Maybe I should take this chance to sneak away?"
At that thought, Aisarakus gave her tail a gentle flick, sending a shard of ice crystal flying into a corner.
After confirming she hadn't drawn any attention, the ice crystal transformed into a small, ten-centimeter-tall dragon puppet.
Aisarakus closed her eyes. In the next heartbeat, her consciousness jumped into the puppet.
Her original body remained on the throne, maintaining its draconic pressure. Unless someone looked very closely at the lack of highlights in her eyes, it was virtually impossible to notice anything amiss.
"What is Brandon even talking about with that old man... and he still hasn't noticed me? Whatever, forget him."
Once she had adjusted to the puppet's body, Aisarakus stood on her plush paws and carefully tiptoed away from that den of trouble.
*
Ten minutes later, Aisarakus successfully made it outside the Imperial Palace.
"Whoa... the sunlight is so bright..."
Feeling the beautiful scenery outside, Aisarakus let out a long sigh of relief.
"Phew... this is what freedom feels like. Staying cooped up in there was practically suffocating me."
As she spoke, Aisarakus climbed onto a bush and scrambled up the side of a wall.
"If I just fly down from here, I can reach the world below..."
Looking down at the fifty-meter drop to the ground, Aisarakus gathered her strength, aimed herself, and leaped.
"Heave... ho!"
Once she was airborne, Aisarakus frantically flapped the tiny wings on her back, hovering in mid-air.
"Mm... flying is fine. Now, let's see where I should go..."
In her field of vision, the plaza at the foot of the palace was a melting pot of various races, including plenty of humans who had traveled from afar just to see the spectacle.
Just as Aisarakus reached the halfway point and was considering where to land, her body suddenly wobbled.
"Wait... am I already at the edge of the External Avatar's connection range?"
Sensing her wings losing most of their power, Aisarakus hurriedly tried to fly back.
Right then, a large white bird with a half-meter wingspan flew by. Seeing the blue dragon puppet suspended in mid-air, the bird tilted its head curiously.
"Coo?"
"Wah! Where did this stupid bird come from? Move! You're in the way!"
Though the white bird wasn't very intelligent and couldn't understand human speech, Aisarakus—as a member of the peak mythical Dragon Race—was born with the innate ability to communicate with all living things.
Combined with her active intent to communicate, the white bird understood Aisarakus's scolding perfectly.
However, Aisarakus had overlooked one crucial fact.
Her current body was just an ordinary blue dragon puppet. Aside from being able to move and use a tiny bit of magic, its combat power was essentially zero.
Consequently, when the white bird faced a tiny thing that was weaker than itself yet dared to scream at it, it got angry.
"COO!"
The white bird flapped its wings violently, instantly knocking the hovering Aisarakus off balance.
"Wait... what are you do—"
Thump!
Before Aisarakus could react, she was slammed five meters away by the bird, instantly tumbling out of her power's connection range.
*
"Whoa! Look at that, everyone! This is the Northern Imperial Palace located in Northgard. Pretty grand, right?"
A girl wearing a cat-ear hat stood in the center of the plaza, pointing toward the towering palace behind her.
"According to the official merchandise, we know the Emperor of the North is actually a sweet, soft little dragon girl. Since the palace is open to the public right now, how about I take you all inside to see for ourselves?"
A virtual light screen floated in front of the girl.
[Cat Fur Hat Maomao's Game Livestream Channel]
【Just say you want to see her yourself, don't use us as an excuse.】
【A dragon girl Emperor? Now that’s worth watching.】
【Go for it, Maomao! You’re my only window into the Wheel of Fate.】
【By the way, when are you doing that cat-ear maid thing you promised in the last video? I’m waiting.】
【Wait, isn't Maomao a Druid? Why don't you try to form a contract with the Emperor?】
Maomao pondered the last question for a moment.
"Hmm... that's an idea. Tell you what—if the stream hits ten million viewers, I'll challenge myself to sign a partner contract with the Emperor of the North!"
【Just a partner contract...?】
【Bro, what are you disappointed about?】
【Why not a master-servant contract? I want to see Maomao as the servant.】
"Tsk... you guys..."
【Actually, I don't think any of those contracts are good enough.】
【Oh? What else is there?】
【Don't limit your vision. We can completely bypass the restrictions of a contract and just call her 'Mom.'】
【???】
【Huh?】
【We have a pro in the chat.】
【I think it’s great. It perfectly solves the two major flaws: the lack of control in a partner contract and the lack of affinity in a master-servant contract.】
【Full marks! Someone discharge this genius from the hospital!】
"I'm telling you, there's a limit to how much you can joke around. Calling someone 'Mom' would mean losing all my dignity in front of everyone I know..."
"Waaaaah!"
"Wait, what was that sound?"
Before Maomao could react, a blue blur slammed violently into her head.
CRASH!
-7460!
【HP: 140/7600】
【Coma Lv.1】
The attack was so sudden that by the time the livestream realized what had happened, Maomao was already sprawled on the ground.
【???】
【What just happened?】
【Death from above? A headshot? Or was it right in the face?】
【Maomao, get up! Don't you dare die inside my phone!】
【It’s over. Maomao won't be making any more jokes after this.】
At that moment, Aisarakus, who had caused the collision, scrambled up from the girl's face.
"Ugh... that scared me. I almost forgot this body doesn't care about impacts... Huh?"
Looking down at the girl in the cat-ear hat, whose eyes had rolled back into her head, Aisarakus was instantly struck with panic.
"Oh no, oh no! What do I do? I accidentally hit someone! If Brandon finds out, my life is going to be miserable..."
Thinking quickly, Aisarakus hopped off the girl's face and checked her breathing.
"I remember humans are still alive as long as they're breathing... Mm... she's definitely still breathing. She's probably not dead..."
While Aisarakus was checking the girl's vitals, the livestream chat exploded.
【What is that thing... a dragon? No, a dragon puppet?】
【It moves! Is it some kind of alchemy creation?】
【Northern Empire... blue dragon puppet... Oh, I get it! Ahem... there is only one truth!】
【What?】
【This must be an official puppet based on the little dragon girl's dragon form. Since it appeared in Maomao's stream, this has to be an official sponsored segment!】
【Wait, really?】
【That actually makes sense.】
【Maomao's finally moving up in the world, getting official sponsorships.】
【Though that 'falling from the sky' entrance was a bit hardcore.】
【This dragon form puppet looks even cuter than the human form. When is it hitting the store?】
【Is nobody worried about Maomao? Her health bar is literally in the red.】
As the chat buzzed with speculation about the blue dragon puppet, a sparkling blonde loli wandered into the center of the screen.
"Huh? Sister Potato, there's someone sleeping on the ground here."