Petals Binding Dragon Maids
The dog beastkin, fairy, deer mask, restaurant granny—they all fit their roles so perfectly that even drastic changes made sense. 'And above all, they were cute.' But turning a dragon into a reptile maid? It wasn't entirely implausible, but this was going too far. 'Though she was cute, of course.' At this point, it felt like outright blasphemy against the Outer Gods. 'But since she was cute, I could understand it.'
"Sir, no order? Then we'll put in our recommended menu!"
That voice alone screamed perfect maid, but as she finished speaking, the sphere in her gaping mouth began to glow brighter, proclaiming otherwise. When it started writhing and emitting intense light, I knew dodging was the only way to avoid something nasty.
"Mu Yeon, dodge!"
"Eek!"
Mu Yeon had frozen stiff in attack stance, so I grabbed her and threw us sideways just as something shot toward where we'd been standing.
Pew-woong! A flame streaked by with star particles and a special effects sound. It was like a pink chubby enemy swallowing foes and firing a shooting star. Harmless-looking, but at the impact site, something massive collapsed with a flash and explosion.
"Hyaak!"
The blast hurled my body away, but luckily the snow mound buried me whole without worse damage. With Mu Yeon's help, I crawled out, but before I could catch my breath, I sensed another incoming attack.
"Tantun-ssi!"
This time Mu Yeon reacted, scooping me up princess-style and leaping away. No big noise thanks to the snow, but I could tell something had slammed into our spot.
Damn. White Mask, you lunatic. Coming here alone to handle these crazies? No wonder she's vice-commander material.
"A-Are you okay?!"
Mu Yeon set me down, face flushed red.
"Yeah, for now."
Panting from exhaustion, we must've looked pathetic as the lesser dragons sneered down at us, utterly relaxed.
"Master! Shouldn't you taste the menu you ordered?"
"Otherwise, our preparations will make us so sad~"
Those bastards. Mocking us outright while spouting cringy lines like it was nothing! It dredged up nightmares of losing a bet with a friend and going solo to a maid cafe.
Right—White Mask had dropped me here to maximize the Horn Flute's power. Dodging alone wouldn't cut it.
Clutching the Party Flute to my lips, I focused on borrowing just a fragment of Outer God power, not full summoning.
Piririri!
The Gardener's finger touched a spot in my mind.
Ripples spread inside. Scraping like scooping water turned the void into a flower field instantly. Was this what a blooming mind felt like?
Unlike before, no spatial rifts or dimensional breaks—just...
Plop.
Something soft, squishy, and warm wrapped my neck. What the—?
I jolted to turn, but...
"...No, don't look now."
A sudden voice froze me. The softness spread from shoulders and neck across my back—like the Gardener piggybacking me.
I hadn't meant to summon her fully, so why...?
"...This is like your world's 'divine possession.' The masked woman called it a contract, but it's forming a bond with us. Like offering my body to fight together."
Realization hit. This was basically marriage...
"...What are you thinking? Focus on the task."
Stems coiled around me. Flowers climbed my skin, squeezing my arms to hold me, whispering sweetly in my ear, blooming on my face. One eye filled with a full blossom, yet vision clear.
...So this was symbiosis.
"Tantun-ssi...! S-Strange flesh lumps on your body...! They're crawling up, h-heek!"
Mu Yeon backed away. That's how it looked to her? Then I must resemble some grotesque horror flick monster.
Eh, whatever. As long as I felt fine. Just startled by the sudden squishiness—no danger.
"Listen carefully. Lots of seeds around here. Well-preserved in the freeze—perfect for use."
Seeds. Euphemism for corpses, obviously. How many humans died for this place to be called Geumgu?
The Gardener's hand entered my view, pointing to snow mounds—including where we'd dodged into. I'd escaped too fast to notice.
...Keep this from Mu Yeon.
"You're borrowing part of my authority now—the power to landscape the world itself. Try reshaping as you wish. Flowers will bloom from your hands."
Her hand pressed my sternum center. Tiny grip wove like vines, warmth spreading.
"...Stop those weird thoughts. With your mental strength, unsure if you can wield it properly—concentrate."
Right, even the Observer struggled at first. As she groped my body, her hands glowed faintly—like extracting something. High-tier power wouldn't be free, but questions later.
"...Feel the seeds. Stop glancing at my hand."
Ahem. Yeah, seeds everywhere. That corpse, this one... Sensations shared: coldness, positions flooding my brain.
I asked the beautiful monsters, "Do you even know what killing someone means?"
The dragon maid tilted her head. "Master's speaking? Oh, no reorder planned."
"All humans here are feed, per miss's orders?"
So innate murderers. No predator-prey morals, but they couldn't devour everything like Hunter.
Fine. I'd punish them my way.
"...T-Tantun-ssi! W-What are those?!"
Opening my eyes cautiously at Mu Yeon's cry revealed my manifested landscape.
Snowy white plains. Life regenerates in sheer cliffs. Flowers bloomed beautifully from mere seed spots—from shallow death nightmares, blooming in harsh cold. The ecstatic contrast left me entranced.
"Can they sense my authority?"
"...Amazing."
I felt firsthand her garden power was just a glimpse. Returning death-tied seeds and souls to the world granted kingly control over the 'garden.' Extended duration kept the omnipotence flowing.
"Master? Staying put means you're finally ready to taste? Coming right up!"
Even now, lesser dragons prepped spheres in mouths. Couldn't they see the flowers?
With her words, nerves from the blooms linked to me—I could control the stems directly.
Yeah, time for this line.
"Bloom."
Whirlick! Whip-cracks echoed as wrapping sounds boomed.
"Kyat! St-Stems!? From where?!"
"Why won't they snap...!"
Stems from flowers ensnared the lesser dragons perfectly.
But why did the bindings form specific shapes—not just wraps...? Nah, imagination.
They thrashed angrily, but borrowed Greater Outer God power made escape impossible.
I stepped toward them. Since Gardener wasn't fully manifested, sane Mu Yeon witnessed it, voice rising.
"Th-This is what White Mask-nim meant..."
Awe glazed Mu Yeon's eyes; she stared blankly.
Her gaze? Ignore it.
Yeah... I'd handle Outer Gods my way.
"Wh-What...?"
"Master...? What did you do...?"
A huge shadow loomed over the bound dragon maid's head.
Sometimes, channeling Leydan Tantun's style wasn't bad.
The moment 'that guy's' mind awakened.
Eroded unnaturally by corrosion, towering mountains evoked stark desolation. At Geumgu's heart, maids stood in a line.
Not fake maid cafe girls—these wore elegant, antique servant attire.
"Miss, that masked figure entered the domain."
One approached primly, bowing to a certain being.
"Raise your head."
The bowed maid dragon lifted her heavy head to see a woman lounging regally, legs crossed. Twin black tails, long horns sprouting from her head. Black attire evoking a duke's lady. Yellow eyes blazing to incinerate all.
Her gaze licked the air, demanding more.
"Not just that, right?"
"Yes, two more humans spotted."
"I see. So that's how it is."
Nodding, the miss extended a hand. Before the maid could react, she vanished in smoke from her spot.
"Report faster next time, before I ask. Don't waste energy on the wrong things."
"""Yes, miss."""
She rose casually and walked. The other maids stood unmoved, as if routine.
Dragon Slayer—the name for erasing kin with a gesture despite being dragon herself.
Reaching the mountain skyscraper, she gazed afar, fanning her chin with a fan. Eyes narrowed.
"Hmm, foul weed aura in my domain."
Her long dragon tongue licked her lips.
"Let's see what mischief."
Eyes half-closed, peering beyond. A new maid attended her side, glancing at the noble visage.
But the great Dragon Sovereign blushed?
Crack—the fan splintered.
"Wh-Wha-Wha-What indecent act is this?!"