Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: Revelations and Changes
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"Aigoo."
The situation was a total mess.
The chest of the Giggas at the front opened up, revealing two combat police officers.
"Mr. Audoksuni. Why is someone we know so well causing this kind of trouble? Property damage and breaking into a home."
"If you're going to do it, at least do it quietly at this hour..."
They approached the man, Audoksuni, without a hint of fear and grabbed his arm.
Naturally, Audoksuni couldn't shake off the police's grip.
Not because they were as strong as Transcendents, but because resisting public authority would be the act of a fool who couldn't see an inch ahead, not a true powerhouse.
The combat police specialized in Giggas on the 34th Earth were opponents even Transcendents couldn't easily kill, and once resistance started, it wouldn't be just police—it would bring the military.
"Just a moment, let go of me. That lolicon pedophile was about to do something to Flower...!"
"..."
I turned at Audoksuni's words. She was shorter than my two-meter frame, of course, but she was a woman with model-like height and a voluptuous figure, staring right at me.
"...Pedophile?"
Pedophilia—what was that? It was sexual desire toward children, little kids.
But where in Flower's current appearance could anyone think of that word?
Naturally, the police didn't agree with Audoksuni either.
"Sir, you're someone who should know better..."
"Even if you're her manager, you can't force yourself into her private life like this. Not even teen idols put up with that these days..."
"Both of you are Transcendents, aren't you? I've lived long enough, but controlling a Transcendent's private life? The idol industry is cutthroat, but this is a bit much."
"Flower is still young!"
Even as the excited Audoksuni shouted, the combat police remained calm.
"Come on, sir. Let's not do this here—talk at the station. Your alien registration says 1,002 years old. That's an adult dragon even among dragons, isn't it?"
"Ah... that's... damn it..."
"Come on, calm down. We're using a restoration artifact now! Step back!"
The combat police pulled out a long rod from their pocket and snapped it.
Wooong!
The destroyed wall and front door restored themselves as if time were rewinding. Beyond the narrowing front door, Audoksuni, held by the police, shouted.
"Flower! Don't do anything you'll regret!"
"..."
Soon the restoration finished, and the noisy living room fell silent. I rubbed my forehead.
"Ah... this is going to make the news, isn't it? What a nightmare..."
As the Apostle of the Game Master, and now reaching the Transcendent realm, public interest in me was piercing the heavens.
Even if the other party were a normal person, it would be huge news... but this involved a member of the Space Star Transcendent idol group F·D.
The 34th Earth had few malicious articles thanks to the God of Justice... but that didn't mean there were no entertainment reporters.
A dating scandal report wasn't malicious, so articles would go up without hesitation.
"...Sorry."
At that moment, Flower, who had been standing quietly, apologized.
Her earlier excitement was gone, replaced by a gloomy atmosphere.
"I... was too reckless. I caused trouble without sorting out my personal situation."
"That's not true. I felt the same way."
"But if I hadn't seduced you... I never imagined manager oppa would react like this. He was always so composed..."
Flower turned and crossed the living room.
I followed her in, and she took out two transparent glasses of unknown material, placed them on the table, and brought out a bottle with an elegant design.
Trickle.
As the yellowish liquid poured, a sweet aroma filled the living room.
"I got it for setting the mood..."
She grumbled, then downed it in one go.
I sipped from the glass in front of me, watching her.
After three more shots in a row, Flower finally spoke.
"The truth is, I'm 450 years old."
"I see."
Her eyes widened at my calm response.
"You're not surprised?"
"I was surprised enough when he called me a pedophile. And sorry to say this, but to a human like me, even saying 450 years old..."
For dragons, adulthood—full dragonhood—was at 1,000 years, so 450 was underage.
But could a human look at 450 years old and say "young!"? If she looked like a child, maybe, but she looked like a big sister to anyone.
Frankly, by 34th Earth standards, she was over 20 times a human adult's age; by Ardania standards, over 10 times. Calling that underage was dragon logic—absurd from a human perspective.
Sure enough, Flower got worked up.
"Right!? It's weird, isn't it? Humans are adults and independent at 20. Dragons have higher intelligence, speak from birth, yet they're minors until 1,000!? No! They won't even let you leave the house until 300!"
From her outburst, it seemed she had a lot pent up.
"Curious."
She was absolutely not a young 450-year-old dragon.
No one knew—not even her manager... but she and the other F·D members were the five heads of a five-headed chromatic dragon.
Among the long-lived noblesse, they were legendary elders, ancient dragons who had served as Senate Lords.
"No way... she doesn't know?"
I asked to confirm.
"I'm no dragon expert, but on that broadcast, your true form looked wyrm-level or higher."
No one who'd seen her thought she was under 1,002. With her massive true form and magic that even great mages admitted surpassed theirs—how could she be a hatchling?
Sure enough, she hesitated at my words.
"Th-that..."
Flower paused, then said.
"It's a secret, but... me and my members are special cases among dragons."
"Like Shadow Dragons?"
Commonly called shadow dragons, they were among the strongest dragon types. Their shadow bodies were nearly immune to physical damage, and the powerful thoughts within resisted evil energies.
With low reproduction rates, they were rare across the universe, but a fully grown shadow dragon rivaled ancient dragons just by reaching adulthood.
Beyond nobility, near royalty—core strength of the Kaiser dragons.
'That manager earlier looked like a shadow dragon... cosmic-tinted hair is one of their signature traits.'
It was absurd thinking about it. A shadow dragon as an idol manager?
Of course, if the idol was a dragon—and not just any, but incarnations of chromatic dragons—that changed things.
Anyway, Flower stammered in response.
"Uh, um. A bit more impressive than that..."
"Then a divine dragon?"
Dragons embodying divinity itself.
The gold dragon god revered by dragons, or mythical ones like Nidhogg, Jormungand known only in legends.
Apocalyptic red dragons, ancient beasts like Leviathan—all divine dragons.
"Not quite that... but similar, sort of..."
Her evasive reaction hit me.
'...She knows.'
Flower knew she was one of the chromatic dragon's heads.
Of course—if she didn't, she wouldn't have been so calm when her sisters were nearly killed by monsters.
'And they even combined before.'
But at the same time.
I sensed she saw herself not as the chromatic dragon, but as "Flower."
"Impressive."
"That's not what I wanted to hear... I just wanted to say I'm an adult, physically and mentally."
~♪♬
A soft melody rang out then. Flower blinked, conversed silently with someone, and sighed deeply.
"I think I need to go to the station."
"Shouldn't I come with you?"
"No. This is my house, and strictly speaking, I'm not involved in the incident, so it'd just complicate things. Like I said... I'm really sorry."
"No need to apologize."
I stood and headed to the front door.
Flower, at the door, suddenly asked.
"You... won't hate me now, right?"
I smiled at her words.
"How about dinner soon?"
A smile bloomed on Flower's previously tearful face.
"Yes, definitely."
* * *
I woke up ravenous.
'Weight's down again.'
Instead of getting up right away, I lay there assessing my lighter body. This time, about 10 kilos lost. Less than before, but still a problem.
'Not just muscle... bones shrank too.'
Not lower density—overall size reduced. I knew without standing: my height was now early 190s cm.
Height down 10 cm in a day!
'No, even for biotics, that's too much?'
Biokinetic trainers were said to produce biotics about once a month.
But not like game cooldowns.
'You can make them daily if you want.'
But no one did. Each one consumed insane calories. For biokinetics, calories were like inner energy for martial artists—spaced out unless desperate for cash.
Losing 10 kg muscle and 10 cm height? Clearly abnormal.
"..."
After pondering, a piercing gaze made me turn. There was nude Hayes, bathed in sunlight, staring at me.
I stopped thinking and pulled her into my arms.
"Sleep well?"
"Slept?"
Her question-with-a-question made me pause, then she asked again.
"Flower."
"Yeah, pretty much."
No reason to deny it.
"Hmph. So the green kid was first, huh."
"First was you."
I never avoided women. Over 40, 20 years in this savage world? No way.
But she was indeed my first.
The runaway noble lady who fled her arranged marriage with a sword, and the young mercenary captain—two years on battlefields built a deep bond.
"Heh. That's nice to hear."
"Creepy uncle laugh."
As I grumbled, Hayes said.
"But... last night, I nearly died. Sword Master or not, this is ridiculous. How'd you handle Flower?"
"..."
I met her gaze, and she straddled me.
She continued.
"I could tell just looking. Flower acts all prim every day... but her face bloomed like a flower. Makes sense—a tame cat climbs the stove first."
She said it coolly, but seemed sulky, so I chuckled softly.
"Don't laugh."
I wrapped her waist, pulling her up. Her ample breasts pressed against mine.
"You're cute when you're like that."
"You talk big."
Giggling, I sat up.
To soothe her pout and pick her up, I lifted her easily—then sensed something.
"Huh?"
"What? Back out?"
Ignoring the nonsense, I said.
"No, my weight's up."
Hayes turned serious.
"No it's not?"
"What do you mean no. I can tell just from lifting."
"Yeah? How much am I?"
Her cute jealousy gone, eyes narrowed suspiciously—I shrugged.
"Want me to say? Really? I'd think twice..."
"What do you mean! You lifted me like nothing!"
I laughed at her outburst, but inwardly, it was different.
'Over 3 kg more than before we started.'
Blatantly abnormal.
And.
She wasn't the only one gaining weight.
"Flower?"
"Ah, s-sorry, Your Majesty. My appetite's been weird lately..."
Flower blushed mid-task, eating a sandwich. Piles of plates under her desk.
"..."
I stared at her silently.
My superhuman senses detected something entirely new in her lower abdomen.