Dragon Lore from a Noble Soul
Opening the door to the noble trait, Shai was standing there, clutching a book titled The Great History of Dragons in his hands.
"Eek!" The moment he saw me, Shai's cheeks flushed red, and he covered his eyes with his hands. Ah, my pajamas are a bit too stimulating for a kid, huh.
Don't mind it.
"Can't even keep your wits about you over something as trivial as clothing, when you're to be the family heir?" Why so harsh! It's like talking down to a child!
"B-but your clothes are so... too..." Hmm... should I change? Shai's voice trailed off into a whisper, his face turning tomato-red.
"More importantly, what brings you here?" The noble trait must really want me in this outfit... Shai peeked at me through his fingers, then spoke with his face half-hidden.
"I... since you're leaving tomorrow... I came to say goodbye..." His voice was so soft it was barely audible.
So cute!
"Your voice is too quiet. A noble must always be confident."
My cold words made Shai shrink back even more. No, I meant you're cute... That's what I wanted to say, but something else came out instead.
"Come in, for now." I pointed to the chair beside the bed.
Shai cautiously entered the room and sat on the chair, placing the book on his lap. His gaze remained fixed on the floor.
A brief, awkward silence followed. Then Miel fluttered over to Shai, circling around his hair. With her tiny legs, she tugged at strands, starting to shape something. The fine powder falling from Miel's wings shimmered faintly atop Shai's hair. Amid the brown locks, sparkling blue lights gleamed like stars at sunset.
Making a heart again...? Shai lifted his head at the tiny fluttering above him, momentarily entranced by the butterfly before his eyes. It was so funny that laughter bubbled up, but thanks to the trait, only an elegant smile formed.
Seeing my smile, Shai suddenly tensed and shrank back a little. Then, as if mustering courage, he gripped the book tightly.
"Lady Ricoris... um..." Shai bit his lip and continued. "Are the evil god cultists... really that scary?" Genuine fear laced his voice.
"I hear Father worrying in his room. Are they... really that dangerous?"
I'm Michael's apostle—I'll counter them! Don't worry!
"Fear is the privilege of the weak. The strong find ways to overcome it. There are always greater powers in this world."
Er... that sounded pretty profound. Shai's eyes widened, drinking in my words like honey. His small fingers unconsciously folded and unfolded the corner of the book. A bright smile lit his eyes.
"Really? With someone as strong as you, Lady Ricoris, there's nothing to worry about!"
Uh... yeah, the point got across...
"The truths of the world often lie beneath the surface. Only those who peer into the abyss gain true strength."
What the heck does that even mean? I don't even understand what I'm saying!
Shai pondered for a moment, then looked at the book in his lap. As if reaching a momentous decision, he raised his head.
"Yes... So, have you peered into that deep abyss, Lady Ricoris?"
Uh... I've lived deep in the labyrinth till now, so is that the abyss...?
"I've seen many things. Far more than you can imagine."
Just speaking in a serious tone made Shai's eyes sparkle. He clutched the book on his lap tightly.
"Um... could I ask about dragons?"
Ah, but I'm not a dragon... My head nodded slightly on its own.
Shai's eyes sparkled as he opened the book, flipping to an illustration of a dragon with beautiful sky-blue scales. The page borders were adorned with delicate ice crystal patterns, and a blue magic circle surrounded the dragon. A faint scent of mana wafted from the aged paper.
"What about this ice dragon? Is it true that when it inhales, the temperature around drops below freezing?"
Eek! I know all about Master! Yeah! Weaklings freeze just being near her!
"The ice dragon's breath is cold enough to freeze even the mana of hellfire from the demon realm. The ground it passes over remains frozen for millennia."
Ooh... that's kinda cool. Is that the power of Master's true fury? But what's demon realm hellfire? How'd I even know that?
"That's amazing!" Shai exclaimed in awe. He turned the page to reveal a dragon with red scales.
"And this fire dragon? Can it really breathe not fire, but lava?"
Fire dragon? Never seen one...
"Indeed. A fire dragon's flames don't merely burn—they scorch the soul itself. The burns never heal, even after a thousand years."
No, no! How would I know that? Hellfire too—this isn't my knowledge at all!
Shai's eyes sparkled even brighter with admiration. "Whoa... dragons are incredible!" He kept turning pages, pointing to one with shimmering scales.
"Light dragons love gems, right? Why is that?"
Light dragon? What's that? Dragon of light?
"To absorb mana energy from minerals and strengthen their scales. They prefer rarer ones for their higher energy content."
What is this...? It's my voice, but not my knowledge. Could the trait contain someone's soul or memories...?
Shai turned another page, this one showing a dragon skeleton. "This is a bone dragon. Made by reviving a dragon corpse with dark magic..." He trailed off, looking into my eyes.
Is he asking how a dragon feels about its corpse being desecrated?
"The book is wrong. Bone dragons revive as such through the traits of shadow dragons upon death."
Shai's eyes went wide. "Wow! You said you're only six, Lady Ricoris, but you know so much!"
Th-that noble trait guy...? Who are you...?
"Heh." The noble trait ignored my question and gave Shai a slight smile.
Ugh... what is this thing!
"Oh, right! What kind of dragon are you, Lady Ricoris?"
Hmm... if I had to say, Flower Dragon...
"Who knows. Probably not in that book."
"Gasp!" Shai looked shocked, as if hearing a huge secret, but he kept asking about dragons, and the noble trait answered flawlessly.
"Um... sorry for asking so many questions. I should head to bed now."
Yeah, kids tire out fast. Okay, goodnight.
"The world is vast, filled with wonders beyond dragons. To see them, you must grow strong. Nothing is more precious than experiencing them with your own eyes and hands."
Hm? Is this from the noble trait's experiences? Shai's face brightened, and he looked at me with resolute eyes.
"Yes, I will!" He bowed and headed to the door. Before opening it, he turned back with a smile.
"Thank you so much, Lady Ricoris!"
The door closed, footsteps fading. I flopped onto the bed. Moonlight filtered through the bed curtains, casting soft shadows. Beyond the window, a starry night sky stretched out.
"Hey, noble trait."
...Sigh. It can speak through my mouth but not directly. Whose soul is sealed in this trait anyway? I touched my lips. Just normal sensation. But the words from my mouth carried someone else's knowledge. It had to be a soul. Maybe one of Nis's victims? Knows dragons well... Ugh! Creepy! Gotta ask Nis to remove it when I see her!
Hurry to Desmeer. And as Michael's apostle, deal with those evil god cultists pronto. More delays on the road would suck... Staring at the ceiling, imagining the journey ahead, my eyes drifted shut.
A warm ray of sunlight slipped through the window into the room. I opened my eyes to Cecilia flapping her wings right in front of my nose.
"Morning already..." Getting out of bed, I looked out the window at the sparkling garden in the morning light. Clearer skies than yesterday. Miel and Cecilia buzzed excitedly, Lote orbited me as usual, and only Glessia lazily flapped in the corner, stretching.
A knock at the door. "Lady Ricoris, breakfast is ready."
A servant's voice. "Coming right down." I strapped on Crimson Bind from under the bed. Memories of catching monsters with it felt fresh as yesterday.
Descending the stairs, I ran into Levy and Liandel. They'd already eaten.
"Good morning, Lady Ricoris," Liandel greeted politely.
"Sleep well?" Levy smiled.
"Yeah, so comfy I didn't even dream."
In the dining room, the baron was already seated, with Shai beside him.
"Good morning, Lady Ricoris. The carriage is nearly ready."
"I see." My head nodded elegantly on its own to the baron's words. Noble trait was active bright and early.
Servants brought breakfast: assorted meats and hot tea.
Whoa, looks yummy! "Hm."
"Lady Ricoris, it should take about three days to the capital. We'll pass through Machete Village and Liber City midway," Liandel explained, drawing a small map with his crystal staff.
"I've booked decent inns."
Awesome! "Hm."
After eating, we went out front. A lavish carriage awaited, deep navy with gold trim, pulled by four white horses.
"Our family's finest. My late wife loved travel, so I spared no expense. Swift and comfortable."
Ooh, fancy! "Not bad."
Glessia buzzed around the carriage roof. The coachman startled and backed away.
"It's fine—she won't hurt people. If bandits attack, she'll protect you."
Reassured by the protection promise, the coachman's face relaxed. Yeah, yeah—Glessia can't ride inside, so no need to fear.
Before boarding, I bid farewell to the baron and Shai.
"I'll send a letter with any info from the capital," Liandel told the baron.
"Thank you. Safe travels."
I waved to Shai one last time. "See you later, Shai."
"Yes...!"
The door shut, and the carriage rolled forward. Through the window, the mansion, baron, and Shai shrank into the distance.
The interior was surprisingly spacious and cozy: plush seats, a table, even a small bookshelf.
"Wow, this carriage is amazing! Way better than the one to the mansion," Levy marveled.
"Like something for imperial royals. Impressive," Liandel said, showing rare emotion.
Miel and Cecilia flew around joyfully; Lote orbited me. Outside, Glessia lazily kept pace. Somehow reassuring.
As the village faded, thoughts turned to Desmeer and Master. Master, just wait a bit. I'm coming fast! I vowed, gazing at the passing scenery.
***
A red glow brushed my eyelids. My body felt leaden, head pounding like it'd been hammered.
Ugh... why am I like this...
I slowly opened my eyes, but hair covered my face—I could barely see. Even brushing it aside was exhausting.
Where am I...?
Looking around, I was in unfamiliar darkness. Memories flickered faintly: Desmeer labyrinth. With Nis...
Ah, that golden liquor... how much did I drink?
Fuzzy recollections swam like fish in water. I barely sat up and scanned the room.
Nis sprawled on the opposite chair. Her elegant black dress was stained with spilled golden liquor everywhere; her usually silky hair was a tangled mess, like after a storm. Drool trickled from her mouth, one shoe off and rolling under the table.
The room was a disaster. The tablecloth hung half-off; a lone bottle of golden liquor on the table, dust-covered. Mold grew on scattered pearls on the floor; half the decorative shells on the wall had fallen and shattered. Half-eaten food on the table had long rotted.
Everything screamed long neglect.
Then it hit me. Ricoris!
My mind snapped alert. How long was I out? Is Ricoris okay?
Anxiety crushed my chest.