Under the Blanket
The Valkyrie Nest rose like a jagged spear from the heart of Valkyrie Island. Halfway up its slope stood the Temple of the Beginning Dragon, while the summit housed a watchtower offering a sweeping view of the entire island. The Nest itself was born from an ancient volcanic eruption, its upper reaches rugged and treacherous. Even dragons hesitated to fly or climb here, especially with the eternal snow that blanketed the peak year-round.
—Hwoooooooosh…!!!
The wind howled mercilessly. Outside the watchtower, a blizzard raged with unnatural fury, far worse than the usual mountain storms. Sonya’s frigid barrier was to blame. She had erected it to keep monsters at bay, but the price was a swirling wall of snow and ice that now engulfed the tower.
—Thud. Thud. Thud…!
A massive demonic beast circled the tower, leaving deep black prints in the snow. Its low growl rumbled through the storm as it hunted for the scent it had lost—two hatchlings and a human. The steep cliffs and blinding snow had forced it to abandon the chase earlier, and now it prowled the perimeter of Sonya’s barrier, unwilling to step into the deadly cold.
“…Sonya? I think it’s gone for now!” Eros called down from the watchtower’s upper level.
“Really? Thank goodness…!”
“More importantly, how’s the teacher? Is he any better?”
“Ah, well…”
Sonya’s voice trailed off as she looked down at the man lying before her, her expression filled with worry. Breeder lay in the corner of the watchtower, buried beneath several thick blankets. A damp cloth rested on his forehead, but his face burned crimson, as if he were aflame. Every few seconds a dry cough rattled through him.
“He’s still burning up… I can’t get the fever down.”
—Squeeze…!
When Sonya wrung out the cloth, steaming water poured from it. Breeder’s temperature was so high that the once-chilled fabric had become scalding in moments.
“Eek—?! Wasn’t that cloth supposed to be cold?”
“It was. But it heats up instantly. I think the sudden drop in temperature gave him a cold… or something worse.”
“A cold from a little snow?”
“His hands and feet are freezing, but his chest and face are like hot coals.”
“Tch. Humans are so fragile.”
Breeder groaned weakly, drenched in cold sweat. He showed no sign of waking. The two girls had no idea that his condition wasn’t caused by the cold alone.
“Hey, Sonya? If he’s cold, why don’t we light the stove?”
“We can’t. The smoke would give away our position. And with my barrier active, any heat source would break it.”
“Then are we just going to leave him like this? The monster’s gone!”
“It hasn’t gone far. You learned this in class—never let your guard down. These creatures hide in the dark and wait for their prey.”
—Squelch…!
Sonya bit her lip and replaced the cloth again. I’m worried sick about him too…
“Ughhh! This is so frustrating! You’re always saying no! You’re not acting like a proud dragon at all—you’re useless!”
Eros pounded her chest in exasperation. She was just as anxious about Breeder’s state.
“I’m frustrated too! But this is the best we can do. We have to wait until the monster leaves…”
“Ah! What about communication?”
“That’s… impossible right now because of my barrier.”
“Aaaargh—!!! This is driving me crazy!”
“……”
“Fine! Move aside! At this rate he’s going to die!”
Unable to stand it any longer, Eros lunged toward Breeder and yanked the blankets away.
“E-Eros?! What are you doing to the teacher?!”
“Hmph! You’re such a model student that you probably don’t know this, but I read it in a human novel! In extreme cold, when someone’s body temperature drops, the common sense thing to do is share body heat—naked!”
—Clank. Click…!
With those words, Eros began stripping off her armor.
“Wh-what?! What are you saying?! Put your armor back on right now! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Think about it, Sonya! With our Dragon Hearts, our body heat should be enough to burn away his cold in no time—♡”
“Haaah—?!”
*
“Cough, cough…!”
The moment they reached the summit, Breeder’s condition had plummeted. His entire body felt like it was burning. His head throbbed as if it would split, while his hands and feet had turned deathly pale and ice-cold. Strength had abandoned his limbs completely.
I’m going to die… The world is spinning…
At first he had assumed it was just a cold. But the pain that struck the instant he entered the watchtower proved otherwise. How could he catch a cold so suddenly? Even with the Dragon Heart he carried and the Light-attribute purification he had used earlier, something was terribly wrong.
—Throb! Throb…!
A sharp pain flared along his side, cutting through the headache. He remembered the demonic bullet that had grazed him. At the time he thought it had only torn his clothes, but now the wound burned like fire. No blood had been shed, yet the agony was excruciating. Why couldn’t his Light Dragon Heart purify something so minor?
“Khh—! Haa, hah, hah……!”
The pain surged up his spine again, forcing his eyes open.
“Haa… How long was I out?”
Status Ailment: Weakness
The body’s functions are impaired by demonic energy.
If treatment is delayed, symptoms will worsen and may result in death. Exercise caution.
Status ailment detected, but Dragon Heart (Light Attribute) cannot be activated.
Time until Dragon Heart (Light Attribute) reactivation: 5 hours 12 minutes.
If a Pact target is nearby, the Dragon Heart (Light Attribute) cooldown can be reset.
“What… what is this…?”
The status window floated before his eyes the moment he regained consciousness. So the demonic bullet had grazed him after all. He hadn’t expected a cooldown on his Dragon Heart either—using it to nullify Eros’s charm earlier must have triggered it.
No wonder my body feels like absolute garbage…
He grimaced and looked around. The watchtower was pitch-black; every light had been extinguished. Outside, the blizzard howled like a living thing.
“So I really am inside the tower…”
He lay alone on a pile of straw in the corner, wrapped in multiple thick blankets. The others were nowhere to be seen. The silence was absolute.
I thought at least one of them would stay by my side… Did something else happen while I was out?
Or had they gone to fight the monster again—
—Rustle. Rustle…!
“Huh…?”
He tried to sit up, but something held him down from both sides. Warm, soft pressure pressed against him. At first he thought he was having sleep paralysis.
—Shift. Shift…!
“Wh-what? The blanket’s moving…?!”
It wasn’t sleep paralysis. Because from beneath the blanket came a pair of mischievous voices and a soft, playful giggle.
“”Heeheehee—♥””
Pink and purple lights shimmered in the darkness under the covers.