Finding a Way Out
“U-um, Sofia? I think there’s been a misunderstanding—”
“…Heh. Whether it’s a misunderstanding or not, we’ll find out soon enough. Anyway, I’ll be borrowing your lips for a moment.”
—Smooch!
Sofia murmured lightly before pressing her lips against his. It was less a kiss and more a way to silence him. She wanted to confirm the truth before Breeder’s excuses could continue.
“Mmph—?!”
“……”
Breeder flailed at the sudden kiss, while Sofia maintained a gentle smile. She had no intention of shouting indignantly in front of everyone watching.
Though her expression remained light, her heart was anything but calm. From the very beginning, she had sensed something subtly off about Breeder.
—Thump! Thump!
After all, the remaining half of the Dragon Heart kept pulsing in her chest. It had been resonating ever since she accepted Derke’s Dragon Heart moments ago—accompanied by an unfamiliar sense of unease.
What is this unsettling feeling? I can sense another presence besides Derke. It’s not Raylin’s energy either…
‘Why do I feel such an insolent, arrogant aura…?’
The moment her lips met Breeder’s, Sofia’s brow furrowed. She couldn’t pinpoint the source, yet another being’s presence was unmistakably there. The sensation left her feeling even more uneasy and displeased.
That presence belonged to none other than Eros.
It was only natural. Through the Pact of Love, Sofia was bound to Breeder, so she was bound to detect the Love-attribute Dragon Heart as well. Soon, her powers would reveal exactly whose energy it was.
‘Hyaah?! N-no! If Teacher’s improper relationship with me gets exposed, I’ll have no choice but to drop out of the academy—?!’
Eros, who had been watching, screamed inwardly. Bound to Breeder as well, she was barely suppressing her own panic. Her already tangled academy life was now on the verge of complete explosion.
‘I have to help Teacher somehow…!’
“Cough—! S-Sofia? Just a moment…!”
Just as Eros was about to intervene, Breeder’s urgent voice rang out. He sounded thoroughly frightened—understandable, given he was at the center of this mess.
“…Huh? Breeder? What exactly do you think you’re doing? Are you rejecting me?”
Breeder had jerked his head back to avoid Sofia’s kiss. To any observer, he looked like a thief caught red-handed.
“I-It’s not like that…! There’s no way I’d refuse you, my lady!”
Still, he struggled desperately to survive.
“Then what are you doing right now? No matter how I look at it, it seems like you’re afraid my powers will reveal what happened in the past.”
“It’s not that, but……”
“If it’s not that, then what? Go on, explain.”
“……”
Breeder couldn’t give a proper answer. Sofia had struck right at the heart of the matter, and he had no more excuses left. He could only shake his head weakly.
“Your reaction makes me even more suspicious. It seems I really do need to look into your memories using the Pioneer of Light.”
“…Sofia? Please, let’s just return to the academy for now and—”
“Be quiet and focus on my lips.”
“Aah…?!”
“—Mmm…!”
Brushing aside his feeble protests, Sofia pulled his chin toward her, deepening the kiss far more than before. It was a kiss meant to uncover the suspicious, dubious energy clinging to him.
“……”
Below them, Derke, who had been clinging to Breeder, simply watched in silence. She too had sensed an unpleasant scent from his body moments ago, so she made no move to stop it. The situation was suspicious enough to warrant investigation, and even Derke’s usually trusting expression had turned grave.
—Fwoooosh…!
At the same time, Sofia’s halo blazed with even brighter light. It was proof she was drawing up her internal mana, converting it into the power of light.
‘It’s only from a few hours ago, so there’s no need to use much power.’
As she had said, Sofia intended to read Breeder’s memories through the Pioneer of Light—the secret technique of the bloodline that carried the origin. Also known as divine revelation, this ability could vividly recall even the oldest memories of a target. Once she fully matured into an Adult Dragon, it would even grant her the power to glimpse the future.
For Sofia, who possessed this bloodline, reading memories from mere hours ago was child’s play.
‘I’m so screwed. I didn’t even give in to Eros’s temptation earlier…’
Breeder grumbled inwardly as he received Sofia’s kiss with wide-open eyes, belatedly regretting his mistake. Yet he couldn’t avoid it again. He was already caught in her grasp, and refusing a second time would surely drop her favorability regardless of the past.
—Shhhhhhh…!
Then, suddenly—
“Mmm…?”
The bright halo illuminating Breeder’s face abruptly dimmed, as though thick clouds had covered the sun. The interior of the guard post grew dark in an instant.
‘W-what? The light…?’
Breeder looked around in confusion. At first he thought everything had been exposed. The halo’s glow reflected Sofia’s mental state, so its sudden darkening couldn’t be a good sign. He had assumed some dark cloud had suddenly formed over her previously calm mind, and tension gripped him.
But—
—Fssst…
It wasn’t that the halo’s color had faded. Its brightness had simply weakened dramatically. Sofia’s head grew shadowed, as if someone had adjusted an aperture. Then, finally—
—Flash!
Within moments, the halo went out completely, like a lightbulb after a power outage. In its place, Sofia’s golden eyes gleamed brighter than any bulb.
“Hah…? H-how is this possible…?”
Sofia parted her lips and glanced around in a fluster, her face filled with bewilderment. It was as if even she hadn’t expected this.
“Um… Sofia?”
“Haa…? Did I use too much sincerity after returning to my true form after so long? I don’t have any power left……”
“Huh? Don’t tell me you exhausted all your stamina in the earlier battle?”
“My stamina is fine, but… It seems I used up all my mana while dealing with the monsters earlier. That’s all it is.”
“Your mana ran out that quickly?”
Indeed, while her true form was immensely powerful, it consumed an enormous amount of mana. Her mana reserves had been completely drained in no time. That was why she usually preferred polymorphing—human form consumed far less mana. Moreover, Sofia had already shared half of her Dragon Heart with Breeder. As a Hatchling still imperfect at controlling her powers, having her Dragon Heart—the source of her mana—reduced by half made rapid depletion inevitable.
‘…Besides, I’ve been living in human form throughout the break. No wonder I overdid it. I’ve been too negligent with my training.’
—Grrrooowl…!
Even her stomach let out a loud warning growl, announcing the depletion of her mana.
“Hyaah…?! B-Breeder? Did you hear that?!”
“Ahem. I’ll pretend I didn’t.”
“W-what kind of response is that?! You definitely heard it!”
Sofia backed away, her face flushing crimson as she lowered her head in embarrassment. All because of a simple stomach growl. It was a perfectly natural bodily function, yet everyone made such a fuss over it. Just like Sonya earlier. From a human perspective, it was hard to understand, but for prideful dragons, it was quite shameful—especially in front of someone they cared for.
“Ah, in that case, shall I make something simple to fill your stomach?”
“Pardon? Right here?”
“That’s right. As your servant, I can’t just ignore it when my lady is hungry.”
Breeder quickly regained his composure at Sofia’s vulnerable state and took the initiative. A lively spark returned to his dark eyes, as though he had spotted an opening. It was the gaze of a man who had found a path to extend his life.
“Breeder? If you’re trying to win my heart with dessert, you’d better stop. Even if it’s mint chocolate!”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t try to change the subject. You know full well you can’t escape my suspicions, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. I was simply worried about your condition and wanted to do something for you.”
Breeder answered in a more serious tone despite Sofia’s wariness.
“Hmm? W-what? What’s with that calm reaction all of a sudden…? You were struggling so hard just moments ago.”
“I was simply surprised earlier. I have nothing to hide.”
“Does that mean you’re truly not hiding anything?”
“Yes. If you’re willing, you can eat, recover your strength, and then properly examine my memories again. I’m that innocent.”
Breeder replied confidently, meeting Sofia’s eyes directly. A relaxed smile even played on his lips. His dark eyes were now filled with a certain emotion—confidence that he could carve out the escape route laid before him.
‘Don’t panic. With this method, I should be able to get through this safely…’