Sofia's Misunderstanding
The ancient dragon language. It literally meant the old dragon tongue—the language of the primordial ancestors, the ancient dragons themselves. Its origins stretched back tens of thousands of years, passed down through each clan and preserved across the ages. Of course, it had been heavily diluted over time, blended with the common tongue until much of its original flavor faded. Even the supreme beings could not withstand the erosion of time. If one were to compare it to human languages, the ancient dragon tongue was like a very old dialect—so archaic that even locals struggled to understand it.
In any case, the ancient dragon language had lost its line of succession. Naturally, dragons who could still speak it were extremely rare. Records claimed that the ancient tongue carried a primordial power far greater than the modern dragon language. While the current form was still potent enough for most purposes, even in the previous generation some elders had inherited fragments of the ancient tongue. Those who wielded mana through the ancient language could perform godlike miracles. That was why other races had once revered dragons as deities. The ancestors had used this ancient tongue to seal the Demon Dragon Ditronos. Even the previous generation had relied on its power to maintain that seal until five hundred years ago. Of course, when the Demon Dragon broke free five centuries ago, the elders were nearly wiped out, and the succession was all but severed.
For these reasons, the ancient dragon language was considered incredibly rare and sacred—a high-dimensional tongue that ordinary dragons could not hope to master.
“…Ah, n-no, that’s not it at all. It’s just… easier for me to speak in the dragon language, that’s all…?”
“D-Derke…?! You can speak normally?!”
“Uung…! But the words Mom taught me just stick to my tongue and slip out on their own-yong! Ah…! It came out again-yong!”
And yet here was a newly enrolled student speaking the ancient dragon language with perfect naturalness. A hatchling barely two hundred years old, fluent in the ancient tongue? Does that mean the ancient language is still being passed down somewhere?! How is this even possible…?
Was the fact that this freshman maintained a flawless polymorph also thanks to the ancient language? To possess such a perfect human form at such a young age? I still occasionally let my tail slip out. The four-hundred-and-fifty-year gap between us suddenly felt meaningless. Watching Derke left my thoughts in turmoil. At the same time, I finally understood why she had become the center of attention and why her classmates had begun to ostracize her. The professors must have recognized the ancient tongue and marked her as a special case. In the end, that very label had only brought her harm…
Even without the “center of attention” stigma, Derke would have seemed strange to the other freshmen. Her peculiar way of speaking alone would have made her a target for exclusion.
“Is Derke’s way of talking really that weird-yong…? M-maybe I should try harder to use the common tongue even if it’s difficult…”
“No. You don’t have to do that in front of me.”
“Heeht…? Really-yong…?”
“I told you last time, didn’t I? It sounds cute to me now. Just be careful around your friends and the professors. As long as you watch out for the parts that slip out on their own, it should be fine.”
“Breeder-oppa really is the best-yong!!”
When Breeder showered her with his usual gentle warmth, Derke’s eyes sparkled as she rushed into his arms. It was the gaze of a dragon who truly trusted and followed a human. The more I watched Breeder, the more I realized he was no ordinary person. At first I had thought he was just a regular human, yet he possessed an inexplicable charm that won dragons over. Rumors about him had already spread from first-years to fourth-years. Everyone pretended to grumble and act cold toward him, but I knew that not only Derke and I, but others as well, were secretly interested in him. Still, pride kept them from approaching first. The idea of a proud dragon openly showing favor to a human was unthinkable. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why everyone had grown fond of Breeder, but he carried an indescribable allure. He often looked exhausted and listless, yet his heart was profoundly kind and warm. He seemed ordinary, yet he stood out. His skill at making desserts was remarkable, and he could even speak the dragon language without effort. I had first been drawn to the former, but after learning of his gentle nature, my interest only deepened.
“Hahat, that tickles, Derke.”
“Sniff sniff…! Oppa’s body smells nice today too-yong!”
“By the way, what brings you here at this hour? It should still be free time before lunch… Don’t tell me your friends are excluding you again?”
Breeder gently pried Derke from his embrace and lifted her by the armpits until they were eye level. His warm voice and gaze were filled with genuine concern, like a butler indulging a playful kitten. Just watching from the side made my own heart feel strangely soft. What would it feel like if Breeder looked at me with those gentle eyes…?
“It’s not like that-yong! My friends asked me to play, but I turned them down-yong!”
“Huh? Why? I thought you wanted to get along with them.”
“We made a promise yesterday-yong! I said I’d help Oppa during the afternoon…!”
“Ah?”
“Heeht…? That reaction—did you forget-yong?!”
Derke planted both hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks, her entire body screaming, “I’m mad right now!”
“No, of course not. Still, aren’t you disappointed? How are you supposed to get closer to your friends like this…?”
“Hee…? But Derke likes Oppa more-yong…!”
Derke confessed with an innocent face, her sincerity unmistakable. For a freshman, she was quite bold. Flirting so openly with a man right in front of a fourth-year senior? This wouldn’t do. I might have to assign second- and third-years to keep a stricter watch on the new students.
“Derke? I appreciate how you feel, but from now on you’ll have more time to spend with your friends than with me. So there’s no need to force yourself to come to the lounge.”
“Hueeht…? Does that mean Oppa doesn’t like Derke-yong…?”
“No, that’s not what I meant…”
Their serious conversation continued. Thankfully, Breeder rejected her confession. Even so, I couldn’t feel entirely at ease. After all, the two of them had completely ignored me and were now chatting away between themselves. It was the first time I had ever been treated this way. A thorough sense of being overlooked. Jealousy toward a mere freshman welled up inside me. I, too, wanted Breeder’s attention. I envied that young newcomer who monopolized it. To grow so close in just two days…
Haah, what am I even thinking?! Developing feelings this close to affection toward a mere human?
My face flushed at the unfamiliar emotion. That can’t be it…! This is obviously just sympathy. Yes, that’s it. It’s not any other kind of feeling!
It’s simply my expectations about mint chocolate getting twisted. There’s no way I’d harbor personal feelings toward a human!
I tried my best to dismiss the private emotion.
“…But a dragon’s promise carries heavy weight-yong!!”
Just as I was trying to calm my confused feelings, Derke’s suddenly firm voice reached my ears, reigniting the spark in my heart.
“Derke…?”
“Mom said-yong! A promise from a supreme being carries enormous weight…! So Derke…! Once I say something, I keep my word-yong!!!”
Derke crossed her arms and snorted hotly.
“……?!”
I couldn’t help but feel slightly startled by those words. A dragon’s promise carries heavy weight? Did that mean the two of them had… formed a Dragon Pact?
A Dragon Pact—an immutable vow sworn upon a Dragon Heart. A binding agreement that must be upheld even if the world ended. It meant sharing half of one’s Dragon Heart with the contractor, staking one’s life on the contract. The term lasted until the contractor’s death. Should the dragon break the vow, the remaining half of their heart would burn away, leading to a painful demise. In the distant past, some ancestors had formed Dragon Pacts when making love oaths with other races. Moreover, a Dragon Pact could only be established through the ancient dragon language—a sacred act that was now nearly impossible.
Aah, I see! Now everything makes sense!
I had wondered how he could read and speak the ancient tongue so fluently—because he had formed a pact with Derke. If it was a Dragon Pact, then all of this could be explained. The contractor who received half a Dragon Heart would possess power comparable to a dragon’s…
*
“Derke…! Once I say something, I keep my word-yong!!!”
“Ahaha, is that so? Hearing you say that makes me feel reassured.”
Derke’s innocent, earnest expression made laughter bubble up naturally. If only the other dragons were as pure and adorable as her. Ah, but Sofia was an exception. If anything, she was the complete opposite of Derke. She was far from innocent or cute. Still, Sofia’s kindness and warmth give off a big-sister vibe… Hm?
While recalling Sofia’s gentle side, I turned my gaze toward her—only to see not the usual kind expression, but a fierce glare. “There’s no way… I can’t believe a freshman stole the initiative from me…” Sofia’s angelic demeanor had vanished, replaced by the embodiment of jealousy, her entire body radiating invisible heat as her sun-like eyes fixed on me with murderous intensity.