Chapter 107: Dragon Fangs
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 107: Dragon Fangs
No, that’s a long-tailed tit.
A white-headed long-tailed tit, at that.
That tiny, round, white bird is Argentavis’s daughter?
If she were something like a bald eagle, I would’ve accepted it.
But this was just wrong.
That giant bird of prey and this cute little titmouse were father and daughter.
How was I supposed to know that!
Chirpy and Swish-Swish popped out of my mouth.
I coiled my tail and quickly hid behind the Snake Queen.
Of course, since I was now bigger than the Snake Queen, I wasn’t hidden at all.
“Snake Queen. What is the meaning of this?”
Argentavis’s face flushed with anger.
He seemed furious that some strange lizard had gobbled up his precious daughter in one bite.
This is unfair.
I’m telling you, she knocked on my teeth and went in herself.
And I let her out perfectly fine.
But I couldn’t voice my complaint.
The alliance between the Snake Queen and Argentavis had just been formed.
If I stepped in now, I could ruin everything.
As a sign of remorse, I lowered my eyes.
“Geeeek…”
Just as I was about to bow my head and apologize, the Snake Queen’s hand grabbed my head firmly.
“What is the meaning of this, you ask?”
She said, looking at me.
I didn’t know the exact meaning of her gaze.
But I understood one thing.
Don’t bow your head.
In a way, it was only natural.
This alliance was one of equals.
No, the Snake Queen’s side had a slight advantage.
My status was the Snake Queen’s companion.
Me bowing my head was the same as the Snake Queen bowing hers.
It seemed she had another solution, so I could probably hold off on apologizing for now.
Argentavis’s eyebrow shot up at the Snake Queen’s words.
“Must I spell it out for you? Did your companion not just lay a hand on my one and only precious daughter?”
His voice was laced with fury.
It might have been justified anger.
From his perspective, it looked like I’d been caught trying to swallow his daughter whole in the middle of their alliance talks.
Even though the reality was different.
“Ha.”
The Snake Queen let out a laugh as if in disbelief, then glared at Argentavis with her usual emotionless eyes.
“You should get your facts straight.”
“What?”
The Snake Queen pulled me, who had been cautiously watching from behind her, into an embrace.
I couldn’t react to the sudden hug.
And staying still would be more helpful right now anyway.
“It was your daughter who laid a hand on my one and only companion.”
Something welled up in my chest.
This warmth wasn’t just from her Internal Energy Pouch resting on my head.
To take my side even in a situation like this…
I was touched.
…But, is this really okay?
I know I was wronged, but isn’t reacting like this basically a declaration of war?
“What?” Argentavis asked again.
The Snake Queen’s expression didn’t change as she continued.
“Are you deaf? It seems the wounds you received from Gaechalgoatal haven’t healed yet.”
I’m grateful she’s on my side, but…
Is this really okay?
I thought you came here to form an alliance!
We went through so much trouble to get that unicorn horn.
“Those words. Are you sure you won’t regret them?”
“Regret? I regret trying to form an alliance with fools who lack the common sense not to mess with my companion.”
Craaaack!
The internal energy of the Snake Queen and Argentavis collided.
Even I felt a tingling sensation run through my body.
Argentavis’s own power should have been no match for the Snake Queen’s.
But this place didn’t seem to be an ordinary space.
It was a space that gave Argentavis an advantage.
That’s why they could be so evenly matched.
At this rate, are they actually going to fight?
I can’t let that happen.
“Gekgek!”
My eyes fell on Swish-Swish and Chirpy, who were clinging to each other in confusion, as if wondering when their parents had started fighting.
Those two should be able to stop the fight.
“Gekgek!”
“Hiek!”
Swish-Swish seemed to understand me and immediately leaped toward the Snake Queen.
Chirpy, who also seemed to get the hint, flew straight to Argentavis.
“Chirp-chirp!”
“Hiss!”
Chirpy pecked Argentavis’s cheek with her beak, and Swish-Swish bit the Snake Queen’s hand.
They wouldn’t be able to unleash any more power with their children present.
But they couldn’t just back down either.
Their pride was on the line.
“Chirp-chirp!”
“Hieeek!”
But there are things more important than pride.
It seemed Chirpy and Swish-Swish were diligently explaining what had happened earlier.
Swish-Swish, with her personal feelings for me, was probably spinning the story in my favor.
The key was what that little white bird would say.
To be honest, I had no idea why that bird came into my mouth in the first place.
I wasn’t hiding anything, so why did she come into my mouth?
The problem was that the bird happened to be Argentavis’s daughter, and we were caught in that situation.
If that bird explains things well, this should all blow over.
“Gek…”
I watched the situation unfold with great anxiety.
Clang!
The Snake Queen and Argentavis withdrew their power at almost the same time.
To be precise, Argentavis withdrew his power first, and the Snake Queen immediately followed suit.
“So, what did that oh-so-precious daughter of yours have to say?”
“…She said the Black Dragon did nothing wrong. That she just went inside because she was curious.”
The misunderstanding was cleared up!
…Wait a minute, Black Dragon?
I’m a black lizard.
“Didn’t I tell you? My companion would never do such a thing.”
“…I apologize for that.”
Realizing it was a misunderstanding, Argentavis bowed his head and apologized.
He apologized so quickly that I couldn’t even let out an angry ‘gek’.
He must have lost his temper for a moment, thinking his daughter was being attacked.
While Argentavis was apologizing to me, the Snake Queen asked Chirpy a question.
“So, why did you go into my companion’s mouth?”
The long-tailed tit averted her gaze.
Argentavis answered for her.
“My daughter has a special ability.”
“A special ability?”
“Yes. The power to find the traces of a dragon.”
Traces of a dragon?
That’s a cool ability.
Swish-Swish also has saliva that can heal others, though she doesn’t use it often.
They’re not heirs for nothing.
I wonder if I’ll get something similar.
“Gaechalgoatal must be desperately searching for her.”
“Yes. In fact, the reason I confronted him was to protect my daughter.”
“There must be a reason you’re suddenly revealing this ability.”
“Yes. Because it’s a situation where I can no longer hide it.”
It looked like they were about to start a difficult conversation that I wasn’t privy to.
Whatever it was, it probably had nothing to do with me.
“My daughter found the trace of a dragon on that lizard.”
Huh?
Me?
I was reincarnated as a lizard, but it turns out I was a descendant of dragons!
I didn’t think that.
That’s because my skill window clearly showed Dragon Scales and Dragon Blood.
In a way, you could call those traces of a dragon.
I also used Dragon’s Claws and the Ancient Dragon Leg Art.
But just because I have those things doesn’t mean a lizard can become a dragon.
Argentavis’s eyes sharpened.
His large, piercing eyes grew even sharper.
Like the eyes of a bird of prey that has spotted its quarry.
And those eyes were staring at me.
“Dragon Scales… and Dragon Blood…”
Anyone passing by, like that Tang what’s-her-name, could tell I have Dragon Scales.
But Dragon Blood is different.
It’s inside my body.
And without infusing it with internal energy, it’s no different from ordinary blood.
“Snake Queen. May I approach your companion for a closer look?”
The Snake Queen looked displeased but reluctantly nodded.
She must be curious too.
After all, the existence of a dragon seems to hold a special meaning for the spirit beasts of this jungle.
But looking at me up close wouldn’t change anything.
It’s true I have Dragon Scales.
It’s also true I have Dragon Blood.
But that’s it.
“Companion of the Snake Queen. Would you mind opening your mouth?”
They’re definitely father and daughter.
Seriously, why does everyone want to look inside my mouth?
“Geeeek.”
But I couldn’t refuse.
Since the Snake Queen had given her permission, it seemed showing him the inside of my mouth was fine.
Why are so many people curious about my mouth?
Baek Yeon-yeong is always trying to open my mouth whenever she gets a chance, and that Tang girl sometimes has her head inside it.
Creaaak.
I opened my mouth.
“…It can’t be.”
Argentavis’s voice trembled.
What’s wrong? You’re making me nervous.
“Dragon Scales and Dragon Blood. And as if that weren’t enough, Dragon Fangs (龍牙)?”
Yong-a, or Dragon Fangs, means the teeth of a dragon.
“Gek?”
…I don’t have a skill like that.
Could it be some kind of hidden skill?
Come to think of it, I don’t remember ever using my teeth as a primary weapon.
Having learned martial arts, that might seem obvious.
But all the martial arts I learned were for humans.
And while I’ve modified them to some extent, I haven’t been able to fully utilize my lizard characteristics.
Even though I have extremely sharp teeth, I’ve only used them for finishing blows or when eating.
Because of that, I don’t think I ever realized the true power of my teeth.
Dragon Fangs…
“Dragon Fangs? What do you mean? I can understand Dragon Blood and Dragon Scales, but I don’t quite follow about the fangs.”
“Well, that’s understandable. Even as a companion, it’s hard to know everything.”
Twitch.
The Snake Queen’s eyebrow twitched.
The situation was the complete opposite of before.
Hey, don’t provoke her for no reason.
She just took a deep breath.
A beam is about to shoot out of her mouth.
“Look closely at these teeth. Unlike the teeth of other beasts, the surface is jagged. In other words, they have a structure similar to the saws that humans use.”
“I know that much. Do you think I’ve only been bitten by those teeth once or twice?”
She’s been bitten by me?
At least, not that I can remember.
…What did you do to me after getting me drunk!
“The aura of steel is imbued in those teeth. If these aren’t Dragon Fangs, then what could be?”
He says my teeth have a sharp, serrated structure.
And that they’re imbued with some kind of aura of steel.
Argentavis insisted they couldn’t be anything but Dragon Fangs.
…Um, that’s just what Komodo dragons are like, you know?
They have teeth shaped like saw blades.
And believe it or not, their surfaces are even coated with iron.
Since I’m a superior species of Komodo, those traits are probably even more pronounced.
So, my teeth can’t be called Dragon Fangs.
They’re just the ordinary teeth of a Gomodo-Lania.
“I’m certain. These are Dragon Fangs.”
No, I’m telling you, they’re not.
“Dragon Scales, Dragon Blood, and now Dragon Fangs… If this isn’t a dragon, then what can be called a dragon?”
Dragons don’t usually make ‘gekgek’ sounds, you know?
Snake Queen.
Say something.
I think he’s misunderstanding.
“…You have a sharp eye. Yes, my companion is a being worthy of being called a dragon.”
The Snake Queen avoided my gaze.
Which meant even as she said it, she knew something was off.
She was clearly just saying whatever came to mind because she didn’t want to lose to Argentavis.
“Gekgegegek!”
I’m not a dragon.
I’m a lizard
