Another Dragon
Over the tranquil surface of the Pacific Ocean, a suspicious wind began to stir. The calm currents suddenly shifted direction, and the sun in the clear sky hid behind clouds. The wind that started whipping up waves on the sea soon became the eye of a massive typhoon, unleashing a gigantic meteorological anomaly.
Shooooaaaaah—!!!
And at that moment, the sea seemed to swell, creating an illusion of it bulging upward. A colossal body pierced through the surface, thrusting its head above the water. As streams of water cascaded down its pure white scales, its iridescent pupils narrowed into vertical slits, revealing its full form.
[I thought I was just biding my time until death...]
His name was the Light High Dragon Arka, or Arcadia. Now, having lost his duty, he was a being on the brink of falling into mortality.
However—
[Is that her vessel?]
He could clearly sense it. The presence of that one they had served and followed—
[Mm... Huh? Krahahahaha!!]
And at the same time, he burst into laughter upon realizing that a thread of fateful red string was already lingering by her side.
[Raguna!! So you ultimately chose to wear the collar! How foolish!]
As he roared with laughter, the sea trembled, stirring up small tsunamis across the area.
[Oh dear, it's been so long since I felt any excitement that I couldn't hold back. No, no... Well, yes. It seems it wasn't my time to die just yet?]
Muttering to himself, he soon restrained his aura. In the next instant, a light enveloped the dragon's body. That light then permeated the world.
Flaaash—
Like a sun rising over the sunless ocean surface, the radiant glow soon shrank to the size of a small person.
"A mortal body, is it? Well, this isn't so bad."
A clear, resonant girl's voice flowed from within the light. Silver hair that seemed woven from sunlight threads, and eyes gleaming with iridescent hues that pierced all things. A cute girl(?) who might pass for an elementary schooler in human terms emerged from the glow.
"Let me see..."
She gauged the distance. She sensed the aura of her rare kin, her sister who had fallen into becoming the corrupted evil dragon Raguna.
"Over there, huh? Wait just a moment, sister. I'll come to you soon."
Now, as Korea ushered in winter, an unseasonal massive typhoon was bearing down.
"A typhoon, huh..."
A typhoon right as winter was approaching? They usually came in summer with the rainy season front, so one at this point felt a bit out of place.
"Prepare these, that one, and those for me to try on too."
"Yes, understood."
"..."
Leaving me to watch the TV news, Chae-rin was picking out clothes and handing them to the staff like she was shopping for herself.
From the start, after seeing me, why is she being so generous?
At first, I thought giving me the magic stone was just solidarity among the rare summoners or something.
But then she started getting into dressing me up.
'If the outfit fits, she needs some accessories too, right?'
And just like that, I was suddenly dressed up quite stylishly.
'It's uncomfortable, do I really have to wear this?'
When I mentioned the money was a burden and I should decline, she hit back with—
'It's cheaper than the magic stones I gave you for free, right? You didn't seem burdened by those.'
I was speechless. Well, if it's free...
And so I ended up like this.
"Whoa, is she a model?"
"Wow..."
"Babe, did you just check out that girl?"
"No, that's not—"
"Whatever. I'm leaving."
I unintentionally broke up couples in the department store.
"Hmm, is it that much?"
Oh no, I'd been severely underestimating my looks.
"Peep"
Mir-El let out a soft, whispering chirp from inside my bag. It felt like even she was agreeing I looked pretty, which made me feel good.
"By the way, Chae-rin."
"What's with 'Chae-rin'? Call me unnie."
"...How old are you?"
"How old do I look?"
"..."
Her eyes sparkled with a hint of expectation, and her grip tightened as if saying choose your words carefully. I had to pick wisely.
"...27?"
"Ooh, close enough. Impressive!"
She flashed a bright smile like I'd nailed it, so I guess I was in the right ballpark.
"Is that so."
"31."
"?"
Where's the similarity? Early thirties and mid-twenties are totally different, but I swallowed the comment.
"Yunnie, you're an adult, right?"
"Of course."
"Honestly, if your chest were a bit smaller, I could believe you were in middle school."
"..."
"Meaning you're that cute. Don't get the wrong idea?"
"Yeah, sure..."
Is this sexual harassment? Come to think of it, she was touching me a lot while helping me change...
But since she was buying, I endured.
"Come on, a 7-year difference means you can call me unnie. Hurry up."
"...More importantly, Chae-rin."
"Tch, why?"
Her cheeks puffed out a bit, annoyed I wouldn't call her unnie. Are you a kid?
"Everything's great, but the reason we met isn't just about the magic stones, right?"
"Oh, right."
The main reason for meeting Chae-rin was the magic stones, but I'd come out because she promised to teach me some basics of summoner combat.
"Hmm, you look good in the new clothes, so let's skip today."
"Pardon?"
"I just bought them for you— you weren't planning to train in these, right? After I went to all the trouble to dress you up?"
"..."
"So, let's meet again next time for proper training with unnie, okay? And Mir-El too?"
"Peep?"
Mir-El poked her head out of the bag when called. Chae-rin cautiously reached out to pet her head.
"Hehe, see you later, Mir-El?"
"Peep!"
Mir-El, you little... You've already figured out that people who give you food are good ones. Her cute smile, usually just for me, made her look exactly like a niece stealing her aunts' hearts.
"Aww, so cute. Next time, I'll introduce you to my phoenix and sylph. They're both spirit beasts, but... yeah, later! For today, why don't you go enjoy your popularity?"
"...That's a bit much."
No matter how much I'd accepted my new female body, those kinds of stares from guys still...
Kerk!
"Urk..."
Suddenly, the sensation of the goblin's thing grinding against me flashed back, making me dry-heave.
Damn it, I should've just hacked it off completely. My one regret from back then was panicking and leaving it all to Mir-El.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine. See you next time."
"Let me give you a ride. Come on."
"No, really, I'm good. Thanks for today."
"Oh, okay. Let's definitely meet again? I'll text you!"
Brushing off Chae-rin's concern, I walked down the street.
Oh man, the woes of going on foot. Should I turn back now and ask Chae-rin for a ride?
I'd barely taken 30 steps out of the department store, but walking was already such a hassle.
"Ahh, I wanna go home."
"Peep?"
"Mir-El, don't you wanna go home too?"
"Peep... peep!"
The moment Mir-El nodded in agreement—
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, my body dropped downward, my vision flickered, and the woman waiting for a taxi at the bus stop vanished without a trace.
*
"...Huh?"
When my vision cleared, I was back in my ordinary home.
"No way, Mir-El, did you...?"
"Peep~!"
Of course! She raised her hands triumphantly.
"Whoaaa! Mir-El, you're amazing! My daughter is so incredible!!"
"Peep! Peep!"
I wanted to clap forever, but sadly, my stamina was limited.
"What else can you do? Mir-El."
"Peep... peep!"
Mir-El thought for a moment, then nodded firmly. She opened her mouth wide, revealing her crimson maw.
"Why open your mouth all of a—"
For a brief moment, I wondered. Then mana—white mixed with black—began condensing in her mouth.
"No way."
It was exactly that.
Fwoooosh—
"Pi..."
"Ah...?"
It didn't hit anyone, thankfully. Mir-El, who had gathered mana in her mouth, dispersed it as it didn't work out, and fortunately, the horrific scene of my house that had flashed in my mind didn't become reality.
Lack of mana, maybe?
"Phew... Mir-El!"
"Peep..."
She looked up at me with wide, innocent eyes, as if she had no idea what she'd done wrong.
Still, in times like this, I had to scold her strictly.
"Peep..."
Had to... scold her...
"...Don't do that at home next time."
I'll let it slide this once. She's just a kid; it happens.
"Pip!"
Look at her, answering so cheerfully like she got it perfectly.
If she were human, I'd enroll her in a genius academy right away...
"Oh, right."
That wasn't the point.
Mir-El just teleported me home... That's magic, right?
"Mir-El, wanna try what you did to me earlier again? Right here to the kitchen over there."
"Peep!"
Mir-El immediately wrapped my body in mana, then opened a black wormhole-like hole beneath me. I was sucked in, falling upward against gravity, and popped out into the kitchen as requested. I landed lightly, and the black wormhole that spat me out vanished.
"Whoa... teleportation? Mir-El, you're incredible!"
"Peep!"
As expected of a dragon? What a smart kid, just like her mom.
"Hmm... so, what if...?"
I floated a hypothesis.
The skill listed for Mir-El: 【Mana Sovereign】.
【Mana Sovereign】
Master of all mana-based magic.
I hadn't understood at first, but now it clicked—maybe she could create or activate magic just by thinking about it?
Sovereign means lord, so as the lord of mana, she can wield magic freely?
"In other words, as long as she has mana, she can use any magic she wants...? Am I right?"
"Peep..."
This time, Mir-El tilted her head like she wasn't sure either. Then she drooped, blaming herself for not giving a satisfying answer.
Oh no, did I pressure her too much?
"Sorry, I just got greedy wanting to know everything about you. It's okay if you don't know. We can learn together."
"Peep..."
Ugh... getting tired now.
"Wonder when that bed will get delivered... Yawwwn..."
After washing up in the bathroom, I spread a blanket on the floor.
"Mir-El, come here."
"Peep~"
I lay on the blanket and made a spot for her. Her cool, scaly body snuggled into my arms.
I pulled Mir-El close as she settled in.
"Goodnight, Mir-El."
And so, my eventful day finally came to an end.