I Think My Intelligence Is Dropping
[Yes. Now that it's tidy, look how nice it is. It feels twice as spacious in here, doesn't it?]
"I was going to clean it later…"
[Well done. Now get moving. There's still more to pick up, isn't there?]
I bustled about under the endless stream of nagging. No matter how much I fumed, there was no winning against a target with no physical body to hit. All I could do was seethe in silence.
Still, her tone had softened considerably from the start, and every now and then she even threw in some praise. If only I hadn't left it—see? You can do it when you try.
I scrambled around in a blur for a long while, until I'd hauled away the entire mountain of trash I'd shoved into the corner. My body had shrunk, but my strength hadn't, so cleaning posed no real challenge.
Aluminum cans went flat with a couple of punches.
Crunch— Crunch—
"All done."
After dumping the enormous garbage bag, I shuffled back to my room and slid under the rumpled bedding spread across the floor.
[Impressive! But, hmm—I noticed a mountain of dishes piled up in the sink earlier. Wouldn't it be better to take care of that too?]
"No. I don't even use that…"
It was true—I hadn't touched the sink in ages. I couldn't remember exactly how it happened, only that the dishes kept getting postponed until, at some point, they simply weren't done anymore. Years had passed since then, and now the sink had become a thriving kingdom of insects.
Wouldn't the residents rise up in revolt if their kingdom were demolished without their consent?
What I meant was, I had no desire to poke a hornet's nest of creatures living peacefully and send them swarming in every direction.
[How filthy… Are you truly unbothered by this?]
It had bothered me a little at first, but once I got used to it, it was more or less livable. Delivery food, instant meals, disposable utensils only—cutting out the hassle made life a lot easier. Which was exactly why a mountain range of garbage had colonized my home, but still.
"Anyway, not doing it."
I'd done everything she asked, so couldn't she let me off the hook now? Thinking that, I pulled the blanket over my head and watched her reaction nervously.
[Hmm… Fine. I suppose the fault is mine. A princess shouldn't have to sully her hands. We'll leave the hornet's nest be.]
"Ahem, ahem… Th-that form of address is a bit…"
[What? Does the word princess embarrass you?]
Did she really have to ask out loud? Granted, I was stuck in this body now, but barely a day ago I'd been a perfectly healthy adult man. I was already unsettled from losing my beautiful physique, and hearing that on top of it left me feeling strangely conflicted.
It was embarrassing and, at the same time, oddly not unpleasant to hear—which made it all the more confusing.
…?
Wait. Come to think of it, wasn't something wrong here? Why was I feeling this way?
The thoughts chased each other in circles until I finally threw off the blanket in frustration. And this wasn't the only thing. Sulking over being made to do a little cleaning—wasn't that ridiculously childish? From a grown man, no less.
If anyone else had pulled this act in front of me, I'd have hammered my fist into their face until their features caved in.
That was how repulsive my own behavior felt just then.
With every passing hour, my mind was growing sharper. It was as if a fog that had clouded my senses was finally lifting—and the instant I realized it, cold sweat ran down my back.
'…It's not permanent, right…?'
I got up from my spot and shrugged off the shirt draped over me.
[What are you doing?]
"…"
[My princess. Answer me.]
"Would you, uh, quit calling me princess? That's not something you say to a guy—"
I cut myself off mid-sentence. My sharpened mind had brought my speech back to its usual register. I shrank back a little and studied her reaction, but the Heavenly Dragon King didn't seem particularly bothered.
[Hmm… You can say that, even looking at yourself right now?]
"Well…"
At her voice in my head, I turned to the bathroom mirror. She had a point—claiming to be a man would be a hard sell looking like this. Frowning, I grabbed the showerhead and turned on the water.
Shaaa—
The icy torrent crashed down over the mirror.
After my shower, I instinctively picked up the pack of cigarettes sitting on the desk. I pulled one out, wedged it between my lips, and glanced around the room looking for my lighter.
[Why don't you dry your hair first?]
"Jush a shec, I'm lookin for my lighder."
No lighter anywhere—which meant I must have thrown it out with the trash earlier. Clicking my tongue, I tossed the cigarette back onto the desk.
Drip… drip…
Maybe it was because my hair had grown out. Where a few towel scrubs would have done the job before, now it hung in long, soggy strands, shedding water everywhere.
[If you leave it like that, your hair will be damaged.]
"I've got Physical Reinforcement awakened, so I'm fine. I don't even catch colds from cold showers—this should be nothing."
After a moment's hesitation, I flopped down onto the bedding. The damp strands soaked into the pillow, but I paid it no mind. Left alone, it would dry on its own anyway.
"…"
Was she letting this much rebellion slide? Or was she banking it all up to punish me in one go? I was carefully studying her mood when the voice rang out in my head.
[You have more than a few habits in need of fixing. Regardless—get up and sit somewhere comfortable.]
"Can't we do it lying—"
[Shall I truly increase the intensity of my binding?]
I shot upright at that.
"Um, but why do you want me sitting…?"
[Isn't it obvious? For training.]
"Training…? You mean physical conditioning or something?"
[What you need right now is not physical conditioning. It's growing accustomed to the dragon's authority—raising your skill's rank by building proficiency.]
"I mean, sure, that's great. But do I need it right now? I'm a little tired…"
[And in that state, you intended to climb the Tower? Fine, the first floor might not pose a problem, but on the second you'd be dead in an instant. Besides, you must grant this mother's wish, must you not? For that very reason, you have no choice but to climb higher.]
"Hmm…"
[I will guide the mana around you into your body. Commit the sensation to memory.]
"Okay."
About a minute passed like that. Just as I tilted my head, wondering when it was supposed to start, the voice came again.
[Did you catch it?]
"Huh? What did you do?"
[You felt… nothing at all?]
I just nodded silently. Something had apparently been done, but I genuinely hadn't felt a thing. The revelation must have stung more than a little, because the Heavenly Dragon King went quiet for quite some time.
[It's all right. No one is good at everything from the start. This time I will move more slowly. Try to feel it.]
"Okay!"
[There. How about now? Did you catch it this time?]
No different from before. I shook my head with a sour expression.
[It's fine. Don't lose heart. It seems you're the type who learns best through actual combat.]
It wasn't until deep in the night that I finally felt the movement of mana. I'd been slumped over, wondering if I was really that talentless, when at last it came.
"I feel it! Like this… like this!"
[Finally!]
Dragon's Authority — Rank F, Proficiency 5%
Not only could I move mana now, but the skill's proficiency had climbed along with it. Unable to contain my joy, I did a somersault right there on the spot, which drew more praise.
[There. I always believed in you. Magnificent, my princess.]
"Ahem… ahem… Th-thank you."
[Good. Ride this momentum and keep going. Try picturing the authority manifesting as a layer draped over your body.]
Through experience, I knew exactly what the Dragon King meant—she was talking about that power I'd used fighting the mutant back in the Abyss.
The moment I recalled the memory, a faint prickling sensation crept over me, and transparent scales formed along my arm.
[That technique is called Dragon Scale. Consider it the starting point of the defensive arts that every last member of dragonkind learns to use.]
I nodded absently and stretched out my right arm. The transparent scales covering it rippled in waves, following my will exactly as I directed them.
At that moment, an irresistible drowsiness washed over me. It was, admittedly, long past a reasonable bedtime. Yawning hugely, I crawled back into the rumpled blanket on the floor.
[Yes, yes. You've earned your fatigue. Sleep well.]
Chirp— chirp—
"Hnyaah…!"
I bolted upright to the sound of birds singing outside the window. Perhaps I'd had a nightmare during the small hours, because my back was drenched in cold sweat.
"Ugh…"
What was it? I was sure I'd had a thoroughly unpleasant nightmare, but I couldn't remember a thing. My head still throbbed—I began to wonder if I'd caught a cold after all.
I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, then checked my phone. From yesterday afternoon through dawn, I'd left it unchecked, and quite a few missed calls had piled up.
Of course, I had no intention of responding just yet. At least not until my new ID was issued.
[Did you sleep well?]
"Ah, yes. Did you sleep well too, mothe—"
I stopped mid-greeting, closing my mouth. Somehow, something felt off.
'Wait… can she even sleep?'
Maybe that was the source of the strange feeling. Right now, my mother existed as nothing but a soul, without a body to inhabit. Wasn't it a bit rude to ask if she'd slept well when traditional sleep might not even be possible for her?
[Are you worried about your mother? How heartening. Fear not—I sleep quite soundly.]
'Something's weird here…'
[That aside, you look unwell. Have you come down with something?]
"Mmm… I guess so? My head kind of hurts… But that's strange… I told you I have Physical Reinforcement, so colds shouldn't even be possible for me…"
Strange.
[Don't overdo it. Didn't you work hard through the night?]
"Uuuugh…"
[Now, lie down and rest a little more. Yes, that's right. Close your eyes and get comfortable. There you go, well done, my princess.]
I jumped straight back up before I could even finish following her instructions. Because being called princess had sent a full-body shiver crawling up my spine.
"No—would you please stop calling me… that."
[Hmm?]
"I mean. Every once in a while might be fine…"