Frost Dragon (2)
Clip-clop— clip-clop—
Hoofbeats rang out along the well-kept avenue. A white mane scattered like the Milky Way, catching and flinging back the dazzling sunlight. A single horn, large and sturdy, grown with proud dignity. Long, slender legs that stretched out in a bearing of absolute composure, without a single misstep.
The Unicorn strolled the streets with more elegance than most nobles, as if to prove that its body had been shaped by the gods themselves. Grace and refinement trailed every step, and for a horse, its gaze was endlessly haughty.
"...Could you maybe come a little closer?"
Prff! Stay away from me! By the Great One's command I was forced to acknowledge you as my master, but if you do not keep at least ten paces from my noble flesh—this sacred horn will not forgive you!
Flash!
As if to prove it was no empty threat, the Unicorn's horn blazed with a murderous light and menaced Hans. Faced with a creature utterly beyond conversation, Hans let out a long, heavy sigh.
Everyone else got jewels or magnificent weapons. Why did I get...
He stared at the Unicorn with cold, dead eyes. The beast tossed its mane and gazed loftily ahead—while its pupils flicked sidelong, sidelong, sizing up the women along the roadside.
No doubt checking whether they were maidens or not.
...What a perverted horse.
Heaven was truly heartless. Hans sighed once more and quickened his pace, swinging the empty lunchbox loosely in one hand.
O Virgin, where are we headed now?
"What? Vir— what?"
Even if you are a thoroughly unpleasant male, you are still my master for the time being, so I can hardly call you 'you' or 'this fellow.' Thus I address a virgin as a virgin. Is there a problem?
"N-n-no!! Who are you calling a virgin—!"
Hans's face flushed scarlet at having his bachelorhood exposed in the middle of the avenue. Being a virgin was nothing strange, but it was hardly something to parade around either.
The Unicorn edged farther away from the flailing Hans, sniffed the air a few times, and snickered.
That musty, stale scent unique to confirmed bachelors. I stake my proud horn on it. You are, without question, a virgin.
"You little—!"
Hans was about to swing a fist when—
"Hans? Vir...gin? What's a virgin?"
A voice that absolutely should not have been heard right then floated over. Hans's neck creaked like a rusted hinge as he slowly turned, praying inwardly that it wasn't so.
Ah...
Daisy stood there, tilting her head with pure innocence. Her face, looking up at him, held nothing but genuine curiosity. He sometimes forgot, because she could seem startlingly mature—but Daisy was only eleven.
Talk of virgins and maidens and purity was a world away from her.
Hans's head whipped toward the Unicorn. Pure instinct. He had to stop the beast before it spewed any more nonsense at Daisy.
Whoosh!
But no matter how thoroughly its contents were those of a perverted, woman-chasing disgrace of a creature, its flesh had unmistakably been touched by a god's hand. The Unicorn darted toward Daisy with movements as cunning as the wind.
"Wow— is this the horse that came out of the flames earlier?"
Daisy looked up at the Unicorn, eyes sparkling. Its appearance alone was dazzlingly beautiful, so her reaction was only natural.
Ahem, ahem... Young maiden. It is my duty to protect pure flowers such as yourself. Might I ask one thing—are you acquainted with that vir... that is, with that male?
The Unicorn's eyes and tone oozed like oil, slick and dripping.
"Hans? Hans is a wonderful person who saved me! He's my hero!"
Ho— is that so. Forgive the presumption, young maiden, but do your legs not ache? Allow me to carry you wherever you are going. My feet are swifter than the wind and lighter than clouds; I can bear you anywhere at all.
"Um, no. I have somewhere to go with Hans..."
Prff— with that vir, no. That freeload— ahem! With that male, you say? Might one inquire where you are bound?
"We're going to eat lunch together and then... to the library."
Hoh, so you make for the cradle of knowledge. Young maiden, this body knows rather a great deal, for all appearances, and can answer whatever you might ask. Therefore, why not forgo a dull place like a library and join me on a sunlit hill for a verse of song?
Daisy's eyes, which had been sparkling a little, gradually darkened. The Unicorn was handsome and splendid, true—but only because it was something Hans had received from the god.
A livestock animal that interrupted her time going to the library with Hans was unnecessary.
"Hans, let's go. I found some scriptures that are easy to read."
"Huh? Scriptures? Why?"
"Last time I noticed you didn't know a single one."
"Last time...? Wait, you mean when we first met? You still remember that?"
"I remember everything about you, Hans."
Daisy took Hans by the hand and led him away. Left alone in an instant, the Unicorn cried after Daisy in desperate longing and trotted after them.
Young maiden—! Virg— ahem! Master! Do not leave me behind!
Clip-clop— clip-clop!
Turning her back on the hoofbeats behind her, Daisy strode firmly onward. Following after, Hans could not see her face—she had her head bowed low.
Anyone who saw Daisy's expression then would have said it was not a child's face at all.
Virgin... virgin...! Hans is a virgin! He still has no ties to any woman!
Heh.
The corners of her mouth trembled and climbed. No matter how hard she tried to force them down, the rising lips refused to fall, so she kept her head thoroughly bowed so no one could see.
Seven years.
She could hardly wait for seven years from now.
The long, long Coliseum event wrapped up more modestly than expected. With the effect of the Coliseum's torches flaring to life, each participant collected the prizes corresponding to the ranks I had set in advance.
Ding-dong—!
Star-rank enhancement is available for Kenis, Friga, Iscal, and Caesar! Proceed?
And straight into enhancement.
I had half expected a failure, but thankfully the upgrades went through without any catastrophic accidents, and the star-rank enhancements finished safely.
Ta-da—!
If it says '1-Star Achieved,' that means there are 2-Star, 3-Star... and higher, right?
Kenelm had designed the game, but the structure itself was thoroughly merciless. I shook my head and closed the Coliseum UI.
A quick check of the time showed it was already nearly two in the morning—late into the small hours. If I wanted to get up early for work tomorrow, I needed to sleep now.
Tap. Tap-tap.
Before shutting the game off, I poked around the main screen where the temple was visible, thinking I might craft a few weapons—and an icon I had never seen before started blinking.
"What's this?"
In one corner of the grasslands sat the frost egg, dwarves clustered around it in a protective huddle. A clock mark above the frost egg was glittering.
Tap— I touched it, and a message window appeared.
The hatching of the 'Frost-Rimmed Egg' is nearly complete! A certain amount of 'Faith' can be used to accelerate hatching!
Oh, is the frost egg finally hatching?
It had taken a long time. The feel of it when I had touched it myself was still vivid—about the size of an ostrich egg, with a rough surface and a temperature as cool as ice.
I had high personal expectations for whatever came out. My best guess was a lizard or a bird of some kind.
Ding-dong—!
Faith used! The hatching of the 'Frost-Rimmed Egg' accelerates further!
I had Faith to spare as it was. If I didn't spend it here, the only other place to dump it was the Mystery Shop, so I poured it on without holding back.
Wiggle—! Wiggle—!
I had expected it to hatch immediately, but even after spending Faith there was apparently still some time left. The frost egg only rocked side to side and did not hatch.
"Ugh, so sleepy..."
Drowsiness was closing in. Missing the frost egg's hatching was a shame, but real life was real life. I genuinely needed to sleep now. Reluctantly, I closed the game.
I tossed the phone onto the bed after plugging it into the charger by the pillow. The moment I shut my eyes, sleep came drifting in.
Tomorrow... check in... check the shop items... and Hans's can...dy...
Wandering through a consciousness that was growing hazy and dim, I thought about tomorrow's tasks—
And at some point the thoughts simply stopped connecting.
The first sensation it remembered was warmth.
Warm and cozy and soft. Hands that enfolded it. It could neither see nor hear, yet it knew it was deeply cherished.
Thump! Thump-thump!
The enfolding hands grew from one to two, to four, to six... increasing with time, until the pleasant warmth became a stifling heat.
Hot! Hot! Hot!
It was hot.
Even with an immature self and a half-grown body, the temperature was enough to feel its breath catch in its throat! There was so much of whatever surrounded it.
Aaah! Aaaah!
No matter how hard it thrashed to shake them off, the hands would not let go, and its airway felt ready to close!
It wanted to break the membrane wrapped around it, but with a body still so undergrown it stood no chance. All it could do was thrash left and right with every ounce of strength it had.
How long did it spend in that sweltering heat? Then something changed.
Ssshh.
A floating sensation, as if its whole body had lifted free. Something vast was raising it up entirely. The smothering, stifling heat faded, and a gently warm coziness took its place.
Warm! Good! So good!
It was so delighted that it bounced with its half-grown body—and the membrane around it bounced with it.
Through the membrane it felt a soft, enormous hand. Warm and kind.
Still without a name, it understood. Like a young beast recognizing its mother, it realized on its own, without anyone telling it.
That this hand was its parent.
And so it endured the time of patience. For the day it would meet that hand again, it bore the scorching touches and waited for the moment its body finished growing.
Crack—! Crrrack!
And at last the time came.
The membrane that had wrapped it had grown far too cramped and weak; a vigorous kick left a great fissure. But it was not enough.
Once more!
Crunch! Crrrack-crack!
Twice, three times, four!
It kept striking and destroying.
For a greater world, it bid farewell to the world it had known until now.
And finally—
CRACK-CRUNCH—!
It shattered one world and roared toward a new one.
"Piiiiiieeee!!!"
The young frost dragon cried out with all its strength.