Episode 54

Light flashed, and when I opened my eyes again, I had arrived in an unfamiliar place.

Looking outside from the carriage, I saw towering cliffs surrounding the area like walls and a wide, green field stretching out on the opposite side.

And powerful auras that I couldn't see but could feel.

I didn't even need to confirm that each one of them was a dragon.

'First, I need to meet the Dragon Emperor... but will there be a suitable reason?'

 Actually, even if I just go find her, there's no particular reason to stop me.

It's obvious she wouldn't care since two humans going to see the Dragon Emperor couldn't possibly hurt her anyway.

'Or maybe not? Would she care if it's someone like Aron?'

In the game, since I only read through the story, the exact levels of the dragons weren't revealed.

It just ended with descriptions like "Have they finally realized their true power?" along the story progression, and they earned the dragons' respect.

I glanced sideways at Aron, who was still sitting next to me.

"If you fought a dragon, could you win?"

"Right now? Right now, if conditions are right I could win, otherwise it might be difficult."

"If your power was intact?"

"Then I'd win them all. I think I could devastate this place single-handedly. The Dragon Emperor... I could probably defeat her without much difficulty too."

I nodded, marveling once again at Aron's strength.

To defeat the Dragon Emperor, who's practically the world's regulator, without difficulty - he truly is the First Hero.

I nodded and looked around outside the window.

"It's good that we're here, but how should we go meet her? And what should we say to get her help?"

"Let's just go and say we'll help. That seems like the fastest way."

"But that would be weird."

"What would?"

"Just suddenly showing up and saying we'll help is strange. And someone you just met knowing all your internal affairs is even stranger."

Aron thought for a moment before snapping his fingers.

"You're right. If we go blindly, we'll inevitably be suspected."

While I was pondering, the carriage door opened.

I reflexively turned my head and saw the Master Craftsman.

"We've arrived for now. I plan to stay here for a month, so feel free to move around comfortably. There are dwarf-only accommodations, so let's use those together."

"Ah, yes. By the way... aren't we going to see the Dragon Emperor separately?"

"I've never met the Dragon Emperor before. When we come here, we usually just deliver items, make what they want, and leave."

"I see. Then I'll see you later."

The Master Craftsman gave a light nod and disappeared.

Seeing the busy dwarfs, it seemed they had work to do here too.

"We just need to meet the Dragon Emperor somehow."

"Let's try something first. I don't know what to do here either."

I jumped out of the carriage first, and Aron followed behind me.

Then I saw a man standing in front of us.

Green hair and eyes.

His height and build were large enough to rival Aron's.

Though in human form, he had an alien aura.

Plus an arrogant expression.

"A dragon... What's the matter?"

At my question, the dragon looked down at me with a contemptuous expression and answered.

"The Dragon Emperor told me to bring you two. Especially the human woman. She said to definitely bring you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Ask her yourself when you meet her."

Then the dragon started walking first.

It would be much faster to transform into a dragon and move, but perhaps because of the Dragon Emperor's order, he walked at our pace.

Following behind him, I glanced at Aron.

"You have that with you, right?"

"It's in my pocket. But why? Should we show it to the Dragon Emperor right away?"

"Wouldn't returning it help build goodwill? If you borrowed it in the first place, you must know each other, right?"

"We know each other by face."

"Not close?"

Aron closed his eyes for a moment, furrowed his brow, then opened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them again.

"Now that I think about it, my word choice might have been a bit problematic. I didn't borrow it, I just temporarily ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seized it."

"You seized it from the Dragon Emperor?"

"Yeah, I happened to meet her while passing through the Red Canyon. But all five of us were together at the time, so we all thought. This is an opportunity."

"So you fought and won?"

Aron nodded.

"That's right. We had just reached our Mature Form back then, so we won overwhelmingly. And instead of turning them into grilled lizard, I took this."

Aron's finger pointed to inside his pocket.

Now that I think about it, maybe we shouldn't meet her.

The Dragon Emperor probably wouldn't want to meet someone who forcibly seized the Yeouiju again.

"But is it okay to shamelessly return it now? Wouldn't we just end up fighting if we give it back?"

"Since I borrowed it, shouldn't it be fine?"

"You said you seized it just a moment ago."

"...Back then, I expressed it as borrowing. Anyway, I'll return it later, so it's borrowed. Ultimately, I took it and will return it, so it's borrowed."

I stared at Aron rationalizing to himself and shook my head side to side.

This guy is definitely screwed.

Should I say his mindset is rotten from the start?

It's typical thief or robber mentality.

In professional terms, you could call it 'payback theft'.

"I don't know what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠strange conversation you two are having, but we've arrived, so go inside. The Dragon Emperor is waiting."

At the dragon's words who was walking ahead, my gaze turned forward.

Ahead was a relatively large cave, and inside it, a massive aura was pressing down on the surroundings.

As I stared at the cave, Aron took the first step.

"Let's go. Would she really invite us first and then ambush us? If she does, I'll protect you."

"Okay, let's go then."

I stuck close to Aron's back and walked deep into the cave.

*

"Hey~ Long time no see?"

When we reached the deep part of the cave, we were met with an unexpected sight.

A woman lying on a sofa in human form.

She had two massive watermelons on her chest, and her hips were optimized for grabbing and shaking. Plus, she was wearing loose clothing, making her look like a pervert.

Her navel was visible, and even her lower chest and collarbone were exposed.

"Wh-what is that slut!"

I reflexively became wary of the other party and grabbed Aron's arm.

"That person is the Dragon Emperor."

"That person? The Dragon Emperor was a woman? Not a man?"

In the game, she only appeared in dragon form and wasn't a romanceable character anyway.

This was the first time I'd even seen her human-transformed appearance.

"Why so surprised? You're a woman too. Or not? Should I say you're actually a man?"

Flustered by the Dragon Emperor's playful voice, I looked at her.

"Wh-what does that mean! Saying something like that suddenly..."

I was so flustered that rebutting wasn't easy.

Stammering like an idiot, I stared at her for a moment before turning my gaze to Aron.

Understanding my look, Aron immediately spoke to the Dragon Emperor.

"Stop bothering Mia for no reason and take this. The Yeouiju I borrowed from you long ago. You said to definitely return it next time we met."

As Aron tossed it lightly, the Dragon Emperor caught it while yawning widely.

Her long tail moved like a hand and brought the Yeouiju to her hand.

"Hmm... this? Finally returning it. You took it by force, so I thought you just ran off with it."

"As if I would. I borrowed it, so of course I should return it."

"Tch... Calling that 'borrowing' - you're quite the thief. Here, I'll give this to you."

After touching and examining the Yeouiju, the Dragon Emperor tossed it to me.

"Eh, ehh?!"

The Yeouiju flew through the air and landed snugly against my chest.

"I don't need that. Having it around doesn't help anyway. I'll give it to you, so use it when you need it. I'm already at a stage where I don't need that orb."

"Did you awaken or something?"

"Awaken? The Yeouiju is originally used to wield power more easily and conveniently. For someone like me who uses power as easily as eating while lying down, it's an unnecessary tool."

"So it's just a tool, you mean?"

"That's right. To use an analogy you'd understand, it's like a staff or crystal ball."

I nodded understandingly and stared at the Yeouiju.

The large orb shimmered beautifully inside as if a universe was unfolding within it.

"Then isn't it useless for me too? I can't use magic at all. I only fight with my body all the time."

"Just take it for now. When an elder gives you something, you just accept it."

"...Thank you."

Thinking it couldn't hurt to accept it, I put the Yeouiju she gave me into my bag.

"By the way, why did you summon me?"

"Because you're the Prophet, right? And weren't you looking for me too? If I concentrate just a little, I can hear you two whispering."

"Y-you can hear all that?"

"I can know most things that happen within the dragons' nest."

I marveled anew at the dragon's power and continued the conversation.

"Then what can I help you with? I came here knowing there was something I could help you with."

"Help me... There's something suitable just right. You can help, right? This is more troublesome than I thought, so I was worrying about it."

"Of course! What is it?"

The usual quests ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that appear here are Dragon Emperor's tooth treatment, increasing birth rates, training newly matured dragons.

Those kinds of things.

With Aron together, I'd say they're not particularly difficult tasks.

Contrary to my thoughts, the Dragon Emperor requested something much more difficult.

"There are guys targeting us around here? Could you clear them out? They're like insect bastards... but some strange power is blocking us."

"...Enemies? What kind of enemies are they that you're asking us to deal with them instead of handling it yourself?"

"Roughly looking, they seem to be using Outer God power? That power thoroughly blocks only dragonkin power. So you go handle it directly."

Outer God.

With that one word, I immediately understood.

"The Cult of the End."

At those words, the Dragon Emperor yawned widely and looked at me.

"As expected, the Prophet is different. I couldn't even identify them. Well then, I'll leave it to you."