Chapter 20
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Chapter 4. To the Human World
-----------------------------------------------------------------
She had the appearance of a girl teetering on the ambiguous boundary with womanhood, standing in a massive cave that dwarfed even the grandest palaces of human kingdoms, arms crossed as she gazed up at the ceiling.
Silent and still, Eirana suddenly let out a breath.
"Now I'm truly an adult dragon."
Five hundred years had passed since Eirana's birth.
She had reached the age where she could fully stand on her own as a dragon, no longer a mere hatchling under her parents' wing.
As that thought crossed her mind, Eirana looked down at her hands with a fresh sense of wonder.
Though she had grown somewhat accustomed to the passage of time as a dragon, when she reflected on it, her previous life had been as a human.
As a dragon, she had only just left childhood behind, but by human standards, she had lived through an unimaginably vast span of years.
Feeling that peculiar mix of emotions, Eirana stepped in front of a nearby mirror.
Uncharacteristically checking her appearance, she muttered shortly.
"Warp."
Arriving at Erannis's lair, Eirana opened her mouth.
"Mom, I'm home."
With those words, Eirana scanned the lair in search of Erannis. The mother who would normally greet her warmly was nowhere to be seen.
Though she had received her own lair from her grandfather Rakan in a sort of pseudo-independence, Erannis's attention toward her daughter hadn't waned in the slightest.
For instance, despite now having ample free time, Erannis had never once ventured out for leisure.
That was why Eirana was so surprised to find her mother's lair empty.
"Eirana?"
At that moment, someone called her name, and Eirana turned toward the voice.
There stood a woman with red hair and red eyes—Eirana's grandmother, Leranas.
"Grandma, where's Mom?"
Leranas smiled gently at Eirana's question.
"If it's Erannis you're looking for, she's already headed to the Lord's lair."
In a way, it was only natural.
Why had she come to Erannis's lair instead of going straight to the Lord's? No one had even invited her.
Eirana let out a chuckle at the thought.
Watching her, Leranas smiled and said,
"You must rely on Erannis quite a bit."
"Seems that way."
Is a mother just a mother, after all?
Leranas nodded at the sight, then approached Eirana.
"Let's go. Warp."
She took Eirana's hand and cast Warp.
Flash!
Light engulfed the two, and they vanished from the spot.
The Dragon Lord's lair was a storied place handed down through generations of Lords.
Known as the Sky Citadel, it was so renowned that it had become legend even among humans.
Visiting the Dragon Lord's lair for the first time since her naming ceremony, Eirana looked around with wide-eyed curiosity.
As a child, she hadn't realized it, but now as an adult dragon, the place could only be described as utterly astounding.
Even for dragons, a massive island floating in the sky was a marvel.
Arriving at the center of the lair with Leranas, Eirana found her family and the Lord standing there.
Unlike the naming ceremony, the adult dragon rite was a modest affair attended only by family, with no elders present.
"It's been a while, child of the Silver Clan."
Granasron, the Dragon Lord and a golden dragon, who had been speaking with Elencan and Rakan, smiled at Eirana.
One couldn't become Dragon Lord through strength alone.
A Lord needed wisdom, neutrality, and a benevolent heart above all.
Character was everything—no one could become Lord without it.
For example, Elencan and Rakan surpassed Granasron in raw mana power.
Yet neither could be Lord because of their foul tempers.
Eirana politely bowed to Granasron, who regarded her with a kindly smile.
Observing this, Granasron remarked in genuine wonder,
"How intriguing. How can she be so gentle?"
"......"
Eirana's expression shifted subtly at his sincere words.
Gentle? Who? Me? In what way? How?
As those thoughts swirled, Elencan spoke up.
"Eirana's always been a good kid. What's so intriguing about that?"
Granasron beamed widely at Elencan's irritated question.
"Fundamentally, all three of you have rotten personalities, don't you?"
He gestured toward Elencan, Rakan, and Leranas, causing the ancient dragons' faces to crumple naturally.
For reference, Eirana's paternal grandmother had passed away about a century before her birth.
"And the parents aren't much better."
"......"
"......"
Erannis and Karman exchanged glances.
For reference, Granasron knew only that Eirana caused no trouble—he was oblivious to the ferocity lurking beneath.
Normally, Elencan and Rakan would have grabbed him by the collar, but their opponent was the Lord.
And he wasn't wrong.
"I abandoned my temper because of Mom. I was originally kind."
"......"
Erannis tossed out the absurd claim casually. Leranas immediately seized her daughter's collar, and Erannis threw up both hands in surrender.
Watching the scene, Eirana pondered seriously.
'Am I really that kind?'
Of course, it was pure delusion.
After the comedic exchange, Erannis approached Eirana and tugged at her cheeks.
"By the way, why'd you take so long to get here?"
Eirana replied to her grumbling mother.
"I stopped by your place first."
"......?"
Erannis released her daughter's cheeks and tilted her head at the words, which she had understood clearly.
"Why my place?"
Rubbing her cheeks, Eirana stared straight at Erannis.
"I thought childcare would make you more mature, but clearly not," Leranas muttered, shaking her head.
Elencan added his harsh critique.
"What childcare? You just played at the same level as Eirana."
Erannis scowled fiercely.
"When Dad raised me, my level now is higher than yours was back then... Eek!"
As Elencan raised his hand, Erannis reflexively assumed a defensive stance.
Granasron spoke amid the lively(?) atmosphere.
"When do you plan to hold the adult dragon ceremony?"
Eirana asked,
"Is there some kind of ritual for the adult dragon rite?"
Granasron smiled at the question.
"No, it's merely a formality for adult dragons."
That was why it was usually just immediate family.
Eirana nodded at Granasron's explanation.
"Well then, shall we begin?"
The family fell silent at the Lord's words.
Eirana watched Granasron with a hint of tension. He closed his eyes in quiet focus, then gently placed a hand atop her head.
Dragon Tongue flowed from Granasron's lips.
Golden mana surged wildly.
Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, Eirana flinched momentarily.
Soon, Granasron ceased the incantation, and a soft light burst from his hand.
As Eirana felt a strange new sensation, Granasron lifted his hand from her head.
"Congratulations on becoming an adult dragon."
He smiled warmly.
Eirana silently looked down at her hands.
Nothing seemed changed.
But what was that odd sensation just now?
"What was that?"
Granasron replied to her puzzled question with a benevolent smile.
"A few constraints have been placed upon you."
"Constraints?"
"Yes."
Granasron nodded.
"Dragons aren't simply the strongest race in the mortal realm. You know that, right?"
"Yes."
The Creator God had made dragons to safeguard the mortal realm and maintain its order.
"Our power is far too great. That's why we're bound by 'constraints' to prevent its abuse."
"......"
"The most prominent one is the 'Promise'."
An obligation granted the moment one becomes an adult dragon. A promise.
Dragons must not utter the word 'promise' lightly in Dragon Tongue.
Dragon Tongue itself wields the power to interfere with the laws of the world.
A force so potent that most adult dragons couldn't even wield it properly—it mustn't be handled carelessly.
"Promises made in Dragon Tongue must be kept. That's one of our constraints."
When making a 'promise,' a dragon can exert greater power than ever.
But failure to uphold it brings dire penalties.
Thus, dragons never promise lightly.
Eirana knew this well.
"Anything else?"
"No, nothing major. Ah, you can roam freely—become a king or whatever—but you mustn't try to dominate the mortal realm itself. That's another law of dragon society."
"......"
Eirana nodded silently.
Granasron went on to detail other points of caution, and Eirana listened attentively.
Once finished, he smiled and clapped lightly.
"There. Now you're a proper adult dragon. May you live the long years ahead without regrets."
"......"
And so the adult dragon ceremony concluded.
Outside Granasron's lair, Erannis watched Eirana chatting with Karman, her gaze tinged with novelty.
"What's wrong?"
Leranas asked curiously, and Erannis replied,
"It's just... amazing."
"What is?"
"That she's already an adult dragon."
"......"
Leranas smiled softly at Erannis's words.
"Did you feel the same way, Mom?"
"Who knows? You were such a handful. It might not be the same feeling."
"I told you, I abandoned my temper because of you."
"Oh my?"
Leranas covered her mouth with one hand, letting out a delicate, feminine gasp.
Of course, her other hand gripped Erannis's collar—as was the pattern.
"My mistake."
Leranas released her daughter's collar as Erannis pleaded with a pout.
"I probably felt just like you did."
With that, Leranas glanced at Eirana.
"Bittersweet, isn't it?"
"......Yeah."
Erannis pursed her lips.
Eirana approached Erannis with a puzzled look.
"Mom, what're you doing?"
"Nothing. Just..."
As Erannis answered glumly, she suddenly pinched Eirana's cheeks hard.
When she let go, Eirana's pale cheeks flushed bright red.
"What was that for?"
Eirana rubbed her cheeks, frowning.
"Nothing. You've just grown up so fast. Feels like I can't do this anymore."
"......?"
Eirana tilted her head at Erannis's words.
Erannis smiled gently at her, then pulled her into a hug and patted her back.
"When did you get so big, my daughter?"
With that, Erannis released her from the embrace.
Eirana asked,
"Why? Did you think I'd stay a hatchling forever?"
"Yeah. I did."
"......"
Eirana's eyes widened at the unexpected reply.
Erannis smiled at her.
"At first, I thought you were a weird kid... but the time we spent together was more joyful than I ever imagined."
"You're talking like I'm not your daughter anymore."
"Huh?"
Erannis blinked in surprise at Eirana's words.
She stared wordlessly at Eirana's somewhat blank expression, then broke into a wide grin.
"Right. You are my daughter."
She looked genuinely pleased.
Eirana gave a slight smile in return.
Erannis, her mood lifted, crossed her arms and said cheerfully,
"Alright! To celebrate my daughter becoming an adult dragon, I'll grant you one request—anything I can do."
"Really?"
"Of course!"
"Then turn me into a man!"
"Rejected."
"......"
"Shut it. No. Get lost."
"......"
"Wanna die?"
It was a rejection without a shred of hesitation.