To De Pruna
Early in the morning, Gruon burst into the room Bagan was using and successfully ambushed him with an invitation. Beaming with joy, he clasped hands with Daphne, who had come along, and the two of them headed back together. Seeing them like that, it was clear their relationship was far from ordinary. Yet in the game, their portrayal hadn’t been particularly intimate. They were simply referred to as Gruon, lord of De Pruna, and Daphne, commander of his legion. Because of that, Bagan had never known about the bond between them.
‘Well, it’s their business however they want it.’
And there was no real reason for him to concern himself with it. This world had long since stepped beyond the boundaries of the game.
‘It’s a reality that merely resembles Fantasy of Pangea.’
Nothing would be strange no matter how different it was. Thinking along those lines, Bagan stepped back into the room.
“You were already up. I should’ve woken you.”
While Bagan had been meeting with Gruon, Sally, who had been cuddling Arien and drifting through dreamland, had woken up.
“Beautiful women tend to sleep a lot, you know.”
“Pfft, what’s that supposed to mean?”
It wasn’t exactly a universal truth in this world, but Bagan greeted her with a bit of humor. The moment Sally got up, she gently released the still-sleeping Arien and tucked the blanket around her. Of course, as a cold-blooded slime, Arien didn’t feel the cold, but that was simply the kind of gesture that came from the heart.
“Haaam~”
Bagan quietly watched as Sally stretched her stiff body after waking up.
“Ughhh! Why are you staring at me like that?”
After stretching for a while, Sally finally grew curious and asked. Bagan shrugged in response.
“Just… when I look at you, you really don’t seem like a spirit.”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean by not seeming like a spirit?”
“Unless you introduce yourself, no one ever calls you a spirit first.”
On top of that, Sally’s daily life was quite human-like. Even though she materialized to live alongside them, spirits fundamentally had no need to eat or sleep. Seeing her do everything together with them made the fact that she was a spirit feel strangely fresh. The fact that she had even started copying the stretches Bagan occasionally did, claiming they felt refreshing, said it all.
“It was just a random comment. You don’t have to pay it any mind. I like seeing you like this. It feels more real than when you just float beside me without materializing.”
“Yeah. Same as always.”
Sally had been a bit puzzled by Bagan’s sudden remark, but she quickly changed her thinking. There had been a lot on her mind lately, and she knew that Bagan was shouldering some heavy burden as he walked toward the end of his fate. Therefore, the only thing she could do was protect her contractor with everything she had and support him.
The two of them shook off the last traces of sleep with light conversation and each went about their tasks. Since Bagan had just woken up and looked disheveled, he took a shower and changed clothes. Sally, being a spirit, remained perfectly clean without needing to wash, so she simply picked up a book. It was surprising that she still had unread books left, but books were valuable even if you only carried them around. She never forgot that fact and continued to steadily accumulate knowledge.
When Bagan finished his morning shower and came out, Arien, who had been sound asleep, was now awake as well. She was clinging to Sally in her pajamas, reading a book together. She had no need to wash either, which was why she had never owned any proper clothes. Instead, she simply imitated clothing using the information she had absorbed. In essence, it was an extension of her own skin.
‘I wonder how she even managed to replicate pajamas.’
Bagan could only shake his head in awe at Arien’s abilities, which grew more impressive with each passing day.
“After we eat lunch today, we’ll head to De Pruna.”
“It’s a shame. The sea was worth seeing.”
“I am curious what kind of things await us there.”
Since they already had a rough idea, each of them shared their own thoughts.
“Gruon came by this morning and invited us to De Pruna Castle, so I accepted.”
“So that’s why you were already up.”
Bagan normally didn’t need sleep, but seeing him awake so early and staring into empty space had been unusual, so Sally finally understood the reason.
“Since we’re leaving De Marinda, there are people we need to say goodbye to. Let’s get moving.”
At his words, the two who needed no preparation anyway stood up and followed Bagan. Their demeanor was no different from usual, completely natural.
Bagan and his companions first headed to Razetta’s study. They had wanted to eat breakfast, but it was already a bit late, so they decided to finish their farewells and have lunch right after. Bagan’s room was in the annex of De Marinda Castle, so it took about five minutes on foot to reach Razetta’s study. No matter how he thought about it, if the distance between the annex and the main building was only five minutes, it was hard to grasp just how enormous De Marinda Castle truly was. Thinking once again that this was only to be expected of Razetta, he walked endlessly through the impeccably maintained garden.
When they reached the main building, they saw the front garden already bustling with activity from early morning. Thanks to that, there was no need to go all the way to Razetta’s study.
“Oh! Bagan! As you know, my big brother has a very busy schedule, so he’ll be leaving first.”
It was Razetta. The only person she would call “big brother” was Pelion, so Bagan turned his gaze and took in the majestic sight.
Grroowwl!
Come to think of it, the distance between De Seiran and De Marinda wasn’t something one could cover in a single morning. Even the relatively close De Meca took nearly a week by carriage. He had wondered how on earth they had reached De Marinda in just one day, and no matter how he thought about it, the only answer was a portal. But there had been another way.
‘Wyverns, huh.’
As expected of a Dragonian nation, two wyverns easily three meters in size were waiting. Wyverns were creatures that resembled dragons in appearance, but they were a subspecies of dragonkin whose level fell far short. Still, as dragonkin, they ranked among the top predators in the wild. That only applied to wild wyverns, however. Wild wyverns occasionally snatched cattle or horses from villages and became targets for subjugation. But if raised from the egg, things were different. Because they imprinted on the first creature they saw as their mother, it was extremely difficult to obtain and raise their eggs.
That was why Seiros Kingdom, though not in great numbers, maintained a separate strike force composed of wyvern knights. Having already seen a dragon, Bagan was excited to see wyverns. And so the first words out of his mouth were…
“Can I touch them?”
It was an absurd question, not even a polite request to approach Pelion carefully, but rather asking if he could touch the wyverns. But how could anyone resist after seeing their imposing presence? Besides, they looked gentle because they had been well-trained, so he felt bold enough to try.
“Kahaha. Is this your first time seeing a wyvern? Of course you may.”
Pelion didn’t dislike Bagan’s attitude. It was because he didn’t put on airs. With Pelion’s permission, Bagan approached and reached out to the wyvern’s foreleg that supported its body. When Bagan’s hand touched it, the creature didn’t flinch at all, as if this were a common occurrence, and simply stared straight ahead. But Bagan could fully feel its body heat and stroked its hard scales. He could hardly believe he was standing this close to a living wyvern.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?”
Pelion, seated atop the wyvern, spoke. Seeing Bagan smiling like a child, he couldn’t help but ask.
“I thought they’d be fierce, but they’re surprisingly gentle.”
In truth, this wasn’t Bagan’s first time seeing a wyvern. However, it was his first time encountering one this close, and a real one at that.
‘I only ever saw them in graphics. Of course touching one is a first.’
That made him want one even more. He wanted to have one for himself.
Stroke. Stroke.
Bagan petted the creature vigorously, as if he were at a zoo. The wyvern began to enjoy his touch in return. Even with Pelion on its back, it bent its forelegs and lowered itself to the ground.
“Oh. What do I do now?”
“Haha, it seems your touch agrees with it. It’s fine. I’ll tell it to stay down until we depart.”
Fortunately, the wyvern obeyed Pelion’s words, so it would take off once the signal was given. Bagan, who had been momentarily flustered thinking he had done something wrong, let out a sigh of relief.
“As expected, there is something strange about Lord Bagan’s palm. It feels incredibly good.”
Perhaps envious of the wyvern being petted, Arien spoke up from behind. And someone who heard her immediately added weight to the opinion.
“That’s right. Now that you mention it.”
It was Selena. But the moment the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize what she had said and quickly covered her lips. Razetta was also there, looking at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“What’s this, Selena? Just how far have you two gone?”
“W-what! What do you mean, how far!”
Razetta already knew they weren’t at that stage yet, but she focused on the fact that she now had something to tease her with. She kept nudging Selena’s shoulder with a playful gesture.
“Please stop teasing me.”
Selena turned her head away in embarrassment, but Razetta watched her reaction with a cheeky grin. At any rate, with even Selena agreeing, Bagan couldn’t help but wonder what kind of power lay in his palm.
‘Why does everyone get so happy when I pet them?’
It was a strange power whose logic he simply couldn’t understand. That was all he could think as, eventually, those who had to leave had to leave.
Pelion waved to those who had come to see him off, then urged the wyvern into the air.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Its massive wings spread wide, stirring up a gust of wind around them. Bagan was amazed at how the creature could lift such a large body with just two flaps. It continued flapping, and soon the distance grew. The flying wyvern disappeared from sight in no time. With that kind of speed, it made sense that they could cover such a distance in a single day.
The group returning to De Seiran with Pelion included Vidion, Tiffany, and Lilia. There had been two wyverns, so Pelion and Tiffany rode one, while Vidion and Lilia took the other. After seeing them off, the remaining people headed into the main building. As they entered, Gruon spoke up.
“Bagan, we’ll also be riding wyverns. You’re not too disappointed, are you?”
“What?”
“Daphne and I each rode one from De Pruna.”
In other words, their journey to De Pruna would be made together with those magnificent wyverns.
“If that was the case, you should’ve told me sooner. I completely ignored my own wyvern and got distracted by the others.”
“Strictly speaking, they’re my wyverns, but I suppose I didn’t mention it this morning.”
In response, Bagan patted Gruon on the shoulder.
Pat. Pat!
“That’s what friends are for!”
Everyone looked puzzled at his words. Even Sally.
A small incident(?) occurred in front of the main building, but once everyone went inside, they immediately sat down for a meal. It was a lavish feast spread across a massive table, prepared so that everyone except those who had to return to De Seiran could eat to their hearts’ content. However, the food barely registered in Bagan’s eyes. By now, he was simply too curious.
“So how did you two get here?”
It was Montihall and Gion. They answered as if it were obvious.
“Well, we rode wyverns too, of course.”
Bagan swallowed the words “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” He hadn’t realized wyverns were so easily obtainable. In his mind, he thought:
‘Should I get one for myself?’
He thought about it as casually as if he were considering buying a car, but in reality, raising a wyvern was no simple task. To raise one, you first had to hatch an egg, and obtaining the egg itself was incredibly difficult. Because wyverns were the type that chose a lifelong mate, they didn’t lay eggs casually. They cherished and protected their eggs with extreme care. Stealing one was no easy feat, and even if you managed to raise two of opposite genders, there was no guarantee they would pair up. That was why their numbers were so low and why they couldn’t be raised in large quantities.
And yet, every major city had one or two, and some even raised enough to form strike forces. The dedication required was truly remarkable.
“How many wyverns does Seiros Kingdom raise in total?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but there should be around twenty. Most of them are in De Seiran.”
At that moment, Razetta chimed in as well.
“We don’t have any. We’re not particularly fond of flying anyway. We’re a port city, after all.”
“But instead of your sister, you have a dragon here, don’t you?”
“Y-yes, I suppose that’s true now.”
Razetta looked flustered at Gruon’s innocent remark. She was also curious.
“Cyron. If I asked you to take me flying, would you go all the way up into the sky?”
“Of course.”
Cyron, who had been quietly eating, answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and tore the meat off a bone. With that, Razetta had gained something even better than a wyvern. Though her expression seemed to say “I see,” she was probably secretly delighted.
After the lively lunch conversation came to an end, Bagan’s group and Gruon’s party mounted the prepared wyverns. Montihall and Gion were also riding one beside them. Since it wasn’t Gion’s own wyvern, he sat behind Montihall, but Bagan received an entire one to himself. Gruon and Daphne took one, leaving the last for him. Bagan was diligently stroking and taming it.
Selena slowly approached him.
“Have a safe trip.”
That was all she said. She didn’t show any signs of regret. She looked at Bagan with the responsible expression of a soldier.
“Next time we meet, I’ll show you my Aura! So look forward to it!”
At her words, Bagan gently stroked Selena’s head.
“I can’t wait for that day.”
Behind the petted Selena, Razetta was making a mischievous face, but Bagan deliberately ignored it.
“I’m off.”
With those final words, Bagan and Gruon soared high into the sky.