208. Gemma Aurum
208. Gemma Aurum
Everyone tossed out a comment as they studied the sleeping blonde woman.
"This is the Dragon Lord's daughter?"
"Whoa, she's tall..."
"She was definitely in dragon form. So she turned into a human?"
"Wow, she's cute. Can I touch her?"
"Nina, you'll get in trouble."
"You brought home something troublesome again."
Everyone aboard the Titanic had gathered in the room.
An emergency meeting was underway.
"Atlas... this is really all right, isn't it?"
"Of course it's all right."
Lucia looked anxious.
Not that he didn't understand why.
Having the bloodline of a dragon... especially the Dragon Lord's, was in itself akin to carrying around a ticking time bomb.
"Good heavens... I always knew you were a crazy bastard, but... to lay a hand on her knowing she's a Gold Dragon... do you keep a spare life stashed away somewhere?"
"Didn't you know? That's why I walk around like this."
The forest elves, who interacted with the Dragon Lord quite frequently, chimed in.
"Is it really certain she's the Dragon Lord's daughter? She could be another Gold Dragon. As far as I know, 'Polymorph' allows transformation into any form you desire?"
Shahra, who had been silently staring at her, spoke up.
It was a fairly reasonable guess.
After all, a dragon's Polymorph allows a male to transform into a human female if he so desired, for instance.
However, he wanted to rule out that possibility.
"I wish that were the case. It is difficult to deceive one's sex and maintain a transformation while unconscious."
Transforming into another race via Polymorph bases the appearance, sex, and characteristics on one's own Idea.
Which meant that if Gemma, a female Gold Dragon, attempted to Polymorph into a human, her sex would naturally manifest as female, and the characteristics she possessed as a Gold Dragon would be translated into a human appearance.
It was not a simple transformation by any means; if such precise control were possible while unconscious, it would mean she was a mad dragon who thought of herself as female even in her normal state.
The question of whether she could be a different female Gold Dragon, not the Dragon Lord's daughter, might arise, but that possibility was also slim.
"There is probably no female Gold Dragon this young other than the Dragon Lord's daughter, is there?"
That was because currently, among all individual Gold Dragons, there truly was only one female Gold Dragon this young still in existence.
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A flash of light approached.
Piercing through the golden lightning that filled the sky, a dazzling flash of light drew closer.
How was this possible?
Could lightning be cut?
Could a human move so freely through the air like that?
Another scale was sliced off.
If scales could be cut off this easily, it meant limbs could also be easily severed, yet he refrained from doing so.
With truly exquisite precision, the blade touched only the scales, never the skin beneath.
It was as if he were saying he could kill her at any moment if he wished, but was choosing to show her mercy.
Enraged, she scattered lightning everywhere.
And then, that being, wreathed in a flash of light tinged with gold, reached right in front of her.
"Uwaaaaaaah!!!!"
-Kudangtang!
Waking from a terrible nightmare, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.
It was a fairly decent room, but it was nothing compared to her nest.
"S-so... I was defeated by a human."
She wished it had ended as nothing but a nasty nightmare, but it hadn't.
The subordinates who went out to attack the airship were defeated, and when she judged she had no choice but to step in personally, she descended and got beaten.
She was simply unlucky.
Usually, merely showing humans her golden-shining true form made them bow their heads and offer tribute willingly, but that guy had been the exact opposite.
Instead, he had grown angrier and charged at her.
She could not forget the sight of that human who appeared before her eyes just before she fainted.
"Ha..! To leave me free like this. Humans really are stupid."
Still, the relief was that she was not dead or seriously injured.
Being Polymorphed into human form was strange... but leaving her like this without even binding her limbs seemed like they were underestimating her far too much.
She would quickly escape from this cramped place.
'First, shall I try using magic?'
She attempted to awaken the mana within her body and circulate it in order to cast a spell.
But the spell did not activate as she intended.
"Ugh!! H-how is this possible? The mana won't move!"
She tried to use magic, but the mana would not move properly.
It felt as though a lock had been placed upon her heart's circle.
"You will not be able to use magic. Polymorphing will be difficult as well."
Just as she was stomping her feet in frustration, trying over and over to circulate her mana, the door opened and someone entered.
"Hieek?!"
A scream burst out the moment she saw him.
The human who had made a mess of her had walked in.
Lightning was not striking from behind his back like before, yet just seeing his face was terrifying.
She steadied her trembling body.
'Right... I must not break down here..! I am a Gold Dragon!'
She pulled herself together and carefully observed the human in front of her.
Repeating in her mind that he was not scary at all, she looked again, and the human seemed incredibly small.
The atmosphere he gave off was completely different from when he soared through the sky wreathed in that sparkling flash of light.
No, he did not merely seem small.
He actually was small.
He was so small that he stood more than a head shorter than her current self, Polymorphed into human form.
'Was he... always this small?'
The moment she realized that, a strange confidence welled up within her.
The human who beat her down was this small?
Was he even a human to begin with? Could he be a Halfling?
She had never seen one, but she had heard there was a race in the world called Halflings who had a height similar to dwarves but no beards.
Right, that was definitely not a human; it was a Halfling.
It was written in the encyclopedia that Halflings were a peace-loving race who enjoyed playing.
Right, there was nothing to fear.
She was a great Gold Dragon, and so she resolved to walk with her head held high, proudly, no matter the situation.
"You... what have you done to my body!!!"
"I only took measures to stop you from rampaging."
That her body's mana would not move—was that the Halfling's doing?
It was surprising that it had been achieved not through some sort of artifact but through a realm of technique.
She had learned that to block something from operating, one had to reach a level beyond it.
To render the Dragon Heart's circle useless... He was quite impressive for a Halfling.
Could he be the mightiest warrior among the Halflings?
"What are you scheming to do, rendering me helpless like this!! I see... You are scheming to sell me as a slave..!!
I have heard about it. Humans are merchants who try to sell anything, collaring and selling not only their own kind but other races too...
Right... You intend to put a collar on me... and then say something like 'Heh heh heh, shall we check how fresh she is?' while coveting my body!!"
Even she was taken aback by her own revelation of the Halfling's base desires.
She knew how slaves were treated from watching her human subordinates' usual behavior.
Was it not a ploy, with that small body, to... 'inspect' or 'taste-test' her body? The body of a great Gold Dragon?
But the Halfling only spoke indifferently.
"Who would buy something like you? Are you not overestimating yourself a bit too much?"
She flared up with anger.
'Who would buy... something like me?? I am overestimating myself?? How dare this... this guy spout such nonsense without even knowing who I am...!!'
Unable to contain her boiling rage, and forgetting entirely the reality of her capture, she raised her voice.
"What?! You... do you even know who I am to say such a thing!"
"What are you, then?"
As expected, what would a Halfling know anyway?
He had some strength, but he lacked knowledge.
These rude actions were clearly purely because he did not know her worth.
If she told him how great a being she was, he would surely bow his head on his own.
"This body is none other than the one and only daughter of the great Dragon Lord, Lady Gemma Aurum!! A tiny little Halfling like you is..."
-Peok!!
"Ouch!! Did you just strike me?"
She got struck.
The moment he heard her words, the Halfling punched her on the head with his fist.
That Halfling was shorter than her, so she could not even fathom how on earth he managed to hit her head.
Whatever the trick was, her head hurt terribly.
She already had a bump from being struck in the head and losing consciousness, and getting hit one more time seemed to create yet another bump.
She clutched her head and tried to protest to the Halfling.
-Peok!!
Stars flashed before her eyes once more.
"You struck me twice???"
It was the first time in her life she had been hit so many times.
She had always been revered by everyone around her; how could there exist a being who would treat her so roughly?
The spot where she was hit throbbed so much that tears welled up.
-Kwang!!!
The Halfling's fist brushed past her face and embedded itself into the wall.
She broke out in goosebumps from the Halfling's fist that grazed right past her.
She could not fathom how such an angle was even possible since she was taller, yet he made it possible nonetheless.
"Shut up. Know that if you spout any more nonsense related to height, you will be hit more."
The Halfling's face drew close before her eyes.
As if the smallness she had perceived just moments ago had been an illusion, he exuded a terrifying aura and loomed overwhelmingly huge, almost suffocating.
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-Kwang!!
As he roughly slammed the door shut and stepped out, he felt countless gazes fixing upon him.
"..."
"....."
"....."
"Should we switch watch duty now?"
"We were lucky we didn't go inside..."
"You should say we couldn't go inside."
Seeing the Five Pillars united in heart and mind debating like that, the future of the Empire truly looked bright.
"Any problems?"
"Too many. Why on earth did you hit her...."
"If a stranger calls you a Halfling because you are short, they deserve to die. Ending it with just two knuckle-punches means I showed considerable mercy."
"By your standards, perhaps, but...!"
Perda was sweating profusely because he had decked the Dragon Lord's daughter.
He seemed terrified that the Dragon Lord's wrath might mistakenly be directed at him as the owner of the airship.
"It is something he is doing while saying he will take full responsibility, so it is not our place to say anything. Or... is there anyone present who wishes to 'take responsibility' right now and handle that tomboy princess?"
Shahra, unable to watch any longer, asked if anyone would take the 'responsibility,' but no one spoke up.
If things went wrong, their families could truly suffer devastating damage.
"We will reach the capital in just two days regardless. Let us pray nothing happens in the meantime."