Neither God Nor Dragon King
First off, let me be clear about gods and divinity. I've never wanted it. Hell, I absolutely don't want it. Just dipping into my old memories makes that crystal clear.
In this world, a "god" is basically a high-ranking civil servant who can never retire. Take the "God of Calamity" that the blue dragon just mentioned as an example. From what I know, that god currently holds the domains of "calamity," "storm," "earthquake," and "volcano." That means managing every single phenomenon related to them. And that's not even the half of it. Under a god are hordes of followers and devotees, all of whom fall under their purview too.
So, to sum it up: the moment you snag a title like "God of Calamity," you're stuck living as a manager overseeing natural disasters and a bunch of people. Doesn't that make your head spin just hearing it? Isn't the thought alone horrifying? So why the hell would anyone think I want that kind of life?
I couldn't help but doubt the blue dragon's judgment.
[Nonsense. You think I'd want some stupid divine seat?]
[But all the signs point that way. After centuries of silence, what have you been up to?]
[Wiping out the pests getting in my way.]
[Right. The pests. But you didn't stop there, did you?]
[...What?]
[You didn't just wipe out Verinal's creations—you destroyed their sanctuary, Yggdrasil.]
[Karma. They crossed the line.]
[And you even took some of them in, granting them your "grace" and making them your kin.]
[Not kin—just guards to protect this place.]
[Now you're turning a forgotten god's temple into your "holy site," dodging divine interference altogether?]
["Holy site"? Does this dank cave look like a holy site to you? It's just a setup so the pests handle themselves. You're overthinking it.]
[You might call it overthinking, but that's not how it looks to everyone else.]
My head was starting to throb. Are the people in this world really that dense? What's so hard about taking things at face value?
[Who do you think would buy "Oh, the Red Dragon's just doing this because he hates anyone disturbing his sleep!"? I guarantee you, no one.]
But the problem was, she wasn't done yet. Like driving in the final nail, she pressed on even harder.
[The biggest issue is... your "rank" has gone up.]
[...What does that mean?]
[I told you earlier, right? You're already approaching the "concept of calamity."]
[You did.]
[You're no ordinary dragon anymore.]
There was conviction in her voice. Something only another dragon—my kin—could sense. She had felt that "something."
[Everyone sees you as calamity incarnate, fears you as such. You're volcanoes, earthquakes, destruction itself. That's why your rank has risen.]
And shockingly, her words carried weight. Reflecting on my recent actions through my old memories, yeah, something felt off. A few words from me changing the elves' skin and hair? And not just that—they started bearing traits tied to me. I was starting to accept she might be right.
[...What a pain.]
By the time my thoughts reached that point, everything felt chaotic. Gods can only interfere with mortals in limited, indirect ways. But if I actually achieved divinity and became a god? Then it wouldn't just be mortals I'd have to deal with—it'd be the gods themselves.
I already had plenty of enemies gunning for my head. The idea of gods joining the hunt made my temples pound.
[So! Let me make you a proposal.]
[...What is it?]
[Honestly, if we fought, I'd lose, obviously?]
[Probably.]
[...Your tone pisses me off, but it's true, so whatever.]
With that, she sketched an image in the air using mana.
[Anyway, back to the point. Lately, dragon hunters have been multiplying like crazy.]
She drew quick portraits of a few people I didn't recognize. Dragon hunters, apparently.
[But even they don't dare go after you. You've got the power to crush them.]
She shoved the portraits right in my face. Then she whispered something, and they morphed into crowns in an instant.
[I want you to become the King of Dragons. Once you do, their reckless slaughter will stop.]
[And what do I get out of it?]
[Oh, right, I forgot to mention. Sit on the Dragon King's throne, and your presence shifts from "calamity concept" to "Dragon King," right?]
[...So I could dodge divinity and stay a mortal?]
[Spot on!]
[...Hmm.]
[Plus, not sure about 200 years ago, but you seem nicer now. More kingly material, maybe?]
...The old me was a lunatic, no doubt. Guess the current version's an improvement.
[You've got the makings of a king, in my eyes.]
I had no choice but to agonize. All I'd done was try to nap in peace. Now they were shoving weird hats like "Dragon King" or "god" on my head. What a pathetic tragedy.
But then it hit me—a crucial truth I'd overlooked.
'...But I'm not there yet, right?'
I hadn't started achieving divinity. I wasn't a god. More like half-a-demi-god or something. That's why Verinal—or whatever his name was—had only meddled indirectly, like a prank.
[I'm not budging from here.]
Decision made.
[...What?]
[Exactly what I said. I'm not becoming Dragon King. Or a god.]
Status quo. No more, no less—just maintain this sweet spot. That was my ideal solution.
[...So? How do you plan to pull that off?]
Her question made me chuckle. It was so simple—how had I not seen it sooner?
[To avoid that nonsense? Do nothing.]
[....]
[Set things up so they handle themselves without me stepping in. Once that's in place, I'm free—true peace.]
Hm. The blue dragon stared at me like I'd lost my mind. Was my explanation too complex? I was about to clarify when she beat me to it.
[...You're gonna do nothing? You, the reckless Red Dragon?]
[....]
[....]
[Forgot those 200 years of hibernation? You'll just go back to that. Sure, the ones in this cave have to do their jobs, but still.]
With that, I carved out my spot on the golden mountain again. I hadn't hit my nap quota for the day, and more talk was exhausting. Time to politely show her the door.
[Now go. I'll stay here. I won't leave.]
[...Shame.]
She replied softly, her voice tinged with disappointment. That's when a pretty good idea sparked.
[If someone needs my protection, bring payment. I'll lend my name and might for a price.]
[...!]
From what she'd said, these hunters targeted weak dragons. But anything tied to me? They steered clear like it was poison. So why not charge a tribute fee to borrow my name? And if they needed real protection, they'd come here themselves—free manpower for guarding the cave.
'Heh heh heh... perfect.'
The ideal system: everything running smoothly without my input. A rough plan formed in my head.
[...Fine, got it.]
I watched her leave and drifted back to sleep. The chat had dragged on—more tired than usual. As I settled in for my nap, something felt off with my vision.
'...Why hasn't she left?'
Yeah. She was still hovering, staring at me. I cracked an eye open, and she spoke with uncharacteristic seriousness.
[Then take everything I have. Protect me.]
[...?]
I stared at her, utterly baffled.
[...What?]
[Countless enemies gunning to kill you. Dragons are getting hunted for "training" against them. And... I'm one of them.]
...I wanted to take back what I'd just said. Screw lending my presence—I should've kept my mouth shut. Why was my tongue so damn loose?