The Dragon Mother's Visit
"Both of you, stop! This is your final warning."
"Jeanie, but he started it!"
"Enough with the excuses. If you keep fighting, I'm not taking anyone."
Magi, who had been gnawing on Rai's wolf ears, came running with eyes so watery it looked like he might burst into tears at any moment. He flung himself against my leg and clung on tight.
Magi had learned all too well that I was weak to cute things. He was this era's ultimate cuteness connoisseur.
"I don't like that! Take me too!"
"Rai! I told you not to tease Magi! You acted cute back when you were a snake, too!"
Good grief, the sheer shameless confidence. Must take after his master.
"Anyway, both of you! If you don't play nice, the picnic is canceled."
The possessiveness these two directed at me only seemed to grow fiercer the more they competed with each other.
If there were no rival, the obsession might have cooled off, but with a worthy opponent to battle, the flames just kept rising higher.
Rai had always been like this, and Magi—perhaps because he was still young—clung to me with the same fixation a child has for a favorite toy, constantly prodding at Rai's most sensitive spots.
"Picnic!"
"Yes, picnic."
Rai shook his fluffy tail, flapping the ears that Magi had left damp with saliva.
Ever since turning into a wolf, his emotional expressions had grown far richer.
"If you both behave, I'll teach you what a human picnic is like today."
I crouched down, picked up the 3rd Circle Magic Theory Book that Magi had dropped, and spoke as if bestowing a great favor.
"Whoa! What's that?"
"You pack tons of delicious food, head to a sunny spot, spread out a cloth, and eat together on top of it."
"I don't get it. What's fun about that?"
"You'll understand once you try it."
At least they wouldn't be eating me.
I didn't need to spell that part out anymore. The hardest thing about training Magi had been teaching him not to eat humans.
He had struggled with the concept that killing was allowed but eating was not.
"Then go pack the lunches, Magi."
"Okay!"
Hey, Rai. Why are you casually heading straight for Magi's treasure vault?
After fighting like that just now...
The shamelessness really does run in the family with that one.
Magi's lair was littered with precious items tossed about at random, and one of them was an infinite pouch.
It was enchanted with spatial magic, allowing an endless number of things to be stored inside. No matter how much you put in, the weight always stayed around that of a single potato.
Would he give it to me if I asked?
Why were there so many things here that made my mouth water?
I finally understood why humans would risk their lives raiding dragon lairs.
I had already pocketed more than a few treasures while scavenging, but this one still tempted me.
The naive dragon Magikos was an excellent source of nutrition for Jeanie Crowell... no, a treasure supply source.
"Jeanie! Would this work as a picnic mat?"
While I was busy drooling over the infinite pouch, what Magi dragged over was a gaudily patterned carpet that had been hanging in the corner of the treasure vault.
"A carpet? Isn't it too thick? Besides, it's for indoor use, not outdoors."
"It has Clean magic on it, so it never gets dirty."
"It's perfect! Yeah, let's use that one."
A flying carpet with Clean magic! These dragon kids were surprisingly good at practical applications.
"This carpet has other functions, too."
Magi said as he stuffed the carpet into the pouch.
The palm-sized pouch opened its mouth wide enough for a person to step through, revealing what looked like the colors of the cosmos inside.
Once something went past the entrance, it all fit.
Human mages could create infinite pouches as well, but the scale was completely different.
The word "infinite" was unfortunately limited to the size of a small room at best, and the weight never decreased, making it practically impossible to carry around.
It only reduced the volume, really.
"Really? The Clean magic alone seems plenty impressive."
"That's just an extra feature. Originally it's a flying carpet!"
"Eh... Those really exist? I thought they only appeared in fairy tales."
Well, in this world it wasn't all that surprising even if they did.
"But it's inconvenient. Flying with my own wings is way more comfortable. It's a useless function."
"Well, that's because you're a dragon..."
"Anyway, it's perfect as a picnic mat! Mom keeps giving me pointless stuff, you know?"
This was what they called being born with a dragon spoon!
The things Magi considered mediocre were all utterly incredible from a human perspective.
I fastened the pouch to my side while pondering how I could coax Magi into giving it to me.
Inside were the various delicious monster parts Magi had packed as lunch, along with the gems Rai had brought and the jerky I had prepared.
"I think that's everything we need. Shall we head out?"
"Yeah!"
"Where are you going?"
"Where? To the pic— who are you?"
The bright, energetic "Yeah!" had definitely come from Magi.
Rai was over there making a dumb face with his eyes wide open.
So who was the one behind me asking in that icy voice where we were going?
I creaked my neck around and quickly sidestepped.
In the treasure vault that should have contained only us, a golden-haired woman stood with her arms crossed, glaring at me through narrowed eyes.
In a single instant I hadn't sensed at all, she had appeared right behind me!
The woman was so flawlessly beautiful that she could have been one of the decorative statues in the vault. She gave off no presence, no warmth—nothing. The effect was utterly alien.
She hadn't sprouted from the ground, so the fact that she was suddenly standing there meant she had clearly teleported in.
At first glance her appearance seemed young, around my age, but those pointed ears suggested she was an elf...
"Ah? Mom!"
"...Magi, are you really my son Magikos?"
Emergency.
It seemed Rai had the same thought.
I was so shocked my heart felt like it had frozen solid and might drop right out of my chest. I could actually feel my brain processes grinding to a halt.
It was as if all the blood in my body was rapidly cooling.
"Why are you in human form?"
"Jeanie said she liked this one."
"Jeanie? That human there. When Mom told you to take a different form, you wouldn't even pretend to listen."
"That's because when Mom says something, I somehow don't feel like listening."
How was I supposed to keep from shaking?
Magi's mom. In other words, a proper Gold Dragon had appeared.
Essentially, a boss monster.
Ah, was this the end of my fate? I couldn't see any escape route.
Even without being in dragon form, she was overwhelmingly oppressive, threatening, and her enormous presence was crushing me.
"But Mom, why are you here? I was about to go out and play."
"I came to see if our Magi was doing well. You've been so quiet lately..."
Um, ma'am, I don't know why you're looking at me like that, but it's all a misunderstanding.
I never tried to tame your son to suit my tastes, and I definitely didn't secretly swipe any treasures from the vault.
Above all, the thought that this guy is so stupid I might actually be able to kill him... Aaaack! Someone hide me! Isn't there a snake hole somewhere?
What has that Rai been doing if he hasn't even dug a hole!
It was utterly hopeless that there was nowhere to hide in such a vast cave.
"Ah! Jeanie's been teaching me magic lately."
"Hoo, a human teaching you magic."
"Yeah!"
"To a dragon."
"Yeah!"
"Moreover, that one isn't even a mage... looks like a Spirit Master."
Stab. Stab. Stab. Each of her words drove a sharp dagger into my heart.
When she narrowed those ferocious golden eyes, it felt like my heart was physically shrinking.
The terrible pressure was so intense I couldn't even twitch a finger.
So this was what a cornered prey felt like. I was learning an unwanted truth deep in my bones.
"That's right! Jeanie was the top student in the Academy's Spirit Studies Department!"
Since I'm the only student in the Spirit Studies Department, I'm both the bottom and the top!
I didn't lie!
"I see. Let's say that's fine."
"Why? Is there a problem?"
True to form, Magi was completely failing to read the atmosphere.
"Why is a human here? Could it be a dragon hunter or something..."
"I'm not!"
"Human, I wasn't asking you."
No! I'm telling you it's not true! This is unfair!
With my body stiff as a board, I shook my head desperately.
She smiled with genuine beauty, but it only sent violent chills across my skin as if a blade were pressed to my throat.
Her golden hair looked like it had been spun from actual gold thread. Unlike my curly locks, hers was sleek and straight, falling all the way to her ankles. Not a single strand moved, making her seem like an unreal, painted beauty.
Ugh... It feels like there's a flower background behind her—a black flower of death!
"Jeanie, you say? I kidnapped her."
"Oh my! You did, Magi? Yourself?"
"Ehem!"
Are you actually bragging about your crime!
"And I went to two human empires and took this much jewelry and mithril! I did well, right!"
"Good heavens! Our Magi already knows how to do such things? Well done, Magi!"
Oh right, these two were dragons.
"Still, Mom is a little disappointed. You could have just asked me."
"I thought since I'm all grown up now, I should get them myself."
"Our Magi...! What a filial son. When did you grow up so much..."
"And now I can use all 3rd Circle magic! Jeanie said I'm a genius! A magic genius! But she also said that the world's unluckiest bastard is a genius too!"
"Up to 3rd Circle? Well done, Magi! Mom always knew you'd achieve it someday!"
Magi's mother was so moved by the mere mastery of 3rd Circle magic that she hugged him tightly, eyes glistening with tears. As for me, when Magi started saying things he really didn't need to say, I began quietly preparing my last words.
First, I wanted to apologize to the parents who had given birth to me in this world. And I wanted to leave a curse on Robenin.
May you and all your descendants live with bald heads forever! Damn Pedri family!
Still, if I die, I might get to see my mom. But if the worlds are different, maybe the afterlife is different too? No, even if I die now, I'd probably arrive before her...
"Mom, go back now! I have to go play with Jeanie!"
"Magi, aren't you making swords anymore?"
"I am making swords! I recently found a really unique material and created something amazing!"
"I'd love to see it. Since you made it, it must be a masterpiece, right? Won't you show it to Mom?"
"Okay! Wait a moment."
You idiot!
Where are you going! Don't leave me here! Come back!
Magi, completely unaware that this was a trick to send him away, smiled brightly and dashed out of the vault.
Leaving me alone with his mother.