The Need for Entertainment (3)
Twelve Jewel Dragons exist in this world.
Even those who know little about dragons have heard the names of the Jewel Dragons in passing — so famous are they — and it is said they have existed since the very birth of this world.
That, however, is not entirely accurate.
"Jewel Dragons die too. Dig through records preserved for centuries, and you'll find accounts of Jewel Dragons perishing."
"Then why is it said that the twelve Jewel Dragons who existed from the beginning still exist to this day?"
The boy asked in response to the young man's words.
The young man smiled kindly.
"When an existing Jewel Dragon dies, another dragon takes its place. So even if one dies, the number of Jewel Dragons never decreases."
"So that's why you said that to eliminate every Jewel Dragon from this world, one would have to drive all dragons to extinction."
"I did say that — but it's only possible in theory."
Killing even a single dragon was difficult enough. How could one possibly kill every dragon in existence?
The young man said as much, but the boy seemed to think otherwise.
"Even so, if we take the time to hunt them one by one, eventually it could be done. Even if not in our generation, someday…"
"…Yes. I suppose so."
Hearing the boy's words, the young man thought:
The Empire's system of honoring Dragon Slayers. That is what drives the dragon hunts.
Most people failed at such hunts, but occasionally someone truly succeeded and earned the title of Dragon Slayer. The Empire provided the promised pensions to such individuals, thereby encouraging dragon hunting.
Why would the Empire do such a thing?
It's absurd. The Empire's founder was a dragon, and yet the people living in that Empire promote hunting dragons.
One of the Twelve Jewel Dragons, and the founder of the Empire.
The Founding Dragon, Turquoise.
The imperial bloodline had inherited Turquoise's blood. The reason they hunted dragons… was arrogance, pure and simple.
"Master. I cannot tolerate the existence of any Jewel Dragon in this world other than Turquoise."
The boy said it plainly.
"For the imperial family of our Empire — the pinnacle of this world — to rank merely twelfth…"
Turquoise held the lowest seat among the Twelve Jewel Dragons. The arrogance-soaked imperial family could not accept that. That was all there was to it. And so they sought to erase every dragon from this world except Turquoise. If Turquoise alone remained, the imperial family would become the sole bloodline of a Jewel Dragon.
How arrogant.
The young man thought as much, but did not say it aloud. The boy before him was the crown prince — the one most likely to become the next emperor of the Empire.
He has every right to be arrogant.
Thinking that, the young man was about to continue the conversation.
Knock knock.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince. It is time for your imperial studies."
"Ah — our digression ran long."
At the servant's words through the door, the young man clicked his tongue. Because the conversation had wandered off topic, he hadn't covered the material planned for the day.
"It can't be helped. I'd love to hear more about dragons, but other lessons are important too."
The crown prince rose from his seat, sounding genuinely disappointed, and left the room through the door the servant held open.
Thud!
Once the servant closed the door, the young man could finally let out a sigh.
"Hah… Still, they're my own bloodline. I can't bring myself to hate them."
As he muttered this, scales had sprouted along the young man's arm. Noticing them, he concentrated, and the scales vanished in an instant — but it was a clear sign that he was, in fact, a dragon.
"…"
He fell silent for a moment, then sensed something and rose from his seat, walking toward the window.
"Three Jewel Dragons gathered and singing. That's… Sister Garnet, Diamond, and Topaz?"
Three Jewel Dragons in one place. And singing together. Sensing this, he closed his eyes.
"…Their voices sound peaceful. Doesn't seem like anything bad."
Jewel Dragons gathering to sing had happened in the old days as well. But they usually refrained. Three was one thing — but if all twelve Jewel Dragons gathered to sing…
A declaration of war against the gods.
It would mean the outbreak of a war between gods and dragons, just as in the Genesis.
"No, wait. Even three gathering to sing was something like a summons that draws nearby dragons, wasn't it?"
He tilted his head, searching his memory. Come to think of it, three or more Jewel Dragons singing together had been a problem too. That was why they had all refrained from gathering to sing in the first place.
"…I should tell the Imperial Intelligence Bureau to monitor the dragons' movements."
Turquoise — the Founding Dragon, the Empire's progenitor, and the crown prince's tutor — muttered to himself.
After hearing Rain's words and stepping outside, I found roughly twenty dragons standing in neat ranks, just as Rain had said — not in human form like Grace, Rain, and Silver currently were, but in their true dragon forms.
"Hmm…"
The sight of about twenty dragons lined up in formation, waiting for orders, felt unreal even to me — someone who already had three Jewel Dragons as subordinates.
"Anyone? Can someone explain what's going on here?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
At my words, Grace, Rain, and Silver all shook their heads as if they had no idea either.
"Ah, perhaps…"
Riaen, however, spoke up as if she might know something. I hadn't expected Riaen — a human, not a dragon — to be the one to open her mouth.
"According to the ancient texts… when multiple Jewel Dragons gather and roar, dragons assemble…"
"…Ah."
"That's right… Now that you mention it, there was something like that."
"We never had three or more together, so I'd completely forgotten…"
The three dragons spoke up, as if Riaen's words had jogged their memories.
"It's nothing major. When three or more Jewel Dragons gather and sing, it's a mobilization order that summons nearby dragons."
"For reference, six or more is a signal to declare war and destroy a nation. Nine or more is a signal to declare war and wipe out an entire race."
"And if all twelve gather and sing, that's a signal to wage war against the gods."
"How is any of that 'nothing major'?"
Eliona, Riaen, and I were left speechless by the Jewel Dragons' matter-of-fact delivery. Even the dragons who had apparently answered the mobilization call seemed to realize these three Jewel Dragons hadn't intended to issue one, and looked rather flustered.
"…You were just singing?"
"Ah, sorry. We just got carried away while singing. You understand, right?"
"Um… Yes. Of course…"
Unable to bring themselves to demand why they'd been summoned for such a reason, the dragons chose silence.
"…Pardon me. May I ask a question?"
One of the younger-looking dragons seemed ready to address the Jewel Dragons. I thought he looked young because his scales were cleaner than the others', he was on the smaller side, and his voice sounded like that of a young man.
"Go ahead."
"What are these humans?"
Following the dragon's gaze, I understood. The humans he meant were Eliona and Riaen. In other words, he wasn't asking about me.
Why?
"They are the slaves of our master here."
"I see."
Rain, a Jewel Dragon, had called me master — yet the dragons showed no surprise whatsoever. As if it were only natural.
Seriously, why?
"Because Master holds the title of Dragon Master."
Grace said, reading my thoughts.
Ah — my title? So the dragons could sense my title and were instinctively deferring to me?
Clap!
"Anyway, it was nothing. Disperse. Having you all clustered in front of the inn like this is a nuisance."
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
When Rain clapped her hands and spoke, the dragons took flight and scattered as if they'd been waiting for the order — as if they couldn't get away fast enough.
"…It's called Dragon Canyon because so many dragons live here, but finding dragons in Dragon Canyon is going to get difficult from now on."
"Right? They're going to want to stay far away from Dragon Canyon just because of how overwhelming we are."
Grace and Silver said as they watched, but not every dragon had vanished from the scene.
"Ahem…!"
"Ah, Father."
When the remaining dragon cleared his throat, Grace addressed him that way.
…Father?
"I knew you had survived and fled to Dragon Canyon, but I never imagined you'd be living in a place like this."
"Ah, so you heard that I was attacked by heroes?"
Well — this was a parent-child reunion. Interrupting would be awkward. Thinking that, I signaled the others that we should head inside the inn.
Once the others had gone into the inn, Grace's father spoke to her.
"The heroes who attacked you, and their party members — all of them are dead."
"You killed them? Given those heroes' levels, it must have been difficult for you alone."
"I received help from those who followed you. While I drew their attention, they killed the heroes."
"Ah, I see."
At those words, Grace thought of the villagers who had worshiped her as a god, and the elves with whom she had maintained contact for centuries. So they had taken revenge for her.
"Ah — your brother helped as well."
"Did he? Please tell him to visit sometime. I'll treat him to a meal I cook myself."
"I worry that your brother might die of happiness after eating that cooking of yours."
Grace laughed lightly at that. Her older brother of a dragon was more than capable of doing exactly that.
"Now then, let us move on to the main subject."
Grace's father changed the topic, deciding the light conversation was over.
"Your master… just what is he?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Dragon Master title merely exerts pressure on dragons. But the moment we saw your master, we felt a compulsion — that we had to obey his words. He must hold some other title as well."
"You're sharp."
"It was long ago, but I have met a human who held the Dragon Master title before."
Grace asked in return.
"Then what about Dragon Tamer?"
"…So such a title exists in this world as well."
That alone was answer enough.