The World of Survival of the Fittest
What on earth was this supposed to mean?
Was it my mother-in-law's considerate way of asking me to hurry up and show her a grandchild's face? Or was it her wish that I'd take both Rene and herself like some dog in heat?
Unable to discern the Light Dragon's true intentions, I couldn't tell Rene about any of this. If it was the latter, I ought to warn her — but if it was the former, I'd be trampling all over a gesture of kindness.
Sigh.
For now, I decided not to touch the drink and stick to the fruit. The fruit's purpose was clear enough. Since I was forming a bond with the long-lived dragon race, she wanted me to live a long life too. I wanted a longer, happier life with Rene myself, so I popped a Frozen Heart into my mouth.
"How does the fruit taste?"
"...It's good."
"I'm so glad!"
It was like ice cream with a crisp, crunchy texture. The more I chewed, the sweeter it became, and a cool energy spread through every corner of my body. But it wasn't cold — just a pleasant, refreshing coolness that lifted my spirits.
"Would it be all right if I took a few with me?"
"I don't mind, but what do you need them for?"
"I want to give some to Lin and Rewen. They've been waiting for us — they've had a rough time of it."
"That's true."
Rene nodded and said she'd ask the Light Dragon later if there were any extras. She added that she'd confirmed there were two or three more before we left the nest, and hoped I'd finish the one I had. Apparently Rene knew exactly what the fruit was and what it did.
"By the way — I can take this as her approving of our relationship, right?"
"Even if she hadn't, it wouldn't matter. I was ready to run away from home if she opposed us."
"You were prepared to go that far?"
"Compared to the days I spent living in the nest, our journey together has been nothing more than a fleeting moment — but it's been more wonderful than I can say. I've never been this happy. There's no way I could give up time spent with someone so precious to me."
"I see. If that's how you feel, I won't try to stop you. Still, I hope it's a choice you never regret."
"I'm certain I'll never regret it, so don't worry! More than anything, from the moment you saved me, my heart has been set."
Rene placed a hand over her heart and smiled shyly. Those dewy eyes, her flushed cheeks, and the earnestness of her heart reaching out to me — everything about her was so lovely that I nearly drank the aphrodisiac-laced water without thinking.
I reined in my desire at the last possible second and held myself back. Without knowing how strong the aphrodisiac's effects were, drinking it could lead to who knows what. One wrong move and I might wake up in the same bed as a naked mother and daughter? That might have been fine before — but now that Asmodeus had remade me into a holy sword, it was a real possibility.
"Bern? Is there something on my face?"
"Ah — no! Nothing at all."
I waved my hands in a hurry and "accidentally" dropped the cup I'd been about to drink from onto the floor.
"Ah...!"
As I disposed of the aphrodisiac drink under the guise of an accident, a soft, disappointed moan drifted in from outside. Without letting Rene notice, I used magic to enhance my sensory abilities. I could make out a woman leaning against the wall a short distance from the room. I couldn't make out her features, but the horns, wings, and tail — things no human possessed — told me she was a dragon.
Apparently the Light Dragon had polymorphed into human form and been waiting out there the whole time.
So she was planning to slip in the moment things got heated between Rene and me.
[Who would've thought the so-called Benevolent Light Dragon was this crude. That "benevolent" epithet was really just "benevolent toward c—," wasn't it?]
No way. Dragons aren't some kind of nymphomaniacs.
[A dragon going after her own daughter's husband — if that's not a nympho, what is?]
...
I was starting to suspect that whatever "benevolent" meant, the "Light" in Light Dragon might have been a mistranslation all along. Maybe she'd been a Mad Dragon from the start — not a Light one. These were blasphemous thoughts I absolutely couldn't voice in front of the person in question.
"Even you can be clumsy sometimes, Bern! I'll go grab something to clean that up right away!"
"Ah, wait—!"
If she went out now, the Light Dragon was right there. Before I could get the words out, Rene had already left the room. Moments later, she stopped dead outside the door and cried out.
"M-Mother?!"
What on earth had shocked her so badly? Curious, I poked my head out to see what was going on. Beyond my line of sight stood the human form of Breeze Sepiron that I'd sensed through magic.
Like her daughter, she was a beauty with silver hair and blue eyes. But in several places, she was distinctly different from Rene. Her horns were fully intact, for one — and just beneath her eye sat an alluring beauty mark. They were the same height, but her face carried a more mature air, and her figure accentuated every curve that ought to stand out — especially her chest and hips, which were exceptionally pronounced. In a word: built for childbearing. The form of a married woman optimized for carrying children.
"What on earth were you thinking, dressing like that?!"
"My daughter..."
But the reason for Rene's shock wasn't her mother's polymorph itself. It was the outfit draped over that voluptuous, womanly body. A white negligee so sheer it barely concealed her skin, and beneath it, seductive black lingerie. It was an ensemble designed to utterly captivate any man — no wonder Rene's jaw had dropped. From every angle, the intent to seduce me was plain as day.
"Are you seriously trying to steal Bern from me? Don't you have any shame as a mother?!"
"Before that, just listen to me."
"And what excuse are you going to make this time?"
"It's not an excuse. It's because I've never taught you the common sense of being a dragon."
"You're not about to call stealing your daughter's husband 'common sense,' are you?"
The Light Dragon shook her head firmly. Thankfully, dragons had no such custom. If they had, I'd have been horrified at the thought of an incestuous race. Just as I was about to feel relieved, an even worse statement left the Light Dragon's lips.
"The world of dragons is one of pure survival of the fittest. If you want something, you take it by force and claim it as your own."
"What do you mean by that..."
"Choice belongs only to the strong. Isn't that right, Rene's father?"
The Light Dragon dropped that bombshell while looking straight at me. Yep. She was completely insane. A chill ran down my spine at the sight of her caressing her own cheek with one hand, smiling lewdly. I'd just learned a side of the Light Dragon I never wanted to know.
"Who are you calling my father?! Bern isn't my dad — he's my husband!"
"That's why I told you, didn't I? If you don't want your husband taken, then try defeating this mother of yours."
"Y-You had a husband of your own, Mother!"
"It's been decades since he passed. The memories have faded, and I can't even recall his face. And then a young man who resembled your father appeared before me. Astonishingly, that young man was our daughter's lover — blood truly doesn't lie."
I hurriedly racked my brain for any dragon-related ancestors in Bern's family line — there were none. The Coolam family had been southern natives until ten years ago, when signs of civil war drove them north. There was virtually nothing connecting them to the Light Dragon.
"The moment I saw him, my body and heart — which had gone cold after my husband's death — burned hot all over again. That's why I said those outrageous things to you, shameless as it was."
So she knew they were outrageous and said them anyway.
"I understand your hardships, Mother."
"Then—!"
"Even so, I will never hand Bern over!"
"Are you sure? You might have to fight this mother of yours."
"I'm no longer so weak that I'd back down over something like that."
Both of them glared at each other, their pupils narrowed into something nearly draconic. The air grew heavy in an instant — so thick it wouldn't have been strange if things exploded at any moment. It looked like the standoff would drag on, but surprisingly, it was the Light Dragon who backed down first.
"Regrettably, we'll have to postpone this contest for later. An uninvited guest has arrived."
She took a step back and looked up at the sky. Rene and I followed her gaze. High in the open sky, a tiny black speck was visible. What had started as a mere dot grew closer, its form gradually becoming clear. Crimson-red scales, two horns, wings, a tail — a dragon that looked utterly out of place against the image of snow-capped mountains.
A Red Dragon. Famous for a temperament as fiery as the color of its scales, and thoroughly aggressive.
"Of all times for the most troublesome one to show up..."
"Who is that?"
"In short — a fellow I kicked out of a dragon gathering not long ago."
As the Red Dragon drew near the nest, it conjured a massive magic circle in midair. Passing its enormous body through the center of the circle, the dragon's form transformed into that of a human in an instant. A man with striking red hair and a powerfully built physique. Having completed his polymorph, the Red Dragon landed with a flourish worthy of a superhero. The mere touch of his feet on the ground summoned a scorching hot wind that swept across the entire area. Even the remnants of snow that had drifted into the nest melted away completely.
When a dragon visited another's nest, it was usually a challenge to a duel. Given that the Light Dragon had kicked him out, the odds were high he'd come seeking revenge. I carefully shifted into a defensive stance — and then:
"Madame! I've come for you!"
The Red Dragon charged straight at the Light Dragon without preamble and clasped both her hands tightly. Judging by the burning passion gleaming in his eyes, he'd fallen head over heels for her. Breeze Sepiron, on the other hand, looked at him with such distaste that a crease formed between her brows.
"You're disgusting. Let go of my hands first, then speak."
"I cannot! Do you know how desperately I searched for you at the banquet hall...?!"
Even with other people present, the Red Dragon acted as if no one else existed. I seriously considered just leaving the Light Dragon to him and taking Rene out of the nest. But before I could, Rene stepped forward, grabbed the Red Dragon by the shoulder, and tried to pull him off.
"Let go of her. Mother doesn't want this!"
"Gah! A half-breed dragon with only half her horns — don't you dare touch me with those filthy hands!"
"Augh...!"
Fwoosh—!
The Red Dragon set fire to the hand gripping his shoulder, delivering a harsh warning. Rene cried out in pain from the flames clinging to her hand and fell backward.
That was the moment everything changed.
My heart and Breeze Sepiron's — standing opposite me — began to beat in perfect resonance. The sight of someone precious being hurt set my chest ablaze and blanked my mind white. The muscles of my face hardened, and my expression went blank. All that remained was to draw out the rage I'd kept carefully coiled in my core.
The same killing intent the Light Dragon was radiating began to rise from my own body. Alone, it would have been impossible — but together with the Light Dragon, even a Red Dragon wouldn't be hard to handle.
So...
I should kill him, right?
[You're a father, all right.]