The Master of the Drakan
“You already named him Momo. Why bother calling him by his full name every time? Drakans are greedy creatures. Spoil them too much and they’ll climb all over you.”
“Please… keep your voice down. And didn’t you say it wasn’t easy for a human to command a Drakan?”
Inside the Magic Tower, raising and researching any creature was acceptable. The entire structure was protected by powerful magic, so even major explosions posed little danger.
But bringing a Drakan into a crowded place like this was another matter. If it reverted to its true form, people would faint from shock. Guards would come running in droves.
And if Sir Leon happened to be among them… Pay couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing him.
Lucius watched the rapid shifts in Pay’s expression and chuckled. He twirled the empty skewer between his fingers before stabbing it into the ground.
“Didn’t you say this fellow was staying at the tower?”
“Yes. He’s been eating at the breeding facility.”
“Then he’d better earn his keep. While you’re here, feel free to ride him whenever you like.”
“I…”
“What?”
The person who had arranged for Pay to visit the breeding facility was none other than the Tower Master, Baroa. Yet the man standing before her, Lucius, bore no resemblance to the image she had imagined.
More importantly, decades had passed. There was no way he could still look like a boy. Mages aged slowly, true, but he had introduced himself as Lucius, not Baroa.
Well, it doesn’t matter. If he really were Lord Baroa, he wouldn’t tease me like this. He must be watching over me from somewhere.
Gathering her courage, Pay asked, “So… did you capture and tame this Drakan yourself, Lord Lucius?”
“I did.”
“When? Where?”
“I don’t remember.”
He answered with perfect nonchalance.
Could this Lucius be an elf? Elves who studied magic far surpassed humans in both talent and achievement. They were also masters of transformation magic, though records of them taking human form were rare. Still, it wasn’t impossible.
In a crowded place like this, assuming a human appearance would certainly make movement easier…
Now that the words were flowing, Pay pressed on. “Then… will you teach me how to ride Momo?”
“Hmm?”
“You said so just now.”
“One more skewer and I will.”
Pay pulled another beef skewer from the bag and offered it to him. Momo’s eyes trembled. He could have eaten three by himself, yet his former master had appeared out of nowhere and was stealing every last one. The old master was terrifying, but losing delicious food without a fight was equally unbearable.
“Pii…”
“Quiet.”
“You eat too. Here.”
When Pay held the still-warm skewer out for Momo, Lucius sighed mid-bite.
“You’ll get taken advantage of if you keep being so soft-hearted. Just because he’s been quiet so far doesn’t mean he’ll stay that way. The moment someone looks weak, he’ll strike from behind. That’s how the world works. Don’t you know that?”
“…I do.”
Pay’s reply was brief, yet it carried the weight of bitter experience. She knew all too well. If the moment ever came when she had to kill Dot, she would do it. Without hesitation.
Lucius fell silent. Pay, her attention fixed entirely on him, failed to notice the wooden skewer he had finished and driven into the ground. From it, a pale green sprout the exact shade of her eyes began to push cautiously through the soil.
By the time the two of them left, it had already grown into a small sapling.
That day, after their brief conversation, Pay and Lucius decided to travel to the Magic Tower together. From what he had said, Lucius could use magic, even if he refused to reveal his exact circle.
The problem was that the festival had filled every inn. Finding separate lodging for Lucius would be difficult.
“What should we do?”
“What do you mean? You’ll sleep where you always do. Meet me on the first floor here tomorrow morning.”
“Ah!”
“Sleep well. I have some training to give this one, so I’ll be borrowing him for the night.”
Lucius grabbed one of Momo’s wings and waved before disappearing into the alley. Momo didn’t even squeak as he was dragged away. He really must be the true master.
Still, was it all right to let them go like that? Pay had heard that anyone caught sleeping on the streets in the capital would be arrested by the guards.
She stared anxiously into the empty alley before reluctantly returning to her room. Her mind was uneasy, but her body found rest easily enough.
Meanwhile, at the very moment Pay fell asleep, Lucius leaned against a wall with eyes cold as ice. Momo stood rigidly at attention against his shoulder, not daring to move his pupils.
So we finally meet.
He had done his best to arrange the safest possible encounter from a human perspective. He wanted to observe Pay’s behavior closely.
In truth, Lucius was the last surviving dragon born in the ancient era. Only an ancient dragon like him could have subdued and bound a cunning, treacherous Drakan like Momo as a subordinate. Otherwise, Momo would have long since escaped Pay’s care and turned the capital into a disaster zone.
There’s no doubt. That girl is that man’s descendant.
Lucius had been defeated by Caron, the last emperor of the fallen ancient Sharf Empire, and sealed away. That battle had taken place nearly a thousand years ago.
Only after seeing Pay with his own eyes did he finally understand. Before meeting her up close, he had only guessed. Now he was certain: Pay carried the bloodline of Caron.
…Does she not know where she comes from? And why did she change her name from Morgana to Pay? Could it be Morgan le Fay? Both names are tied to water, after all.
After breaking the ancient seal, Lucius had been drawn by a burning grudge to the vicinity of the Klein Ducal House. Their family carried the strongest remnants of Caron’s blood.
Amusingly, the countless knights of the Klein family had been unable to leave so much as a scratch on his true form. Caron’s fame had been reduced to nothing more than his descendants, and even that legacy had long since crumbled into dust.
Yet there had been one variable Lucius had never anticipated: the existence of Morgana.
That girl, who possessed neither ancient magic nor the strength to protect herself, had confronted him with the tremendous power sleeping in her blood—without even realizing it. The clash had left Lucius gravely wounded, on the verge of death. An absurd end, truly.
There had been only one way out.
It was an unavoidable choice, yet it still displeases me.
He had poured every ounce of his strength into casting a time-reversal spell. In exchange, he had fallen from an immortal to a mortal being.
Fortunately, his Dragon Heart—the core of his power—remained intact, though the natural mana that once flowed through his body had been greatly diminished.
At least, as the caster, his memories remained whole and the seal had been lifted. That was something to be grateful for.
Previously, he had been an existence that could not be killed, sealed only after exhausting his strength in defeat against Caron. Now, with only one life remaining, he had to be far more cautious.
One wrong move and some random human might earn the title of Dragon Slayer and turn him into a laughingstock once more.
Death itself did not frighten him, but he refused to let the name Lucius be mocked a second time. Absolutely not.
Still, it was intriguing that Pay—Morgana—had made a different choice than in the past. The girl from that time had been unable to use even a single spell.
…Well, the circumstances are somewhat different now. In her previous life she never studied magic, yet she defeated me completely with nothing but the power sleeping in her blood. So in this life, she must become a mage capable of shaking the world. She’d better not let anyone else defeat her.
Lucius twisted the corner of his mouth and slipped deeper into the shadows with Momo in tow. His intentions, like those of any dragon, were deep and hidden.
The next day, at the Blue Butterfly Inn…
“Lord Lucius!”
“Yeah.”
Lucius wore a blank expression at Pay’s call, but his mood was far from pleasant. In the old days, when his fearsome name had been known across the entire continent, people would tremble at the mere mention of the first syllable of “Lucius.”
Back then, even fearless human women had renamed themselves Lucia or Luciana, claiming to be the dragon’s bride and offering him sacrifices on appointed days.
Now he was reduced to receiving concern about catching a cold from the very human mage who had once “killed” him.
He made a bitter face.
“Did you sleep well? No sign of a cold?”
“I’m sturdy.”
It wasn’t that he felt wronged. He simply wanted to watch over her, curious about the path she would walk from now on.
As long as he didn’t return to his true form in front of Pay, it would be fine. Her Dragon Slayer blood wouldn’t stir, and there would be no risk of another confrontation.
Probably.
Everything had been fine so far, so it should remain that way.
“Let’s go to the Magic Tower, get your circle measured, and study magic together. Learning magic is really fun!”
Pay spoke with innocent enthusiasm, her face bright with a smile.
“…Hah. Sure.”
Lucius put on a listless expression. Magic? As an ancient dragon, Lucius had once wielded all ten circles of magic with perfect freedom, whether in his true form or human form. That had been during his immortal days, however. After clashing with Morgana, he had lost a great deal of power. He wasn’t sure what he could manage now.
If he returned to his true form, he could still use tenth-circle magic, but as long as he stayed with Pay…
Whatever. I don’t care.
Suppressing his discomfort, he boarded the open carriage with Morgana—Pay—and headed for the Magic Tower.
“It’s a relief we managed to reserve a carriage at this hour. I was worried they’d all be taken because of the festival.”
“Hmph.”
Whether because Lucius’s mood was sour or because he only gave short answers, the conversation soon died.
“Huh? Wait a moment. Driver, could you head over that way?”
“What?”
Ignoring Lucius’s troubled thoughts, Pay pointed toward a distant spot. Her eyes had caught sight of something amiss on the road leading into the capital. Just as she suspected, a carriage had stopped by the roadside, tilted at an awkward angle.
The driver looked in the direction she indicated and frowned.
“Miss, that road’s turned into a muddy mess. Looks like the wheels got stuck.”
He clicked his tongue.
“Can’t they get out?”
“It’s a noble carriage, even if it’s on the smaller side. Seems pretty deep in the mud.”
If it belonged to a noble house, surely the problem would be resolved soon enough.
Pay’s gaze was about to turn indifferent when the distressed neighing of the horses reached her ears. Her eyes widened.
“That crest… Driver, please let me off here and continue to the destination yourself.”
“Now what?”
Lucius, who had only known her for a single day, spoke with unexpected bluntness. Pay paid him no mind. Her eyes remained fixed on the emblem emblazoned on the stranded carriage.