Chapter 448. Return (4)
[…Have you married a dragon?]
At the question of the Golden Dragon Lainicius, Alon Palatio was left speechless.
He swallowed his bewilderment and could barely reply:
"What did you just say?"
[…I said it literally.]
Lainicius seemed rather surprised, as if he didn't understand why Alon appeared confused.
"...Huh?"
"When exactly did that happen…?"
Behind them, Penia and Evan, who were listening to the conversation, let out short exclamations, startled by such an unexpected turn.
Alon let out a deep sigh.
"I am sorry, but I am not understanding anything. I would prefer if you explained it from the beginning."
Lainicius frowned and, for some reason, leaned back slightly.
As if trying to avoid something.
While Alon wondered about that attitude, Lainicius spoke.
[It is not such a special story. Among dragons, when we find a partner, we cover the other with our essence.]
"…Essence?"
[Yes. To make it clear before other dragons.]
Deliberately covering oneself with their essence.
"Are dragon weddings silent then?"
[No, they are not.]
"......Hm?"
[Almost all dragons attend wedding ceremonies... Why did you think that?]
"Well, if they take the trouble to leave essence, I assumed it would be to announce it."
Lainicius nodded, admitting the logic.
[Well, it is not that. As I said, the wedding gathers the entire species. But we still leave essence because sometimes problems occur.]
With a strange expression, he continued:
[As you know, dragons receive the blessing of mana, and our Polymorph is extremely precise. So precise that not even other dragons can recognize us.]
"I see."
[And about a thousand years ago, it became fashionable among dragons to transform into humans for fun.]
Lainicius shut his mouth there.
Alon perceived the intention.
And then, as if she had understood something, Penia let out a stifled squeak. An instant later, Alon also arrived at the answer.
[Yes, there were unintended adulteries… that is where the custom was born.]
Lainicius did not want to continue revealing the shames of his species.
Alon, after grasping the general idea, returned to the point.
"…If I combine what you said, then it means I have dragon essence on my body, correct?"
[That is so. Especially around the waist area. A lot.]
Alon looked at his waist, bewildered.
He didn't remember seeing dragons recently…
"Ah."
Remembering it at last, he let out an involuntary sigh.
Besides Lainicius, there was another dragon Alon had seen lately.
"…You are speaking of Arculainisis, right?"
Penia, who had thought of the same thing, asked. Alon nodded while looking at his waist.
She who was always crying used to coil her tail around his waist.
Comprehending the nature of that essence, Alon inhaled gently to catch the scent, but…
[It is not something you can smell like that.]
"I see."
[And furthermore………………]
Lainicius observed him with a bitter expression.
[There is something I must tell you.]
"What thing……….?"
[A dragon's life is not like a human's.]
"I already know that?"
[What…?]
Surprised by his answer, Lainicius looked at him with even more disdain.
[…And even knowing that, you got married? To an immature dragon?]
Alon answered without hesitation, and Lainicius looked at him as if he couldn't believe it.
"Huk—!"
"....Alon-nim?"
[Kyu?]
Evan, Penia, Basiliora, and Blackie were also startled. Alon thought why you too…?
[I knew Mages had peculiar tastes, but I didn't think you would go that far—]
"I would prefer you stop that absurd assumption that I married a dragon……"
Alon squeezed his eyes shut, fed up with those accusations.
Thirty minutes later.
"I repeat it again and again. I have not married a dragon."
[ …I see.]
After patiently explaining his relationship with Arculainisis, he finally managed to dispel the dragon's doubts.
Even without mentioning his true purpose, fatigue flooded him.
Alon sighed, and Lainicius finally asked:
[Then, did you come to fulfill your promise?]
He gestured with his chin toward Blackie.
"……Do you think I have enough strength to fulfill it?"
[Did you come without knowing?]
"I also wanted to consult you on how much more Blackie must strengthen to fulfill it."
Lainicius observed Blackie calmly.
[From what I see, your Shadow Dragon already has enough level to release me from the seal.]
"…Really?"
[Although he is not an adult…… he has a strange strength, even greater.]
Alon looked at Blackie over his shoulder, who tilted his head with an adorable “kyu?”.
"Blackie, please."
Hearing the request, Blackie nodded and moved toward Lainicius.
Soon, black smoke began to pour from his body.
And then—
Fwoooosh!
The black smoke enveloped Lainicius's body.
The dark spear stuck in the golden dragon dissolved into black smoke.
Fwoooosh!
On Lainicius's body, which was only awaiting death, a change began.
Fwoooosh!
The dull brown scales turned into a resplendent gold.
The empty eyes filled with golden light.
Rrrrrrrraaghhh—!
The mana, overwhelming, coursed through the entire space.
And in the final instant—
With a loud burst.
Alon saw it.
[…Ahh, it has been so long.]
The true body of the Golden Dragon.
And it didn't end there.
With the return of the Golden Dragon, the mana that spread everywhere took the form of chains that connected Alon to Lainicius.
Before Alon could react—
[Since you have fulfilled your promise to me, I will also fulfill mine to you.]
Dozens of additional chains formed, binding them together. And when they all merged into a single gigantic and unbreakable chain—
[I, Lainicius, by virtue of the Great Pact, shall serve the being before me as my master until the instant he fades into mana.]
Lainicius's declaration resonated in the cavern.
With the chains wrapping around Alon—
[Take care of me from now on.]
Thus, Alon obtained the Golden Dragon.
Alon explained to him in summary what had happened until now.
[…So, in short, your Shadow Dragon can absorb and use the power of those “new forms”, correct?]
Alon nodded.
Lainicius meditated for a moment.
[I cannot fully comprehend what is happening.]
"……No?"
[Although I have grasped something. Give me a little time and I will investigate it.]
Alon nodded, then asked:
"So, what do you plan to do now?"
[Me?]
"Yes."
[Follow you. You are my master now. Any problem?]
Lainicius nodded as if suddenly understanding something.
"Ah, right… if I walk in this real form it will be uncomfortable for both."
Then he gathered mana and began to reduce his size.
Some time passed.
From behind, an insult from Evan was heard.
One totally unexpected.
But Alon did not contradict him.
He knew the reason.
Why Evan was cursing.
"This is an enemy of humanity, right?"
Evan muttered, frustrated.
Alon nodded unintentionally.
Because the face of Lainicius in human form was so incredible that even the most beautiful elves would feel the temptation to slap him.
“Oh, heavens, why did the heavens create Eliban and this Golden Dragon, but created me like this?”
“That is… pitiful.”
Penia, suddenly serious, looked at Lainicius with disgust.
"…If I am honest, he is so handsome it irritates me."
And she was right.
"Ahh…"
Finally, Lainicius finished his Polymorph.
With a deeper voice than before, he spoke to Alon and the others:
"These reactions do not change even after a thousand years."
“Wow, how unpleasant…”
Penia complained in a low voice before the man who shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
After a brief commotion, Alon and Lainicius left the great cavern.
Two months later.
The group abandoned the barren lands and headed directly to Palantia.
And upon arriving—
"…Evan."
"Yes."
"What is that?"
Alon asked before the scene that appeared upon entering.
Evan, equally stunned, replied:
"Uh…."
After thinking for a moment:
"…A demonic or magic castle…?"
The enormous floating island suspended over Palantia could only be described like that.
‘…What happened in half a year…?’
Confusion filled Alon's mind, just returned after so long.
