“A dragon’s… egg?”

Jill muttered as she staggered into the small hole.

It was such a strange egg. Even thought it was covered with a black shell, it looked bright from the golden glow coming from inside it.

When she touched it, it felt warm—alive.

—why won’t the egg hatch?

She remembered the cry of the black dragon.

“No way… could this be, the egg of a golden-eyed black dragon?”

“That’s right.”

“Uwa!”

Jill exclaimed in surprise when the black dragon’s face suddenly peered into the small hole.

…there was a bump between the black dragon’s eyebrows—it must be from Jill’s punch.

“It’s a golden-eyed black dragon egg. One always appears whenever a new Dragon Emperor comes into this world. The Dragon Emperor’s heart will nurture the egg, and as the Dragon Emperor grows, the egg will also hatch—however, the reality is as you can see.”

She no longer felt any hostility from the black dragon, so she replied back.

“What about Rave? Does he know about this?”

“Of course he does. However, the Dragon Emperor doesn’t seem the slightest bit interested in this matter—how unforgivable.”

“How long has it been like this?”

“Ten years. For us the dragons, the margin of error is about 20 years. However, if the Dragon Emperor dies before the egg can hatch, his dead heart will instead be consumed and a monster will be born. …Unexpectedly, that might be what the current Dragon Emperor is aiming for—to curse the world even after his death.”

Suddenly, the appearance of Hadith from six years later came into her mind.

That catastrophic figure, which cursed, resented, and wanted to destroy everything.

“…It’s alright, His Majesty is still alive and well.”

“But…”

“I understand your concerns. Your point is that His Majesty is still closing his heart, right?”

Sighing, Jill slowly caressed the egg—it’s fine, it’s still warm…

“…I’m going to help you. Your Majesty, please wait for me.”

In the palm of her hand, she felt something akin to the beating of a heart.

“Also, please hurry up and hatch. I want to ride a golden-eyed black dragon—after all, that’s the same color as His Majesty.”

She clearly felt it—as if responding, the egg had vibrated!

The black dragon excitedly stared at Jill who was shocked—

“—Did it just move!? Just now, it moved, right!?”

“Y, yes, perhaps, however…”

“No, it moved, it definitely moved! So, it’s still alive… I’m glad, I see now…”

Towards the black dragon whom was truly relieved, Jill asked a question.

“Are you perhaps the parent? Is that why you guard it all the time?”

“…No, I’m its mate.”

“…So, this egg’s basically your spouse?”

“Exactly. It’s only obvious for a black dragon to mate with another black dragon.”

“Excuse me, but how old are you?”

“I’m not 300-years-old yet.”

Yet? I see…

…if such was the dragon’s sense of time, ten or twenty years was certainly within the margin of error.

“But—you must be lonely.”

The black dragon must had been surprised. The black dragon, who widened his eyes, frowned—it appeared to be hurt.

Perhaps it’s a girl…

“Sorry for hitting your face, even though you’re a girl…”

“What are you saying? There’s no discrimination between male and female dragons. I’m the one who is at fault—I was frustrated by the egg which wouldn’t hatch and made such uncool remarks. Forgive me, I’ve opened my eyes, now. It’s just that whenever I see this egg, I feel depressed.”

“Even so, it’s not good to just wait all the time. You’ll end up making yourself miserable.”

Waiting was exhausting. Turning around, Jill dared to invite the black dragon.

“Let’s go help His Majesty together. Come with me.”

“But, the egg…”

“It’ll be safe here. As long as the egg doesn’t need to be kept warm, you can come here and see it once in a while.”

She felt that the egg had moved again, but she ignored it and gave it her back.

“This egg is supposed to be in line with His Majesty’s heart, right? Then we mustn’t spoil it too much.”

“I, is that so…? For some reason, since a while ago, the egg has been shining brightly…”

“That means that it’s aware of its surroundings. The reason it doesn’t hatch, isn’t it because you’re always here? It became spoiled…”

“…Now it’s shining in protest, is that still fine?”

“It’ll be fine, and above all, the most important thing right now is to help His Majesty! Let’s go!”

“But the egg is starting to jump, though!?”

“Since it refuses to hatch, let’s just leave it.”

When Jill turned around, the egg stopped shining and moving, as if in shock.

Jill then said, while snuggling the head of the black dragon.

“Thus, let’s go help His Majesty together—that’s fine with you, isn’t it?”

After being asked so, the black dragon’s purple eyes, which quietly looked at Jill, only wavered for a single moment.

“…Okay! I’m going to leave! I’m tired of waiting!”

“That’s the will!”

“If you don’t like that, then chase after me! After all, you’re the golden-eyed black dragon, you’re the next mightiest dragon after the Dragon God Rave!”

When Jill applauded, the black dragon snorted in an arrogant manner. However, its eyes, which were gazing at the egg, were warm.

“Alright, my husband, I’ll leave now—ride on my back, Dragon Princess.”

In an unexpected turn, Jill gasped for a moment before her eyes gleamed—

“—I, is that alright with you!? You will let me ride on your back!? Even though I’m alone?!”

“The only humans allowed to ride my back are the Dragon Princess and the Dragon Emperor.”

With a fearless smile, Jill came out of her hiding place and climbed the black dragon’s neck and onto its back. When she saw the ceiling, she noticed it for the first time.

“How do we get out there?”

“Hold tight, it’ll only take a moment.”

The black dragon, whose face was out of the small hole, fluttered its wings. Then, it rushed towards the ceiling which was made of water.

Jill unintentionally held her breath—noticing she didn’t feel any water pressure, she opened her eyes—she could breathe!

She could see the surroundings—the sparkle of water which reflected the glittering sunset, and the colorful fish which swam in groups. Algae, which looked like a green carpet, spread over a coral on a rock.

With a flashy sound and a splash, they leaped out from the bottom of the water to ground all at once. Looking down from the sky, she realized she had been in the bottom of a large lake on a cliff where a waterfall flowed.

“Part of the waterfall flows underground. The dragon’s nest changed the terrain around it. So, where are you headed, Dragon Princess?”

Asked by the black dragon who turned around and was seemingly in a good disposition, Jill lifted her face. Even though the wind pressure and altitude were unreasonable, she didn’t feel stuffy and was in good shape. It was the same as when she was riding a dragon with Hadith or Elynsia—

—was that the dragon’s protection?

“To the place I’ve decided to reunite with my friends. There—it shouldn’t be too far from here.”

“I understand.”

“Also, call me Jill. I’ll refer to you by your name, too.”

“I have no name.”

“Then I’ll give you one—Steak!”

The black dragon, which spun in the sky dyed by the setting sun, laughed vigorously and responded calmly.

“Rejected.”

---

***T/N:

“…No, I’m its mate.”

“…So, this egg’s basically your spouse?”

“Exactly. It’s only obvious for a black dragon to mate with another black dragon.”

“Excuse me, but how old are you?”

///Translator’s impression about this black dragon took a sudden, extreme, plunge downward

YOOOO YOU DARE CALL HADITH OUT WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO MARRY AN INFANT

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