“In other words, Lady Rururia, who made me an outcast, is now the owner of a Dragon.”

I didn’t catch a single word you said, Your Majesty.

It’s Rururia here. I’ve been meeting with His Majesty at the training grounds lately, so I have become somewhat accustomed to it recently.

I’m not sure what you mean by outcast, Your Majesty.

I don’t remember doing that.

As soon as I arrived at the Royal Palace, I asked the Knight of the Guard for just one thing: ‘Please present me to His Majesty‘

His eyes followed me, as if saying, ‘She’s pushing her luck.‘

(Incidentally, the Gatekeeper of the Palace Gate who passed by before looked at me curiously as I appeared alone.)

Oh, wasn’t she? Knight of the Kingsguard… I totally understand.

I know it’s impolite for me, a vassal and a lady, to call His Majesty the King, the Pinnacle of this Country.

But it can’t be helped.

So, I had no choice, really no choice, but to summon Dadra.

…In fact, I had just started walking towards the door of the Palace.

Then, out of nowhere, Dadra flew and tried to follow me, breaking through the walls. Finally, understanding, the Knight of the Kingsguard disappeared in a flash.

He left behind his trembling colleagues.

And so I was brought to the Knight’s training grounds.

In the corner, they’d prepared a tent and luxurious table and chair for His Majesty (and me).

…Of course, they took care to make sure that the Dragon could see me.

Oh, this tea is delicious.

“Lady Rururia, you’ve been excluding me. Even though we would have no shortage of things to talk about.”

…A little persistent, aren’t you, Your Majesty?

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble,” I already apologized.

But now you’re even sulking, Your Majesty…

More importantly, was it okay to hug a cushion when someone might see you from here? Is your dignity okay?

I didn’t mean to exclude you, Your Majesty… I don’t even know what you’re talking about, though? And since there’s no need to talk about it, I’d like to take this back to Dragon Island.

Hmmm? That’s right! It was a blind spot!

I’m sure His Majesty would order me to bring it back!

Then I’m sure the Knights and Sorcerers under the King’s command will be able to return the Dragon to the Island!

That’s it! Your Majesty, please!

I started to plead, and His Majesty sighed.

“I can’t just force it to go back”, he says. “It’s time for you to live in the Knight’s Tower for a while, Lady Rururia.”

…Whaaat! I’m a lady, you know!?

“What do you mean…? I have to live in a sad and disgusting Knight tower!?”

“There’s no other place larger than the training grounds where you can be ready for anything at a moment’s notice.”

I know, but I don’t want to know!

I expressed disgust with my whole body, but His Majesty still said the words of finality…

“This is my decision.”

Ptooey, stupid authority!

---

One person and a Dragon. One of which was too big in the middle was left behind on the training grounds.

His Majesty was apparently busy with the post-war efforts.

I’ve been thinking about it. Yeah, I had been.

I’m more concerned about the fact that His Majesty muttered ‘Nightmares… When I come back, one-half of the nightmares…’ but then he muttered out, ‘Sooner or later, Lady Rururia will be too…’.

What the hell happened?

And what is this too

Just tell me that part!

In the tent, troubled by His Majesty’s mysterious words and struggling with the reality of having to live in the Knight’s tower from now on, Dadra peeked in with an innocent look as if to ask, “What are you doing?”

…Yes, if this guy goes back to his Island, everything would be fine…

Hmmm… Yes, that’s what I should have done.

I laughed at the thought and stood up shakily.

The Dadra stepped back a little bit.

I’m going to make this guy understand that it’s be better if he goes home…

Determined, I clenched my fists.

---

“I told you! Don’t you understand? Just because you can’t see me, doesn’t mean I’m gone!”

Dadra tilted its head at me, who was screaming.

No, no. Be calm. Be cool… Be cool! Rururia!

Take a deep breath and calm down. Relax, me. If you get excited, you’ll lose.

“You know what I mean? Even if you can’t see me, I’ll be fine!”

“What are you doing…? Lady Rururia.”

During a yelling session with Dadra, I heard a voice from behind me.

Wow! The Knight Commander! I haven’t seen him since the time with the Heavenly Eye Dragon.

I wonder where they went after that?

“What? I’m trying to make this crappy Dadra understand me! It better go back to its home.”

“…It just looked like you were just stooping over, hiding, and flexing your biceps to me.”

Even if you’re the Knight Commander, I want you to understand this much at least… Ah! Sorry! Stop it with the murderous intent!

“Well, you see. I was trying to get them to understand me physically since it didn’t seem to understand my words!”

It was a good idea! I said with a smile, but he didn’t seem very convinced.

“…What the hell was that? With broken words… Stooped over… That’s how you think you’d get the Dragon to leave?”

The Knight Commander placed his hands to his forehead and thought about it… Huh, you don’t have to take it so seriously…

“First, this Dadra here, it follows me everywhere, so I’m going to make it say ‘I understand!’ whenever I say I’m fine even when it can’t see me.”

“…Oh, okay.”

I was about to explain but was interrupted… What? Did you get that, Knight Commander?

With a big smile, he said, “I guess you’re a Dragon User, after all, Lady Rururia!”

Huh?

No, no, no… What? How can that be?

That’s funny! No matter where you look, we’re not even communicating, let alone having the capability to control it!

The Knight Commander clasped my hand and nodded, even as I tried to disagree.

“I see, I see. You called the Dragon during the festival that one time, and you called one during the Evil Dragon Summoning. Yes, a Dragon User.”

…If you say it that way, it might look like that, but the facts were a little more different…

At the time of the festival, the Dadra came down by chance, and at the time of the Evil Dragon Summoning, I didn’t know that the Heavenly Eye Dragon was coming…

I didn’t know what to do with the mistaken Knight Commander to the point that I almost fell to the ground.

I’m not sure why, but the Knight Commander was holding me up.

Hmmm? Why?

“It’s dangerous.”

“Huh?”

“Kyuuu!”

When I looked behind me, I saw the Dadra happily wagging her tail while coming down.

…To where I was just now!

You stupid Dragon! You were about to crush me!

I got the Knight Commander to put me down, so I could shout at Dadra.

“Hey, you! Dadra! How different do you think your body is from mine! You almost crushed me!”

“Kyuuu?”

“I… You… Big…! No! You crushed almost me!”

“Kyuuu?”

“…Why are you speaking in broken words?”

Crap! You didn’t get it at all! You stupid Dadra!

And the Knight Commander! Don’t overthink it! It seemed like it understood me, didn’t it!? But it didn’t at all, though!

As I was raging in frustration, the Knight Commander seemed to notice something.

“Wasn’t it usually enough to make anyone understand the master-slave relationship with these things?”

Said the Knight Commander.

The next moment, the same sludgy, deadly air I felt when I first met the Knight Commander began to shower Dadra!

I was in the killing range, too, by the way!

The Dadra stiffened up in surprise.

“What a quiet Dragon.”

Oh, that’s because of your murderous intent, Knight Commander!

The Knight Commander, approached Dadra and stroked his nose. Dadra was left at the mercy of his touch.

“Kyuuu?”

All of a sudden, the Dadra squealed as if he realized what was going on.
It’s like… It finally remembered who strangled it at the festival.

As if looking for an escape route, his eyes turned to me.

I’m not sure what to think about that, Dadra.

I can’t help you amid all this murderous intent because I can’t move either.

I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way to make it work.

Don’t look at me like that… I’m sure you’ll be fine.

I’m just going to tell the Knight Commander, okay?

“Uhm, I think Dadra is scared of you.”

“…Oh, I’m sorry. I must have interfered with your training.”

No one was being trained.

There was some sort of misunderstanding, but the murderous intent subsided right away.

Me and the Dadra seemed relieved… Huh? Only then were we able to communicate? That’s right, as living creatures, we both felt the threat to our lives in equal measure…

I feel a little closer to him, so I stroked his nose.

It’s all right now, Dadra. It’s going to be okay.

“Kyuuu!”

Happy chirping, Dadra. Oh, yeah? Were you that scared? I was, too.

Hmmm?

I feel like my left hand, which did the stroking, shone.

“Oh, so you made a contract.“

The Heavenly Eye Dragon popped out from the shadow of Dadra.

…Heavenly Eye Dragon!

Wait, what is a ‘contract‘? I haven’t exchanged anything!

Wow! The Dragon Crests are glowing! Come to think of it. I forgot they existed!

I have a bad feeling about this! Take it! Somebody take it, ehhh!

“Hmmm, Dadra. It’s a good name.“

A boy with a convincing face, a.k.a., the Heavenly Eye Dragon.

…Uhm, what do you mean?

I never gave it any name like that!!!

“Hyun.“

Something passed by me with great speed.

I knew it. It’s the Knight Commander again.

Oh… That looks like a lot of fun!

The Heavenly Eye Dragon happily met the Knight Commander’s sword. Just like that, the two of them disappeared into the distance with incredible speed.

Once again, the Dragon and I were left behind.

…Left behind?

With a huff, I turned around and met eyes with Dadra.

“Kyuuu?”

Heavenly Eye Dragon! You’ve forgotten something!

---

<Previous
Next>