Chapter of Arkdragon, Episode 5: Time to Rest, Lady Arkdragon

Voooooom...

We were zooming through a pitch black dimension at extreme speeds. The sight was similar to riding through the subway, except there was nothing enclosed around us. Despite that, we couldn’t feel much wind.

This was my ability known as Trayn, the Journey’s Guide, which allowed us to travel long distances. The possible destinations were limited to locations I’d visited with monuments dedicated to travel. Although it was extremely convenient, it was limited by the fact that it had a weight restriction, used up a valuable skill slot, and could only be used once a day. It was used by a small handful of traveling merchants, but it was unfit for transporting wares on a large scale.

My passenger, Marie, had been afraid at first, but she was completely accustomed to it by now as she was sitting next to me. Though, I couldn’t help but wonder why she had such a bitter expression on her face...

“Haah... Back to wearing this robe again. I wish I could’ve spent another day wearing the other clothes.”

It seemed she was feeling pretty down about going back to her regular clothes. She really did love wearing pretty clothing... I made myself a mental note.

“It’s a shame, but the weather is nice where we’re going. Besides, you were the one who was self-conscious about wearing sorceress-appropriate attire, Marie.”

We didn’t want those cute Arabian-style clothes to wrinkle, so we left them at Mewi’s workshop. We planned on visiting again soon, so we’d be able to take our time then.

“You really were cute in them, though. I’ve always thought you had a classy facial structure, so clothes tend to look good on you.”

“Oh, d-do you think so? Hm... You always say these things, but it’s throwing me off because it’s too dark to see your sleepy-looking face.”

She fanned herself as if her face were hot. Was my face really getting in the way that much? When I thought about it, Marie was always wearing her robe, so her time in Japan and other regions may have taught her the joy in wearing different clothing. I didn’t have much in my savings, but I didn’t mind breaking the bank to buy clothes for someone who was just so dang adorable.

I thought about that to myself, but she turned toward me with accusatory eyes.

“I know you’ve been secretly guiding my actions. Just like that time with the clothes. You lure me in with your sneaky ways, and before I know it, I’m involved in some new form of entertainment.”

“You make me sound like some sort of swindler... Well, maybe that’s not too far from the truth... I don’t know why, but I just want to tell you about all sorts of fun things.”

She lightly tapped my forehead, as if to say, “There you go again.”

There was a faint smell of foreign incense in her silky hair. It made me feel like we’d just gotten back from an overseas trip.

“Now that we’re able to spend some time together, I want to do tons of fun things with you. I’ve never lived like this before, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Oh my, that does sound wonderful. Maybe you really are better when your face is hidden.”

Wait, what? Is my face unnecessary?

I resented that, but I could feel my heart skip a beat when she leaned on me, and I conceded that maybe my face was unnecessary after all.

Her soft body pressed against me, and it was hard to get my heartbeat under control when I could feel her warmth through the robes. But she was entirely calm, and I could feel her breathing much closer than usual. Even just hearing that soothing sound made me feel happy inside.

“You’re right. Looks like there are more things you can sense when you can’t see.”

“Hm? What are you talking about...? In any case, you should know I’m also looking forward to it. In Japan, and in this world, too.” She tapped my forehead again, though it was much gentler this time. “Arilai was hot, but it was very fun. We were able to spread our wings a bit there. And we have the Japan trip coming up this weekend, don’t we? I can’t wait!”

The weekend where we’d be going on our first domestic trip was approaching in just a few days. Chichibu wasn’t too far from the city, and the view should’ve be nice, according to the weather report. I told her as such, and she reiterated just how excited she was.

We both leaned against each other, exchanging our body temperatures. There wasn’t much in terms of conversation after that, but I felt like my heart was at peace. We stayed like that for some time until we eventually felt slight vibrations. Our surroundings became brighter, signaling that we were nearing our destination.

We’d only been traveling for twenty minutes or so, but I felt something warm lingering in my chest. The surroundings became much brighter, and we arrived at the monument dedicated to travelers.

＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋　＋

I’d heard before that the Nazul-Nazul Ruins were once an underground city which had been destroyed a thousand years ago. According to historical documents, sorcerers of great power and mighty soldiers who were far stronger those of the modern day lived there. But all their splendor was now a thing of the past, and the only sounds echoing in the vast underground ruins were our footsteps, including the lizardman’s, who was guiding us.

Two light spirits floated around us, allowing us to see without issues. The moisture on the stone pavement made the footing slippery, and I instinctively caught Marie’s arm as she nearly tripped.

“Oh, thank you. Would you mind holding onto me? I’m afraid I’ll slip again.”

“Not at all. I’m sure you’re preoccupied with directing the spirits. And thanks for guiding us there, by the way.”

I switched to the reptilian language for my final statement, which was directed toward the lizardman leading the way. He directed his round eyes toward me, then seemed to blink as a translucent membrane briefly covered his eyeballs.

His crocodile-like mouth opened as he spoke. “No, no, I was told to politely escort our guests upon their arrival. If you recall, you went in through the back way last time. Now, I have permission to show you through the front entrance as guests.”

Huh, I hadn’t known there were front or back entrances. This was probably arranged by the magi drake, but I was grateful we could proceed like this without even looking at the map.

I translated for Marie, and she tilted her head curiously in response. “Oh, then I wonder if she isn’t in that dire of a situation. I thought something happened, judging by how weakly the dragon blood was glowing.”

“I can’t say for sure because we hardly see her in person, but... something certainly feels off,” the lizardman spoke. “We’ve even been getting spooked by the occasional growling we’ve been hearing. The eggs should have hatched by now, but...”

He began looking around cautiously. Maybe there was a change I wasn’t aware of. Though, I couldn’t imagine what sort of trouble the legendary magi drake could possibly be in...

We continued through the dwellings of the lizardmen, then headed deeper and deeper underground. They all seemed sociable as they waved hello, but they probably would’ve greeted us with bared fangs if we’d been intruders. Actually, their fangs were already showing naturally.

In any case, we passed through several hidden doors, then found ourselves in complete silence as we descended some long stairs. Everything we said echoed, which was somewhat of a bizarre feeling. The statues around us seemed to be the type that would normally begin moving and attack us for disturbing the peace.

“We don’t have time to waste on sightseeing right now.”

“I know, but it really is a shame. I wanted to see it reanimate with my own eyes...”

It was an impressive sight, but the lizardman looked at me with an expression that screamed, “What’s wrong with this human?” Odd... I didn’t think I’d said anything that would make a monster get weirded out like that...

Eventually, we arrived before a giant entrance. I had to look up just to take in its sheer size. Its spookiness was fitting for the last boss’s room. It was overwhelming to think such an intricate ornament was made by a dragon.

As if I’d been struck by lightning, I was frozen in awe for quite some time. Its style was reminiscent of western architectural style, but the superb sense of balance must’ve originated from the designs of ancient times. I couldn’t even touch it without taking several deep breaths to steady myself first. It was enough to make any labyrinth enthusiast’s heart burst with excitement. I told myself to calm down and wipe the sweat from my hands first.

“There’s a sense of femininity that’s been added to it... I don’t think this was outsourced to a craftsman. To me, it almost seems like an expression of the stories within her mind...”

I’d finally calmed myself down enough to carefully reach out toward the ornament. In that moment, I felt like I understood how train otaku felt. If I had a camera in my hands, I surely would’ve been taking all the pictures I possibly could. On my days off, I’d probably open the resulting album and look through it with fascination, sighing contentedly. And to think I was going to touch it with my very own hands...

“Stop being ridiculous. Let’s go.”

Marie pulled me by the sleeve, and my outstretched hand swiped at the air. I cried.

“Well, I’ll be heading back now. Not allowed to go in there without permission.” The lizardman blinked as he spoke. It seemed he was looking for the right time to depart.

There seemed to be a sense of disappointment in his eyes as he looked at me, and for some reason, Marie nodded in agreement, despite being unable to understand him. But she, of course, understood the universal gesture of waving goodbye, and we both waved back at him in gratitude for guiding us there.

The waving lizardman looked pretty cute, like it was someone in a full-body costume...

Then, something happened after we said our farewells. As if our presence had been noted, the large metal gates began to open. Had we been just normal explorers, we probably would’ve been in pretty big trouble. Surely, some glorious battle music would’ve begun playing as we gazed upon the enormous black dragon laying within the open space surrounded by rocks. The sight alone would’ve meant certain death for us.

“Umm, excuse us...”

But we were guests in this case, and the magi drake waved her tail to welcome us in while still laying down. She then wiggled the tip of her tail, and the surrounding rocks began glowing here and there. It was as if she’d flicked on a light switch, and I was a bit surprised that she had a sense of hospitality, despite her terrifying appearance.

“Ah! Look, look! Dragon whelps!” Marie squealed.

“Oh, you’re right! They’re so small and cute.”

When I looked up, there were about three little drakes climbing atop their mother’s back. Their scales were white, most likely because they’d been born recently.

What was more concerning was just how listless the magi drake seemed. She was so full of majesty the last time we were here, but she simply laid there, completely drained of energy with her mouth slightly ajar.

Um... Had she always looked like this? I’d thought she had more of a “boss” feel to her, one that would strike despair into a person’s heart with her mere appearance. Marie and I looked at each other, wordlessly sharing this sentiment.

Just then, her words in the language of dragons rang out in the room, and she began glowing around her chest. A shining humanoid silhouette landed upon the ground, her long, black hair wavering as she straightened her posture.

“Ah, hey!”

Marie covered my eyes, preventing me from seeing the woman in her birthday suit. She was quite voluptuous, despite her long, slender legs and tight body, and had a mature attractiveness that contrasted with Marie’s.

With my vision blocked off, all I could hear were some crackling sounds. It was likely the sound of her creating that dress made of rigid material like last time.

Once Marie released her hands from my eyes, the magi drake in draconian form was slowly walking toward us. Her black armor had an intricate design, yet had a wide range of motion and seemed too strong to be broken by human hands. The sight of her making minor adjustments to her armor would’ve looked pretty cool. Her long, slender legs were still uncovered by armor and visible.

The drake, who was a head taller than us, parted her lips. “Welcome, children of men. It has been some time, but as you can see, I have had my hands incredibly full.”

“I see they’re finally born. Congratulations!”

She nodded with a proud expression on her face. Her obsidian-like eyes narrowed, and her smiling face was beautiful like no other. If there were anything detracting from her beauty, it’d have been the fact that she looked a bit tired and pale, and her hair was quite frayed.

“Hah, hah, if you are here, you must have brought it. I know you did. Let us give them an opportunity to dine with you children of men.”

She straightened her posture as she quipped, then...

Clunk!

The dragon dropped her chopsticks on the bento box that only contained a few grains of rice, on the verge of tears. We’d already eaten it at Mewi’s workshop, but she didn’t believe it. Maybe she didn’t want to. I could hardly bear to watch as tears welled up in her eyes and she began sniffling. For someone who was usually so majestic, her emotions were way too obvious. It was probably because she was unaccustomed to a human body, but the grief on her face was quite painful to see.

“U-Um, we were worried something had happened to you, and we came without preparing anything...”

“...ty...”

“Huh? What was that?”

“It is emptyyy! I have been working so hard raising children, and you are telling me to only enjoy the smell? Waaah!”

I was taken aback when I saw her fall to her knees. It seemed she wasn’t just disappointed by the lack of food. She began explaining how hard it’d been raising her young.

“Children are so unruly. They were adorable at first, but they are like little demons that crawl around endlessly. And I have been continuously feeding them my magic all this time. All this time, without sleeping or eating... for so long...”

Marie’s eyebrows contorted in concern as the elf rubbed the magi drake’s back sympathetically. There must have been so much the dragon had been holding back, and tears began running down her face.

“Ah, I envy you. You have your male by your side. Ha, ha, that one is always off flying around somewhere, doing as he pleases. I wish to do something enjoyable, as well. I want to go play... If only I could at least attack some human settlement.”

Wait, did she just say something scary just now...?

Marie shot me a troubled look. Maybe this was what they called “maternal neurosis.” I never knew dragons also had trouble raising children, but it must’ve been tough if she didn’t even have time to sleep. The growling the lizardman had mentioned and the faint glow we saw from the dragon blood was probably due to this.

“U-Um, it would be dangerous attacking people, so please don’t.”

“I know. I am a prudent dragon. Survivors with a grudge will only bring about more trouble, so I will be sure to choose a small settlement.”

She smiled faintly, but that wasn’t reassuring at all, Ms. Arkdragon. I wouldn’t have minded when I thought this world only existed in my dreams, but this was just concerning.

Hmm, but this wasn’t something that could be resolved with some bento. In Japan, husbands tended to devote their recreation time to their wives, but I wondered how it was in this world. Thinking about it, I remembered the trip to Chichibu we’d been planning for the weekend.

“Oh, how would you like to join us for a trip in Japan? Ah, you probably wouldn’t be interested in that, would you?” I laughed, but my laughter soon turned dry.

The dragon’s tears stopped immediately. Then, the sparkles in her eyes said to me, “Why, that is a wonderful idea.”

“Yes, yes, that is right. This body is but one of many dragon cores. I shall visit the world of reality with the children of men as I care for my young. How exciting!”

Uh-oh. I may have suggested something that could end up being big trouble. And there was no way I could really take it back now...

We’d already revealed my secret about being able to travel between our worlds, but I couldn’t imagine what would happen if a legendary dragon followed us to Japan. Even Mariabelle was glaring at me, and I felt something cold go up my spine.

By the time we emerged from the underground labyrinth, the view outside had changed completely. In the far distance was a royal castle enshrouded in twilight, with an azure sky on the other side. The air was chillier than earlier, and I was glad I had Marie change back from her Arabian-style outfit.

But when I turned around, her purple eyes were cold, and she clearly wasn’t having it.

“...I can’t believe you promised such a thing. Just what are you planning on doing?”

“Sorry, it just sort of slipped out. I didn’t think I’d end up inviting an Arkdragon to Japan...”

Her pale fingers reached out and pinched my cheek, and while I stood there in surprise, she pinched my other cheek, as well. She moved her scowling face closer to mine, and although she was upset with me, it made my heart skip a beat.

“I think you’re far too careless when you’re in this world. It seems you need me to discipline you.”

With that, she moved her body even closer, as if to prevent me from escaping. She seemed to have gotten used to this by now. Being a guy, it was quite troubling when she pressed her small breasts against me as she did when we slept in the bed together. She then pulled my cheeks up and down, giving me a strange sensation that was somewhere between pain and ticklishness. It was troubling, because... it made me so happy, I didn’t know what to do.

“And what exactly is so funny? It seems you don’t know what happens when you make me angry. I may not look it, but I’ve disciplined many newcomers at the Sorcerer’s Guild. I’m feared by so many that I’m known as the Fairy of Ice.”

Fairy of... Ice? That was weird. I could only see her as a Food Fairy.

...Things wouldn’t have ended well for me if I said that out loud, so I stayed quiet.

“I’m sorry, Marie. From now on, I’ll be sure to discuss these things with you first.”

“That’s a given. We’re going to be spending so much time together, so I won’t allow any secrets or selfish actions. Understood?”

I could only muster a “yesh, Ma’am” with my cheeks still being pinched, but it seemed the Fairy of Ice had forgiven me. She let out a cute “Hmph!” then slowly released me.

But my heart was beating as loud as ever. It was probably because she’d mentioned how we’d be “spending so much time together.”

As for Marie, she tilted her head and asked what was wrong, so she clearly had no idea how big of an impact her words had. It would’ve been uncouth to prod her about it, so I decided to focus on our original goal. I cleared my throat, then turned toward her.

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, we should get to the Sorcerer’s Guild before the sun sets. Though, I don’t know how long they’ll stay open.”

She blinked her round eyes. It seemed she’d forgotten all about that from the whole ordeal of inviting the magi drake to Japan, so I produced a rolled up letter from my shoulder bag. It was the license from the Kingdom of Arilai permitting entry into the ancient labyrinth.

“Ah! We need to report to the Sorcerer’s Guild! Oh no, the sun is going to set soon!”

It didn’t seem like a big deal to me if we reported the next day, but Marie stamped her little feet around with an anxious expression. She was straitlaced by nature, so she probably wanted to deliver it as soon as possible.

But just then, we were taken completely off guard by someone speaking to us.

“Then I’ll deliver that license for you.”

The man’s outerwear swished as he stood up, and my mind froze. There was an air about him reminiscent of a drawn blade, an aura that could only be achieved through combat. He stood there with an unnatural smile and fit body, wearing sunglasses which were an uncommon sight in this world, and had two swords hanging from his waist.

Since when had he been sitting here? How did he know we’d be here? We’d just traveled from two areas away and emerged from an underground labyrinth.

My heart finally began beating again, and my body naturally prepared for battle for some reason. How did he know about the license, anyway? This man was no ordinary burglar.

“Who’s this? Do you know him, Marie?”

“Umm, I think he’s Sir Sven, a Sorcerer who specializes in anti-magic.”

Ohh, okay. I’d totally thought he was an enemy, judging from the unnatural air about him. I didn’t know there were such buff sorcerers these days.

“Good evening. I’m Kazuhiho, Mariabelle’s convoy.”

“Good evening, Sir Sven. What a coincidence, seeing you out here.”

We smiled and bowed politely, but the man sighed for some reason, rubbing his forehead. I may have been imagining it, but it was almost as if he was distressed by the peaceful mood we were emitting. Then, as if to pull himself together, he extended his big hand toward us.

“Hand over the license.”

“Oh, yes, it’s right here. Please give me the substitution permit in exchange.”

It was like an exchange at a government office. I didn’t know too much about the Sorcerer’s Guild, but this was all too real and took the fantasy out of it. They seemed pretty big on their societal hierarchy, too, so I was glad I’d avoided it until now.

“What’s that look for? We need to do things properly and set an example for those looking up to us. This is an elementary procedure even a child could do. You’ll only get laughed at behind your back if you can’t even remember to do something like this. Is that what you want?”

Sven opened his mouth to scream at her, but closed it soon after, as if he’d reconsidered after seeing her intense demeanor. Seeing his expression, Marie became flustered.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. If you forgot, you can get the form at the second window. If you can just fill out the necessary sections...”

“Fine. Forget it, just hurry up and deliver it yourself!”

The man cut her off by basically yelling his response. It seemed this guy wasn’t very fond of these types of procedures. There were some people who really hated paperwork at my company, too.

While I thought about it, a figure adorned in black popped out of the darkness.

“Um, Boss? What are we gonna do?”

“Shut up! We’re going back to the guild!”

Marie and I blinked at each other, wondering why the two of them had come out to greet us in the first place.

We passed through the entrance gates and entered the town as night was falling, which was filled with people shopping for dinner. The sheep crossing the road to return to their homes, street vendors pouring warm stew into bowls, the rutted roads, and lopsided roofs felt a bit nostalgic. Steam was rising from here and there, and there was a sense of vitality to the bustling town. Such a sight couldn’t be found in the modern world, so it was interesting to see.

I stretched, taking in the spirited townscape.

“Ahh, so nice and cool. The weather is definitely more manageable here.”

“Agreed. We learned some methods for cooling off in Arilai, but I much prefer taking a walk around here.”

Desert nights were also quite cold, of course, but we’d gone to sleep right away and hadn’t really experienced them much. Though, I’d heard the temperature difference was quite extreme, so I didn’t particularly want to.

Sven, who was listening to our conversation, stepped in closer to us. “I heard you found a labyrinth over there. But a couple of brats like you are just going to end up getting yourselves killed. I’ll conquer it for you instead, so you should be grateful.”

“Oh, I see. I’m looking forward to it.”

Marie was busy staring at a street stall that was roasting mutton, so I smiled and answered for her. After some time passed, Sven slumped his shoulders. He’d seemed as dangerous as a naked blade earlier, but his mood had completely changed now. Even the person in black standing behind him seemed at a loss.

“I dunno... This isn’t really what I was expecting. Hey, Elf! If you’re hungry, hurry up and buy something! What...? You don’t have money?! You should’ve gotten a reward for finding the labyrinth... Oh, you haven’t gotten it yet? I see...”

The man became more and more dispirited as Marie replied with a flustered explanation.

That was right, Marie had used up all her pocket money because we weren’t expecting a long stay. Luckily, I didn’t have such issues because I didn’t make a habit of depositing money.

In any case, Sven had been writhing where he stood for some time now, and it was actually making me feel a bit sorry for him. I hadn’t fought many people in the past, so I couldn’t be sure, but judging by the way he carried himself, he must’ve been quite high in level. He could’ve been a higher level than me, but I had a feeling we were at about the same range. It would explain why he wanted to be the representative to enter the ancient labyrinth so badly.

While I was lost in thought, a skewer of mutton suddenly appeared before me. Oil dripped from the roasted meat, and the faint smell of spices stimulated my appetite. Behind it was Sven’s remarkably sullen face, who said, “That elf wouldn’t shut up, so you hurry up and eat, too.” His face may have been scary, but he seemed pretty nice.

“Th-Thank you. I’m sorry you ended up paying for us.”

“Whatever, I’ll be raking it in soon enough. Anyway, I thought you were a bodyguard. Where’s your sword?”

“Oh, it was destroyed a little while ago. I’ll have to find a new one soon.”

I disregarded the exasperated look on his face and bit into the mutton. My mouth was filled with oil and a strong odor...

Wow, this tastes astonishingly bad.

It seemed nobody really put effort into the cooking in this world. Worried, I looked over to my side. Sure enough, Ms. Elf had a sad look on her face.

“How unfair. It looked so tasty... This is how the food in this world tricks us. It makes me feel like crying.”

“Poor thing. When we get back to the other side, I’ll feed you to your heart’s... Oh, speaking of, it’s about time we go to sleep.”

We pushed the mutton to the person in black, thanked them for the meal, then ran off. Sven stood there with a blank expression, but the guild reception was already closed, and we were going to go tomorrow anyway, so it should’ve been fine.

It was understood that, as members of society, we had a duty to never be late. This was particularly true about going to bed on time. But there was no point in explaining this to him.

In the end, we went to a cheap inn nearby and rolled into bed right away.

The man stood in the streets, looking up at the cheap inn with a vein bulging on his forehead. The person in black followed from behind, munching on a mutton skewer as he spoke in a worried tone.

“Wh-What should we do? We finally found the inn, but they shouldn’t be able to get away, right?”

“Do you think I’ll make a mistake like that? I memorized the feel of those brats’ presence. So long as they’re in this country, they can’t escape from my Oracle. Not ever.”

He glared at the sorcerer in black, who nearly dropped the skewer out of fear. Then, a few minutes later...

Enraged, Sven swung at a wooden window. Splinters of wood erupted from the frame. With the full moon behind him, the man searched every room with bloodshot eyes. He’d been keeping track of them until just a moment ago, but they’d suddenly vanished. Their bag, clothes, sorcerer’s staff... It had all disappeared with them like they were playing some sort of prank.

“Th-They escaped... Those damn braaats!!!”

His murderous roar echoed throughout the inn, causing great nuisance to the other guests there. It went without saying that he caused even more trouble for them by searching for the two until morning...

“Find them! They must still be nearby!!!”

“Heheh, I think you’re forgetting my specialty magic, Boss.”

Oh, it seemed they didn’t think they were quite done yet. It was hard to tell because of the all-black attire, but the subordinate seemed to be grinning. Seeing this, Sven’s dangerous smirk returned to his face.

There was a chain connected to the staff in the sorcerer’s hand, which floated up in the air of its own accord. A light appeared there, forming a blurry image of eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Whatever it was, it was clearly not from this world.

“That’s right, your necromancy. With this...”

“Yes... No matter where they hide, they can never escape my wraiths. Those children will spend their nights cowering in fear! And you will be the one to chase them down, Boss.”

The sorcerer let out an ominous laugh... but unfortunately for them, the two were long gone from not only this town, but this world entirely, and the efforts of using necromancy had ended in vain. They became desperate after getting their hopes up pointlessly and continued searching to exhaustion. “They’re gone...” they muttered with the morning sun upon them, collapsing into sleep.