Chapter of Elf, Episode 3: Magi Drake

First came the feeling of drifting downward. Then I heard the sound of an elf breathing in her sleep. The dark apartment had become even darker, and the sensation of the soft, warm bed felt long forgotten. Instead, I felt a cold, hard sensation against my back as something rigid and sharp dug into it. I found myself in empty darkness, and noted aloud that my theory was right.

There were times when I’d woken up in a different spot from where I died, but that was only when I was in a place that would be stuck in an endless loop of death, like when I fell in a sea of magma. In cases where I woke up peacefully like this, it was usually in the same spot.

“Hmm, it may be true that someone is overseeing this place.”

As I spoke, I noted just how rested I felt. We both yawned, then slowly got up on our feet.

“Well, uhh... I guess it’s time to start our mission.”

“I’m going to need you to get it together. Keep talking all sleepy like that, and you’re going to make me lose all my motivation.”

I received a disapproving comment from beside me, and a light spirit appeared shortly after. A robed elf appeared like a candle illuminating the darkness, and we smiled at each other despite the horrible situation we were in. It seemed we cleared the first of our problems, at least.

“I’m glad you were able to get back safely. I’m really sorry for putting you through so much danger.”

“It’s all right, I had fun. The delicious food, cherry blossoms, and comfortable shoes... They were all wonderful. Thank you for that.”

I didn’t realize she was such a nice, straightforward girl, and I couldn’t help but stare at her genuine smile. Even though it was only for a day, I was grateful to have the chance to get to know Mariabelle for the enchanting woman she was.

But standing here like this was just asking to be found by the dragon. And, sure enough, giant claws extended from the cliffs just below us, shaking the ground as they climbed their way up. Her obsidian eyes were full of rage, and black fire flickered in her mouth full of sharp fangs. The surrounding rocks melted as the flames touched them, and it seemed we were about to meet a similar fate.

Upon seeing us looking up to her while holding each other’s hands, however, the arkdragon blinked, seemingly taken aback. Realizing this, I collected myself and spoke with the calmest voice I could muster.

“We’re sorry for trespassing in your home. I only wanted to see your eggs, and I brought her along with me, albeit against her will. Could you please at least allow her to leave?”

My words could be understood by the dragon, but not Marie. I’d known of the “dragon guards,” thanks to the lizardman we met as soon as we entered the ruins, and figured the arkdragon would understand the language of humanoid reptilians.

I’d also heard that dragons protecting their eggs acted based on powerful protective instincts. The question now was how to placate those instincts. We’d spent some time the night prior to think up a plan, but the most important thing we concluded was to show we weren’t hostile. Then, we could take the arkdragon by surprise and calm her down. Luckily, our planning seemed to pay off, because her intimidating growl quieted down, and the blazing flame began fizzing out. The obsidian eyes staring at us seemed to have an inquisitive look to them. I was secretly relieved to find Marie was right, and the dragon didn’t seem to be just another heartless monster. To use the “secret weapon” for this mission, there was a fair bit of tact that would be required.

“It may not be much, but we hope this will help appease your anger.”

With that, I produced a plain bottle of beer that could be found anywhere in Japan. If the stories were true, she may have an interest in barley-based alcohol.

Opening a bottle in front of a dragon was quite a strange sight. But considering our lives were on the line, there was no way we could burst into laughter right then. The only thing that should be bursting were the bubbles from the beer bottle.

The dragon’s large snout grew closer, then took a whiff. The beer loaded with malt smelled of alcohol with a faint bitterness to it. Perhaps it reminded the dragon of the port town, because she continued to breathe in the smell. Her eyes narrowed, and her breath seemed to become somewhat more mellow. Soon, a deep, guttural voice echoed through the caves.

“Hah, hah... Quite an interesting mortal you are, to speak the tongue of the lesser dragons and know of my interests. Not to mention I’ve found you here, unharmed, when I surely incinerated you just yesterday. Reveal the answers to these mysteries, and I will spare your lives. What say you?”

“Yes, gladly... Marie, she says she’ll forgive us.”

She must have been nervous despite her tough front, because her knees grew weak, and she sat down on the floor. She then put her hands to her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

The dragon beckoned us with her enormous talons, and we descended into her den.

The bottom of the cave was surprisingly comprised of a smooth, rocky stretch that seemed to be well-polished. It was said she only appeared once every one thousand years during her spawning season, so the lizardmen may have been taking care of the place.

The dragon lowered her head to our level with her stomach flat against the ground. Before us was a face full of giant fangs. She held three black eggs, and we both let out a “whoaaa” in marvel of their size and obsidian luster.

“Hah, hah... Such peculiar mortals, to wish to see my eggs. You are quite the reckless ones, but many have lost their lives from excessive curiosity. Do tread carefully from here on.”

The area was very warm, much like the breath coming from the dragon’s nostrils. The ground was also warm from geothermal heat, almost like a bedrock bath.

“Is she warming her eggs?” Marie spoke up. “The spirits here are quite active. Dragons can control spirits freely, much better than we ever could.”

“Huh, I didn’t know that. Well, I still don’t even know what spirits are, to be honest...”

I couldn’t see them myself, but there were apparently countless spirits flying all around us.

The dragon deftly turned her egg around with the tip of her claw as her eyes turned toward Marie and I.

“Hmm, a resident of the dream world, you say? I’ve heard of such beings before from an acquaintance of mine. I assumed they were delirious, but... Hah, hah, it appears to be true.”

Oh right, I’d charged against a dragon for fun a few times before, but I couldn’t even land a single hit before being turned to ashes by this one, so I doubted they were mad at me.

“Yes, I... oh, and Mariabelle here, both are. Yesterday, we had a bizarre experience, as we went to a world known as Japan together.”

The dragon blinked curiously. The patterns on her obsidian body undulated as she breathed. The movement seemed to have a sense of regularity and peculiar beauty to it.

“Hmm, you are interesting, indeed. It is quite boring while I wait for my eggs to hatch. And I have been wondering not just about that barley alcohol of yours, but also... that smell. Child of man, what is that you are hiding?”

“What? Noth... Ah!”

Come to think of it, I did smell a sweet, appetite-inducing aroma. I realized I knew what it was and opened the bag that had been left on the ground, releasing the fragrance into the air. The bento I’d packed for lunch seemed to have been warmed up by geothermal heat to the perfect temperature.

“Oh, is that the leftovers from last night’s katsudon?”

“Yeah, the one I left by my pillow... I’m sorry, this bento is the source of the smell. If it bothers you, I can get rid of it.”

“Hmm? No, I do not mind. It is not unpleasant in the slightest, but my nostrils are much too sensitive... Hrm... It is too difficult to speak in this form. As well, the drink you brought as a token of apology will hardly moisten my tongue before it runs out.”

Speaking with a mouth as big as a car did seem quite tiring. It seemed the dragon was no longer cautious of us. It was only natural, considering there was no way we could even harm her. I didn’t know if they existed in this world, but I’d rather have left all that serious slaying stuff to heroes and the like.

The dragon called out with a strangely high-pitched voice and began speaking mysterious, hard-to-understand words. I had no idea what was being said because I could only understand the language of lesser dragons, but it sounded like: “Become humanoid do io namaff emokeb.”

“Dragon Magic?! It can’t be... I’ve never heard it in person before!”

It seemed the elf was still afraid, seeing as she clung onto my back as she spoke. I didn’t know much about magic myself, but... I wished she’d realize that robes are thin, so it didn’t do much to filter the sense of her body pressing against mine. I certainly wasn’t going to complain, but I wasn’t entirely used to girls, so my body just tensed up.

“Kazuhiho, you may not know this, but a high concentration of magic is being condensed right now. A mere mortal couldn’t dream of ever reaching magic of such heights... Look, it’s about to activate!”

I looked where she was directing my gaze and saw the dragon’s chest gleaming.

“That’s not attack magic, is it...?” I vaguely wondered to myself as something unbelievable unfolded before me.

It looked like the dragon spit out some shining, human-shaped object, but it quickly developed a skeleton, muscle fibers, and flesh, transforming into a woman’s body.

“What?! D-Did that person just get born right now?!”

“No, that’s a draconian! I’m not sure if you’re familiar with them, but they’re born by using a Dragon Core. I never would have guessed the legendary draconians truly existed!”

Ah, she was right. I really did have no idea what that was. Or maybe my brain stopped working because I was so enamored by the draconian’s beauty.

A gorgeous woman with waist-length black hair had appeared before us. She was completely nude, due to being born just moments ago, and I found myself gaping at her fit body, ample breasts, and the striking obsidian eyes looking back at me. Sorry to say, but compared to Marie’s breasts, which were tightly pressed against me, hers were far more... Oh, now’s not the time!

The only apparent differences between her and a human seemed to be the horns resembling a head ornament, spikes jutting out along her spine, and dragon-like tail. A crackling sound echoed out, and the beautiful woman was soon adorned in armor resembling the arkdragon’s tough hide. The armor itself was shaped like a dress and had a complicated design, allowing it to maintain its high defensive properties while sustaining mobility and range of motion.

The woman adjusted the armor to a proper fit, then turned to me and spoke. “Hmm, that should do it. It has been quite a while since I’ve birthed a form such as this. Tell me, do I appear strange from a human’s perspective?”

“Oh, uhh, not at all. You’re very beautiful.”

The arkdragon’s eyes widened for a moment as she laughed lightheartedly.

“Hah, hah, then I suppose there is no problem. Well, child of man, I will have that drink and treat of yours now.”

Her smile was ladylike, but it had the intensity of a dragon behind it. Because of this, my spine went rigid and, with no other choice, I gave in to the dragon’s... Wait, what?

“Wait, do you mean my katsudon? But my cooking is far from worthy of being served to an arkdragon such as yourself.”

“Nh, you whelp! Of course I wouldn’t desire food such as... No, no. Ahem. A sample. I have never eaten human food before. Therefore, I wish to sample it.”

What? If she didn’t need to eat it, there was no need to sample it, either. But she kept glancing at my bento with the same look in her eye that Marie had from last night.

Y-Yeah... If she wants it, I don’t really mind...

“Wh-What is she saying?” Marie, who had hidden behind me long ago, whispered into my ear.

Ah, maybe I shouldn’t tell her the dragon wanted the katsudon. Well, that was the truth, so there wasn’t much that could be done about that in the end.

As we whispered back and forth, the dragon seemed to mistake our conversation for a debate on whether or not to give her the bento. She suddenly had a flustered look on her face, then raised her index finger.

“H-Hm. Yes. I did not say you would go unrewarded. No, I would not presume such arrogance. How about I bestow one of my scales to you? Not one of the scales on the ground that has run out of magic, but one still on my body.”

“Oh, are you sure...? Marie’s been wanting one, so that would be fantastic.”

“Yes. It will grow back in no time. In any case, I will have the lizardmen clean my sleeping place once my eggs have hatched.”

The beautiful woman thrust out her hand with her palm up, as if to say the deal had been made. I couldn’t refuse, so I handed her the bento, and the draconian smiled in response.

I’d found myself in a strange situation. There, in front of me, the dragon was sitting on the back leg of her true form’s remains and placing beer and a bento on the front leg.

How had we gotten to this point? I’d thought we were on a life-or-death mission until just recently. But I did prefer to not die, so I gladly served the arkdragon like a waiter. I poured the golden beer into a glass I’d brought with me, the arkdragon peering into it without blinking all the while. Despite all that she must have seen in the thousands of years she’d lived, the fine bubbles fizzing on the surface seemed to interest her greatly.

“Hmm, so this is the so-called glass of recent days. I see it allows one to enjoy this beautiful, golden view through the container.”

“Yes, it’s glass specifically for beer. I believe drinking it after taking a bite of the food is the best way to enjoy it.”

I was right to bring a fork in case Marie needed it. As a side note, it was strange that glassware and chopsticks would return to my pillow when I woke up, but that was something I’d have to look into later.

As advised, the dragon tossed the cutlet into her mouth first. It was nice and steamy from the residual heat of the ground, and juices full of umami seeped out of the fragrant pork meat. The dragon’s eyes widened immediately, and I watched, speechless, as the humanoid dragon’s tail slammed against the ground. She then let out loud “Mmmmmm!!!” writhed around for a bit, then began digging into the food at full speed.

“Hng! Nng! Good! So gooooood!”

Seeing a black-haired beauty stuff her face like that was quite the sight. The scene of her mealtime was far more intense than we imagined, and Marie and I could only stare without uttering a word.

As the dragon happily chewed her food, she finally remembered the main event. She looked at the bubbling beer glass and let out an audible gulp, her obsidian eyes glimmering with anticipation. Finally, the amber liquid was poured down the dragon’s throat. The savory katsudon being washed down with the chilled beer made a fantastic combination. The bitter taste of barley did take some getting used to, but that was no issue for the arkdragon, considering her love for beer.

The bitter taste would quickly turn to delicious flavor, and you couldn’t help but tilt the glass and drink heartily. The carbonation included from the brewing process made it all the more refreshing. If you let out a contented sigh, the aroma of would barley pass through your nose. This could be the reason why a beer tasted so good after a long day’s work.

“Urrrgh. This is! H-Hm... Not bad. A passing mark, I would say... Do all humans eat treats such as this?”

“Oh, no. The cooking was homemade, and the alcohol is from Japan. I don’t think you’d find these things sold normally here.”

Upon hearing my response, her nicely shaped eyebrows drooped sadly as she muttered, “A shame. I was considering conquering a human habitation...”

Th-That was close... I nearly got some settlement annihilated.

Well, I was still glad she seemed to like it.

Marie, who’d been watching the events unfold, asked me a question as I put a hand to my chest in relief.

“Did she like it? She must have, considering how good your cooking is. So, what were you discussing with the draconian earlier?”

“Oh, she said she’s going to give us one of her scales as thanks. You’ve been wanting one, so I thought it’d be nice.”

Marie’s eyes widened in surprise, then she whispered, “A bento for a scale of the arkdragon?!”

From what I heard last time, a dragon’s scale seemed to be extremely valuable, though I personally didn’t know much about that.

“They’re incredibly valuable. In fact, a mage would probably give everything they have to get their hands on one. A magical item that can supply you with magic can increase the limits of your capabilities, so people will pay as much as they can.”

“Yup, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

It was hard for me to visualize such a vague price when all I was interested in was traveling and seeing the sights. Maybe this was the result of having the mindset of, “I’d rather go around enjoying this fantasy world than dealing with other people.”

Clang!

A melancholy sound rang out. I turned to the source and found a draconian looking at an empty bento box, seemingly on the verge of tears.

Ah... That dragon was really easy to read when she was in humanoid form. It was making me sad just looking at her.

“It’s all gone...”

“Oh, I do have another one.”

The beauty whirled around to face me, then swiftly extended her hand out toward me. Suddenly, she seemed to realize something. She raised an eyebrow and picked up a rock from the ground.

“I will, of course, repay you appropriately. How about this rock? I admit I do not understand their worth, but humans seem to think highly of these.”

“Umm... Marie? Are you okay trading for that rock?”

The remaining bento was supposed to be Marie’s, so I thought I’d ask for her input. I showed her the blue stone the draconian gave me, and Marie peered at it curiously.

“What is this blue rock...? It looks like it changed to this color. No, it’s more like... something seeped into and solidified inside it... Kazuhiho, could you ask her what this is?”

“Excuse me, what is this rock?”

“A rock that has been soaked in my blood. As you know, I have laid my eggs. The blood from then has since been absorbed into the surrounding rocks.”

Huh, so dragons have blue blood...

Hardened blood, or a katsudon. I had no idea which was worth more. I asked Marie for her input again, and, for some reason, she became expressionless and very still.

“Huh? Marie? What’s wrong?”

“...ly...”

“Come again?”

“G-Give her the bento for that rock. Quickly...”

Marie’s eyes gleamed eerily. Unable to refuse her intense, somewhat scary pressure, I nodded enthusiastically and told the draconian we would take her offer. The dragon’s face lit up with a brilliant smile in response.

“Yes, yes! I knew you two would understand! We have a deal, then!”

As I handed her the other bento, the draconian embraced it against her ample breasts as if it were a gift from a lover, then gave it a tender kiss. Immediately after, she demonstrated her far-from-ladylike appetite as she devoured it, and I was again taken aback by the extreme difference from her outward appearance.

I was admiring how intense a dragon’s mealtime was when I heard Marie mumbling something to herself.

“Dragon’s... Dragon’s blood... Dragon’s blood... for a bento...”

She was staring at the rock she’d received with a blank expression on her face.

Uhh... Yeah, she has a weird intensity of her own, I thought to myself.

And so, our mission was complete, though I’d had no idea we would end up with gifts of dragon blood and a dragon scale instead of running for our lives.

“Child of man, you are welcome to return. And next time, you will bring more of this ‘bento.’ Three... No, four of them,” the arkdragon told me as the iron gratings were opened. Her eyes were full of intellect, despite her rather silly comments... but I decided not to dwell on that too much.

“Then, I’ll see you again. Thank you for your hospitality.”

I waved goodbye, and our meeting with the dragon came to an end. But as we left the ruins, I noticed Marie was staggering around haphazardly.

“What’s wrong? Are you hungry? Hold on to my hand. I’m afraid you’ll hurt yourself.”

“Yes, thank you...”

She took my hand without hesitation. It was like we were lovers, and I couldn’t help but feel happy about it. I was thinking about how it was a bit of a shame that we were the same height in this world, unlike in Japan, when Marie spoke to me in a quiet voice.

“They say dragon’s blood can cure any illness... This and the scale are so valuable that I don’t know what to do...”

“I-I see... Then maybe you should just sell it somewhere, or share it with some sick person.”

“...That’s the problem.” Marie shook her head. “They’re both worth a fortune, but people will definitely raise questions about how I acquired them. It would be impossible to keep it a secret. That’s just how valuable they are.”

She seemed incredibly troubled for someone who had just obtained objects of such value. I thought it was strange and looked up to the ruins in the darkness. Then the answer hit me.

“Oh, I get it... Then people will find out about the magi drake’s sleeping place.”

Marie nodded.

I’d heard magi drakes only appear once every thousand years, when it’s time to lay their eggs. Someone powerful could see this as their opportunity to attack. But this was the legendary arkdragon we were talking about; anyone who challenged her definitely wouldn’t go home unscathed. But would she be able to fight and protect her eggs at the same time...?

“Ah, so that’s it. I finally understand why this place was reduced to ruins.”

“Hm...?”

I must have piqued her curiosity, because her eyes turned toward me.

“Once every thousand years, the arkdragon lays her eggs. The people of these ruins must have tried to get their hands on them, then.”

“So the persistent dragon pursued them down to their underground city, the residents fled, and she’s stayed there since... It would normally be eerie to think about, but considering the city was wiped out one thousand years ago, it all lines up.”

Something I said must have helped her make up her mind about the dragon’s gifts, because she suddenly seemed to regain her usual demeanor. I watched in confusion as she unclasped my bag and put the items inside.

“Then it’s settled. We’ll decide what to do with this item after the magi drakes are grown and leave their nest. And it’s definitely safer for you to hold on to it.”

“What? I hope I don’t lose it...”

Marie giggled, then hugged my arm. Compared to when we were in Japan, however, her breasts were pressing against me at a much higher position.

“If it happens, it happens. Don’t worry; I wouldn’t get angry at you. Someday, we could brag in some pub and say: ‘We’ve met the legendary arkdragon before.’”

“Hmm, but all we did was watch her eat katsudon... Well, I guess we could at least brag to the kids.”

Her smiling face froze with my comment, and then her face turned red. I had no idea why she reacted that way, but I thought she looked very attractive.

By the time we’d gotten outside, in each other’s arms, no less, the sun was already beginning to set. Then, our stomachs growled audibly, and I realized we hadn’t eaten anything all day.

“Why don’t we go to Sissle? They’re well known for their light meals. So much so that you could eat as much as you want and never get full.”

“Yeah, that might be nice once in a while. Oh, what about lodging for the night? I’ll be going back to Japan, but don’t you need to worry about where to stay?”

I peered over at her face as we walked toward the town. There was something I couldn’t ask her the previous night...

Will this be goodbye?

I spoke to her casually, but I was actually feeling quite nervous. But the elf girl’s ears perked up as she laughed cheerfully.

“No, I don’t need to worry about that, either. I’m going to your country with you, after all. And just like you promised in the beginning, I’ll have you teach me your language. I mean Japanese, of course.”

I was taken by surprise, but a part of me expected it, too. For some reason, I had a feeling we would be spending much more time together. For example, I’d come home from work, and an adorable elf would be waiting for me, making some bento. Then we’d depart to another world together. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful life?

A grin spread across my face as we walked toward Sissle, but Marie had a perplexed expression while she bombarded me with questions. Before we knew it (possibly because my footsteps felt so light), we’d arrived at our destination much earlier than expected.