The Dragon

Filéalemis, a neighboring country to the west of Rondéville.

In its eastern forest, three youths were walking.

One of them, a young raccoon beastkin, raised the bag in his hand and smiled wryly.

"That firehound was pretty strong."

"Only because you underestimated it."

"Ow-"

Poked with the tip of a scabbard, the raccoon beastkin nearly stumbled.

Though he scowled in protest at the birdkin youth, he knew he couldn't deny it and laughed it off instead.

Watching the two from the side, the otter beastkin mumbled a complaint as he looked up at the clouds passing overhead.

"Really though, things have been pretty dull lately…"

The three youths were the same age and from the same hometown. Friends since childhood, they had long shared a hand-to-mouth life as members of the mercenary guild.

Monster hunting had been exciting at first, and although they could now handle a D-rank commission without too much trouble so long as they didn't let their guard down, it still felt like something was missing.

Even so, they didn't have the fighting spirit or the drive to push for higher ranks, and instead spent their days going through the motions.

"It's fine, isn't it? We're still young, something good will happen sooner or later."

"Yeah… Though with this haul, we can't even hit the red-light district."

"Aaah, I want moneeey, I want wooomen."

Chatting idly, the three made their way through the forest.

This path was the shortest route back to the town, but it was an animal trail overgrown with weeds, with tree branches reaching across it in many places.

Naturally, there were plenty of blind spots. But they were fighters, and they didn't neglect to keep watch for enemies.

After a few minutes, the young birdkin stopped.

"What's up?"

"… That thing over there, what is it?"

Looking in the direction he pointed, they saw a pure white oval buried in the tall grass.

The three exchanged glances and cautiously drew closer to the object.

"This is…"

"… An egg?"

It was an egg slightly smaller than a basketball.

When they reached out to pick it up and get a closer look, it shone with a wondrous seven-colored light. Before they knew it, the three were entranced by the egg.

Just then, a distinct rustling sound rang out. Hurriedly, the three checked their surroundings.

"… Is something there?"

"N-no, there's nothing…"

Among the sounds of trees and grass rustling in the wind, only the sound of his own throat swallowing seemed unusually loud.

"This… what kind of egg do you think it is?"

The three's gazes once again focused on the egg.

"No idea… but it seems rare."

"… Might fetch a good price. We should probably sell it."

At the raccoon beastkin's words, the three exchanged strained smiles.

Good fortune might have rained down on them.

Without another word, the three nodded to each other and hurried their steps toward town.

 

*

 

Shifting time and location, now to the east of Rondéville.

"What are you two doing next?"

A Balta Fort sentry called out to the two women.

Unlike the sentries who wore full body armor, the two wore relatively lightweight equipment. But from the weapons they carried, he could tell they were guild members.

Though the sentry was male, the two—having travelled together for only a short while—understood he wasn't calling out with any ill intent. But unable to grasp the meaning, the tiger beastkin tilted her head.

"What did that mean?"

"Lodging. Can we stay at the fort?"

As she said that, the beastkin woman looked at the human woman next to her.

The two turned back to the sentry at the same time, and the human woman spoke up.

"That was our plan… is something wrong?"

In response to her concerned expression, the sentry waved his hand in denial and gave a strained laugh.

"If you head southwest from here, you'll come to a town called Lunéville. If you're planning on staying a while, I'd recommend going there."

"Lunéville?"

When it came to towns near Balta Fort, Pinéaville and Harville were the well-known ones.

As Pinéaville was the closest port city to the Akradist Kingdom's border, it was famous for its flourishing shipping and fishing industries. On the flip side, that liveliness had led to poor public order in some parts.

Harville was an inn town on the main road connecting the royal capital and Pinéaville. To capitalize on travelers arriving by ship from Akradist and Pinéaville, lodging and food costs were set on the high side.

But from the information the women had purchased before coming to this continent, they had never heard of a town named Lunéville.

"It's a good town. Lodging is cheap and the public order is good."

"And above all, the food is delicious!"

Another sentry leaned forward and added.

"Food? That much?"

"Yeah! Once you've eaten there, the food around here might as well be field rations."

"It's nice to interact with the kids there too."

"Yeah! Everyone's so friendly, and that elf receptionist's listless expression—"

As the sentries veered off onto a different topic, the two women exchanged glances.

"Shall we?"

"Hmm…"

The human woman looked at the sentries.

She could tell from their conduct so far that they weren't the type to make a living by deceiving people. On top of that, as someone of noble birth, just looking at a person's face made it plain to her how much darkness they carried.

"I think going there is fine."

"It's settled then. As for me, I want to see the elf."

"That's your reason!?"

Motives aside, the tiger beastkin, Elivia Granka, belonged to the mercenary guild, and the human woman, Katia Maiski, belonged to the magic guild. Their destination changed to Lunéville.

"Heeeh, it's pretty big."

 

"I was pretty anxious when the main road ended halfway, but now I'm relieved."

No longer worrying about having to sleep outdoors, the two walked into Lunéville in high spirits.

The main street was properly paved, and water flowing along both sides of it from the distant central park lent a refreshing feel.

Used to Akradist's uniform bright white townscape of slanted roofs facing the sea, the two found Lunéville and Balta Fort's townscape rather ordinary.

However, the branch in front of them stood out.

Though it kept the bilateral symmetry it shared with the surrounding buildings, the steps and porte-cochère projecting from its entryway, supported by stone pillars, gave its design a solemn and profound feeling when viewed from the front. While it was by no means picturesque, there was a sublime beauty in its admirable harmony.

But of the few people walking nearby, none stopped to admire the building.

"I wonder if everyone's just used to seeing it?"

"… Maybe."

When their eyes met those of someone passing by, they were given a friendly smile. They hadn't felt it in a long time—a sense of being country bumpkins themselves—and the two exchanged wry smiles.

"… Go in?"

"… Yeah."

Steeling themselves with a glance, they pushed open the wooden doors that gave such a dignified impression. Looking inside the branch, they stiffened all over again at the sight.

There were a great many people in the dining hall.

People were talking excitedly, others were engrossed in their food, and staff bustled to and fro serving tables. Despite being a reasonably large town, the number of people on the street had felt strangely small. It wouldn't have been a stretch to think all of the townspeople were crammed in here.

"Welcome."

A clear voice reached their ears, snapping the two out of their stunned stillness.

There was no need to search for the owner of the voice; their gazes were drawn straight to the girl standing behind the reception desk.

With long, radiant golden hair, the girl had snow-white skin and deep blue eyes reminiscent of the ocean. She wore a beautiful smile that shook their hearts, and there was a kind of magic to her beauty that made it hard to look away.

They saw long ears on the sides of her small face.

Though their knowledge wasn't terribly precise, there was no mistaking that appearance.

(That's…)

(The rumored elf…)

Just like a moment ago, their feet moved forward on their own as though they had been lured in.

They wondered whether the people making noise nearby were simply used to the girl. Or perhaps, they were drunk on her magical power?

While Elivia stayed suspicious of their surroundings and Katia pegged her for a magician, they struck up a conversation with the elf girl.

"You guys are doing pretty well here."

The words slipped out before she could stop them, and Elivia surprised herself.

With a smile that filled her whole face, the elf girl simply replied, "Thankfully."

From that single word, the two were already charmed.

Despite being of the same sex, the feeling the two unconsciously held wasn't jealousy or even envy. If anything, it was a longing closer to reverence, you might say.

"Are you two here on a mission?"

They had come to the branch first for two reasons.

To accept a commission for travel expenses, and to gather information while taking on the commission.

"No, the sentries at Balta Fort recommended this place to us."

"They said that if we were going to stay somewhere, Lunéville would definitely be better than Pinéaville or Harville."

With the two answering without hesitation, the elf girl seemed to understand.

"Oh, your first time here?"

"Welcome, then."

Katia and Elivia were aware that their looks were ordinary.

But even so, they were still two women, and it wouldn't have been unusual to be hit on or worse; they had been leered at with dangerous eyes more than a few times before. So when the two men seated at the counter offered words of welcome, they grew more vigilant, ready to head off any trouble.

However, paying no mind to their wariness, the men readily struck up conversation with the customers at the table seats.

"Please."

At the elf girl's prompting, the two took empty seats.

Looking over the dining hall again, most of the tables were full of smiles. Of the guilds they had visited so far, some had been just as busy, but the bustle had never felt as harmonious as it did here.

"Have you decided on an inn yet?"

"No, I figured we'd come and eat first. The sentries at the fort said the food here was delicious."

The words came out a bit teasingly, and Elivia surprised herself again.

(It happened again.)

Before she knew it, she felt none of the wariness or tension she would normally have, the same as when she spoke with her companion Katia. Her state of mind while talking with the elf was simply amiable.

She thought it was strange, but didn't sense anything suspicious about it.

The elf girl's expression softened a little further at Elivia's words.

"I don't know whether we'll be able to meet your expectations, but… Elizah—"

At her clear call, a fox beastkin dressed in the same clothes as the elf girl came over.

Though many fox beastkin had tsurime eyes, hers didn't seem to. If anything, they had a gallant look. She had swaying light brown hair and large ears, with a big tail tipped in white. Together with her uniform, she gave off an adorable atmosphere.

"What's up, Ilya. Ah—"

Stopping mid-sentence, Elizah saw the two girls sitting at the counter and realized why she had been called over.

"Welcome. Your menus will be right with you."

With a refined smile that didn't feel forced in the slightest, she bowed. She took menus from the stack next to the counter hatch and returned to the two right away.

Looking at the menus in their hands, the two girls' eyes went wide.

Each listed item had a realistic picture beside it, with each dish's effects and benefits written in casual phrasing.

Even more than the sheer number of items on the menu, just looking at the various pictures made their stomachs feel hollow, leaving them too distracted to choose.

"Let's seeee. Our gold's a bit thin; guess we need to work…"

While the two were fretting next to the counter, several men and women who had been sitting paid their bill and stood up.

A man and woman with swords, a man with a bow, and a woman with a spear. As members of the mercenary guild, their vanguard-and-rearguard balance was solid.

The group stood in front of the bulletin board, talking with each other as they looked through the commission charts. Before long, they picked one out.

"Ilya-chan, this one please."

They brought a commission chart with a monster subjugation written on it.

"Certainly."

Taking their registration cards along with the commission chart, the elf girl, Ilya, began processing the subjugation request.

Without noticing the slight chill that had crept into her smile, the group was getting worked up over the commission's target.

"Pavel, isn't this one even easier?"

"Oi oi, that rondébear we hunted the other day was pretty high level, y'know? Though even if there are a bunch of these, it'd still be an easy win. Right, Ilya-chan?"

Ilya looked down at the commission chart, and so did Elivia and the others. The subjugation target was a laoloa boar—a huge wild boar that inhabited the mountains of the Laoloa continent. As the swordsman named Pavel said, the laoloa boar had the abilities and build of a weakened rondéville boar (the species that lived only near Rondéville).

Since they weren't doing any particular harm, the quota of ten was probably meant to thin their numbers in preparation for the coming harvest season.

While Ilya was thinking that as she looked at the group, she nodded without hesitation.

"That's right. As long as you keep from getting surrounded, I don't expect you'll have any problems."

"See!"

"However, since their second breeding season just ended, please be absolutely certain you don't chase them too far. When they're protecting their young, even the non-aggressive ones will go into a frenzy."

"Ah, seriously…? Got it…"

Laoloa boars had the habit of chasing a target indefinitely once enraged.

They didn't push back against her certain tone, taking it instead not just as useful information but as reassuring advice.

Finishing the registration as they spoke, Ilya placed their registration cards and the commission chart back on the counter for them.

Then she turned her gaze toward Javier, the man with the bow.

"As long as Javier-san keeps a careful watch from the rear, you'll be fine. Well then, here are your registration cards."

"Ah, right! Understood!"

Judging by the force of his reply after hearing his name called, Javier was all fired up.

The women nearby, Katia included, would normally have shot him cold, unimpressed looks at such a remark, but this time it was different.

Since the one praising him was Ilya, some couldn't help but feel a flicker of pity for him. Others sent envious looks his way, wishing the same thing could be said to them.

"Please note that subjugation outside the designated area does not count… Good luck."

When Ilya bowed as if she paid no mind to the scene unfolding in front of her, Orletta, the swordswoman, dragged the man back by the scruff of his neck.

"Yeah yeah. See ya later, Ilya. We'll be back to eat here when we finish the job!"

"I'll look forward to it, Orletta-san."

After watching the four head out, Ilya turned back to the two sitting at the counter.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Ah, not yet."

Even though Ilya's eyes met hers as she turned, she didn't seem the least bit bothered by being watched. Guessing that Ilya had been aware of them watching her the entire time she handled the registration, Katia hung her head in shame. Elivia laughed in embarrassment.

"It's my first time seeing an elf, but it's true that they really do live up to being called beauties."

Even when complimented, Ilya barely showed any reaction at all.

Considering that she was in a job with plenty of opportunities to meet people, it was easy to imagine someone like her hearing such things over and over. In truth, Ilya simply accepted compliments as though they were directed at someone else, since she knew what made up her body after reincarnating, but Elivia didn't know that.

(Maybe it came across as flattery…)

As Elivia was reflecting on it with a hint of regret, she noticed that Katia was muttering something.

"The staff here are so polite… Elivia, couldn't we make this our base for a while?"

"I'd really like to, but…"

Elivia looked at the bulletin board crowded with commission charts.

There were subjugation commissions among the listings, but they were all a ways away from Lunéville. They'd heard people in carriages say on the way that Lunéville was peaceful, but considering they were taking jobs for the mercenary guild, the distance between the base and the commission areas was just too far.

"So we'd only be able to make it work by taking commissions with big rewards, like that group from earlier."

"Ah… I see…"

Muttering her agreement, Elivia looked around the dining room.

The number of guests was unusually high, and much like the previous group, they kept coming back to spend their earnings over and over.

To put it another way, the only thing making that worthwhile was this town… or rather, this branch.

Taking that into account, Elivia turned to Ilya with a wry smile.

"Ah, umm… Ilya, was it? For various reasons, we'll be in your care for a little while."

"My name's Katia. This one here is Elivia."

"Katia-san and Elivia-san, is it? I'll do my best to support you."

After that, the two forgot about their travel fatigue and lost track of time talking with Ilya about all sorts of things.

Rumors like Orbwight Kingdom's arena being shut down over a fuss about fixed matches, or an ice dragon being spotted in the northeast of Akradist Kingdom, and so on.

They talked about a wide range of subjects, but Ilya was such a good listener that the two girls came dangerously close to letting slip that they were a Windia noble and a commissioned officer's daughter.

The arena business was a blunder for the guild as well. Although the information had reached the branch, Ilya had even thanked them for the rare chance to hear the citizens' side of it. Getting swept up in the moment from that was part of why they nearly let it slip.

One thing Ilya was particularly interested in was the story about the ice dragon. In contrast to the tyrant spider, a disaster-designated monster that had recently appeared near Lunéville, this was a calamity-designated divine beast. Snow falling in the surrounding area could mean life or death for many people.

[Clairvoyance] [Mind Reading] [Eidetic Hearing] [Prophetic Dreams] [Star Memory]

If Ilya used those skills freely, she could know the world's past, present, and future. They were difficult to use, however.

If she carelessly let on that she knew things, people would ask how she knew and grow suspicious. That would only put the cart before the horse and make her job harder.

And so, Ilya decided to wait until she happened across new information.

People visiting Lunéville, like Katia and Elivia, often brought gossip with them to share.

(If people keep coming in from the cities, it looks like we'll need to expand the branch…)

While she was thinking such things, Ilya drifted off to sleep.

 

*

 

Around the time the people of Lunéville were drifting off to sleep.

A figure wrapped in darkness ran through the forest west of Rondéville.

"Hah…!! Hah…!!"

The scorching pain in his throat was getting worse, but his body needed air no matter what.

Though he kept tripping over jutting tree roots and tangled weeds, he focused solely on running.

"Gaul! Stop!"

"-!?"

Hearing his name called, the raccoon beastkin, Gaul, scowled at the owner of the voice.

Even if there was a chance they could shake their pursuer in the darkness, he couldn't believe his friend would give away their position so willingly.

However, the birdkin youth Gaul was scowling at grabbed his shoulder, forcibly stopping him mid-step.

"Oi, are you out of your mind!? Ruben! Run!"

"It's alright! That guy isn't coming anymore!"

"Eh…!?"

Looking around while breathing heavily, he saw an otter beastkin running over.

However, his pace was nowhere near top speed; if anything, he was being more cautious of his surroundings.

"… Hah～"

Gaul dropped down hard on the spot.

Catching up, the otter beastkin hung his head when he saw what Gaul was carrying.

"The egg… this is all because we didn't get rid of it…"

"W-we managed to get away somehow! It could've been more dangerous to throw it away!"

"How?"

Gaul groaned at the birdkin youth Ruben's biting murmur, and the otter beastkin's wry smile dispelled the tense atmosphere.

Once they had caught their breath, the three looked around, taking stock of their surroundings and collecting themselves.

"… Where are we?"

"No idea, we've been running all over the place… Ruben, can you fly?"

"Yeah. My magical power's back, I'll go."

With that, Ruben took off, clad in wind.

Normally, people needed to cast magic in order to fly. However, birdkin could achieve the same results as flight magic without the chant.

While looking up at his friend circling in the sky, Gaul asked his other friend a question.

"Teemo… did you get a look at that strange horse?"

"… No."

In their minds was the image of a horned horse with what looked like scales instead of fur. The three of them had run because that horse had attacked them.

"But, it didn't really seem like the egg's parent… it chased Ruben and me too."

"… Well, horses don't lay eggs to begin with."

"It could've been a monster though."

"A monster?"

Gaul tried to dismiss the idea as foolish, but he recalled that the horse had been using magic.

Calling it a monster just because it used magic was a stretch on its own, but it was more plausible than an ordinary animal using it.

"… Are monsters born from eggs?"

"No idea…"

The next moment, an unnatural sound rang through the air, cutting off the languid conversation.

Startled, they sprang up and looked around. Then, bang. The sound of something huge crashing down echoed through the air.

Frozen by the sudden, unexpected event, after a moment they realized what it might have been.

"" Ruben!? ""

They pushed through the grass toward the source of the sound.

"D-don't come over here!!"

"" -!? ""

"That's… blood!"

When Gaul turned his gaze toward Teemo's words, a shadow was clinging to his friend's body as Teemo stared at his own hand.

Gaul couldn't make out the shadow's identity. But, taken aback by its strangeness, he reached out.

"Teemo!!"

"-!?"

Shoved aside as if being brushed away, Teemo first felt a dull pain in his upper arm.

The next instant, a sharp, tearing pain ripping his upper arm open from the inside drowned out everything else.

"Aguah—!!"

"Dammit!!"

Red splattered… before he could even register that the blood-slick thing was a dagger, Gaul tried to reach for the sword at his waist, but his arm wouldn't move.

When he finally turned his eyes to his right arm, Gaul noticed a dagger jutting out of it.

"Gu-…!!"

A frigid pain shot through his mind, and Gaul broke out in a sweat.

Sinking to the ground from terror and pain, he saw the black figure that had been behind Teemo now standing right in front of him.

Fwoosh, the sound of air being sliced. He guessed that was the dagger being brandished, the same one that had cut through Teemo—

"Uwaaaaaah!!"

To defend himself, Gaul immediately thrust out the egg he was holding under his arm.

There was a momentary pause.

The attack hadn't come?

The instant he thought that—

"Uwaaah!!"

"-!"

He heard a dull thud, and the figure was blown away in front of his eyes.

Following its trajectory, he understood; Teemo had tackled the figure.

However, the hold didn't last long. It kicked off of Teemo and tumbled away.

"Gaul, quick!!"

Teemo got to his feet at once and yanked on Gaul's arm.

"You too, Ruben! Can you stand!?"

Ruben stirred slightly at the sound of Teemo's voice.

But seeing that he couldn't stand, Teemo quickly hoisted him onto his back. His face tightened from the pain of his wounds, but he started running without a second thought.

"Idiot… bastard…!"

"I'm fine with being an idiot!!"

Ruben gritted his teeth at his friends' over-the-top exchange.

Then, while being carried, he started thinking about their opponent.

At first, he had thought it was a bandit. But with those throwing skills, and the fact that the attacker hadn't killed him when he was down, he didn't think a common bandit would use such tactics to lure his comrades in.

But if it wasn't a common bandit, then why were they being targeted?

"… I think the egg is his target."

Gaul broke in on Ruben's train of thought.

It was Teemo who answered.

"Definitely. When he almost cut the egg, he panicked!"

"Then if we hand the egg over…"

"… That won't work."

Ruben cut Gaul off.

"It won't!? Why!?"

"If the egg were his only goal… don't you think it's strange he targeted me, when I was away from the egg…"

"Y-yeah…"

"But when the time comes, use it as a shield… Whatever you do, don't part with it…"

Having said that much, Ruben pushed himself off Teemo's back.

"Ruben!?"

"You guys are dead weight, sorry."

With those words, Ruben cut off his friends, who started to shout in anger.

I'm sorry for calling you dead weight, but I'd be even sorrier if you died.

"It's a shame, but I'll be going on ahead."

When his body floated up at that moment, they understood he had used flying magic.

That he was escaping on his own—neither Gaul nor Teemo thought that for a second.

"… Don't die."

"You too."

"No matter what, make it back alive…!"

But as soon as Ruben took off into the sky, a dagger pierced his foot.

"Wh, at…!?"

The dagger had been thrown from the direction they were running toward. Was there more than one enemy?

"Dammit…!!"

He was running on fumes, but he absolutely had to call for help.

Enduring the pain through sheer willpower, Ruben focused his magic.

While hearing the distant sounds of weapons clashing, he cut through the sky like a blade.

 

*

 

Early the next morning, Ilya woke up to the sound of intense knocking at her door.

"Wake up, Ilya!"

Throwing on her gear in a hurry, she called out to Ria on the other side of the door.

"What's the matter?"

"An injured person! It's serious!"

Among those who completed their requests or reported their failures, there were naturally those who got injured during the mission.

Although the guild was obligated to keep someone in each branch who could use recovery magic, their abilities only went so far as first aid.

So if treatment couldn't stop at first aid, they would have to get further care at a hospital or from a church technique user.

However, since Lunéville wasn't a major city like the royal capital, it didn't have a hospital. And thanks to the thieves guild incident a while back, talks about building a Lottévester Faith church were at an impasse.

Inevitably, Ilya couldn't help but step in for critically injured cases.

"As usual, in the private room on the second floor."

"Got it!"

Without another word, Ilya heard the sound of Ria running off.

Once she finished changing, Ilya descended the stairs from her private room and headed for the nearest stairway connecting the second and third floors.

Three people were lying in beds.

One male birdkin and two male beastkin. The birdkin's foot had started to go necrotic, but thankfully it hadn't been torn off.

(… Normal recovery magic should do.)

Checking over the three men's injuries, Ilya came to that conclusion.

Although it would have been imprudent, she had been prepared to use revival magic even if it meant exposing part of her cheat abilities to others. She was grateful that wasn't necessary.

"Ria, please clear everyone out of here."

"Un, leave it to me!"

Trusting her to usher everyone out of the second-floor hallway and into the dining hall, Ilya drew all of the room's curtains and focused on the treatment.

Lowering the [God King Barrier], she began the chant for the recovery magic.

"—Light of recovery, sweep away the darkness of destruction—"

This was the light-type healing magic that surpassed the fire-type healing magic [Heal]—

"—Healing Light."

A mass of light appeared above Ilya's head, resonating with the elements within the three men's bodies.

Light concentrated on the wounded parts. Before long, the sphere of light dissipated, and the light enveloping the three softened.

Not a single scar remained in the places where the light had faded; the treatment was a success.

Setting aside restoring their physical and mental fatigue with recovery magic for now, Ilya restored the barrier and went down to the first floor to explain the situation.

 

*

 

"What is that…"

It was unusual for her to voice her thoughts directly.

"Ilya, did it go well!?"

"Ah, un. It's alright."

Not just Ria, but everyone gathered in the hall looked relieved.

Normally, she would have found it heartwarming to see so many people worrying about strangers, but right now, that was the furthest thing from her mind.

"That over there… how…?"

Following her gaze, there was the large egg, about the size of a basketball.

Ria answered her question while stroking the egg.

"Ah, this egg? Those three from before brought it in. I wonder if they were attacked by its parents while moving it…"

"That's… I don't think so…"

Thanks to her skill, she knew the egg's name—[Egg of the Dragon God].

What was the dragon god? A descendant of god possessing the dragon element, holder of the title "Manager of the Heavens". The dragon god was a god in its own right, on a wholly different rank from divine beasts (which were merely god-like beasts), and far beyond anything ordinary humans could hope to oppose.

Given the abilities of those three, they would have easily been reduced to cinders the moment they tried to take it.

Stifling a sigh that nearly slipped out at the obvious trouble in front of her, Ilya turned to Ria.

"Those three's registration cards?"

"I've got them. Here."

"Thanks."

The cards showed they belonged to the mercenary guild.

She could see that they had accepted a monster subjugation commission, as well as the quota and how many they had managed to take down.

(So they just happened to come across the egg by chance… maybe?)

Even if that was the most likely explanation, then how had a dragon god that should have been in the Heavenly Palace ended up dropping the egg? It was a complete mystery.

At any rate, as unfortunate as it was for the three who had carried it back at the cost of their injuries, they couldn't afford to let the egg be sold off.

(If things go poorly, a city could perish. Ahaha…)

Now that she had decided how to handle the egg, she noticed the gazes from those around her. Sensing they were waiting for her judgment, Ilya gave her instructions.

"Postpone matters regarding the egg. Desiree-san."

"Yes～"

"Could you find out where these three accepted the commission they registered for?"

"Goooot it."

"Ria, since I'm going to wake Frank-san up, could you look after the egg for me?"

"Got it!"

Ilya headed straight up to the third floor and knocked on Frank's private room door.

"Branch manager, please wake up."

The door opened before long, and Frank appeared, out of uniform and still sporting bedhead.

His appearance might have disillusioned an honest girl, or perhaps made her heart skip a beat, but with the memories of her previous life, Ilya wouldn't be fazed by it in the slightest.

"… What is it?"

"There's something I need to consult you on."

She opened her mouth to explain the current situation to Frank.

Just then—

"Ilya—!"

Ria's shout echoed through the branch.

Apologizing to Frank, she immediately headed downstairs.

"What's wrong?"

Ria silently looked around in response to Ilya's question.

To the dragon god's egg.

Tiny cracks ran across the rainbow-shimmering oval egg.

It shook. Each time it did, the cracks spread further and the shell flaked off little by little.

"Pi."

"Hiii-!"

Startled, Ria clung to Ilya.

Any other time, she would have seized the chance to hug Ria back, but right now she didn't have the composure to enjoy it.

For the eggs of named dragons to hatch, they needed to absorb the appropriate elements.

For flame dragons like the fire drake, for example, the element was fire. For lightning dragons, the elements were both fire and wind. There was a gigantic translucent stone called a crystal pillar for each elemental attribute. The dragon god's eggs absorbed the wind element from the Crystal Pillar of Wind in the Heavenly Palace floating in the sky. After that, the Heavenly Palace would drift around the world, absorbing each of the other elements.

The dragon element, which removed the upper limit on magical power, combined with possession of all attributes, symbolized the dragon god's power.

So while the dragon god's egg would only hatch after absorbing enough elements of every attribute, there weren't any crystal pillars of any attribute near Lunéville. Although stone fragments of crystal pillars (called keseki) existed everywhere, those fragments didn't have the effect of producing or releasing elements.

That was exactly why Ilya had been so confident the egg wouldn't hatch—

(The main cause of it absorbing elements… main cause?)

As she thought it over, a possibility came to mind.

"Sorry Ria, I forgot something—I need to head back to my room for a moment."

"D-don't go, Ilya!"

"It's alright. This is a dragon's egg, not a monster's. You won't suddenly be attacked, unless maybe its parents see you and misunderstand."

Several people grew restless at the mention of parent dragons.

Many flying dragons and land dragons accompanied animal trainers, so people were relatively familiar with them. Hatchlings of those, let alone the rest, weren't feared by many. Still, being accompanied by dragons other than flying dragons and land dragons was difficult, required more power to obtain, and was held in prestige.

(Since this time it'll only bring trouble, they'd be better off not getting their hopes up.)

To avoid causing confusion, she didn't say her thoughts aloud. Once she had returned to her room, Ilya threw the window open.

Then she looked up at the sky and used [Clairvoyance].

However, she saw no sign of the Heavenly Palace, nor a mass of cumulonimbus clouds, above Rondéville.

Continuing to search, she found the Heavenly Palace about four countries away, in the skies above the Tekyareru Desert. She had thought the cause of the hatching was the Heavenly Palace or cumulonimbus clouds, but it seemed her guess was off.

Now that it had come to this, the possibility of failure was real. For hatchlings that couldn't absorb enough elements, their abilities would stop growing partway.

If his child suffered misfortune at the hands of others, the dragon god would naturally fly into a rage.

(I wonder if it can be stopped without killing it… No, I shouldn't give up.)

It might have already absorbed enough elements.

However, when her eyes turned to the egg again with [Clairvoyance], there was something odd.

The [Presence Interception] skill was being used. Two figures were secretly hiding next to the building.

Her eyes saw [Assassin] in their occupation columns.

(I'd be glad if it turned out to be nothing troublesome, but…)

As she headed down to the first floor while clinging to a shred of hope—

"Pi."

There was a hatchling dragon with jade-blue eyes and a pure white body waiting when she returned.

The current dragon god Ilya knew was a dragon with a scarlet body, jet-black horns, and navy eyes, so she couldn't see any common features. However, the occupation column clearly listed it as the dragon god's child, with a status that easily surpassed other dragons.

"Ah, Ilya."

The hatchling, being gently patted by Ria, turned to face her at the same time.

Then, something unexpected happened.

"Pi!"

"Ah."

"Eh?"

The hatchling dragon tottered forward and leapt into Ilya's chest.

Standing still so as not to dodge it, she caught the hatchling head-on.

 

 

 

 

It was a confusing turn of events, but the hatchling snuggled up to her with its whole body. Its underdeveloped scales were smooth.

(Its tongue is awfully rough… wait, don't lick me!)

Watching the pleasant scene, Ria spoke up to Ilya.

"Guess dragon children don't go by imprinting, huh."

"That shouldn't be the case…"

Dragons had the trait of imprinting on their parents. She had heard that not from the dragon god, but from other dragons. She had expected it to take Ria for its parent, but the imprinting she had been expecting didn't seem to be working.

(… Is it because of the dragon element?)

Since she possessed a higher rank of the dragon element than the dragon god, the hatchling had probably mistaken her for one of its kind.

When Ilya tilted her head as she thought that, the hatchling tilted its head in mimicry. A gentle atmosphere wrapped around them.

"Ilya… you've really mellowed out."

"Oh?"

You could say that, Ilya thought.

Hardly anything surprised her anymore after traveling throughout the world, and apart from being startled by insects, she was never flustered. Above all, while this time was certainly something unexpected, the hatchling had hatched safely. She found that even its current status was stronger than that of the weaker dragon species.

With its initial level and number of skills, as well as good latent potential, it wasn't underdeveloped at all. Its potential seemed to be even better than its parent's.

(The dragon god should be satisfied with this! That's good, good.)

With that, the immediate problem was averted.

While stroking the curled-up hatchling in her arms, she spoke to the hatchling as it lifted its head.

"How about a meal for now?"

 

*

 

Ilya returned to her room on the third floor and took down the barrier.

Dragons ate pure magic—that is, magical power.

There were two ways to feed it magical power. The first was to mix magical power with bodily fluids like blood (this was how dragon's milk worked); the second was to administer it with support magic.

Although she would recover instantly when wounded, Ilya didn't like the sight of blood, so she chose the latter.

"—Red spirits of power, rage from the abyss. Sharpen what is hard, deepen what is soft. Grant power to this person—"

Physical ability (the overall value of brute strength, leg strength, and explosive strength) was strengthened by this fire-type support magic.

"—Reinforce."

"Pi!?"

Fed magical power by Ilya, the hatchling's body filled completely with magical power. Then the elements inside its body interfered with the magic.

(Nn? … Ah, I see.)

Ilya had completely forgotten.

The cause of the hatchling hatching. It was—

(Probably because I used the healing magic "Healing Light".)

The amount of elements gathered by "Healing Light" had probably been enough for the hatchling to absorb.

After all, the Tekyareru Desert that the Heavenly Palace had drifted to was where the Crystal Pillar of Fire stood. Going by that, the Heavenly Palace had likely gone there to absorb fire elements.

"Kepu—"

Unable to take in any more magical power, the hatchling stopped and leaned against her. Just then, there was a knock at her door.

"Ilya, do you have a moment?"

"Ah, branch manager. Please, come in."

Restoring her barrier and opening the door, she invited Frank inside.

"I heard the gist of it from Ria… It really is a dragon's child."

"It's a difficult subject, but there's something I need to tell you."

"I don't mind."

"This child is the dragon god's offspring."

"…"

(Ah, he's holding his head.)

Grasping from those few words the situation the branch was in, his intelligence had become his enemy.

Ilya decided to wait for him to settle down by stroking the hatchling, but it didn't take him long to recover.

"… You're certain?"

"Yes. One hundred percent."

"I see… What should we do?"

Hmm, she made a gesture as though thinking.

Should she go to the dragon god's Heavenly Palace and return it after all? There were only two ways to get there, though.

The first was to fly there using wind-type magic; the other was to borrow the strength of summoners or animal trainers.

If it were the latter, she'd have no choice but to hold a ritual at the dragon king's shrine. Since the ritual at the shrine was originally meant to pray for rain, it wouldn't give a good impression to the dragon god. In that case—

"There's no choice but to go and return it ourselves."

"Put it out as a commission from the guild?"

"That's right… I'd want the people who found it to take it back, since they're the ones responsible, but…"

"They're still unconscious, huh."

"Yes. There's also the possibility they carried it back without knowing it was the dragon god's egg. I can't say anything until I hear their side of the story."

While they were having a serious conversation, the hatchling snuggled against her while playing with its tail. When she leaned forward to set it down, it gripped her firmly and wouldn't let go.

"… Looks like it's a good idea to leave looking after the child to Ilya."

"… It seems that way. I understand."

When she gently stroked its head, it narrowed its eyes in comfort.

Ilya stared out the window and let out a single sigh.

A horse was dancing in the air, with scale-like fur and a single heroic horn.

 

*

 

To take care of the hatchling, Ilya was temporarily exempted from reception and kitchen duties.

(… Ah, what a pure-white working environment.)

Though Ilya was impressed at being given leave for childcare, she braced herself and opened the door to the office.

To avoid undue risks, she made sure to stay on top of developments.

Desiree called out to her before Ilya even asked.

"Ah, Ilya-chan. I figured out where those three took on the commission."

"Thank you very much. As expected of Desiree-san. You work fast."

"I'm happy to be praised by Ilya-chan. So, those three accepted the commission from the Shivarémis branch—the town southeast of Filéalemis."

"Do you know who the client was?"

"Of course. The commission was issued by someone from the trade guild at the Shivarémis branch. The job was to deal with Filéahounds in the forest east of Shivarémis."

Speaking of the forest east of Shivarémis, it was famous for cultivating its heat-resistant specialty, oranges. It was no wonder that the trade guild had put out a commission to protect their product ahead of the stingy agriculture guild.

What Ilya found puzzling was why those three had gone all the way to Lunéville from that commission.

(… In the end, there's no way to make progress without speaking to the people in question, huh.)

"Pi～…"

Turning her gaze toward the tiny voice, she saw the hatchling at her feet nodding off.

(Sleepy?)

Cradling the hatchling in her arms, Ilya bowed her head to Desiree.

"Desiree-san, thank you for taking your precious time to help me."

"No, no. I'm always happy to help."

Even though Ilya was lower in the workplace hierarchy, Desiree didn't seem to mind such things as she waved it off. Ilya let out a sigh of gratitude for her workplace, full of such tolerant people, and returned to her room on the third floor.

 

*

 

As she was gently brushing the hatchling lying on the bed, there was a knock at the door. Going by the speed and strength of the knocks, she guessed it wasn't anything urgent.

Sure enough, when she opened the door, she didn't see any impatience or distress on Elizah's face.

"Ilya, they're waking up."

"Un, understood. I'll be right there."

Standing up while holding the hatchling, she bent down to set it onto the bed. However, the hatchling clung on, absolutely refusing to part from Ilya.

Reluctantly heading to the private room on the second floor while still holding the hatchling, she found that the otter beastkin was the only one awake.

When Ilya entered the room and bowed once, Frank immediately started the questioning.

"Do you hurt anywhere?"

"… No… where is—"

"This is Lunéville."

"Lunéville…?"

The beastkin knit his brows in puzzlement.

"You weren't heading here on purpose?"

"Yes, I… r-right! Gaul and Ruben!?"

The otter beastkin, Teemo, raised his body as if to jump up.

"Please rest easy. Their wounds have been healed too. They're just resting right now."

"Is that… so… Thank you."

The strength drained from him when he heard they were safe. Frank shook his head at Teemo bowing his head deeply.

"Don't worry about it. There's something else I want to hear. Where did you obtain the dragon egg?"

"Dragon…? That was a dragon egg!?"

Teemo's eyes widened in surprise.

"Did you take it without realizing?"

Teemo nodded hesitantly at Frank's somewhat puzzled question.

"… Yeah… We found it while heading back to Willville after completing the commission. Since it was an egg we'd never seen before, we thought it might fetch a high price."

"What were its surroundings like?"

"Surroundings, huh…?"

Teemo fell silent, thinking over Ilya's question.

Since he was overthinking it, she helped him out.

"Things like where the egg fell on the ground, the weather… anything you can remember."

"… The area, I don't think there was anything particular about it… ah, no, since it fell in a place that didn't look like a nest, we thought it was strange. As for the weather… sunny, no, maybe a little cloudy…"

"That's enough. Thank you for the help."

When Ilya bowed her head, Frank picked the questioning back up.

"It might be painful to recall… but were you attacked after that?"

"Yeah…"

"Did you see what it looked like?"

"Yes. It was a horse with a horn growing out of its head. Its fur was distinctive… it looked like scales."

Teemo's words troubled Ilya, but she didn't react since she was holding the hatchling.

A horse with scales and a horn could only be a qilin.

(What is it doing in a place like this.)

She had known one was in the skies above Rondéville, but she had thought it was there searching for the hatchling. Hearing Teemo's story, however, there were too many contradictions.

"Did that horse do this to all of you?"

She continued listening in.

"No. Though it chased us, we managed to escape while barely dodging its attacks. We got injured after that."

"Were you attacked by another horse?"

"No… it was a person."

Frank's tension rose. If someone was after the egg, that person was likely trying to anger the dragon god. It was natural to be on edge.

"Did you see the person?"

"… No, it was a surprise attack, so I didn't see much."

"… You did well not to lose the egg."

"That's only because we barely managed to figure out the enemy was avoiding the egg…"

To turn their opponent's intentions against him and successfully draw away his attacks. Ilya sincerely admired them for making such a wise decision in a life-or-death situation.

"After that, we just kept running toward the walls we'd spotted…"

"I see. You did well."

Having finished his questions, Frank glanced at Ilya, but she returned a nod that conveyed she had nothing to add.

"Sorry for making you wake up so soon. Take care of yourself."

"Ah, yeah… Really, thank you so much."

"No, you're the one we should thank. For protecting the dragon god's egg, you have my heartfelt gratitude."

Hearing it was the dragon god's egg, Teemo's face paled.

Even an egg was awe-inspiring enough that a sane person wouldn't dare touch it.

If those who attacked them had been thinking of protecting the egg, they would have first tried to convey that intention.

Just by doing so, any sensible person, valuing their own life, would have handed it over without a second thought.

(I don't know how impulsive it was… but maybe attacking the three was also one of their goals.)

Ilya sorted through the information they had just gained.

"Take care of yourself."

"Pi."

The hatchling chimed in along with Ilya's bow.

Not that the hatchling understood it had been protected by him. Still, thinking the hatchling was thanking him, Teemo, embarrassed though he was, felt his mood lighten.

Meanwhile, Frank and Ilya left the room and moved to the parlor on the third floor.

"It looks like we avoided the worst-case scenario."

"It does, doesn't it."

Ilya nodded in agreement to Frank's weighty murmur. What would the worst-case scenario have been? The dragon god's anger mercilessly befalling everyone.

"So, what are your thoughts."

"It might take a little while. I'll prepare some tea."

"Ah, alright."

Frank's energy drained out of him at her leisurely manner.

As for Ilya, it wasn't resignation or bravado that had her taking her time. She knew that rushing wouldn't help.

Pouring tea from the teapot into a cup, she set it on a saucer and passed it to Frank.

Seeing Frank settle down at its fragrance, Ilya began her explanation.

"Branch manager, do you know where the dragon god lives?"

"No, I don't."

"The dragon god lives on an island that floats in the sky, called the Heavenly Palace."

"An island that floats…?"

"It's an island that formed around a gigantic Crystal Pillar of Wind at its center."

That the crystal pillar had once been stolen and nearly fell, and that for retrieving it she had become a candidate to be the dragon god's wife… she left those parts out and went on without adding such unnecessary details.

"So my first thought was that the egg fell from the Heavenly Palace."

"Then how did the egg end up safe? … Ah, did you hear about the area?"

"Yes. Even if some power came into play, I don't believe it could have landed safely without leaving some impact on the surroundings."

Even if it didn't make a crater, something similar should have happened. Even setting that aside, after hearing about the weather, the possibility of the Heavenly Palace being involved was low.

"When the Heavenly Palace is overhead, it just looks like a huge rain cloud from the outside and can't be seen. That's not weather that could be mistaken for sunny or cloudy."

"Then there's no chance it fell…"

"Correct. It's likely it was carried to the ground."

With that, Ilya had an idea of who the perpetrator was.

"Why would they bring the egg down to the ground?"

"Though I don't know why, I at least don't think it holds any ill intent toward the egg."

"Why's that?"

"Though they described a horned horse with scales, that horse is called a qilin."

"Keerin…?"

"Yes. It's called a mythical beast—kin of the dragon god."

What was a mythical beast? Kin of a god. Their existences weren't fully confirmed, and although they were generally descendants of gods like the dragon god and Demon God, they sometimes arose from crossbreeding between different species.

As for the qilin, it was the child the dragon god had borne by mating with a horse beastkin. Possessing horns and scales like dragons, with abundant magical power thanks to its dragon element, it could take both beast and human forms just like the dragon god.

"Because it has a benevolent disposition, so long as it isn't in absolute peril, it won't try to harm others. If anything, it dislikes seeing even those who wound it come to harm."

"Then why were they attacked by a mythical beast like that?"

"It was probably just pretending to attack."

Frank's expression said he didn't follow. However, seeming to figure it out on his own a moment later, his brows furrowed deeply.

"… Why in Lunéville…"

Not even Ilya knew whether it had guided them here. No—it was more accurate to say she didn't want to know.

She didn't want to think that someone of the dragon god's caliber would be the same as that water dragon, who had tried to pawn off raising its child on an outsider like Ilya.

"However, who were those people that attacked them afterward…?"

"I don't know. But I'm certain they were acting on different intentions than the qilin."

There was also the possibility it was bringing the egg to Lunéville so that Ilya could protect the egg from its enemies.

However, in that case, why had the egg been taken from the Heavenly Palace in the first place? She couldn't understand its motives. Had something happened in the Heavenly Palace?

Considering how the dragon god doted on the qilin and his other kin, she couldn't imagine he would feel any disgust toward the hatchling, essentially his own flesh and blood. She wondered if there might be enemies inside the Heavenly Palace, but if so, there was no way the dragon god would leave them alone.

(… Not enough information as expected, then.)

With the information she had now, she couldn't determine the truth.

"In any case, if we assume the qilin purposely brought it down to the ground, we can't just return it to the Heavenly Palace."

"Right. It'd be easy if we could get the truth from the qilin and the people who attacked them, though."

"That's not going to be so easy, is it?"

"But maybe we'll manage before long."

"Is that so? … Got it. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well…"

Ilya considered Frank's offer for a moment.

"This evening, is Rachelle taking the reception desk?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Then, could you tell her to bring a meal up here in the evening? I almost certainly won't be able to go anywhere by then since I'll be looking after the hatchling."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

As she nodded while gently petting the hatchling, its translucent blue eyes met hers. Suppressing her disgust at the surroundings for dragging the innocent hatchling into this, Ilya smiled at the hatchling.

 

*

 

"Well then, how about going for a walk?"

"Pi!"

Still in an easygoing manner, Ilya bowed to Frank, who was still drained from the situation, before walking out of the branch with the hatchling.

[Hunt the horse matching the described features in that area and seize its egg. Eliminate anyone who knows of the egg's existence, without exception.]

Those were the instructions they had received this time.

Though they had been making good progress finding that horse based on the information from the suspicious man calling himself Catoh, the wind changed when they encountered a human man on the way.

That was because in the next moment, the man transformed into a yellow-scaled sea snake with a single horn and attacked them.

Though its powerful body and water magic made it a close fight, they successfully gave it the slip. However, with Catoh nowhere to be found, it would take them time to track down the egg again.

When they finally found the egg, instead of the horse in the area, there were three beastkin.

Sizing up the three's strength, they judged it wouldn't be a hindrance to their mission.

In fact, the ambush, capitalizing on the darkness and the targets being split up, succeeded; all that was left was to dispatch them quietly and swiftly, like the assassinations they'd carried out before.

However, there was one thing different from their usual orders this time.

That was the egg. It was not to be harmed.

They weren't accustomed to the restriction of not being able to break it. As a result, they failed to kill the three.

And so they now stood in front of the guild association's Lunéville branch.

"Bard, over there."

The youth named Bard looked to where the beastkin woman was pointing.

Looking ahead, a dragon hatchling was tottering along in front of a girl.

Going by the information they had gathered beforehand, with its unusually white skin, there was no mistaking that it had come from the egg.

However, Bard's gaze wasn't on the hatchling. It was glued to the girl walking with it.

"—…!"

To keep watching someone like that was suspicious. The instant he forced himself to look away, he realized sweat was beading on his back.

"… Bard, what's wrong?"

"… It's nothing."

Right. It was nothing.

Those three from before were likely stronger than him, but with his area of expertise… assassinating them wouldn't be a problem.

Then what was it that he had just sensed?

Had he been captivated by her beauty?

He dismissed the possibility as ridiculous. A human with such honest emotions had no place being an assassin.

"What do we do?"

At her question, Bard turned his thoughts back to the problem at hand.

Whatever else, they had to carry out their orders. Seize the egg, kill anyone involved—that was all. If the intelligence about the egg hatching turned out to be true, they wouldn't be able to achieve their goal as stated, but they would at least seize the hatchling and bring it back.

"… First, we need to confirm whether or not that hatchling came from the egg."

"Got it."

With his partner accepting it readily, Bard let out a small breath.

"Katie, you go back to the branch and keep watch for when that elf returns with the dragon hatchling."

"Got it. And you?"

"I'll be gathering more information around town."

"Got it."

Since becoming his partner, Katie had never second-guessed Bard's decisions.

Rather than leaving the decision-making to him, it was more like she had given up on making decisions entirely.

With an expression devoid of emotion, she had stopped thinking. By the time he met her, she was already like that.

"… Tch."

Clicking his tongue in irritation, he set off through Lunéville.

 

*

 

After finishing his investigations, Bard met back up with Katie.

Though he called it an investigation, Bard wasn't sociable or smooth-tongued, so all he could do was walk through town and eavesdrop on residents' conversations.

Putting together the stories he had heard, the hatchling had emerged from the egg as expected. Currently, that elf girl had become the hatchling's parent.

"How'd it go?"

"The elf girl came back with the hatchling."

"Got it. Let's head into the branch."

Of course, their objective wasn't to get a meal.

It was to find out where the hatchling usually rested, if things went well.

However, Bard figured that even if it didn't go that perfectly, it would still be useful to cross-reference with the information he had gathered around town.

You could only trust what you saw with your own eyes, after all. That was the rule he had learned from living this long.

"Welcome."

A girl's voice reached their ears.

After a quick scan of the first floor, he saw neither the elf girl nor the hatchling. As he wondered if he had picked the wrong place to look, two beastkin girls approached them.

"Are you here for a meal?"

"Yeah."

A black panther beastkin and a black cat beastkin. Even though both were of the feline family, they didn't share any particular kinship.

Their expressions didn't change at his curt response as they showed the two to open seats at the counter.

Though he didn't want the staff to remember his face, refusing would have stood out.

Sitting down obediently, he placed a reasonable order from the menu.

Bard asked for whatever caught his eye, while Katie just ordered the same thing. Katie's expression didn't change when she looked at the menu, nor when the dishes arrived.

However, when she put the food in her mouth—

"So good…"

She smiled slightly. Bard definitely saw it.

His mind slowed by the surprise, he couldn't come up with anything good to say in response. Eventually—

"… Is that so?"

Just that. Suppressing his irritation at how off-balance he felt, Bard dipped his spoon into the dish and brought some to his mouth.

"… It's good."

Not even realizing what he had said, the two just continued silently eating their food.

 

 

 

 

But he hadn't forgotten about his mission.

He kept listening to conversations. They turned out to be of little importance and only echoed what he had heard outside, though.

Just as he was beginning to think it was useless and ready to give up, that man appeared.

"Rachelle."

"Ah, Frank-san. Good morning."

Frank Deshan.

The Lunéville branch's branch manager, a specialist in close combat. Also excelling in insight and leadership, he had been added to the organization's list of figures to be wary of. His commanding presence and steady center of gravity testified to his ability.

Probably due to his instinctive vigilance, Bard's attention was drawn to Frank automatically and stayed on him.

If he was around, they needed to secure the hatchling quickly.

Just as Bard was thinking that—

"Did you hear? Ilya's completely caught up with a hatchling～"

"… Come on."

"Well, that's pretty flat～. It's no fun if you don't give more of a reaction, you know～"

"I'm not a toy."

Watching him tease the receptionist as she made a strained face, Bard didn't think this was someone they needed to be wary of.

"Anyway, Rachelle. Ilya's tied up taking care of the hatchling, so please bring a meal to her room."

"Eh? Me? I'm fine with it, but…"

"Ilya specifically asked for you. I'll fill in for you in the meantime."

Rachelle sighed.

"Frank-san, I think Ilya was just trying to brush you off."

"Uu…"

She had hit a nerve. He was at a loss for words.

"Well, Ilya is oddly serious, though, so maybe she just wants to keep the chain of command clear."

"…"

"A little lonely, isn't it?"

With those words, Rachelle left the reception counter behind.

Frank and the remaining receptionist were left wrapped in an awkward silence.

"I think she didn't want you to do it because she didn't trust you in her room…"

"Clarice… that's…"

"What Rachelle said sort of made sense, didn't it?"

"… I know…"

With that, the two at the counter dropped the idle chatter and got back to their reception duties.

As for Bard, he had no interest in the branch's internal relationships at all. However, it had become clear that the hatchling was being sheltered in the branch. Referring to a rough sketch of the building's interior, his target would be on the third floor.

 

*

 

Judging by the staff's conversation, Frank wouldn't be in Ilya's room.

"Tonight, we sneak in."

Stepping out of the branch, Bard informed Katie of as much.

Though they were accustomed to infiltrating buildings, there was one thing they found hard to deal with.

That was barrier magic. Currently, the branch's windows and doors were sealed with barriers.

To break a barrier, one had to use the corresponding counterspell for the magic used; otherwise, you had no choice but to brute-force it by hammering it with magic.

However, both of those methods were impossible for them, as neither was a magician.

(Should we look for another way in…?)

As Bard's thoughts grew tinged with irritation, while looking around the outside of the branch he noticed a single open window. It was a hole in the barrier. If they used that, they could get in.

( … )

However, Bard hesitated.

The people at the branch had put up such a strong barrier. Would they make that kind of mistake?

Even so, there was no guarantee they would find another opening the next day. Waiting around for another window to be left open was out of the question.

The hatchling wouldn't necessarily stay in Lunéville indefinitely.

After his brief hesitation, Bard whispered into Katie's ear.

They were currently wearing masks that exposed only their eyes while sneaking in, so they couldn't communicate without getting close.

"I'll sneak in alone. Stand by at the rendezvous."

"… Why?"

Bard was at a loss for words at her refusal to accept it.

"There's a chance it's a trap. You can't suppress your presence as well as I can, can you?"

"… Even so, I can suppress mine more than a normal person."

"Wha—…"

She was being obstinate.

"… If I'm a nuisance, I'm fine being a decoy."

"Tha—…!"

That won't happen, is what he wanted to shout, but he pushed it back down.

Bard hadn't thought of a way to argue with Katie, who had never pushed back on him until now.

"… Got it."

Erasing every trace of his breathing, Bard scaled the wall first and successfully slipped in through the window. Katie followed.

However, the two who entered the room gasped.

Because their objective, the hatchling, was sleeping soundly in that room.

More important than that, though, was the sight that completely captivated their gazes—the elf girl who was sleeping while holding the hatchling.

The elf girl's sleeping figure held a mystique that seemed as though it would vanish at a touch, with a beauty that allowed not even the slightest flaw.

They were professional assassins capable of killing their emotions, but they might still have been standing there until morning.

Somehow, Bard managed to bring his consciousness back and kill his mind and emotions, reaching for the knife at his waist.

Signaling with his eyes for Katie to keep watch on their surroundings, he turned back to the elf girl.

Without even noticing the sweat running down his face and back, he swung the knife straight for the girl's neck.

"—!?"

The point of the knife came down with enough force to pierce a wall.

It touched her skin. But it couldn't cut.

Bard raised the knife in confusion and brought it down toward the girl's profile a second time.

However, let alone her skin, even her hair, which looked as though it would disappear at a touch, couldn't be cut.

—What is this?

Bewildered by something that had never happened in all of his experience, Bard took a step back.

At that instant—

"—!"

As Katie began to run toward the door, it was forced open.

She wasn't so foolish as to collide with an opening door.

However, Bard saw Katie get sent flying and slam into the windowsill.

(Damn…!)

Looking back at the door, Bard shifted his body as a shiver ran down his spine from a piercing bloodlust.

The next instant, a hammer-like fist grazed past Bard's cheek.

He had only avoided it at the last second by sheer coincidence, thanks to that shiver.

However, if he could press the advantage of close combat in the dark, he would have a slight edge.

The moment he made that judgment and tried to raise his knife, Bard suddenly lost the ability to move as a ballistic shock ran through his skull from his stomach.

(Imp… po… ssi…)

He had definitely avoided the attack from that left arm.

However, what he saw as his consciousness faded was the figure of a man slowly pulling his left arm back.

 

*

 

Bard became aware that he was bound. Though he tried to struggle, his body wouldn't obey him. On top of that, the pain in his abdomen was almost enough to make him vomit.

"Kuh…!"

When Bard groaned, the lump on the bed stirred.

Slowly sitting up, the elf girl showed no particular reaction even when she saw Bard.

His body shuddered in fear at her gaze, which looked as though she knew everything.

Looking away from him as if he were nothing, the elf girl, Ilya, turned to Frank, who had bound them.

"… I didn't think they'd show themselves on the first night."

"There's a limit to being so carefree!"

With a sharp fighting spirit completely different from his demeanor at the reception desk, his words bit. Above all, the gauntlets on his hands stood out against his uniform.

Next to Bard, Katie had completely lost consciousness.

Seeing the two restrained, Ilya bowed to Frank.

"My apologies, branch manager. You've had to dirty your hands."

While she was grateful for him disposing of an insect that had wandered in, she was sorry for troubling him with something so trivial. That was how Bard saw Ilya as she spoke.

She was entirely beyond the norm. An existence he could never hope to match.

"S-stay away, you monster…!"

"Please keep quiet. Ah, biting your tongue or taking poison won't work, by the way. I'll heal you no matter what. Everyone you people attacked is safe, too. Does this convince you?"

The beastkin they had attacked were safe.

They had no intelligence saying so. If people with fatal wounds had been healed, it should have been a topic of discussion. But he had no confidence in the denial that came to mind.

The only reason the recovery of those dying beastkin hadn't come up as a topic was that such things weren't unusual in this town.

They didn't die. There was no way to kill them.

In that case, he had no choice but to defeat them and run.

But could he?

It was impossible.

He had no way to handle his current situation.

(… It's useless.)

Bard lost the will to resist.

"That calm of yours… Ilya, were you planning to be a decoy from the start?"

"Ah, yeah. Though I never thought they'd show up on the first night…"

She had made sure they knew the hatchling was in Lunéville by walking around town with it.

To signal that the hatchling was in her room, Ilya had sent that message through Rachelle. Of course, the window being left open had also been on purpose.

Now that Frank understood that, he wasn't happy about it.

"If I hadn't been on alert, what would you have done?"

Of course, I would have captured them.

(Though… now isn't the time to say that…)

Frank didn't know about Ilya's abilities. Seeing Ilya's troubled face, Frank sighed and changed the subject.

"I'll bring these two down to the basement. Ilya, wait in the parlor."

"… Alright."

Ilya had no choice but to nod obediently at Frank's tone, which brooked no refusal.

"… Pi?"

Likely woken by the commotion, the hatchling lifted its head, half asleep.

As Ilya soothed the hatchling back to sleep, Frank told her to wait in the parlor after she had changed.

 

*

 

"I said when I hired you that I wouldn't ask about anything to do with your abilities so long as you did your job, but I can't overlook this. Why didn't you tell me?"

"To deceive your enemies, you must first deceive your allies…"

"I get the idea of keeping it from them, but you didn't need to include me in those precautions."

Once Frank had confined the intruders in one of the underground storehouses, he came straight back to the parlor and scolded Ilya.

Frank himself didn't realize that his phrasing had shifted to be about himself.

That was the depth of his anger, but it was also concern.

"I'm sorry… I'll be more careful from now on."

 

 

 

 

"… There's nothing else you're trying to lure out, is there?"

"No, there isn't."

Believing Ilya's response was from the heart, Frank let out a heavy sigh.

When Ilya looked up sensing the mood had changed, Frank's expression had returned to what one would normally wear after dealing with an insect.

"Those two appear to belong to the thieves guild."

Ilya checked the registration cards he held out.

"I'll interrogate them after this, but is there anything you want me to ask?"

"Eh? By yourself… no, it's nothing."

Frank would try to get information out of them even if he had to use his fists. Noticing that he didn't want to show her carrying out a cruel interrogation, Ilya cut herself off.

(You don't need to worry about me…)

Though her thoughts were true in various ways, she wasn't about to let the opportunity slip.

"Then, just one thing. I want to ask—or rather, request something of branch manager."

"It's Frank."

"Eh?"

"Frank is fine. Otherwise, you might keep up the formalities forever."

It wasn't that Ilya was hung up on formalities; it was a habit left over from the vertically structured society of her previous life.

Though she was aware of it herself, it was difficult to explain since it involved her previous life.

(… The way things are right now, seems like it'd be useless no matter what I say.)

Though Ilya was a little reluctant to address her boss so familiarly, she decided to change her thinking.

"I understand. I'm asking this of Frank-san, but I'd like to propose a commission to those two."

"… What?"

"To disclose all the information they have regarding the dragon god's egg. By confessing what they know from their guild, couldn't we treat them as our spies inside the thieves guild? Of course, they'd continue to belong to the thieves guild."

Double agents, so to speak.

The thieves guild used a system where independent guild members in various locations contacted its headquarters directly. While its vertical structure was strong, its weakness was that the horizontal connections were poor. It was difficult to notice when someone double-crossed them.

Wary of that, the thieves guild brainwashed its members at their own educational institution, but that wasn't a problem for Ilya. An eye for an eye. Mental interference for mental interference. If they had been brainwashed, her plan was simply to undo the brainwashing.

However, not knowing about Ilya's abilities, Frank couldn't agree to her plan so easily.

"… You want me to turn a blind eye to them?"

"No. Their reward for completing it would be at most a stay of execution; of course they'd still have to make appropriate restitution. After all, if the dragon god's anger isn't settled, we'll hand them over first and foremost."

Then Ilya suddenly realized something.

Seeing that they had only just learned of it, she had completely overlooked one thing.

"Those people might not know that egg was the dragon god's egg either."

"Are you… sure that's the case?"

"Yes. With superiors who see their subordinates as throwaway pawns—no, as nothing more than tools, it's certainly possible."

Though she had hedged her words slightly, Ilya could have flatly declared that every executive was exactly that type of person.

Not just the management, but the ones she had beaten down after running into them before, plus information she had received from people who had promised to reform the thieves guild, all supported that belief.

"So please bring up that it was the dragon god's egg only when the situation calls for it."

"Alright."

Frank stood up, his hand pausing on the door.

"You should get some rest soon. Even if it didn't wake up from all that commotion, it'll definitely be lonely if the owner of that boldness isn't there."

Wondering if it had become a trauma for him, Ilya smiled as she saw Frank rub his stomach.

While she remembered being at a loss with her baby sister in her previous life, she didn't think the dragon hatchling was a handful at all.

It slept well, it didn't cry at night, and it didn't throw tantrums.

(It's so cute, too.)

At that fleeting thought, Ilya remembered that she was defending herself with a barrier, and said nothing, smiling wryly.

 

*

 

The afternoon of the following day.

The scent of tea brewed by Frank spread through the parlor as Ilya and Frank sat facing each other.

"They knew it was a dragon's egg, but didn't seem to know it was the dragon god's."

"Is that so…"

"Hearing it was the dragon god certainly gave them something to think about. They accepted the commission this morning."

"That's good."

Ilya had considered using her [Mind Reading] skill if he couldn't get information out of them, so she was relieved to learn that it hadn't been necessary.

The [Mind Reading] skill, the kind of thing that could easily backfire, had been enhanced by her cheat-like abilities. Far beyond reading surface thoughts, it could delve into their deep psyche, even going so far as to read their memories. Since it would cause their sense of self to collapse, it was effectively the same as suicide.

Besides, although Ilya could lower her barrier to unleash the charming effect, that would completely strip them of free will and turn them into servants. As far as she was concerned, it was an abominable method.

Understanding that Ilya had been put at ease, Frank continued.

"The commission they took was to recover a dragon egg that a monster horse had stolen, and to eliminate anyone connected to the egg. They had initially been chasing the monster horse per their commission, but it appears they got into a fight with someone else who was also after the egg along the way."

"Also after it?"

In response to Ilya's question, Frank nodded with a slight frown.

"That's what they said, but… when they first approached, it appeared to be a person. However, it had changed into a yellow-scaled sea snake with a horn before they realized it. By the time they finally managed to shake it off, it seems the egg had already been taken by those three."

Hearing the sea snake's features, Ilya recalled the Unktehi she had seen in the Heavenly Palace.

Considering the information currently on hand, the parties connected to the hatchling were, first, the one who'd commissioned the egg's theft; separately, the one after the egg; and the qilin who'd been protecting it.

(Wow… this is troublesome…)

Chiding her dispirited heart, Ilya asked Frank a question.

"… What were they told to do about the monster horse?"

"It seems that wasn't explicitly specified. There's no doubt about it, since they even met their client in person."

Ilya couldn't believe her ears.

The thieves guild was essentially the same as a black company. Its subordinates weren't people but parts. The extremities were simply handed the commissions from those at the top. Let alone hear the pros and cons of a commission, they didn't even meet the clients directly.

"Those two were in a decent position, weren't they."

Though Ilya was surprised, Frank didn't seem to feel the same.

"Yeah. Fitting for their abilities. There's a huge difference between them and those small-time crooks from before."

Though Frank had taken them down in a single blow, he had acknowledged the skill of Katie, who had sensed his approach, and of Bard, who had dodged his first strike. Meanwhile, even as Ilya nodded along to his words, she couldn't bring herself to agree.

The thieves guild she knew was steeped in gerontocracy, a system where blood, not ability, meant everything.

(Allen, hurry up and reform that place, or I'll level the headquarters entirely.)

Since not even a few years had passed since she parted with that half-elf, she wasn't to the point of being impatient. However, if the harm spread to the outside, she would have to come up with a way to change things from the outside without waiting for it to be changed from within.

Setting her thoughts aside for now, Ilya turned her attention back to Frank.

"Did they say anything about the client?"

"Yeah. They said his name was Catoh, though that's probably a pseudonym. Still, the man's features are: medium build, slender, shoulder-length brown hair, and light brown eyes."

A look you could find anywhere; it likely wouldn't be much of a clue.

"Even so, it seems he had a dark brown scale on his neck. I expect it's some species from somewhere, but… do you know which?"

"Yes… I do."

A single scale at the throat.

When the dragon reverted to its true form, that scale would flip and become a gekirin (reverse scale). It was proof of a dragon disguising itself as a human.

"I see… That clears it up."

"Really?"

Although Ilya nodded calmly, on the inside she wanted to scream.

The only dragons capable of taking human form were the dragon god and his kin. The qilin wouldn't do anything that would betray the dragon god; it wouldn't steal a living thing in the first place.

In other words, though it didn't reflect well on the dragon god, both the person who wanted to use this hatchling and the one obstructing him were his own kin.

So the qilin had used her to guarantee the hatchling's safety. That was Ilya's conclusion.

(That horse…!)

She seethed at having been dragged into a family squabble.

"Ilya?"

"Let's set that aside for now. They should make contact sooner or later."

There was no need to go to the trouble of heading to the Heavenly Palace. The qilin had brought the hatchling here as a diversion, but the hatchling wasn't to blame for that. She didn't want to drag the hatchling into the trouble.

"Make contact… not like last night, right?"

"Right."

It would have been a different story if they had been after the hatchling before this, but the qilin wasn't stupid. It always moved before its opponents did precisely because it was sensitive to hostility and murderous intent.

She had seen the qilin far in the distant sky the day before; its inexplicable behavior could be explained by assuming it was waiting for the bloodlust to vanish.

Since it was watching from the sky, it should have seen the assassins being captured, and would make its move soon.

With that thought, Ilya smiled at the hatchling.

"What should I do when it arrives～"

"Pi?"

As she stroked the hatchling, which was tilting its head, it closed its eyes at the pleasant feeling. If she were going to be asked to protect this child, it was important to receive something of equal value in return.

(Speaking of the Heavenly Palace's treasures, I wonder if it'll be the Dragon God's Bracelet? No, maybe they'd part with the Dragon God's Earrings?)

The bracelet was a magic tool made from the dragon god's scales, capable of producing a magic barrier using the owner's magical power. She wanted to put it on the hatchling until it could cloak itself in magical power on its own.

The Dragon God's Earrings were made from the ashes of the deceased and could form a physical barrier. Though the hatchling currently had defensive strength that could ignore ordinary attacks, she wanted it to wear them until it learned to use wind-type magic barriers.

She had refused both back in the Heavenly Palace before, but it was a different story if they were to protect the hatchling.

(And since they're compatible with the dragon element, they're a perfect fit for the hatchling!)

Not limited to magic tools, she was getting excited thinking about the hatchling's future growth.

"Big dreams!"

"Pi!"

Come if you dare, qilin, Ilya thought as she glared out the window.

 

*

 

Though Ilya's thoughts hadn't reached it, the qilin was dashing through the air.

To reach that place as quickly as possible, it concentrated its magical power into its legs.

As it pierced through the sea of clouds covering the yellow earth below, through a hole in the seemingly endless layer of clouds, it saw a swirling vortex.

Descending through the center of the vortex so as not to get caught up in the air currents, it found a lush green forest.

Besides the forest, there was a lone peak that seemed to symbolize nobility. A clear stream springing from it formed a waterfall, and the rainbow cast by the falling water bridged the forest like something out of a fantasy.

A lake spread out beneath the waterfall. Enshrined at its center was a U-shaped mansion.

As soon as it descended to the mansion, the qilin shifted its appearance into a human's.

Taking the clothes out of the bag on its back, it put them on in the blink of an eye.

Pausing to greet his brethren as he passed them, the qilin headed for the mansion's inner parlor.

"Jean-sama! I am here to report regarding the white child!"

White child… hearing the name of his own offspring come up, he wouldn't overlook it.

Even as he thought that, he was caught off guard when the sliding doors opened immediately afterward.

"Speak, Aurel."

His expression was plainly exhausted.

It was to be expected, yet his chest tightened anew at the sight of his lord's appearance.

The qilin immediately fell to his knees and made his report to his lord.

"I shall report on the whereabouts of the white child."

"Is he safe!?"

"He is indeed safe… As he is under Ilya-sama's protection, please be at ease."

Ilya.

Jean stiffened for a moment when he heard that name.

Then, as Jean recalled the figure tied to that name, an image formed in his mind.

Not just her beauty—he had fallen for her inner self most of all. Just remembering her smile made it impossible to suppress the pounding of his heart.

If the child was under her protection, then it would definitely be safe.

"Is that so…"

Jean let out a breath of relief and lost himself in his longing.

 

*

 

Standing in front of a private room on the second floor of the branch, Ilya knocked and then opened the door.

"Excuse me."

When Ilya entered with a bow—

"I've been waiting! Ilya's love!"

A beautiful person came soaring toward her, scarlet hair that reached his shoulders flowing behind him.

Quickly sidestepping, Ilya shot him a contemptuous look.

"… Shouldn't you be saying that to your child first? Dragon God-sama."

"So harsh～"

Yes, this was the dragon god.

(… I didn't think the culprit himself would come.)

Exasperated, Ilya glanced at the youth standing next to the dragon god.

"Don't you think so too, qilin?"

"Y-yes…"

The brown-haired youth caught her glance and looked away in embarrassment.

Since the one to blame for this was the dragon god, Ilya didn't understand why he was embarrassed. But honestly, the qilin was the qilin, after all.

"Of course, I'd intended to embrace you together with this child… Right. Above all, what a splendid child has been born."

"Pi…"

The dragon god patted him, but the hatchling wasn't pleased.

"Pi!"

"Ow—"

Far from being pleased, it stopped his hand with a slap of its tail.

"Hey you, I don't like that"—though it didn't say so out loud, it was clear at a glance. Jean turned to Ilya with a wry smile.

"Oww… children imitate their parent's coldness. That's why, Ilya, you should just go ahead and become my wife."

"No thanks."

Who's a parent? Does he really think anyone would change their mind because of a casual "with that"?

Though she had plenty she wanted to say, she held it all back.

(This is why I hate getting involved with this idiot.)

Ilya cursed him in her head. However, Jean either didn't notice or was pretending not to, and went on speaking as if nothing was wrong.

"I know about your heart, and above all you know about this body of mine, don't you? There's no one who could accept you more than me."

"No thank you."

Ilya had memories of being a man, but even so, she had no intention of entertaining a hermaphrodite partner.

"Rather than wasting your time talking about such trivial things, please hurry up and tell me your business here."

"Says the one with even more longevity than I have."

"Anyone else would lack the composure to handle you and just get swept along. I'll call the branch manager. You can explain to him."

"Can't be helped, then…"

Whether it couldn't be helped or he was just reluctant, there'd be no arguing about it.

 

*

 

Once called in, Frank sat across the table facing the dragon god. Ilya and the qilin stood behind.

Though the dragon god objected a bit, Ilya ignored him completely.

"Jean-sama, allow me to introduce the two of you. This is the guild association's Branch Manager, Deshan. Branch Manager Deshan, this is the dragon god, Jean-sama."

 

 

 

 

Frank froze upon hearing Jean's identity.

In contrast, the dragon god wore a noh-mask-like smile plastered across his face.

"How about this. Call me Jean, Deshan-sama. Since my wife has been in your care, please feel free to call me dragon god or Jean, as you prefer."

"T-there's no way I could do that, Dragon God-sama. Please call me Deshan."

"I'll take the liberty of correcting one thing. Dragon God-sama and I are complete strangers."

She flatly denied Jean's frivolous words.

She didn't want to leave any of that hanging, just in case. Since it would be a hassle if he started talking about holding a ceremony in the Heavenly Palace and the like, she changed the topic before it could come up again.

"Dragon God-sama, could you please share your true intentions in entrusting the hatchling to us?"

"Hmph."

The dragon god was brooding, but he opened his mouth before long.

"First of all, let me correct you—I have only recently come to know of this. Aurel. You explain it yourself."

"Certainly, Jean-sama. This all began when Jean-sama's two children were born."

"Eh, two children?"

"Twins, to be exact."

Twins. The family's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, and the qilin's morals. With that information, Ilya could now read the current flow of things as well.

"Normally, there wouldn't be any problem, since the first child would inherit the title of dragon god, but someone moving behind the scenes appeared to seize the opportunity."

"Succession… no, a factional dispute?"

The qilin nodded at Frank's guess.

"When I noticed the hostility filling the Heavenly Palace, one of them had already been surrounded. In order to protect the other egg, I reluctantly brought it down to the surface. I have no interest in the factional dispute, nor would I make use of the dragon god's honorable child… above all, as you were the most trustworthy person I knew, I had no choice but to rely on Ilya-sama, presumptuous though it was. To make it more certain you would accept the egg, I took the liberty of guiding passersby toward you."

Ilya tightened her guard when the topic turned to her, but since the qilin didn't let slip that she had the power to protect it, she decided to give him a passing grade for now.

"I sincerely apologize for having involved unrelated people."

With those words of apology, he bowed deeply.

Even though he was kin, the qilin, of the dragon god's lineage, showing such sincerity made Frank's heart tremble.

"Please raise your head. Fortunately no one died, and above all, it's over."

"For your honorable mercy, I am deeply sorry."

During that conversation, Ilya wanted to clobber the dragon god, who was nodding along with a self-satisfied expression.

The reason such diversity had arisen that factions could form was that he had sired and produced kin however he pleased. If he had no intent to manage them so disputes wouldn't arise, then he had no right to play parent and create kin in the first place.

While she was suppressing her anger and playing with the hatchling, Frank was calm.

"So, since both of you have come here, is it safe to assume you've found a solution?"

"No."

The dragon god answered promptly.

At him denying it so casually, Ilya was so amazed she felt drained.

"As I said earlier, I've only just recently come to know of this."

"Then—"

"My coming here today was both to give my thanks and to apologize. At the same time, to make a request."

The dragon god turned to Ilya and lowered his head.

"For protecting my beloved child, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Furthermore, I sincerely apologize that my relative's carelessness caused you trouble."

"Neither concerned me alone. Since both require formal documents, please submit them to the guild branch."

"Understood. I will do so if that is the custom of this place."

"Then, what was your request?"

The dragon god's eyes turned unusually serious.

"Well, I want you to raise the child."

(Knew it.)

What would happen in the Heavenly Palace if Ilya was pushed into taking care of the child?

The factional struggle would die down and the hatchling's safety would be guaranteed. Though it might be excessive, since he could also forge a connection with Ilya, the dragon god saw only advantages in painfully parting with his child.

She wondered about the intentions behind the somewhat unusual adoption.

Absolutely refused.

At least, that was the conclusion she came to just by considering the Heavenly Palace's motives.

However, when Ilya looked at the hatchling—

"I understand."

Was the answer she gave the dragon god.

Everyone's eyes but Ilya's widened in surprise.

"However, I have two conditions."

"Please, ask anything. Even if it's for my love."

"I don't want anything like that."

What love? She looked at Jean with her eyes half-closed, as if she had more to say.

He could lay eggs without mating. However, with the dragon god's large number of kin, she could only think his words of love were an excuse for sex. Ilya couldn't trust the dragon god.

"First of all, this child's wishes."

"Pi?"

Ilya held the hatchling in her arms and turned its line of sight, gesturing toward Jean.

"That person is your parent."

"… Pi."

Looking toward the dragon god, the hatchling seemed to more or less understand and let out a small whine.

"You can live with everyone there, you know?"

"I-Ilya-sama."

"I would put down the factional dispute, no matter the enemy."

As she said that, turning her gaze to Jean, even the dragon god's face stiffened. The qilin's face had paled.

"Where do you want to live?"

"Pi…"

Did it understand? The hatchling looked back and forth between Ilya and the dragon god.

When she set it down on the table since it couldn't decide while being held, the hatchling walked nervously.

It was heading toward the dragon god.

Ilya would suppress the factional dispute. Even if that risked causing extraordinary trouble, family was still family. The hatchling slowly approached the dragon god, who couldn't hide his joy even through his conflicted expression.

As the dragon god hesitantly held out his hand, the hatchling licked it.

"I see…"

She cast her eyes down, making a decision. Seeing the parent and child like that, Ilya smiled.

(I'll resolve myself, too.)

Just scolding the people who had caused the factional strife probably wouldn't break her self-discipline. Already making excuses for herself before she realized it, Ilya was disgusted with herself.

"Ilya, though I'm sorry… I'll leave it to you."

"Yeah. I understand."

The dragon god stood up and gave Ilya a nod. However, when he tried to pick up the hatchling—

"Pi!"

"Ow—!"

His hand was knocked aside by its tail.

""" Eh? """

Paying no mind to the women blinking in surprise, the hatchling made a mad dash and leapt at Ilya.

"Pi—! Pi～!"

"Oh — hey now."

Licking her face to its heart's content, the hatchling cuddled up to her.

""" … … … """

Where had that atmosphere from a moment ago gone? Embarrassment and disappointment mixed, filling the room with a complicated mood.

(That lick from a moment ago—don't tell me it was something like a farewell?)

Unable to find words to clear the mood, Ilya reluctantly decided to keep the conversation going.

"Oh… well, the second condition…"

"Ah, yeah."

"Please have the Heavenly Palace cooperate fully in defending this child."

"Y-yeah. Of course. Whether it's food, strength, or magic tools, anything is fine."

There was something strange about exchanging promises in such a lifeless atmosphere.

For a moment, Ilya worried whether he would properly protect it, but with the qilin—who could be called the embodiment of honor—around, it would probably be fine.

"T-then please accept this."

What the qilin handed her was an ornament with a translucent stone in its center: the Dragon God's Piercing.

A magic tool with something close to the function of a transceiver, the Dragon God's Piercing used the wind to contact the dragon god regardless of distance.

Though she had thought it wouldn't come back to her after she had politely returned it in the past, Ilya decided that having it would be convenient and accepted the piercing.

"Then Ilya… I'm sorry, but I'll leave it to you…"

"Ah, yeah…"

Though the exchange should have been identical to the one earlier, the tension was as different as heaven and earth.

Things had gone according to plan, yet the dragon god only grew more depressed.

(Nice one, hatchling!)

Keeping her cheers safely in her thoughts, Ilya asked Jean about something that had been on her mind.

"By the way, what is this child's name?"

"Eh?"

Don't give me an 'eh', idiot. She started to say that, but stopped it from leaving her mouth.

In contrast, Jean wore an expression as though he were the one surprised.

"I thought you'd definitely named it already."

"Even if I know who the parent is, isn't that something you shouldn't gloss over…"

The dragon god laughed, and the qilin let out a silent sigh.

"Then Ilya, I'll leave it to you."

"… Are you sane?"

"Of course I'm sane. Besides, I'm serious. That way you'll raise it with love too, you know?"

Was his idiocy calculated, or was it natural?

Ilya couldn't quite figure out the dragon god's character.

 

*

 

With matters concerning the hatchling's care settled, the dragon god returned to the Heavenly Palace. Frank, likely from the strain, was lying down in his bedroom.

(Maybe I should bring him some porridge later?)

Considering herself partly responsible, Ilya thought such things from her own end.

But there was another problem on her mind.

"What should I do…"

"Pi～…"

After returning to the reception desk, Ilya spent her free time lost in thought.

"What's wrong, Ilya? Is something the matter?"

"Oh, Elizah. Good work today. It's nothing much."

"Pi…"

Seeing the hatchling whine in worry, Elizah couldn't help but smile.

"Ilya, you've been carrying this child around everywhere. Is this child what's worrying you?"

"Yeah. To tell the truth—"

Just as she started to speak, the entrance door opened.

"Welcome."

"Welcome…"

Although greeting guests was pretty much a conditioned reflex, Ilya was lacking the energy for it.

(I don't want to hear bad rumors about the hospitality, either.)

Though Ilya was making excuses to justify herself, she didn't know that the rumors were actually being fueled by her 'listless' and 'fragile' beauty.

"Good morning, Elizah-san. Ilya-san, long time no see."

"Heya Ilya, Elizah. That child is… the rumored dragon!?"

The new arrivals were Katia and Elivia, back from their expedition to earn some cash.

Like the townspeople, they didn't seem to fear the dragon at all, and instead reached out their hands toward the hatchling.

"Ahaha, it's so cute～. What's its name?"

"I haven't decided yet."

"No way, is that what's been bothering you?"

"Un."

The first candidate had been 'Chick'. However, that was rejected as half-baked—like naming something big 'Child'.

The main reason she was wracking her brains? Its gender.

Though the dragon god itself was androgynous, as the hatchling grew, whether its appearance leaned more masculine or feminine would become clear. Since that couldn't be determined yet, she wanted to avoid names that sounded too cute or too rugged, even if they sounded nice otherwise.

"I was thinking Haku might be good, but…"

A white that knew no defilement. A white that shone on everything equally. Ilya really wanted that, but although she made an expression as if she was embarrassed for wanting it, the reactions around her were different.

"I think it's good!"

"Un, it's a beautiful white dragon. Isn't it perfect?"

"Ilya-chan's its parent, after all. You get to decide with pleasure."

"Un un!"

Katia and Elizah, along with everyone in the dining room who had overheard the conversation, decided on Haku before she realized it.

With no objections at all, Katia smiled as she petted Haku.

"Pleased to meet you, Haku-chan."

"Protect Ilya-chan well, okay?"

"Pi!"

With the dining room full of smiles, Ilya smiled wryly.

"Ooh! Reliable, isn't it!"

"Now even Ilya-chan can rest easy!"

While the hall was full of cheers, Lydia, who had joined in on the conversation from the kitchen, asked Ilya a question.

"Speaking of children, how are Ilya-chan's parents doing?"

"They're alive. Probably."

"That's good, then. You should go see them once in a while, you know?"

"Is that so…"

Ilya gave a vague answer to end the topic. Even parents who'd abandon their child were still 'family' in others' eyes, so if anything happened, she'd hear about it from York, who could leave the village.

(I'd rather they didn't come, though.)

"Pi?"

"No, it's nothing."

While gently petting Haku, who was looking up at her, Ilya thought back to her previous life.

Her previous life's family had been just a normal family. While there was nothing to boast about, there was also nothing wrong with having a normal family.

At one time, she had wondered what it would be like to be born into a wealthier family, what it would be like to have parents with connections. However, when she was about to be fired over a misplaced digit on an order, when she was being run ragged covering for a colleague forced into resignation after taking maternity leave—the ones who, all the while, kept encouraging her and seeing her off were that ordinary family.

—She was glad to have been born into that family.

She sincerely felt so.

One day, this child would leave too.

The parting would likely be painful.

Being wounded, suffering.

Rather than letting your heart rot and trying to intimidate others, like complainers and assassins—

Rather than cowering before power and trying to suppress others, like the thieves guild's executives—

Rather than closing your heart off to anyone but your kin, like the dragon god—

It's fine to run away.

Even if people laugh at you for fleeing shamefully, so long as you're alive in this world, you can try anything over again.

So when the time comes, a place you can flee to with peace of mind, a place you can return to with peace of mind…

"Pleased to meet you, Haku."

"Pi—!"

—For this child, I hope I can become such a place.

Ilya smiled, gazing across the hall while gently petting the young dragon.

Ilya smiled, looking around the room as she gently caressed the young dragon.