My name is Lananon.
About thirty days had passed since I first opened my eyes. My body had finally become functional again, so I gave Urza a fragment of my scales and sent her toward our destination. The fragment served as a beacon. I waited until I was sure the scale had stopped moving for a while before I set out to reach its location.
Would it have been faster to let Urza ride on my back and guide me? Hardly. We dragons of the Age of Gods do not permit humans upon our backs so lightly.
However, a problem arose. My body did not move as well as I had anticipated. To be precise, I could not fly properly. It was quite a predicament, especially since I had told Urza I would be right behind her. I struggled for about a day before I simply gave up. It could not be helped. I assumed a human form and moved using teleportation magic.
Teleportation magic is undeniably convenient, but it has a poor reputation among the dragons of my era, so I generally prefer to avoid it. This, however, was an emergency. Thanks to the World Tree leaf, my magic power was more than sufficient. There were no issues on that front.
When I arrived via teleportation, everyone was incredibly startled. I had taken care to teleport to a spot slightly away from the scale fragment so as not to suddenly intrude upon the premises, but perhaps teleportation magic is truly that rare these days?
And then there was Young Dos. Using a person as a shield is a shameful act. The same goes for Young Giral. I wondered if they had only grown in size and not in character. Well, they were currently in human form, at least.
...
Actually, looking at Young Dos and Young Giral brought back a flood of memories. Now that I thought about it, I had received a report that Young Dos and Raimeiren had wed. Then there was Hakuren. I had met her before, too. I felt terrible; I had completely forgotten. It is truly troublesome how forgetful one becomes with age. Besides, I had only just woken up. Once I saw her face, it all came back to me. I should probably tell Urza to keep that little lapse of memory a secret.
Draim... yes, he was there as well. I had completely forgotten him too. I only remembered him from when he was tiny. And his older sister... what was her name? Not Hakuren, but the younger one... Su... Su... Su... Suren? No. Suiren! Yes, Suiren. I remembered scolding Draim for hiding behind Suiren’s back. He had cried his eyes out, and then Raimeiren had scolded me.
Hahaha.
Wait, what was wrong with Draim? He seemed to have lost consciousness while standing up. Perhaps he was suffering from accumulated fatigue.
Oh, Urza had arrived. Well then... I had been feigning ignorance, but I supposed it was time to face reality.
"Urza," I said. "Who is this man who calls himself Hiraku?"
Her father? And the husband of Hakuren and Lastismoon?
...
Right. I managed to digest the situation. As for... well, let us put the idea of challenging him aside for now. I took a deep breath and looked at Hiraku one more time.
Wh-wh-wh-whaaaaat... What on earth is this? How terrifying.
"Listen, Urza," I whispered. "I want to introduce myself properly, so could you ask Hiraku to just pretend that I’m challenging him? Yes, just a performance. Explain it that way and ask him for me."
He wanted to see my power? Hahaha, I would show him by using Young Dos and Young Giral as my examples. I had no intention of actually fighting Hiraku.
"Ah, Hiraku... Hiraku-san. I won't be fighting you, so please put away that dangerous spear. I have no intention of running wild here. I’m merely going to sink Young Dos to the bottom of the sea and drop Young Giral into a volcanic crater. If you tell me to stop, I’ll stop, but..."
The reason for my visit? I had heard there was a girl here who shared my name. I had come to offer her a blessing.
I knew he had likely deduced my name by now, but I asked him not to say it until after the "challenge." I had my own little restrictions to maintain.
My name is Lananon. Yes, I managed the greeting properly. I felt quite proud of myself.
Ever since I arrived here, my head had felt remarkably clear. It felt as if a haze had been hanging over me since the moment I woke up. My forgetting Hakuren and Draim was surely due to that fog. Indeed.
Hiraku-san then informed me that he would host a banquet to welcome me. I gratefully accepted.
Wait, was that Reginleiv over there? A nostalgic face... and she ran away. Oh well.
Then there were Bulga and Stifano. How nostal—they ran away too. However, I had to praise them for not dropping the child they were carrying. That child was Kukulkan. A fine name.
...And a cat. This one didn't run. How interesting. His name was Raigiel? What a lovely little creature. I gave him a good petting.
And then... was it you? The one who manipulated me while I slept? The one responsible for the haze in my head and my thin memories?
Was I mistaken? No, my clear senses told me it was definitely you. Fufufu, there was no need to look so frightened. I could tell just by looking that you had become harmless now. I suppose a great deal must have happened. I won't kill you; after all, you were the catalyst for my awakening.
However, I did harbor some resentment for you using me as a "water source plug." There are better ways to treat a lady, don't you think? Perhaps I should vent that anger on Young Dos. Just as I thought that, I heard Young Dos’s voice from the distance, shouting about how life was unreasonable.
Hmph. Young Dos had surprisingly sharp intuition. Or perhaps... he was simply eavesdropping.
Just then, a man in a butler's outfit approached.
"Village Head. I’ve received an emergency contact from Bulga and the others that—GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
...Gucci. It truly hurt my feelings that you would play dead the moment you saw my face. Wait, no. He had actually fainted. Was it alright to leave him there? No, I suppose not. Hiraku-san eventually carried Gucci off to another room.
At the banquet, the dragon children lined up before me: Hiichiro, Gral, Lananon, Hikaru, Himiko, and Helzernark.
Hakuren was holding Hikaru and Himiko. It seemed Bulga and Stifano weren't going to bring Kukulkan before me, but since I had already seen him earlier, I didn't mind. They had tried to hold back the young Lananon as well, but she stood boldly before me, perhaps understanding that she was the reason I was here. I noticed her mother, Lastismoon, standing right behind her.
Both Lananon and Lastismoon had quite determined expressions. They looked like they would become strong.
Then there was Hiichiro, Hakuren’s son. He seemed rather gentle. I wondered if he would be alright—I hoped he wouldn't be bullied by the girls.
Hikaru and Himiko were still very small, but they showed great promise by not being intimidated by me. They had a bright future.
"Ah, Gral. And Helzernark. It is a pleasure to meet you. Don't be so wary; I won't do anything to you. It’s just a greeting."
I couldn't technically announce my name without being challenged, but I was wearing a nameplate signboard around my neck that Hiraku-san had made for me, so it was plain to see. It was a masterpiece that even the Inferno Wolves and Demon Spiders would envy.
"Indeed. I share the same name as that Lananon over there. And Lananon... because you carry my name, you may face certain expectations or comments. But there is no need to feel pressured. Live your life freely."
And I truly was sorry. I had remembered everything once the fog cleared, and I realized I had caused quite a bit of trouble in the past. I worried that my name might carry some unwanted baggage for her. I told her that if she ever wished to discard the name Lananon, I wouldn't mind at all. I didn't want her to feel burdened. She was likely too young to fully grasp what I was saying, but I wanted her to remember it regardless. That was the primary reason I had come.
A blessing upon the children. May the Age of Gods Dragon Race prosper for eternity.
The welcoming banquet ended on a lively note. Even after the official conclusion, some continued to eat, but I could hardly blame them. The food was delicious. The sake was excellent. I could see why Dos and the others had chosen to live here.
But do not worry. I have no intention of moving in. I promised to help Urza with her work, so I will be living over there.
The sudden roar of cheers for Urza was a bit irritating, though. Weren't they all just blaming her for waking me up a moment ago? And Gucci, please stop silently shedding tears of joy!
"Hm? Hiichiro, you're sad to see me go? I see, I see. Don't worry, I shall visit whenever I have business."
Young Dos, Young Giral—stop screaming every time I speak! It's annoying!
"Fine, fine. I won't use teleportation magic when I visit. You don't mind if I use an airship or the teleportation gate, do you? I'll travel that way instead. Don't be so cold toward me. If you treat this old lady poorly, things will only get more complicated."
Big Lananon: "Hello! (Arrives via teleportation magic)"
Gucci: "AIEEEE! Why? Why, Lananon-san?! LANANON-SAN!!!!"
Dos: "It’s cheating for Lananon-sama to use teleportation magic!"
Reginleiv: "The Age of Gods Dragon Race is forbidden from using teleportation magic! That is a violation of the Antarctic Treaty!"
Yoko: "A dangerous one has appeared... I’m staying in Village Five today. I must call Hitoe."
Niz: "Whaaaaaat... why is she back?!"
Prada: "Everyone, battle stations! Protect the art!"
Versa: "The Big Lananon? Who’s that?" (She was a shut-in, so she didn't know.)
Erme: "R-Regardless, you must not go to the village today!"
Progenitor-san: "I think I'll head to the village today for the first time in a—" (His memories of Lananon have been erased.)
Raimeiren: "I simply cannot stand up to her..."
Guronde: "I was hiding."
Ol: "Woof! (I was staying close to Mom.)"
Big Lananon: "If you treat this old lady poorly, things will get complicated."
Dos: "For example?"
Big Lananon: "I said I wouldn't live here, but I never said when I would leave. I’d like you all to remember that. In other words, when I depart is entirely at my discretion. If I feel like it, I could stay for ten years, or perhaps a hundred... that is what I mean."
Dos: "Th-That's dirty! You're playing dirty!"
Giral: "Rustle rustle... whisper whisper..." (Providing the background noise.)