Beneath a sky so clear it felt transparent, two large gondolas and a pair of white dragons stood before us, ready for our departure to the Treasure Tree Festival.
This was the Wyvern Service, the primary means of reaching the Elf Forest. It was essentially a flying carriage. The gondolas were constructed from Floating Stones—the sort of material you’d expect to find in a castle in the clouds. Apparently, they hovered when infused with magic power, allowing the dragons to tow them through the sky.
These White Dragons were said to be among the fastest of all wyvern species, capable of delivering us to the Elf Forest in a matter of hours. The fares were correspondingly astronomical, and because the White Dragon routes were immensely popular with the nobility, Lunamaria-san must have worked wonders just to secure the booking.
While Lilia-san and the others hammered out the details of our flight path, Kusunoki-san, Yuzuki-san, and I were fixated on the dragons.
I’d seen the wyvern that Noin-san had hunted once before, but these White Dragons were in a different league. Their bodies were nearly seven meters long, covered in scales as white and beautiful as freshly fallen snow. They were technically classified as monsters, but they showed no hostility toward us, likely because they were used to humans. That wasn't to say they were friendly, though; they simply ignored us with an air of regal indifference.
I’d always assumed girls would be squeamish around reptiles, but apparently, if they looked cool enough, it wasn't an issue. Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san approached one and tried to pet it, but the dragon gave absolutely no reaction.
I watched them from a distance until I spotted a tiny dragon, less than a meter long, peeking out from behind the two adults. It was likely a hatchling. It didn't seem accustomed to humans yet, as it remained tucked behind its parent, watching us with intense caution. Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san were too preoccupied with the larger dragon to notice it.
"Hiss!"
"..."
When I took a step closer, the little one glared at me with pure hostility. It reminded me of a timid dog barking to keep people away; I had the distinct feeling it would snap at me if I pushed my luck.
Then, a thought struck me. Kuro had told me that my Sympathy Magic allowed me to communicate even with creatures that couldn't speak. Since I had the chance, I figured it was worth a try.
I focused on a sense of goodwill—the simple desire to be friends—channeled it into my magic power, and directed it toward the baby dragon.
"Kyu?"
The hatchling tilted its head and let out a small chirp, staring intently at me. I could still feel a lingering sense of fear from it, so I projected my friendly intentions again.
After I repeated this a few times, the baby dragon’s curiosity seemed to outweigh its fear. It began fluttering its tiny wings, slowly making its way toward me.
"Kyuku, kyui. Kyukyui?"
"It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you," I said softly.
I offered a smile and slowly reached out. The baby dragon flinched at first, but after sensing my emotions through the magic, it didn't flee. When my hand finally made contact, its tension melted away.
Once its guard was down, it was still just a child. It warmed up to me almost instantly, leaning into my hand as I petted it. I’d expected its scales to be hard, but because it was still so young, they were surprisingly soft—somewhere between the texture of mochi and soft rubber. It felt wonderful.
"Kyuku~"
It chirped happily, clearly enjoying the attention. It was adorable. I’d always thought of dragons as giant lizards, but this little thing was honestly as cute as a kitten.
When I picked it up with both hands, it didn't resist at all.
"Kyukyui! Kyukuru!"
"Ahaha."
The baby dragon nuzzled its head against my chest. Its display of affection was so charming, and the way its head rubbed against me was so ticklish, that I couldn't help but laugh.
Looking pleased, the hatchling began to scramble up my clothes using its small claws.
"Hmm?"
"Kyu, kyu, kyu."
The sharp claws gave me a moment of pause, but the fabric of my clothes was high-quality and didn't tear. The baby dragon chirped as it climbed, finally reaching my right shoulder and curling up there as if it had found the perfect nest. It was actually quite heavy.
"Kyuku~"
Just as the dragon was settling in, it seemed Lilia-san and the coachman had finished their discussion. The woman turned toward us to give her final instructions.
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention. We’ve brought the children of these two White Dragons along today so they can start learning the route. They aren't used to people and can be quite dangerous, so please, whatever you do, don't approach th... em...?"
"Um..."
"Kyui?"
The coachman’s eyes went wide as she stared at the baby dragon perched on my shoulder.
"N-No way... How did you... That hatchling hasn't even warmed up to me yet!"
"Oh, please don't mind him," Lilia-san interjected, looking at me with an exasperated expression. "He’s... a bit of a special case."
"Even monsters now... Miyama-sama, you really are something else," Lunamaria-san added with a sigh of resignation.
It was entirely thanks to Sympathy Magic, but it seemed it was normally impossible for a hatchling to bond with someone this quickly.
"Wow, it’s so cute! I want to try too..."
"Hiss!!"
"Eek!"
As if to prove the point, while the baby dragon was perfectly content with me, it let out a low growl the moment Yuzuki-san tried to touch it.
"It’s okay," I whispered to the dragon. "She’s not going to hurt you either."
"Kyui?"
"That’s right. So, please don't growl at her."
"Kyu... Kyuku, kyui!"
After I explained that Yuzuki-san was a friend, the baby dragon tilted its head for a moment before nodding as if it understood. The hostility it projected toward her softened immediately.
"Yuzuki-san, it's okay now."
"Oh? Okay..."
"Kyu!"
"Oh my gosh, it’s so soft! This little thing is absolutely precious!"
Yuzuki-san reached out again, and this time, the hatchling sat quietly and let her pet it.
The coachman stood there with her mouth agape, staring in stunned silence for a long moment before she practically lunged toward me.
"You’re one of the visitors from the other world, aren't you?"
"Uh, yes. That's right."
"...If you ever decide to stay in this world instead of going home, please, you must contact me! I promise our company will hire you with a salary you won't believe!"
"Huh?"
"This is an incredible talent! If you can tame a wyvern this quickly, you could become the greatest dragon handler in the world!"
"I-I see..."
The woman launched into a passionate, high-energy explanation of just how difficult it was to bond with wyverns. I was pinned by her intensity and looked toward Lilia-san for help, but she and the others just gave me wry, defeated smiles.
Dear Mother, Father—I met the White Dragons for our flight and somehow ended up with a baby dragon attached to me. Also, for some reason, I’m being scouted with terrifying enthusiasm.