The presence I encountered during my first visit to the Demon Realm was truly staggering. The sight of the Dragon King, the world’s largest living organism, far exceeded anything I could have imagined.
He had been monumental even from a distance, but up close, the scene was nothing short of a joke. I mean, were those actually his legs? They looked like nothing more than gargantuan, dark brown walls. I couldn't even see the rest of his body above them, no matter how far back I tilted my head.
He was a land dragon, I suppose. Just one of his four legs seemed to pierce straight through the clouds.
With an earth-shaking tremor, the Dragon King came to a halt right in front of Lilliwood-san and me. Normally, just his walking would have likely kicked up gale-force winds, but Lilliwood-san seemed to be shielding us; I felt the vibrations, but nothing more.
The Behemoth that had been trying to intimidate Lilliwood-san just moments ago was now trembling violently, looking utterly terrified by that colossal physique.
Then, the Dragon King slowly lowered his massive head. His face alone was of an incredible size, comparable to an ordinary mountain. A single eye was larger than the Behemoth. He was a being whose very scale existed outside the realm of common sense.
"What is this? This rattling vexes my eyes."
His tone was leisurely, but because his size defied logic, it felt like a deafening roar falling from the heavens. I could feel the very air vibrating against my skin.
Then, the Dragon King slowly shifted his gaze toward the Behemoth.
"Begone, whelp!"
Just before that roar was unleashed, tree roots sprouted before me like a protective wall, which then vibrated violently. Just how loud was that? The wooden wall shook as if a bomb had gone off!
The Dragon King's roar instantly stripped the Behemoth of its will to fight. The creature fled toward the distant horizon at an incredible speed. After moving his head as if sighing at the sight, the Dragon King slowly turned back toward us.
"It has been a long time, Lilliwood."
"Yes, it has been quite a while, Magnawell. It is rare to see you traveling outside of the Hero Festival."
"Nay, I merely set out to catch a glimpse of the rumored Otherworlder. However, walking while taking care not to step on Demons or cities is quite taxing indeed."
After exchanging greetings with Lilliwood-san in a heavy, dignified voice that carried the weight of ages, the Dragon King turned his massive eye toward me.
"So, are you the Otherworlder I have heard so much about?"
The pressure was incredible. It wasn't just his voice or magic power; the sheer visual scale made it feel like my body was being crushed. I couldn't stop myself from shaking.
However, even so, it wasn’t as intense as the pressure I felt when I first encountered Isis-san. Thinking it would be rude to greet him while trembling, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Once I had suppressed the shaking, I looked straight into the Dragon King's eye.
"It’s nice to meet you. My name is Kaito Miyama."
"Hoh... For a youngster of these times, you seem to understand the meaning of etiquette. Very well. Since you have introduced yourself, I shall do the same. I am Magnawell Baskus Lald Katzbalger... known to many as the Dragon King."
"I... I look forward to getting to know you."
"Umu. I heard rumors from the Phantasm King and came to see what kind of youth you were, but you have quite a fine look in your eyes. It is well, Kaito Miyama. I shall permit you to address me without honorifics, just as you do with the other Six Kings."
"Thank you very much... Magnawell-san."
His manner of speaking was majestic; he truly felt like a king. Since he had told me he would permit me to call him the same way I called Kuro and the others, I figured it might actually be rude to insist on using a formal title. I followed his suggestion and called him Magnawell-san.
Just then, a giant Winged Dragon descended near Magnawell-san, flapping its wings. This was also a massive dragon, likely a hundred meters long, yet it looked tiny before Magnawell-san’s size.
"Are you certain, my King? Is it wise to permit such a thing?"
It talked! Well, Magnawell-san was talking too, so I suppose high-ranking dragons are capable of speech.
"Umu, I can see why the others have taken a liking to him. You have a look on your face as if you do not understand. Very well, Kaito Miyama, I shall ask you one thing."
"Eh? Ah, yes!"
"Earlier, before you introduced yourself to me, you closed your eyes and steadied your breath. Why did you do that?"
"Um, because... I thought it would be rude to greet you while I was trembling."
"Umu. There are times when showing awe can be disrespectful. Especially when facing one who intends to judge your worth, it is only proper to pay your respects and then weave your words as yourself. To put it into words is easy, but there are precious few who can actually do it before me. You possess a solid core of grit."
Magnawell-san’s explanation seemed directed at the Winged Dragon. The smaller dragon nodded once in understanding and flew back up into the sky, disappearing from view.
"Honestly, it is a lamentable thing, but the youth of today lack such spirit. Every last one of them does nothing but hurl rehearsed compliments while shaking in their boots. In my younger days, such people were few—"
"Magnawell. Please get to the main point. If you keep Kaito-san here too long... Isis will get angry."
"Hmm? What is this? Are you two on your way to Isis?"
"Yes, I'm going to visit Isis-san's castle to spend some time together."
"Spend time together? At Isis’s side? How peculiar you are..."
Magnawell-san looked slightly surprised by my words. However, his expression soon returned to normal, and he lowered his head toward us.
"Fine then, let us talk as we go. Climb aboard. I shall see you there myself."
"Wait... what?"
"I see. It certainly would be easier to see the scenery from atop you."
"Eh? Wait!?"
I felt like things were taking an outrageous turn, but Lilliwood-san didn't seem bothered. She used her magic to lift me up and placed me on Magnawell-san’s head—right around the area where his brow would be.
Then, Magnawell-san slowly raised his head, and my field of vision shifted all at once. It was a view that truly deserved to be called a masterpiece. The majestic nature spread out below me as if I were looking down from a mountain peak, and I was momentarily overwhelmed. I hadn't noticed it from below, but a vast number of dragons were flying around Magnawell-san. He truly looked like the king of dragons.
Magnawell-san began to walk. His pace was slow and deliberate, but given his staggering size, every single step covered an incredible distance. The scenery flew by.
"The Demon Realm really is a beautiful place."
"Is this your first time seeing the Demon Realm, Kaito Miyama?"
"Yes, it’s amazing."
Magnawell-san reacted to the impression that had escaped my lips as I looked down at the beautiful green land that resembled a great prairie.
"Indeed. This land has changed greatly over the long ages. Around twenty thousand years ago, over there, we often—"
"And so it begins... Kaito-san. Magnawell’s stories are very long."
"Eh?"
Lilliwood-san muttered with a sigh as Magnawell-san began to speak in a nostalgic tone. My image of him was shifting toward that of a talkative grandfather. If that was the case, I had a feeling this really would be a long ride.
"...And so, that is how the life in this region transformed its appearance."
"I see. So the reason there’s so much greenery here is largely due to your influence, Lilliwood-san."
"Umu, exactly. To begin with, the earth itself is... Hmm? I can see it now."
Magnawell-san’s stories really were long; he ended up recounting tales of the past throughout the entire journey. It had been nearly an hour since the stories began, and just as I was starting to feel a bit tired, an ice-covered land came into view.
It matched my image of the North or South Pole. The land covered in ice was beautiful, yet it carried a certain sense of loneliness. More than that, it looked incredibly cold. I wondered if I would freeze in these light clothes.
"It will be fine. You have Shallow Vernal-sama's Blessing, Kaito-san."
"Ah, I see..."
It seemed Shiro-san’s Blessing also protected me from the environment. It really was an all-purpose blessing. As I talked with Lilliwood-san, Magnawell-san muttered with a hint of curiosity.
"What is this? Is Isis unwell? Her magic power of death is incredibly thin."
"It’s the opposite. Isis is in an exceptionally good mood right now. Even today, she has been talking happily for hours about how Kaito-san is coming."
"Fumu, she really has taken a liking to him."
"Yes, very much so."
It seemed Isis-san really had been looking forward to today. Hearing that made me happy, but also a bit embarrassed. As we neared the ice-covered land, Magnawell-san slowly came to a halt.
"I shall stop here. If I were to step foot in there, the ice of that land would shatter."
"That is true."
Nodding at Magnawell-san’s words, Lilliwood-san once again floated me down to the ground. I turned back toward Magnawell-san.
"Thank you very much, Magnawell-san. I learned a lot from all the stories you told me."
"Ho ho ho, how diligent. I can see why the other Six Kings like you; you are a pleasant youth."
When I offered my thanks, Magnawell-san laughed joyfully.
"Very well, I shall give you some pocket money."
"Wait... pocket money?"
Then, uttering words like a grandfather meeting his grandson, he moved his head and placed a giant scale—easily exceeding five meters in size—before me.
"It is my scale. Do with it as you wish—sell it, or forge it into equipment."
"Ah, um, thank you very much."
"That’s wonderful, Kaito-san. If you were to sell Magnawell's Scale, you could easily build a castle or two."
I was handed something truly outrageous. Still, just the name "Dragon King's Scale" made it sound like an extraordinary item. Honestly, I wanted to decline, but since it would be rude to refuse his gift, I thanked him and put it into my magic box.
"Kaito Miyama, next time, you should come to the southern lands, to my dwelling. I shall tell you many more stories."
"Yes, I would love to, if I have the chance."
"Umu. Until then. Give my regards to Isis as well."
After showing a pleasant expression once more, Magnawell-san slowly turned his body and departed, once again shaking the earth with his every step.
Dear Mother, Father—
Magnawell-san was incredibly massive, and he was a person who possessed the dignity of a king along with a wealth of knowledge from his long life. Among the Six Kings I've met so far, in a certain sense, he might be the most king-like person.
Isis: "Kaito is coming... he's coming soon... I want to go pick him up... but... I want to... say welcome... I want to see Kaito soon... Kaito... Kaito..."
She had been repeating that for hours.