“……I-I see. So, let me get this straight. In exchange for letting Miyama-san take that baby dragon, the D-D-Dragon King-sama will… sign a contract with us and dispatch his own subordinates?”
“That’s right.”
“……I’m sorry. My mind is simply refusing to process this.”
When I returned from the Demon Realm and explained the situation, the driver murmured, looking visibly overwhelmed.
“……Miyama-san, are you actually an acquaintance of the Dragon King-sama?”
“Y-Yes, well, something like that.”
……He wasn’t the only one I knew, but based on Lilia-san’s past reactions, I knew exactly what would happen to this driver if I mentioned the others.
Seeing me nod, the driver stood there dazed for a moment before slowly speaking again.
“……This is, of course, an incredible offer. In fact, it’s far too good to be true. Having his subordinates dispatched is one thing, but establishing a direct connection with the Dragon King-sama is a benefit that simply cannot be measured in gold.”
“Is it really that significant?”
“Yes. To those of us in the merchant trade or the Wyvern Service, the Dragon King-sama is essentially a god. I carry one myself, but most merchants carry dragon-shaped charms as protective talismans.”
Apparently, Magnawell-san has bestowed many monsters on the world and built the very foundations of the Wyvern Service, earning him absolute devotion as a God of Commerce. For a businessperson, having a direct line to him was a guaranteed ticket to success—a connection they would give anything to obtain.
“He mentioned he’d be sending a messenger soon, if that’s alright with you.”
“Yes, absolutely. Once that contract is finalized, I promise to hand the baby dragon over to you, Miyama-san.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Kyui!”
As it turned out, the driver was also the manager of this Wyvern Service branch and held full decision-making authority. With her consent, it was officially decided: once the deal with Magnawell-san was signed, the baby dragon was mine.
The baby dragon seemed to understand the gravity of the moment, as she looked up at me with a joyful expression.
“Yeah. That means the next time I come by, I can take you home with me.”
“Kyui! Kyu-kyu~!”
“Ahaha, stop, that tickles!”
The baby dragon seemed genuinely happy, rubbing her face against my cheek in an affectionate, spoiled display.
While being thoroughly soothed by her adorable behavior, I used a teleportation magic tool to relay the news to Magnawell-san. I spent the rest of my time playing with the little dragon.
“……And that is the gist of it.”
“……Hah. Just when I thought you had finished encountering every Six King and Supreme God…… you’ve started expanding into monsters now, have you?”
Lilia-san let out an exasperated sigh as I finished recounting the story. I had been prepared for a scolding and intended to plead my case with the utmost sincerity, but she didn’t seem as angry as I had feared.
“She’s not nearly as large as Bell, so it’s not like we’ll need to build a new shed for a baby dragon. Besides, Kaito-san, you’ve been taking excellent care of Bell, so I see no issue. You have my permission to keep her.”
“Oh? I mean, thank you, but to be honest, Sieg-san handles most of Bell’s care……”
“Not at all! I’m just allowed to play with Bell-chan, you know? Kaito-san is the one who does most of the feeding and brushing……”
I was grateful for Lilia-san’s quick approval, but since Sieg-san did so much for Bell, I felt a bit guilty taking the credit. However, Sieg-san was quick to interject.
“No, I’m just helping out and following your lead, Sieg-san.”
“That’s not true. I only offer advice. You’re the one who takes him on his walks, Kaito-san……”
“……I see you two are quite cut from the same cloth,” Lilia-san murmured, looking at us with that same exasperated expression.
The conversation paused for a second, but Sieg-san immediately turned toward me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“But to think we’ll have a baby dragon to join Bell-chan…… I’m so happy! White Dragon scales are as beautiful as pearls, and those round eyes are just precious! Oh, by the way, what is her name?”
“Her species name is Lindwurm, so I’ve decided to call her Rin.”
“Rin-chan…… What a lovely name. To be able to live with such a girl…… Kaito-san, you’re wonderful!”
Sieg-san, the ultimate animal lover, was clearly in high spirits. She was visibly vibrating with excitement at the prospect of Rin-chan’s arrival. We had seen her when we visited the Treasure Tree Festival, but back then, she had apparently been desperately holding back her excitement out of consideration for us, since it was our first time riding wyverns.
“……Sieg, do not try to bring her into your room.”
“……Eh? But I held back with Bell-chan……”
“You absolutely may not! Besides, you’ve been slinking off to Bell’s shed with a pillow quite often lately, haven’t you?”
“……But Bell-chan is so fluffy and cute.”
“……That is not the point.”
It seemed Sieg-san’s obsession with animals was truly hardcore. I hadn't realized she’d been sleeping in Bell’s shed. It was true that Bell’s fur was incredibly soft and well-groomed, making him feel amazing to the touch, but…… Sieg-san, were you actually planning to bring him into your room? Bell is nearly five meters tall……
“……Milady, aren't you one to talk?”
“!? W-What are you saying, Luna……”
“You were awfully quick to approve of the adoption this time, weren't you?”
“T-T-That’s…… because the baby dragon is small, unlike Bell……”
Wait, her response was strangely evasive. She was looking away so obviously that it was painful; did she really think she was fooling anyone? Lilia-san really wears her heart on her sleeve.
Then again, she really had approved with zero resistance this time, which was a bit unusual. I had been fully prepared for at least one or two lectures before I even brought it up.
“Ah, come to think of it, Lili is……”
“Sieg!?”
“Wait, what do you mean?”
For some reason, Sieg-san also seemed to have reached a realization and clasped her hands together. I was the only one left tilting my head in confusion. Seeing this, Lunamaria-san turned to me to provide the missing piece of the puzzle.
“……Milady loves dragons, Kaito-san.”
“L-Luna!?”
“Wait, really?”
“Yes. Even the Ducal House of Albert's Crest features a dragon. I’ll tell you now, even when we went to the Treasure Tree Festival…… Milady could have easily arranged for teleportation magic through a Court Mage. She simply wanted an excuse to ride a wyvern.”
“……”
Lunamaria-san’s words must have been a direct hit, as Lilia-san fixed her gaze on a distant point in the room.
Back when we went to the festival, I didn’t know much about teleportation magic, but it certainly would have been faster. So the reason she was so accommodating this time was because Rin was a dragon…… Come to think of it, her warning to Sieg-san about not bringing the dragon into her room…… was she actually jealous because she wanted to bring Rin into her own room?
“……I mean…… dragons are…… cool, aren't they……” Lilia-san murmured, her cheeks flushing slightly while she still refused to look at me.
She was incredibly cute. Perhaps because she’s usually so dignified, this kind of gap was—wait, dignified? No, I suppose she isn’t really that composed most of the time.
“Kaito-san?”
“N-No, it’s nothing!”
She shot a glance at me as if sensing my thoughts, and I hurriedly straightened my posture.
Lunamaria-san, completely unbothered by the tension, turned back to Lilia-san and continued.
“Milady insists that among the Six Kings, the Dragon King-sama has the most superior appearance. That is the one point where we will never see eye to eye.”
“The Dragon King-sama’s dignified form is obviously the most beautiful!” Lilia-san shouted.
“Hardly! Nothing can rival the exquisite beauty of the Underworld King-sama!”
“……Why are you two fighting over this?”
A debate suddenly erupted between Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san over which of the Six Kings was the most attractive, and the two of them began passionately arguing for their respective favorites.
Lilia-san really did love dragons; she went on and on about how Magnawell-san was the epitome of majesty. From my perspective, Magnawell-san was just a talkative old man who gave me scales as pocket money and treated me like a grandson.
Actually, I secretly agreed more with Lunamaria-san—I thought Kuro was the best—but I knew saying that would only add fuel to the fire, so I kept my mouth shut.
“……Kaito-san.”
“Yes? What is it, Sieg-san?”
“I’ll take very good care of her, so please, bring home more monsters. I’d really love to have a Funny Rabbit, too.”
“……”
And Sieg-san, for her part, was as focused as ever. Her eyes were sparkling so adorably that I almost reflexively said yes, but I managed to stop myself just in time.
Dear Mother, Father—
Talks proceeded smoothly, and I’ve been granted permission to adopt the Lindwurm, Rin. Lilia-san also gave her approval. And while I never would have guessed it, it turns out that Lilia-san—likes dragons, apparently.