The notion Flare-san had mentioned—that inhaling smoke could make one grow taller—was almost certainly just a common superstition. It reminded me of a shrine I had visited for New Year’s back home, where people crowded around the incense smoke in the belief that it would make them smarter.
But the validity of the superstition wasn't the point; what mattered was that Flare-san was actually doing it. This revealed that she desperately wanted to grow taller—in other words, she harbored a deep-seated complex about her height.
Confirming my suspicions, Flare-san spoke with a look of desperate resolve.
"Please, do not laugh at me, Comrade. Even I understand that such tales are groundless myths. However... there are times when power alone is not enough. There are times when one has no choice but to cling to a myth, knowing full well it holds no weight."
"Um... of course I won't laugh. Flare-san, do you really want to grow taller that badly?"
Everyone has a complex. Even people who seem flawless to the rest of the world often struggle with insecurities that only they can truly feel.
In this case, Flare-san was being remarkably straightforward about it, perhaps because of her naturally honest personality. Simply pretending I hadn’t heard her would be a mistake. I decided the best course of action was to encourage her to keep talking as naturally as I could.
"Comrade, the Dragon Species is the most diverse race in the Demon Realm. Our ecologies and physiques vary wildly, and our numbers are vast. Because of this, dragons are divided into four broad categories based on their size."
"I see..."
"First, those under five meters in total length are Small Species; those between five and ten meters are Medium Species; those ten meters and up are Large Species; and anything over a hundred meters is classified as a Super-large Species. And I... I am... a Small Species."
Flare-san clenched her fists, her face twisting with frustration. I could feel a heavy weight of emotion behind her words.
"Magnawell-sama is a Super-large Species, as are all the other members of the Four Great Magic Dragons. I cannot help but be bothered by it. I am not so arrogant as to think I could become a Super-large Species myself, but... I find myself wishing that I could at least reach the rank of Medium Species."
"..."
"I know it is pathetic to dwell on it, yet I cannot let it go. If the goal were obviously out of reach, I could accept it. But my total length is 4.8 meters... Yes, I am only twenty centimeters away from the threshold for a Medium Species. If I had even a single horn, I would have reached it. I simply cannot give it up."
To me, as a human, twenty centimeters seemed like a significant distance, but to a dragon like Flare-san, it was likely close enough to feel like she could reach it just by standing on her tiptoes.
Listening to her, I looked her straight in the eye and spoke.
"...Flare-san, I understand your feelings... painfully well."
"Comrade..."
"Because I suffer from the exact same burden!"
"Wh-What?! You too, Comrade? You share my struggle?"
I’ll say it clearly: I understood her perfectly! In fact, I had been carrying a nearly identical complex for years.
"Yes. My height is 169 centimeters... I am just one centimeter short of 170. I know what people say. To an onlooker, almost no one can tell the difference of a single centimeter. If I lied and said I was 170, nobody would go out of their way to correct me... But that is not the point! The difference between 169 and 170 is a matter of... well, self-confidence. It changes everything."
"Ah... I see. I understand, Comrade! Truly, I do! Those who do not understand would call it a 'margin of error'... but to the person living it, it is no such thing!"
"Exactly! My head knows it, too. I am past my growth spurt, and the chances of growing any more are slim. But every time I have to measure my height—like at a check-up—I find myself hoping that maybe, just maybe, I have gained that one last centimeter."
"How tragic. I understand your pain, your lamentations, Comrade... I feel them as if they were my own!"
Flare-san nodded repeatedly, her eyes welling with tears. I suspected my own eyes were misting over as well. As fellow travelers who had experienced hope only to have it repeatedly dashed, we shared a profound connection.
Feeling my emotions swell, I reached out my hand toward her.
"Flare-san! Let us both keep our heads up and never give up hope! As long as we keep trying, the possibility will never be zero!"
"Comrade! Oh, what incredibly soul-stirring words! I feel as though I have finally found a beacon of hope in the darkness!"
Flare-san and I shared a firm, powerful handshake. It was an incredible sensation... as if our very souls were being linked. I understood exactly how she felt.
In that moment, an unbreakable bond was forged between us. A bond between two people sharing the same suffering, yet choosing to stand and fight against it... A bond that could only be called the Bond of Comrades.
[Affection Level for Flarebel Needsveld rose drastically.]
Serious-senpai: "...What a terrifying guy. Seriously, that was some Perfect Communication right there. I could actually see her affection level skyrocketing from here."
???: "...Well, on a side note, I have some sad news. Even in the Chapter 777 Commemorative Extra Chapter, which takes place much further in the future, Kaito-san’s height was still 169 cm."
Serious-senpai: "Reality is heartless... But it is strange. You would think that if Kaito really wanted it, someone around him could just make it happen."
Machina: "I can give you a hint about that! Well, not really a hint—more like the answer... 'Shallow Vernal’s height is 169 centimeters'!!"
Serious-senpai & ???: "......Ah."