Just as we finished paying our respects to the Four Great Magic Dragons, the ground began to tremble right on cue. Magnawell made his appearance. Upon his arrival, the dragons that had been warming up froze in place, and those circling in the sky descended to the earth to kneel.
His massive form—dwarfing even the colossal Grandireas—exuded an overwhelming majesty. He was truly a king among dragons.
"I see. You have done well to receive me. Raise your heads. The Dragon Carnival begins shortly. See to your final adjustments."
Magnawell’s voice resonated as if falling from the heavens. The dragons bowed deeply once more before scattering to finalize their preparations.
Once they were gone, he turned his gaze toward Lilia-san and me.
"Now then, welcome, Miyama Kaito. And you as well, Lilia Albert."
"Thank you for the invitation, Magnawell-san. Also, I apologize for the repetition, but I’d like to properly introduce Lilia-san to you again."
"Hmm. Indeed, we have shared battlefields in the past, and I have seen her at events like your birthday party, yet we have never spoken directly."
"Right... Lilia-san, are you doing all right?"
"Y-Y-Yes... I am... managing, somehow..."
While I chatted casually with Magnawell-san, I glanced at Lilia-san. Even to a casual observer, she looked paralyzingly nervous. Her back was as rigid as a board, her face frozen in a mask of peak anxiety. She didn’t look "all right" in the slightest.
Hoping to calm her even a little, I reached out and took Lilia-san’s hand. After a brief look of surprise, she gave me a small, grateful smile.
"Dragon King-sama... allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Lilia Albert."
"I am Magnawell Baskus Lard Kartzbald. As Miyama Kaito’s lover—and as a human whose talents are exceptional even among your kind—you have piqued my interest. My subordinates are also quite indebted to your Wyvern Service. Therefore, just as I have done for Miyama Kaito, I grant you permission to address me by my name."
"It is the greatest of honors. You have my deepest gratitude... I look forward to this, Magnawell-sama."
"Good. You and Miyama Kaito should enjoy the battles of my subjects today."
Seeing him like this, I realized Magnawell-san really was the most "kingly" of the Six Kings. In casual settings, he came across as a chatty old man, but in formal moments like this, his dignity was staggering.
With their formal introductions finished, the Dragon Carnival was finally ready to start. Or rather, Magnawell-san’s arrival was the actual signal, as the preparations wrapped up the second he arrived.
The Four Great Magic Dragons gathered near Magnawell-san. Lilia-san and I sat down on the leisure sheet Flare-san had prepared for us. She had asked whether I preferred a chair or a sheet, but honestly, a chair would have looked completely out of place in this environment. I went with the sheet.
Magnawell-san had suggested we watch from on top of his head, but Lilia-san would have been far too overwhelmed by the modesty of such a position. Plus, he was so tall that looking down from his head would have made it hard to see the matches, so we opted for a leisure sheet on a small hill instead.
It didn’t look like they were going to hold matches one by one. Instead, several duels seemed poised to take place simultaneously in different spots. Eight dragons descended onto the wasteland before Magnawell-san, splitting into four pairs for one-on-one matches.
"Hmm. I don’t know much about dragons, so what do you think of this, Lilia-san?"
"It's incredible! There are so many rare species here that I can't decide where to look first!"
"Ah, well, I meant more in terms of predictions. Who do you think will win?"
"I see! Let's see... In the pairing on the front right, I think the black dragon—the Shadow Dragon—has the edge. It's remarkably fast. However, its opponent, the Dreadtail, has overwhelming power. If even one clean strike lands, the tide could turn in an instant."
"I see..."
"The match on the front left is very even, but that bird-like Feather Dragon can use Feathers of Illusion to scramble its opponent's senses. The outcome will depend on whether that lands."
As she spoke, Lilia-san’s face lit up with excitement. It was clear she was having a blast talking about her passion. She usually hides her obsession with dragons, thinking it unladylike. Seeing her talk so passionately was proof of how much she’d opened up to me, which made me feel pretty happy.
Most importantly, she was having a great time and had finally managed to relax. Watching her chatter away so cheerfully warmed my heart. I was definitely glad I'd invited her.
Extra: Maniac Quiz
Difficulty Level: With Wasabi (Highest Difficulty)
Q1: What is the common public name for Randomly Named No. 48-chan?
Q2: What is the title of episode twelve of Alice-chan Robot?
Q3: What is Kaito's personal best time for the Rubik's Cube?
Q4: What kind of leather was used for the belt Kaito bought at Alice's shop?
Q5: Where did Zwei go to get the fish for Kaito's birthday party?
Serious-senpai: "What is this? This is too hard!"
???: "If you can answer these without checking the previous chapters, you know this story better than the author."