Author: pareido

I couldn’t hide my frustration from the Knight Commander, making me purse my lips.

…Why wouldn’t he just give up? Why won’t he agree with me?

I hurriedly tried to think of a way to persuade the Knight Commander that my choice would lead to a better future.

What I saw reflected in my eyes was an expressionless face, halfway between human and monster.

I saw myself at the end of that future path… The horror of it turned my fingertips cold.

“…If I stayed around, you would become stronger… But you will also suffer.”

“…? That’s just my lack of training. Once we go home, I can further temper my spirit.”

The Knight Commander spoke clearly without hesitation.

No. That wasn’t what I meant.

It was frustrating not to get through to him… I turned my gaze again to his future.

…A country overrun by demons, blood, and smoke, filled with the voices of resentful people.

It was all too much to put into words… Letting that future come to life would fill me with such deep regret that I could cry just thinking about it.

“If I make even one mistake, it could start a war! Don’t you understand that we won’t always be able to live in peace like how we do now!?”

“…If that happens, I’ll do all I can to stop it… If that is what you wish.”

He spoke so confidently that no words could come out of my mouth.

I wanted to just crawl away and hide…

I tried to struggle…

I desperately searched for the answer that would me steer clear of any unfavorable future…

What, why am I…

A dry, devastated world with no humans… Where only giant monsters roamed around.

It was all the result of my choices… All of them inevitably connected.

…This was not something I can avoid.

I couldn’t stand to see this darkness in front of me.

“…Everything might be destroyed… The whole world… Solely because of my actions! Because of my wrong choices!”

“The world will be destroyed?”

For the first time, the Knight Commander casted his eyes down, as if in thought.

…At last, he seemed to understand.

Although I was getting what I wanted, I felt a pang of loneliness in my heart.

I looked at the Knight Commander deep in thought and realized this would be the last time I saw him.

He had come closer to me at some point, and I looked at his face.

I couldn’t tell what that familiar face was thinking about, but it seemed more intense than usual.

…I thought that his eyebrows, a silvery-white color like snow, were stunning.

When he noticed me staring at him, the Knight Commander raised his gaze, tilting his neck inquisitively.

That gesture shouldn’t look good coming from an adult man, but somehow it suited the Knight Commander… I smiled unintentionally.

He looked back at me with surprised eyes… A hot intensity that made me cringe.

“It cannot be guaranteed that you could save this country… Let alone the entire world.”

The Knight Commander said as he drew closer.

He was so close that I could touch him… He took up most of my field of view.

“I will do anything I can, request help from anyone I have to, and use all my strength…”

He spoke sincerely and earnestly.

He gently took my hand.

“…So please, come home with me.”

My feet swayed loosely.

I thought I made up my mind. I thought had settled my intentions.

But his grip was so warm that I felt my heart melt.

“…Why… Why won’t you just give up…?”

I couldn’t bear it, starting to spitball questions at him.

His voice was quiet and distorted to the point that it should have been hard to hear… But the Knight Commander spoke anyway.

He talked sloppily, struggling as he chose my words.

About his father, the environment that had made him who he was, and the time he met Vidika.

He gripped me more firmly as if to show he didn’t understand either.

He said that his life before he met Vidika wasn’t anything he could call good, constant suffering and being looked down on.

But there were good moments, too, he said.

‘Master Vidika‘ was someone he respected deeply.

‘The Chief Magician‘ was very reliable.

‘The subordinate knights‘ needed his guidance.

‘His Majesty, the King‘ held his pledge of loyalty.

“Everyone trusted and turned to me. It’s the important life that I’ve led.”

…But everyone had kept their distance since he had become an adult.

He didn’t shake nor show any disturbance in his voice, but rather spoke with a tinge of loneliness.

“…But somehow, you have always eased my heart.”

The Knight Commander said no one else had made him feel that way, making it so that he couldn’t take his eyes off me.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him either…

“Your words made me uneasy, and if you left, it would pain me exceedingly.”

“…I’m so used to your presence that I can’t let go anymore.”

As if to embody what he was saying, the Knight Commander squeezed my hand in a firm, but gentle grip.

I felt like I was being told not to let go either.

Despite my intentions, I felt my heart tighten.

…Ah, wait a minute… How unfair.

“So why don’t you choose me… Choose us… Over those other people?”

I felt a slight tremble pass through my body, originating from his warm fingertips.

Was he afraid of me not coming home?

His serious face faltered for a little bit, his blue eyes shifting in confusion.

I felt my feet tremble as if the world would crash in on me.

…Ah no…

I’m losing resolve…

I’m starting to want to go home…

….It’s okay…

I just needed to close my eyes, erase my emotions, and shut my ears.

I should go down the path that most people would go with if they were in my position, the path that would benefit those they held close to their hearts the most.

That’s the right decision after all.

I let go of his hand.

I closed my eyes and shut my ears as I felt that voice come to me in whispers again.

I felt pain in my heart.

But it doesn’t matter… I just needed to tuck the pain away… Making it smaller… And smaller… So that I won’t fold.

I kept chanting that to calm myself down gradually.

It’s okay.

This was the correct choice.

No one will get hurt this way.

I won’t get hurt, either.

My heart calmed. I slowly opened my eyes and stared directly at the Knight Commander.

I opened my mouth slowly… My voice came out in a whisper, “I’m making the right choice. I am.”

“Rururia,” the Knight Commander met my eyes, “I don’t care about what is or isn’t the right choice. You can choose whatever.”

The Knight Commander had a quiet, yet visible intensity through his whole body.

He interrupted me with a low, passionate voice, glaring sharply.

“My world is a world with you in it.”

Those groaning words made my heart sink.

The feeling got bigger and bigger… When I tried to suppress it… It just kept coming back, over and over again…

“And that’s why Rururia…”

I felt goosebumps on my neck.

I realized the Knight Commander was already pointing his sword at my throat.

It was a familiar posture. He seemed taken by the blood… But why?

“…I won’t allow Rururia to be erased.”

I felt his intense gaze and violent intentions overwhelming me with immense pressure.

The impact of it helped me snap out of my daze and think clearer.

On the contrary, the whispering voice in my head seemed far away, just a meaningless noise now.

…Ah, what was I thinking about? I felt like I was going backward… Ah, no, before that…

I glared at the guy in front of me who was pointing a sword at my throat, staring like he wanted to eat me.

“…That’s why…”

I lifted my leg, which felt strangely heavy… It felt like it would tear off as I shook it.

“I said I wouldn’t let you fall to senseless bloodlust!”

I swung my leg as hard as I could, aiming at the Knight Commander.

Well… I wasn’t aiming anywhere in particular, but it seemed I hit him in the shin.

…But he seemed completely unfazed! My foot felt more pain than he did!?

Going with my heart… My face revealed my personal feelings of regret.

As if intimidated by me, the Knight Commander hurriedly sheathed his sword while uttering defensively.

“Senseless… What… No!? I was just trying to persuade you.”

“What kind of blood-thirsty idiot uses a sword to persuade people!?”

That was senseless!

He was clearly feeling bloodlust!

At my legitimate argument, it appeared as though the Knight Commander had nothing to say.

For now, at least, I tossed him my handkerchief to stop the bleeding on his head.

The Knight Commander was stunned like a child as he grasped my cute handkerchief.

He seemed surprised and confused as I silently pointed at his forehead.

…Huh? Had he not noticed it yet? But isn’t that such an extensive injury?

I’ll leave him for now since he’s still muttering excuses.

I turned around towards the Heavenly Cragon.

…He really was a tremendous presence to behold.

The area around the little boy was distorted, stars swirling around in his eyes.

In his unusual existence, he was waiting for me to make my choice… To decide who I would become.

I gently closed my eyes.

I didn’t want to become illogical and make a mistake.

This is the right path to choose for the world… Leading to praise and appreciation– But something was wrong.

It shouldn’t be wrong. It must be good to choose a path where most people have a high probability of living good lives– But it felt terrible for me.

I don’t want to choose for someone else’s world… For someone else’s path.

That wouldn’t be my world anymore– That would be wrong, and a life full of suffering...

I mean…

There were people that I didn’t want to upset.

People hoping I would come home.

People that just wanted to see and be with me.

These personal matters that tugged my heartstrings were trivial compared to the whole world, but…

I’m not a hero, a saint, nor a masterpiece. I’m just Rururia.

I remembered the Knight Commander again and laughed softly.

Even if I made a mistake, I have people that would stand by me.

Even if I were to get lost, I’d have people that would struggle with me.

If I think that would be the best for the world, then that would be what I choose.

After all, I’m me…

…Only I can give my answer.

My course settled… I opened my eyes and steadied my shaking feet, opening my mouth that felt like it was shrinking.

“I want to live in a world guided by a path I have chosen. I want to walk together with everyone in such a world.”

“That’s why even if I make the wrong decision that would make things go badly, then I’ll just keep fighting until the end.”

“…I want to live in the world that I chose to live in.”

At this point, I stopped speaking and took a breath.

I tried to take a step towards my chosen path, but noticed that I couldn’t move my legs. I felt insufficient, but that didn’t matter.

It might be scary and wrong to make a bad decision, but even so…

While taking in everything, I forced myself to make a slippery half-step.

“I choose to go home! Back to my world.”

At hearing my choice, the Heavenly Dragon slowly closed his eyes wordlessly.

I heard something like a clicking sound, far away.

“Kyuruuu!”

“It seems as though you have made your choice.“

I heard a voice I had not heard in a long time as something heavy landed on my head.

“Kongoryu-sama! Dragon! I’m just a weak maiden, so don’t jump on my head like that!”

“Kyuruuu?”

“…A maiden?“

I thought my complaints were reasonable, but both dragons seemed in disbelief.

Speaking of which, where were Kongoryu-sama and Dragon this whole time? I could have used their advice… And I was worried!

But first things first… He was heavy!

You’re a heavy dragon! My neck… My delicate neck… Will break!

I struggled to peel him off me. Suddenly, my head felt lighter…

I turned and saw that the Knight Commander had caught the Dragon.

…But his face was expressionless.

I was a bit… I mean… Very scared…

“…Turn…”

“Huh?”

“You said you’d return?”

“Yes. I did. So?”

What did he mean by repeatedly confirming what I had just chosen to do?

He was just trying so hard to persuade me to change my mind… But he didn’t even hear me say all that? He was kidding, right?

I was about to complain, but at that moment, the Knight Commander had glared at me.

But then, he smiled.

He seemed incredibly happy… Happier, even… Than ever before… As he smiled.

I could hear my heartbeat pounding as I looked at him.

…No, no… Nooo! I looked at him… All that destructive power turned into happiness and roses before my eyes.

What happened to the severe, stone-cold, Knight Commander?

Bring him back!

I averted my eyes since I couldn’t stand it anymore… And out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kongoryu-sama approach the Heavenly Dragon.

“It’s been a while, Heavenly One.“

“It certainly has, Diamond One.“

The Heavenly Dragon responded in kind to the Diamond Dragon.

Speaking of which, what was all this stuff around us? Information on the world? I couldn’t read it… Couldn’t feel it anymore.

“This world has been confirmed.“

“Ahhh. Indeed, it has.“

The two Dragons exchanged simple, but multilayered, words and it felt like much more information was being conveyed.

It didn’t contain any emotion, and I was too timid to get in between them… The Heavenly Dragon turned as if he had read my mind.

“…As I had said, there was no right nor wrong choice.“

“…The Heavenly Dragon seemed lonely as he spoke.“

---

I, the Knight Commander, tried to persuade her as hard as I could, but in the end, I got angry at Rururia.

I was desperately trying to recover and say why I needed to use intimidation, but the more I spoke, the more I realized I was in the wrong… It seemed like she wasn’t listening and wouldn’t come home with me. I felt so insanely impatient.

However, in the end, Rururia said she’d come home!

I did it!

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

Drops of red flood dripped from the Knight Commander’s fingertips.

He was wearing a thin, white shirt, not his usual thick knight’s uniform… He was also bleeding everywhere.

He was injured.

Even when facing the Fallen Hero in that vision, he hadn’t been that bloody.

He did not attempt to wipe the blood off his forehead… He just walked up to me calmly before stopping abruptly.

He glanced at me and then drew his sword, pointing it at the Heavenly Dragon.

His stance was threatening.

“What did you do to her?”

The Heavenly Dragon seemed unfazed and answered with a comfortable smile.

“I’m just getting her used to being here, that’s all.“

The Knight Commander didn’t seem to like that brief answer, his body tensing up in response.

The Heavenly Dragon remained unconcerned as he smiled.

“There’s no escaping it. I’m half of you– Why don’t you join us, too?“

“I refuse.”

The Knight Commander didn’t even flinch at this revelation on the secret of his birth, but immediately refused.

I felt a fiery pressure blow through the room.

If I were anyone else, not being wrapped up in all the information of the world, I would have passed out from the weight of this magical pressure.

The Knight Commander saw my expression, hardening his stance as if itching to slash out at anything thrown at him.

“If I go with you, can Lady Rururia go home?”

“If you choose to stay here, it means you choose her.“

“…What does that mean?”

He spat out as if he didn’t understand what was being said.

He lowered his sword as he walked towards me, but did not sheathe it.

He came within a few steps of me, looking me straight in the eyes…

When I returned his gaze, he bit his tongue, grimacing.

“…Is this puppet-like figure… Lady Rururia?

He groaned through clenched teeth.

I neither confirmed nor denied anything, making his grimace expression more intensely.

“She is who she is. It’s just not an expression you could ever recognize. She is the one who chooses. We just accept it.“

“…”

The Knight Commander continued to stare at me silently, not really listening to what the Heavenly Dragon was saying.

Suddenly, he grabbed me by the chin.

In the back of my head, I tried to think of something to say in response.

But I thought that would be meaningless, so I stopped. The difference in physical strength between him and me was apparent.

Even if I resisted, it would be no obstacle to him.

I just looked at him as he held me, making him bite his tongue in anger.

In contrast with the force he had used to grab me, he was gentle as he let go.

His face seemed twisted with emotion.

…What does that mean? What part of this place, where the future of the world was chosen, offended you?

I cocked my head in confusion and started to glare at him for some reason.

“…Surely, Lady Rururia, you don’t intend to choose this guy?”

I see… He doesn’t understand.

So now I have to choose between the Heavenly Dragon and the Knight Commander.

…But I’m not sure why he was the other option.

The blood continued to drip.

Looking at him, the bandana that was usually wrapped around his head was gone, revealing his torn, bloody skin.

Although it looked painful, he neither wiped nor compressed it.

It was very reckless of him to come here.

I have to explain to him how impulsive that was.

But then again, he came here all on his own, so maybe no explanation was needed.

Besides, trying to explain things to him won’t change anything. I still needed to make choices for the fate of the world.

I slowly opened my mouth as the Knight Commander painstakingly waited for my response.

“It’s not about choosing or not choosing the Heavenly Dragon. I need to make good decisions for the world.”

“…? What do you mean?”

He showed a surprised expression that meant he did not understand what I said.

It’s all too difficult to explain to someone not in touch with the world’s information. For some reason, I didn’t want to give it all up.

So I tried to explain it as simply as possible to him.

About the past, that wasn’t chosen…

About the impact that would have on the future…

And then… About the future my upcoming choices would build.

“…That’s why… For the good of the world… I need to stay here.”

“For the good of the world…”

The Knight Commander repeated what I had said…

“It may be hard to understand, but for a better world, for everyone–”

“Who do you mean by everyone?”

His question stopped my thoughts.

Then my mind started racing… I’m not wrong, I…

“…Well, of course, all the people living in the world.”

“You’re doing this for random people you don’t know?”

“No, not just them. The people around me are included as well.”

“Is that so? Because your friend Lady Sara begged me to bring you home.”

The Knight Commander’s eyes were hollow.

A glimpse of Sara-chan’s face popped into my head, but I squashed it down– Don’t waver.

“…No, even if she doesn’t know, I’m doing this for Sara-chan, too.”

“The entire time I was waiting for preparations to be made, Solan was at my side crafting his plan for your safe return.”

The Knight Commander had a bitter smile. It seemed he understood less than half of what was happening.

I was starting to re-evaluate the situation, and as I made the decision to reject him… The words I had meant to say was caught in my throat.

“Lady Irene was there, too, using complex words to explain as much as she could to me.”

The Knight Commander seemed about to cry as he spoke… A far-off look in his eyes.

So, Irene-sama was using terms from her previous life again… And he’s crying about it all.

That does sound like them.

I almost murmured something, but I stopped myself.

This is all pointless.

I must not make a mistake.

I didn’t want to hear anymore, but the Knight Commander kept talking…

…About the Crown Prince, who had coordinated information collection and developed a large magic circle… About His Highness…

…About Leonard-san and the Chief Magician, debating the differences in their plan… Or about Michelle rushing in to mediate between them…

…All the materials on dragons the Royal ambassador had sent over to help…

I just wanted a space to think quietly… To answer him theoretically… But the Knight Commander’s words were scattering my resolve more and more.

“And your parents and brother got on their knees, heads on the ground as they begged me to bring you home safely–”

“If I…!”

I had no choice but to scream.

My heart was overflowing with muddled emotions.

“If I returned, everyone will suffer!”

I could no longer remain calm.

My eyes were filled with visions of Sara-chan’s emotionless face, Solan-kun’s desperate face, Irene-sama’s resigned face in the past I didn’t choose– As well as the crazy, beastly face of the Knight Commander.

I was relieved not to have chosen that path, but terrified that it could have existed.

“If I’m there… Things will happen.”

I squeezed out the words.

I can’t go back to the me that didn’t know these things.

As the decision-maker, if I chose to go home… The world I returned to would be at a crossroads, and those closest to me would be impacted the most.

What if I went back and make a mistake that would bring them a worse future?

“That’s why… That’s why I can’t go back! The reason why I don’t want to go back! I don’t want to make that choice!”

My words were harsh like blows as I spat them out.

I don’t want to make a mistake.

That’s the issue.

If it’s good for the world, then it’s not a mistake– A voice whispered to me.

If not for that voice, I’d be fine, but now I’m hesitating.

The Knight Commander was dragging me down, making me feel so terribly weak and selfish.

I glared at the Knight Commander angrily as he stared back with his incredible, blue eyes.

“So that’s how it is…” he muttered.

He didn’t accept nor deny my reasoning. I stopped talking and just exhaled.

As I paused, he spoke again…

“I haven’t suffered.”

My heart sank again.

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

I noticed my cheeks were wet.

My eyelids felt heavy and instinctively closed as tears welled up.

Sara-chan was falling to degeneration…

A lonely Solan-kun…

A desperate Irene-sama…

And the Knight Commander driven to madness…

Those images I’d been made to see bounced around my head.

“This was the future that was not chosen.“

The Heavenly Dragon put what I had been thinking into words.

A voice whispered in the back of my head– This was the future and world that ‘I’ didn’t choose.

As I felt the warmth of the tears on my face, I was relieved that the future I was shown would not come to pass.

But even so…

The voice kept asking me in whispers, “Was any of that really true?”

What about everyone else…? The whole country…? Can you honestly say that your choices will be best for them, too?

The voice was calm as it told me not to make judgments unless they come from a comprehensive-based perspective.

It was a cold, inorganic, and disturbing voice.

I looked at the Heavenly Dragon as conflicting thoughts rolled around in my head.

He looked down at me as he continued speaking…

“Half of the world will be destroyed, but a unified nation will rise out of it, leading to a glorious future without war.“

“There will be a rift with the magicians, and the world will change direction towards scientific advancement… Leading to an age of prosperity.“

“The people will rise, the monarchy will be abolished, and it will go down in history as the world’s first democracy.“

“The bloody war will cull the demonic population, leading to an era of peace for humanity.“

I was wrapped up in the whirlpool of information the Heavenly Dragon had given me.

A vibrant country where many ethnic groups and races could come together in equality.

Masses of people living in large buildings that touched the sky.

People actively discussing their opinions with lively expressions.

A city of people in loose clothing, beautiful music, and constant laughter.

…The future I didn’t choose.

I heard a mocking voice in my ear say, “Look at what you just gave up? Was that really the right choice?”

I couldn’t firmly deny it.

I wanted to say, “At least everyone is safe.”

I kept thinking as I tried to process this massive amount of information I had been given.

Had I made the wrong decisions?

Had it really been that wrong?

“Selection is neither good nor evil, just a crossroads for determining the future.“

Even with the Heavenly Dragon saying that, I couldn’t shake my fears. Ah… This is so scary… So, so scary.

I…

I didn’t know what kind of decision I needed to make.

I didn’t know choosing how the future would turn out was like this.

It’s so…

…Why me?

As doubts welled up in my head, I could hear mocking laughter inside my ears.

When I looked back at the Heavenly Dragon, he returned my gaze with merciful and compassionate eyes.

“The earth is like a flowing river. But if it continues to flow wantonly, it becomes a raging force. That is why someone must choose a route for it to follow.“

And that someone… Was me?

I understand that ‘the one who makes the decision‘ was needed.

And that it was me about to choose what direction this world will take… But even so…

…Why?

“…Why me?”

I heard my voice leave my mouth, no longer a whisper.

I didn’t think I had spoken.

Was this me from the future I didn’t choose?

“Well, I’m not sure,” a voice replied instead of me, though it really felt like it was me.

Putting my confusion aside, I turned back to the Heavenly Dragon.

“I wonder if you can tell me why it had to be me?”

The Heavenly Dragon was perplexed as he opened his mouth like it expected me to know the answer already.

“The moment you were born, no, the moment the stars split apart, you were already born.“

“In that instant, it was determined that you would inevitably be the one to decide the flow of this world.“

…Could that really be true?

“It was just a coincidence, wasn’t it?”

Just a chance of probability that those two events happened together?

Deep in my heart, I felt a low voice say, “It would have been better if it wasn’t for you.”

I didn’t want to listen to that selfish voice.

“…That’s what made you into ‘the one who decides’“

My surroundings swirled around me as he spoke.

I blinked…

I reached my hand out to my Dragon as he was wrapped in black.

I didn’t want him to disappear, and I wanted him to go home with me, too.

I felt a horrifying force on the edge of my hand, so I lowered it so that I wouldn’t die.

I felt power building up in my body. I wanted someone to blame as I looked up at the sky.

…But there was nothing there.

I felt the faint bond that connected me and the Dragon fade away… I screamed the surprise I felt up to the sky.

Scanning my surroundings, everyone I knew was all around me.

Some had stifled their expressions…. While others were shedding tears… Some also seemed filled with regret.

Despite the somber atmosphere, I felt satisfied and calm for some reason. I was happy.

I looked around in slow motion. I couldn’t see clearly.

They may have seemed cold, but they were warm and friendly. They’d helped me a lot.

As I sighed, I felt the last of my life force spill out. 

I couldn’t open my eyes any longer– I’ll just sleep a bit.

Just outside of my dimming view, someone was calling my name.

I couldn’t really understand their words, but they seemed despairingly sad.

…I slowly opened my eyes.

My final tears spilled out and disappeared.

My eyes were dry again.

There was nothing left.

“As a mere human child, the choice was too much for you.“

The Heavenly Dragon spoke to me– Was this how this ends?

“Ah, you were able to play your part and get some rest… But you did choose. It was a narrow road, but it was this one.“

I understood his words impersonally, like I was someone not connected to the situation.

The scene I had just viewed earlier appeared to be the end of my life, at the end of the best possible choice.

In the back of my head, I wondered who that ending was good for, but that doubt faded away.

…That’s for the world to decide.

I saw the overlapping futures and pasts, those I’ve chosen and those I’ve not, rippling, flowing, and swirling around.

I was adrift in a whirlpool of information and felt like some part of me was being washed away little by little.

It may have been an emotion, or a piece of my heart… It might have even my humanity.

Regardless, I kept looking… Dazzled.

I tried to pick apart only the necessary information, and I found that my conclusions had been correct.

should have chosen a calm end without saving my Dragon.

But that option had already gone away. So now I had to think about my next move.

I wracked my brain, and the conclusion came quickly…

I shouldn’t go back.

If I go back, I’ll have to make more and more decisions. That will be my existence.

Eventually, that will lead to a turning point where my existence will be consumed– And I’ll die.

There’s probably no hope i me having a calm and peaceful death.

Because I didn’t choose that path.

Furthermore, by reading this flow of information…

If I stayed here side by side with the Heavenly Dragon, I can be a link between people and dragons.

This will impact the world and allow magic to develop dramatically.

If I don’t stay here, the world that would collapse and then will be revived by science… And everything sad will come to pass.

Of course, there were better things about that option, too—a peaceful world without conflict.

However…

Looking around… More and more branches were leading off to a devastated world. I whispered, “What if I reason?”

The answer was clear.

If it leads to a slightly better world, then I shouldn’t return.

I concluded my thoughts, looked up, and saw, not a dragon, but the human form of the Heavenly Dragon in front of me.

A smile appeared on his innocent, boyish face, extending his hand out to me.

“Come with me then… If that is what you choose.“

I leaned forward to take his extended hand.

A crack ran across the world.

Soundless vibration echoed through space as the world tore itself apart.

A black shadow passed by at a tremendous speed from the cracked spaces, falling to the ground.

I looked at him as he stood up slowly.

It was the Knight commander… Covered in blood.

---

“I wonder if he reached her safely…”

“It will be alright. They’ll be back soon.”

“We have to make preparations for when they get back.”

“…Sounds good…”

“Maybe add some more weird titles, or something?”

“Or build a statue in the square?”

“Fufu. Ria would hate that.”

The three began to hold hands as they stared at the wedge in reality…

…Hoping that she would come back soon.

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

I passed through the door and entered a terrifyingly large space.

I looked up to see a large, transparent, domed ceiling with hundreds of millions of stars twinkling through it.

My line of sight was drawn to the beauty of the starry sky.

I looked back down at the floor, which was reflective like a mirror, before taking a breath and going forward.

I reached the center of the room.

“So, you’ve made it, child. It’s time to make a decision.”

The Heavenly Dragon was there.

He was not in the shape of the child that he usually took, but his proper dragon form… Wrapped in a terrifying aura of gravitas.

His wings weren’t so enormous compared to the starry sky, but it still felt like they were wide enough to wrap up everything in sight.

…I couldn’t feel my feet.

Without realizing it, my legs were already moving on their own, taking me closer to the Heavenly Dragon.

I felt a strange sensation like my body was off somewhere far away.

…Am I forgetting something…? Oh, that’s right! I need to get home, uhm, back to my friends.

I tried to focus my hazy thoughts and just concentrated on my objective.

If I didn’t strive now, I feared this place would swallow me up.

I reached out my hand as if to touch something sneaking up on me, but my hand just cut through the empty air.

…Was someone supposed to be there for me to touch?

The Heavenly Dragon squinted a little and lowered his long neck to look at me.

“Don’t get drunk. This place has that effect on the human body. Let me try to fix it.”

As he said that, the Heavenly Dragon let out a puff of air that wrapped around me– Immediately I was able to take a breath.

…Ah, that’s right! I came here so I could get home… To everyone I know.

I gathered my thoughts a little and looked up at the Heavenly Dragon.

“The effects seem to have subsided. Now let me ask, what have you come for that you stand in front of me now?“

I felt goosebumps on my skin.

I felt like a lost sheep.

The determination that I had just felt was now faltering again… Huh?

Who was it again…?

My thoughts were lost and scattered in all directions. Even the things I understood before were starting to grow fuzzier.

I wanted to say that I yearned to go home, but the words were caught in my throat and didn’t come out.

I struggled, clenching my teeth, trying my hardest to squeeze out my request.

“I came… To make a choice. My choice.”

My voice was low and shaky as it came out but still echoed through the room.

I was about to continue and tell him my desire to go home, but the Heavenly Dragon raised his hand to stop me.

“So, scaleless one… Allow me to show you ‘the path of choices’”

“It is on after that you can make your choice,” he said, spreading his wings slowly.

The stars sparkled brilliantly against the inside of his wings, the harsh light dazzling my eyes.

I blinked…

In my line of sight, off in the distance, was Sara-chan.

This was in the garden of Sara-chan’s home on the day I first met her.

With her black eyes, inorganic like a doll’s, Sara-chan opened her mouth and said, “I’m going to destroy this country.”

…If I recall correctly, I answered her, “Would that be fun for you?”

But my mouth moved on its own, saying, “You’re scary,” as I trembled.

Immediately, Sara-chan’s black eyes deepened and darkened. She said nothing, nor revealed anything, in her expression. She turned her back and walked away– Wait, come back, I was wrong!

I reached out, but it was the bony arm of someone else.

Sara-chan leaned back in her chair, bored, in a dimly lit room illuminated by the flicker of her candlelight.

A large number of people lay on the ground by her feet, piled up high.

Their eyes were wide open and dark. I couldn’t move nor avert their eyes from the sight, filled with the smell of blood.

Sara-chan sipped her wine emotionlessly, not caring about the blood covering her cheeks.

I heard noisy footsteps, the door to the room flinging open violently… It was His Highness, the Crown Prince.

His face was distorted by hatred, utterly lacking in the confidence and personality… I had known him to be the exact opposite.

He was swayed like he had seen a ghost as he approached her, saying, “…Give me back this country,” as he swung the sword gripped tightly by his hands.

He was aiming for Sara-chan’s neck– Watch out, Sara-chan!

However, Sara-chan did not even attempt to avoid him and just stared with her disinterested eyes.

At the last moment, she spoke in a soft voice, her statement not directed at anyone in particular.

“This wasn’t very fun after all.”

I blinked again…

I saw Solan-kun at the center of a space somewhere, distorted by too much magical power.

This was the Training Ground where I came to learn magic when Solan-kun lost control of his power.

…I remembered headbutting Solan-kun while saying, “Don’t be so clingy to Irene-sama.”

But I was much too afraid of Solan-kun’s magical power, the empty look in his eyes boring into mine, so I stepped back without saying anything.

Solan-kung stayed there, not looking at me, just muttering “Irene” desperately. My vision went white– What just happened? Was Solan-kun okay?

My eyes adjusted to the glare and saw the whole area coated in pure white snow.

There was just one distinct point, a dirty lump. A white head that had turned gray was shaking.

…It was Solan-kun.

In front of him, the Chief Magician was red in the face as he shouted, “Solan! Come back!”

It seems like he had come to save him.

His hair, clothes, and breath were all ruffled and ragged, his rough voice filled with love for Solan-kun.

…But Solan-kun was reaching down to touch the ground… It was like nothing existed around him…

The stump of his arm was charred black, and it sagged down slowly.

Without a glance at anyone else, Solan-kun embraced Irene-sama with his remaining arm.

I took a few steps through the snow to get a better look, careful as to not touch anything.

Solan-kun, at the limits of his physical strength, collapsed and stroked Irene-sama, who was silent and still as if asleep, on the cheeks, his fingers trembling.

“You’re all mine now, Irene.”

I blinked…

“Countess Rururia Dalton!”

The high-strung voice of the Crown Prince echoed beneath the glittering chandelier.

This was the venue for the graduation party.

…I was called here to testify about Irene-sama’s innocence.

I had hesitated to step forward, humbled by the power of the Royal Family, bowing my head to avoid everyone’s gaze as I answered, “Yes.”

When I said that Irene-sama had…

My answer was met with silence in the Great Hall.

When I raised my frightful face-up, I saw Irene-sama in front of me, closing her eyes as if resigned to losing her life.

In the next moment, people started trying to catch Irene-sama, everyone trying to save her trampled over each other– I found myself in the middle of the angry crowd.

The lively and bright Royal Capital burned down, the sky turning gray because of the smoke illuminated by the fires of war.

Beyond the screaming crowd, there stood a gallows in the square that wasn’t supposed to be there.

The platform trembled as if it would collapse under the people’s enthusiastic footsteps.

Up above, Solan-kun, the School Director, the Duke of Dilaver… And all the people that were Irene-sama’s supporters, had been beheaded.

Now Irene-sama was being dragged on to the same platform.

Irene-sama bent down without anyone prompting her to, sticking her head out– Get out of there, Irene-sama! Get out of there!

Irene-sama was usually a cry baby, but now her eyes were dry, lethargically putting her hands together to pray.

Surrounded by the roaring crowd’s manic voices, Irene-sama muttered inaudibly.

“I can’t live.”

I blinked…

“Kill him!” I heard my voice shout hatefully.

When I saw that man… I just couldn’t stand him, making my voice spill out.

Blue eyes looked at me imploringly, asking if it was really alright, and I responded angrily– “This is natural! This is justice.”

When I finished screaming, I was terrified by the harshness of my own words.

As I tried to take back what I said… In front of me, the Knight Commander, was nodding like this was all normal… He nodded.

He turned his back without hesitation… I couldn’t reach him as I stretched out my arm.

Within a collapsing cave, the Fallen Hero and Io, the Spirit of Death, fought the Knight Commander, all of them being smeared with blood.

Someone’s roaring voice echoed, and suddenly, I was carried away by the Chief Magician, reaching out my arm fruitlessly… The sight of the fight growing further and further away– My vision was covered by black and red smoke.

The eye could see dead people and demons, and I could hear high-pitched metallic sounds, growls, and screams.

The Knight Commander was expressionless, blood-soaked, crazy, and beast-like.

The blood covering him had no time to dry as he slashed left and right, delivering killing blows to everything that touched his sword, dodging attacks all around as he dealt stabs and kicks…

Unbelievably, the onslaught of demons around him stopped advancing, and the area grew quiet.

Not a single person nor demon moved.

It was like the whole world had died.

The Knight Commander was not his usual self as he slowly looked up to meet my eyes– He was no longer the Knight Commander I knew.

“Who’s next…?”

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

“Even so, I can’t see in front of me…”

“Kyuru?”

I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying not to get too annoyed.

Hey… It’s me… Rururia… Just walking and breathing…

My Dragon was flying around me, with no annoyance and full of curiosity, and Kongoryu-sama was gracefully slithering through the air above.

…I envy their ability to fly.

I was only just having a meeting with my friends… Why… Why did I have to get attacked by that black object?

Why does a weak and ordinary girl like me have to walk through this pitch-black space down an invisible corridor?

It’s so troublesome. I’m tired of walking. There’s no end in sight, just more walking and trouble.

Can’t someone just break this corridor off in the middle and make it shorter or something?

…I felt someone looking down at me.

I’ll just ignore that.

I kept walking through this mysterious space, the sound of my footsteps echoing.

With nothing better to do, I turned my head in all directions to catch the sound of the echoes, but I just ended up more confused, so I stopped.

As I turned around, I saw a window in front of me.

White light swirled around it and was sucked in before reappearing again… Looking at it made me feel dizzy.

“…Please don’t stare at it too much. You’ll lose your ability to return.“

“…Ah.”

Kongoryu-sama’s voice snapped me out of my wandering thoughts, and I hurriedly looked down at my feet.

…I have this strange sense that I’m in danger…

I hesitated to take a step and felt something brush against the nape of my neck.

What the hell was that…?

“Hmmm, the phenomenon you’re currently experiencing… This was the area where matter faded in and out in this plane… Some of it just fully disappeared.“

A soundless impact radiated out from the window, but that appeared to be all for now.

If this was the phenomenon Kongoryu-sama had mentioned, it might radiate out to where we were.

…Hmmm?

Huh? I’m not sure I really understood the nuances of what he said…?

“Kyuru!”

My Dragon flew overhead, coming closer to me as if he was worried about something.

…Huh? What’s wrong? You look unsteady. Are you okay? I’m the one who couldn’t fly away if things were to get dangerous here, so what do you have to complain about!?

I turned to glare and refused him when our eyes met.

…And then my Dragon seemed to understand something.

“Kyuuu!”

“…Waaah! Wha… Dragon! Hey! Your scales are rough! Stop rubbing me against me!”

The Dragon suddenly clung to me firmly.

No, no, no! You can’t do that! Even if you’re small… Even if you’re the size of a dog… If your scales were to rub up on my skin like that… Huh? It doesn’t hurt?

I peeled him off me and examined him. Sure enough, he was covered in the same old scales that I was used to stroking.

…They felt the same as when I usually touched them, but… Wait… Was something wrong?

When I touched him, it felt like I was just tracing a memory of touching him or something…

“…Don’t think too deeply about it. Or you won’t be able to maintain your shape.“

…My thoughts were pulled back to the present.

I immediately felt horrible.

…It’s okay, it’s okay. The outline of my fingers holding the Dragon was just a bit blurry… That’s all. I just hadn’t noticed.

…This place really was dangerous. I don’t know what would happen if I stayed here too long.

I can’t really explain why, but it’s dangerous.

I released my Dragon back into the air and turned to face Kongoryu-sama.

“Kongoryu-sama! Let’s hurry forward! Let’s take a shortcut! Please, let’s just go!”

“…My Lord… I see… Was that your instinct to flee… But you haven’t given up hope yet, have you? If you did, you might not be able to be awakened from this realm.“

I thought I had come up with a pretty good idea, but I was met with a very unwilling gaze and response from Kongoryu-sama… What did I do?

I turned away and kept walking, not wanting to keep getting stared at like that.

Since entering this black space, I felt like I’d been blown away somewhere. I felt so unkempt. I felt like I wasn’t really here.

I needed to rush to get out of here as fast as I could!

With my determination renewed, I looked back one more time at the depths of the corridor I was heading down.

…But humans quickly lose their motivation when they couldn’t see what they were striving for.

“…Kongoryu-sama, does this corridor move on its own?”

“It doesn’t.“

“I thought so…”

At being cut off and denied so vehemently, I lost some of my motivation…

But my instincts kept telling me, “It’s okay! Hurry and escape!”

I exhaled and gathered my strength, beginning to run at full speed.

…Please!

Let my destination be close!

---

…A heavy gate, about the height of the Royal Palace main gate, stood in front of me.

“What… Was this it…?”

“Kyuruuu?”

It took several hours of continuous running through the endless corridor to get here.

On the way, I doubted myself several times, but from overhead, I felt Kongoryu-sama staring at me, saying, “Are you sure you want to stop?” and I managed to push forward and kept running.

As a result, I was much more tired than a dignified lady should be.

…Whatever!

I don’t care… I don’t care!

I made it, and that was all that mattered!

I tried to stifle my ragged breathing and looked up to see Kongoryu-sama floating above me.

How was I supposed to feel about this? He could have let me ride him, or something like that! Maybe I should have asked him!?

“…Don’t you know that I can read your thoughts? You just kept going on and on about how you’ve arrived. You’ve made it here, was what mattered.“

This world was all about momentum.

Even the gaze of this disappointed Dragon, even something like that, was the momentum that pushed me forward!

I just needed to concentrate on what’s in front of me. I’ve recovered more from breathing and looking around now.

I carefully observed the door, which was so tall I had to look up to see it.

…Hmmm, this gate appeared to be very heavy and made out of stone.

Closely, it appeared to be covered in carvings made by both people and Dragons… Just looking at the details made my eyes hurt.

Looking at it so intensely made it seem like it was coming closer or doubling in size, so I took a step back.

That instinct that had urged me to run forward was now nowhere to be found… I couldn’t rely on it forever.

“…Uhm… Was this really our destination, Kongoryu-sama?”

I caught my Dragon as he flew around me and stroked him to calm my nerves as I looked back at Kongoryu-sama.

…It was then I first noticed that the walls and window had vanished.

Spreading out left and right was that black space I had first seen. I looked down at the floor, knowing I mustn’t look at the blackness.

As I clutched my Dragon… Kongoryu-sama, who until then had been behind me, passed by to the front of the door, almost like a gatekeeper.

…The air had become tense.

“I cannot take humans beyond this point. It is a multilayered place of choices and futures.“

Kongoryu-sama’s familiar voice now sounded strange, like it overlapped on itself multiple times, echoing through space that shouldn’t exist.

As he stared at me from above, I trembled at the smallness of my own existence.

“You have a choice to make. Go forward or turn back.“

Kongoryu-sama looked at me directly as he asked. There was no ridicule or disbelief. He just asked me.

It appeared I had to make an important decision.

What did ‘a place of choices‘ even mean…? I don’t get it.

…It’s all so scary.

I want to run away.

I need time.

In my head, I thought, “What if I just ran away?” and I was at a loss for words.

My thoughts that had been flowing smoothly not long ago but were now tangled and confused. What am I doing, and what for…?

As I became lost, my body reacted on its own, taking a step back.

…Rururia.

I shifted my leg back at the sound of my name being called. Without even realizing it, I had almost chosen to turn back.

Take a deep breath…

Just calm down.

Calm down.

…I’m not sure what to do, but I definitely don’t want to be forced into making a hasty choice.

Honestly, I wish I could talk to someone, as I’m not sure I understand any of this. I can’t keep up, and I don’t want to be forced into the wrong choice, but that’s not possible.

It was just me, my Dragon, and Kongoryu-sama here.

I must choose to go forward or not.

If I go forward, then it’s through that door… I don’t know what’s there or if I can even really go home.

But on the other hand, if I turned back, there won’t be an escape there.

…Hmmm? Ah… I think I have the answer.

I tried to wring the jumbled thoughts out of my head, leaving just a feeling of wanting to go home.

That’s what I told Kongoryu-sama.

“…I’ve made my choice. I want to go home where everyone I know was.”

My voice wavered a bit as I took a step forward… My footsteps echoed strangely.

His eyes seemed a bit friendlier as they squinted down at me.

Kongoryu-sama stroked his scales as he drew close to the gate. He let out a breath.

…But it was like a quiet roar.

The shapeless voice was quiet and deep as it radiated through the air.

The weight of that roar had me questioning my existence as it made my whole body shake.

As I tried to steady my body, I felt a slight vibration.

…Little by little, the gate began to open.

It indeed seemed to be a heavy door, and I bit my tongue as I watched it open, wishing desperately to leave and not be swallowed up by this place.

The slight gap opened steadily until, eventually, it was fully opened, the doors ground to a stop.

The silence filled the area.

It… It was okay to go through here, right…?

I should have been able to see beyond the door, but I couldn’t. I tried to shake off the concerned feelings I felt.

My feet will move back on their own if I let them. It’s only my willpower that kept me here.

Kongoryu-sama was coming towards me… Huh? Had he gotten smaller?

His body had been the width of a carriage, but now he was small enough for me to wrap my arms around.

“Kongoryu-sama, your body…”

“Don’t worry about it. My presence in this realm simply reduced a bit… I didn’t even plan on staying here this long.“

‘I didn’t mean to stay this long…‘

Was that because I pulled him here with my Dragon Crest?

I didn’t know how to return him, so I cast my eyes down, but I heard a sound around me.

Surprised, I turned to see Kongoryu-sama’s tiny face.

“I said don’t worry about it… This was unexpectedly enjoyable, spending time by your side.“

I was relieved to hear the happiness in Kongoryu-sama’s voice.

So he enjoyed being at my…

Huh? By my side…?

Does he mean he had been watching me for a while now!?

Well, I guess that’s how it’s always been since I got a Dragon Crest!

I thought about this and that in the Empire and the remote areas I’d been to, and I heard my Dragon excitedly squawk.

“Fufu. You seem to have relaxed a little.“

As he spoke, I felt my shoulders sag a little.

“Thank you, Kongoryu-sama.”

My Dragon, who had landed on my shoulder at some point, snuggled closer… Yep, I’ve calmed down more and more.

Beyond the door, I saw nothing but swirling darkness.

I was still confused by this situation, full of anxiety and fear as if I was standing on a cliff blindfolded.

Even so…

I wanted to go forward…

I wanted to go back home to everyone!

So… Trembling step by trembling step…

I went through the door.

---

Meanwhile, in the other world…

Crown Prince: I have gotten permission from Headquarters to put these countermeasures into the National Budget.

Sara-chan: I’ve finished recruiting people and making preparations.

Solan-kun: …Well then, if we applied this theory…

Irene-sama: Hmmm, wouldn’t that cause an issue?

Chief Magician: Hey, do your best to keep that wedge in space stable…! And Li, you should take a break.

Knight Commander: …

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

The sound of rain did not cease.

She, who had been sitting in the rain, had gotten up and left. Despite her feelings of helplessness… She had regained her composure and left.

I was left still standing here.

I also know that as the Knight Commander, I should stop hesitating and call my subordinate…

…But I can’t move.

In the back of my mind, all I saw was Lady Rururia’s eyes and the sound of her voice calling for help.

She asked for my help…

But I failed.

It was an unpleasant and unbearable feeling… I couldn’t control the urge to hit myself.

So this was how regret felt like…?

I processed my thoughts like I was an entirely different person… But that stops here.

I’m not some kid that just stood around confused whenever things went wrong.

I turned my thoughts to the ground that had swallowed up Lady Rururia and how I could get her out there.

---

If asked what my very first memory was, I would have to say it was my father’s back.

I don’t remember seeing his face clearly… I had lived with my servant for as long as I could remember, so it felt odd even to call him like that: father.

It seemed that my so-called ‘father‘ only appeared to give me enough money for a place to live and food, but there was no contact other than that.

So to me, the man calling himself ‘my father‘ was just a random person with a label.

But people always felt some type of way whenever I tell them that story.

Some sympathized… Some showed anger… Some held immense feelings of superiority, while others had distorted their faces into mocking sneers.

…I can’t really understand what evoked those emotions in them.

“A mo… Monster!”

That word had been yelled at me so often that I had become familiar with it.

I fixed my eyes on a boy older than me, his arm swollen red.

The three boys surrounding me retreated as if frightened… What one earth was going on?

“Yo… You! Don’t think I’ll let you get away with hurting Azel like that!”

“…Hey, your older brother was in a vigilante group, wasn’t he…? Call him over here.”

“Huh, what were you planning on doing?”

“It’s been decided, hasn’t it? We’re getting rid of this monster!”

That’s what the boy had said as he pointed at me and laughed distortedly.

“…Oy. What happened?”

“Ah, brother!”

Having heard our voices, four adults pushed through the bushes and drew near us.

Among the four was a red-haired man, whom the boy that confronted me ran up to cling to.

The adults seemed confused with the boys’ story, unable to get the point, but their expressions hardened when they saw the branch in my hand.

…It was then that they recognized that I was their enemy.

One of them loomed over me as he reached to take my weapon.

No one should let an enemy disarm them, so I kept it out of his reach.

That was just common sense.

“Ugh! You brat! Hand it over!”

“One must never give their weapon to an enemy.”

At his aggressive voice, I simply put my thoughts into words, and his face became even harsher.

“You’re the one the broke Azel’s arm!”

…Azel. He must be the one from the last conversation… The one I hit with my stick.

I had no idea I broke his arm. However, if he had said so, then I can try and believe it.

“That’s right.”

As soon as I affirmed what he had said, the four adults grew tense all at once… Was this their blood lust?

One of them menacingly twitched a baton he held in his hand, apparent hostility visible in his mannerisms.

As I looked into his delirious eyes, I caught the baton he had swung down at me, jabbing out with my stick in response.

…Gah!

“Guhhh…”

I saw a long black-haired person in my field of view… A woman?

Whoever it was coming from behind, the man confronting me had his arm twisted by her.

…When had she gotten here? I hadn’t seen it.

“What were you assholes doing to that child?”

The other three men retreated at her extreme anger. They tended to the man who she had attacked, twisted about while moaning… They screamed to her about me.

“He broke the arm of one of the village children.”

“The kids were all scared.”

“He called us his enemies. That makes him dangerous.”

In response to their claims, she replied bluntly.

“They started it, didn’t they?”

She scanned the scene, looking at the well-dressed boys… And then, to me, covered in dirt and scratches.

She gave a silent look as if to ask, “Are you okay?” so I opened my mouth in response.

“I was just going for a walk when a rock hit me. They said they could do whatever they wanted to an outsider kid with no parents, then they jumped out and kicked me.”

“Was that so…?”

“Well, then… You lot…”

At the snap of her fingers, I felt an immense pressure radiate from behind her, and I reflexively stepped back.

The boys were all trembling, and even the adults were in tears as they doubled over.

…They had only just been my enemies a moment ago, but they didn’t seem as threatening anymore.

“Are you ready for this?”

As soon as she finished speaking, their screams echoed throughout the forest.

---

I rubbed my aching forehead.

After knocking down each adult with a single punch, that woman, who they referred to as the Knight Commander, turned to the boys and me, giving us a choice to either get struck in the head or do chores for the Knights.

I had chosen to get hit, and when they saw how hard she struck me, they all volunteered to do chores instead.

…Were their eyes shining at least a bit as they looked at me, or was that my imagination?

The woman offered to walk me home and said I had to hold her hand while we were together, so I held her hand and guided her down the road.

It was my first time walking side by side with someone, and I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to be looking, so I just stared at my empty hand.

My hand was only empty because the stick I had been holding was now used as a splint for that one kid’s broken arm.

She asked me questions, and I told her how I always walked down that path and spent every day going through the forest.

Eventually, we reached my house, which stood alone in a clearing in the woods.

I wondered what to do at this point, and when I looked up at her, she seemed to be thinking about something.

“…By the way, I didn’t give you my name. It’s Vidika. And you?”

At her smiling face, I could only answer truthfully.

“I don’t know my name.”

“…Huh?”

“My caretaker only ever calls me master.”

“…And what about everyone else?”

“Besides the nurse, no one ever talked to me. Those kids were the first.”

“…What about your father?”

“I don’t know what he looked like.”

“…Can you come this way a bit?”

“…? Okay”

I didn’t really understand what was going on, but I moved as she had said and could hear the sound of deep breathing.

“…!”

She barked out a sound I had never heard before.

It sounded like a raging storm, and I reflexively squeezed her hand.

In response, she didn’t let go or say that it hurt but instead squeezed my hand right back.

When she finished barking, I asked her what she had said; with a smile, she said it was something in her country’s language, but something a child was better off not knowing.

“…Lionel.”

She suddenly said, and I wondered what kind of a word that was.

What was it…? Another foreign word? I turned to her, and she was showing me an expression I had never seen before.

“It’s your name… Lionel.“

I couldn’t get used to that word. Being told my name was something I’m not sure I could understand. All I felt was confusion.

…But she squinted her eyes and said it like it was necessary.

“…Lio…nel…”

I tried to get my mouth to pronounce it.

Strangely, it started to feel like a word that really belonged to me.

As it rolled off my tongue, she bent down and looked me in the eyes sincerely.

…And then…

“Come with me, Lionel.”

---

“…Li! Hey, Lionel!”

Someone shook me by the shoulder as they spoke sharply.

The shock brought me back to reality… The reality of having lost Lady Rururia.

I brushed my annoying, rain-drenched bangs out of my face to see Lady Irene clicking her tongue as she looked at my face.

“You don’t plan on just sitting here like a coward, do you? Hmmm?”

“Hey, Chief Magician! Can you stop with the magic, please!?”

…Her expression seemed quite severe.

Lady Irene shook her fist that was still surrounded by magical energy.

The magicians let out a sigh of relief as they dispelled it, not wanting to disturb us.

“We’re trying to open up an entrance to wherever Lady Rururia was taken.”

“I’ll give it to you straight; there’s only one way to save her… Someone needs to go through there and bring her back.”

“…I’ll go.”

I answered even before I realized it.

I didn’t need a long explanation nor any details.

I didn’t even need to think.

I just decided.

Lady Irene looked at me ponderously.

…Judging by the situation, it would make more sense for a magician to go. Obviously, the chances of success were higher if someone skilled at magic went into such an unknown space.

…But even so, I can’t give up on this task.

I solidified my determination as I waited for Lady Irene’s response.

“Solan is trying to drive a wedge into the space where she is supposed to be, but there’s no guarantee she’ll be there. We don’t have proof of where she is, or even if it’s a dimension she can survive in, let alone return from.”

“You still want to go?”

“I’ll go.”

Lady Irene stared at me for a few moments more as my assertions to go started to pile up.

She then started to laugh diabolically, had she misheard me… What was with the current situation?

Without changing expression, she drew her sword and pointed it at me.

“Well, I’m glad I made this prototype from the Margrave’s Hammer. It’s the least I can do… So, just wait for a second!”

Her actions radiated gratitude as she put her fists together.

I took the sword she offered, and we walked to the place together.

When we arrived at the wedge, Lady Irene had pointed out a variety of people working on it.

A significant event like opening such a space was quite the spectacle. You can’t miss it.

…It’s a good thing they didn’t open it while I was still out of sorts.

I took a deep breath and prepared my heart.

I drew the sword Lady Irene had given me, sharpened my senses, and swung it in a familiar motion.

The edge was so black it absorbed the light, and I pointed it at my objective.

All my regrets and confused emotions were calmed as I focus on thoughts of saving Lady Rururia.

Whenever I’m at her side, I feel courageous…

Whenever I thought of her, I’d smile…

And when she was gone, I feel disturbed…

Would she squeeze my neck and tell me I’m crazy? Will I be able to persuade her like I did when I recruited Knights? Or will she just kick me without asking any questions?

As thoughts of Lady Rururia appeared in my head, I couldn’t help but smile.

I’m sure her reaction will, as always, be outside expectations.

…But first…

“…I’ll need her to call my name.”

---

It’s me… Rururia… I was just walking down this hallway…

“No… It’s so… Endless…”

“Kyuruuu!”

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

Falling, falling, falling…

I was dragged into this black void… Did it happen recently, or has it been hours? In this darkness, I’ve lost track of time.

How long do I have to keep falling!? Was I even falling?

“…Dragon, where are you?”

“…Kyu–”

I heard a faint reply. What? Was that my Dragon? Was he close?

I reached out my hand and squinted my eyes, but I wasn’t able to touch anything.

…Well, as long as I could hear him, then I have proof that he’s okay.

But where the hell were we?

Sara-chan and Solan-kun weren’t here. There’s no one I can ask for advice… I tried to think on my own, but my head had already reached its limit.

“Is anyone there…?”

“Maybe.“

“No one should be here–”

…Did I just get a reply?

“…Is someone there…?”

“Did you call for me?“

So… Some… Someone’s here!

No way… I thought no one was here when I said that!

I was just talking to myself, and I really wasn’t expecting someone else to reply!?

“Hmmm? Were you not calling me…? Then I’m going back to sleep.“

“Ho… Hold on a second!”

I tried to maintain the attention of the sleepy voice I’m hearing.

This was a bit… Somewhat… No… A very suspicious voice, but it’s still way better than nothing!

It’s the only thing that’s changed in all the time I spent falling in this darkness. I shouldn’t let it fall asleep!

“So, you heard me?“

“Yes… Yes! I can hear you! I can definitely hear you!”

I raised my hand in confirmation at the presence that I couldn’t see… And might not really be there.

I may not see them in this darkness, but it felt good to have someone to talk to.

“Well, get on with it then. I was about to go to sleep.“

“Uhm… No, it’s just… I was a little surprised…”

They were already annoyed.

I felt like I was about to get scolded like a stupid little child.

In such an insane and confusing situation, I just needed some encouragement…

Was I selfish to ask for that…?

“Isn’t this a nostalgic place?“

“No… Nostalgic…? Do you mean you know where this is!?”

Oooh! I’m finally getting a clue to what was going on!

Please help me!

Oh, mysterious voice that guides me!

“I do… But sorry, I can’t explain it to you.“

“Whaaat!? Why not?”

“Any conversation with you would involve words that you won’t be able to understand… There would be no point to it.”

…It was pretty clear that I was being told I didn’t have the foundations to understand anything…

For the sake of argument, I’ll say that’s true.

However, I really wanted to know where we were, so I played along.

“Do you know how to get out of here!?”

“…You don’t have to yell for me to hear you.”

The voice sounded annoyed.

But I mean, the darkness made it hard to tell how far my voice would be carried!

Besides, how can I stay calm in this place, with nothing above, below, or sideways!?

“Hmmm, I see. Well then, I’ll try to give you some basis.“

The moment that word left their mouth, the space in front of me suddenly lit up.

Ughhh… It’s so bright…

My eyes hurt from the sudden addition of light to the area. It soaked into my eyes.

“–Huh? Where am I?”

My mouth hung wide open. A lady like me would generally have kept a more serious expression, but this much was okay. No one would be expected to act like a lady, given the current circumstances. Oh, what am I saying?

…Just forget about all of that for now.

What I saw spread in front of me was some kind of magnificent temple or palace.

Unlike the boundless darkness from before, now I was in a corridor with walls on either side… I’m here… Why was I here!?

Wha…

Hold on…

Whaaat!?

Before I could unravel the mystery of my situation, I was moved to another location! Why!?

“Kyuruuu!”

“Dragon! Dragon’s here! I can see him!”

“What a noisy creature…“

I heard the voice calling down from overhead.

Wait a minute. I’m just so happy to see my Dragon right now, so wait your turn.

It ignored my modest request, and a shadow loomed over my Dragon and me.

…What…

What’s that… Up above…!?

Feeling nothing but fear, I clung to my fearless Dragon as we both looked up towards the voice.

“Has this one calmed down a little?“

–Up there, with glittering diamond-like scales, was a Dragon.

“Kyuuu!”

“Ah… Ahhh! It’s the empire from back in the day… Wait, no. It’s a Dragon!”

“This one is so fidgety…“

No… No!

No, no, no, nooo!

No one could possibly calm down with such a giant Dragon in front of them!

I want to get out of here!

---

“–So, did this one calm down?”

“…Just enough to not scream.”

“It would have been challenging to stay in a place like this, so I have reduced the size of my form for you.”

“Uhm… Thanks, I guess?”

“Your gratitude seems insufficient, but… Oh, well.“

Well, sorry if it wasn’t enough.

What was I even supposed to be thankful for?

He stared at me as if frustrated, even though I thanked him as much as I could!

Even if I wanted to complain… That would be a bad idea in front of such a powerful being such as this Dragon.

“So… Uhm… Long time no see? How have you been these days?”

“…This one has a lot of questions…“

Uh-oh. The Serpent Dragon’s gaze was becoming more and more annoyed.

But to point out the obvious, I was just a human, and he’s an actual Dragon. He was much bigger than me… So, I needed to change the topic before he got too annoyed!

“Not at all! I’m just a bit off, is all! By the way, what should I call you?”

“…This one may call me Kongoryu.“

He told me his name—topic change, successful.

“Then, Kongoryu-sama, where’s this place? Why did that black mass suck us up?”

“Hmmm… Mmmm…“

“I don’t know if going outside would be the right expression, but can my Dragon and I go back?”

Yeah… Yeah!

That’s the spirit! Don’t ask for complicated details you won’t understand, just stick to the simple things and have intelligent people explain them later! With such a mighty Dragon cooperating with me, I must focus on escaping! I must be crazy!

“If that is your wish, then you have no choice but to go forward.“

He gestured his snout in the direction of the dark corridor.

In the depths of the corridor that seemed to go on forever was a mysterious hazy covered window.

“There? Doesn’t it seem like we’d have to walk a lot?”

“Kyuruuu?”

When we looked up at Kongoryu-sama, he sighed with tremendous power.

“It’s your choice. Go forward if that’s what you want.“

He said it more assertively this time.

Well… Here I go…

Having heard him say that, I looked down the corridor again… It remained dark… Even when I squinted.

Uhm… How far do I have to go?

I can’t even see the end!?

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

As we desperately chased after Rururia-san, the gap that had swallowed her up vanished as if to mock us.

Faced with such circumstances, we could only stand helpless in the pouring rain.

“It… It can’t be… Why did it have to be Ria…”

Sara-san was always unfazed with a fearless smile…

But the woman in front of me now was sitting on the ground, crying and screaming.

All I could do was stroke her back… I couldn’t think of any way to ease her pain.

Disregarding my aristocratic manners, I bit down on my lip reflexively.

…What was up with this unfair reincarnation? I felt so powerless.

The annoying feeling of the rain hitting my cheeks reminded me of how I had died in my past life.

---

I am a reincarnated individual.

Hearing me say that might make me sound crazy, but it’s true.

I remember my life as a different person and the kind of world I lived in.

I’m the daughter of a Duke in this life, living a luxurious life… But I was a commoner before.

I was raised downtown with a candy maker for a father.

I lost my mother early in life and had unwavering respect for my father, who had the stubbornness and soft-spoken nature of a true craftsman.

My dream was to be a candy maker like my father someday.

“I just don’t know you, dad!”

That’s what I had said when I left home.

Feelings of embarrassment, betrayal and unbelievable anger ran through my head.

“All you have to do was succeed me.”

That one phrase made me feel like my entire self was rejected, and I couldn’t breathe because it was so painful.

Was it because I was too weak… Because I was a woman? Afraid to hear the answer, I decided that I needed something different for myself and ran away.

Fittingly enough, it was raining outside, dousing me like a tragic heroine.

As my shoes squelched, my feelings of anger and resentment towards my father turned to anxiety and doubt.

“…Maybe I should go back home.”

I was entirely soaked and freezing.

And above all else, I felt hungry… I was really in a bad state.

Well… Even a heroine got hungry, so I tried to wipe my wet face with the hem of my uniform, though the rain made it impossible.

I covered my eyes with both hands, as they hurt from crying so much… I tried to calm down.

Thud.

There was a loud noise near my ears. The shock echoed through my body.

Huh?

I didn’t understand why, but it felt like I was rising into the gray sky in slow motion.

The sound hit my whole body, leaving only a chilly feeling on my cheeks.

In the distance, someone was yelling something, and even if I wanted to respond… I couldn’t move my fingers, head, nor my legs.

My eyes were blurry, and I couldn’t understand what was happening.

I felt something warm on my fingertips. A warm liquid was spreading slowly.

…Ah, was this my blood?

Was I dying?

Disorganized thoughts went through my head.

I tried with all my might, but I couldn’t move my fingers… Oh, no...

I felt that sticky liquid, which felt different from rain, slowly flow from my skin and spread out… Oh, no… No, no…

I can’t die like this.

I haven’t apologized to my dad yet.

I could no longer hear the voice of whoever was yelling. All I heard was the annoying sound of rain.

That rain ruthlessly washed my life away.

–Ah, it’s cold…

So cold…

Don’t wash me away…

No, no, no–

“I don’t want to die.”

Perhaps no one could hear my faint, choked up voice–

-A girl’s scream made me open my eyes.

It wasn’t rain or asphalt that encompassed my vision, but a lace fabric.

“Irene!”

A man came in through the door without pausing… Who was that?

He approached my side with an expression of great concern on his face and gently embraced me.

I was immensely relieved by the feeling of his dry shirt, which was smooth and soft, as well as his body heat against me,

“What happened? Did you have a bad dream?”

He had a soft, calm, and low voice as he stroked my hair with his gentle hands. I felt my tense and fearful face soften as tears spilled out.

His hands stopped for a moment at my sudden crying, but he gently rained his fingers through my hair in support and encouragement.

…Oh, that’s right.

I am ‘Irene‘ and this man was my ‘dad‘.

I raised my eyes again, and through my tearful distorted gaze, I saw my father’s face.

…Ah, I need to say something.

I tried to swallow through my tight throat, struggling through my own sobbing.

“–I don’t want to die.”

I had opened my mouth to say, “I’m okay, Dad!” but those words wouldn’t come out at all.

Although my father understood… Although I didn’t need to say it… My feelings of fear had been overflown like a river that couldn’t be dammed.

“What is it, Irene?”

“No, I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

I interrupted my father, yelling. I was trying to shake off the cold horror spreading through my body.

I kept yelling until my throat was raw.

I clung to my father as I kept screaming.

“–I don’t want to die!”

---

“–Well, this is awkward.”

I heard a cold voice from my past and saw Perseus standing in front of me.

The temperature made me stiffen and freeze.

Perseus, the Crown Prince, was using traces of magic around him to move through this space.

He was approaching me with a sinisterly expressionless face.

He was looking at Sara-san with his icy gaze. How scary…

Sara-san dug her pretty hands into the dirty ground at his cold voice and glared back at him.

The combination of rain and tears would make it difficult for an average person to look at him, but Sara-san was more substantial than an ordinary person.

She had the intensity of a rakshasa wanting to burn the world to dust. Wow…

Perseus took in his surroundings, looking at everything that had been swept away, and snorted.

How cruel. To be so dismissive of her, who was just worried about her best friend…!

I opened my mouth to protest, but he looked at me as if to freeze me up with his blizzard-like gaze.

Ooof… So cold… Just with his gaze it felt like I’d freeze to death!

I clung to Sara-san as she tried to encourage me.

Rather than shaking me off, she adjusted her position to block my vision with her back.

I felt her back tremble, and my compassion for her doubled.

Perseus continued to stare at her, irritation creeping into his cold gaze.

“You choose to just sit in the mud pathetically? Just crying and glaring stupidly, was that your answer?”

Without saying anything, Sara-san sat motionless, continuing to be battered by the rain.

Perseus aggressively grabbed her by her shoulders, bringing his face so close their lips nearly touched, and stared into her eyes.

“Don’t disappoint me.”

After a momentary pause, a crisp sound echoed. It was the sound of Sara-san slapping Perseus’ arms off her shoulders.

“I don’t care to know about your selfish desires.”

At some point, she had stopped trembling.

In the next moment, she had stood up gracefully as if dancing at a ball.

Her whole body was wet from the rain and covered in mud, her dress full of wrinkles, and her hair out of sorts– Yet she was still as beautiful as ever.

“Who chose this? Who answered? Care to speculate?”

“…Well, I leave that all to you.”

Sara-san was laughing confidently, back to her usual self.

Although I still felt powerless with the pain in my chest, I stood up slowly, as well.

“Well? Weren’t you the one who put this system in place, Crown Prince? Not that you would tell me?”

“You weren’t a very cute and quiet subordinate to begin with, were you?”

I left the two of them alone as they rapidly exchanged with each other.

…After all, I’m an ordinary person.

Even with a past life… Even with a bit of magical ability… I won’t be able to compete with such true geniuses.

I’m genuinely useless.

“–Irene!”

“Huh?”

My thoughts were devolving into self-criticism, but I was brought to attention by Solan-kun’s voice.

His eyes were red. Had he been crying?

He’s always been a crybaby, so he definitely was.

…It seemed he was also profoundly affected. He averted his eyes as he vented his emotions.

“…Are you okay?”

“…Solan.”

I was going to ask if he was worried but realized it was a dumb question.

How did he become her friend first?

Lady Rururia cared about him a lot.

…No, it doesn’t matter. But I don’t know what to do.

“No, Ria wouldn’t like it if I cried.”

He said it so shyly.

It seemed at some point that he had finally grown up. I should be happy to see my friends growing. Was I actually just deceiving myself…?

I don’t that.

“You’re not worried?”

“The moment Ria was sucked in, I threw in a wedge so that space could be temporarily fixed.”

“You… You did!? But, Rururia still wasn’t safe!”

…I feel like a child having a tantrum.

It wasn’t enjoyable… I want to stop, but I can’t control it.

Solan-kun gently laughed as if to calm me down.

I looked at him… What… Had he also gotten taller?

He was always a target.

Someone who gambled with his own life and that of his country. Someone who had a one-way ticket to a horrific death.

–And yet, he was my treasured friend.

“Try to think, Irene. This is Ria we’re talking about. The girl with a Dragon Crest, riding a Dragon, confronting Fallen Heroes, being chased by mysterious objects, making contracts with Dragons, and even transforming it… She’ll be alright, won’t she?”

…When he said it like that, it seemed strange that she had lasted this long for some reason. That made me feel a little at ease.

Nothing had changed, but I remembered her neat little face, and a smile crept onto my face.

I pictured her with no regard for any trauma, just stroking the Dragon on her shoulder and complaining.

It seemed foolish to worry about her now.

“Well then…”

“Yep.”

“It is Rururia-san, after all!”

“It is Ria we’re talking about!”

Our voices were unexpectedly in unison. Despite the circumstances, we looked at each other and let out sighs.

…Ah, Rururia-san was just too strong…

I looked at Solan-kun’s gentle smile, the one that Lady Rururia had helped change, and I smiled back.

–I felt my stomach rumble, making the situation awkward. Ah, what… Why?

I felt a sudden rush of emotions and turned my gaze.

I saw Sara-san, laughing like she was invincible. And at her side… Was Perseus clutching his head, but I’ll not focus on him.

So what will we do…? She seemed to think, conveying it wordlessly in her gaze, and I felt my head and stomach flutter with confusion.

I can’t just help my dear friend.

–It has to be done, of course, that’s what I’ll say.

“Let’s go! We must do our best to save Rururia!”

“Alright! Irene, first off–”

Standing next to me, Solan-kun began his complex theoretical explanation on how we would save Lady Rururia.

We… We have to try…!

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

I was stunned to see that familiar black mass clinging to the glass ceiling.

Ah. All I wanted was advice from my friends on how to avoid getting married…

…I had just come up with a perfect plan for what to do with my Dragon.

I looked at him, who had turned brown again, and he cocked his head as if to say, “What’s wrong?”

–Why don’t you see the black thing right in front of us!?

“Ria!”

Solan-kun’s frustrated voice snapped me out of my daze, making me look up.

…Wow, the black thing was expanding right in front of me.

As I continued to watch, stunned, it began to entwine itself with my body!?

Then, as the black object began to float up, my body floated up with it… I’m floating!?

Hey… Why… Hold up, wait!? You don’t want me. You don’t want me!

“Ria! Give me your hand!”

“Ru… Rururia-san!”

Sara-chan reached out her hand to me, and Irene-sama was casting magic circles as she approached.

Black tendrils extended out to block the two of them.

Why wasn’t it catching them, too? Why just me? Oh, man… I just want to go home!

My heart cried out in empty despair as part of the black object broke the glass ceiling.

…Huh? Was this the end of my wildlife…?

As I worried about that, the black object slipped through the smashed hole in the glass, dragging me with it out of the room.

–Raindrops hit my cheeks.

The cold wetness hitting my body indeed confirmed that I was outside, but I felt like I was watching this happen as someone else, not living. But that wasn’t the case… Was it!?

The black thing began to grow and expand some more as it rose into the sky.

And it took me up and away with it… Ah, Sara-chan and the others were getting smaller and smaller down there!

Solan-kun was desperately running away from a black tendril below, shouting something and pointing behind himself as he did. I’ve got a bad feeling about that. Please stop!

My body reacted and was forcibly moved in the direction Solan-kun was pointing at.

It seemed my hunch was correct, as they usually were when they’re ominous premonitions.

In front of me, apart from the black object, the ground below was churning menacingly!

That space spread out across the ground like a spilled puddle of ink.

It was as if that the impenetrable black-like object carrying me had painted the ground itself, and it seemed to want to swallow me up. That looks bad. I mustn’t get close.

–Nevertheless…

The black object was taking me straight towards that void!

Was… Was there anything!? Anything that can save me!

I reached out and reflexively grabbed something I saw in the corner of my eye. It was the window frame of the tower by the Training Grounds. For now, at least, by holding on, I’m not drawing any closer to that void.

As I held on, I looked down and scanned the scene.

The Training Grounds was overrun with black tendrils. They were everywhere–

The only difference from before was that we were floating, so Solan-kun and Irene-sama couldn’t get close… At least that’s what I think was happening.

What on earth was that thing we’re approaching? Looking back, I saw something scary. A relatively large tree branch was being sucked into the swirling black void.

–It was twisted and bent as it went in, disappearing.

“I can’t go in there! Somebody save me!”

My voice sounded pathetic as it echoed down, but I didn’t care.

I felt like multiple people were staring at me, but I didn’t care about that either… Just save me!

“Lady Rururia!”

At my cry for help, the Knight Commander had appeared.

He was not in his usual neat uniform, but an ordinary indigo shirt and black pants.

His usually well-kept, short hair was wild, and he clutched his sword in hand.

But due to the black tendrils, even the Knight Commander couldn’t get close.

My fingers were starting to hurt…

I’m about to lose my grip…

“Ria! Keep thinking! Don’t let go!”

I heard Sara-chan raising her voice in fear.

The Knight Commander cut a gap through the tendrils, and Solan-kun and Irene-sama flanked him on either side.

I felt afraid at the glimpse I caught of Sara-chan’s serious and frustrated expression.

This was awful… Such an appalling situation… But my fingers were about to reach their limit.

“Kyuuu!”

I suddenly heard my Dragon’s call from behind me.

“Kyuruuu!”

–He fell into the black space.

…He fell!

My Dragon had fallen!

He was only just on my back.

…But now, he’s fallen!

It happened the moment I got distracted.

“–Ah…”

My hand slipped.

A black tendril wrapped mercilessly around my body, dragging me towards the void.

Oh… It’s taking me into the darkness!

“Lady Rururia!”

“Ria!”

“Ria!”

“Rururia-san!”

I raised my eyes from the overpowering blackness towards the direction of the voices.

Solan-kun’s head was slumped down, stunned, and defeated.

Irene-sama was desperately holding back a pale, crestfallen Sara-chan.

Sara-chan was screaming and crying loudly as she tried to rush towards me.

…I’ve never seen her like that before.

–And then…

I saw the Knight Commander extending his hand out to me as I fell.

As I looked into his light blue eyes…

I felt a pain like I was being cut into a thousand pieces.

The dark void swallowed me up and closed itself off behind me.

---

I stared at my hand as it cut through the sky, unobstructed.

–No one had reached out to grab it, so why was I looking at it?

The black object which had troubled us so much had disappeared as if nothing had happened. The black void that had grabbed her was likewise gone.

…Why her…?

Why not me?

“Ria! No! It can’t be!”

“Sa… Sara-san! Calm down!”

That woman, who had been spending time with Ria, knelt covered in dirt, desperately casting magic at the spot of the ground where Lady Rururia had vanished. I couldn’t tell from her gaze what she was thinking.

I couldn’t resolve things with magic the way she was trying to.

I knew it would be useless to stab the ground with my sword or dig by hand, but I couldn’t help but feel an urge to do so.

–I couldn’t remember ever feeling this helpless before.

–I couldn’t remember feeling so much regret as I did now, wishing I had stretched my arm a bit farther.

…Visions of her hand, just out of reach, welled up in my mind. My chest hurts.

---

I was falling. I kept falling and falling.

I thought I would be bent and twisted like that branch I saw earlier, but my body appeared to be in one piece… I think.

It was hard to tell, as it was so dark to the point where I couldn’t even see my hand.

Well, I didn’t feel any pain, so I’m okay… I think.

Even so, it was dark, and I couldn’t see my Dragon, which should have fallen in here earlier. I didn’t hear his cry, so perhaps I was entirely alone.

I’m just falling continuously in darkness.

When falling into such strange circumstances, I felt no fear.

…Huh?

How long was I going to keep falling?

There’s not some hard surface waiting for me at the bottom, was there?

Looking at my right, there was black. Looking at my left, was more black, and down below… Nothing but black surrounded me.

–Whatever this was…

Please let me land safely!

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

It’s raining a bit today.

I, Rururia, sat on the terrace, looking through the glass while in the middle of a meeting.

The former first aid room that had become my temporary residence hadn’t been this stylish.

When I returned from the Frontier, I found many magicians lined up in my room for some reason.

They then completed the glass dome they were assembling and vanished in the blink of an eye.

What the hell was that…?

It’s a complete mystery to me.

Now, three people were sitting, relaxed, in front of me.

I had assembled them today to discuss the serious issues that had happened to me.

My Dragon sat on my lap, awake for once.

“What should we do!? What’s the right move!?”

“Kyuru?”

“So… About your marriage, Ria…”

“Rururia-san is getting married…”

“To think Ria’s getting married…”

The three of them had been kind enough to arrive at my heartfelt plea.

Sara-chan had her typical smiling expression, Irene-sama sat with her hands clasped, looking off like she was daydreaming, and Solan-kun was giving me a doubtful look.

I understand you, Solan-kun.

I’m feeling a lot of doubt myself.

Meanwhile, Sara-chan seemed to be enjoying herself, while Irene-sama was off in a world of her own.

It’s a little odd that it was Solan-kun, the man, that understood me best.

I’m not getting married!

I pled again, but they ignored me and just kept looking at the matchmaking papers.

Heeey…

Please pay attention to me…

“So? Who are you going with?”

“Who… Well, that’s what I wanted your advice on, Sara-sama.”

Sara-chan seemed amused as she played with the Crown Prince’s page.

What? Do you want that one? Go ahead. You can have it… Oh, I’m sorry, Sara-chan!

“Wow, the school director was in here. What about him? He’s handsome and unexpectedly nice!”

“He’s only nice to you, Irene-sama. Didn’t he propose to you?”

Irene-sama cocked her head as if she didn’t remember.

She doesn’t even remember…

What a sinful woman that Irene-sama was.

“…What… Irene-sama… With him…..”

“Yeah… Yeah! Let’s focus, Solan-kun! We’re here to talk about me right now.”

Solan-kun used magic to snatch the School Director’s page out of Irene’s hands to rip it all up.

That was my paper, though… Ah, whatever.

“It must be tough to choose from one of these, Ria.”

“I know, right!? What should I do…”

Sara-chan smiled at my distress.

Wait, what!? What’s so funny to you!? Why were you being like this, Sara-chan!

“Or maybe, you want someone not here. The Knight Commander, perhaps?”

“Wha… Wha… What… Why would you say that, Sara-san!?”

At my uncontrolled outburst, Sara-chan looked at me with her ancient, dark dragon smile as if she’d caught me in a trap.

Oh, she really does look scary when she does that!

I looked down at the tea in front of me to avoid Sara-chan’s terrifying gaze.

Oh, Your Majesty, why have you put me in this situation!?

It’s not about the Knight Commander!

I don’t care about him… I swear!

I tried to enjoy my tea as I broke out into a cold sweat. Irene-sama just murmured, in turn.

“Oh, Rururia… If only I had a brother, you could have… One of my distant relatives has a son that might just be right… If I adopted him and you married him, we could be family, Rururia…”

“Don’t involve that poor soul in all of this. Knock it off, Irene-sama.”

“…Oh well.”

Irene-sama slumped her shoulders dejectedly.

Thank you anyway, Irene-sama.

I know you’re looking out for me.

But I don’t want you trying to put me into the Duke of Dilaver’s house all of a sudden!?

…We wouldn’t have any space…

I felt like I was losing my life.

I leaned back farther into the sofa as everyone sat silently thinking.

Once again, I felt overwhelmed and defeated. I collapsed slightly.

…Yeah, I know.

It’s like His Majesty had said, as long as I’m an essential asset to the country, I can only choose from within this bundle of papers.

Despite all that, I felt like there was no correct answer here, and I felt so bad about it.

It felt strange to rush to choose a partner and marry them so quickly.

I needed to find some way to overcome this situation!

“…Alright, let’s pick someone.”

I just let it out involuntarily, and the three of them looked stunned before bursting into laughter.

Huh? Perhaps they’ve come up with a resolution to this situation!?

“By the way, Solan-kung, whatever happened to those soybeans you wear working on?”

“Oh, yeah! I’d been looking forward to that!”

“Uhm, well… Uh… I got… They don’t explode anymore…”

Wait… Wait a minute.

“Why would there be explosions involved in breeding plants?”

“Well, I didn’t want it to… I just took a shortcut and…”

“Well, that explains it! For sure!”

Wait, wait, wait.

“Do they taste good, at least? If not, then there’s no point to breeding them?”

“Exactly! So, were the exploding soy beans delicious?”

“I can eat more than before, but they weren’t quite ready for me to give to you yet, Irene-sama.”

Waaait! We’re supposed to talking about the big problems in my life, right!?

“Kyu!”

“…No, Dragon, just because I stood up doesn’t mean I want to play.”

“…So, you really can communicate with him now.”

Solan-kun murmured with a smirk.

No, no, no!

I can’t communicate with him! I just said I didn’t feel like playing with him… That was all!

The Dragon swung his tail excitedly on the table.

…Hmmm? Dragon… Ah–

“Ah, I got it! It’s because I have a Dragon that people want me!”

I lifted him high and asked seriously.

“Dragon! Hey! Become a dog!”

“Kyuru?”

“Huh?”

Everyone looked at me, wanting to know what I had just said.

Relax, everyone…

Just be calm like me.

“If I made him look like a harmless dog instead of a Dragon, then I’ll be on the clear, right!?”

…Huh? Why were they still looking at me like I’m crazy?

Yeah, I guess no one would believe that my Dragon could become a dog! It’s understandable!

“You can go now, Dragon! Since the Heavenly Dragon is a friend now, right!?”

“…She just disclosed some pretty confidential information, right?”

“…Well, you’ll all be careful about all of this, won’t you?”

“A Dragon with human friends… Incredible!”

Well, I just kind of said that… It’s not really true!

Well, Dragon! Just read the room and become a dog for me!

Dog, dog… Dog…

A little puppy dog… With big eyes… A little tail…

“Kyuuu!”

The Dragon in my arms let out a loud shout, but did not stop being a Dragon.

“Kyuruuu!”

I took a closer look at him.

“…Dog?”

Hmmm, let me think…

Well, he was already small with a bit of tail and squishy round eyes…

“He has too many eyes.”

“He shouldn’t have horns.”

“I have never seen a dog like that.”

“–It’s not a dog! It’s a monster!”

If I tried to take him on a walk, I’d be called a monster’s master!?

…No, no, no, but my Dragon did his best. He’s a similar shape to a dog, so I can make him like a dog if I kept trying. Yeah! Definitely! Let’s go with that!

This would make it seem like I no longer have connections with Dragons, so that this marriage problem would go away… It’s perfect!

I pet my three-eyed, brown scaled Dragon as I thought about the future–

Hm? Brown? Actually, wasn’t he looking a bit black now?

“Ah…”

A familiar black sphere floated near the ceiling.

“Ah!? That…”

“Ria!?”

“Rururia-san!”

Solan-kun and Irene-sama rushed toward me, casting magic circles as they did.

Why me again!?

Was the black thing not finished with me yet!?

Previous | Table of Contents | Next