We live in the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Cat, Human, Dragon.
“Hey, hey, Revalia. Do you know where the Puppet King’s mansion is?”
“Hmph, I don’t know!”
“That’s no good!”
I chuckled at Revalia, who proudly snorted. She must have rushed out with sheer impulse. It’s cute.
“Well then, there’s a place I’d like to stop by, isn’t there?”
And with that, I told her our destination.
“So, we’ve arrived!”
“Go home!”
*Sniffle, sniffle.*
We came all this way to visit Cat Duke Astel, and to be told “Go home” right away is quite a cold reception.
“Go home after you pay for the mansion!”
Astel shouted, his face puffed out in anger.
It’s all in your head. Destroying the mansion, startling the servants, chasing Astel around – none of that happened, okay?
“Revalia. Next time, please land a little more gently, alright?”
“Why should I have to obey your words so obediently?”
“Because it disrupts the neighborhood!”
“Go home!”
Astel, perhaps afraid of Revalia, was shouting from behind a pile of rubble visible in the distance. That’s strange. Astel must have seen Revalia and the Ancient Dragon Species during the Demon King subjugation, too, right?
“Astel, good evening again. Actually, we’re having trouble finding a place to stay tonight.”
“I’m having trouble too! Go home!”
It’s a shame. We flew for three days straight, and this is the cold response we received. I’m so sad.
“Hey, hey, Astel. You see, my forbidden territory mansion is a little broken. Could you repair it for me sometime?”
“No way!”
Astel, hissing like a cat and baring his claws, was truly a Cat Duke. A cat in human form. Just as a ferocious beast’s eyes gleam in the night, Astel’s cat-like eyes glinted as he glared at me. His stance, with claws dug into the rubble, was very cat-like.
Apparently, he’s in a foul mood tonight. I wonder why?
“…But, let’s stop playing around soon. I’m sorry, Astel.”
“You blew up my mansion just playing around?!”
“No, well, you see. When Revalia flew in, you suddenly attacked her with a weapon, didn’t you? Revalia is the Dragon King of Dragon Peak. So, when attacked, she’d naturally retaliate, right?”
Revalia roared, “Serves you right!” Astel let out a scream and disappeared behind the rubble. It seems he’s genuinely terrified of Revalia. By the way, none of the servants who worked at the mansion were in sight. From what Tris told me before, the servants don’t live at the mansion; they commute from a nearby village every day. And they go back to that village before sunset.
“Hahaha. Today’s guests are quite terrifying.”
A man, who appeared to be the representative of the servants, said with a wry smile. Is it alright? Is it normal here to just leave the rampaging guests and their host alone and go home? I don’t know about that.
Anyway, I asked Revalia to calm down so as not to frighten Astel, and approached the rubble pile.
“Astel, I’m truly sorry. For breaking your mansion…”
“If you’re sorry, then hurry up and go home!”
“No, no, I can’t go home. It’s already night, you know? Besides, I came all this way because I have business with you, Astel.”
“Your business is probably nothing good! I don’t want to hear it, go home!”
Pieces of rubble flew at me as he tried to drive me away. That’s dangerous, you know? If I get hit, I’ll get hurt. And if that brick flies towards Revalia, I don’t think she’ll hold back this time. Dodging the flying brick with a casual flick, I climbed over the rubble. There, I found Astel hiding behind it.
“You see…”
“I said I don’t want to hear it!”
“Actually…”
“Hiss! You damn Dragon King!!”
As a Primogenitor, Astel possesses a unique ability that no one else can replicate. However, perhaps as a backlash from this extraordinary ability, his magic power and physical abilities are quite weak compared to even demons. So, no matter how much Astel resists, he cannot escape me. However, it’s not right to exploit this absolute superiority and unilaterally push my demands. Therefore, since Astel said “No,” I reluctantly fell silent.
“…?”
At that, Astel tilted his head in confusion. While glaring at me with all his might.
“What? Why aren’t you continuing?”
“Ehh. Well, you said you didn’t want to hear it, so? Is it okay to tell you?”
“No, go home!”
“I don’t understand!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Astel, while saying “No,” was waiting for me to continue. Isn’t this actually proof that, despite saying “I don’t want to,” he’s a little interested?
The Puppet King had a girlish mindset that adapted to a girl’s appearance, but Astel, much like his appearance and demeanor, has a cat-like personality. So, he gets angry easily, and is always selfish. And, he can’t help but focus his attention on things that pique his interest, even if he’s scared.
“Astel, let’s calm down for a moment, okay? Look, it’s already so dark now.”
We arrived before sunset, but thanks to all the commotion, the sun had already set completely.
“I hate to ask, but… could you recreate this mansion for me? Oh, and make it with a dragon stable where Revalia, Nimia, and Lily can relax!”
“Are you trying to confine me to a stable?”
“Your humble preface and your audacious demand don’t match at all!”
“Good grief. Revalia, you and Astel are both selfish.”
“You’re the one who’s too domineering!”
I gently soothed Astel, who lunged at me with his claws. I’m not domineering, nor am I audacious. I just thought that nothing would progress if we continued like this. Well, it’s all because Revalia went wild that things have become so troublesome. No, was it because Astel attacked first? In that case, isn’t it his own fault?
“Astel, please!”
While holding down Astel, who looked like he might scratch me with his sharp claws at any moment, I asked again. Astel, panting with a hostile hiss, still tried to escape my grasp and pounce. Just then, a fearsome purr echoed from a short distance away.
“I am tired from my long journey. If this commotion continues, I will leave you and go home?”
“Ehh!”
“Eek!”
Revalia had simply spoken to me as usual. But to the heartless Astel, it seemed like the threat of a fearsome wyvern.
“Damn Dragon King. To threaten me using that wyvern, how cowardly!”
“No, no, I’m not threatening you?”
“Grrr… Fine.”
Astel glared at me and Revalia with a look of extreme displeasure. Nevertheless, the misunderstanding seemed to have conveniently moved things along, and Astel finally used his unique ability, “Material Creation,” magic. Instantly, the pile of rubble vanished. And then, Astel created a super-giant mansion on a vast expanse stretching endlessly into the night.
“That’s amazing! But what happened to the rubble?”
“Hmph. I reused it as building material for the new mansion.”
“Oh, so that’s another way to use that ability?”
Isn’t that an incredibly useful ability? I wonder if Astel realizes it himself. Astel believes he’s weak and relies on Tris and Sheria for protection. But of course, Astel is a Primogenitor, possessing power that even ordinary demons would struggle against. However, he probably lacks the knowledge and imagination to use that ability for combat or self-defense.
“Revalia, look! A magnificent dragon stable has been built!”
Astel, perhaps still very afraid of Revalia, created a dragon stable adjacent to the mansion that was far more splendid than any stable in the Yorttenitos Kingdom. However, Revalia’s personality is such that she dislikes being confined by anything, so she dislikes the dragon stable, viewing entering it as a “loss.”
“I won’t use it? Do as you please.”
Hmph, she snorted and looked away from the magnificent dragon stable.
“Tsk. What a selfish wyvern. Did you not like it?”
“No, that’s not it. Revalia dislikes being confined inside buildings where her freedom is restricted.”
“She really is selfish!”
No, I don’t think she’s as selfish as Astel. I didn’t say it out loud, though. Still, it would be a waste not to use the wonderful dragon stable he created. Just as I thought that.
“Nyan will use it, nyan!”
From the starry night sky, a charming cry echoed. And then, a giant shadow flew in at high speed! It’s Nimia!
“Hwahaha. Elnea-sama, Revalia-sama, I missed you.”
“Nya! Laira-nee-chan, it’s dangerous to jump off!”
“Kyaaaah!”
Along with Nimia’s voice, Laira’s voice reached us from the sky. It seems Laira, once again, got too excited and tried to jump off Nimia’s back. By the way, the final scream was from Astel. Astel, upon the appearance of a new giant dragon, screamed and tried to flee. I managed to catch him.
“Astel, it’s alright. See, it’s the cute Nimia who was with Priscilla-chan?”
“Hmm? Not the Mother Dragon?”
“Hahaha. Astel, are you afraid of Asher?”
“I was scolded severely by that Mother Dragon once.”
“…Astel, what exactly did you do?”
Did Asher get angry at Astel’s free-spirited and unrestrained personality? No, he probably wasn’t truly angry. But for Astel, it was a terrifying experience of being severely scolded by a tremendously large Ancient Dragon. Perhaps, when disciplining Astel, a proper scolding for wrongdoing is effective? I should tell Tris about this next time. …No, he probably already knows. But Tris cherishes Astel so much that he can never scold him. And then, Astel will annoyingly misbehave again, and Tris and Sheria will be troubled! Nimia landed in front of the restored giant mansion. Immediately, Laira… didn’t get off?
“Hwahaha. It’s too dark to see the knot in Nimia-chan’s fur.”
“Indeed! In that case, let’s light it up with magic.”
And then, from atop Nimia’s back, two feminine voices could be heard. One is Laira. But the other is not my wife? Following a sonorous invocation, a gentle light bloomed on Nimia’s back. I recognized the woman facing Laira.
“It’s Shooting Star Sama.”
It seems Nimia, along with Laira and Shooting Star Sama, had followed me and Revalia.
“Nyan. Since Reva-chan is here, Laira-nee-chan gets priority, nyan.”
“Oh, Laira, it’s thanks to you always getting along with Revalia!”
“Yes!”
“Don’t call me Reva-chan!”
Revalia purred grumpily, circling. And Astel, cowering.
“Astel, why are you so afraid of Revalia? You’ve met her as a comrade before, haven’t you?”
“Even so, some things are just scary! Go home!”
“Hahaha. At this point, saying “go home” is too late, don’t you think?”
“I’ve been saying it from the beginning!”
“Huh! Now that you mention it!?”
“Unyan? Are you leaving already, nyan?”
“No, that’s not it. We’re staying at Astel’s mansion tonight.”
“We’ll stay in the dragon stable, nyan!”
“Oh. Is Nimia going to spend the night in the dragon stable with Revalia, instead of in the same room as us?”
“I won’t use it?”
“Nya! I’ll stay with Elnea-onii-chan, nyan.”
In the end, the dragon stable Astel worked hard to create was unfortunately not used that night.
