We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak
The Dragon’s Triumphant Return
Before the sunlight began to show its late summer fade.
The joy of the people, hotter than the midsummer heat, enveloped the Armēdo Kingdom.
The Sun Hero, Listea. And her partner, the Dragon Knight Slaton. A longed-for child was born to them both.
What’s more, the miracle of both births occurring on the same day and at the same time sent the people into a frenzy.
The royal capital was in a state of uproar day and night.
The fervor spread to every region, and people from all over the country visited the capital city to offer their blessings.
Furthermore, the circle of rumors and blessings widened, and not only from the neighboring Yorttenitos Kingdom to the east, but also from the Beast race of the north and the Dragon Race of the west, those who celebrated the birth of new life rushed over.
The hustle and bustle of the capital city continued as if it had forgotten to cease.
People rejoiced, blessed, and praised each other.
“Good grief. Not even the birth of a child to the royal family causes this much commotion.”
The second prince, Rudoriado, looked down at the bustling capital from the window of the royal castle and muttered. The crown prince, Rubion, gave a wry smile.
“Technically, the main protagonist of this birth, and the Hero’s companion, is Princess Cerise, but still…”
“It seems the popularity of us siblings has been completely stolen by our younger sisters.”
Or rather, Rudoriado chuckled, it’s Elnea-kun, who became a messenger of the Dragon God, who stole it, except for Cerise.
The legendary monster, Kongo no Kirisame, appeared from the depths of Dragon Peak. Elnea, with remarkable skill, vanquished this fearsome monster that even the Dragon Race, the Dragonfolk, and the guardian dragons of the Dragon Forest could not defeat. The power he borrowed then was from the Dragon God, said to be the mother of all dragons.
I still remember it vividly. A giant body that covered the sky. A beautiful form, and a divine roar. And immense power that was mistaken for a miracle. Elnea, weaving the prayers of the people into the power borrowed from the Dragon God, vanquished Kongo no Kirisame.
Was it his achievement at that time, or had he already reached new heights before then? We don’t know. After saving the world, Elnea and his family flew away with the Dragon God.
Not even a year has passed since then.
However, the sense of loss for the Armēdo Kingdom and those involved after losing Elnea was immense. The good news that arrived at such a time was the newborn’s cry. Perhaps the people gathered in the Armēdo Kingdom are in a state of excitement as a backlash from that great sense of loss.
The country also grandly celebrated the newborns. They offered sake and food to the people and protected those who visited from afar on their journeys. This further accelerated the fervor, and the excitement, even surpassing the summer heat, filled not only the capital city but also the Armēdo Kingdom and its surrounding regions with solar energy.
This bright atmosphere may have attracted even more joy. One day, a soldier stationed at the West Fortress noticed that the number of people descending from Dragon Peak was gradually increasing. Moreover, those who entered the capital city, after completing their errands, continued to stay, and Earth Dragons and Wyverns visited the Dragon Palace incessantly. It was around this time that Rudoriado and the people of the country began to harbor expectations.
“Hey, look at the sky above Dragon Peak!”
“It’s a horde of dragons!”
“N-no way…!”
All eyes were fixed on the sky above Dragon Peak, which towered to the west. Even from the royal castle, Rudoriado and the others could confirm it. A beautiful, giant Winged Dragon, appearing white-peach colored from a distance, led the charge. Alongside it flew smaller individuals of the same color. However, even though they were small, they were one or two times larger than Wyverns, making the countless Wyverns and Winged Dragons following them appear like tiny specks. These flying Dragonfolk were filling the sky above Dragon Peak and heading towards the plains.
“Elnea and the others are back!”
From somewhere, people began to cheer towards the vast sky. The common sense of the plains, that “dragons flying from Dragon Peak are terrifying,” was gone.
“Wow, the capital is overflowing with people!?”
We crossed Dragon Peak riding on Asher-san’s back. Our destination, of course, was the capital city of the Armēdo Kingdom.
“Asher-san, thank you for coming.”
“Hmph. I can’t refuse a request from such a cute young lady.”
“Thank you, Mother, nyah.”
Nimiah, flying beside Asher-san, chirped happily. Asher-san seemed satisfied with that alone and flapped his wings with good cheer. However, he probably had no idea that Nimiah had gained a new mother in the North Sea.
“I’ll hear that story in detail later, okay?”
“Not Nimiah, but me!?”
“You’re the cause, aren’t you?”
“I think the rebellious Ruilala is the cause, not me.”
Unfortunately, Ruilala, the male, did not get to ride with Asher-san. In fact, the group of demons is not accompanying us.
After returning from the North Sea to the Forbidden Territory, we hastily made preparations. The Giant Demon Lord and Charlotte returned to their own countries without time to relax. Of course, their subordinate Ruilala went with them.
“Before I return, decide who will head east on the continent.”
As the Demon Lord had instructed, unfortunately, no companions were decided upon at the Treasure Orb Palace. Therefore, even now, my wives are still fighting over who will accompany me. However, this is only within the Forbidden Territory. During our sky journey to the capital of the Armēdo Kingdom, we are enjoying ourselves amicably as usual.
Finally, we are returning before the Human Race. This is not the time to be messing around with family.
It hasn’t been very long since we defeated Kongo no Kirisame. From Mistral’s perspective, it would have been better to remain hidden for many more years. That way, people would have recognized us calmly, and there wouldn’t have been such a commotion upon our return. However, the plan went awry because Cerise-chan and Creacio had a baby!
We flew in one go from the North Sea. Thanks to Nimiah flying to the Ancient Capital, Asher-san came to our aid. We are all riding with Asher-san and heading towards our destination. Then, as if the news had spread, the dragons from Dragon Peak started gathering one after another, and now we’ve become a large group.
“I’m not looking back, you know? I won’t even look at the ground!”
By looking into the distance, I’m avoiding reality!
“You admit to escaping reality, nyah?”
“Nimiah, sometimes I want to escape from everything.”
“Then will you also run away from celebrations?”
“That’s another stomach!”
“Oh, that’s a different stomach. Um, Priscilla is hungry.”
“Priscilla-chan, how can you be hungry when you’re eating sweets? Let’s have something delicious when we get to Listea’s mansion.”
“I’m looking forward to it!”
“Mei is also full of energy!”
Laughing, we turned our gaze back towards the plains. Just beyond the steep scenery of Dragon Peak, we could see a large city developed by humans. That is the capital city of the Armēdo Kingdom. Unprecedented numbers of people and dragons had gathered in the capital, and they looked up at us, who were still only visible from afar, and were cheerfully making noise.
“Did our return leak out from amongst the Dragon Race and the Dragonfolk? Or did we gather to celebrate the baby of Listea and Slaton?”
“Probably both?”
Mistral said with a wry smile, wiping Priscilla-chan’s mouth and picking up cookie crumbs that had fallen on Asher-san’s back.
“We had already shown ourselves due to the Dragonfolk warrior’s trial, so they probably expected us to return in earnest soon.”
Well, originally, even though we planned to return before the Dragonfolk and Dragon Race, we intended to return before the Human Race a little later. The lifespan of humans is much shorter than that of the Dragon Race, Dragonfolk, and Mimicho Race. If a long-lived being like ourselves were to appear among humans, it’s inevitable that some would feel dissatisfaction and jealousy. That’s why our strategy was to wait for people’s excitement to cool down over time.
“Hehehe. But I’ve come up with a new plan. The Hero and her partner’s family had a baby. If we come back to celebrate that, the main focus won’t be on us, but on Listea and the others, right? That’s our aim!”
The Sun Hero is respected and loved not only by the citizens of the Armēdo Kingdom but by many others. I myself am aware that I am part of a circle of various races, but the current topic of conversation is completely focused on the Hero’s baby. I’m sure there won’t be such a huge commotion when we return.
“I hope your scheme works out.”
“Asher-san, I’m sure it will be fine! Ah, when we land, please head towards the royal castle. It seems my family’s garden is already full of dragons.”
Certainly, we won’t do something as ill-mannered as barging directly into Listea’s mansion. In that case, the only place Asher-san and Nimiah can land comfortably and where subsequent actions can be easily taken is the royal castle, which only a select few can enter. Is it ill-mannered to land at the royal castle without prior notice? It’s alright. We have Princess Yufilia, Nina, and Sefina with us. It’s like going back to my wife’s parents’ home.
“The royal castle is going to be a mess.”
“Mistral, everyone else, please apologize together too?”
While everyone was laughing and wondering if apologizing would resolve the situation, Asher-san had already flown above the capital city. The thunderous cheers of the people reached us even in the sky. Not only the streets of the capital, but also the roofs of buildings and the plazas were filled with people, dragons, and beasts, all cheering loudly at us. We waved our hands in response to everyone’s voices. Can you see us? Those directly below might not be able to see us, but people looking up from afar can surely see us, right? Asher-san, being considerate, flew at a low altitude after entering the capital.
And then, Asher-san headed straight for the royal castle. He gracefully flapped his large wings and slowly descended towards the royal castle’s plaza. Nimiah followed Asher-san. The countless Wyverns and Winged Dragons that had been following Asher-san and Nimiah continued to fly around freely in the sky. Outside the royal castle, Earth Dragons were noisily rampaging.
“Good grief. You guys are as rowdy as ever.”
“Rudoriado-san, it’s been a while. Or rather, why are you so far away?”
As we dismounted from Asher-san’s back after landing, important figures were there to greet us. However, they were very far away.
“Well, I suppose we can’t get close to your dragons, can we?”
“Ah, Asher-san!”
Asher-san kept a watchful eye, ensuring no males got too close. Nevertheless, the women, accustomed to Asher-san, emerged from the welcoming party and approached us.
“Elnea-kun, Yufi, Nina, welcome back.”
“Sefina, you truly are something else.”
The women in luxurious attire were the queens.
“Everyone, please excuse our disturbance. Sphira-sama, congratulations on this occasion!”
Spotting Cerise-chan’s mother among the queens, we offered our felicitations. Sphira-sama, tears of emotion welling up in her eyes, embraced us.
“To be blessed by the messengers of the Dragon God, what a fortunate thing this is. The future of the twin babies will be wonderful.”
“Cerise-chan’s babies are twins!?”
We jumped up in surprise, having learned this shocking fact.
