We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
Dinner was lively.
“Meat!”
I tensed for a moment, wondering what the commotion was, only to have Priscilla-chan’s cheerful voice make me slump.
Priscilla-chan ran towards me, holding large chunks of meat in both hands, her face beaming with joy.
“Um, Mist brought the dinner.”
I gently stroked Priscilla-chan’s head as she proudly held up the meat.
“Welcome back.”
“Yes, I’m back.”
Priscilla-chan closed her eyes, looking content.
So that’s why she was late, she was preparing dinner. I remembered Mistral telling me long ago that using fire in the Moss Garden was strictly forbidden.
After receiving the meat from Priscilla-chan, I waited for the other two to return. Mistral and Ruiseine also came back from the forest.
However, their appearance made me force a smile.
Mistral was lightly dressed, her own jacket draped over Ruiseine. Both her hands were laden with bags containing meat and other items, just like Priscilla-chan. Ruiseine, on the other hand, was cradling the fluffy Nimia, shivering and huddling herself close.
“Um, welcome back.”
“I’m back.”
“I have returned.”
Mistral offered a wry smile, while Ruiseine’s lips were purple and her voice trembled.
“Mistral, make sure she doesn’t catch a cold and take good care of her.”
“Yes.”
Mistral hung her head. It seemed my fears had come true. Ruiseine must have gotten chilled from the cold stream water.
“I had her warm up a bit while I grilled the meat.”
“I’m alright. I’m used to my morning training in the water. Besides, Nimia-chan is very warm too.”
“Meow.”
So that’s why she was holding the fluffy Nimia.
“Um, Nimia gets even warmer when she grows bigger.”
“That’s true. Nimia, could you do me a favor and return to your original form?”
“Understood, meow.”
“Um, what do you mean?”
I asked Ruiseine, who tilted her head, and first asked her to let go of Nimia. Nimia then flew a short distance away from us and let out a loud “Meeeow.”
In front of a stunned Ruiseine, Nimia’s body began to grow rapidly. Her cute, rounded horns took on a sharp appearance, and her long tail swished against the moss carpet. In the blink of an eye, she transformed into a giant dragon.
“Sooo big!”
Priscilla-chan was the first to jump towards Nimia.
“Oh my, oh my, this is amazing!”
“This is Nimia’s true form, apparently.”
“So she wasn’t a cute young dragon?”
“I’m not cute when I grow up?”
“Fufufu, even when she’s big, her round eyes are very cute.”
Ruiseine approached the enlarged Nimia without any fear and buried herself in the fluffy fur of her belly.
“It’s warm.”
Nimia’s long, incredibly fine fur seemed even warmer than any pelt.
“Ruiseine, stay there and keep warm. And Nimia, please take care of her. Now, Elnea, come help with the dinner preparations.”
“Okay!”
“Meow.”
Nimia and I responded energetically. Ruiseine, with a blissful expression, hugged Nimia.
Mistral spread a cloth on a suitable spot, arranging various types of leaves of different sizes. On top of them, she placed the already cooked meat and vegetables. Surprisingly, there was even fish. Perhaps she caught it in the stream.
After everything was prepared and we waited for a while, Ruiseine, apparently warmed both body and soul, thanked Nimia and came towards us. Nimia immediately returned to the size of a kitten and perched on Priscilla-chan’s head, following us.
“Come, let’s eat.”
“Yay! I’m home.”
“Meow.”
As soon as they sat down on the cloth, Priscilla-chan and Nimia began to devour the meat.
“Let’s eat.”
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Please do.”
We also reached for the meat without hesitation.
Hmm? By the way, why isn’t old Sleigsta eating anything? It feels wrong that only we are eating.
“When one reaches my age, frequent meals are no longer necessary. Enjoy your meal without concern for me.”
Just as Immortals consume mist, perhaps old Sleigsta was just filling his stomach by inhaling dragon veins.
“That is how it is.”
I see, beings beyond human comprehension are truly amazing.
“Elnea, stop having conversations in your mind amongst yourselves.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
Chided by Mistral, I shrugged my shoulders. Old Sleigsta can read my thoughts, so I tend to omit words and converse mentally. And I always get scolded by Mistral.
“Grandpa, you have to eat too!”
Priscilla-chan carried a large chunk of meat over to old Sleigsta. We all smiled at Priscilla-chan’s gentle consideration.
“Here, say ‘ahhh.'”
Priscilla-chan held the chunk of meat up to old Sleigsta’s mouth.
“Well then, I shall indulge without reserve.”
Wouldn’t it be rude to point out that he didn’t need to eat? Old Sleigsta honestly accepted Priscilla-chan’s kindness. Priscilla-chan tossed the chunk of meat into his wide-open mouth.
“Hmm, delicious.”
Though it was likely a minuscule amount for old Sleigsta, he chewed and swallowed. Seeing this, Priscilla-chan looked satisfied and happy, returning to us.
“Priscilla-chan is so kind.”
Ruiseine stroked Priscilla-chan’s head.
“Nyan wants to say ‘ahhh’ too.”
“Okay.”
At Nimia’s request, Priscilla-chan began feeding Nimia the meat. Yes, this feels peaceful. Looking at Priscilla-chan brings a sense of warmth.
“Um, excuse me.”
While rolling meat in a vegetable, Ruiseine asked a question.
“I thought I saw one of Sleigsta-sama’s fangs was missing…”
Ah, that’s right. Old Sleigsta’s sharpest fang was chipped and gone. That was on the day we obtained the Young Spirit Tree. There was an incident, and I was forcibly sent home. The next day, when I came to the Moss Garden, old Sleigsta’s fang was missing. It still hasn’t regenerated. Old Sleigsta said it would grow back eventually…
“That was…”
“Ruiseine, I cannot tell you the secret of that fang yet.”
Mistral interrupted me with an air of unquestionable authority, and Ruiseine swallowed hard along with her words. She still can’t say that Mistral broke it. Perhaps her maiden’s heart prevents it.
“Elnea, what is it?”
I must have been staring blankly at Mistral without realizing it. I quickly averted my gaze.
“It’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”
I put some distance between myself and Mistral, who was leaning in closer.
“Oh my, oh my, running away means you have something to hide, doesn’t it?”
“Um, meow.”
“Hey, Nimia, you can’t say that!”
I hurriedly caught Nimia, who had read my mind, and covered her mouth.
“What is it? You’re acting suspicious.”
Mistral pressed, and I fled. Priscilla-chan joined in the commotion, turning this dinner into quite a spectacle. And old Sleigsta quietly watched us, the noisy bunch, with his golden eyes.
By the time we were full and tired from the commotion, the sun had completely set, and the Ancient Tree Forest was cloaked in darkness. Ruiseine had somehow lit up the Moss Garden with magic, and we hadn’t even noticed.
“Well, that’s all for today. Let’s get ready for bed.”
Honestly, it was still too early to sleep. But since we, the older ones, couldn’t disrupt the sleeping habits of the young Mimicho child, Priscilla-chan, it couldn’t be helped. Mimicho apparently wake with the sun and sleep when it sets. They live very orderly lives.
Tired from the commotion, Priscilla-chan, who was getting water from Mistral, already looked sleepy. I thought we’d all be sleeping on the moss together tonight, but then Nimia grew larger again.
“Um, it’s warm sleeping with Nimia.”
“The first night Priscilla first came here, Nimia grew big and we slept with her too.”
Upon hearing Priscilla-chan and Mistral’s explanation, Ruiseine and I nodded.
“In that case, we won’t hesitate.”
“Excuse me.”
We asked the enlarged Nimia to lie down, and then we buried ourselves in the fur around her belly to sleep.
It must have been midnight. I woke up as I rolled over in my sleep. Buried in Nimia’s fluffy fur felt pleasant. Ruiseine beside me was also sleeping soundly.
“Hmm, a rogue clan has appeared among the Dragon Race.”
As I was about to fall back asleep, I heard old Sleigsta’s muffled voice.
“Each clan has its own agenda. In the past, there were those who allied with demons.”
Straining my eyes in the darkness, I could faintly see Mistral perched near old Sleigsta’s mouth.
“Blood will be shed again between the Dragon Race. Are you prepared?”
It seemed they were discussing the recent demon-related matters. There’s a tribe among the Dragon Race that’s colluding with demons, and with their help, demons and magic swords are infiltrating the Armēdo Kingdom. If this information were to spread throughout the Armēdo Kingdom, it would cause problems between the Dragon Race and the human race. Mistral, as the Dragon Princess, must be concerned about this incident. She was probably discussing the situation and seeking advice from old Sleigsta.
I want to help Mistral, but it’s not good for me to meddle in the Dragon Race’s affairs out of curiosity. If something happens, Mistral will surely tell me. For that time, I need to gain enough strength to be relied upon. Thinking this, I drifted back into sleep.
