episode_0058

New liquid-new liquid-

The moonlight streaming in through the window made Hera’s face appear even whiter.

Hera, breathing steadily while sleeping soundly.

Even today, her sleeping appearance was still too beautiful.

I looked down at her and looked at it.

A blue lizard with its eyes closed, held by Hera.

For some reason, I felt annoyed.

Hera named her Marie, but she didn’t want to get too attached to her.

“I know you’re not sleeping.”

But there was no answer to my voice, and for a while there was only silence in the room.

Just when I was thinking that I should wake her up like that.

“…..”

A lizard that quietly reveals its blue eyes.

The eyes of the lizard looking at him had an infinitely calm aura.

“Follow me.”

As expected, this lizard wasn’t just a cute little thing.

.

.

.

Dawn when everyone is asleep.

As he left the inn, a cool breeze greeted him.

“…..”

A blue lizard follows quietly from behind.

It just looked at itself without saying anything.

“I want to talk, you know.”

When I met its eyes, the lizard looked at me as if it was annoyed by something.

And then.

With a whirring sound, blue mana began to surround the lizard.

After a short while, a strong wind blew around.

What was revealed as the blue mana cleared away.

She was a young girl with a mysterious aura, with sky-blue hair and blue eyes that seemed to contain the sea.

“..Why?”

A girl looking at herself with endlessly bored eyes and asking questions.

It was a completely different look from when he was with Hera.

“It was a female. Should I be thankful for that? ”

He muttered while looking at the girl’s appearance.

Dragons. What are they?

A master of magic. A being close to omniscience.

It is said that they can use magic to cause natural disasters without having to put in any effort, and that all knowledge related to mana is inherent in their heads from birth.

Even hatchlings can probably use polymorph magic.

“Why?”

A girl who still looks at herself with calm eyes.

I was just annoyed by her behavior, as if she was annoyed at dealing with me and asked me to hurry up and tell her what she wanted.

“You acted all innocent in front of Hera, but now you’re so gloomy?”

“…..”

“Well. I don’t want to talk to you for too long either. Let’s get to the point.”

“…..”

“Tell me why you’re attached to Hera.”

A girl tilts her head at my words and looks at me with a questioning expression.

“Me. Why?”

“What. Depending on the answer.”

I gave her a bittersweet smile and continued speaking.

“I have to decide whether to kill you or not.”

“…you..”

The girl’s eyes became cold and sank.

Then, the mana spread around me began to vibrate greatly and press down heavily on me as if it was pressuring me.

“Phew. Baby. You want to fight me?”

“…..”

But the air returns with just one gesture from me.

Even though it was a dragon, it was still just a hatchling and had a long way to go before it could be his match.

And that girl knows that better than anyone else.

“Well. I’m just saying this when I think you might be a threat to Hera.”

I gave a sly smile to the girl who was glaring at me with her eyes squinted as if she was annoyed.

A question I’ve had ever since I first saw that hatchling.

Why are you showing favor to Hera?

A dragon can be affected by a spell like charm? That makes sense.

It was the same story as the Demon King being defeated by a passing farmer.

There must be some reason to follow Hera.

I think I can guess the reason why though.

“Aren’t you going to say anything? I’m not very patient.”

He again pressured the girl who remained silent.

Then she stared at me silently for a while, then opened her mouth wide.

“Mom. Soul. White.”

The appearance of a girl who only speaks in words, as if she has not yet fully acquired the ability to use language.

“What?”

“I can see the soul. You’re pitch black.”

He continues by pointing to himself.

“All human souls are murky. But my mother’s soul is pure white. That’s why I like it.”

‘Can you see the color of the soul?’

If that’s true.

There is some truth to what the hatchling said.

I myself have never seen anyone as pure as Hera. Perhaps her soul shines white.

And if your soul has color, it will be blacker than anyone else’s.

Probably most humans are like that.

That’s why everyone instinctively falls for Hera.

So, does that mean that hatchling was also drawn to Hera’s purity?

“That’s all?”

“….”

A girl who hesitates and mumbles, unable to answer my question.

After mumbling for a while, he finally spoke.

“…and…Mom…you’re pretty..”

“……”

The girl said, her face reddening in embarrassment and her body twisting around.

The dragon’s instinct to like beautiful things. It seemed to be true.

Their nests are filled with all kinds of sparkling jewels.

No, more than that.

“..Why is Hera your mother?”

It bothered me that it kept calling Hera “Mom.”

Dragons don’t have parents, you know.

But the hatchling opened its eyes wide and looked at me as if it was nothing special.

“Mom. Are you a mom?”

“Don’t make me laugh. How can a dragon do something like that?”

“My mom tamed me. So, mom.”

“….”

He looked at the girl with a dumbfounded expression.

She is someone who is completely incomprehensible to me.

Does that lizard really think it’s been tamed by Hera?

‘…..Maybe it would be better to be a mother.’

At least for my mother, I won’t have feelings for her like I would for a lover.

Thinking about it again, I thought it would be better to think of her as my mother rather than being needlessly obsessed with Hera and longing for her.

“Your business…is that the end?”

In the eyes of the girl looking at him, it seemed that the only thing left was the desire to return to Hera as quickly as possible.

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to the hatchling.

“Stay like that as usual. Remove the wings.”

Then the girl looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Why?”

“If it’s revealed that you’re a dragon, there’ll be chaos everywhere. Then Hera will be in a lot of trouble.”

The girl opened her eyes wide in confusion at Hera’s words that she was in trouble.

And then, nodding her little head, she answered.

“Okay. Okay. ”

Seeing him think so much of Hera, it seemed like the thing he was worried about wouldn’t happen.

Rather, I will stick close to Hera and protect her.

I realized this last time when Hera was kidnapped by that damn succubus.

That he couldn’t protect Hera on his own.

But if it’s a dragon, I guess I can feel somewhat safe.

If what she wanted was a parent-child relationship, then it didn’t matter.

If it was Hera’s body that he wanted, he would never have allowed it.

The only person who can embrace Hera is me.

Well then, I guess there’s no need to worry too much.

…..

.

.

.

“….”

“Who…who…huh?..Marie?! Marie?”

“Yeah! Mom! Maria!”

“Wow… wow… you know how to polymorph… but… why am I the mother..?”

“…Mom…doesn’t like it..?”

“Ugh?! My…heart…”

“I..Mom..I want it..sob..”

“Ugh..ah..okay..I’ll be your mom..”

“Mom! Okay!”

“Uh..uh..Mom likes Marie too.”

“I like you, Mom..I love you!”

…..No need to worry about it, right?

For some reason, I started to feel uneasy.

* * *

When I woke up in the morning, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

Because the girl I was seeing for the first time was asleep in my arms.

However, as time passed, it was quickly discovered that the girl’s true identity was Marie.

Listening to Athena, it seems that it would be better for Mari to normally walk around in human form, as many problems would arise if she walked around in her true form.

‘It’s inevitable that problems will arise..’

A human who tamed a dragon, a legendary creature.

If even a rumor gets out, people will probably come looking for me here and there, causing a fuss.

In the worst case scenario, I could have been targeted by the Demon King.

If that happens, not only me but also Marie could be in danger.

When I think about it, it seems right to walk around in a polymorph state.

“I love you, Mom!”

Marie smiles brightly, rubbing her face against my leg.

Sometimes, I felt burdened by these expressions of affection.

And, “Mom”? It was a title I had never heard before.

There was no way she would have any experience raising a child since she had never been in a relationship.

The reason why he accepted her as his daughter.

I would have originally refused.

He accepted her because he knew all too well the heart of a child who longs for parental love.

There was a time when I desperately wanted my parents’ love.

Even though I was abandoned by them and ended up living a lonely life, I still remember being really happy when my parents occasionally looked at me kindly.

Maybe that’s why I’m so obsessed with family relationships.

‘…I should be nice to Marie…’

Of course, she wasn’t my real daughter, but I didn’t want her to have to go through the same bitter experience as I did.

I don’t think you have any experience raising children, but wouldn’t it be okay if you looked after them with love and interest?

Besides, I thought it wouldn’t be so bad if I had such a cute daughter.

“…Are you ready, Hera?”

Athena looked at Marie with a suspicious expression for a long time, then sighed and spoke to herself.

Now we were preparing to return to the mansion.

Even though I tried to prepare, all I could do was pack a few things.

“Yeah..”

As I answered, Athena pointed at me and wiggled her finger as if to tell me to come into her arms.

As Mari and I approached Athena, clinging tightly to my leg, golden mana slowly began to surround us.

After a while, Athena snapped her fingers and a pure white light flashed before her eyes.

I closed my eyes for a moment at the dazzling sight, and when I opened them, a different scenery than before came into view.

A scenery that was all too familiar.

“You’re here, Hera.”

“….Yeah..right..”

So familiar. But I didn’t really want to come.

That’s how I ended up back at Athena’s mansion.