Chapter 24: The essence of romance itself

In the heart of the storm, a large figure could indeed be seen.

However, Arsep suggests that safety should come first, advising they hide in a cave within the canyon.

“Wait here for a moment…”

“My dear?! Where are you going—?”

“I think we might not need to walk all the way!”

The wind was strong, but it didn’t seem to matter much.

The cave where Arsep and Flua were was reasonably safe, so it would be better to try than to keep walking.

Fortunately, the things they needed were scattered around, and even within the storm, they could find what they needed.

“My dear! I know what you’re thinking! But if it’s a dragon capable of entering the Demon Realm, it’s best not to provoke it!”

“It’s fine. I don’t really think it’s that dangerous.”

“If that’s not dangerous, then what exactly do you consider dangerous?!”

Only when danger is tangibly felt would it be considered a threat.

But at the moment, there was no such feeling, and for them, the only concern was finding a way to shorten the distance significantly.

Honestly, since hearing about dragons in this world, there was something they’d wanted to try.

The kind of romance every man dreams of at least once.

Becoming a dragon rider.

“This should do…”

They picked up a rock embedded in the ground.

Usually, a fist-sized rock would be stable enough, but considering the dragon’s size, this one had to be bigger.

“My dear, stop! That wind is not just wind! It’s a magical barrier formed from a dragon’s breath. It repels all physical and magical interference alike!”

“Still, we won’t know unless we try, right?”

“Why must you insist on trying it yourself?!”

Seeing how Arsep was so adamant, they felt a bit more cautious.

First, they would test how strong the wind was by throwing a smaller stone.

“You just can’t resist, can you?”

“Yes, I have a ‘try-it-first’ philosophy.”

Picking up a fist-sized rock from the ground, they tossed it toward the center of the storm with a bit of restraint.

They thought it might be enough to pierce the barrier of wind.

“Did it hit?”

“There’s no way such a small stone would break through that storm. So let’s just wait in the cave and—”

“Wait. It looks like it’s stopping.”

“Stopped?”

They weren’t sure if the stone hit, but suddenly the storm halted.

It felt as if, if the storm had a head, it was turning to look this way, and it was now approaching with greater speed and precision than before.

“Oh, it looks like it worked.”

“Your nonchalance has a limit! That dragon’s likely furious because you hit it with a rock!”

Seeing the storm drawing closer, Arsep was aghast.

“But dragons have horns on their heads by nature.”

“Are you doing this on purpose?!”

It was going well, after all.

No matter how strong they were, accuracy wasn’t just about physical strength but also skill, so if the dragon came closer, that would be advantageous.

“Alright, just wait in the cave. This dragon doesn’t seem that dangerous.”

“Even if the dragon isn’t dangerous…!”

“Oh, too late. Just hold onto me tightly.”

“You really never listen to me!”

By now, the storm was close enough to touch with an outstretched hand.

Kwoo-o-o-o-o-o-!!!

The sound was intense, though it was unclear whether it was the roar of the wind or the furious cry of a dragon that had been struck by a stone.

It was likely about to quiet down soon.

***

Blinking open their eyes a moment later, they squinted.

But as they opened their eyes, a sudden, intense headache struck.

They couldn’t remember what happened.

All they recalled was their usual jog through the Demon Realm skies for the sake of health.

Flying was good aerobic exercise, and they’d snacked on native Demon Realm creatures like wyverns, bats, and crows to keep their protein intake high.

Memories slowly pieced together.

The incident must have occurred after that.

While flying peacefully, a rock had suddenly flown in and struck them precisely on the back of the head.

It hurt enough to make them tear up a bit.

At first, they wondered what it was, so they looked around.

But there was nothing in sight except the barren canyon of the Demon Realm, and about a kilometer away, a tiny bug holding a rock.

They couldn’t imagine that small bug threw a rock at them, nor could it have pierced the barrier of wind around them.

So they thought about ignoring it and moving on, but…

‘Cheeky.’

A mere bug dared to stand its ground without fleeing, even holding a rock in a taunting manner.

So, they thought they’d scare it off before continuing their exercise.

Then, suddenly, a rock the size of their head appeared before them, and their consciousness snapped out like a light.

They still didn’t understand what happened.

They’d only intended to scare the bug, but out of nowhere, a rock appeared and knocked them out.

There hadn’t been a stranger incident.

They didn’t know what had happened, but it felt like their luck wasn’t great today, so they decided it’d be best to go home.

But then.

***

“Oh, I woke up quickly this time.”

‘Why was that little bug still standing there when they opened their eyes?’

A demon-like insect, with horns growing from its head and wearing a skull mask, stood there.

“I have a favor to ask—would that be alright?”

This insect, apparently braver than it should be, dared to ask me for a favor.

‘In a situation where it should be bowing down, begging for its life, it’s asking for a favor? A favor? Honestly, I thought it would be entirely justified to crush it here and now.’

‘With just a breath, I could melt a bug like this—’

‘But why can’t I open my mouth?’

“Could it be that my mouth has frozen shut from sleeping in a cold place?”

“If you blink your right eye, it means you accept. Blink your left eye if you refuse. Got it?”

“Could it be that this insect is holding my mouth shut?”

“That can’t be right.”

Even if it were strong, physically speaking, I should have far more mass. “How could this make sense?”

“Or is there something wrong with my head?”

‘Could I have been knocked out by the stone and am merely dreaming right now?’

“We’re heading toward a city about two to three hours away, and we were wondering if you could give us a lift. We’re asking politely, so it’s not a demand, but… how about it?”

Although I still didn’t fully understand the situation, there was no need to entertain the insect’s request.

Ignoring it would be rude, so I prepared to blink my left eye.

Just as I was about to, however, another demon-like insect behind the first one looked at me, desperately shaking its head as if to stop me from refusing.

Then it mouthed something to me…

“If you refuse again, you’ll be forced to close both eyes forever.”

‘This nonsense is beyond ridiculous.’

I am a dragon.

A dragon of the highest kind, a supreme being among dragonkind.

There’s no way a dragon would fear mere demon insects like these.

So, it’s simply out of the generosity of my heart that I blink my right eye.

Certainly not because it feels like I’ve lost consciousness several times from blinking my left eye already.

And the fact that one of my horns is broken and a few teeth are missing—that’s simply from rolling roughly along the ground after falling.

That’s all there is to it.

“Alright, so you’re finally agreeing to give us a ride? I told you this would be no big deal.”

“…Next time, I’ll just find myself a horse.”

For now, it seemed best to just comply with these insects’ demands and get back quickly.

Otherwise, I had a gut feeling something bad might happen.

I would remember these demon-like insects for later.

If these demon bugs, who dared to toy with humans, thought they could mess with a dragon, I’d teach them a lesson in due time.

But for now, I’d carry them on my back and take them to their destination.

“I swear, I can’t live because of you.”

“Still, thanks to you, we had an easy ride. Right, Flua?”

“Yes… even if it was a little scary…”

Within an hour, we arrived at the city.

This was all thanks to a kind-hearted dragon that happened to pass by and let us ride on its back.

Arsep had been rubbing her temples and sighing deeply since earlier for some reason, but arriving in the city faster than expected was satisfying.

“So, this is a demon city, right?”

They had simply followed the strongest demonic aura nearby, so this was likely the territory of a high-ranking demon.

“High-ranking demon territory, you say?”

“All cities in the Demon Realm are managed by high-ranking demons. They each have their own territories and cultivate their own influence there.”

High-ranking demons naturally possessed the traits of rulers, so gathering them all in one place would lead to constant disputes.

This arrangement, where each ruled over their own territory, seemed to work best.

Unless something extraordinary happened, they stayed within their territory, managing only what belonged to them.

This system hadn’t changed since ancient times, and Arsep appeared somewhat familiar with this city.

“So, these are demons, huh…”

The demons within the city were much as expected.

Some looked similar to humans but with horns or wings like Arsep, while others had beastly forms or strange, grotesque shapes never seen before.

There were demons with liquid bodies, hideous forms that looked like a mix of several beasts, and undead-like skeletons often referred to as undead.

But aside from being a demon city, there didn’t seem to be much difference from the cities of other races.

Apart from the overall gloomy atmosphere and dark color scheme, it actually felt like a quaint, vintage city.

It was reminiscent of London during the Industrial Revolution.

The city was generally monochromatic, mostly black and white.

“Sigh… This is already making me anxious…”

‘What was Arsep so worried about?’

As they followed her through the city with Flua, the frequent sighs she let out were hard to ignore.

The dragon they’d met earlier had been a kind one, offering them cushions to sit on for comfort after fainting three times.

Hopefully, they could ride that dragon again on their way back.