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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Red Dragon
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“Ah, dammit. Finally made it.”
The man, who had been wandering the forest for half a day, let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the distant mansion.
He wanted to just fly there in his true form, but he knew his mother and the elders would nag him until his ears bled. So, he patiently suppressed his irritation.
“Seriously, I'm all grown up now. I made it all the way here without setting the forest on fire, didn't I?”
The man praised himself as he walked lightly toward the mansion.
“Ria… Ria…”
But then, a young voice drifted from somewhere nearby. The man stopped and looked around.
His green pupils turned slit-like, like a snake's, and he spotted a young boy a kilometer away.
“A human brat?”
I've never seen any humans wandering this forest. And certainly not a kid that small.
Curiosity piqued, the man leaped into the air with a *thump*!
His hair scattered in the wind as he instantly closed the distance to the boy.
To be precise, he landed ten paces behind the boy, ensuring he wouldn't be noticed.
“Wh-where am I? Ria, I'm sorry…!”
The boy the man was watching was Lucian. He had wandered deep into the forest while crying and was now completely lost.
As time passed and he couldn't find his way back to the mansion, anxiety began to creep up on him.
To make matters worse, he had tripped on a tree root and was now a mess from head to toe. His eyes were puffy and swollen from crying so much.
“It hurts…”
Lucian finally stopped in his tracks and collapsed to the ground.
He was hungry, his whole body ached, and he felt grimy from the dirt. He missed Ria.
Even knowing Ria couldn't enter the forest, he called for her again and again. His voice had grown hoarse.
Even to the man, who felt nothing for mere humans, Lucian looked particularly pathetic.
The man, who had intended to ignore him and move on, ended up stopping in front of Lucian.
Lucian was so startled by the man who had suddenly appeared before him that he hiccuped.
*Hic!*
“Hey, kid.”
“*Hic!* Wh-who are you?”
“None of your business. What are you doing out here?”
“…I'm lost.”
“Where do you live?”
“Are you going to take me there?”
Seeing the boy's sparkling eyes, the man answered brusquely.
“Depends on how you behave. So, where do you live?”
“In the mansion near the forest. It's a two-story mansion with a black roof, and the bricks… oh! They're covered in moss!”
Listening to Lucian's words in silence, the man felt a sense of déjà vu. The house sounded familiar.
“You don't live in the village?”
“No, I don't live in the village.”
“Then who do you live with?”
“…Why do you keep asking questions? Are you… a bandit?”
As the man continued to ask for personal details, Lucian got a strange feeling.
He recalled the 50 warnings Ria had given him before she went down to the village.
She had said that some people who approach you in a friendly manner are just trying to swindle the naive. Their defining trait was asking for personal information.
Lucian tensed up and shuffled backward, ready to run at a moment's notice.
“Who are you calling a bandit?!”
“Aaaah!”
The man's sudden shout startled Lucian, who instinctively turned and fled.
Watching Lucian disappear into the distance, the man blinked.
“What's with that kid? Here I was, the great me, trying to help him.”
Looks like he's heading deeper into the forest…
“Not my problem, I guess.”
The man immediately lost interest in Lucian and headed toward the mansion.
After about thirty minutes of walking, the mansion came into view.
“How many years has it been?”
Four years? Five? I've been so obsessed with cold regions lately, holed up in an ice cave, that I lost track of time.
If that jerk hadn't kicked me out, I might have stayed even longer.
“Still, it's good to be back at my nest.”
He imagined that if he said that aloud, the ghost would furiously scrawl on her slate that this was *her* house.
The man chuckled and walked lightly toward the mansion. He wondered what kind of welcome the ghost had in store for him.
***
[That brat Lucian! Is he really not coming back?!]
Ria fumed, sitting squarely in front of the main entrance, waiting for Lucian to return.
Two hours had passed since he ran off into the forest, but he still hadn't come back.
She thought he would eventually crawl back since it was almost dinner time, but then she worried he might be defiant, just like when he went to the basement.
[No! I can't give in. I've been too soft on him, and that's why he's throwing a tantrum again.]
She couldn't understand why Lucian was being so stubborn when he knew full well why he couldn't use a sword.
She'd forbidden him from touching the sword for fear he might get hurt, but he'd thrown a fit, wailing and lying on the floor as if his world had ended.
It was all the more shocking coming from a child who was usually so good and gentle.
[Just you wait until you get back. I'm going to give you a piece of my mind.]
*Creeak—*
Just then, the door opened. Ria unfolded her arms as if she'd been waiting and approached him.
[You! Do you have any idea what time it is? Are you sorry or not… Huh?]
“Ta-da! The great me has arrived!”
Ria, who had expected Lucian and started scolding him immediately, widened her eyes at the unexpected visitor.
[Kaizareu!]
“Haha! Happy to see me? I know, I know. I brought all sorts of things this time. Now, hurry up and give me a warm welcome.”
Kaizareu. He was someone who had been visiting ever since Ria had lived in the mansion for about fifty years. He would stop by every four or five years to tell her stories of the outside world.
As one might guess, he was not human.
[You lizard bastard! What are you doing here!]
He was a lizard… no, a Red Dragon. The very same dragons that had long since vanished from the world and were now believed to be extinct.
Kaizareu was lost in self-admiration, his red hair fluttering. Ria, after a moment of shock, picked up her nearby slate and began to write.
“Ooh! She's writing, she's writing.”
For the record, Kaizareu couldn't see Ria. But he knew she existed and communicated with her through the words she wrote on her slate.
-What brings you here?
“What do you mean, 'what brings me here'? I made this precious journey because I knew you'd be eagerly awaiting my arrival.”
[Precious, my ass.]
-You got kicked out of another lair after barging in again, didn't you?
Seeing the words on the slate, Kaizareu flinched. He broke into a nervous sweat and awkwardly averted his gaze.
“Ahem! Do you think I'm some snot-nosed hatchling? I'm all grown up now! In five years, I'll be an adult dragon!”
[What a load of crap.]
So full of himself for a mere 295-year-old.
“Is there a problem with me coming to my own home?”
[Your home? You want me to kick you out, crying your eyes out just like last time?!]
As Ria furiously scribbled the words, holding back her anger, Kaizareu chuckled.
Still, she was glad to see him after so long. Before Lucian, he was the only one she could communicate with.
Of course, since he couldn't see her, they were limited to communicating through the slate.
“I brought you some amazing gifts! Look at this!”
Kaizareu quickly sat on the sofa, opened a dimensional pocket, and poured out a variety of items.
There were bizarre artifacts, accessories, magical tools, and all sorts of books.
“Honestly. You have no idea how much trouble I went through to get here. Don't you think the fact that I didn't burn down the forest proves I'm becoming an adult dragon?”
-If you had burned down the forest, your mother would have locked you in her lair until you became an adult.
“Ugh, you know me too well.”
Kaizareu grumbled, wondering if it would kill her to give him a compliment.
“Oh, right. I saw some human kid on my way here.”
Ria, who had been listlessly rummaging through the gifts, froze at his words.
“Looked like he was lost. I tried to help him, but he just took off running.”
Ria's hands trembled. She wanted to scream but quickly grabbed the slate and scribbled furiously.
-What did the boy look like?
“What did he look like? I didn't get a good look, so I don't know.”
[Hey! Why didn't you look! You should have looked properly!]
“Ah, now that I think about it, he said he lived in a mansion near the forest. A two-story house with a black roof and mossy bricks… Huh? Could that be this mansion?”
[Lucian!]
Ria shot up from her seat. As she grew agitated, the nearby gifts all floated into the air. A startled Kaizareu curled the finger he had raised.
-You! Where did you see that boy? Is he still in the forest?
“…What's wrong with her?”
Kaizareu, clueless, could only stare blankly while Ria's insides burned with anxiety.
-Shut up and tell me now!
“So fierce… Well, I don't know where he is now. I told you, he ran away from me. He's probably bear food by now.”
*Crack!*
The nearby windowpanes cracked. Not only that, but the candles illuminating the room flickered, died down, and flared up again, casting an ominous glow throughout the house.
Sensing something was seriously wrong, Kaizareu's eyes darted around.
-Go get him. Now.
“Why? Do you know him?”
-Yes, I know him very well. So hurry up and bring him back.
“Hmph, no way. Why should I? It's a pain…”
*Clang!*
Kaizareu snapped his mouth shut as a knife whizzed past his cheek.
[Go now, while I'm still asking nicely.]
-Or I'll fold you in half.
Only after Ria snapped the slate in two did Kaizareu finally move.
He yelled that he wasn't going because he was scared, but his trembling legs told a different story.
Regardless, Ria's entire focus was on Lucian, out in the forest.
Before long, the sun set, and night fell.
All she could do was pray that Lucian would be safe until Kaizareu found him.
***
“Damn it, why am I taking orders from some ghost…”
Kaizareu grumbled to himself but entered the forest as Ria had commanded.
*Since it's come to this, maybe I should take my sweet time and get there really late?*
-Fine. So you want to die by my hand.
The words that would appear on the slate automatically came to mind, and he quickly shook his head.
Yeah, better not mess with her. Nothing good comes from provoking that ghost.
“How dare you bother the great me! A mere human!”
Mom was right. Nothing good ever comes from getting involved with humans.
Kaizareu ground his teeth, trying to recall Lucian's now-faint face.
A cry more chilling than any beast's echoed, and sparks flew from the corners of his mouth.
At the same time, his pupils turned slit-like again. The dark forest became as bright as day to his eyes.
Since he had to do it anyway, Kaizareu decided to get it over with quickly and scanned the entire forest.
Ria…!
“Found him.”
A child's voice came from the distance. Kaizareu immediately leaped from his spot.
*Thump!*
A small gust of wind blew as he instantly appeared beside Lucian.
As it happened, Lucian was in peril, surrounded by a pack of wolves.
If Kaizareu had been even a minute later, the boy would have been wolf food.
At Kaizareu's appearance, Lucian managed to lift his swollen eyelids, heavy with tears, while the wolves tucked their tails and trembled in fear.
“How dare mere beasts look up at me.”
Kaizareu's Dragon Tongue pierced their minds. Half the wolves foamed at the mouth, and the other half scattered in terror, letting out ear-splitting shrieks.
Only after the beasts had completely retreated did Kaizareu retract his killing intent.
When he turned around, he saw Lucian, who looked even worse than he had an hour ago.
“Hey, kid.”
“…Ria?”
“Who's Ria? If you're talking about me, I am the noble Red Dragon, Lord Kaizareu— H-hey! Hey!”
He was about to tell the boy to bow his head and worship him, but Lucian suddenly collapsed forward. Flustered, Kaizareu caught him just before he hit the ground.
“What the— his whole body is burning up.”
This is more serious than I thought. Dehydration, bruises and scrapes all over, and a fever.
“…The ghost is going to flip out when she sees this.”
He had a bad feeling about this. Kaizareu considered just lying that the kid had died, but then thought, *'Ah, whatever,'* and lifted him into his arms.
“Seriously! Who makes a dragon run errands!”
Kaizareu shouted so loudly the forest echoed, then spread the miniature wings he still had in his polymorphed state.
With a single flap of his wings, he shot out of the forest.
The forest, now empty of the dragon, slowly returned to peace.
