Chapter 2 : Confession (2)

It’s dangerous. After this kind of development, there was always a bad ending.

In the game, I could easily avoid this situation. I could just go back to the save point and choose a different line.

But reality is different. There’s only one chance. Moreover, in front of me is the thousand-year-old dragon, Aris.

“So, what I mean is…”

“Why are you so nervous? That’s strange. You’re not like yourself at all.”

“Right now… the Demon King…”

“The Demon King? Won’t that be over by tomorrow? I’m talking about what comes after.”

“No, I mean…”

“I’m simply suggesting we make an eternal promise. It’s not that complicated, is it?”

Aris’s smile deepened. The moonlight made her expression even more chilling.

I have to get out of this situation… how do I refuse?

This is bad. I need to change the subject.

Refusing is scary, but accepting is even worse… okay, let’s try to turn it into a joke.

“Well… what I mean is, if we get married later and have kids…”

“Mm?”

The choice of words was effective. The mention of ‘marriage’ immediately brightened Aris’s expression.

“Well… what if the kid hatches from an egg?”

“…?”

For a moment, Aris stopped moving. Her expression contorted slightly.

“An egg… you say…?”

“Well, and what if our child is a dragon, but the father is human? Won’t they be ostracized?”

Aris’s expression became even more complicated. Her golden eyes swayed back and forth.

“What if other dragons tease them, saying ‘Your dad’s human’? What if our child gets hurt?”

“Already worrying about the child we haven’t even had? You must have been seriously thinking about our relationship. I’m so happy.”

With a dangerous smile, she drew closer. Cold sweat ran down my back.

Is this a failure?

I need to get away for now. I have to return to the village. To face a dragon, at least the saintess needs to be by my side.

As I subtly tried to step back, Aris grabbed my arm.

“Where are you going? You are my most precious treasure. A dragon’s treasure should be… by the dragon’s side, shouldn’t it?”

I tried to break free from her grip, but even in her human form, I could feel the dragon’s monstrous strength.

When I flinched in pain, Aris released my arm. But her gaze was still sharp.

“So, what I mean is! There’s an important battle tomorrow!”

I hurriedly spoke, trying to seem calm, but my voice was trembling.

“The Demon King! The worst enemy threatening the world! Tomorrow, we must defeat him…”

“Hehe… How cute.”

Her laugh echoed softly under the moonlight. But hidden within it was a dangerous energy that sent a chill down my spine.

Aris cut me off and stepped even closer. Her smile deepened under the moonlight.

“Conditioning is important too! If we go into battle tired, who knows what mistakes might happen…”

“Don’t worry. You know better than anyone how strong our party is, don’t you?”

“No, no! That’s not it…”

It was the truth. With our party’s strength, the Demon King was no problem. Both based on game knowledge and five years of real-world experience.

“Anyway, the unity of our party is important too! Everyone’s probably waiting…”

“Everyone else is busy with their own preparations. There’s no interference.”

Of course, this was all calculated. The meticulousness of a dragon sage. She must have even planned the others’ movements and chosen this exact time.

“Still… still! I want to rest! Huh? I’m so tired.”

I said it with a plea, but it felt too natural to be acting. I was genuinely scared.

“…Tired? From being with me?”

“Yes. I’m so tired that I can’t even have a proper conversation.”

I said it with a hint of sarcasm. For a moment, Aris’s gaze grew even sharper.

“Hmm…? Are you testing me now?”

It was dangerous. But this was the opportunity. A chance to shake her sharpened mind once again.

“No, it’s not that. I just don’t want to brush off your confession. We should talk about important things when we’re clear-headed. This is a precious moment for us.”

For a moment, Aris’s eyes changed. When I said ‘precious moment,’ her sharp pupils softened into human-like round ones.

“Let’s not rush. How about we defeat the Demon King first and talk afterward?”

“You really think about me like that…”

A smile spread across Aris’s face. But this time, it was a genuinely happy smile, different from the dangerous one earlier.

“Alright. No need to hurry. We’ll stop here for today.”

Phew, finally.

“But.”

Just as I tried to escape, she grabbed my shoulder again.

Her smile deepened under the moonlight. Dangerous glints danced in her golden eyes.

“After we defeat the Demon King, I won’t listen to any more excuses. We will have plenty of time. Then, I’ll solve each of your worries, one by one, with the wisdom of the dragon kin.”

“Ah, then I really must go!”

“Rest well.”

I hurriedly left that place. Behind me, I could hear Aris’s sweet laughter.

At this rate… not only would I not make it back to the present, but I might end up trapped in the dragon’s nest.

Escaping from Aris, I was on my way down the hill.

A shadow stood under the moonlight. Emerald-colored hair, flowing down to her waist, fluttered in the night breeze. She was Sylvia, the gardener of the World Tree and the Elf Queen.

“…What are you doing here?”

Her voice was cold, different from her usual cool tone. Her long elven ears trembled faintly.

To escape from the dragon and immediately encounter an elf—today’s just not my lucky day.

“How about you, Your Majesty? What are you doing here…”

“I asked first.”

Her sharp tone made me flinch. The way her cold green eyes glared at me was like an ice sculpture—beautiful and dangerous.

The leaves around us rustled. It was an odd movement for a night breeze.

“The forest told me.”

The rustling leaves seemed to shake with a whisper, like the murmurs of spirits.

“You were with Aris just a moment ago, weren’t you?”

“Ah, well…”

“I saw everything.”

Sylvia’s cold voice sliced through the night air. A faint green light swirled around her, as if the spirits’ powers were reacting to her emotions.

“I saw you climb onto the dragon’s back. I saw you talking under the moonlight.”

Her green eyes became moist, but she quickly turned her head to hide her emotions.

“Wait. Does this mean you were watching me?”

“No. I don’t do stalking or anything like that.”

Her excuse felt strangely suspicious.

She said it firmly, but the tips of her ears were flushed bright red.

“The spirits just relay your movements to me…”

No, that’s still watching me. And her ears are getting even redder.

“The spirits like you.”

Suddenly, Sylvia spoke up. There was tension in her voice.

“That must mean you have a pure soul.”

How should I even respond to this…

A sigh escaped me. I had just gotten away from Aris, and now Sylvia’s here.

“Do the spirits always watch my actions?”

I asked cautiously. This was something I really needed to know.

Sylvia fell silent. Her green eyes sparkled in the moonlight.

“If it weren’t for you… they never would’ve done this. I can’t help it. The forest spirits want to protect you, even without my command.”

Her voice trembled. The leaves around us rustled again. It was a lie.

“Well… Shall we take a walk for a bit?”

Sylvia’s voice had changed. It was different from her usual cool tone, now soft and shy. This wasn’t the kind of development I wanted to think about.

“…Alright.”

I felt that refusing would only make things more awkward. We walked together along the moonlit path. Sylvia’s steps were slower than usual.

“I still remember the day we first met.”

Sylvia’s voice was soft, like the moonlight.

“It was like a sudden breeze in a boring, isolated forest. You demanded that the Elf Queen be brought to you…”

There was laughter in her voice. Back then, I had come to the Elf’s forest to recruit Aris and Seraphine, aiming for the best party combination.

“I was really surprised. A dragon and a saint together… and under the command of a human hero.”

A small smile lingered on Sylvia’s lips. Warmth seeped through her cold tone.

“Back then, I was just a young queen. My throne was in danger due to the elders’ rebellion…”

A young queen. She must have been over a hundred years old by then. The elven sense of time is really something else.

“But you changed everything.”

When I first set foot in the Elf’s forest, the atmosphere was filled with boredom and isolation.

“You helped suppress the rebellion of the elders, sticking to tradition… If it weren’t for the hero party, I wouldn’t be who I am now.”

The leaves rustled in response to her words.

“And even in the negotiations with the Empire…”

Sylvia’s voice trembled.

“You, a hero under the Empire’s protection, fought for the elves. That was truly a great risk you took.”

In reality, I didn’t need the Empire’s protection at that time. The unity and strength of the hero party were more important.

“The abolition of slavery, the guarantee of elves’ rights… thanks to you, we elves gained our freedom.”

Sylvia’s eyes seemed to shimmer with moisture under the moonlight.

“That’s when I knew. You… you are a true hero.”