Chapter 7

EP.7

Living a long life is immensely tedious.

Even if one possesses the mind of an immortal, it won’t change a thing. It’s been thousands of years. When I lived a mere twenty years of human life, it felt quite lengthy; how would it feel to surpass several millennia?

Moreover, there is nothing enjoyable here.

Even if there were, it would be impossible in this form.

There’s no way a gigantic serpent could maintain amicable interactions with humans.

I was dreadfully bored.

I once lost my mind and tried to capture an animal to converse with, but it only trembled in fear.

Later, I managed to communicate a bit, but soon enough, I came to my senses and gave up.

After that, I wandered around what is called the Otherworldly Realm, but that too lasted only a few years.

I knew every nook and cranny of the Otherworldly Realm to the extent that calling it a pastime was laughable.

Around that time, I chose to sleep.

I thought sleep would be the best way to swiftly pass through this boring time.

And that was correct.

Time that felt slow in spite of my efforts flew by in millennia whenever I slept.

What tormented me the most during that time was the memories of my past life.

The life I lived as a human, exchanging words and experiences with others.

Although those memories were dust compared to the current time, I still believed that my essence was formed from humanity, and interactions with others felt like a distant dream.

So when they brought livestock to me, I accepted it with joy.

Looking back now, it feels somewhat embarrassing, but I thought it was a kind of offering for worship.

After all, it wasn’t uncommon for humans to worship beings they couldn’t comprehend.

I was rather large and appeared mystical, so it was understandable for humans to worship me.

‘But that turned out to be wrong.’

It wasn’t mere worship.

It was something more desperate.

A kind of bribe to a twisted god hoping for one’s own safety.

Moreover, I was mistakenly thought to be a dragon.

Those fools, brutal and incapable of living up to their name. If that were the case, it would connect the puzzle as to why they offered sacrifices. Dragons are indeed greedy and selfish beings.

There are countless instances of them threatening humans and demanding tributes.

So perhaps that was why they offered the sacrifice to me.

“Please do not harm our kingdom,” they were essentially saying.

If it wasn’t worship but rather sacrifices meant solely for safety…

I had no intention of accepting such offerings.

Of course, the livestock was delicious, but that didn’t mean I wanted to owe anything to humans.

Debts always leave a feeling of burden within the heart.

It was better to not seek help at all.

I wasn’t in such dire straits that I needed assistance.

Thus, I acted coldly to send the woman back.

In fact, it was chilling to think that a human was being sent as a sacrifice. I never thought I would actually witness the ritual of offering a human.

Moreover, judging by the reactions of those sending her off, it was clear she had been raised with much care.

That was why I tried to send her back.

But…

“……”

What could this mean?

The fact that the woman I intended to send back entered deeper into the cave again.

As I silently observed her, she, who had been trembling earlier, mustered her courage and said.

“I-I’ll just sleep here for one night. It’s too dark outside.”
Ah.

Now that I think about it, it was night. My sight was so clear that I couldn’t even perceive it.

Of course, for women, nights like this are dangerous. Especially in a forest teeming with demon beasts.

I nodded in agreement.

Coiling around, pretending not to care, I closed my eyes. She glanced at me briefly before shuffling toward the lakeshore.

I could hear the sound of water.

After a quick wash, she looked around for a suitable spot to sleep, but in this barren cave, there wasn’t anywhere for a human to lay down.

Her head drooped like a meerkat patrolling the area.

Eventually, it seemed she decided to compromise.

Letting out a small sigh, she tore a large leaf from a nearby tree by the lakeshore, spread several of them on the ground, and plopped down.

It would still be hard, but she seemed somewhat satisfied.

She busily braided some grass into a thick pillow and began to sleep under a large leaf that was bigger than her own body.

Even while closing my eyes, I quietly observed that comical scene through my senses.

Soon, I chuckled and coiled beside her.

The cave near the lakeshore would be quite chilly.

At the very least, I could serve as a windbreak.

[She seemed to have been raised quite nobly….]

To think she could sleep so soundly in this strange cave.

I had to admit, her adaptability was impressive.

[Hmm…]

Within the always cold cave, small breaths echoed in various tones.

Though those breaths were indeed very faint, they somehow carried a warm essence, lulling me into a content sleep after a long time.

—

“Hmm?”

Eliserde stirred, slowly opening her eyes to the sensation of leaves brushing against her feet.

Her makeshift sleeping bag near the lakeshore, hastily made from large leaves, felt surprisingly cozy despite its trashy appearance compared to her usual bed.

It was ridiculously shabby compared to where she usually slept, but perhaps one could say it wasn’t bad at all.

Memories of making beds from grass in the garden and sneaking away to sleep without the nanny watching flashed in her mind, prompting a small chuckle.

She brushed her hand against the glistening black wall beside her to help her rise, stretching refreshingly.

[Are you awake?]

“Yikes?!”

Startled by the sudden deep voice, she screamed and hurriedly lifted her head.

What came into her view was the massive form of a dragon.

With jet-black scales and blue eyes.

Eliserde immediately realized that the wall around her was actually the dragon’s body.

But… why was it curled around her?

Could it be that it intended to eat me?!

[Rest easy; that’s not my intention.]

“Ahem…”

[By the way, what do you plan to do?]

“What?”

[I asked how you planned to return to your kingdom.]

“Ah…”

As those thoughts crossed her mind, Eliserde let out a sigh.

Indeed.

This was a forest where demon beasts roamed freely.

Even in daylight, it was no ordinary forest for a single woman to traverse easily.

Furthermore, the distance to the kingdom was quite substantial.

At the very least, it would take three days and nights of non-stop walking.
And the implications of that statement were clear.

She was trapped.

And in the company of an intimidating dragon.

Although, it didn’t actually seem that frightening.

Eliserde thought this as she looked up at the dragon.

Those blue eyes.

Gazing quietly at her with a mysterious beauty that seemed likely to draw her in the longer she looked.

Despite its overwhelming size compared to her, a being strong enough to swallow her whole, she didn’t feel the slightest hint of fear.

Could it be because she sensed that the dragon wouldn’t harm her?

Or was it really a dragon after all?

Mythological dragons were often depicted with very unpleasant temperaments. They would destroy villages simply because they felt like it, obsess over shiny things, and were incredibly greedy, always wanting to feast on whatever they could get their hands on.

“But….”

Compared to such myths, he was very mild-mannered.

Though only a day had passed since their encounter, he didn’t seem particularly greedy.

“There’s also a subtle consideration.”

Eliserde quickly realized that the reason he coiled around her was to block the cold wind coming from outside the cave.

As soon as he moved away from her, a chilly breeze swept into the cave.

Honestly, he was quite intimidating at first.

But now, that feeling had faded.

“Um, are you a dragon?”

So she asked.

[No, I am Jörmungandr.]

“Jörmungandr?”

[Hmm… how should I explain? I’m a kind of large serpent.]

A large serpent causes natural disasters depending on its mood? Furthermore, you made Uncle Hans the hero frightened like a scared dog?

Something felt off, but Eliserde quickly accepted it.

After all, there are hellhounds like Cerberus that came from hell, and there are also fallen evil dragons. Why wouldn’t there be a gigantic, incredibly strong serpent?

She nodded.

In any case, it meant he wasn’t a dragon, right?

Now that she thought about it, he did seem a bit different from those ferocious dragons.

The mystery was solved.

So, this meant the kingdom was no longer threatened by a dragon!

What remained—

———gurgle.

“Ah.”

A resounding noise echoed in the cave.

Eliserde’s pale face instantly flushed with embarrassment.

[Cough.]

Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten anything all day….