Everyone has something they want to hide.
The fact that Ian, suspicious of my actions, quietly snuck out of the house and followed me here, and that the maid girl, excited about stopping by a dessert shop on the way to drop Ian off at home, were all things I wanted to keep under wraps.
Seeing the little one from the laboratory, who had called me a ghost, in such a grown-up form was quite nostalgic.
Anyway,
“………”
Ian looked up at me with a sullen face.
Maybe he took after his mom; he had a habit of communicating his complaints through his expression rather than words.
The maid girl tightly held Ian’s hand and brightly said, “Then I’ll take you home!”
Though Ian looked very displeased, the girl led him without a care in the world.
Even if the security in the Business Zone was better than in the Lower-Class Area, I couldn’t send Ian off alone considering the high crime rate in Neon City.
It should have been my responsibility to take him home, but the dragon’s approval came faster than my words.
“Then I’ll ask for your help.”
Thus, the figures of Ian and the girl gradually disappeared beyond the mansion’s main gate. Maybe he had given up, as Ian let out a sigh while watching the girl hug him like a plush toy.
The dragon, watching the scene, placed a hand on my shoulder and leisurely whispered, “Let’s go as well.”
“…Yup.”
I replied, gathering my resolve internally.
Today, I planned to put an end to this relationship.
—
Side EP. Hidden Secrets (2)
A long time ago, deep within the dark earth, the ‘Dragon’ awoke from a long slumber.
Simultaneously, a puzzled look crossed its face.
‘…What the heck is going on right now?’
All the rocks and stones that had been around it before falling asleep were gone, and a metallic restraint was confining the dragon’s whole body.
The dragon, who had been secretly absorbing the heat from the Waste Heat Power Plant and enjoying its nap, was unusually flustered.
As it slowly moved its limbs, clink clink—the sound of chains spilling out echoed.
The dragon’s eyelids slowly cracked open. It was clear they were designed to hold it captive.
In that moment, a substance—psychoactive drug—was injected through a device strapped around the dragon’s neck. Its mind grew hazy, and an unbearable drowsiness swept over it.
The dragon let out a light snicker.
‘To think they’d try to catch a dragon with something so trivial, how ridiculous…’
Though mana continued to seep out somewhere, it wasn’t a major issue.
The dragon knew well that it could simply rise and fly away, escaping from the underground.
However, the dragon couldn’t act on that plan.
It wasn’t because its body was weak, because the chains bound its limbs, or due to the hundreds of doses of drugs injected.
It was the whispers of ‘spirits’ that served as its eyes and ears that reached it.
They said there were children right above, and those children were definitely imprisoned just like the dragon.
If the dragon were to rise and escape, the ground’s collapse would be inevitable. It was obvious what would happen to the captured children.
In the end, realizing that fact, the dragon willingly endured the rain of drugs.
‘…I have plenty of time anyway.’
It might as well think of it as just taking another nap; the dragon yawned and slowly closed its eyes.
And after quite some time, it encountered a ‘wizard.’
This wizard safely extracted the children that the dragon had worried about and took care of the employees within the laboratory.
In fact, the dragon found it interesting that the wizard even learned ‘Dragon’s Magic’ from a video the dragon had made for fun.
Originally, the dragon had planned to approach leisurely over a long time, but perhaps due to being tied up underground for so long, it began to feel the limits of its patience.
‘…Should I just eat them now?’
—
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
I stopped in my tracks and looked around to see where this coldness was coming from.
I couldn’t quite say why, but something felt ominous.
As I paused, the dragon walking ahead tilted its head and looked at me.
“Is there a problem?”
“Ah, no… It’s nothing.”
Just got a chill, you know.
The dragon watched me calmly, then chuckled and continued moving forward.
My instincts, honed since my mercenary days, were ringing ominous bells.
However, I knew that to catch a tiger, one had to enter the tiger’s den; if I wanted to fight a dragon, I had to go to the dragon’s nest.
When we arrived at the reception room (the dragon’s nest), there was a steaming ‘cola’ placed on a low table.
Honestly, after living in the city, I thought I would quickly get used to these strange tastes…
Still, I couldn’t refuse the gesture, so I casually took a sip and set the glass down.
“So what brings you here today?”
“…You called me, Master.”
“Ha ha ha…”
The master looked at me with a mischievous smile at my absurd reply.
Yeah.
Those eyes were the problem.
When I return home, my seven wives look at me with that same gaze; there’s no way I wouldn’t recognize it.
Because of that, I could not firmly refuse the master’s invitation and found myself gradually drawn to her.
I let out a quiet sigh and faced the master.
She was sitting on the opposite couch, having removed the robe she had draped over her shoulders and hung it on the back of the couch.
I felt incredibly relieved that Ian hadn’t seen what the master was wearing underneath.
The master wore short dolphin shorts and a relatively large boxy tee. Given her chest size, it was probably the only choice she had.
Wearing comfortable casual clothes is fine since it’s her home, but as a guest, I had nowhere else to look.
The master casually stretched her legs forward. With her large tail resting on her hip, it was an inevitable pose.
However, this was a bit hard to comprehend.
“Huh…, it’s a bit hot today.”
The cooling system was actively running, and she was a dragon who had spent time near a Waste Heat Power Plant.
The master leisurely fanned herself and playfully tugged on her t-shirt.
Was she really sweating that much, or was her milky complexion just that visible through the thin fabric?
“Um, Master.”
“Mm?”
“Even though I’m your disciple…”
I couldn’t quite finish my sentence.
It was hard to say her outfit was too bold. Whether it was true or not.
Perhaps finding my reaction amusing, the master giggled and placed her bare feet on the table.
It might be considered rude by others, but her tail and horns made it look wild instead.
…Wait a minute.
It seemed like she wasn’t wearing anything under those dolphin shorts.
Oh, my gods.
I mentally recited the national anthem.
The visuals were too stimulating. If I kept looking, I felt like I’d be swept away in the usual atmosphere.
I closed my eyes and bit my teeth.
This couldn’t go on until today.
Ian had just come by; I couldn’t keep being teased by the master’s jokes. And it was hard to pretend I didn’t feel that way.
“Master.”
“Mm.”
Noticing a shift in my mood, the master’s tone of languor lowered slightly.
I steeled my will.
“…I don’t think I can visit often from now on.”
“Why?”
Um…
Why indeed.
It definitely didn’t refer to Neon Japan across the Pacific.
In fact, there were many reasons.
I had just been ignoring the fact until now.
“If someone like me, a married man, often visited the mansion where you, Master, are—people would notice—.”
“I don’t think they do.”
“…But, conversely, I would—”
“I don’t think you do.”
“…As you know, I have seven wives—”
“The laws set by humans mean nothing to dragons.”
“…….”
“Mm, are you done already?”
It was clear she was well aware of my intentions, but the master acted as if she didn’t grasp it at all.
In the end, I confessed my true feelings.
“…Honestly, I do feel drawn to you, Master. Besides your beautiful appearance, there are many aspects that attract me to you as a person.”
It was that intense charisma that had drawn me in all this time.
Just like a moth drawn to a flame.
However,
“As I said before, I have seven wives. And I love them all sincerely.”
I couldn’t maintain this lukewarm relationship any longer.
It would be a great disrespect to both my wives and the master.
…Honestly, thinking back, I had dragged this on for nearly ten years, and my indecisive nature had definitely complicated things unnecessarily.
And even though I had been told dragons take their time with such things, I never expected she’d keep those feelings this long.
I deeply bowed my head to her.
“…I’m sorry. I wish it were a misunderstanding, but I can’t accept your feelings, Master.”
Then a long silence followed.
“…I see.”
The master didn’t show anger or immense sadness.
She simply had a calm expression, as if she had made some kind of resolution.
With a light flick of her finger, a bottle hidden somewhere flew to her. It looked expensive, the label exuding luxury.
She poured amber whiskey into a fancy glass and offered it to me.
“Still, wouldn’t you share a drink?”
“…Of course, that’s only natural.”
Though my heart ached like I’d bitten into bile, there was no choice.
…This should all be fine then.
I forced a smile as I took the glass offered by the dragon.
—
…….
…….
…..
Ugh, my head is about to split open.
…What did I do yesterday? My head hurts like hell. I’m not sure. Nothing seems to come to mind, and all I wanted was to lay back down and sleep.
I grabbed my pounding head and sat up. Was there any water around? I groped around, trying to straighten myself up.
Slurp.
I could almost hear a sound representing such lousiness.
I cautiously opened my eyes to check what I was holding in my hand.
“……”
My mind snapped back into focus.
At the same time, I regained the memories I had lost.
All the events of last night rapidly played back in my mind like a panorama.
I gazed down at the ‘nude’ dragon lying in bed beside me. I wanted to deny the reality, but the irretrievable past had no alternative.
As if feeling my touch, the dragon woke up. Her slit pupils were fixated on me.
“……”
“……”
My whole body was drenched in cold sweat in an instant.
The master inspected our bodies in turns before breaking into an alluring smile.
“Will you come by for the ring later?”
Um.
I gently closed my eyes.
I desperately wished it were a dream, but the sensation transmitted from my fingertips felt far too vivid.
That’s right.
…I was trash.
