Chapter 27 : The Lawsuit (2)

Flap! Flap, flap—!

A massive black dragon ripped through the clear blue sky with savage speed.

“[F*CK…! F*CKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!]”

Despite having Dante on her back, Olivia had completely lost it. She flew recklessly, unbothered by safety, and screamed in rage.

The fury radiating from her could shake the heavens.

“[Those motherf*cking (extremely obscene dragon curse) fish bastards!!!!!! You think you can slap a lawsuit on me—ME, OLIVIA—after everything!? You should be groveling in the abyss for what you did!!!]”

Meanwhile, trying to survive her wrathful aerial rampage, Dante clung to Olivia’s horns like they were his lifeline. He screamed madly, though his voice was completely drowned out by hers.

She ground her teeth furiously.

“[Fine. That’s how it is? This trial— I will WIN it…! No matter what it takes, I WILL WIN THIS THING…!!! GRAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!]”

“(Dante’s high-pitched shriek)”

Dear God—blood was trickling from Dante’s ears.

In the year 1409 of the Leprechaun Empire, and 467 of the Dragon Calendar…

The wrongfully(?) accused black dragon Olivia, and her innocent(?) companion Dante, were now—

───on their way to the lair of the Ancient Dragon where their trial would be held.

***

The Ancient Dragons.

Simply put, the Elder Dragons.

Beings who had lived for over five thousand years, with their hearts etched with the deep bones of history. They were called Ancient Dragons, and they held power equal to—or surpassing—that of any clan’s lord.

Respected across all dragonkin regardless of lineage, they embodied the very weight of time itself.

And the one who led these Ancient Dragons—their ruler—was known as the Ancient Dragon Lord.

In fact, the Ancient Dragon Lord not only governed the Elder Dragons but also oversaw all clan leaders, meaning that in essence, the Ancient Dragon Lord was also the supreme Dragon Lord.

To outline the hierarchy:

[Ancient Dragon Lord]
↓
[Ancient Dragon] = [Clan Lord Dragons]
↓
[All Other Dragonkin]

And here, inside the lair of the Ancient Dragon Lord—an expansive space kept at the perfect temperature and gently lit by glowing magical orbs—a young man with pitch-black hair paced nervously, his face twisted in anxiety.

“Oh, Viya… Please, forgive your poor old dad… I had no choice this time…”

Not even an Elder Dragon can stand against a mob! Numbers always win! The whole clan went after me—how was I supposed to stop that?! Our daughter’s just… abnormal, okay!?

Muttering to himself, the man wore a sorrowful expression.

This was Aquila.

The ruler of all dragonkin, the Ancient Dragon Lord himself. And also—

“Sigh… It’s been peaceful for a while, and now this out of nowhere, Viya? What did you do this time… Who did you dunk into the dirt again…?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

***

Elros Mountain Range.

A vast mountain range divided into zones where most dragon clans reside, each adapting the environment to suit their elemental nature. (For example, Red Dragons reside in volcanic regions due to their affinity with fire.)

Among the public, it’s simply known as the “Habitat of Dragons,” and is considered the number one restricted zone—infamous, deadly, and absolutely off-limits.

“──And here I am, a mere demon, stepping into the notorious restricted zone. F*cking great.”

“? Who are you talking to?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just talking to myself.”

Step, step.

Having descended into one of the flatter forested regions of the mountains, Olivia—now in her polymorphed form—was making her way towards the Ancient Dragon Lord’s lair, with Dante accompanying her.

Well, technically, only Olivia was walking.

Despite the relatively gentle terrain, the abundance of towering trees, thick brush, and tangled undergrowth—products of a land shaped by dragons—made it nearly impossible for someone of Dante’s small stature to navigate without constantly getting whacked in the face. In the end, Olivia had no choice but to carry him piggyback.

Sure, it was a blow to his pride. But it was better than having his face shredded by leaves.

Clutching tightly onto her horns to avoid falling backward, Dante couldn’t help but be quietly impressed.

‘So this is what having handles is like, huh…? Gotta admit, these things are pretty damn useful.’

Completely unaware of the mental monologue taking place on her back—one that would’ve triggered her full-on wrath—Olivia continued forward, while Dante rested his chin on her head and closed his eyes.

…Yeah, this is comfy. I hate to say it, but damn—it’s really comfy. F*ck, this is why height matters.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Dante finally gave in and asked in a resigned tone:

“Olivia.”

“What?”

“We’re heading to the lair of that… what was it again, the Ancient Dragon Lord, right?”

“That’s right.”

“From what I’ve heard, he’s the top dog—the one who rules over all the dragon clans. So, uh… what’s your relationship with him?”

No matter how high-ranking she was as the Black Dragon Lord, the Ancient Dragon Lord was the ruler of all dragons. Surely even Olivia had to bow her head to someone like that…

But her answer was enough to shatter Dante’s sense of reality.

“He’s my dad.”

“…………..What?”

“My dad. That guy.”

…Excuse me, what the f*ck?

Dante’s jaw dropped.

In his mind, the entire concept of her trial was instantly recontextualized:

Trial Location: The Ancient Dragon Lord’s Lair (i.e., the defendant’s father’s house)
Presiding Judge: The Ancient Dragon Lord (i.e., the defendant’s father)
Executor of Sentencing: The Ancient Dragon Lord (i.e., the defendant’s father)

And the one who approved the mass lawsuit from the Blue Dragons and sent out the official documents?

Also the Ancient Dragon Lord—her father.

“────”

Dante decided to stop thinking.

“…Heh… Hahaha! F*ck it, I don’t even care anymore.”

“…Did you eat something weird today?”

Whatever. Let fate decide.

Just how bad could a father-daughter argument between dragons get, anyway?

…I mean, come on~

No matter how nuts Olivia is, she’s not gonna beat the sh*t out of her own dad, right? Right? I mean, it’s her father, for f*ck’s sake!

…She wouldn’t… right?

…She better not.

“Heehee, hehehehehehe!”

“You’ve officially lost your damn mind.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes as she glanced back at Dante giggling like a lunatic on her back.

Meanwhile, much like Dante, Olivia was busy letting her imagination run wild.

After all, she was bringing the person she liked to meet her parents—wasn’t this kind of like an unofficial meet-the-parents date?! How much more romantic could things get?

Yes, this was the perfect opportunity. She’d introduce him properly and make things official once and for all!

‘If I win this trial… will you marry me?’

Hmm… no, that might be a bit much. Maybe something softer…

‘Let’s make it back together with a not guilty verdict… to our home.’

How’s that? Romantic, right?

Completely unaware, Dante was moments away from vomiting blood and passing out from the sheer force of her delusions.