Chapter 30 : We decided not to call this a meeting (2)

After an unexpected and somewhat peculiar trial, the Blue Dragon Clan sincerely apologized to Dante and Olivia. They bowed deeply in gratitude for their mercy, thankful that their lives had been spared. Once the formalities were over, they left, presumably on their way to face their parents and have some rather intense conversations.

Particularly, Bacalion was likely red-faced and fuming all the way up to the skies. It was almost a guarantee that he’d get into a massive argument with his parents as soon as he got home. The level of family dysfunction was impressive.

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the trial, I found myself unexpectedly engaged in an “introduction,” as part of some ridiculous arrangement dubbed “a formal meeting” with the Ancient Dragon Lord—Aquila.

I couldn’t believe it.

“Ah… So, my name is Dante. As you can see, I’m a demon from the Leprechaun Empire. Currently, I’m working under Olivia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“[Ah… I-I’m Aquila. I’m a Black Dragon and the current Ancient Dragon Lord. I’m also… the father of Via… Yes, that’s me.]”

As Dante naturally extended his hand for a handshake, Aquila flinched and hesitated, his trembling fingers barely grazing Dante’s.

Dante, seeing the awkwardness, gave him a sympathetic smile as he gripped the tips of Aquila’s fingers.

Really, how did it come to this? This Black Dragon… He’s been nervously glancing at Olivia for the whole time! It’s almost pitiful. And on top of that, he’s using honorifics for me? Seriously? This is weird… But then again, when would a Dragon Lord ever talk to someone like me, a lowly demon, without some serious formality?

This was like watching two colleagues from a strange office meeting each other for the first time, hesitantly shaking hands.

Aquila—Ancient Dragon Lord, the symbol of all dragons—should be far too proud to treat me like this. He should at least have some self-respect!

‘Is this what your reverence for dragons really looks like, huh?’

What is this? Give me my admiration for dragons back.

Sending Aquila a pitiful glance, Dante sighed inwardly.

“So, should I just call you Lord Aquila?”

“[N-No, no! Just Aquila is fine!]”

“Aren’t you a Dragon Lord? Surely I should—”

“[Please, just call me Aquila. Really, I’m begging you.]”

Aquila clasped his hands together in desperation, his voice filled with an urgent plea.

What on earth did Olivia say to him beforehand…?

“…Alright.”

The sheer desperation in Aquila’s expression made Dante relent and nod.

“Then, please don’t hesitate to use casual speech with me as well. No need for honorifics. Just call me Dante.”

“[Ah… but—]”

“Don’t worry, Aquila.”

Dante gave him a reassuring smile and lightly patted his chest.

“I’ll protect you from Olivia.”

“[….!]”

Aquila’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly taken aback by Dante’s words.

Despite the unspoken message, the meaning was clear and felt deeply personal.

“[…Thank you, Dante.]”

With a deeply moved expression, Aquila nodded slowly.

Who would have thought that the mighty Dragon Lord, the pinnacle of all dragons, would find such deep reassurance in a mere demon boy?

As the two of them exchanged glances, it was as though they silently acknowledged the struggles and pain each had endured. Their understanding transcended words.

‘The ultimate creator of the strongest living weapon… Truly, a master alchemist of this age.’

‘What kind of terrible sin did I commit in my past life to end up as her father?’

How long had passed, neither of them keeping track, but eventually, both arrived at one, undeniable conclusion.

‘How has this idiot managed to survive until now…?!’

***

“Hey.”

A familiar, husky voice shattered the quiet atmosphere.

Someone was walking toward them with heavy steps.

“By now, I think it’s about time for introductions, and maybe even a simple self-introduction, don’t you think?”

Both Aquila and Dante turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice.

A woman with long black hair and crimson eyes.

It was Olivia.

Though she had temporarily stepped away at Dante’s request, she returned promptly as the agreed time arrived.

Seeing her, Dante moved closer to Aquila, then whispered in a quiet voice.

“…Aquila, Olivia is really your biological daughter, right? She’s not some random child you found, is she?”

“[I hear that often… Sigh…]”

Aquila rubbed his temples in exasperation.

How could such a calm, wise, and dignified dragon of a father have such a daughter? What went wrong?

“[I can’t say it was never like this… but back in the day, she was far more well-behaved. I don’t know what happened, though… How did she turn into such a… person, or rather, a dragon?]”

“I haven’t seen it myself, but from what I hear, she hasn’t changed all that much, from back then to now,” Dante replied with a casual shrug, recalling some of Olivia’s more memorable remarks.

“[…Well, that’s not entirely inaccurate.]” Aquila sighed, looking defeated.

Meanwhile, Olivia, not pleased with seeing the two of them so close and chatting away, scowled and grabbed Dante by the back of his neck, pulling him toward her.

“!? Cough!”

“That’s enough. Looks like you two are on pretty good terms now.”

With a low growl, Olivia made a sound that made Aquila flinch, shrinking back slightly.

It was a clear warning.

‘There’s no need for a better relationship between a father-in-law and son-in-law than a married couple, right?’

──the unmistakable meaning behind her gesture.

Aquila quickly nodded up and down in agreement.

Only then did Olivia’s face soften in satisfaction. She pointed toward the entrance of the lair behind her with a thumb.

“By the way, we’ve got guests outside.”

“[Guests?]”

“Yeah. Some old-timers, and a few others, including a hatchling. They probably came for the naming ceremony.”

“[Oh, has it already been that time? Thanks for letting me know, Via.]”

Aquila scratched his cheek awkwardly as he stood up.

Dante, still struggling to keep up, blinked in confusion.

“A naming ceremony? What’s that, Olivia?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s a ceremony where names are given. Humans usually get their names from their parents, right? But dragons do it a bit differently.”

Olivia spoke while gently caressing Dante’s cheek.

“Once a hatchling reaches a certain age, the Ancient Dragon Lords and other high-ranking dragons gather to decide the name in a meeting. That’s what we call a naming ceremony.”

“Wow… That’s interesting. You mean the parents don’t name their own kids?”

“Would you want to name your kids when you have them?”

“Well… I guess I’d want to.”

Dante responded vaguely, but Olivia, as usual, was unfazed.

“I’ll make sure to deal with anyone who disagrees, so don’t worry about it and just think about it.”

“…What are you going to do? And what am I supposed to think about?”

“The name. Stupid. The name.”

“…Huh?”

What was she going on about now? Olivia had a way of talking nonsense sometimes.

Aquila, overhearing their conversation, couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

‘Via… Looking at Dante’s attitude, I don’t think it’ll be easy for you.’

◇

“Why not watch the naming ceremony while you’re here?” Aquila suggested.

Without hesitation, Dante enthusiastically shouted, “Of course! When else am I going to see dragons naming their own kind? You can’t buy this experience!”

At the same time, Olivia, as the Black Dragon Lord, participated in the naming ceremony to both protect Dante and take part in the event.

Though she didn’t exactly look thrilled about it.

Behind the lair, in a vast open space, a colorful array of dragons sat in a circle, each with a solemn expression on their faces. In the center of the circle sat Aquila, while Olivia, despite being in her human form, sat elegantly on a luxurious red chair, her legs crossed. And to the surprise of everyone, she had placed Dante on her lap, hugging him tightly as if he were a doll.

Dante, being small, fit comfortably in her embrace like a puppy.

In fact, they were the last to arrive.

All the dragons had already taken their designated spots, and Aquila walked toward the center, radiating the charisma and dignity expected of an Ancient Dragon Lord.

But when the dragons saw who followed behind him, they couldn’t believe their eyes.

A small demon boy with white hair was trailing behind Aquila.

The dragons seethed with anger.

How dare this mere demon be allowed to enter the sacred naming ceremony of the dragons? They were ready to crush him on the spot.

‘──Who’s going to crush who?’

Of course, when they looked at Olivia’s face, holding Dante in her arms, they immediately fell silent.

It was rare for Olivia to participate in a naming ceremony, and all the dragons, except the young hatchlings, were well aware of her reputation. They feared upsetting her mood, knowing it would only be better to keep quiet.

Aquila, the Dragon Lord, remained calm, so they decided to keep their mouths shut.

They simply focused on preparing for the ceremony.

***

“Wow…”

At the same time, Dante was constantly admiring the various-colored dragons gathered on the plain.

Red, turquoise, gold, silver, white… There was no color missing. At this rate, there might even be a rainbow dragon later on.

“…Hmm?”

Suddenly, Dante’s eyes were drawn to four dragons that stood out clearly.

Each dragon had a different color, but they all had the same distinct horns rising from their snouts.

It was a peculiar horn shape, reminiscent of a deer’s antlers.

“Olivia, are those dragons over there special? They have quite unusual horns compared to the other dragons.”

“Good eyes, my dear. Yeah, they’re commonly referred to as the ‘Old Fart Four Kings’.”

Olivia gritted her teeth.

“Old Fart Four Kings?”

“Among the ancient dragons, aside from my father, they’re the ones who are especially bad-tempered, stubborn, and inflexible. I can’t stand them.”

“…A case of self-hatred?”

“Hey, you little shit! How could you say I’m like them!!?”

“They say a dog with grain on its nose criticizes other dogs with grain. It’s perfect, isn’t it?”

“Ah, damn it… If I didn’t like you, I’d—!”

Holding back her frustration, Olivia clenched her lips.

It was always the same routine. Olivia could never win an argument with Dante.

Well, to be exact, she had no choice but to lose.

“…You know, Dante, you’re a genius.”

“What the hell are you talking about now?”

“A genius who messes with others. You seriously have a natural talent for it. I swear on it.”

“Enough already. Can you just tell me the names of those ‘Old Fart Four Kings’?”

“…You little…!”

When Olivia’s sharp red eyes glared at him, Dante immediately cut her off.

“I don’t mean it the way you think! I just want to know the names of those dragons! I was curious how cool their names are!!”

“And yet, you’re thinking of how to charm them from behind my back, aren’t you?”

“I’m not trying to charm anyone!! What would I do with more dragons here!? You’re enough already!?”

…Wait, hold on, that last sentence sounded a bit off.

Thud.

Olivia buried her face in Dante’s back.

“───I’ll let it go this time.”

“What?”

“I said I’ll let it go. Just this once.”

Even though she knew he didn’t mean it the way she imagined, Olivia couldn’t hide her smile.

She couldn’t suppress the feelings welling up inside her and ended up imagining things in her own way.

Rather than staying awkward, she’d prefer to indulge in this sweet deception.

But… she could pretend to be deceived, as long as it was only by him.

Smirking, Olivia pointed at the four dragons Dante had asked about.

“From the left, their names are Pica, Rai, Bai, and Goibu.”

“Sorry, but I’ll pass on the naming ceremony.”

***

The day finally ended.

“Ugh…”

Stretching while leaning back on the stiff wooden chair, Dante let out a soft groan.

Thankfully, Olivia is a wild one who lives however she pleases. No one challenges her.

In the end, we snuck out of the naming ceremony and returned to the lair. Or more precisely, to Olivia’s Lair located in the Elros mountain range.

It was smaller than Aquila’s lair, but much more comfortable and smelled nice, giving it a soothing atmosphere.

Most importantly, it had furniture that was actually suitable for humans to sit on.

Wait, why would Olivia, a dragon, have human-sized furniture? Usually, dragons stay in their dragon forms at their lairs.

──So I asked. I can never resist curiosity.

“I’ve set it up just in case I need to kidnap you and lock you here. What’s it to you?”

I shouldn’t have asked.

“Forget that, Dante.”

With a subtle movement, Olivia wrapped her arm around his neck from behind and spoke in a calm voice.

“We’re finally alone together.”

Technically, there are three of us if we count Yeonhwa in my mind.

“And this is my home.”

“Wow, you really fulfilled every working person’s dream of owning a home! Congratulations, Olivia!”

“Here, it’s just the two of us.”

“Wasn’t it always just the two of us?”

Trying to brush it off nonchalantly, Olivia raised the corner of her lips in a way that made it clear she wouldn’t let it slide.

When she lowered her head and brought her body closer, the scent that greeted them when they entered the lair tickled Dante’s nose again.

A completely different atmosphere had started to make him sweat nervously.

“In the domain of a dragon, there’s probably no one else who can be so defenseless.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Special, meaning you’re an idiot.”

Smooch.

A soft touch on his cheek.

Holding Dante’s thighs to prevent him from standing, Olivia gazed deeply into his eyes.

“You seemed really interested in dragon ecology earlier. So, that means you’re curious about me, right?”

“Wait, what? How does that even connect, you black dragon with no boundaries!?”

“You’re interested in dragons. I am one. That means you’re interested in me.”

“Damn it, that’s twisted logic, but somehow, I can’t argue with it!”

No matter how much Dante protested, Olivia kept kissing his cheek and whispered in a seductive tone.

“Right now, I could give you a special chance to experience firsthand how dragons mate.”

“I don’t need that at all!? If you’re going to give me something, raise my salary!”

“Oh, sorry, I left a lipstick mark on your cheek. Let me clean it off for you.”

“Every time I talk about money, you always change the subject!?”

Soon, something rough and bristly touched Dante’s face, making him scream.

“Yaaaah! Don’t lick me sneakily! Just wipe it off like a normal person!!”

“I don’t listen to the words of someone weaker than me.”

And with that, Olivia wrapped her tail around his body.

Lick.

“Ahhhh! This is so annoying!!!”