Chapter 4: The Flawed Dragon-Slaying Journey

Although it sounded ridiculous…

To be honest, after learning that pure-blood dragons had gone extinct, Rein had firmly believed that somewhere in this world, true pure-blood dragons still existed.

He had convinced himself that, in order to survive, they might have used transformation magic to disguise themselves and blend into human society.

It was precisely because of that belief that, long ago, Rein had used a spell to permanently specialize his magical senses.

He wasn’t the best at it…

But at least he could clearly distinguish the types of magic that existed nearby within a short range.

Through this method, Rein could quietly and quickly determine whether a pure-blood dragon girl was nearby.

……

Although, admittedly, that ability could have been used for far more practical purposes.

But now, none of that mattered anymore.

Because standing right before him — was the pure-blood dragon girl of his dreams!

Magical perception didn’t lie.

And judging by appearances, this pure-blood dragon had only just recently learned transformation magic!

And what did that mean?

It meant that Rein’s springtime of life had finally arrived!

Bedwarming dragon girl.

Apron-wearing dragon girl.

Shy dragon girl.

Cute dragon girl…

……

(Calm down. You must stay calm, Rein.)

(Don’t laugh. No matter what, don’t laugh out loud!)

The more critical the moment, the less he could afford to act strange.

“Name?”

“…Saar.”

(Saar, huh? Sounds like a pretty gender-neutral name.)

Did that mean the pure-blood dragon before him hadn’t yet decided on a gender?

“Age?”

Judging by appearance, the other didn’t look very old either — but it didn’t hurt to ask.

However, this time, what awaited Rein was silence — and wariness.

The alert look on Saar’s face instantly set off alarms in Rein’s mind.

He had gone too far.

If Saar’s cautious expression hadn’t stopped him, this conversation might have turned into Rein’s personal matchmaking session.

After taking a moment to compose himself, Rein changed the subject and moved toward the heart of the matter.

“Tell me, what kind of reason drives someone as young as you to become an adventurer?”

Dragon slaying? What kind of dragon? And why slay it?

Those questions didn’t interest Rein.

What he was truly interested in — was the pure-blood young dragon itself.

“Judging from your expression, this must be your first time becoming an adventurer, right?”

But to Rein’s surprise, after a brief silence, Saar answered in an unexpected way.

“For now… not yet.”

The sheer honesty of that reply made even Rein — who had been caught up in his excitement — turn serious.

He stood up, moved closer to Saar under the gaze of the other adventurers, and spoke in a low voice.

“There are too many eyes and ears here. Let’s find somewhere quieter to continue this transaction.”

Before leaving the tavern, Rein — the last one to exit — didn’t forget to toss two silver coins onto the counter.

After all, repairing the wine shelf he had just destroyed would be no small expense for the owner.

Outside, in a narrow alley, Saar leaned against a wall and caught the gold coin Rein had tossed to him earlier.

“This is your payment.”

As he said this, Saar promptly threw the gold coin back.

This time, Rein didn’t refuse.

After pocketing the coin, he got straight to the point.

“Tell me — how does a kid who’s not even a registered adventurer end up in such deep trouble?”

Saar didn’t answer directly.

Instead, he countered with a question of his own — directed at this human man who still hadn’t given his name.

“You think I’m a kid too?”

“…Aren’t you?”

Rein’s eyes studied Saar carefully as he spoke.

And because of that, he caught the fleeting expression of relief on Saar’s face.

(So, he still believes his disguise hasn’t been discovered?)

Just as Rein had hoped.

“Since you really think so… may I ask your name?”

“Just call me Rein.”

“All right then, Rein…” Saar hesitated briefly before speaking again.

“If we set out now, would that be acceptable to you?”

Rein shrugged, indifferent.

“You’re the one paying. You make the call.”

“Good.”

Saar closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and when he opened them again, some of the tension on his face had faded.

“Let’s head out now.”

“I’ll explain the details on the way.”

Rein nodded and stepped aside to gesture for Saar to lead the way.

And while Saar still hadn’t lowered his guard, Rein — walking behind him — couldn’t stop smiling.

Because this was the closest he had ever been to a pure-blood dragon.

Saar’s current gender might be male, but…

Rein had both patience and methods.

……

“So… this is the place where the dragon you plan to slay is residing?”

After roughly a day and a night of travel, they had nearly crossed the kingdom’s border.

Saar and Rein finally stopped in front of a crumbling castle deep within a dense forest.

Rein looked at the moss-covered walls and ancient stonework and estimated that the place had been abandoned for at least several centuries.

Would a dragon really live in a place like this?

“That’s right.”

Saar seemed to sense Rein’s doubt and explained.

“This place is rarely visited. For a dragon that doesn’t want to be discovered by humans, the castle interior would make the perfect hiding spot.”

With that, Saar hurriedly walked ahead, gesturing for Rein to follow.

Rein didn’t refuse.

But as he slipped through a collapsed section of wall behind Saar, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

It was exhausting, pretending not to know anything this whole time.

Never mind the fact that he could see through Saar’s true identity — just judging by how familiar Saar seemed with this place…

Anyone with half a brain would suspect Saar had some kind of connection to the castle.

Maybe he even lived here.

So what exactly had happened that forced this pure-blood dragon to risk exposure, abandon its lair, and venture into human lands seeking help?

Rein figured he wouldn’t have to wait long for the answer.

Because as they approached the castle’s interior, the mage in him sensed a presence — a magical aura similar to Saar’s, but ten times stronger — emanating from the castle’s center.

(So that’s the one… the bastard who took over our little pure-blood dragon’s nest.)

And since this was the perfect chance to earn Saar’s trust…

He’d better make a good impression.