Part of the Great Nature, the largest pillar that tunes the Material Plane.
Thus, one world, that is the existence of dragons.
Then, little dragon, do you know?
When you were born, all the worlds were touched by the birth of a new tuner.
Among them, the world that was the happiest is now the mother that embraces him.
But, exalted dragon, do you know?
There is no eternity in this world, and the end does not always come at the expected moment.
Thus, the end has come.
What pressed him down was overwhelming magic and the authority granted by the complete Circle that had ascended to divinity.
”Luke Irushi! Your arrogance pierces the heavens. I shall bestow upon you an eternal curse!”
The language of the dragon echoed throughout the world. Those words were surely filled with power, and the world trembled in fear, but they did not reach a single man.
”Sigarmata, the arrogant one remains as such.”
The man raises his hand.
Incomprehensible magic converges at a point, and those points gather to form a line.
Nothing in the Material Plane can surpass its sharpness, and nothing will in the future.
”There is no ‘eternity’ among the things that can be born in this world.”
Swoosh-.
As the hand descends, the dragon’s head is severed.
The dragon’s body, as immense and heavy as it was, collapsed more slowly.
Kaboom–!
A sound so chillingly loud.
And that was the end.
Thus, a millennium of the world was destroyed by a man’s hand.
That was the end of the dragon known as the ‘Sigarmata.’
This Dragon Heart shall be of no use, the man sighed and shook his head after glancing over the corpse.
Suddenly, the man discovered something occupying a corner of the lair…
’Our eyes met.’
Thump, thump.
The heart beats.
It is fear, and overwhelming… sadness.
”Hah.”
The man made a shocked expression and murmured.
”Poor thing.”
—
”So… this is Luke?”
”Probably, it seems like it.”
”Hmm… looking at it this way, it does seem similar.”
Platinum fur, a right eye of aquamarine and a left eye of gold, a pair of horns resembling Luke’s horn material, and animal ears extending from its head.
And a cute band-aid on its nape.
”Uh… normally, one wouldn’t look like this after shedding, right?”
Daphne’s voice was flustered.
No, not just Daphne, all the Forest Keepers present felt the same.
”Is it a real dragon?”
”Fool, why would a dragon have fur? That’s… a beast!”
”To me, a beast seems more nonsensical…”
”But it’s somehow cute even like this.”
”I want to pet it.”
Eerna sighed at the bizarre speculations and impressions from the Forest Keepers.
”N-No, more than that. Wasn’t Luke not the type to cling like this, sister?”
The one who spoke was Sorbi.
”True. I’m a bit surprised too…?”
Indeed, Luke didn’t seem to like such intense intimacy. He always seemed serious and never clung to anyone without reason.
’Or maybe? Thinking back, he might have been a bit proactive with Shirud…’
In any case, he never did that with her.
But currently, Luke had his head resting on Yerna’s crown, holding her closely, gazing at her as if she were a precious doll.
His tail softly swayed like a cat’s, looking so harmless.
Eerna reached out and gently stroked Luke’s cheek.
As if pleased, he slowly closed and opened his eyes, rubbing his face against her hand.
—
-Kiiiiiing–.
”I don’t think it will cause any harm…”
The large size may seem threatening, but its behavior resembled that of a large cat.
”But sister, looking at it like this, it’s totally a fairy tale. A fairy tale with an elf princess kidnapped by a dragon.”
”Not a princess, though.”
”A princess or the leader of the Forest Keepers, aren’t they both similar? Being heads of a group.”
”You guys, stop joking.”
Yerna let out a deep sigh.
”What do we do in this situation? A person has suddenly turned into a furry dragon.”
”I don’t know either.”
”Is it some kind of transformation magic?”
Yerna shook her head at her allies’ speculations.
“I’ve tried ‘Disenchant.’ But it didn’t dissolve. It seems it’s a physical characteristic, not magic.”
”How can a physical characteristic change so suddenly?”
Among the characteristics of Hyun, there was something similar called Hyun transformation…
But such traits had long since disappeared from the current Hyun race.
’Could this be the result of human experimentation?’
Yerna’s expression grew serious.
”So what do we do? Who should we call? A veterinarian? A biologist? A mage?”
”This is totally a research subject.”
It was at that moment.
Luke held Yerna even tighter.
”…Lu?”
Eerna, held in Luke’s embrace, could feel it.
That subtle shivering…
It seemed like, he was scared.
’Scared of what?’
Suddenly, Yerna recalled.
If he had indeed undergone human experimentation and had been suppressing the memories while impersonating ‘Luke Irushi’…
’What about now?’
Right now, no matter how one looked at it, it wasn’t the sharp-minded and confident Luke.
The body had grown, but he appeared even more childlike…
Yerna realized what Luke was afraid of.
’Could it be that lost memories have returned?’
Perhaps the trauma from the time of human experimentation was activated.
Yerna suddenly took on a resolute expression and extended her hand.
”Wait, for now, let’s monitor the situation as is.”
At Yerna’s words, the Forest Keepers looked at her with absent expressions and then strongly protested.
”What? No, we need to restore Luke to his original state as soon as possible.”
”That’s right, the child transformed into a monster-like creature; how can we just leave it?”
”Yeah. We don’t even know what led to this!”
Dayton, who had been silently observing from the side, finally spoke up.
”Yerna’s right.”
”What? Panty Man, are you siding with Yerna?”
As Sorbi rolled her eyes, Dayton’s face flushed as red as his hair, and he shouted.
”No! That’s not…”
He had rushed out of the bath with no time to put on clothes.
He thought it was a genuine emergency back then.
’Luke has already faced embarrassing situations twice now…’
That terrifying magic that made him slip in an empty space… Dayton shuddered at the thought.
While thinking about how his scraped elbows and knees were sore.
“Okay, listen first. Hypothetically, if we show Luke to a mage or a researcher, do you think they’ll have a brilliant solution?”
”More importantly, would they even believe that’s Luke? We also aren’t sure ourselves, right? If not, they’d just see him as a uniquely shaped monster.”
As Dayton spoke, the Forest Keepers regarded him with some surprise.
”Hmm…”
”Still…”
”There is some truth to that.”
After hearing Dayton’s words, Kirke, Sorbi, and Daphne sighed in unison.
It wasn’t incorrect.
”For now, let’s monitor the situation. Luke seems to be confused right now…”
Currently, he was probably momentarily strange due to confusion.
And Yerna had a feeling that Luke would surely find a way.
”So, let’s keep this matter just between us. Understood?”
Daphne nodded.
”Yes, understood. The lodging is too conspicuous, so it would be better to move it outside for now. As far as I know, there’s an open space off the patrol route. Let’s place it there.”
”What if he runs away?”
At Kirke’s concern, Sorbi shook her head while looking at Luke, who clung tightly to Yerna, refusing to let go.
”I don’t think he’ll run away.”
Could he possibly see Yerna as his Guardian?
Then Daphne suddenly asked as if realizing something.
”What about the GPS information?”
”I’ve temporarily registered him as an ally with the leader’s authority, so there shouldn’t be any problems for a while. If we continue to take turns staying with him, he should appear as one point.”
”Ah, I don’t know anymore.”
Kirke raised her hands and displayed her confusion, ruffling her hair.
”What is even happening?”
And everyone agreed with her words.
—
In a space within the forest, there was a platinum-colored monster.
”Alright, Luke. Here’s your meal for today.”
-Kiiiiiing.
The high, cute sound that didn’t match the large body made it hard to call it a monster.
Yerna, seemingly accustomed, took a skewer from the basket and raised it triumphantly overhead.
”How’s this? It’s something I made for the first time.”
I wonder if it’s to his liking, haha. As Yerna smiled awkwardly, Luke gazed at her intensely before biting into the skewer and chewing.
”Ah! He’s eating it whole again.”
Is his digestive system okay with that?
’For now, it seems like there’s no problem…’
It seems fine now, even if it wasn’t when he was in human form.
Though uncertain about the change of expression, the gestures conveyed that he seemed very satisfied.
Yerna took another large skewer from the basket.
Once again, Luke bit into it without hesitation.
—
’This feels oddly like I’m a caretaker…’
It feels strange, like keeping a pet secretly without my parents knowing.
If found out, it probably wouldn’t cause much of a stir, but…
Yerna watched Luke happily devouring the food and slid over to sit beside him.
”Sigh… Luke, it’s already the third day. Don’t you have any solid ideas?”
Feeling the softness of his fur, Yerna caressed Luke’s body.
What if this is Luke’s true form?
If this look is discovered, it would undoubtedly become a target for special protection or research, resulting in an eternal farewell from her.
If Luke was happy, she could accept that conclusion…
’But he wouldn’t be happy in a research facility.’
After all, Luke had escaped from there.
-Kyuung?
Not realizing his internal turmoil, Luke tilted his head, showing a confused expression before licking Yerna’s face.
But Luke’s tongue, shaped like a cat’s, was rather intense…
”Ouch, that hurts!”
-Cough. Ugh… Ugh…
Startled by the sound, Luke, in a slumped state, buried his head on the ground.
Yerna panicked thoroughly, flustered, and apologized while stroking Luke’s forehead.
”No, um… I’m sorry for yelling?”
-Kiiing…
”Yes, yes…”
Yerna exhaled deeply.
Seeing that post-transformation, he particularly acted more animal-like was growing increasingly concerning.
Every time she saw Luke in that form, a troubled thought would flicker in her mind: he might never return.
’No, that’s not possible. Luke will return.’
Thinking that way, Yerna suddenly remembered that she had brought a cello and spoke to Luke.
She had once asked ‘Ru’a Eraast,’ who had previously watched over Luke, about what was good for memory loss. He advised doing something from the past again.
’But what if that doesn’t work?’
’If nothing else works, we’d have to use mental magic, right? But why? Is someone suffering from memory loss? Are you trying to help Luke regain his memories?’
’Ah, I have to cut the call suddenly because I’m busy. Sorry! Let’s talk next time!’
—
”Mmm…”
Yerna made a slight moaning sound.
She almost attracted suspicion.
Over the past few days, she had shown various items, but the effects were all lackluster.
When she showed a puzzle, he tore it apart like it was a game.
When she presented a cellphone, he tilted his head, then licked his hand.
When she showed a box he used to frequently enter, he tried to get inside but ended up flattening it by sitting on it. That was the closest reaction…
Out of curiosity about the power of love, she showed him Dayton, and he ended up hitting Dayton.
Seeing Dayton fly away with a ‘kuuek’ sound, Yerna thought,
’What’s going on? Did Luke not like Dayton?’
She was sure he liked Dayton.
In any case, after three days of various attempts, she had come to the conclusion that all had failed.
Now, she felt she couldn’t afford to have expectations.
This might be her last chance.
Yerna watched as Luke approached a tree, scratching its surface with his claws while lifting the cello case, shouting.
”Lu, look! You used to play this often. Do you remember?”
-Kiiing?
Perhaps drawn by interest, Luke approached Yerna and tilted his head again.
The cuteness didn’t fit his large frame… No.
Yerna cleared her throat a few times and took the cello out of its case.
”So, anything coming to mind?”
-….
Luke’s reaction was different this time.
His gaze fixed on the cello, and he didn’t make any movements; he focused intently.
Thump, thump.
Honestly, this reaction sparked some hope. Yerna could feel her heart racing anxiously as she directed her gaze toward Luke.
And after a moment.
-Kiiiiiing-.
The cello sounded.
On its own.
”What?”
Startled, Yerna dropped the cello from her grip, and Luke quickly caught it.
And Luke’s reaction was astonishing.
Humm, hum.
He mixed humming with the melodies of the cello played by itself.
From cute and whimsical tunes resembling a bird fluttering about, to passionate and powerful performances as if a dragon would crush the world.
A performance that traversed calmness and passion, lightness and grandeur.
It felt like the entire forest responded to the vibrations created by the melody.
The unprecedented duet of the language of spirits and the language of dragons was capable of affecting the world through their performance alone.
Yerna gazed in awe, struggling to retain her consciousness, as the performance stretched on endlessly, finally subsiding as the sky turned yellow.
-Woom-.
Thud.
The fiercely trembling strings of the cello ultimately signaled the end of the performance.
And when the performance concluded…
…there was ‘Luke Irushi.’
”Yerna, I’ve caused you to worry again.”
Yerna paused for a second, like a malfunctioning golem, and then as if she finally understood the situation, she burst into tears and exclaimed,
”Luke!”
Yerna embraced Luke.
She didn’t understand what had just happened, but Luke returning was what mattered most.
”I thought you wouldn’t come back… Do you have any idea how worried I was?”
”Haha… I’m sorry, Yerna.”
”No, you have no need to apologize!”
Luke gently patted Yerna’s back and hummed a calm melody.
It was so soothing, resembling a lullaby, that Yerna felt herself sinking into sleep.
—
The emotions contained in that calming humming that made Yerna fall asleep were different.
’Unbelievable, did I really do that?’
-That’s right, Luke. Isn’t it funny?
’Not funny at all. Py, why didn’t you help earlier!’
-Because it’s fun?
’You are really…’
Embarrassment? Regret? Resentment? It was hard to define the complex emotions.
But in times like this, speaking the language of spirits was truly convenient.
It could convey such intricate and hard-to-explain emotions all at once.
-This time/at this moment, it was really fun! Next time/another time, I want to converse in that voice/language!
Those words meant to operate the Dragon Heart once more.
With the lack of experience engraving a Circle with the Dragon Heart, he had made this blunder.
Realizing where he went wrong, Luke vowed firmly that there wouldn’t be similar mistakes next time.
’There’s no way I would do that again.’
