Chapter 10

Anyway, the dinosaurs that fully accepted Tethys’s scales and changed their forms… No, it seems fitting to now call them Blue Dragons.

Somehow, these Blue Dragons were all too wondrous.

“Thank you for bestowing your scales upon us, Mother.”

It seemed they had gained intelligence during their transformation.

“Eh, Mother?”

“Isn’t that what we’re supposed to call the one who gave us her scales?”

At those words, Tethys looked at me.

Well, thinking about how Tethys and the others call me Mother, it wasn’t exactly wrong.

“But…”

Tethys kept glancing at me. What could it mean? The significance in that gaze.

“To call me Mother would mean… you should refer to Mother as Grandma… right?”

“You’ve been worrying about something so trivial?”

“But! Mother is beautiful! In the stories Mother told us, Grandma was old and wrinkled with faded beauty. But Mother here sparkles with radiant scales!”

“Huh, is that so.”

In the first place, what does it matter if a dragon is called beautiful or not? The concept of beauty is ambiguous anyway.

“I don’t care. Call me however you like.”

“Yes! Mother!”

Even if these Blue Dragons call me Grandma or not, whatever. It doesn’t matter in the slightest.

Though they did change through receiving my scales, the important thing is that new intelligent beings have been born into this world.

“Handing down the scales has turned out better than I thought, so I shall return now.”

I came along just in case there was a problem, but since everything went smoothly, there’s no need for me to stay any longer.

“Ah, but what about the names of these children?”

“You should be the one to name them, shouldn’t you? Since you’re their mother.”

Upon hearing my words, Tethys hesitated for a moment before nodding slightly.

“Yes. They’re my children, so I should give them names, like Mother named us.”

I simply smiled at Tethys.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

When the other children heard the story of Tethis sharing her scales…

“If you share your scales with dinosaurs, they’ll become like us? Then share some with me!”

“Yeah, me too.”

Sharing scales started to become trendy among the others.

“I don’t mind sharing, but you should carefully choose the ones you share with.”

“Huh? Can’t we just hand them out freely?”

Ifrit… Are you really giving this no thought?

“Sharing scales means dividing your power among other dinosaurs, making them your offspring. Do you understand the meaning behind that?”

“But Mother also shared her scales with us, didn’t she?”

“That’s how I made you my children.”

Thanks to that, the space under my jaw feels a bit itchy without scales.

“Anyway, choose carefully who you’ll share your scales with. Pick those who follow you well and seem worthy of receiving your strength.”

The others nodded in agreement with my words.

Since you’re sharing your own power with another, it must be done carefully.

Thus, the children traveled around the world selecting dinosaurs to receive their scales.

Each child had their own amusing criteria, but simply put…

“I chose those who want to fly in the sky like me.”

Sylphid brought dinosaurs who longed for wings to soar in the sky.

“I brought the brave ones, like flames! They’re all super courageous!”

Ifrit seemed to have chosen dinosaurs with bold, fiery personalities.

Wait, is that really right? They feel kind of ferocious.

“I chose those who love nature like me. Their personalities are gentle too.”

The dinosaurs Igdrasil chose had personalities resembling his own.

Hmm, the children seem to select dinosaurs similar to themselves, don’t they?

“I found sturdy and good ones. Though they don’t talk much.”

Sagar brought quiet and taciturn ones.

Quiet to the point where they barely speak at all.

“I chose those who wish to become as beautiful as me. Ones who want to emulate me!”

The dinosaurs Shamash brought were showing off their golden scales.

Even though the concept of beauty is unclear in this age, does Shamash think she herself represents beauty?

Well, having confidence is a good thing.

“I chose those who want to become family. That’s why I ended up with quite a few.”

“Erebus… Your scales…!”

Erebus brought dozens. Hey, there aren’t many scales left under your jaw! Only one silver scale remains!

“It’s fine. If it means expanding the family, this cost is worth it.”

“If you’re okay with it, I won’t say much, but… you should know what moderation is.”

Maybe because I talked about family, Erebus seems to value it highly.

Honestly, I was worried he might bring black, dark offspring like himself, but this is surprisingly positive.

It’s good that so many dragons have been created, but…

“What shall we do with those kids?”

In the direction I pointed, there were dinosaurs who couldn’t fully accept the children’s scales and failed to become dragons.

Their front legs had turned into wings, walking on two legs, somewhat smaller dragon-like creatures, and those with no wings crawling on all fours.

They look pitiful, but what can be done? It’s because they lacked the ability to handle the power they sought.

Even if I wanted to help them… there’s nothing I can do.

“They made this decision knowing the risks. Even in this form, they’re far stronger than before.”

I looked at the dinosaurs who failed to become dragons. They were pitiful, but perhaps they were satisfied with their current state.

If they’ve come to terms with it themselves, then maybe it’s alright.

“Let’s call those with wings Wyverns and those without wings Drakes.”

“Uh? Oh, yes.”

Wyverns and Drakes, staples of fantasy.

Though it may not be a good name for dragons who failed, it fits them all too well.

“What do you plan to do with these ones?”

“Hmm… There’s nothing to be done. They’ve already changed after accepting some of the scale’s power.”

“What happened to the scales?”

“We’ve recovered as many as we could. Erebus lost quite a number since he scattered his scales widely…”

“That’s within my expectations.”

“That’s what he says.”

Hmm, if Erebus says so.

I hope no problems arise from the unrecovered scales.

That’s how dragons came to populate the world.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

It was good that the dragons appeared, but…

“Another fight?”

“The red ones attacked first!”

“The black ones invaded our territory first!”

“We were just passing through! We even told Ifrit!”

“I didn’t hear anything!!!”

It was utter chaos.

Especially problematic were the hotheaded Red Dragons and the uncontrollable Black Dragons due to their large numbers.

Ha-ha-ha. Total chaos.

“Great Creator Dragon God! Please pass judgment!”

“Who calls me the Creator Dragon God? Who?”

“But everyone calls you that. You existed when the world opened, so isn’t it fitting?”

“No, it’s not that, but…”

Being called such an extravagant title is incredibly burdensome.

“The Black child did invade the territory, but since they informed Ifrit beforehand… This seems to be Ifrit’s fault for not properly conveying the message.”

“Huh?! Why is that?!”

“Alternatively, it’s the Red child’s fault for attacking without confirming with Ifrit despite the opportunity.”

“But…”

Honestly, the Red child’s mistake is undeniable for attacking without assessing the situation.

“In the future, refrain from attacking first. You’re not mindless beasts; try resolving things through dialogue. Don’t solve everything with violence.”

The young Red dragon nodded slightly with a sheepish expression, seemingly understanding their mistake.

“And you, Black child. When the other side attacks first, don’t fight back recklessly. Try solving it through dialogue.”

“But…”

“While the other side’s fault is significant, didn’t you also fight back? You should know what the Red’s temperament is like.”

“That… Yes, but when they attacked first, I got angry…”

“This time, since the Red’s fault is clear, I’m siding with you, but remember that fighting itself is wrong.”

Young dragons seem to have slightly better reasoning than beasts, yet they remain wildly impulsive.

Still, it’s fortunate that they listen when spoken to.

That’s how I spent my time mediating between countless dragons.