■ Celestial Dragon Gav □
Real name, Gabriel.
Shortened to Gav.
The dragon originally named after one of the Archangels greeted us warmly.
At first glance, he appeared to be in his early to mid-20s.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be about the same age as Ozma.
However, I already knew from experience that the outward appearance of demons does not necessarily correspond to their actual age. Moreover, since dragons use polymorph magic to assume other forms, there was no real connection between their true age and their appearance.
Thanks to him having his shirt off, revealing a muscular physique, Gav, who was likely busy as the tribal leader, only briefly acknowledged us before leaving.
I watched his receding back and casually asked Ozma beside me,
“Is that the person you want to defeat, Lady Ozma?”
“…Yes.”
“I imagined him to be some kind of annoying guy, but he seems very friendly, doesn’t he?”
At this, Ozma nodded her head as if acknowledging the truth of the matter.
“That’s why he’s quite popular among fellow demon peers of his generation. If it weren’t for his severe addiction to fighting, he would’ve become one of the Four Heavenly Kings long ago without any issue.”
“Addiction to fighting?”
“Yeah. The earth dragon-descended dragon race specializes in close combat due to their steel-hard bodies. That guy has been challenging various experts from all races ever since he was a hatchling.”
“He went traveling during his hatchling days?”
“So, how old is he now?”
“As far as I know, he’s just over 200 years old. Elves and dragons reach adulthood at around the same time.”
“Hold on. Isn’t the martial arts tournament at the exchange meeting only open to young demons? Is 200 years old considered young…?”
“By dragon standards, yes.”
That’s true, but still…
Anyway, after parting ways with Gav, we were given a tour of the dragon village under Ozma’s guidance.
She mentioned that she hadn’t visited here many times because the location of the exchange meeting changes every year as each race takes turns hosting it. This place was where Ozma had last been nearly ten years ago.
The most prominent feature of the dragon village was that all buildings had extremely high ceilings.
This was designed for when they assumed their true forms, though whether they lived in their original form or polymorphed into another race was purely a matter of preference. Therefore, the buildings were constructed to accommodate both.
When we entered the grand building prepared for visitors, a neatly dressed maid approached us.
“Welcome. How may I assist you?”
“Could you show us to our rooms? We’ll need three.”
“Understood.”
The maid bowed respectfully and began guiding us through the halls.
After traversing a long corridor, we finally arrived at our guest rooms, each receiving a key from the maid. Then Ozma spoke up.
“The inter-tribal exchange event will officially begin tomorrow. All facilities within this building are specially prepared for guests traveling from afar, so feel free to enjoy them.”
“What are your plans, Lady Ozma?”
“I intend to rest fully in my room today. The preliminaries of the martial arts tournament start tomorrow.”
“…Alright, see you tonight then.”
Ozma said her piece and promptly entered her room, closing the door behind her.
Well, we’ve all been exhausted since this morning.
I fidgeted with the key in my hand and turned to Camilla beside me.
“Let’s meet up again later.”
“What time would be convenient?”
“How about around five o’clock? We have dinner together anyway.”
“Got it.”
We agreed to meet up later and headed to our respective rooms.
[[#]] Dragons are all rich.
Besides their natural penchant for shiny objects, the earth dragons, who are strongly influenced by the element of earth, have an uncanny ability to find gemstones, making it inevitable for them to amass great wealth.
The luxurious buildings funded by their fortunes stood as pinnacles of extravagance.
From the famous sulfur hot springs of Dragon Mountain to restaurants offering unlimited food, spas, massage shops, cafeterias, and even table tennis courts—everything was available except nothing.
“This is paradise.”
After resting in my room and enjoying an early evening meal, I parted ways with the ladies and came to the sulfur hot spring alone.
Apart from the slight smell of sulfur, everything about the hot spring was perfect, and soaking in it helped ease the fatigue from the relentless walking of the past few days.
The only downside was that I couldn’t remove my mask while others were around, but even accounting for that, it felt like indulging in luxury.
Drrrrk—
At that moment, someone else entered the hot spring.
Obscured by the misty steam, only a silhouette was visible, but judging by the bulky figure, it was clearly a large man.
I quickly put on the dog-shaped mask I had left on a rock.
As the man slowly approached the pool, he noticed me and smiled.
“It’s you!”
It was none other than Gav, the chieftain of the dragon tribe whom I had met earlier.
He grinned broadly and slapped my back with a hand as big as a pot lid.
“You’re Ozma’s companion, right? Nice to meet you! Gyahahaha!”
Gav laughed heartily, showing his sharp shark-like teeth, then plopped down into the water with a splash.
The sudden movement caused the hot spring water to splatter everywhere, but he didn’t seem to care.
Thanks to that, I got drenched in hot water and awkwardly smiled while asking,
“Small world, huh? I thought this hot spring was reserved for outsiders, but I didn’t expect the chief of the dragon tribe to be using it.”
“Aaa~ that? It’s no big deal. The public hot springs used by the villagers are too crowded, making it hard to relax alone. On the other hand, this one is built for outsiders, so it’s rarely used. Thanks to that, I practically monopolize it most of the time.”
He nonchalantly confessed to his misuse of authority as the village chief, which clearly wasn’t the first time.
He placed a neatly folded towel on his head, rested his arms on the rock, and let out a relaxed sigh.
Now that we could relax and enjoy the hot spring without much interference, it was only natural to feel slightly conscious of the other person’s presence.
Fiddling with the mask on my face, I broke the ice.
“Lord Gabriel, what do you think of Lady Ozma?”
Hearing this, Gav tilted his head and pointed at himself.
“Are you asking me?”
“Yes.”
He scratched his chin awkwardly and replied,
“Well, I don’t really think much about her. Sure, she’s stronger than most since she’s the Demon King’s daughter, but…”
Saying this, Gav acted as if he genuinely had no interest in Ozma.
Unfortunately for Ozma, the man she had chosen as her lifelong rival apparently didn’t even consider her worth noting.
Caught in an uncomfortable atmosphere, I thanked Gav and decided to remain silent.
But since the conversation had already started, Gav now took the initiative to ask me a question.
“Speaking of which, where are you from? You look much stronger than Ozma to me.”
“Eh… me?”
“That’s right. I can clearly see the wind spirits hovering around you, eager for attention.”
Saying this, Gav tapped his eyes.
While I saw nothing unusual, he apparently could, which made me feel somewhat unreasonable.
Since it was already exposed, I reluctantly revealed that I was a wind mage.
Though I embellished the story of joining the Demon King’s Army a bit, it was nothing new.
Leaning back against the rock, Gav listened intently to my story and then said,
“In that case, do you have any plans to participate in the martial arts tournament this time?”
“Excuse me?”
“Judging by your youthful appearance, you should qualify. In this exchange meeting, the martial arts tournament is open to all young demons. It’s a great opportunity for those who aren’t yet well-known to make a name for themselves.”
Confused by the sudden invitation, I asked,
“May I inquire why you’re making such a proposal to me?”
At this, Gav grinned mischievously.
“Well, you’re strong, and I personally want to fight you.”
“Is that the only reason?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
Apparently, Ozma’s description of him as a battle fanatic was indeed accurate.
Feeling perplexed, I was about to decline his offer, but Gav rose from the hot spring a beat faster than me and declared, “Then, I’ll see you on the stage next time!” He left with a hearty laugh: “Gyahahaha!”
Truly, he was a free-spirited soul.
