Chapter 110

Chapter 110: We Shall Meet Again [5K]

“Legend has it that Herax was a son of the Dragon King, and he could supposedly split mountains with his bare hands. He was a super-strong warrior. He had a good chance of claiming the Dragon King’s throne, but the king’s concubine, who wasn’t his mother, plotted against him. This caused him to go mad and kill his own child. The Dragon King exiled him and gave him twelve tasks, one of which was to turn an entire human nation into dragons.”

Hearing Illya’s childish voice narrate such a story, there was an unexpectedly cute contrast.

“Mmm, and then?”

“Then, after many hardships, he discovered that these tasks were nearly impossible. Even so, Herax was like Sisyphus from mythology, even though he saw the boulder rolling back down, he still chose to push it back up the mountain. Herax faced countless obstacles during his tasks, including technical difficulties. Even when he succeeded in turning a human into a dragon, the human’s internal sense of identity was still different… Yet, Herax didn’t give up. He kept trying to find a way to complete his task…”

As Illya played with Naya’s silver hair, she recalled the memories that seeped into her during the leyline infusion, organizing them into a story she could understand and retell to Naya.

Naya already knew the eventual fate of Herax.

The Radiant Knight came to hunt him down.

The strongest knight of that era ended up slaying this notorious black dragon who had wreaked havoc in the human kingdom.

As the night deepened, Illya eventually talked herself to sleep.

She lay against Naya’s chest, her breath soft and warm, gently brushing against Naya’s collarbone. The ticklish sensation seeped into her heart, and Naya felt immense pride in Illya’s growth.

“Illya, there are many things you understand and many you still don’t.”

Naya lifted her hand and gently stroked Ilya’s pink hair.

She knew so many ancient tales, yet didn’t understand that daughters couldn’t have children with their mothers.

“So, are you still thinking about keeping her in a paradise isolated from the world?”

“No, I’ve decided. Illya should grow into a dragon I can be proud of—one who can soar freely in the skies. Thank you, Iris. If you hadn’t suggested this journey, I probably would’ve wanted to stay in that bubble forever, leaving Illya to learn only from books about the world outside. Seeing it all firsthand… I think that will teach her more than ten books ever could.”

Iris gave a slight smile.

“Alright, you should sleep early too. Those two souls growing inside you have started to drain your energy. But they know you’re their mother, so they won’t exhaust you completely. Rest well to regain your strength.”

“Mmm.”

Soft waves of light shimmered in Naya’s violet eyes. Gazing across Illya, Naya looked toward the red-haired dragon woman on the other side of the bed, her heart stirred with sincere affection for Iris.

“Goodnight, Iris.”

“Goodnight, Naya.”

Iris extinguished the crystal lights in the room with magic.

As the room plunged into darkness, Naya felt the cool touch of fingers on the back of her hand embracing Ilya. Naya remembered that sensation well—the distinct feeling of Iris’s slender, defined fingers pressing warmly against her skin.

Those were memories of Iris unique to Naya alone.

Feeling Iris’s presence in her hand, Naya closed her eyes and peacefully drifted to sleep.

When the dawn finally broke, the first rays of morning sunlight appeared as expected.

Naya woke up on time, even earlier than the first crowing of the rooster.

This was a habit formed over the years from caring for Illya. As long as she didn’t get up to any mischief at night, she would wake up at this exact time the following day.

She nudged Illya’s pink head, which was buried in her face wash.

Naya looked over to see the other woman, already awake.

“Iris, make some space, make some space.”

Iris sat up, giving Naya room to get out of bed.

Naya climbed over Illya and stretched by the curtains filtering the morning light, her body silhouetted against it.

“Ahh—”

Today, they’d be embarking on a new journey.

Leaving her comfort zone felt hard, but the thought of the soul fragments within her needing sustenance, lest she endure stomach cramps, made Naya shiver.

Suddenly, a warm embrace wrapped around her from behind. Someone’s arms slipped under her own as she lowered them, and a pair of hands sneakily lifted the weight resting on her chest.

“What are you doing?!”

This red dragon—always with such impure thoughts!

She swatted away the hands weighing her down.

Naya’s irritated reprimand carried a touch of softness, her voice almost coquettish.

Leaning against Naya’s shoulder, Iris, sounding reluctant, asked, “Did they… get a bit bigger?”

“What are you talking about? Dragons aren’t humans, we’re not mammals.”

“But I could swear they’re just a tiny bit larger than before.”

Oh, wow.

Not only did Iris know her measurements inside and out, but she even had a clear sense of Naya’s weight.

“What’s going on? Explain yourself. Why on earth are these getting bigger if baby dragons don’t even need milk?”

Naya pried Iris’s hands off and turned around, locking eyes with her.

“Could it be… because of me?”

“You have the nerve to admit it!”

Naya pulled Iris’s ear, her face heating up, cheeks as red as cherries, steaming with embarrassment.

“Hey, Naya…”

Iris felt that her pride as a Dragon Queen was shattered—never before had a Dragon Queen been scolded and had her ear tugged by her consort.

But, because she loved Naya so much, she didn’t mind having her pride trampled on by her.

“I’m so annoyed!” Naya let go of Iris’s ear, crossed her arms, and pouted.

“From now on, this is off-limits! Getting too big is a hindrance in battle. I can barely wield my spear anymore, it feels like there’s always something blocking me in the front.”

“Can you even call that a spear? You barely use it, most of the time, it’s just a shield, right?”

“I might not use it often, but that doesn’t mean I can be without it! Or don’t know how to use it!”

“So, isn’t that proof that I’ve been protecting you all very well?”

“Protecting us well? Are you referring to that huge scar on Illya’s back? You call that ‘protecting well’?”

The mention of “protection” only made Naya nag even more, repeatedly revisiting the incident of her child’s injury.

Iris shouldn’t have mentioned “protecting” Illya—doing so just turned Naya into a nagging mother, repeatedly bringing up the grievances her child had suffered.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry.” Iris stepped forward, hugged Naya, and pressed a light kiss to her lips, effectively defusing the ticking time bomb.

“I’ve said it before, haven’t I? In my heart, you’re more important than Illya, so I may have been a bit careless in looking after her. But from now on, I promise to keep a closer eye on her.”

“Hmph…”

To be fair, when it came to Naya, Iris was never vague.

Iris, indeed, loved her wife more than her daughter.

Naya, feeling bashful, couldn’t stay angry at Iris anymore.

Or rather, she hadn’t been truly angry, she was embarrassed that Iris was the very reason her conscience had softened.

Thankfully, Iris didn’t mention that change in her.

Instead, she slowly dismantled Naya’s defenses, savoring their closeness before Illya woke up.

…

“O-okay, I should go wake Illya, pack up, and get ready to leave for our next stop.”

Naya, like a shy young girl, blushed just from a kiss.

Iris smiled, nodded, and released her.

Taking a deep breath, Naya composed herself, pressing her hands to her face to cool down her warmth.

She approached Illya’s side and called her name softly.

“Illya, it’s time to wake up.”

A child’s sleep needs to be well-regulated—about ten hours a day, with a two-hour nap and eight to nine hours of nighttime sleep. This was Illya’s standard schedule.

Even while traveling, except on the day they had to seize the earth vein artifact, they kept to this schedule.

Naya once read on Earth that both oversleeping and insufficient sleep could impact brain health. Slowed breathing during sleep could cause carbon dioxide to accumulate in the blood; if too much builds up, it acts like an “anesthetic,” making people feel groggy. It also disrupts serotonin balance, and over time, it could harm cognitive function.

In short, sleeping too much could dull the mind, leaving one sluggish during the day.

Illya was already a bit scatterbrained, and Naya couldn’t let her become even duller.

“Mmm… Mommy…”

Illya opened her eyes, and the first person she saw each morning was her Mama, something she considered the happiest part of her day.

“Good morning, Illya.”

“Good morning, Mommy.”

She tossed aside the blanket, stretching her arms wide, waiting for Naya to pick her up.

Naya, as always, didn’t disappoint, lifting Illya out of bed and onto her lap.

“After breakfast, we’ll head to our next stop, okay?”

“Mmm, I know. You and Mother discussed it last night.”

“Alright, then, arms up.”

Arms up.

Naya took off Illya’s pink teddy bear pajamas and picked up a brand-new pink dress she’d bought in Rex City, slipping it down over Illya’s head.

Taking Illya’s soft little arms, she guided them into the white sleeves, which ended just above her biceps.

She then tied the bow at the back, adjusted the pink bow on the front of the dress, and smoothed out the candy-patterned pleats on the skirt.

Then, she set Illya on the bed.

Kneeling down, Naya rolled up a pair of white stockings, slipping them over Illya’s toes and up to her thighs, where they left a slight indentation on her chubby little legs.

Lastly, she adjusted the stockings to ensure a perfect fit along the curve of Illya’s legs.

Satisfied, Naya gave a nod.

“All done. Now, let’s do your hair.”

She gathered Illya’s hair into cute twin tails, securing them with a pink and white lace ribbon, tied into a bow at the ends.

Above her bangs, she clipped a hairpin they’d bought at the clothing shop with Semira.

“My little Illya is so cute.”

Unable to resist, she cupped the back of Illya’s head and planted a kiss on her soft cheek. Watching all this from nearby, Iris thought it was no wonder that Illya sometimes had inappropriate thoughts—Naya’s doting manner could drive anyone to want more attention.

“Illya, you’re turning six in just two weeks, so you’ll need to start dressing yourself then.”

“Huh? No way!”

Naya had pampered Illya to the point of spoiling her. Iris, not wanting to strain the mother-daughter bond, decided to nudge Naya instead.

“Naya, did you forget what you promised me yesterday?”

“Illya, listen to your mother. After you turn six, you need to start learning to dress yourself. I can’t keep doing it every morning.”

“Ugh…”

Illya gave her such a pitiful look that Naya’s heart softened immediately.

“Naya.”

But with a reminder from the person behind her, Naya steeled her heart once more.

“Be good, Illya. When your little sister is born, Mommy will have to take care of her too. You, Illya, as the older sister, should set a good example. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if, when your sister takes her human form, she can dress herself but you still can’t? From now on, you should start preparing to be a responsible big sister.”

“O-okay…”

Reluctantly, Illya agreed.

For the first time, she silently wished that time would slow down a little, that her sixth birthday wouldn’t come so quickly.

Next, it was Naya’s turn to change.

The family of three usually chose clothes to match their hair color. Naya often wore long white gowns, like a noblewoman from the Earth’s Middle Ages, though dresses in this world weren’t as bulky as those on Earth.

Without the need for high crinoline skirts, the dress only reached her calves, avoiding dragging on the ground and getting dirty.

For her hairstyle, she braided two thin ponytails on each side, gathering her silver hair together, leaving her waterfall-like hair cascading down her back.

Iris, as always, wore her dark, gothic dress that gave her an unconventional air.

But Iris wouldn’t be Iris without her proud, unique presence.

Once the family of three finished dressing up, they called on Flanna and Bella, who lived next door, to join them for their last breakfast in Rex City.

The two maids transformed into dragons, carrying Iris’s family to their next destination.

After a two-hour journey, they arrived at Boros City.

The prosperity of Boros City was incomparable to Rex City, and its scale was significantly larger.

Entry inspections were also much stricter.

But nothing that money couldn’t solve, if that failed, they could always resort to force.

With a combination of bribery and a show of strength, they managed to secure a noble’s convoy and successfully entered Boros City with their maids.

They then began their usual search for a place to stay.

Illya held Iris’s hand in her left and Naya’s in her right as they strolled through the inner district’s streets, where there were fewer people than in the outer and middle districts, mostly composed of polite nobles.

“Iris, do you think the Holy Knights will come here to contest for the nearby capital-grade earth vein relic?”

“It’s possible. In the Kingdom of Dia, besides the world-class earth vein energy reaction from the other day, nothing has surpassed the capital-grade level. The Holy Knights have no other choice.”

“I see. But Boros is so big, there’s no way we’d run into that mother-daughter pair here again, right?”

Besides, judging from the last encounter, the Holy Knight mother and daughter seemed quite down-to-earth. They stayed in the middle district instead of moving to the inner district.

Now that Naya was in the inner district, she hoped they’d avoid crossing paths with those two.

The reason for choosing the inner district was to let Illya explore the grandeur of the capital of the Kingdom of Dia before the earth vein’s flower bloomed.

If there was an opportunity, she could even show Illya what the royal palace of a human kingdom looked like. Illya was always talking about abducting a princess, yet she had no idea how difficult it was for a princess to escape the high walls of the palace.

For now, finding a place to stay was the priority.

————————

Inside the palace of Boros City.

The king was warmly receiving the holy knight, Samiya, along with her daughter, Semira, and three Casimir knights who had accompanied them.

In the reception hall, a variety of cakes and pastries were spread on the luxurious golden round table.

Beside them, servants were pouring tea.

The elderly king smiled politely at the holy knight. “Honored holy knight, it’s a pleasure to welcome you to Boros City. I apologize on behalf of the lord of Rex City for his inadequate hospitality when you visited.”

“No need. You’re aware of what happened near Rex City, aren’t you?”

“Yes… I must sincerely apologize. I didn’t expect a dragon to appear there. But, after all, the matter of the sacred artifact of the leyline is usually something adventurers handle. It’s difficult to involve the military in such issues. Dragons, as you know, can fly and disguise themselves as humans, so it was understandable that security in Rex City was compromised. I beg your forgiveness, holy knight.”

The king, thinking that the holy knight was here to demand an explanation for the leyline artifact being stolen by the dragon, hurriedly poured out his apologies and explanations.

“Not only that, there was also a Blood Moon ritual incident in Gerris City before that. Coincidentally, a dragon appeared there too. It seems your kingdom is being infiltrated by dragons.”

The holy knight’s visit wasn’t only about the nearby capital-level leyline artifact. It was also tied to the complex relations between the Goss Empire and the Dia Kingdom.

Currently, factions within Dia are divided between those who support the dragon race and those allied with the Goss Empire, and the rivalry is fierce.

The holy knight’s grand arrival in Dia Kingdom to compete for the world-class leyline artifact only to have it taken by a dragon was a blow to the Goss Empire’s reputation.

If this incident shifts the balance of factional power in the Dia Kingdom, it will be troublesome.

The ambition of the Goss Empire has never changed.

One day, they will annex the Kingdom of Dia into the territory of the Goss Empire.

Only when all of humanity stands united can humans truly defeat the dragons.