While I was distracted by the sight of the magnificent wyverns, the commander-in-chief pointed off into the distance and said, “It’s over there.” He was pointing to a large building.
So that’s the army headquarters where we were just a short while ago, huh? Looking at it from above like this, it sure looks massive!
Even at this considerable distance, the fortress was still imposing in its size and presence.
“From here, it doesn’t even take a whole segment for the wyverns to fly down there. They hardly have to ‘fly’ at all; it’s more like gliding, really.”
It certainly didn’t look like a distance that could be covered in just two or three minutes, but I supposed that just went to show how fast the wyverns were.
“I will introduce you to the person in charge as well as the wyverns’ leader.”
Before we got any closer to where the wyverns were roaming around freely, there was one thing I needed to do first.
“Pardon the imposition, but is there someplace these two can wait for me? They’re unable to get close to the wyverns.”
By “these two,” I was referring to Seigo and Rikusei, who’d come along as bodyguards. They were fine with holy beasts but, unfortunately, said they were afraid of wyverns.
I wonder if the fact that they aren’t afraid of holy beasts is a special ability they received due to being named by me?
“Of course. Wyverns are a species of dragon that sits at the top of the food chain, so it’s only natural to be frightened of them,” the commander-in-chief acknowledged, assigning two soldiers who seemed to be especially fond of animals to keep an eye on the kobolds.
I’m going to have Spica sit this one out, too.
“Spica, I’d like you to wait here with them. If they start getting bored, please play with them to keep them from getting into any trouble.”
Seigo and Rikusei both had such a strong sense of curiosity that it often got them in trouble. I hoped they’d behave but felt bad about leaving them bored and with nothing to do while they waited, so it made sense to assign Spica to watch over and play with them.
“Very well.”
“Seigo and Rikusei, be good and listen to Spica and these men, okay?”
The two kobolds barked their replies in perfect unison.
It might’ve been a bit late now, but I suddenly worried whether the other monsters left behind at the imperial palace were doing okay.
Even though I’d “tamed” her by giving her a name, Inaho was still a strong and famous monster. I couldn’t bring her along for fear that she would trigger the beastpeople’s instincts to attack in preemptive self-defense.
Haku and Gratia had offered to stay behind with her, and I’d gratefully agreed, but… Kai was in charge of looking after everyone, a decision that I was now uneasy about.
But Haku and Gratia had been behaving more responsibly since Inaho joined the family. According to Shizuku, slimes capable of becoming parent slimes would never mature completely until they reached that final evolution. So it made me smile to see how Haku and Gratia behaved like older brothers towards Inaho despite still being juveniles themselves.
It’s just so cute how earnest they are towards her! I wish I could install a nanny cam so I could spy on them and see what they’re doing when I’m not around! Whatever they’re up to, I’m sure it’s cute!
Spica and the others waved goodbye as we entered the area where the wyverns roamed freely.
“Many young wyverns live here, and we’re also breeding the wyverns.”
I didn’t see any obvious babies, but some wyverns were distinctly smaller than the others. These ones seem to be just on the cusp of entering adolescence.
“This is Gaen, the leader of the Dragon Corps.”
“My name is Gaen Corsass. Thank you for translating the wyverns’ words for me last time we met.”
Oh, he means when Sol was here.
The wyverns who’d come to escort the emperor home had refused to return to the barracks even after completing their mission. Lieutenant Gaen had been unable to figure out why they were behaving strangely until I explained that the wyverns were saying they didn’t want to leave without first paying their respects to Sol.
Sol sure is popular among all the different types of dragons. The lindblooms and lindrakes working with the Kingdom of Gaché’s Dragon Knights Legion treat him with deference. They even try to speak in respectful language to him, but more often than not, it just ends up sounding weird.
I accepted Lieutenant Gaen’s thanks and asked him to introduce me to the leader of this flock. Unlike the other wyverns, he seemed almost the size of a small mountain and had an impressive set of spikes running along his back and down his tail.
“I welcome you, dragon’s maiden.”
“This is the wyverns’ leader, Darson.”
All the dragons I’d met, regardless of species, called me “dragon’s maiden.” I’d asked Sol what that meant, and he said it referred to someone bonded to a primordial dragon.
In short, if the other primordial dragon besides Sol, the water dragon who lived in Wazhite, were to bond with someone, that person would also be a “dragon’s maiden.” I’d asked what would happen if the bonded partner were a man, and Sol said they’d call him a “dragon’s boy.”
Why isn’t there any decent male equivalent for the word “maiden,” anyway? “Dragon’s boy” doesn’t have the same ring to it as “dragon’s maiden.”
“Nice to meet you, Darson! My name’s Neema.”