Darson’s face wasn’t covered in scales. Instead, the skin was thick and rough like rock. He did resemble the winged lindblooms in some ways, but as a wyvern, he looked more like my stereotypical image of a dragon, whereas the lindblooms were more reptilian.
Once I’d finished petting him, Darson stretched his neck and let out a huge “ROAR!”
His voice, which was deeper than that of a lindbloom or a lindrake, was so tremendous that its vibrations rolled over my skin.
Now, this is what I’m talking about! He’s even more fiercely intimidating than Ghizel!
In response to Darson’s roar, the other wyverns all let loose powerful roars of their own. The noise was so immense that the air around us seemed to waver. And yet, rather than being frightening, it was mostly just awe-inspiring.
I’m so happy to receive such an enthusiastic welcome!
The soldiers who’d been busy at work taking care of the wyverns seemed startled by the unexpected chorus of roars, but the wyverns calmed down immediately after, so the soldiers seemed satisfied there was no danger.
“What kinds of things does the Dragon Corps normally do?” Daux asked Lieutenant Gaen curiously.
“Outside of patrols and training, we spend all our time caring for the wyverns. They won’t let us touch their nests, but we prepare materials such as straw, logs, and stones for them to maintain the nests themselves. We also provide them with food. The wyverns can be very picky and only allow people they like to care for them.”
Hmm, that sounds pretty similar to the Beast Knights Legion.
However, unlike the lindblooms, if a wyvern built a rapport with one soldier, they might also allow others to ride on their back.
Clearly curious, Daux peppered Lieutenant Gaen with one question after another. He asked what the wyverns ate, how the soldiers gave them their food, and if they were ever attacked, among other things.
I don’t blame him for being excited. The wyverns are so cool that you can’t help wanting to learn all about them! I know just how you feel, Daux!
“Daux seems like an entirely different person today,” Marie remarked, watching Daux hanging on Lieutenant Gaen’s every word.
Indeed, he seemed more full of life today than I’d ever seen him.
“But you still like this side of him, too, right?” I whispered back in Marie’s ear, causing her to flush bright red and shoot me a glare.
Hehe, I’m not scared of you, Marie, not anymore! Could this be “first love”? How adorable.
“Ooooh, you really annoy me sometimes, Neema! Don’t make that face!” Marie pinched my cheek, trying desperately to disguise her embarrassment by redirecting the topic back to me. It didn’t actually hurt, though, so I knew she was only playing.
“Don’t worry, I’m cheering for you Marie.”
“That’s not terribly encouraging.”
Since I wasn’t part of the Linus Empire’s nobility, there wasn’t much I could do to actually support her, but I did have the emperor’s ear.
While Marie and I were teasing each other, Lieutenant Gaen and Daux’s conversation turned in a terrifying direction. Lieutenant Gaen was recounting in great detail the story of how a wild lindbloom had once attacked him.
Why are you telling us something so frightening right before we’re about to approach the other wyverns?!
“Don’t worry; if any other dragons come, the wyverns will protect us,” I hurried to reassure Daux and Marie, but the leader of those wyverns interrupted with a warning of his own.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine, dragon’s maiden, but the others should be careful. Some of our flock are guarding eggs and will lash out if they feel threatened.”
“Eggs?! There are going to be baby wyverns born soon?” I perked right up at this bit of news.
Baby wyverns! I bet they’ll be suuuuper cute!
“Darson told you about the eggs, did he? Yes, several of the mated pairs are incubating eggs, so I believe the babies will be born before too much longer.”
“Will the wyverns raise their own babies? Or do the soldiers take care of them?” I asked.
“Wyverns are fiercely protective of their young and won’t allow us to help with caring for them in any way.”
I see… The lindblooms and lindrakes don’t seem to have any problem handing their eggs over to humans to care for. In fact, they seem to prefer that arrangement since it leaves them with more time to play!
“Does that mean you can only gaze upon the babies from a distance?”
“Yes, we try to keep an eye on the babies to ensure they’re healthy but have to do so from far enough away to avoid antagonizing their parents. Once the babies are old enough to separate from their parents, they’ll begin choosing soldiers they like.”
Seeing cute little roly-poly baby wyverns right in front of you and having to sit on your hands and watch sounded like absolute torture to me! If I had to stand by watching them totter around adorably and couldn’t run over and hug them, I thought I might cry!
“It must be hard seeing those cute babies but being unable to do anything…” I said.
“Oh, yes. All Dragon Corps members love the wyverns, so a few grown men are always reduced to helpless tears during that period…”
Heh, it sounds like, despite the species, the people who love dragons are all the same.
There were times I’d seen dragon knights on the verge of tears because the lindblooms and lindrakes had snubbed them. Their happiness or misery was entirely dependent on the dragons’ whims.
“I understand how they feel!” I was nodding emphatically in agreement when Lieutenant Gaen’s face took on a jealous sheen.
“In your case, Lady Nefertima, I believe you’d be accepted even by wyverns with eggs or babies.”
“No dragon would turn their teeth or claws against a dragon’s maiden.”
“I’m so jealous…”
“All creatures seem to love Neema; it’s not fair!”
…Don’t all speak at once, guys!
I could barely make out what Daux and Marie were saying over Darson’s roar.
Suddenly…
Wyvern roars filled the air.
Unlike Darson’s roar, these roars echoed with rage and murderous intent. Darson immediately beat his wings and flew off to where the problem was occurring.
“I’m very sorry, but please wait here until we’ve confirmed all is well.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked.
Lieutenant Gaen shook his head once, excused himself, and quickly ran off.
“I wonder what happened…” Marie pondered, clearly unnerved by the commotion.
Based on the snippets of what I could pick up from the wyverns, all I could make out was that they were angry. However, concerningly, I did hear the word “egg” several times…
“I think something might’ve happened to one of the eggs…” I said.
I’d heard that dragon eggs sold for an exorbitantly high price.
You’d be risking your life if you tried to steal an egg from a wild dragon, but in the unlikely event that you were successful, you’d be able to live in luxury for the rest of your life, so many people dared to try.
On the other hand, it might be slightly easier to steal an egg from dragons who lived among humans, but this was a severe crime.
“Meaning someone got too close to an egg?”
“Could it be a thief?”
Daux and Marie voiced their suspicions, but this was a military facility. It was doubtful anyone could get inside unnoticed. If anything, I thought it could potentially be an inside job or one of the soldiers had sneaked the criminal in.
“Lady Nefertima, as the commander-in-chief of the Linus Imperial Army, I have a request for you. I vow I will ensure your safety, so will you please help calm the wyverns down?”
“Hold on! We still don’t even know what happened! Are you seriously considering bringing Neema to such a dangerous place?!”
Before I could even open my mouth to form a reply, Marie was already protesting against the commander-in-chief’s request. I was happy she was so concerned about my safety, but I also understood the commander-in-chief’s position.
We didn’t know exactly what had happened, but the wyverns were extremely agitated. The soldiers who worked with and cared for them daily were doing their best to calm the wyverns down, but if that didn’t work, there was a very real possibility someone might be injured or even die.
“Marie, it’s fine, so calm down, please,” I said.
“I’m perfectly calm!”
“Darson confirmed just now that no wyvern will harm me.”
Marie glared at me with tears in her eyes and asked what made me so sure I could take his word for that.
Is it my fault for making her cry?
“Because I’m bonded with the fire dragon. As long as I have the dragon orb, I can communicate with all the different species of dragons, and I’ve been told that none of them would dare challenge a primordial dragon by harming their bonded partner.”
Although it was still technically just an informal bond, Ghizel, Darson, and Kalce had all called me “dragon’s maiden,” so, apparently, it still counted. Based on all that evidence, I was quite confident that none of the wyverns would harm me.
“The commander-in-chief can see that in their current state, the wyverns might attack the soldiers, and someone might even die,” I explained. “To prevent that, he’s asking me to intervene.”
Daux and Marie should both understand.
What it cost the commander-in-chief to bow down to me to prevent the deaths of any of his men. And the fact that anyone associated with the imperial family could not stand idly by and allow soldiers to be killed.
“…I request it of you, too, Neema. Please help them.”
I’m so moved that I think my hands are shaking! Just now, Daux made that request not as a friend but as an imperial prince!
Perhaps it was just his personality, but he never spoke to Marie and me in such a manner. Despite the undeniable difference in our social statuses, he always treated us as friends, not subjects.
And yet, for the sake of these soldiers, Daux stepped into his role as imperial prince and made a formal request to me!
“Of course! Leave it to me!”
If Daux’s doing his best to push past the boundaries of his comfort zone, then I have to do my best, too!
“Your Highness and Lady Marie, please wait here,” Paul instructed.
“Paul, you stay here too,” I ordered.
Paul showed immediate resistance to this order, but I didn’t have time to stop and explain my reasoning to him.
“Let’s go, Shinki.”
I was leaving Paul behind because the wyverns would probably be wary of him. For some reason, dragons never seemed to feel threatened by Shinki. I didn’t know about Darson, but Ghizel and Kalce had even let him ride on their backs so I figured it must have something to do with being a “beloved child’s knight” or whatever.