Supposedly, holding a baby filled a person with a peculiar feeling. They were shockingly soft, and their body temperatures were far warmer than an adult’s. The baby instinctively hugged Marie back, and she let out a deep, delighted sigh. She seemed overwhelmed with indescribable emotions and whispered, “You’re so warm.”
The baby was absurdly comforting to hold. Maternal instincts weren’t exclusive to humans; the elf felt it in full force. Wridra’s baby made unintelligible noises in Marie’s ear, and her ears drooped as her heart melted.
“Nngh! What an angel!” she squealed.
“Hah, hah, I suspect you will have one of your own in no time,” said Wridra.
“Huh? Are you letting me keep one?! Wait, I’d be a Spirit Sorceress and a mother... I would need to come up with some sort of gifted education program. I have a feeling this child will make history one day― Hey! Why are you taking them back?!”
Wridra bluntly told Marie, “No.” She took her baby back. The elf girl was devastated, her long ears hanging sadly. Then, Wridra smiled and peered into Marie’s face with her child in her arms.
“Marie, this child is lovely, would you not agree? But this child could not have existed under normal circumstances. I should have extinguished my offspring to return them to me, as is tradition for Arkdragons.”
And so, Marie’s eyes widened. I didn’t understand what she meant by “extinguish” or “return” the children. Even I doubted anyone out there had a deep understanding of the ecology of Arkdragons, but it sounded rather ominous.
Wridra knelt to our eye level, then related, “It is a means to narrow down which offspring to nurture. Only the superior one will remain, and the others will be discarded. There is a limit to my dragon cores, so I must be selective with how I use them.”
I had heard of dragon cores before. Arkdragons contained them within their bodies to fuel their massive bodies and the seemingly endless magical power they possessed. High-ranking dragons could even have multiple cores inside them. If what Wridra said was true, she could share them with her children.
“However, I have broken the rule,” she resumed. “I have not culled my children, as I love them equally... Here, no less, we await the worst of all calamities: war.”
She looked at us as if to ask, “Why do you think that is?” She repositioned her baby in her arms, the movement showing off her generously exposed thighs from the hem of her dress. It was hard to believe she was a married woman.
The dragon’s lips curled into a smile when she saw Marie struggling to find an answer. “I find joy in watching you two grow. The thought of watching my children grow up as well brings me happiness like no other. It is only natural for me to wish to raise all of them. Though, I must admit that I did not expect them to learn how to take up a humanoid form.”
She chuckled to herself and smiled warmly.
When Marie noticed Wridra’s motherly expression, she realized something: the Arkdragon had never cared about elves or humans, but her values had changed after spending so much time together with us. Perhaps she had called her minions to the mansion, where she could connect with many people. She sought change through interacting with people rather than through magic.
She looked at her children and stated, “Kitase, I blame you and the others for all of this. Children observe their parents and mimic them to a ridiculous degree. In that regard, dragons and humans are no different. Hold my child for future reference.”
With that, she handed me her child with fluffy pink hair, and I held them out of reflex. It was the first time I had seen a dragon’s baby, and I noted the shape of their eyes and nose resembled that of their mother. They slowly opened their eyes of pink sapphire, taking my breath away.
“Adorable, I know. This one’s name is Yukizona. Babies cannot think much, but they can’t seem to look away from you. It appears they have taken a liking to you,” whispered Wridra, the baby’s eyes slowly closing as she spoke. We soon heard soft snoring, and the child’s body temperature rose even further.
The dragon child had left quite an impression on me. Not only was I captivated by their beautiful colors, but I could sense the energy within them. I handed the baby back to Wridra and knew that I wouldn’t forget that experience for quite some time.
Wridra then handed her child to Kaoruko, who had been watching with fascination. She apparently felt the same thing as me as she handed the baby back and sadly mumbled, “I want one too...” Toru had been watching next to her and consoled her with a gentle smile.
Sometime later, Wridra talked to us about the hardships she had gone through with raising her children. She was a legendary dragon who could generate nearly infinite magic. But we had seen her so worn out from nursing them in the past that we had invited her to relax at some hot springs. Her whelps’ cries once tormented her, but things had settled down lately.
“I thought it was about time they learned from human civilization. If they get accustomed to humans at an early age, they might not grow up to hate them. I was planning to show the married couple around, so I told the staff to welcome you all as guests,” said Wridra, leading the way with her babies in her arms. She then turned and smiled just as the massive mansion was visible ahead. The Ichijos stared amazed at the Lizardmen along the way, who bowed their heads and returned to their gardening work.
Wridra’s earlier comment had caught Kaoruko’s attention, making her hesitantly ask, “So, dragons won’t attack people based on how you raise them?”
“Correct,” said Wridra. “I cannot say for sure as long as they have the instincts they are born with as dragons, but it is possible to nurture their mind so they will wait and reconsider. They are my children, so their instincts should not be the problem. Still, I do not wish for them to grow too reserved.”
Arkdragons reigned from the upper echelons of all dragons. Naturally, they were highly intelligent based on how they had triumphed over powerful foes since ancient times. Even Wridra had become aggressive during her spawning season and tried to burn us to death. That was when I learned firsthand how terrifying dragons could be, yet she had visited human civilization alone and enjoyed alcohol. Maybe it was thanks to that experience that she had hesitated enough to listen to me and Marie apologize.
We soon discovered Wridra wasn’t kidding when she said they would welcome us as guests. Team Diamond, dressed in maid outfits, along with Lizardmen wearing outer garments that looked like an inn’s uniform, welcomed us all at once as soon as we had arrived at the entrance.
The Ichijos stared in wide-eyed surprise at the ceiling that was about three stories high, making the lobby feel extremely open and spacious. Lavish marble comprised the floor, and the fans for assuring air quality circulated an aroma characteristic of a luxury ryokan, or Japanese-style inn. There were flowers all over, with receptionists on standby dressed impeccably. They smiled and even delivered a classy greeting, “Thank you for making the journey here.”
I was just as surprised as the Ichijos when I found out the receptionist was none other than Eve. She even had her golden hair neatly tied back, so seeing her standing tall with her back straight made me call out, “Wow, Eve!” Her eyes remained downcast, but she wore a proud look as her ears swayed, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink.
She made a peace sign from an angle only we could see and said, “Ms. Wridra, Mr. and Mrs. Ichijo, please make yourselves at home.” Although Eve was usually a bit of a goofball, she effortlessly and elegantly performed her duties when needed as Team Diamond’s elite.
“Ah, yes, I don’t understand what you’re saying, but thank you!” said Kaoruko, stunned. She turned to her husband and said, “What is this luxury resort? I might have imagined it, but I thought I saw a hot spring earlier.”
“I-I didn’t know about this either,” said Toru. “I only saw the guesthouse and lake last time. But wow, the interior is really something. It’s so nice and open, and that view out the window! I’d love to sit out there. This is one of the highest quality resorts I’ve ever seen.”
Wridra was clearly in a great mood as she continued to lead the way, but the Ichijos were too preoccupied to notice. She had referenced many Japanese inns and mansions so she could see the reaction they were showing. She had her back to us, but I could picture just how big her smile must have been.
As I followed them, I felt someone grab my arm. Marie and I turned around to find Eve there, her expression different from earlier.
“You’re not a guest. This way,” she said.
“What?! Y-You’re kidding, right?” I asked. “There’s no way you’re making me work by myself. Isn’t that a bit cruel? I was hoping to enjoy the stay here... Hey, Marie, we always stick together, right?” I extended my hand pleadingly, but Marie retracted her hand right before we touched, as if she didn’t want to get dragged down with me. “M-Marie?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Don’t think I’m abandoning you... I want to enjoy a stay at a high-end inn. I hope you understand that it’s not out of self-interest that I’m not helping you,” said Marie. As soon as she assumed that composed, ladylike expression, I had to keep an eye on her. She had a strong sense of curiosity and worldly desires for an elf who dreamed of spending her time elegantly at a resort like this. The elf and dark elf seemed to have agreed simply by exchanging looks. Maybe I had imagined it, but Eve nodded and dragged me away.