Adrian said nothing, silently watching the campfire crackle for a while. On the opposite side, Mikhail had just drifted off to sleep, lying down with his eyes closed.
“Sleeping?”
The dragon asked again in a low, hushed tone.
‘Mikhail… he’s asleep, right?’
This was the moment the Gold Dragon had been waiting for. Mikhail showed no signs of movement, his eyes still closed. His long, pale lashes lay calmly across his cheeks, and the bright moonlight accentuated the contours of his serene face.
Hmm. Adrian gazed at him quietly before closing his own eyes. When he opened them again, brilliant golden irises glimmered beautifully in the darkness.
Adrian drew forth a bit of his true body’s magical power. Responding to his call, soft golden mana crystals began to shimmer and swirl around the Gold Dragon. Rising slowly from where he sat, he raised his right hand and moved it gently, as though caressing the air itself.
The golden mana coalesced around his hand, briefly swirling in place. With every subtle motion of his fingers, the energy began to form a shape, as if seeking its destined form. First came the face of a beast, and then, beneath the head, four legs emerged.
Soon, a majestic golden wolf appeared beneath Adrian’s hand, eyes closed, gently wagging its tail under the Gold Dragon’s touch.
Pant, pant.
The wolf’s fur glowed in the exact same golden hue as Adrian’s shimmering eyes. It had closed its eyes, content, as the Gold Dragon scratched behind its ears and along its neck with cool, soothing strokes.
Shhh, the Gold Dragon whispered, bringing his index finger to his lips in a quiet warning. It would be a problem if the prince woke up. Adrian extended the same finger in Mikhail’s direction. A cloud of golden dust spiraled outward, encircling the area where Mikhail lay, casting a spell of silence over him.
At its master’s signal, the golden wolf slowly padded over on all fours and plopped down beside the sleeping prince, right across from the fire. Sitting by his side, the wolf wagged its tail faintly, gazing at its long-lost master.
Adrian nodded a few times, clearly pleased.
Understanding the gesture, the wolf opened its jaws wide, then clack, shut them again. Then it bent down to lick its front paw, grooming its lustrous golden fur with devoted focus. At a glance, its behavior mirrored that of an ordinary wolf, but in truth, this was a formidable summoned beast—should anyone approach the prince uninvited, it would rise faster than lightning and strike a fatal blow without hesitation.
The dragon watched the scene for a moment, then rose into the air. From high above, almost brushing the dark night sky, Adrian looked out over the vast forest below. It was just as dense as it had appeared from the ground. And then… the Gold Dragon lifted his gaze. Far in the distance, he spotted a towering mountain.
But just by looking, he couldn’t identify which mountain it was. The Gold Dragon turned toward it and began flying in that direction. His bright golden hair fluttered delicately in the wind with every movement.
He’d played dumb in front of the prince, but the power he’d sensed was far greater than he had expected.
Abundant mana—and Polirep, which had once flourished along the roads in ancient times.
This place mirrored the conditions of a primordial forest. A landscape from long, long ago. Hundreds of years, perhaps. The Gold Dragon gently touched down on the top of a tall tree, setting one foot down lightly. Then he brought down the other foot and stood as naturally as if he were on solid ground.
“So… really, there are no villages around this mountain…”
Then why does it feel so familiar? Adrian crossed his arms, suspended midair in thought. The identity of this mountain was gnawing at him.
The dragon’s radiant golden eyes slowly closed. However… the path that should’ve opened in response to his call—the gateway to his lair—remained hidden. He couldn’t quite tell why, but it felt as though this current form was incapable of opening it.
What time period is this exactly? What was I doing at this point in time? Drawing power from his true form hadn’t been an issue. As the Gold Dragon drifted deeper into thought—
The golden wolf guarding the prince stirred. Its ears twitched. In the dense woods beyond, the underbrush rustled. The sound of shifting grass and snapping twigs followed. The wolf, hearing something approach, opened one eye just a sliver. Then, with a quiet sniff! it gave a small bark. It was soft, but to its summoner, it rang out loud and clear, as if barked directly beside his ear.
Clicking his tongue in irritation, the Gold Dragon immediately turned from the distant mountain and flew back, just as fast as he had arrived. Fortunately, by the small fire, the prince still lay sleeping with his eyes closed. As the Gold Dragon descended gently to the ground, the wolf sprang to its feet and trotted over.
What is it?
Adrian absentmindedly patted the top of the wolf’s head. Panting, the wolf pointed its snout toward one side of the bushes. At the motion, the Gold Dragon blinked and stared toward the thicket. Indeed, the foliage was rustling, as if something—or someone—was within.
He walked over and pushed aside a few leafy branches.
And then, he saw what had been hiding inside.
“Huh?”
The Gold Dragon leaned down slightly, peering intently at the creature.
In response, it stared right back at him with its tiny black eyes. Fffsshh— Then it opened its mouth ever so slightly and let out a small puff of flame.
Ruff! The golden wolf barked softly beside the dragon.
Startled by the sound, Adrian instinctively looked back at the prince, but thankfully, the silence spell he had cast held firm—Mikhail remained sound asleep with his eyes closed.
The small creature, intimidated by the wolf’s growl, slowly retracted its long neck and began backing away into the brush. Judging by its size, it seemed to be a juvenile.
Tch.
The Gold Dragon gave the wolf a subtle warning and gently rested a pale hand on its head. Shff, shff— His fingers moved slowly through the wolf’s soft fur. Without taking his eyes off the salamander, the Gold Dragon murmured,
“Yeah… good find.”
He patted the wolf’s head twice where his hand had rested.
With every pass of his hand, the golden wolf’s body began to dissolve into radiant light. Soon, nothing remained where the creature had stood.
Once the summoning faded completely, the Gold Dragon turned his attention back to the young one.
Come to think of it, back when the air was this saturated with mana, if you were just a little lucky, you could spot spirits. Especially during nights spent camping—salamanders were known to show up.
With the wolf now gone, the salamander that had been crouched within the grass blinked its large eyes slowly. Despite its small size, it must have recognized the dragon as something special—it was a spirit, after all. The baby salamander stared in wonder at the Gold Dragon’s face.
Fffffsssh—
A tiny flame burst forth again from its little snout. Then, glancing about cautiously, it clumsily crawled forward on all fours, emerging from the underbrush. Adrian raised the branch he had been holding a bit higher to help it come out more easily.
‘That’s not a spirit I’ve seen at the Academy.’
Hm? Where did you come from? the Gold Dragon muttered, gently patting the salamander on its head once it was fully out of the brush.
At that—
Ffft—!
The baby salamander, blissfully ignorant of everything, responded to the dragon’s voice with a tiny burst of flame as if answering him. Then, it slowly crawled over to the campfire where the prince lay sleeping. It stared into the flickering flames for a moment, then began clumsily climbing over the surrounding stones.
“…What are you trying to do now?”
Like many elders, the Gold Dragon had a soft spot for the young and helpless. He simply watched from behind, muttering quietly as he observed the salamander’s antics.
Clack. A few stones on the fire’s edge toppled over from the salamander’s stubby kicks. But it didn’t seem to care at all. It continued its slow march until it reached the heart of the blazing fire, where it curled its tail around itself and settled in.
As a spirit born to swim in lava, there probably wasn’t a more comfortable bed than an open flame.
The Gold Dragon let out a low hmph, exhaling a quiet sigh as he eyed the unexpected intruder. Then, he turned his gaze toward the prince, who, at least while asleep, looked like a flawless angel.
“Hey… where’s the rest of your kind?”
Fwee— The salamander, face blank and clearly not understanding a word, blinked at the dragon from inside the fire, then promptly closed its eyes.
Well, once they wake up, they’re both going to cause a ruckus.
Now he was stuck babysitting little ones on both sides.
Lamenting his situation, the Gold Dragon sat down right in front of the fire and leaned back against a nearby tree. He had no need for sleep himself, and planned to let the prince rest as long as he could.
