Yurenâs age was history itself to mortals, but by dragon standards, she was still quite young. Even she knew that there were exceptions among dragons.
To most dragons, other races were nothing more than pets.
Vampires, who werenât on good terms with dragons, were perhaps comparable to pests.
The exceptions were those who harbored excessive affection for these âpets.â
Even elves, who lived long lives in harmony with nature, eventually met their end.
Among the races of the continent, only dragons could be called immortal. So, they didnât, and couldnât, give their hearts to other races.
But even so, there were dragons who truly loved other races. If it was a long-lived race like elves or dwarves, it might be bearable, but a dragon who loved a human was different.
Humans, even compared to other long-lived races, died quickly. There was such an exception among Yurenâs friends.
[âWhy do you love a human? Youâre only hurting yourself.â]
[âYouâre right. Humans... are such fragile beings.â]
[âGive up now. Youâll feel better.â]
[âBut... thatâs why I love them.â]
At the time, she couldnât understand her friend, who missed her lover who had passed away. But now, she understood it even more.
Yuren thought things through, one by one.
âFirst, why did I suddenly hide?â
Dragons were always confident, sometimes to the point of being insensitive.
In fact, Yuren had even barged in on unit members while they were intimate.
It wasnât intentional.
She had urgent business and ended up intruding. At the time, she was honestly confused by the flustered reactions of the unit members, but...
Now, she couldnât act so carelessly. Something was weighing down on her chest, preventing her from acting.
Was it just her imagination that her lower body felt like it was being scorched by fire?
â...Iâm...
Yuren hurriedly left.
It wasnât just embarrassment. Irritation was rising from deep within her heart. Dragons were known as the benevolent race, and for the most part, it was true.
However, there was one thing that enraged them, having something they owned taken away.
Dragonsâ possessiveness was deep and boundless.
It was simply that they didnât often feel possessive because they believed they could always reclaim what was theirs. But if someone provoked a dragonâs possessiveness, they risked being completely erased. �
It was the same just now.
For a brief moment, Yuren considered barging into the room and ripping Clunaâs throat out. The throat of her colleague, her comrade...!!
âWhat was I thinking?â
She felt a sense of self-loathing and disgust. But what was even more nauseating was the fact that a part of her agreed with those thoughts.
Yuren left before she did something she would regret.
...But what if...
...what if she killed Cluna?
...would the Commander punish her?
âUgh...â
Hans woke up with a groan, the meaning of which he didnât understand. It felt like he had been lying in bed for a long time.
He slowly sat up.
âHmm?â
âItâs nothing.â
Helia smiled and shook her head. It didnât seem like it was the Commanderâs doing.
Then the source of this pulsating scent...
Her crimson eyes moved away from the Commander. After confirming that he wasnât looking, her gaze turned cold and sharp, focusing on Cluna.
Cluna, despite the cold glare, simply smiled leisurely.
That annoyed Helia.
That damn woman... did she get there first?
But she couldnât unleash her emotions here.
The Commander, already exhausted from overworking, was in a weakened state. Besides, it was that woman who had been attending to him.
âIâm frustrated, but... I have nothing to say.â
Of course, Helia hadnât been slacking off either. To be helpful to her teacher, she trained with everyone during the day, and at night, she learned to read and handle administrative work.
She wanted to tear that woman apart, but she didnât want her teacher to hate her.
Of course, Helia didnât care about the other unit members.
But what she couldnât stand was the scent of another woman on her teacher. It felt as if he was drifting away, which annoyed her even more.
âI never thought Iâd feel superior because of something like this.â
Cluna thought, chuckling inwardly as she stared at Helia with a chilling gaze.
She was slightly surprised by her own change. But it wasnât a bad feeling. Rather, it was positive.
Come to think of it, it was the same back then. She hadnât realized her first love, denying it and pushing it away, and in the end, she lost him to another woman.
The pain...
She remembered that throbbing. She didnât want to make the same mistake again.
Of course, she knew it was a terrible thing to do to a child, but she could make up for it by showering her with motherly love.
âCommander, thereâs a letter from the Human Kingdom.â
âIs it a reply? What does it say?â
âThey want to meet and discuss it in person.â
âAt least itâs not a rejection.â
While Helia and Cluna were engaged in a silent battle of glares, Hans received a formal report from Yuren. It wasnât a complete acceptance, but there was plenty of room for negotiation.
The expedition, starting after the Royal Knights had been somewhat rebuilt... this had to succeed. And Hans was confident. Because he had the knowledge from the original story.
Of course, if he had only played the game, it would be unreliable, full of holes. But Hans was a hardcore fan who had read the lore book and even attended events hosted by the game company.
He also kept up with the daily updates and community discussions about the lore and story interpretations, and that was why he planned this expedition.
Hans spoke.
âThen shall we depart immediately?â
âAre you sure?â
âYes, this much is nothing.â
â...â
Yuren almost blurted out what had happened with Cluna.
[Translator Notes]