It Is Your Fate

I could not move.

I could not stop the sweat pouring from my entire body.

I was going to die. I was going to die here. No thought other than that came to mind.

Courage? That would be nothing more than signing my own death warrant.

Wisdom? If it could help, then let it help.

Luck? The gap was not something that could be overturned by that.

I could not win. No, that was wrong. I could not survive.

Even if I pushed everything inside me to the absolute limit, I could not picture myself surviving.

That was why I must not think of fighting.

The moment I showed that kind of attitude, the dragon would move to crush us.

With the same casual ease as crushing an annoying insect.

“…You are trembling in fear. But that is correct.”

After staring fixedly at Kikori and Orphe, the dragon suddenly opened its eyes wide and began to laugh in amusement.

“Ha, haha… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

What kind of laughter was that, exactly?

After laughing in a voice so loud it shook the earth, the dragon raised its head toward Kikori.

“I see. How interesting. You seem human, yet are not human. You seem not human, yet after all you are human. But… hahaha, I can sense one of my own kind from you as well!”

“I…”

“Oh? What is it? ‘I am’ what? Go on, say it.”

Even being urged to speak, Kikori felt as though his mouth were drying out completely.

Because he understood that the dragon choosing to “talk” to him was nothing more than a whim.

“I seem to… have something called Dragon Crown.”

“Ho, Dragon Crown. I know not who named it, but they had good sense. It makes very clear what it signifies.”

Saying that, the dragon bared its fangs and laughed.

“But it is terribly incomplete. It is like picking up scrap and calling it a crown.”

“I thought as much. I do not understand myself why I have something like this.”

“Oh?”

“Orphe… the fairies said I probably shifted off course.”

“I see. By the way, boy.”

“Huh?”

“It seems you have already adapted, have you not?”

At those words, it hit him. He was having a conversation with the dragon in front of him.

Even though Orphe was still trembling behind Kikori’s back, Kikori’s sweating had stopped.

Dragon Crown was said to adapt its bearer to any environment.

Did that mean it had adapted Kikori to “this environment” as well?

“HAHAHAHA! Fascinating, truly fascinating! Even if one were to shift off course, to think there would be one who shifted toward our side!”

“Um…”

“What is it?”

“Is this… really okay? I thought you would say something like, how dare a mere human, or something.”

“Hahaha, nonsense!”

With that, the dragon looked Kikori up and down.

“The fact that you… obtained Dragon Crown, is your fate. Watching how it all turns out will make for a fine amusement.”