The Black Dragon's Request

“…!?!”
“…!?!”

“………………”

Before us lay a Black Dragon, prostrate and staring this way.

A body so immense it could rival the “Central Sea’s guardian” was covered in black scales, and it was plain that human weapons would stand no chance.

Much like the “Fire of Judgment” that had no effect on that sea-serpent monstrosity.

However.

“………………”

Still, Patricia laid her hand on the sword at her hip.

As the Empire’s first princess… as the “Silver Sword Princess”, ready to challenge it to battle.

At that moment.

“Well met. Little boy who walks a strange fate.”

“…!?!”

Suddenly, Jonah heard a voice in his head.

It was the same voice he had heard when the Black Dragon had flown in and then left for this mountain.

Looking over, Patricia—whose hand had been on her sword—also wore a surprised expression.

It seemed Jonah was not the only one to hear the voice.

“Um…”

Jonah spoke timidly.

To the Black Dragon before him.

“Indeed. I spoke to you.”

Sure enough, the owner of the voice was none other than the Black Dragon before them.

That said, who would have thought a Black Dragon could converse with a human… or whether any human had ever exchanged words with a dragon at all.

Jonah couldn’t hide his surprise and excitement at this unexpected encounter with a dragon.

“I-I! My name is Jonah!”

Jonah’s onyx eyes gleamed as he somehow gave a quick bow and introduced himself.

At that sight, the Black Dragon was taken aback and then—

“Go… GOAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

“Gu… GUHAHAHAHAHAHA! What a stout-hearted boy!”

“…!?!”
“…!?!”

The Black Dragon suddenly roared, overwhelming Jonah and Patricia.

At the same time, the dragon’s laughter echoed in their heads—apparently that was how it spoke—and the difference between the booming sound from its massive body and the voice in their minds left the two bewildered.

“Hm… ah, no, sorry, sorry. Indeed, laughing at this distance must have been harsh on such diminutive humans.”

“Y-yeah…”

Their ears were ringing from the earlier roar, but since the Black Dragon spoke in their heads, they could hear it clearly.

Still, Jonah wished the dragon would think a little more about how it did things.

“Yes… but the boy introduced himself first. Now it is my turn.”

Saying that, the Black Dragon raised its body.

And then.

“My name is ‘Fafnir.’ I make my lair on Mount Baldia.”

The Black Dragon looked down at the two and gave its name.

“By the way, when I was on the surface, didn’t Fafnir speak to me in my head? Saying, ‘I’m waiting’…?”

“Yes, I said that.”

With his ears finally clearing and calm returning, Jonah asked, and Fafnir nodded in affirmation.

“Um, why were you waiting for me…?”

Jonah had been wondering ever since coming here.

He had never met Fafnir before, and dragons would have no reason to pay attention to a tiny human like him.

Yet from the way Fafnir had spoken then, it had sounded as if it had been expecting Jonah to come.

“Yes. That is…”

“W-wait! Um… I’m still not quite processing what’s happening here…”

The shock of Fafnir appearing right where they had teleported, the earlier roar, and above all Patricia’s duty to slay the White Dragon left her unable to think clearly—she had gone almost invisible.

Only when she snapped back to herself did she interrupt Jonah and Fafnir—who were continuing their conversation as if nothing had happened—to make sense of the situation.

“Ah… s-sorry. I just…”

Jonah scratched his head with an embarrassed smile and apologized.

It seemed Jonah had become so engrossed in talking with the legendary Black Dragon Fafnir that he’d left Patricia behind.

“N-no, it’s fine. I’m the one who interrupted—sorry. Please continue.”

Patricia said that hesitantly, but what she should be asking was something else entirely.

Her objective was, after all, to slay the White Dragon. Since Fafnir showed no hostility toward them, she should be asking about its mate—the White Dragon.

“Thank you. Um, so…”

“Yes. An old friend told me: a boy named Jonah would fulfill my wish.”

“What!?”

Jonah didn’t know anyone who could be a friend of Fafnir.

In fact, the only people Jonah had bonded with were those he’d met on this journey. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed impossible.

“Who on earth is that ‘old friend’!?”

“Hmm… Well, don’t worry about that. Rather, there is something I wish to ask of Jonah.”

Though it refused to answer Jonah’s question, Fafnir brazenly proceeded to state its request—leaving Jonah a little indignant.

“What I ask is not a bad deal for you either. Because…”

Fafnir glanced back and forth between Jonah and Patricia.

“I ask that you lend me your strength to slay my mate—the White Dragon ‘Lindwyrm.’”