The White Dragon's Precious Friend ②

“Ehehe…”

“Hm, you seem to be enjoying yourself.”

Fafnir looked at my bashful face and asked with interest.

What should I do… Should I tell her…?

But surely Fafnir will be angry.

Back five hundred years ago she repeatedly warned me, “You must not associate with humans.”

So I thought I’d keep it a secret.

“Actually… I made a human friend!”

I was so happy that I ended up blurting it out.

Besides, I didn’t want to hide things from Fafnir.

“… Lindwyrm, you…”

“I- I know. And humans, unlike us, die quickly, so there’s no need to worry!”

That’s right… We dragons live for so long, but humans can only live (….) a mere hundred years.

So my relationship with him will end soon too.

“Of course I won’t trouble you either. So…”

“Hah… really…”

Fafnir sighed and shook her head.

But she said nothing more. It was really wrong, but it seemed she would pretend she hadn’t seen it.

“…Thank you, Fafnir.”

“You have no reason to thank me!”

“Whoa!?”

She shouted loudly, and I hurriedly flew away from there.

She was overlooking it for me, so I mustn’t say anything more.

So.

“Ehehe, welcome.”

“N-no…”

Maybe he was nervous; the human, Lauri, looked very flustered.

Ah… humans usually prepare tea or sweets at times like this, right? Did I mess up…?

“W-wait a moment!”

“Ah.”

I hurriedly flew off and spotted a large mystical beast running through the forest.

Yes, that should be good.

I took aim and dove down at full speed.

“Got it!”

I caught the mystical beast and brought it back to the summit of Mount Baldia.

“Th-this is…”

“Ehehe, how is it?”

Lauri looked at the mystical beast, his eyes going wide.

He’s surprised, but he knows humans live by catching mystical beasts, so I’m sure he’ll be pleased.

“I’ll give this to you.”

“Y-yes… but, is that really okay?”

“Of course! We’re friends!”

It was too big for Lauri, so I carried the mystical beast down to the foot (foothill) for him.

He said from there on, if they put it on a sled it could be taken to his home.

“By the way, how is Lauri’s child…?

“Yes. Sir White Dragon…”

“Hmm. I said to call me ‘Lindwyrm’, right?”

“I-I’m sorry! Thanks to the medicinal herbs Lindwyrm gathered, the child has completely recovered.”

“Really? That’s wonderful…”

Hearing Lauri’s words, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I’m glad my herbs were useful.

“W-well then, excuse me.”

“Yeah! Come again!”

Lauri pulled the sled carrying the mystical beast and returned home.

I kept watching his retreating figure for a long time.

“This and this… oh, take this with you too!”

From then on, every time Lauri came, I prepared lots of gifts.

Not only large mystical beasts, but also gems from the northern reaches that humans would like.

I thought surely Lauri would be happy.

“……………………”

For some reason his expression was gloomy.

Especially when I handed him the gifts.

Could it be that this wasn’t enough?

Thinking that, I began preparing more and more gifts each time.

But that was a mistake.

“Lindwyrm… I want you to stop doing this.”

“Wh-why!?”

I widened my eyes at Lauri’s words.

But, but Lauri said he made a living by catching mystical beasts, and a woman I met five hundred years ago said gems were things humans would definitely love.

“I am truly grateful to Lindwyrm. You gathered medicinal herbs when I was at a loss, and every time we met you gave many things. Thanks to that, my family can live for the rest of our lives.”

“I-if that’s the case!”

“But that’s not right. This… this isn’t friendship….”

“Eh…?”

Those were words I didn’t want to hear.

I had feared that one day Lauri would grow tired of me being a dragon and say those words.

“Lindwyrm… I will stop coming here.”

“N-no way…”

What was wrong with me?

Why does Lauri want to distance himself from me?

He said he would be my friend, so why…?

“N-no! I want to be friends with Lauri! Forever and ever, with you…!”

I hated the thought of not being able to see Lauri, so I pressed him.

Because of my large body, Lauri was startled and stepped back.

He turned his face away as if apologetic.

“But giving things… Doing favors isn’t what friendship is. Even without such things, I…?!”

“…!? Lauri!?”

Originally, the summit of Mount Baldia had little footing for humans and was a dangerous place.

Even though I knew that, I pressed forward in panic and caused Lauri to lose his footing.

I desperately stretched my foreleg out to catch Lauri.

But… my foreleg couldn’t reach him.

“Ah… ah… ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?”

I chased after Lauri, who had fallen down the cliff, and leapt down the cliff with him.

Because… because he told me so.

As we fell, he had said, “I will always be Lindwyrm’s friend.”

And yet.

“GROOOOAAAR!!!!!!”

I… couldn’t save my precious friend.