Half of the journey had already passed. Their horse-drawn carriage was now far closer to the capital of the Duchy than it had been before.
Not long ago, they had halted their journey for a brief rest and to enjoy lunch before continuing along the long road that still stretched before them.
As the head of the immensely wealthy Handler merchant family, Adela had hired several companies of seasoned mercenaries to escort them throughout the journey.
To her, the safety of everyone in the convoy was a priority beyond compromise.
Even so, Adela knew better than anyone that her two nieces possessed abilities far beyond those of ordinary children.
After a brief conversation with Charlotte, Ian, and her young daughter, Adela returned to her private carriage compartment.
There was still a mountain of work awaiting her attention.
Various personal preparations had to be completed before meeting several influential associates in the Imperial Capital.
Such an overwhelming workload had long since become part of her daily life.
Even while escorting her two nieces to the heart of the Empire, those endless responsibilities continued to follow her without mercy.
It was as though the immense burden she carried as the head of her family had only grown slightly lighter, while most of its weight still rested firmly upon her shoulders.
Adela let out a long sigh.
Then she drew aside the delicate silk curtain covering the glass window of her compartment.
The luxurious carriage rolled steadily along the road with scarcely a noticeable jolt.
Her eyes swept over the ranks of mercenaries escorting their procession.
Only for a moment.
Soon afterward, her attention returned to the stack of parchment scattered across the wooden table before her.
***
Inside the front compartment, Dorothea suddenly brought up dragons.
Legendary creatures that, to ordinary folk, existed only in ancient tales and old legends.
I made sure I had understood her question correctly.
"Dragons?"
"Yes, Sister. Have you ever seen a real dragon?"
Seen a dragon?
Yes.
It was far more than merely seeing one.
I had stood face to face with that enormous scaled creature until it irritated me beyond measure.
I had no desire to revisit those memories.
Yet my cousin's innocent question inadvertently stirred the pages of a past I had long preferred to keep sealed away.
Aside from Father, only Ryan and I had ever laid eyes upon a dragon with our own eyes.
The creature was enormous.
It measured roughly one hundred and fifty feet in length.
In my opinion, the most terrifying thing about a dragon was not the magic it wielded.
The Dragon Tongue was an extraordinary ability, yet even that was not what drew the most attention.
The true threat lay in the colossal reptile's body and overwhelming physical strength, both of which defied all reason.
Their hide and scales possessed durability that surpassed even the finest steel.
To me, that was the most terrifying aspect.
No matter how formidable a spell might be, it still had to travel before reaching its target.
The chances of magic missing its mark were far greater than those of a physical attack.
The larger the scale of the magic, the slower it became once unleashed.
Unless it was magic of the highest order, capable of manipulating concepts such as space, time, and matter instantaneously.
Before I could answer the young girl's question, Ian suddenly fixed his gaze upon me without blinking.
His curiosity was every bit as great as Dorothea's.
I gently clasped Dorothea's small hand with my left.
"Yes. I have seen a dragon with my own eyes."
"Wow!"
Her excitement was impossible to conceal.
Perhaps it was because, for the first time in her life, she had received an answer from someone who had truly seen a dragon rather than merely hearing bedtime stories about one.
"Really, Sister?"
"Of course."
"Then what did the dragon look like?"
Dorothea immediately leaned closer until she was almost pressed against me.
"How large was it? How many legs did it have? And what color were its scales, Sister?"
The little girl bombarded me with one question after another without giving me the slightest opportunity to answer them individually.
Her voice was hurried.
It was as though she feared missing this rare chance to hear about dragons from someone who had actually encountered one.
Watching Dorothea's reaction, I began to understand why writers of adventure tales were so fond of including dragons in their stories.
To children of her age, those creatures possessed an allure that was almost impossible to resist.
Meanwhile, Ian was likely just as curious as Dorothea.
After all, everything he knew about dragons had come from Father's stories and ancient historical records.
So he simply allowed Dorothea to voice every question that had crossed his mind.
As for a dragon's anatomy, its appearance was not much different from the illustrations commonly found in history books and fairy tales.
Father described dragonkind as an intelligent race of four-legged reptiles.
I did not reveal everything I knew immediately.
Instead, I allowed their curiosity to continue growing.
For the time being, I let their imaginations do the work.
After all, I was the one in control of the story.
Unfortunately, that resolve did not last very long.
Dorothea's pleading expression was simply too adorable to ignore.
Her sapphire-blue eyes looked at me with such hopeful anticipation, as though I were hiding the greatest treasure in the world and deliberately refusing to share it.
I surrendered.
"Very well, Dorothea. The dragon I encountered had dark crimson scales."
"Did it look frightening?"
"Yes. It was truly terrifying, and it walked on four legs."
"Hmm... just like the one in my storybook."
My cousin was right.
The illustrations found in storybooks had drawn inspiration from many different sources.
Human artists, along with members of various non-human races who claimed to have encountered dragons.
Based on their accounts, countless illustrations, paintings, sculptures, and sketches were created before eventually finding their way into books for both adults and children.
In every one of those works of art, the dragon's appearance remained remarkably consistent.
"Besides that... dragons are enormous. If I had to estimate its size, it was probably around one hundred and fifty feet long."
"Good heavens... that's enormous!" Dorothea exclaimed, her sapphire eyes widening in astonishment.
Her reaction was the same as mine several years ago.
Back then, Ryan and I had been desperately searching for Father after he left home without a word.
I would never have encountered a dragon had it not been for the dark circumstances surrounding our family.
Even so...
That red dragon had claimed it was not yet fully grown.
So it was likely that a dragon's size was also influenced by its age.
Father had confirmed that assumption.
Dorothea seemed even more excited.
"Then what about its face, Sister?"
A mischievous smile immediately spread across my lips.
"It was terribly ugly."
"Huh?"
"It looked like a monster that hadn't eaten for months."
"..."
"And its mouth was so enormous that it could swallow little Dorothea whole in a single bite."
"Ah, Sister!"
She cried out at once.
"Don't frighten me like that!"
As a silent protest, Dorothea immediately let go of my hand.
A moment later, however, the sweet little girl wrapped both hands around my left arm even more tightly than before.
As though that alone could protect her from the imaginary dragon I had just described.
I gently pinched the tip of her nose.
"Sweet girl. I was only teasing."
Dorothea let out a soft huff.
Even so, she made no attempt to release my arm.
She was simply adorable.
"A dragon's appearance is not much different from the illustrations in your storybooks, Dorothea."
"Really, Sister?"
"Yes. But a real dragon possesses an aura far more terrifying. Their fangs are incredibly sharp, their scales are as hard as steel, and their claws can tear through almost anything they strike. Their bodies are also immense."
"Uh... that sounds frightening."
"And dragons can breathe fire from their mouths. Of course, that depends on the particular dragon race."
Dorothea looked slightly puzzled, especially by that last part.
She slowly tilted her head.
"Dragon race? They have different races?"
"That's right."
I nodded.
"Dragonkind is divided into various races according to the natural element they command."
"Natural elements?"
"You don't know?"
"I'm sorry, Sister. Dorothea doesn't."
"Shouldn't Lucas have already explained that to you? The natural elements are the fundamental forces around us, such as water, fire, earth, and wind."
"Ah, Dorothea understands now, Sister. So dragons possess a natural affinity with elements, just like the lightning and water my elder brother uses."
She understood quickly.
However...
She wasn't entirely correct.
Her explanation was still too simplistic.
Even so, I had no intention of correcting her outright.
It would be better to guide her toward the correct understanding in a way she could easily grasp.
"Not entirely, but it's close enough."
Dorothea listened attentively once more.
"Take Lucas, for example."
"My brother again?"
"Lucas uses his affinities for lightning and water through hand seals. In most situations, a shinobi still requires that process to release those natural elements from within the body."
"Why are dragons different?"
"For dragons, using the natural elements is as effortless as breathing. They wield them as naturally as drawing breath into their great lungs and exhaling it again, without relying on their unique magic."
"Oh..."
Dorothea nodded repeatedly, as though everything had finally fallen into place.
"Then how many dragon races are there, Sister?"
I was about to answer.
Before I could open my mouth, Ian spoke first.
That genuinely caught me by surprise.
I had assumed he would remain silent and leave every question to Dorothea.
After all, the two of them still seemed somewhat awkward around each other. Ian was noticeably stiff whenever Dorothea was nearby.
"There are four principal races, along with numerous subraces."
"Four? Subraces?" Dorothea murmured quietly.
Her soft voice reached my ears as I turned toward Ian, who continued speaking in his usual calm manner.
"Yes... the four principal races are the Fire Dragons, Wind Dragons, Earth Dragons, and Water Dragons."
Dorothea looked at Ian with complete attention.
"The subraces are dragons that have undergone mutations, granting them elements beyond those four natural ones. Each race possesses its own distinctive characteristics, as well as scales whose colors correspond to their element."
I nodded in agreement.
After all, that knowledge had come from Father.
Ian continued.
"The ability to manipulate those elements is an innate power that every dragon possesses from birth."
"..."
"Even without using unique magic such as the Dragon Tongue, dragons are still capable of wielding the element that belongs to their race."
"..."
"Do you understand now?"
Dorothea fell silent for a moment before smiling brightly.
"Dorothea understands now, Brother Ian."
Ian returned her smile with gentle warmth.
After that, he fell silent once again.
Even so, I knew he was just as curious.
My encounter with a dragon was simply too valuable a story to ignore.
Dorothea turned toward me once more, her eyes fixed on mine without blinking.
"Then what race was the dark red dragon you met, Sister?"
Her question drew my thoughts back into the past.
I remembered that talkative dragon chattering almost without pause throughout our encounter.
If I remembered correctly...
That oversized lizard had proudly introduced itself as a member of a particular race.
"It was... a Fire Dragon."
"A Fire Dragon... That's amazing! A dragon that can breathe fire from its mouth, isn't it, Sister?"
"Such a clever girl, Dorothea."
"Hehe..."
Warmth spread through my chest as Dorothea giggled.
Then the little girl tugged at my arm once more with eager enthusiasm, as though she feared I might end the story before every one of her questions had been answered.
"But... how did you fight that red dragon, Sister?" she asked curiously. "Was it kind-hearted like the dragons in Dorothea's storybooks?"
Her innocent question made me burst into laughter.
"A kind-hearted dragon?"
I chuckled softly.
For some reason, the very idea sounded utterly ridiculous to me.
My experience with a real dragon was the complete opposite of the dragons portrayed in fantasy stories for both adults and children.
Seeing my reaction, Dorothea gently nudged my arm.
"Why are you laughing, Sister? What's so funny about Dorothea's question?"
My laughter gradually subsided.
I slowly shook my head.
That wasn't what I meant at all.
It was simply that the thought of a dragon who was friendly and delighted in making friends with everyone seemed utterly impossible.
I had met one of them in person.
That brief encounter, combined with everything Father had told me, had greatly deepened my understanding of their race.
"That's not why I'm laughing, Dorothea."
"Then why are you laughing, Sister?"
"Well, my dear. Dragons are creatures who firmly believe in racial supremacy."
"Racial supremacy? What's that?"
"Very well. Sister will explain it to you."
"Yes, Sister."
Even without Father's explanation, I had already reached that conclusion from the way that giant lizard had spoken to Ryan and me.
The longer the enraged dragon talked, the more contemptuous every word became.
Its speech was filled with blatant racial prejudice.
Father had always warned us never to be racist or discriminate against others.
He forbade us from verbally abusing, physically harming, or intimidating anyone simply because of differences in race or appearance.
But that dragon did not care.
"To dragons, most other races are regarded as inferior to their own."
Dorothea fell silent.
"Furthermore, dragons are fiercely protective of their territories. They are also highly discriminatory and prejudiced toward any race that dares to trespass upon their domain."
The little girl pondered my words for a moment.
Then she asked hesitantly,
"Isn't that... a good thing?"
"?
A good thing?
Father would probably be heartbroken to hear his beloved niece speaking favorably of creatures so openly prejudiced.
"Doesn't that simply mean dragons are protecting their own kind and guarding themselves against outside influences?"
I slowly shook my head.
"It's not that simple. And racism is wrong."
"Ah... I'm sorry, Sister."
"It's all right."
I gently patted her shoulder.
"Dragons behave that way because of an overwhelming sense of superiority. They do not isolate themselves because they fear the outside world."
"..."
"On the contrary, they believe the outside world is unworthy of their presence. Or rather, they have no desire to live alongside races they consider beneath them."
"Oh..."
The light in Dorothea's sapphire eyes gradually dimmed.
"So... are all dragons evil?"
"They cannot all be called evil. But they certainly fit the category of being bad."
"Isn't there even a single dragon who is kind to humans?"
"I don't know. Perhaps there are dragons with more open minds. It's certainly possible. But so far, I have never met one."
"I see, Sister. Then the dragons in Dorothea's storybooks aren't real after all."
I smiled as my gaze drifted back to the road ahead.
The corners of Ian's lips curved upward slightly.
A moment later, he turned his face toward the carriage window.
The falsehoods found in children's storybooks were understandable.
After all, fairy tales existed to brighten a child's early years.
"Forget about it, Dorothea. If Sister ever meets a kind dragon someday, I'll ask it to come and meet you. How does that sound?"
"Really, Sister?"
"Really."
"You promise?"
I chuckled.
"Very well, my dear. I promise."
"Thank you, Sister. I love you."
Dorothea threw her arms around me enthusiastically, and I could feel the happiness radiating from her embrace.
Meeting a kind dragon...
Throughout my entire life, I had encountered a dragon only once.
And that meeting had taken place deep within the vast mountain forest stretching beyond our estate.
Even for a shinobi like me, reaching that place required several days of travel.
For an ordinary person, it would have been impossible.
The distance alone was overwhelming.
Not to mention the wild beasts and monsters that inhabited the deepest parts of the forest.
Had Ryan not detected Father's chakra trail throughout our journey, we would never have discovered the dragon's whereabouts.
Father had once told us about the inhabitants of that remote region within the mountain forest.
He had no intention of ever returning there, no matter how much I asked.
Perhaps that place reminded him of the darkest period in his relationship with Mother.
And it wasn't only Father and Mother.
The four of us siblings would be shattered if the fragile peace they built ever fractured like it did all those years ago.
For a long time, they barely exchanged a single word, even after they reunited.
They had been like strangers.
No.
It had been worse than strangers.
At least strangers still greeted one another.
Still, Father had told us one important thing about that mountain forest.
Its danger level.
Rank S.
Extremely dangerous.
During our search, we found the dark crimson dragon lying battered and helpless beside Father, who sat nearby with a gloomy expression.
Even now, I could still remember that scene with perfect clarity.
That dragon simply could not stop talking.
Ryan, who was usually fascinated by anything new, gradually came to despise it.
Almost every sentence that emerged from its enormous mouth was either an insult, a complaint, or a string of curses directed at us.
Even so...
I had to admit that seeing it in such a battered state had been immensely satisfying.
Especially after learning that Father was the one responsible.
At the time, Ryan had been under immense emotional strain after witnessing our family on the verge of falling apart.
The burden had affected him so deeply that he awakened his Sharingan while desperately trying to persuade Father to return home with us.
Ah...
Forget it.
I don't want to reopen those memories.
Our family is in a much better place now.
It's true that Father and Mother still argue from time to time.
But never again have they reached the breaking point they once did.
There is no reason to dwell on a past that can never be changed.
Even so...
When it comes to dragons, there is still one thing that continues to intrigue me.
I truly want to fight one.
If I had possessed the strength I have now back then, I would have gladly tested the limits of my abilities against that infuriating red dragon.
"Sister still hasn't answered Dorothea's question."
The little girl's voice beside me immediately drew my thoughts back to the present.
"What question?"
Dorothea puffed out her cheeks.
"How did you fight the dragon?"
"Oh."
"Did you meet it without any dangerous battle? Or did the dragon simply let you leave?"
I slowly shook my head.
For a brief moment, I glanced at Ian.
His eyes were once again fixed on me, his curiosity clearly stirred by Dorothea's question.
"No, Dorothea. I never fought it."
"Huh?"
"That giant dragon had already been beaten black and blue before I arrived."
Dorothea's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Who did that?"
"My Father."
"Uncle James?" Dorothea exclaimed in shock.
"Father?" Ian murmured almost at the same time.
Both of them stared at me with eyes opened wide.
Their faces were filled with utter disbelief.
It was as though they had just heard a tale even more impossible than the existence of dragons themselves.
Especially Ian.
Father had never told him about it.
Neither Ryan nor I had intended to tell him, either.
It wasn't my fault.
Besides, he had never asked.
Our family's troubles had overshadowed everything else, so our encounter with the dragon remained a secret shared only between Ryan and me.