Kays Translations

Side Story: The Dragon Girl Runs away

—Edelgius Mountain.

“Milady, please, wait! If it’s food you want, we’ll prepare it for you!”

“I don’t want it! The food you people make tastes awful!”

Ignoring the attendants — including Ashros — who were trying to stop me, I took flight from Edelgius Mountain.

With neither Father nor Mother around at the moment, this was the perfect chance to slip away and go out freely.

When the ever-annoying Ashros started chasing after me, I simply reverted to my dragon form and easily shook him off.

I just couldn’t forget the taste of the food I once received from someone who had come from outside the mountain, and ever since then, I’d been waiting for the right chance to escape.

I flew away from Edelgius Mountain, determined to put as much distance between me and home as possible — but before long, my stomach let out a fierce growl.

I hadn’t eaten anything all day, refusing the bland food, and after using up a huge amount of energy transforming into my dragon form, hunger was hitting me hard. I couldn’t think of anything else but eating.

For now, I transformed back into my human form to conserve energy.

But staying human meant I couldn’t fly steadily, so I landed on the ground and started looking around for anything remotely edible.

“…I’m so hungry.”

Wandering through unfamiliar territory, I mumbled to myself, but of course, no one was there to respond.

I had successfully ditched Ashros and slipped away, but the truth was — I knew almost nothing about the outside world.

And worse, there was absolutely nothing around that looked even remotely edible.

I’d flown randomly in my rush to escape, so I had no idea where I was. Everywhere I looked, it was nothing but endless overgrown forest.

“…I wonder if this grass is edible.”

Even the grass growing nearby started to look tempting, so I picked a bit and tried nibbling it — but it tasted awful.

No matter how hungry I was, this was beyond inedible.

It had only been three hours since I’d run away from Edelgius Mountain.

And yet, I was already starting to regret it.

But it was too late for regrets. I’d flown so far in my dragon form that the towering Edelgius Mountain was nowhere in sight.

Worse, I didn’t have the strength left to fly back — and I was so hungry, I felt like I might collapse at any moment.

I knew it was a little too soon for a runaway to cry herself to sleep in defeat, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to go home.

…But I didn’t know how to get back.

I knew I was being pathetic, but the tears kept falling.

Even if the food back home was bad, at least I had something to eat — and realizing that now, I finally felt a little grateful for Ashros and the others.

“Ashros… I know I was the one who ran away, but please, come find me…”

Even as I sincerely wished for that, no one came.

I wandered aimlessly, but eventually, the sun began to set.

Though I was born a dragon — the highest-ranked species — and always prided myself on being above the others, without the strength to transform, that meant nothing.

I could barely stand in my human form, and if anything attacked me now, even a mighty dragon like me wouldn’t stand a chance.

Feeling my life might truly be in danger, I made up my mind: I had to find something to eat — anything — and fast.

Even just enough energy to transform back, if only for a moment.

Driven by desperation, my eyes landed on a patch of mushrooms growing at the base of a tree.

Ashron, the most nagging of all the attendants, had always scolded me: “Never eat wild mushrooms.”

But I had no choice.

I yanked one out and popped it into my mouth.

“…Mmm!? It’s delicious!”

I’d always believed Ashron’s warnings and avoided mushrooms, but now I couldn’t understand why — this one was incredibly tasty.

And so, I kept picking and eating every mushroom I could find.

But then, the change hit me. Suddenly.

My head grew light and dizzy, and my vision started to spin.

It was a strange sensation — I felt happy, yet sad, all at once.

Before long, my legs gave out, and I lost all sense of balance. I collapsed onto the ground.

In the back of my mind, I knew this was bad. But my body wouldn’t move, and I couldn’t string my thoughts together.

“…S-someone… help…”

I managed to croak out a faint plea, but the only creatures who responded were hungry beasts drawn to me — monsters.

Three of them, their eyes glinting with hunger, crept toward me.

I wanted to drive them away, but my body had no strength left.

Under normal circumstances, I could’ve defeated creatures like these in less than a second. But now, here I was, about to be eaten by low-level monsters.

I didn’t want to die.

I knew I was to blame for running away on a selfish whim, but I didn’t want it to end like this.

But my wish went unheard.

One of the monsters — a hyena-like creature — opened its jaws wide and lunged at me.

I shut my eyes, bracing for the attack… but it never came.

Puzzled, I slowly opened my eyes.

A large, black beast was standing there, having scattered the monsters that were about to devour me.

It had sleek, jet-black wings — just like mine — and a birdlike shape.

I couldn’t tell whether it was a friend or foe, but for some reason, I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and safety.

Relieved, the tension in my body melted away.

And just like that, my consciousness faded into darkness.

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