NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: The Supreme Dragon Becomes a Freeloader
Chapter 6: The Supreme Dragon Becomes a Freeloader
“I see.” The dragon girl nodded in understanding as she entered the throne room. “So you are a demon lord, and a newborn at that.”
The clear curiosity in her voice was only emphasized by the way her eyes darted around the throne room and examined every last meagerly decorated nook and cranny. She was wearing my t-shirt, but that was it. Likewise, I was also half naked. If this were Japan, we both would’ve been arrested on the spot for public indecency.
To be honest, I hadn’t planned on bringing her all the way back to the dungeon. I didn’t exactly think it wise for me to reveal that I was a demon lord. I still had no idea as to how all the other races perceived me and my kind; I was worried that she would go back on her word and opt to destroy me on the spot the moment she discovered my identity. Since the catalogue only functioned within the dungeon’s confines, my original plan was to head back home and return to her after retrieving a chocolate bar. But the dragon, being impatient as she was, refused to wait and pestered me until I agreed to let her tag along. My only choice in the matter had been to yield to her whims and bend to her will.
Fortunately, my concerns were needless. I’d just been overthinking things. Her opinion of me seemed to have remained constant even though I was a demon lord. She hadn’t suddenly declared that she was obligated to kill me, nor did she proclaim that I was a threat to the races. Instead, she’d just acknowledged that i was the dungeon’s master and moved on.
I would’ve loved to continue thinking and making conclusions, but first, I had to get her some clothes. I wanted my shirt back, and I obviously couldn’t just take it and leave her in the nude. I had to replace it with something.
Wait, does the DP catalogue even have clothes for little girls?
Much to my surprise, the answer to that question was a firm yes. In fact, there was an entire selection.
God damn, is this thing convenient. I have to be extra careful with it. I’ll probably end up abusing it and eating through all my funds if I’m not.
In fact, I’d already started doing exactly that. I only had about five hundred dungeon points remaining. Half the DP I started with had gone flying out the window.
That, however, didn’t stop me from getting her a full set of clothes. I purchased her a simple one piece dress, a pair of matching sandals, and a full set of underwear. I casually tossed the three items, which had cost me 80, 60, and 30 DP respectively, towards Leficios as I asked her a question.
“You could tell?” I’d already assumed that the dragon girl would eventually figure out that I was a demon lord, but I’d expected it to at least take her a little more than just a glance.
“Thank you. I had forgotten how susceptible my human form was to the cold,” she said as she caught the clothes I bought her. She began changing immediately. It didn’t look like she was feeling even the slightest bit embarrassed, but I spun around and avoided looking at her regardless. “As for your question, the answer is yes. This room is filled with a type of magical energy unique to dungeons. You are its sole resident, and it clearly consists of only a single room. A minor bit of elementary logic is all it took to determine that you were a newborn demon lord.”
She paused for a moment, rendering the room completely silent save for the rustling of her clothes.
Wait, did she just say that there’s like a dungeon-specific type of magical energy? That means there’s probably other types of magical energy too, right? I think one of my stats is called magic, so does that mean I can cast it? I really need to look into that. I’ve always wanted to give slinging a spell a try.
“I see, so the cause of your advent lies with the dungeon. You merely happened to spawn at this location. That is much more understandable. I now comprehend the reason for which you were wandering about my territory.”
“Er, wait, hold up. I think you just made a logical jump I totally missed. You’re making it sound like demons just appear out of thin air or something.”
“They do,” she said.
“Uhh… what?”
“It is true that most demons have parents. Some, however, come into being through spontaneous generation,” said the dragon girl. She was done changing, so she tossed my shirt over my shoulder as she spoke. “Demons appear in places with highly concentrated magic particles. Specifically, they are created when the particles gather around a sort of core.”
“A core?”
“Most cores are made of magic stones, crystalized magic particles. I know not of your circumstances, but I presume your core was born of the power that the dungeon expended to summon you. The magic particles here are especially dense, so it is quite plausible a conclusion.”
Dude, demons are weird. I mean, I know it happened to me and everything, but I’m pretty sure normal living things aren’t just supposed to appear out of nowhere.
“That aside, I must admit that I am impressed by your dungeon’s elegance,” said the dragon girl. I turned around after putting on my shirt, only to find that she was basically feeling up the dungeon. She was running her small hands along everything within her reach.
“Why are you impressed? Isn’t this just how dungeons are?”
“Not at all. None of the dungeons I destroyed in my spare time are even qualified to be compared with your own. They were but mere caves, decorated with the occasional lackluster accessory. I recall only one that differed. It lay under the control of an arrogant fool that knew not his own limits. His dungeon was a castle, one decorated with many a gaudy, tasteless ornament.”
Heh, so even the Supreme Dragon finds this dungeon impressive? Damn, dungeon bro, you’re some pretty hot real estate, huh? Wait, did she just say that she destroyed dungeons in her spare time? Holy sh*t. I would’ve been long dead if not for her love of sweets.
The truth of the matter was that I was wrong. The dragon informed me that she hadn’t actually planned on killing me. Though she could’ve finished me off with ease, she didn’t want to bother. Her goal was just to scare me enough to send me running and convince me never to intrude on her territory again. She only would’ve killed me if I allowed my pride to get the better of me. In other words, she only would’ve ended me if I refused to back down. That was the reason she talked to me instead of instantly flattening me from above. Apparently, she had sat there contemplating the deal I proposed to her not because she was debating whether or not she wanted to kill me, but rather, because the cave I was living in lay within her territory. She hadn’t been too willing to relinquish it.
I was really lucky she came to the decision she did. The dungeon core was more or less my second heart. Separating me from the cave was no different from strapping a ticking time bomb to my chest.
“So whatever ended up happening to the demon with the fancy castle?”
“He declared himself the world’s most powerful being and challenged me, so I reduced him to cinders, castle and all.”
Yeah, I figured. What kind of idiot decides to challenge the strongest dragon in the world? That’s just asking for death. Why’d he think he’d win anyway? Sh*t, I’m actually super curious. [1]
Apparently, my curiosity was both obvious and immediately apparent. Seeing the look on my face had led the dragon to heave a sigh before speaking in an exasperated tone.
“Demons like you are few and far between. Most members of your race believe combat prowess to be the means to all ends. Demons are known for not only fighting amongst themselves, but also challenging mighty warriors from the other races. Typical demon behaviour is both bothersome and obnoxious.”
I’mma guess that probably means most of the other races really do hate demons after all. God dammit.
“So, what you’re saying is that all demons are more or less muscle-brains?”
“Muscle-brains? I’ve not heard the term.”
“Muscle-brains are basically idiots that think with their biceps. Most of them have just got more muscles where their brains should be.”
“I see. The expression is curious, but fitting,” said Leficios with a nod. “But yes, that is correct. Demons have been muscle-brains for the past thousand years.”
“The past thousand years…? Wait, you’ve lived for over a thousand years!?”
“I have. And that is in part the reason the humans refer to me as a being of legend.” The dragon girl puffed up her tiny chest with pride.
A whole thousand years? God damn, that’s so long I can’t even wrap my head around it. Wait, why’s she so childish if she’s lived for a whole thousand years? She’s got one hell of a sweet tooth for someone that’s lived that long.
“Oh yeah, so here’s the thing you wanted, Dragon.”
“Finally! I’ve been waiting!” The dragon immediately grabbed ahold of the chocolate bar I handed her with both her hands, unwrapped it, and took a small bite off the top. “Mmmmnnn! How exquisite! I love the mildness of its flavour!”
That “Mmmmnnn!” though.
“And I would prefer for you not to refer to me as ‘Dragon,’” she grumbled. “My name is Leficios, and I would like you to use it.”
“Leficios? Eh, that’s kinda long. I’ll just call you Lefi instead. Oh and that reminds me, I’m Yuki.”
“L-Lefi!?”
“What?”
“M-Mind me not. It is just that I have never been referred to in such a manner.”
“Oh uh… I see.”
Lefi was an ancient dragon. She had lived over a thousand years. Still, I didn’t find it surprising that no one else had ever called her “Lefi.” She was the legendary Supreme Dragon; she wasn’t the type of person you’d normally address so casually. But as far as I was concerned, she honestly just seemed kind of like the daughter of a relative or something, specifically one that’d started pining for adulthood. To me, Lefi seemed like the type of girl that went out of her way to try to act older than she really was.
The dignified aura that she gave off at first was nowhere to be found. It had long since up and vanished.
“Again, mind it not,” said Lefi, casually. “More importantly, I would like to inform you that I’ve come to a decision: I will be living here from now on.”
“Uh… what?”
“I am glad I discovered this place. I have grown sick of my roost. It was not the most comfortable place to live, nor the most convenient. I have been looking for a new place to rest my wings, and I believe your dungeon fits the bill.”
“U-Uhhh… this seems really sudden…”
“Can I not stay?”
The dragon girl began to pout.
“I-I mean, isn’t moving supposed to be something you spend more time thinking about?”
“Can I really not stay…?”
Lefi approached me and put on a puppy dog face as she turned her gaze up towards me. Tears began to gather in the corners of her eyes.
“F-Fine,” I stuttered.
“Splendid.” Lefi backed off and began to grin the moment she got me to agree. “I am glad to see that our wills are aligned.” She then started happily nibbling on her chocolate bar again, as if the whole event had never happened. I knew that she’d totally just baited me in and played me for a fool, so I ended up twisting my expression into a bit of a wry smile.
To be honest, allowing her to stay was well worth it. Though she looked like nothing more than a young girl, she was in fact an apex predator, and not just a local one either. She was one of this world’s most powerful hunters. Her very presence was enough to make the dungeon as safe as could be.
Yup. I totally made the most logical decision. I definitely didn’t end up agreeing just because I thought she was cute. Nope, not at all.
And so, the Supreme Dragon ended up becoming one of my dungeon’s residents. Specifically, she became a good-for-nothing freeloader.
[1] Sh*tty Hyouka reference. I didn’t keep it literal because it would’ve sounded gross.