Reincarnated as a Dragon and Raised by a Demon

The view of the station we saw after getting off the train resembled an island floating in the sky.

Below the station was a city, but a larger island above caught our attention even more.

It seemed that the entrance through which people came and went was connected to the island above.

At the station’s entrance, we could see people being checked one by one.

We were guided to a different entrance than the general public.

“Hello.”

A person who appeared to be a checkpoint staff greeted us with a kind smile and demeanor.

Aila took out a small identification card from her pocket and showed it to the staff.

“Are the people accompanying you part of your group?”

“Yes, and these three don’t have identification yet; I will vouch for them.”

I, Jema, and Catherine did not have what was called identification since we came from Latnia.

Dahlia was the only one among us who had an identification card.

The checkpoint staff checked Dahlia’s identification and returned it to her.

“You have a record of several visits here. The others can go over there and have their photos taken one at a time.”

In the direction pointed by the staff, there was a small space set up for taking pictures.

Each of us went inside, followed the voice guidance, and took a photo before coming out.

Upon handing over the photo, we sat on the platform benches to wait as instructed.

“Is the place above here the capital?”

“To be precise, it’s a location where the capital is situated.”

I didn’t fully understand the meaning of that statement.

If it is the capital, then what does it mean to be a location where the capital is?

A little while later, the checkpoint staff brought over three makeshift identification cards and handed them to us.

“Your expressions are a bit stiff.”

“I was just following the instructions from the voice guidance.”

Dahlia commented while looking at the photo on my identification card.

When I saw Jema and Catherine’s photos, they looked much more natural than mine.

With the identification cards issued, we were granted permission to pass through the checkpoint.

Finally, as we emerged from the checkpoint and stepped outside the station, a long escalator awaited us.

“So, we go up this?”

“Once you go up, there will be another checkpoint for you all. That’s beyond my authority.”

Aila informed the three of us, excluding Dahlia, that another checkpoint was awaiting us.

She told us to prepare ourselves mentally in advance.

When we reached the end of the escalator, there were two entrances split apart.

One was for the general public, and the other was for the makeshift identification cards.

Jema, Catherine, and I entered through the makeshift identification entrance.

Before we entered, Aila mentioned that if we found anything unreasonable, we could say her name.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to the entrance.

“Please place all your belongings here and change into these clothes.”

The staff handed us large baskets, ushering us into the changing rooms one by one.

Receiving the baskets, we entered the changing room.

“What? Are we supposed to change together?”

“We’re in a hurry, so we’ll do it like this. It’s fine since we’re all girls, right?”

Even though I hadn’t drunk the transformation potion, the staff perceived me as a girl.

“I’m a man, though?”

“Really? Just go in with the ladies.”

The staff seemed not unfriendly, but rather overwhelmed with busyness.

Reluctantly, I moved into the changing room and changed into the clothes handed to me.

The clothes felt akin to a plain hospital patient gown.

There were no pockets, and the outfit was quite loose.

I thought it was just me, but Jema and Catherine’s outfits were similarly baggy.

“Are they intentionally giving us something this large?”

“Who knows? Let’s just go out.”

After changing, we were guided into a room labeled ‘Review Room.’

Upon entering the review room, I sat facing an employee across a desk.

The employee was neatly combed back with a gold-rimmed glasses, reviewing documents.

“Please tell me your names.”

As I stated my name, the employee rapidly began to write something on the paper they were holding.

“State your purpose and reason for being here.”

The employee’s inquiry was somewhat commanding.

“I seek asylum.”

When Catherine spoke, the employee slid one of the documents aside.

“We heard you are applying for admission to the Academy.”

“Aspirants. It’s about academics.”

The employee silently wrote something on the document and set down the pen.

“You mentioned you were seeking asylum; does that mean you are from Latnia?”

“Yes.”

“What’s your status?”

“I’m a slave.”

Catherine casually answered her status as a slave.

Her noble background was merely a part of the family history, but the reality was that she was a slave.

“And you two, where are you from?”

“Latnia.”

“You’re from the Demon race? Why?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been in that country since I was little.”

“That must have been tough.”

With that one remark from the employee, my heart softened a little.

A faint smile appeared on the previously cold and expressionless employee’s face.

“Welcome to your asylum. Once you get in, please apply for formal asylum at the governmental office. You two should apply for citizenship.”

After the review was completed, the employee handed us a yellow ribbon.

“This indicates that the review is finished. Go outside, change your clothes again, and collect your belongings before you leave.”

As we received our belongings and exited, Dahlia was waiting for us.

“Where’s Aila?”

“Over there.”

Though she was wearing armor, her face was not covered, so I could recognize her at a glance.

“Welcome to the capital of Roran.”

“It feels like it’s been ages. Riki.”

Riki, who had separated from the Demon King’s castle and headed to the capital first, had come out to greet us.

“I see new faces; who are they?”

“I’m Dahlia. I came to take the entrance exam for the military academy.”

As Dahlia introduced herself, Riki had a somewhat complicated expression.

“You came here for the military academy exam?”

“Yes.”

“Is there an additional exam this year?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything about that?”

Dahlia’s expression grew serious as she listened to the conversation between Aila and Riki.

“No exam? But it’s held every year!”

“There won’t be any more this year. The slots were filled quickly due to the high number of applicants.”

At those words, Dahlia let out a deep sigh as she looked at Aila.

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I thought you were referring to next year’s exam because, as you said, it’s held every year.”

“We have no choice now. We’ll have to wait until next year from here….”

Once we stepped outside, Riki’s pre-arranged carriage was parked.

“There’s a bit of a crowd. One of you will have to take the carriage behind.”

I raised my hand and indicated that I would take that one.

Riki summoned the driver of the carriage I would be taking and introduced him to me.

“This is the new recruit.”

“Hello. I’m Jie. Can I speak informally?”

“Yes.”

Jie took the driver’s seat, and I got in the adjacent passenger seat.

As soon as we set off, Jie cast an autopilot spell and conversed with me.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Ririan.”

“Alright, Ririan. What’s your relationship with the captain?”

Around Aila, everyone seemed to ask me that question.

At this point, I wanted to know why everyone was so curious.

“Why is everyone so interested in that?”

“It turns out I’m not the only one asking.”

Jie took out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it for me.

“This is our organization chart.”

“Is it okay to reveal this freely?”

“It’s not classified information, and it’s already somewhat public, so it’s fine.”

As I examined the organizational chart, one spot appeared to be different.

Though the names of the individuals were absent, it was easy to deduce who someone was based on their ranking.

“There’s no name here.”

“That’s why everyone’s asking.”

Other Knight Order leaders had aides attached to them, but one position was vacant.

The Second Knight Order.

The one led by Aila.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, not really. But the captain isn’t the type to get close to people, especially men.”

Jie noticed I was male at once.

While many people had failed to accurately identify my gender before, Jie had recognized it right away.

“Probably few people in our team have seen the captain. In fact, today is only my second time meeting her.”

Jie explained that Aila generally doesn’t reveal her appearance to the public.

“So there are even rumors that the Second Knight Order’s leadership is vacant.”

“You really enjoy rumors, huh?”

“There’s no choice. The captain usually isn’t in the capital. This is only her second visit in six months.”

I had no idea what Aila had been doing before meeting us.

She was called because the Alium needed support for power reinforcement.

When I thought about it, the route from Latnia to Roran was quite far.

Yet when Alium requested support, Aila was already waiting for us from somewhere not too far away.

“So? What’s your relationship? Don’t tell me you’re a hidden child?”

“How old do you think I am? If I had a child that big, Aila’s age would….”

I suddenly stopped speaking and looked at Jie’s expression.

He was smiling with a look of satisfaction as if he had found something amusing.

“I can’t disclose personal information recklessly.”

“I thought you were young, but I didn’t expect you’d be this young.”

It seemed Jie had made some deductions based on what I had said.

“You were fishing for information, weren’t you?”

“The captain’s age will probably be a topic of curiosity for the vice-captain too.”

While Aila had revealed quite a bit of personal information, it seemed she was thoroughly concealing her own information in the most important Knight Order.

One can’t disclose something someone else is trying to hide.

I decided to stay vigilant to avoid falling for Jie’s traps.

“Anyway, the captain’s trust within the Knight Order is quite low.”

“Well, everyone has their own circumstances.”

If it were revealed what kind of relationship I had with the captain, I might faint from shock.

While I answered questions appropriately, before I knew it, the car had stopped.

“We have to walk from here.”

When I got out of the car, we were in an empty area with nothing around.

“Everyone this way.”

As we headed towards where Riki was calling, there were stairs leading underground.

“Is this the capital?”

“No, there’s a magic circle connected to the capital.”

I really couldn’t understand why they were hiding things so tightly.

As we went underground, there were people who seemed to be non-soldiers standing guard.

Aila was not moving forward; instead, Riki stepped in to handle all the procedures himself.

The guards saluted Riki, not Aila.

Confused by the sight, I quietly asked Aila.

“Why don’t these people know you?”

“Few people know my face.”

As we stepped onto the teleportation magic circle, Aila took something from her pocket and put it on her face.

With a flash of bright light, my feet briefly lifted off the ground, and when they touched down again, the scenery around us had changed.

Right in the center of a broad plaza.

Many Demon races and various species walked the streets or flew in the sky.

“This is the capital of Roran, Clarke.”

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