Chapter 118: 118

I am truly happy from the bottom of my heart to have come to this place.

Ai, who I haven’t seen for a long time, now named Aoinoun, is living a happy life.

I am very fond of Aoinoun.

The first time we met was long before our worlds collided and became what it’s like now.

It was about a hundred and fifty years ago, to be honest, I’m not sure.

The Earth Dragon Tribe is laid-back, so they don’t pay much attention to the months and years.

It’s a common thing for long-lived dragon species to do, but the earth dragons are even worse.

The Sky Dragon tribe flew through the ever-changing skies every day.

The sea dragons change their home along with the tidal currents every season.

Unlike other dragons, the earth dragons spend most of their lives deep in the forest or in remote areas that are out of the reach of other species.

They live in such places, sleeping, eating, blowing fire and breaking the ground all day long,.

Because of that, I don’t think deeply about time.

Every day is the same, every day is boring.

The earth dragons that have taken root in the land have a duty to protect the land and the spirits in the area.

That’s why they can’t just leave the place.

Even if you have to go to another location, if you have a spirit of the land, you can talk to other dragons even if they are far away from you, so they don’t need to move much.

The ultimate laziness.

I was born as the only daughter of such a king of the Earth Dragons, the Earth Dragon King.

An arc dragon, a dragon that heats the soil and creates earth.

Earth dragons are said to be the most capable of fighting among the dragon species, but the Arc Dragon is the strongest of them all.

That’s why I was unfortunately born ‘strong’.

No, I wasn’t bemoaning the fact that I’m powerful.

The sad thing is that even those of my own race have become afraid of my power.

About four hundred years ago, I was born in a forest of mist, rain and volcanoes as the only daughter of the Earth Dragon King Rubynane, and I had the power to overwhelm other dragons shortly after I was born.

Even adult dragons were blown away with just a playful attack, and dragons who were hit by chance were plunged deep into the ground.

If I may say so myself, it was scary.

A tiny baby, who couldn’t even stand properly yet, happily blew away adults many times her size.

It’s terrible.

Even though she cries out to me to play with her, I can’t go near her if I’m going to be beaten up. It wouldn’t be surprising if people around me felt that way at all.

It’s only natural that not only adults but also children close to my age would stop approaching me.

The only person who could deal with me was my mother, who was more powerful than me.

It was boring.

I knew it wasn’t that everyone hated me.

The reigning Earth Dragon King, Rubynane Drangell, is an excellent monarch.

That’s why they respected me, her daughter.

I’m just afraid.

I’ve avoided leaving the nest for as long as I can remember and spent my days in boredom.

From the entrance of the nest, all I could do was watch the other little dragons frolicking happily together.

My heart grew cold.

That’s when I began to feel despair, thinking that I would frighten whomever I met, anyway.

Aoinoun, that’s when I met Ai.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Ai came to the Earth Dragon Forest along with her mother, the Sky Dragon King.

She told me that the Sky Dragon King was travelling around the forest to show her child the world.

When she came to greet my mother, I saw Ai for the first time.

She was a small child with beautiful, long blue hair.

She was dressed in pure white clothes and on her back were small wings, the sign of a sky dragon.

A short tail with short, black, straight horns.

Ai never left the Sky Dragon King’s side and looked up at me and my mother with an anxious face.

‘This child is also afraid of me.’

It was natural I felt that way.

After all, I’d never played with a child of the same generation before.

After a brief greeting with the Sky Dragon King, I hurried back to my nest.

I didn’t want to see her scared.

I curled up in my nest and prayed for them to leave soon.

“N-nice to meet you.”

Suddenly, I heard a lisping voice.

I got up and looked for the voice, and found Ai timidly at the entrance.

”Oh, um. It’s me, Ai. Can you tell me your name?”

Fearful and scared, Ai was staring straight at me.

“… Ru”

I gave my childhood name suspiciously.

I’m sure this kid doesn’t know I’m dangerous.

“Ru… oneechan?”

Ai tilted her head in puzzlement.

“Yeah. Ru.”

I wasn’t used to being so chatty.

My mother was quiet and didn’t say much, and the other dragons avoided me.

I didn’t have many opportunities to talk.

“My mother told me to go play because she had something important to talk about.”

I was the one who was terrified by Ai, who trotted over slowly with her short legs.

“Ah, it’s dangerous. Don’t get too close.”

I thought I’d hurt her.

She’s a much smaller child than I am.

If I by chance hit her with my arm or leg, she wouldn’t stand a chance.

“Why?”

“Because I’m very strong.”

With that, I moved to the inner wall.

“Strong?”

“Yeah. I still can’t control my strength yet.”

“H-how strong?”

As I was asked, I slapped the wall to demonstrate it

With a loud sound, the wall caved in with a palm shape.

“Ah.”

I kind of just did it, mother is going to be mad at me.

Our nest is much more sturdy compared to the other dragons’ nests.

My mother spent a lot of time building it so that it wouldn’t lose to the power of the arc dragons.

She’s a neat and tidy woman, so the walls are perfectly level.

I’m sure my normally mild-mannered mother would be angry if she found out that I damaged the walls of the nest.

“Wow…”

As I hurriedly gathered the dirt and rocks from around the caved-in area in a fluster, I heard a sigh from behind me.

“Amazing…”

When I turned around and looked at her, she was looking at me with sparkling eyes.

”How did you do that?”

“I just tapped it.”

“I wonder if I can also do that?”

Ai stared at her own little palm.

“Do you want to try…?”

“Un!”

It was broken anyway, and this child couldn’t possibly break it anymore.

With that thought, I beckoned Ai over.

Ai walked over to me happily, shaking her short, thick tail.

”C-cute.”

“Hmm? What?”

“It’s nothing.”

I tapped the ground with my tail to indicate for her to come next to me.

Ai plopped down on her butt and patted the wall I had broken.

“Fuwaa.”

I couldn’t help but grin at Ai, who let out a sound of astonishment and touched the wall in a daze.

“Try it.”

“U-un.”

Saying that, Ai swung her left hand down.

”Wow.”

“… amazing.”

She wasn’t as strong as I was, but a small hand print appeared on the wall.

This child also seemed to be more powerful than the other dragons.

When I thought about it, that was a given.

Ai is a Sky Dragon. She’s the daughter of the Sky Dragon King.

“Aha. A-Ha-ha.”

“Ah, do it in moderation.”

Perhaps feeling good about her achievement, Ai continued to slap the wall with an innocent smile.

Prints in the shape of Ai’s hands were created one after another on the walls.

“Wow, wow!”

Everything within reach was covered with her hand prints, and as if that wasn’t enough, she stood up vigorously and hit the other walls.

I have no idea what’s so funny, but as expected, it would be bad it this continues.

My mother will come when she notices the noise.

She’ll be angry.

“Ah, Ai. That’s enough. She’ll get angry if you do that too much.”

“It’s too late. Daughter.”

My body stiffened at the familiar quiet voice.

“M-mother. This, I…”

She’s going to be angry at Ai.

So, I turn around in fear and spoke up.

I was the one who gave her permission to do so.

She should get angry at me.

“… I was starting to think that it was getting noisy, but it looks like you’re having fun.”

A hand was placed on my head.

I fearfully looked at my mother’s face behind me.

“Mother?”

My mother looked at me with a calm expression.

“Don’t worry about the wall. Ai is still young so let her play, just be careful she doesn’t get hurt.”

“I don’t mind. She gets a lot of injuries from running around our nest every day. It’s not every day that she gets to meet a dragon so close in age. Feel free to poke her in the head if she does anything wrong.”

Before I knew it, the Sky Dragon King, was standing behind my mother and said with a laugh.

“Mommy! Look! This is Ai’s! Ru-oneechan’s is amazing too!”

Ai proudly pointed to the hand prints she made.

“Hey, you little tomboy. What are you doing to someone else’s place? Apologize to Aunt Ruby!”

The Sky Dragon King flicked Ai’s forehead with her index finger.

“Ahh.”

Ai held her forehead with both hands.

“Wait a minute Yule. I’m not an Aunt, right?”

Mother forced a smile and placed her hand on the Sky Dragon King’s shoulder.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re much older than me, and from Ai’s point of view, you’re old enough to be an old lady.”

“No, no. I’m not going to concede there. Ai, call me Ruby-oneesama.”

Even though I was her daughter, I didn’t think she was an oneesama

“Oneesama?”

Ai tilted her head cutely and looked at mother.

She looked at her face for a while, then unexpectedly turned to me.

“Ru-oneesama?”

It struck me in the chest.

What a cute gesture.

A sky dragon. Ai, the Sky Dragon, is supposed to be able to control lightning.

I wonder when she struck me with a lightning bolt?

“Yes, Ru is older than you, so she’s your oneesama.”

The Sky Dragon King smiles pleasantly and pats me on the head.

“And this is Ruby-obasama.”

“Ruby-obasama.”

Mother pointed at the Sky Dragon King points to his mother.

An evil smile appeared on her face.

“Ruby-obasama!”

I don’t know why she seems to be having such fun, but Ai smiled brightly at mother.

My mother saw that and made a difficult face.

“Give up, Ruby-nee. She’s already picked it up.”

“You made her say it.”

The Sky Dragon King placed her hand on mother’s shoulder as she crossed her arms with a mortified face, and she didn’t hide her grin.

They’re on good terms.

“Mom! I want to play outside with Ru-oneesama!”

“Oh, that’s good. We need to repair the sky around here, so this forest will be a problem for a while. So, can you show her around?”

“Un! Is that okay? Ru-oneesama!”

I looked at my mother, troubled.

My mother smiled gently and gave a small nod.

“U-un. I’ll show you, around.”

What should I do.

Around here, there’s a lake with a view of the horizon and a rock-crushing waterfall above it.

I wonder if it’s going to be okay.

Am I gonna hurt Ai?

“Ru.”

“W-what?”

I was thinking about what to show Ai, when my mother called me over.

I looked up at my mother.

My mother was smiling, shaking her short, shoulder-length, red hair, which was darker than mine.

“You have to protect Ai. You’re her older sister.”

Protect.

Me?

I, who was always hurting someone because of this power, me?

“U-un.”

Can I do it?

I wonder if it’s going to be okay.

“Let’s go! Ru-oneesama!”

Ai grabbed my right hand and ran off energetically.

I started running at the same speed as Ai as she grabbed me, because if she grabbed me, I could crush her hand.

“Ah, Ai. You’ll fall if you run, so walk.”

Since Ai was still young, she was still a little unsteady on its feet.

I was a little scared, so I warned her gently.

“Y-yes!”

After listening to me honestly, Ai stopped running.

“Ehehe, my mom is always upset with me too.”

Blushing, Ai laughed with embarrassment.

Seeing her face, my face naturally loosened up.

Cute.

That’s right.

I’ll protect her.

If I’m strong, I can protect Ai no matter what.

I’ll definitely protect the smile that’s not afraid of me and trusts me.

“Un. Let’s take it slow. Don’t let go of your sister’s hand so you don’t get lost, okay?”

Determined, I gripped Ai’s hand with great care.

This hand with almost no strength in it is enough for Ai.

“Yeah!”

Ai replied cheerfully and laughed again.

Feeling our chilled hearts warm up, Ai and I walked out of the nest.

◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

Ah, how nostalgic.

I can still vividly remember that day.

It was so cute when Ai, who was so excited, fell into the lake and cried because she was scared by the force of the waterfall.

Jaja and Nana were sleeping on top of lap.

They looked very comfortable, breathing in and through their noses.

They are like angels.

Ah, it’s so soothing.

When I look at it this way, Jaja looks a lot like Ai when she was little.

Especially her eyes.

Nana also looks similar, but Jaja was more like a splitting image?

But Nana is also very cute.

Yeah.

Cute.

Ah, I’m happy.

I’m so glad I came out of the woods.

I was sure I’d be in for a lot of trouble again when the sage rat showed up.

I was right to come here.

In addition to Jaja and Nana, I’ve also made friends with the kids who took refuge in this community center.

How wonderful. Kids are great, after all.

When I met Ai, I learned the importance of keeping my power in check.

Ai stayed in the Earth Dragon Forest for five years and it was very frustrating.

Even if I wanted to play with her, I would hurt her if I wasn’t careful all the time.

I would be hesitant to hug Ai back when she was acting like a spoiled child.

So after Ai left the forest, I spent all my time training with my mother’s guidance.

I didn’t want the children I would meet to be injured.

The training was tough and painful.

But I never faltered.

Little children are to be protected.

Ai taught me that.

Aoi, the girl who used to call herself Aoi, had grown up.

Even I have yet to experience a spawning season.

I hear it’s very painful.

Aoi overcame the pain and gave birth to two angels.

It must have been hard for her.

I’m sure she was in a lot of pain.

Father of the twins.

Kunpei is a kind man.

I was a little defensive because I’d never heard of the father of dragons before, but I was relieved to see that he was a good guy who protects children, despite his scary face.

I thought I might have frightened him because I showed him my power at our first meeting, but Kunpei doesn’t treat me with fear.

His brother and father also treats me normally.

Compared to when I was in the forest, my life has become more lively.

I was given the name Rougerichte when I became independent.

Kunpei was the first person besides my mother to call me by that name.

The first time I was called, it was somehow very comfortable.

It was a strange sensation.

What was that all about?

Hmm.

Well, that’s okay.

For now, let’s just enjoy the warmth of the twins.

I’m not very smart, I don’t think about it because it’s useless to think about it.

That’s the way I am.

Come to think of it, Aoi has been clinging to Kunpei lately.

Kunpei’s younger brother Shouhei, says they’re flirting more than before.

I don’t know what he means by ‘flirting’, but it’s a good thing they’re on good terms.

It’s much better than being on bad terms with each other.

Kunpei seems to be troubled by something recently, I wonder why.

The other beastmen and humans are also watching over it warmly, so it must be a good thing.

Yup.

It seems that they will be able to end their life at the shelter soon and return to their nest.

It’s a shame that we won’t be able to play with the other children, but it’s best for kids to stay in the nest.

Especially babies, because they sleep well.

It’s very important to have a safe place to sleep.

I left the Earth Dragon Forest and came to this town to protect the twins and their nest.

Let’s give it my all.

Anyone who tries to harm them will be burned without being able to lay a single finger on them.

I’m very good at burning things.

I am the dragon who calms the earth and controls the fire.

I’m an arc dragon.

Oops, Nana is starting to squirm.

I’m glad to see them so lively.

Jaja will be up and about soon.

What can I do to make you laugh today?