It was a day like any other, where I had come out to the square to observe humans.

Suddenly, a woman lifted me up and confined me to an unknown place.

If I were human, it would have happened in a short moment where I couldn’t even resist, but I was a dragon.

If I wanted to resist, I could have resisted as much as I wanted to. Nevertheless, I decided to stay put for now in this absurd situation.

The place the woman arbitrarily brought me to was a small room.

Looking around the room decorated with luxurious furniture, Melphis was confused.

It had been 9 years since I started traveling the human world.

During that time, I had seen numerous humans, and I thought I had understood human behavior patterns to a certain extent.

But suddenly being kidnapped like this. Even confined in such a luxurious place.

‘I thought I had completely grasped humans, but was that my misconception?’

I tried to read the kidnapper’s mind with the data I had accumulated so far, but it didn’t work as I wanted.

It was a situation that I couldn’t understand at all.

‘There’s no way it was kidnapped out of goodwill, so is there another purpose?’

Wanting to see how the situation unfolded, he quietly stayed trapped for two weeks.

He thought that after that much time, he would be able to know the kidnapper’s true intentions.

However, his expectations were off the mark.

For two weeks, the culprit didn’t show up at all.

All he could do was relax and play in this luxurious room.

A situation that any human would enjoy. Nevertheless, Melphis, who was so curious about the culprit’s intentions, finally attempted to escape.

The escape was very easy.

Although it was difficult to break through the complex lock mechanism of the door, he could just ignore it and teleport outside.

After escaping from the room, Melphis immediately searched for the culprit inside the hideout.

And when he found the person who had kidnapped him, he couldn’t continue speaking.

It was because he had encountered a familiar energy.

‘To think we would meet like this.’

9 years ago, the child who first made him interested in humans.

That small child had grown up before his eyes.

During the past 9 years, Melphis had occasionally imagined what the child would look like when grown up.

For a dragon with an extremely long lifespan, 9 years was not a very long time.

Perhaps that was why. The child in his imagination still hadn’t shed their youthful appearance.

But the actual child had grown much more than he had imagined.

Come to think of it, the humans he had been watching would grow up in the blink of an eye.

The child was the same. In that short time, the child would have become an adult.

Melphis unknowingly smiled at her, who was soundly asleep, unaware that he had escaped.

Recently, there wasn’t even a human who had the slightest interest in him, so he was bored, but now that it had come to this, he thought he should observe her.

After that, whenever Melphis was bored, he would deliberately transform into a handsome man and get kidnapped by Vivian.

Her actions of kidnapping him every time without even recognizing him were absurd yet interesting.

The relationship between the kidnapper and the victim.

It should have been like that, but strangely, as the kidnappings repeated, a friendship formed between the two.

At some point, Melphis came to wish for Vivian to recognize his past self.

So he deliberately gave her leaves he had picked from the forest.

Leaves with a unique shape that could only be found in a forest full of magical beasts.

He hoped that seeing this would remind her of something.

Unfortunately, Vivian didn’t show much reaction. So this time, he took her directly to the forest where they had met in the past.

‘Now that I’ve done this much, she’ll realize who I am.’

With that expectation, Melphis came to see her today.

But what Vivian actually said was completely different from what he had hoped for.

“Are you possibly a dragon?”

The moment he heard those words, Melphis couldn’t help but choke.

This was because it wasn’t included in the many questions he had expected from Vivian.

‘She’s not asking if I’m the wizard who saved her then, but suddenly asking if I’m a dragon.’

To humans, dragons were nothing more than imaginary animals.

But seeing her suddenly ask such a question, did she know about the existence of dragons? No, even if that was the case, why all of a sudden?

It was difficult to gauge what Vivian was thinking.

“A dragon, what are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Melphis, who had failed to manage his expression, looked like someone whose secret had been exposed to anyone.

Of course, the dense Vivian didn’t notice that fact and calmly asked again.

“You are a dragon, right?”

Melphis was at a loss for words at her too natural attitude. He had no intention of revealing it this way…

In the end, unable to beat Vivian, he confessed his identity.

“I am, I am, but… Vivian, how do you know what a dragon is?”

Her expression brightened at once.

“Thank goodness… Melphis, I have a confession to make. I’m actually an apostle of god. And I was wandering around looking for a dragon. But to think you were this close.”

At the four letters ‘apostle of god’, Melphis’s face hardened in an instant.

‘Certainly, the energy felt whenever Vivian used her abilities was similar to that of god’s. But god shouldn’t exist anymore…?’

However, he didn’t bother to show his doubts.

“…I see.”

Melphis, who had been looking down, looked at Vivian again due to the intense gaze he felt even without looking.

She seemed to have something to say, unable to move her lips.

“What’s wrong? Do you have something else you want to say to me?”

As if waiting, Vivian grabbed both of his hands. Then she spoke rapidly.

“I’m sorry for the sudden request, but please help me! I need a dragon’s power!”

After that, as if a seal had been released, she eagerly explained the things that had happened so far and why she needed Melphis’s help.

On the other hand, Melphis found it difficult to properly focus on her explanation.

Because she was holding his hands tightly throughout the conversation.

Unable to do this or that and frozen, he managed to say as if it was nothing.

“So in summary… we need to go to the Dragon Realm to find the holy sword?”

“Exactly! As expected of a dragon! As expected of a creature of wisdom! To be this smart!”

Her desperation was evident in the exaggerated praise that anyone could hear.

“Just help me this once, Melphis… I know it’s a bothersome task.”

“Hmm…”

“I’m begging you like this, okay?”

When an affirmative answer didn’t come out right away, Vivian became noticeably impatient and rambled.

“We, uh, have a bond we’ve built up so far, right? Please help me. I’m begging you. At this rate, humanity will face extinction.”

“That…”

“Please, please!”

Gradually, strength entered the hands holding him.

Filled with each other’s hands touching, Melphis couldn’t say a word.

At this rate, it seemed like any conversation would be impossible. He eventually raised both hands and feet, saying he had lost.

“Okay, okay! I’ll do as you want, so please let go of my hands.”

“Really? Really?”

Vivian’s face brightened. His hands were soon freed. Melphis finally had room to think.

‘I was pushed to agree, but it doesn’t matter. I wanted to take her to the Dragon Realm someday anyway.’

Today, he had clearly intended to talk about their past connection. How did it end up like this?

‘But since Vivian is so happy… I guess that’s enough.’

They could always talk about the past another time.

The moment he thought that, Vivian spoke in a gentle voice.

“I feel like I’m always receiving help from you.”

“What?”

“Even on the day I was threatened by magical beasts when I was young, even when the courthouse collapsed, and even this time. You always helped at crucial moments.”

“…”

I thought she didn’t know because she never mentioned it, but it seemed Vivian had noticed. That the wizard that day was him.

“I have no idea how to repay you, but I’ll say this for sure. Thank you, really, really.”

The light pink lips drew a beautiful arc.

Melphis bowed his head deeply. If he looked into her eyes now, he was sure he would fall in too deeply to handle.

After a long conversation with Melphis, the departure date was set for the approaching dawn.

‘I should let everyone know that I’m leaving.’

I had already told Princess Veronica everything in advance, but not yet to Dietrich, Ludovica, and Ren.

In fact, there were a few chances to tell Ren in between, but I couldn’t even open my mouth.

Because I could clearly see a future where he would strongly oppose if I said I was going to the Dragon Realm alone with Melphis.

‘But since we’re leaving soon, I have to tell him now.’

I sneakily glanced at the clock hanging on the wall of the house.

The hour hand was close to 8 p.m. It was about time for them to come.

“Lady Vivian, what is it that you wanted to say?”

To Ren’s question, who had arrived first, I calmly replied.

“I’ll tell you when everyone is here.”

“…Everyone?”

Just then, there was a knocking sound at the door.

I hurriedly let those outside the front door in.

Dietrich and Ludovica were standing there, and behind them was Melphis.

“Vivi, who is this man?”

Ruby, who had come inside, pointed at Melphis and asked abruptly.

‘Come to think of it, Dietrich and Ruby don’t know Melphis. Melphis probably doesn’t know those two either.’

I gestured for the grinning Melphis to come to my side and introduced him to everyone.

“Everyone, say hello. This friend’s name is Melphis, and his race is dragon. He agreed to take me to the Dragon Realm.”

“A dragon?”

“What?”

“Dragon?”

The voices of everyone except Melphis and me overlapped at once.

Their faces were all filled with doubt.