Chapter 17
‘This dragon isn’t Duke Ruffelen’s enemy. Still, I can’t just let it go. Killing it is out of the question too. Hm, what should I do?’
Okay, calculations complete.
I stared straight into the dragon’s eyes and declared:
“Alright. You—become my pet dragon.”
“Pet… dragon?”
In an instant, the dragon’s expression turned icy.
For a moment, I thought I could see the same murderous aura it had shown when attacking the ship in its massive adult form.
The dragon muttered grimly, radiating menace.
“How vulgar…”
“What? Didn’t catch that.”
“Times have changed, and yet you still use such a vulgar word as pet? There’s a refined modern word for it—companion.”
“Huh?”
My dragon, apparently infused with 21st-century sensibilities, was oddly picky about word choice.
“Don’t think you can treat me like some toy in your hands! You already know my weakness, so I can never return to the sea. Isn’t that so?”
“So what?”
“I have no choice but to remain by your side. But I am far too noble to become anyone’s plaything. So call me your companion dragon.”
Even as I held it tightly in my grasp, the dragon struggled with all its might while trying to look dignified.
“If it is my fate to serve a Creator, then I shall humbly accept it. But you must also cherish me as your one and only companion, love me, and stay with me until your black hair turns white, never abandoning me.”
What the heck. Is this a wedding vow?
I scratched my ear with my free hand.
“Your name’s Gari.”
“Gari…?”
“Yeah. From now on, that’s your name.”
“Short, clear, and brimming with sophistication… it suits me so well. What does it mean?”
“It’s from Yonggari (a cheesy dragon name).”
My dragon—now “Gari”—foamed at the mouth and collapsed backward.
“Gari.”
“Shut up!”
“Gari, where are you going, Gari? To the sea, Gari? To the mountains, Gari?”
“…I told you to shut your mouth.”
I clutched my stomach, laughing so hard at the ridiculous name I’d given him. The more I laughed, the more Gari’s expression twisted in disgust.
“Fine, I’ll shut my mouth. Your sunlight’s too bright anyway—why don’t you cover the window?”
“Hey!”
Gari snapped furiously, but I just kept giggling.
“Come on, admit it. It suits you perfectly. Just saying it feels right.”
“There’s not a shred of refinement in you, Creator.”
“What, you don’t like it? This is the first real name you’ve ever had. Before this, people only called you ‘sea dragon,’ or ‘blue dragon,’ and so on.”
“…”
“By giving you a name, I gave you an identity. You should be grateful instead of sulking.”
I grabbed Gari’s cheeks and tugged them outward.
…Of course, dragon skin doesn’t stretch easily.
Our ship, the Bellentine, was heading back to the Tiaan Kingdom after completing its mission.
The ship was badly damaged, but apparently seaworthy.
Maybe because we had subdued the dragon, but even my constant seasickness was almost gone.
“My name is Jiana Hertin. I’m a mage, and it was my magic that struck your weak point. You saw it, right? That shining beam of light.”
“You mean that insolent streak that invaded my mouth?”
“Yep, that’s my spell. That’s why you shrank after your weakness was hit.”
“Cheh, this Creator knows far too much.”
Just as I was formally introducing myself to Gari, someone knocked politely at the cabin door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
When I opened the door, Duke Ruffelen stood there, his right arm wrapped tightly in bandages.
“May I come in for a moment?”
Earlier he’d practically banged the door down, and now he was all polite?
I narrowed my eyes, but the sight of the gold pouch in his left hand instantly melted my annoyance into a wide grin.
“My mermaid—no, my warrior.”
Wow, just like that? From ‘my mermaid’ to ‘warrior.’ Titles sure change quickly.
The duke, looking guilty, held out the pouch.
“I felt I owed you a proper apology.”
“Come in! Apologies always go best with money.”
I snatched the pouch from him and ushered him inside.
“Apology accepted. By the way, what exactly are you apologizing for?”
The duke looked a little baffled, then chuckled.
“For dragging you into this dangerous place. But judging from your face, you don’t look troubled at all.”
“What are you talking about? I’m exhausted! And no take-backs on that apology.”
I quickly hid the pouch behind my back, shaking my head.
“Don’t worry. I don’t take back what I’ve given. May I sit?”
“Oh, of course! Please.”
I couldn’t help smiling ear to ear.
But Gari, newly crowned as my companion, clearly hated sharing a room with the duke.
He zipped off into a corner, crossing his arms and pouting adorably.
The duke didn’t look thrilled either.
“That dragon brat—you plan on keeping it around?”
He glared at Gari. Gari’s tail stiffened, ready for battle.
“Grrrr… Don’t intrude where I rest!”
“You’d better quit swaggering unless you want to be thrown off my ship.”
“Your ship? Hah! You’re just a trespasser in my waters! You should leave this instant!”
“We’re already leaving, thank the gods. But if I toss you overboard, we’ll leave faster.”
Watching the two of them bicker like immature kids, I sighed.
It wasn’t hard to see why—they both had reasons to hate each other.
“Stop it, you two. It was just a misunderstanding. Let bygones be bygones. Come on, Gari, don’t sulk in the corner.”
“Gari? Gari?”
“That’s the name I gave my companion dragon. Fits him well, doesn’t it?”
“…Companion dragon?”
Shock filled the duke’s eyes as he stared at Gari.
Then, as though remembering something, he turned to me.
“Jiana, I just thought of what I want for dinner.”
“What is it?”
“Dragon soup. The one sitting right there would make a fine stew.”
“…Excuse me?”
I blinked, dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Gari spat a puddle of venom onto the floor and rolled around in it, glaring at the duke.
“Dragon soup? Hmph! Eat me if you dare!”
Dragon venom was notoriously poisonous.
The duke smirked.
“Then I’ll make sure to strip every last one of your scales.”
I felt like a homeroom teacher stuck with two middle-school delinquents.
This was going to be… a long journey.
At last, the battered, patched-up Bellentine docked at Tiaan’s port.
A massive crowd awaited us.
Word of our dragon’s defeat must have already spread.
“Long live Duke Ruffelen! Long live the dragon-slayer knights!”
“Is it true you really defeated a dragon?”
“My cousin died in that beast’s tidal wave! We should honor Duke Ruffelen as a true hero!”
The port was in uproar.
The duke descended first, flanked by soldiers. I carefully tucked Gari into my bag so no one would see him and followed behind.
The crowd immediately swarmed the duke.
“Your Grace, a word! Did you truly slay the dragon yourself? The storm over its waters is gone!”
“The ship’s condition suggests a fierce battle!”
“Is the dragon dead?”
Everyone assumed it was the duke who had slain the dragon.
‘Wait a second—the one who beat the dragon was me, not him!’
Slipping through the crowd, I found a quieter spot, tilted my chin up proudly, and thought:
‘He can’t possibly take credit. He’ll have to admit it was Jiana Hertin who defeated the dragon. All these people will soon look at me with awe.’
I could hardly contain my glee. Totally worth breaking the original storyline!
But just then—
“Found you.”
Someone suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked me back.
