At a certain inn.

‘Mmm… nyam nyam…’

In the dark of the night, only low murmurs can be heard. The three companions, having fallen asleep early, shift in their slumber. The sleeping Dragon clings to Keyaru’s embrace, wrapping her tail around him. Libera’s mouth twitches.

‘Hehehe…’

Closing her eyes, drenched in a waking dream, she was witnessing blurred memories within her sleep.

‘Ugh…!! Get away from Papa, you damn fox…!!’

The Dragon dreams. She recalls happy memories.

‘You’re the one who needs to get away from the Captain…!!’

Whether it rained or snowed, the days they spent stuck to each other were still vivid in her mind.

Fox Sister. That was what Libera called her. She had fluffy fur that was worlds apart from the hard, stubborn scales of a dragon. Her pointed ears and pure white tail proved her vulpine nature. With blood-red eyeliner tracing her curves, nine tails as white as snow, and deep blue beast-like pupils, she was a seductive Yokai fox—the very model of the legendary Gumiho.

Libera remembers her. Back at the guild… how many times had she fought that damn fox—no, that Fox Sister—over Papa?

Grip!

‘Hieeek…?!’

They pulled each other’s hair, pinched each other’s cheeks, and in extreme cases, traded blows and beatings. Since both possessed the forms of beasts and the instincts of predators, it was frequent for them to bare fangs and unsheathe claws at the slightest provocation. Even when they wanted to settle the hierarchy, Papa—the Guild Leader—strictly forbid it.

Elaina watched them with a look of pathetic disdain. Unlike now, back then, Sister Elaina completely hid her feelings of reverence for Papa; she acted as a mere component, a slave who displayed only an obedient and altruistic nature.

The Gold Light Dragon could tell. That look in Elaina’s eyes was the same as her own. It was just that before instinct could swallow her whole, reason was barely holding the Elf back. It was a feeling closer to religious devotion than mere love.

Of course, Papa wasn’t a god. But compared to the damn mother who disappeared after unceremoniously dumping her into the world, the man named Keyaru Klein was a benevolent and inclusive pioneer. He was the silken rope of hope extended toward her, a sweet temptation that soothed her bitterness—a light of salvation offering a “wicked” lure laced with Magi.

And yet, not a single member of the guild hated or refused that lure.

To Libera, the past thousand years were filled with nothing but unimportant things. Because she had lived for so long, there were things she couldn’t remember even if she wanted to be sentimental. There was only the rejected self, the mother who cast her out, and the loathsome father who, following the laws of the Empire and the Avatar, abandoned her in a small cave far from any proper Dragon Lair.

At first, Libera didn’t feel loneliness. She hadn’t learned the emotion of “loneliness,” and her realization that she had been abandoned was merely a piece of knowledge she acquired as time passed. That realization simply swelled and grew over the course of a thousand years; she didn’t wail in sorrow or long for affection from the parents who spurned her. She simply, purely, wanted to meet someone who would embrace her.

Then, a man came to her cave. To his question of whether she would join his guild, Libera grabbed his hand instantly. She wanted to escape that wretched cave, truly look at the world, and build connections. For the first time in a thousand years, the brilliant light that had never reached the inside of the cave shimmered with radiant gold as she began to take her first steps outside.

Thanks to the darkness of the world he had overcome, she was able to feel the sun’s rays for the first time in her life. The man who praised himself as the leader of the ‘Edric’ Guild was talkative to the point of being tiresome.

‘So, because of this and that, I… and then that happened…’

His tongue was long.

‘…….’

To the Gold Light Dragon, it was enough to make her recall the word “chatterbox”—a term that hadn’t even existed in her vocabulary before.

The reason Libera followed the man was simple. She wanted warmth and craved affection. From her parents? No—she wanted the warmth one receives from someone who becomes a parent.

Well… the fact that he was quite handsome also played a part. He was going to be a Dragon’s father, after all. One must check the looks.

When she first entered the guild, the sight before her was truly immense. It was a tower so luxurious and sophisticated that it was hard to tell if it was a guild or a grand mansion. Was this what the Magic Towers in the books she read felt like? No, the scenery before her was more beautiful than any book’s description. The trees, the flowers, the fields—everything was beautiful and abundant. She sincerely thought it might be a paradise sent by the heavens to comfort her lonely self.

When the gates—which made those of a royal castle look like toys—opened, she saw two women waving from beyond.

enN1WnIzcFhHMVJuR0JvdkNPc013MkgvcExXZ1pDL2ZHMjdLYkNlSW93bGRybDI1Ry9YVWJsRE9BVzZ0TGhqSA

They were smiling brightly at the man beside her; they were clearly welcoming the Guild Leader. The man walked forward step by step, and Libera followed behind him with a pitter-patter!

‘Boss, welcome back!!’

‘Welcome home, Master.’

The Fox, who had been fidgeting at the very front, suddenly snatched her master and pinned him to the ground. She literally pinned him.

‘Uuugh… I missed you so much…’

Lick, lick.

Holding his arms down and pinning his body, she licked him relentlessly. Like a pet dog welcoming its owner, she licked, bit, and nuzzled him without pause, making even the onlookers feel embarrassed.

‘……’

The Gold Light Dragon scowled. But before she could act, the one who subdued the “rabid dog” was none other than the Elf.

‘Move.’

The Elf’s fist went donk! right on the Fox’s head.

Kyuun..!

Letting out a pathetic yelp, the Fox collapsed to the ground. Rubbing the large lump growing on her head, she glared at the Elf.

‘Kyuuuing… why, why did you hit me…!!’

‘He just returned from a Lair; he is mentally and physically exhausted. Besides, it’s rude to act like this in front of a guest, isn’t it? Get up.’

‘The Boss didn’t say anything…!!’

‘Perhaps he didn’t because you were throwing such a tantrum?’

The Fox bristled, her eyes turning red as circular patterns began to etch themselves into her pupils. Regardless, the Elf reached out to her master and helped him up.

Dust, dust.

One dusted off his clothes, one ground her teeth at her rival, and the other—the Master—scratched the back of his head as if troubled. The Dragon watched them, thinking, What kind of idiots are these? but she followed the Captain as he awkwardly guided her with her weary body. She had to adapt to this place, after all.

‘I wonder if I can do this…’

Regardless of her apparent physical age, the phrase “the young dragon is immature” felt strange because she had lived through such a vast stretch of time. However, no matter how extraordinary or clever a dragon she was, she was still a creature living upon the earth. Ironically, the mortal wearing the mask of transcendence had unclear limits. Because she was a vague existence, she was easily hurt; because she was born fragile, she wanted love.

Thus, over the eons, what the young dragon harvested was “incapability.” No one would love a thousand-year-old dragon, and no one would share warmth with an old soul in a child’s body.

Stroke, stroke.

‘Muhuhu…’

Wait, she was sure there would be no one…

‘Does it feel good?’

‘Uuuuun…’

But he was different. The thick hand stroking her was filled with love. For eons, anyone who sought her out either worshipped her or praised her, but no one had ever treated her like this. What she had desired and prayed for was granted in an instant. She thought she was hanging her life on something impossible, yet it was achieved so easily.

‘Haa…’

Suppressing a delicate moan, the Dragon covered her mouth. Could someone truly be this kind? Why had she craved warmth for so long? Intoxicated by the flowing Magi, the Dragon’s golden brilliance was being stained by darkness. Her tail, having lost its sense of direction, thudded against the floor, her hips twitched, and a flush like that of a drunkard spread across her skin.

Like an addict, she grabbed his hand when it tried to leave; when he stayed near, she swallowed hard and savored it. The thousand years of loneliness and the insurmountable wall between species tilted, and she received warm affection for the first time.

‘Umm… just a little… just a little more…’

Begging to satisfy her desires without even realizing it, the Gold Light Dragon fell into ecstasy.

‘Well… let’s get along from now on.’

At the shy smile of the Captain—no, her new father—her horns twitched. They surged upward like a man’s pride before finally curving back down.

Snap.

With the sound of something breaking, another line was drawn. A boundary in her heart that must not be crossed appeared before her eyes.

‘……’

Of course, for a Dragon who had already broken the taboos, there was no way she wouldn’t cross this one too. But for everyone, there is a line that must not be crossed, no matter how hungry for love they may be.